Tim and Amy

We had an excellent meal, then drove home. Tim went into the garage and found the items he'd need to hang the picture. Pam was in the dining room with me and Laura trying to decide the best location for it.

"Here," said Pam, pointing to the longest wall. "It needs as much space to itself as we can give it."

Tim nailed up the hooks, and carefully lifted the picture onto them, levelling it.

"Perfect," I said.

Laura nodded. Then her face showed a sudden recollection. "Hey, Amy," she said, "isn't your car still on campus?"

"Oops," I said, "we came back in Tim's car, didn't we. Laura, if Tim takes you up there, would you mind driving the Mini back for me?"

"Sure, if Tim doesn't mind taking me," said Laura.

"No problem," he said.

I handed Laura my car key, and Laura and Tim got back in his car for the drive back to campus.

I helped Pam to tidy the house and wash up. "I think Laura's show was a success," I said as we dried the dishes.

"Definitely," said Pam. "She's a very talented girl."

She put away the last cup, and hung the tea towel to dry. "Let's have a cup of coffee," she said. We went through to the living room and sat with our drinks.

After a while, we heard the sound of both cars in the drive. "Thought you'd got lost," teased Pam as Laura and Tim came in the door.

We spent the rest of the day relaxing, reading, watching a film on TV.

"Now, Amy," Tim said as the film finished. "Doesn't your placement start tomorrow?"

"That's right," I nodded.

"Better get an early night, then – we need to be at the office bright and early, and once things get going you'll hardly have time to catch your breath."

"OK," I said. "I can see you're going to be a real slave-driver." I stuck out my tongue at him and winked at Pam and Laura. "Night, all."

"I'll turn in too," said Laura. She followed me up the stairs, and closed the door behind us.

***

In the morning, I woke up early, and started to get ready for my first day on placement. When I came back from the bathroom, Laura had already gone downstairs, and I took my time dressing, brushing my hair, making sure I had everything I needed. I'd chosen a dark-coloured tailored jacket and matching skirt, with low heels. My hair was caught up in a plain silver clasp – a present from Dad – and I'd bought a leather briefcase.

I went down the stairs to the kitchen. Laura was sitting at the table, yawning, while Tim and Pam made breakfast.

"Gosh, Amy," Tim said. "You really look the part."

"Hopefully it's not just skin deep," I said. "I really did listen to all those things you told me when we studied over the break."

"You'll be fine," he said reassuringly. "Now, have some breakfast."

"I don't really have much appetite," I said. But I managed some cereal and coffee.

"Better get going," Tim said. He kissed Pam, and gave Laura a hug, then he and I went out to the car. I got in the passenger seat, resting my case in my lap. Tim got in, and we set off on the short commute to his office.

When we arrived, Tim introduced me to the security guard – the reception team weren't in yet – and he handed me the identity card Tim had arranged for me. I looked at it.

"Not a bad photo," I said. "Did Mum give you that?"

Tim nodded. "Now, let's get you to your desk."

The office was open-plan, and Tim had arranged for me to have a desk near to his. I put my briefcase down, and sat in the desk chair, swivelling experimentally.

"Here's the timetable for your first week," he said, handing me a sheet of paper. "Today you have the whole day with Oscar, who's one of my team."

"Is he cute?" I asked, smiling.

Tim was suddenly serious. "Amy – darling – you know, don't you, that any time you want to start a relationship with someone else, you only need to say, and I'll let you go."

I was suddenly in his arms – there was still no-one else in the office – and holding him tight.

"Tim," I said, my voice betraying my emotions, "thank you for being so considerate – but believe me, what you and I have matters to me, a lot. I might look at the younger guys, but I need you."

Tim nodded, unable to find words to reply. Just then we both heard the 'beep' of the swipe card reader on the door, and I quickly returned to my chair.

The new arrival was Oscar, and Tim introduced him to me and said, "Well, I'll leave you two to get started. Oscar, you know what you need to cover; give me a shout if you need anything. Amy, we'll break for lunch around twelve."

Twelve o'clock soon came, and Tim took me down to the staff restaurant and bought me lunch. "How's it going?" he asked.

I gave him a slightly dazed look. "It's fascinating," I said, "and Oscar's a very bright guy. I think my brain is working harder than it ever has, trying to take in all this information."

