Well I wasn’t really, but I love the phrase so I decided to use it. More a case of words coming back to bite me on the bum..I have been known to be critical of women in this business who don’t take it seriously. They don’t answer their phone or emails, they make up excuses not to fulfill bookings and so on and so forth. Or, most stupidly in my opinion, they forget their work phone!! Oh yes indeedy, after a week made up largely of timewasters and cancellations, I head off down the M56 in the lashing rain for an outcall to an hotel at Manchester Airport. Just as I pass the ‘Manchester Airport 5 miles’ sign and am congratulating myself that I’m going to arrive in plenty of time for once, I have one of those horrible stomach churning moments. I have no recollection of popping my work phone into my bag. I know I’ve left it behind. I have no way of contacting my client. No point turning round and going back to get it, as it would take me too long and in any case the next motorway turn off is the airport. My only hope is that someone’s at home and can get the number off my phone. No such luck. Sit there for half an hour outside the hotel, wondering if the client will maybe email me or try to contact me in some way that I can access on my private phone, but not being blessed with psychic powers, he just thinks I haven’t bothered to turn up. Eventually give up, turn round and go home and find the phone sitting innocently in front of the computer. 19 missed calls, not just from the hotel client, but also from the chap I was seeing at my incall place in Manchester after the hotel booking. AAARRRGGHH!
In my defence, I was somewhat preoccupied with worrying about my car, as someone had tried to steal it the previous day and damaged the door and the ignition. But still, sheer stupidity.
I consoled myself with the knowledge I had a booking the next morning with someone in Bury who has tried to see me lots of times with no success as I haven’t been available for one reason or another at the times he’s wanted to see me. I had agreed to phone him to confirm on Saturday morning. Pick up phone to do just that and realise that his number has disappeared from my ‘recent calls’ list and I haven’t saved it anywhere. He doesn’t ring me, presumably assuming that after all I can’t make it. Hopefully he’s reading this…..