Page 33 of A Wish For Jo
'Still, he really shouldn't be in here,' reprimanded Jo. Her resolve crumbled as Hector began licking Jinnie's face, prompting a fit of giggles.
'I'll only be ten minutes, and I doubt health and safety are about to burst through the doors,' said Janette. 'A pot of tea and a slice of gingerbread, please. Oh, and a wee biscuit for Hector.'
Recognising defeat, Jo fetched Janette's order and a cup of turmeric and ginger tea for Jinnie. 'How does Alison manage normally?' she asked.
Janette broke off a piece of biscuit and fed it to a delighted Hector. 'Well, she's cut down to three days a week in the boutique for now and she's got a dog sitter. The wee lass is poorly with the flu, so I offered tae help.'
With half an eye on the doorway, just in case, Jo rejoined Jinnie. 'Where were we? Oh yes: Sam’s worried about something and you're worried about Sam. I just don't see the name thing as anything but a daft coincidence. Maybe he's incorporating something about genies in his book.'
Jinnie raised a dubious eyebrow. 'He writes gritty thrillers, Jo. I doubt a genie's going to pop up in the middle of a gruesome crime scene.'
Finishing her tea, Jinnie paid for it, along with two cheese and onion pasties. 'Hopefully one of these will tempt Sam into eating,' she said. ‘Sorry, Jo, I jabbered on so much about myself that I didn't even ask how you are. Is life treating you well?'
Popping the pasties into a bag, Jo recalled a line from one of Harvey’s WhatsApp messages.
I feel like I've woken from a very long, very dreary sleep. Thank you. I don't normally welcome late-night visitors, but for you I'll always make an exception. H xx
Jo passed over the bag and smiled. 'Oh, yes. Very well indeed.'
CHAPTER34
Smear test day.It was circled in red on Jo's calendar, along with other dreaded appointments like the dental hygienist and the podiatrist. Having toenails thicker than rhino hide wasn't a source of pride. At least Aaliyah had proven handy in the foot-care department.
After a five-minute wait in the reception area, Jo got the nod to go through. 'Good morning, Jo. How are you today?'
Oh, you know, feeling like the electric chair might be a better proposition than the one I'm about to hop on to.'I'm great, Dr Abbott. How are you? I hope the family are all well.'
Jo's doctor of many years pushed his smeared glasses up his nose, squinting at the file in front of him. He was a nice enough man, but with all the personality of a mouldy potato. Not that general practitioners needed the smarm and showmanship ofAll Risehost Kelvin, but a bit of cosy bedside manner wouldn't go amiss. The man was chillier than the horrible tool he used to scrape at her bits. Well, not scrape so much as excavate, with a revolting, sucky sensation…
'All fine, all fine. Now, just pop yourself behind the screen and remove the bottom half of your clothing. I'll be through in a moment.'
Jo did as instructed, wriggling out of her trousers and knickers. She contemplated keeping her socks on, since the room was freezing, but decided to go for the (almost) full monty. Not for the first time, she wondered why doctors performing smear tests insisted on privacy at this stage, when they were about to get up close and personal with her vagina.
'All ready? Excellent.' Dr Abbott appeared, wiping his manky glasses with a tissue. Jo spread her legs, the sense of dread accelerating along with her heartbeat. It only took a minute, it could save her life, people went through far worse things on a daily basis… She closed her eyes, conjuring up a happy place. Harvey. Cake. A relaxing massage with scented oil. Harvey administering said massage. More cake.
'That's nice and shiny.'
What?Jo squeezed her eyes more tightly shut. Had he just referred to her cervix asshiny?
'Did you polish it?'
Right, that’s off the chart weird! The man needed reporting, or sectioning, or—
'It reminds me of my wife's.'
Jo gasped and opened her eyes. If she could, she'd scurry out the room right now and scream for security. But each leg was hoisted in the air and her knickers lay forlornly on the floor.
'Your ring.' Dr Abbott completed his examination. 'It reminds me of when I asked Esme to marry me. She said no at first, but I wore her down with my charm.'
Jo followed his gaze to her right hand and her mother's engagement ring, a single sapphire surrounded by tiny diamonds. She wore it only when she needed comfort. On days like this, when its presence anchored her to the past and made the tough more bearable. She'd dipped it in cleaning solution this morning, and buffed it with a toothbrush. 'Can I get down now?'
Dr Abbott signalled his assent. Jo grabbed her knickers, hopped around on one leg getting them on, and wondered where Dr Abbott's alleged charm had gone.
* * *
Back home,Jo delighted in crossing out the appointment with a thick, black pen. She made herself a tuna and mayo sandwich and settled down to read Carole's letter that she'd been too tired to focus on before.
Hi Jo!