"OK," said Tim. "I expected that – I've deliberately given you a lot to cover to stretch you and see how you cope. But we'll get away on time, and Pam will have made us something to eat – then you can switch off, and we'll all watch a film or something."

When we'd finished lunch, we went back upstairs and Tim handed me back to Oscar. Tim had meetings in the afternoon, but he'd planned to wind up the last one promptly at five. He returned to my desk to find me sitting in front of my computer screen.

"Oscar had to go off to sort something out," I said, "but he got me the passwords for one of the programs and gave me a task to try. I think I've cracked it."

Tim looked over my shoulder at the figures displayed. "Spot on," he said. "Well done. Now, let's go and see what Pam's got for us."

We drove home without talking much. I was tired, but pleased with the way my first day had gone.

When we got home, Pam greeted us at the door, and Tim said, "Wow, something smells good."

We sat down to eat straight away, and I tried to explain to Pam and Laura what I'd been doing.

Pam grinned. "I think you're hooked," she said.

"How about you two?" Tim said.

Pam's face took on an expression I knew meant she had something to tell us.

"Laura and I have been talking," she said, "She wondered if it would be OK for her to move in here more permanently – we've all got along so well over Christmas, and it would save her the rent on her room on campus."

"I'd contribute to things here, of course," said Laura.

I couldn't contain my excitement. "We could redecorate our room, get some different furniture," I said. "You wouldn't mind the far end of the dining room still being a bit of a studio, would you, Tim?"

"I think it's a great idea," Tim said. "We'll get some paint and paper samples at the weekend, and you can look through furniture catalogues."

I suddenly felt an irrepressible urge to yawn, and said, "Gosh, I feel absolutely wiped. Would it be rude if I went to bed?"

"No," Tim chuckled. "I won't be far behind – these long days at work take it out of me too."

The rest of the week flashed by, Tim and I leaving for the office early. I was getting more tired each day, but doggedly determined to keep concentrating and learning from what Tim's team were showing me. It got to Friday night, and as usual I went to bed almost as soon as we finished eating.

"Don't forget to turn your alarm off," Tim called after me as I walked up the stairs yawning.

The next morning, Laura and I came down the stairs full of talk about shades of paint and matching fabrics.

"It'll be really great having Laura help decorate," I said. "Not surprisingly, she has an amazing sense for colour and pattern, I think we'll come up with something really nice."

After breakfast, we all got in the car and Tim drove us to the retail park. Laura and I pored over the colour charts, and had great fun watching the assistant using the paint mixing machine to produce the shades we'd selected for the various walls and the woodwork. We filled a trolley with paper, brushes, packets of paste, and Tim managed to fit everything in the boot.

"We haven't got the curtains and stuff yet, but we can choose those when we've got the decorating done," explained Laura.

We got home and had a scratch lunch, then Pam and Tim helped us take everything out of my room and get started with the decorating.

We made good progress, but as it started to go dark Laura said, "Hmm, I don't think we'll get this done today. Will it be OK if we sleep in the extension, then finish tomorrow and move things back?"

"Sure," Tim said.

We finished the first coat of each colour, then went to shower away the paint and dust, and change out of our working clothes. Pam made dinner, and we sat talking.

"When do you have to start back on campus?" Tim asked Laura.

"Next week," she replied. "Amy's on placement still, isn't she?"

"That's OK," I said. "Tim's driving me to work, so you can have the Mini."

Laura grinned. "Wow, thanks, Amy."

"Do you have another show at the end of this term?" asked Pam.

"That's right," said Laura. "And I already have a good idea what the centrepiece will be."

I remembered what she'd said about a self-portrait, and wondered exactly how the sitting for that would work, and what style she would choose for the picture.

When dinner was over we went through to the extension with armfuls of bedding to make up a place to sleep. We pulled together a couple of couches into a makeshift bed, then got undressed and climbed under the duvet to chat.

Tim came into the extension to check that we were managing OK.

"You two look as though you're doing fine," he said.

I nodded. "Come and give us a goodnight kiss," I said.

Tim came over and kissed me lightly on the lips.

"Thanks for this week, and for our room, and everything," I said.

"You're welcome," he replied. The he leaned over me to kiss Laura.

She grinned. "I'm really feeling at home here already."

"Well, here's an idea," Tim said. "I'll treat Pam to a pamper trip next weekend – she likes those, and she certainly deserves one, looking after us – and the three of us can have some time together."

