Welcome to the Evening Echo’s annual feature — Summer Soap. Now in its third year, Summer Soap is a daily fictional serial run over 12 parts, which began last Monday and runs each day in the Echo for a fortnight. Called Work Wives, this story was written by Siobhan Ryan-Bovey (right) of Cobh, and was chosen from work submitted by students of the MA in Creative Writing Programme at UCC. 

Episode 7

Tuesday 19th June 2018, 11:27

Sand,

Date number 3 with James last night went as well as you’d expect since we’re perfect for each other. We bumped into his mam and dad in town outside Debenhams. HOW AWKWARD. They were out on their own date. Such cuties. I’d almost suspect that James had orchestrated it somehow but that’s crazy, right?

James dealt with is so well. He called me his “friend” but sure we were holding hands and it wasn’t even cold so I’m fairly sure they knew what was going on.

Mateo said I’m a crazy bitch and that it was just a weird coincidence. I hate how much of a realist he is when I just want someone to lie to me.

When his football player didn’t text back after their date, I told Mateo he’d either lost his phone or realised that Mateo was too good for him and quit while he was ahead. THAT is what good friends should do.

Anyway, James’s mam was wearing the most adorable flowery dress, definitely from Marks and Sparks, and his dad had britches on his pants. They were going off to a dance lesson. A dance lesson! Here’s hoping James brings me to hip-hop classes some night in the near future.

Question of the day: could James and I be the Cork version of pre-divorce declaration Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan Tatum? Mateo said absolutely not but I think you know better having seen my moves previously.

On to bigger matters: we’re going to get you out there and applying for other, more challenging jobs.

Don’t get me wrong, you are a top-notch customer services specialist but, Sand, you graduated top of your class and I don’t care if you say that was ten years ago, you’re smarter than everyone down here and I know you’d have given those men upstairs a run for your money if you’d been given he chance. Bullshit. That’s exactly what you not getting that job is. Absolute bullshit.

Mam is in the doctor’s again today. I’m going to visit her in Midleton after work and commute back in on the train in the morning so I may or may not be in on time.

Don’t miss seeing the top of my head too much.

Yours truly,

Kelly

11:32

kell,

Because I love you and because you scare me just a little when you put your mind to something, I’m going to say that James absolutely asked his parents to dress up like they were going dancing and to be outside Debenhams at the exact time that you two would be passing. Sounds like you’ll be having a summer wedding!

Jerry told me that he and his wife met in secondary school, went to the debs together, then went away to different colleges, didn’t see each other again until they were 30, dated for eight years, finally got married, and now they’ve been married 20 years! So don’t be afraid to play the long game.

In all seriousness, though, I know you like James a lot but make sure you control the slightly crazy part of yourself that I love so much, so that he can gradually get used to how wonderful you are. You don’t want to overwhelm him all at once with your greatness.

I’ve set up a profile on indeed.com and Dave has helped me revamp my CV. I’ve had my first positive email reply. Hopefully that’ll lead to an interview.

I just don’t feel as comfortable in the office as I used to, even though I’ve got you there and Jerry and I have really been bonding more recently.

Jerry’s actually going with his wife to the same resort in Fuerteventura in August that Dave and Jamie and I will be at.

Sometimes things just find a way to work out things out for themselves.

Love you,

Sandra xx