The next day we finished the decorating, and when the paint was dry we moved everything back in.

"It's lovely," said Pam. "We can do the curtains and such next weekend."

"Might have to delay that a little bit," Tim said. "I thought I'd treat you, give you a day and night at the spa."

"Well, if the girls don't mind waiting a little longer to have everything finished...?"

"Don't worry about us," I chipped in. "We're having lots of fun looking at different catalogues."

"Well, OK. Thanks, Tim." And Pam kissed him warmly.

I seemed to be getting used to the pace of work, so I wasn't quite as exhausted for the second week of my placement. I went with Tim to a couple of meetings, and he looked immensely pleased when I made an occasional suggestion or comment that showed I'd really grasped things and was trying hard to think of good ideas to contribute.

Laura drove my Mini to campus every day, and soon the corner of the dining room that functioned as her studio started to fill with sketches for her next show.

Saturday morning came, and we waved Pam off to her spa trip.

"Now, what shall we do first?" Tim asked.

"Laura would like us to help her with her main canvas for the next show," I said. "Then we can all have a swim."

"Sure," Tim replied. "What do you need, Laura?"

"Amy says you have a Polaroid camera," she said. "Do you have any film for it?"

"Definitely," he said. "Has Amy shown you the pictures I took of her when we got back from the ballet?"

"You bet," said Laura. "I liked them a lot."

We all went upstairs and changed for the pool, then Tim fetched the camera and went through into the extension.

"Do you know what style your new painting will be yet?" I asked.

"Fraid you'll have to wait and see, like last time," said Laura.

She took her bikini off, not seeming self-conscious at all, and said, "Tim, just snap away when you want."

She walked around the room, pausing to take up various poses – standing, sitting, bending gracefully, sprawled out on one of the loungers.

Then she slowly walked down the shallow steps into the pool, stopping each time the water rose up her body, and finally swam to the other end, pulling herself out on the side and sitting with her legs dangling in the water.

"OK," Tim said, "that's all of that film cartridge used."

Laura put her bikini back on, then we looked at the pictures Tim had taken.

"That's great, Tim," said Laura. "Those will give me just what I need for my canvas."

She got back in the pool. "Come on then, you two."

We got in the pool, alternating swimming lengths with playfully splashing one another and throwing a ball between us. After a while, I said, "How about some lunch?"

"I know," Tim said. "We have all sorts of snacks, bits of cold meat, stuff like that. I'll bring in a tray, and we can nibble while we talk."

He returned with the food, and we sat in a triangle on one of the loungers. Tim picked up an olive, and offered it to Laura. She took it from his fingers with her lips.

"That looks like fun," I said.

Tim put an olive to my lips and I took it, and so the meal progressed, each of us feeding the others tidbits.

When we'd finished eating, I said, "Come on, let's try the sauna."

We spent the afternoon relaxing, alternating between the sauna, the pool and the loungers. Laura and I made up various games, mostly seeming to involve who could splash the most water about.

As it began to get dark, Tim said, "How about I take you two to dinner somewhere?" Our eyes lit up.

"Mario's is OK for lunch, but I know somewhere a bit more special for an evening out," he continued.

"We'd better dress up, then," I said. I took Laura's hand, and we went back through the house and up to our room to choose our outfits.

When we were ready, we came back down the stairs. I was wearing my red dress, and Laura had found something long and elegant in silk. Both of us had taken time on our hair and makeup.

"You two look divine," Tim said. "Let's go."

We got in the car and set off out of town.

"Don't think I've been this way before," I said.

Tim grinned. "You'll see."

In the distance, lights appeared just off the road, and Tim pulled in to the car park. We walked in to the restaurant, and we were greeted by the maitre'd. He showed us to a table and we started to peruse the menus. The sommelier came over, and Tim ordered champagne, which arrived in a large silver ice bucket on its own stand. Laura and I looked at one another and raised their eyebrows.

Tim raised his glass in a toast, and we clinked our glasses gently before sipping the sparkling wine.

We ordered food, and talked as we ate.

"Amy," Tim said, "I have an idea. Your course allows you to opt for a year's sandwich placement if you want, doesn't it?" I nodded.

"How about you spend the whole of one academic year at the company?" Tim went on. "You'll get paid a real salary and it'll look great on your CV. And actually, I think some of your ideas are really going to be useful."

I beamed with pleasure, getting to my feet and coming round to Tim's chair to give him a hug.

"That's great," I said. "And that means I'll still be at uni when Laura finishes, so that'll give her a great reason to stay around – you could get a performance year, Laura, is that what they call it?"

Laura nodded, her eyes bright. "Perfect," she said.

We finished our meal and set off on the drive home, Laura and I chatting in the back seat.

"You need to get me a chauffeur's hat," Tim joked, opening the car door for them at the house.

The door closed behind us, and Tim said, "Well, girls, ready for bed?"

I looked at Laura. "It's still early. Why don't we have coffee and talk for a while?"

We went through into the living room while Tim made coffee. When he came back through with the tray, we were sitting on either end of the sofa, our legs curled up under us. Laura had put some music on quietly in the background.

I patted the seat between us. "Plenty of room," I said with a smile.

Tim took his assigned place, and put an arm round our shoulders. We both snuggled against him, and for a while we enjoyed the closeness and the music.

Then I spoke without raising my head. "Laura?"

"Mmm?"

"Tell Tim that story we were making up the other day."

Tim settled down to listen, and Laura began. "Actually, this story involves all three of us. This is sometime in the nineteen-twenties in America. Tim, you're a rich businessman, and Amy, you're his wife. You live in a big house in New York, but you don't have any children; you've been trying for a while, but it just hasn't happened.

"Because you don't have a family, Amy has plenty of time to be on various committees, and one of them is the university scholarship committee, which has responsibility for awarding places to students from overseas to visit the university. I've applied, and something about my file catches Amy's eye. She recommends me when the committee meets, and I'm offered a place.

"So I arrive by Cunarder from England, and Amy is there to meet me. 'Gosh,' I say to her, 'do all the scholarship students get treated like this?' She smiles. 'No, but my husband and I would like to invite you to come and stay with us while you're here.'

"Because term doesn't start for several weeks, we spend the time playing tennis, going on picnics, swimming. I have a marvellous time, and get to know you really well. I like you both a lot, and I can imagine how great you'd be with children.

"When I start at the university, I go to a ball with the son of one of Tim and Amy's friends, and afterwards we give in to temptation and end up sleeping together.

"A few weeks later, Tim and Amy take me on holiday, and the first morning we're away, when I smell the coffee they're having, I have to rush back into the bathroom to throw up.

"Of course Amy realises straight away what's happened, and she and Tim help me to make arrangements to have my child without anyone knowing – I take the next semester off to 'go travelling'.

"When they ask me what I want to happen to my child, I ask them if they'd like to adopt him – I know how much they want to start a family of their own.

"I stay with Tim's parents until I give birth, and Amy's sister Beth comes to help.

"My child is a perfect baby boy, and when we get back to the house I hand him to Amy, a little sadly, but knowing that she and Tim will cherish him as the apple of their eye."

Laura stopped, and for a moment we were silent, moved by thinking about even an imaginary family's happiness. Then Laura took a deep breath and said, "It's really strange, but fantasising about getting pregnant really made something tingle in my belly."

"Me too," I replied.

"Hey," Tim said, alarmed. "It's a nice idea, but it would cause all sorts of complications if one of you got knocked up."

"Don't worry, Tim," reassured Laura, "we won't do anything rash. But I really enjoyed telling the story."

"Come on," I said. "Time for bed."

Laura and I both stood, and each of us reached out a hand to Tim to pull him to his feet.

"Now you have to tuck both of us in," Laura said.

Tim grinned. "I think I can manage that."

***

I went into Tim's room, and he opened his eyes as he heard me come in.

"Laura decided to shower first," I said. Just then Laura appeared in a towelling robe. "Morning, sleepyhead," she said.

"Morning yourself," Tim replied. "You two hungry?"

"Mm," said Laura, "I wouldn't refuse."

Tim got out of bed. "I know something you'll like," he said. He went downstairs and made bacon sandwiches and coffee, bringing a tray back up the stairs.

We ate enthusiastically, then lounged back on the bed to sip the hot coffee.

"What do you want to do this morning?" asked Tim.

"Let's just relax," Laura said. "We can swim for a bit, and go in the sauna, and you can give both of us a massage. Then I can start on my painting."