All Work and Play – Sandra 25

 

[For back story go here: Story so far at 17 Sept 2020 and especially this one.]

[Other back story in in-links.]

On the third day Sandra had Frankie's childcare/client downstairs room interface to a fine art. Armed with the timetable for the next few hours, Sandra could deftly direct the Sukie and Freddie’s play in one direction or another, inside or outside – thankfully the weather was still permitting this – in such a way to give least disruption, worry or turmoil for everyone. Indeed, on this day Sandra had even turned up ten minutes early to specifically arrange the toys so that there wouldn’t be any time consuming discussion as to who would do what and where when.

To some extent Sandra saw this as the next step to an easy life. She was going to have to look after the kids one way or another, so she might as well make it easy. Also, by taking this hassle out of her mind and letting it run itself she could even address other matters as they came up. It was as if multi-tasking was her middle name. Although of course it wasn’t. It was Xanadu.

And so, with elderly neighbour Jackie primed with her cup of tea, the kids started on inside entertainment with a doll’s house and duplo all lined up. As this happened, Sandra, standing by the kitchen bar area, logged on to her emails, chatted with a few clients of her own via messaging services and made a couple of in roads with new marketing ideas.

Five minutes before change over she engaged the kids in a short series of running/crawling races outside which she, naturally, kept losing so they’d stay motivated and stay put while the clients swapped over. Having succeeded in this they piled back inside for a drink and biscuit before reading time, individually and together.

A swift visit to the upstairs bathroom took care of the next change over and Sandra felt she was motoring on gas as she plugged the kids into some age appropriate screens – a game and a TV show – while she logged onto her emails again.

However the fact they she was on email was enough to nudge Trinny into believing she was available for a call and before she knew it she was fielding a conversation alongside everything else. Determined not to panic she outlined the situation to Trinny and explained she had about ten minutes until she needed to play hide and seek to get the children stowed away before the next changeover.

“Hm,” said Trinny, “this is kind of what I wanted to talk to you about.”

“Hide and seek?” quizzed Sandra.

Apparently it wasn’t children’s games, that was bugging Trinny, although it sort of was. It was the fact that the children’s games and other things were detracting Sandra from the task of promoting their app Together…Apart. The kitten ransomware, the promotion disaster/notoriety of morning television had all been well and good – sort of, in the end, maybe – but it had led to what Trinny now wanted to call a hiatus, but wasn’t sure she could because she wasn’t entirely certain it was the right word.

Having swiftly Googled it, she decided it was the right word but a bit over the top.

“Stuff has just stopped,” she said. “At least as far as you’re concerned. I’m not sure what you’re doing anymore – if indeed you are doing anything for us? There’s no continuity, no communication strategy, nothing.”

“I sent an email to a press contact this morning,” protested Sandra. “And a tweet.”

“One press release, and one tweet?”

“They were targeted,” objected Sandra. “No point in the scattergun approach when we know exactly who we want to impress and with what.”

“We need to get more users so we can get more advertisers,” said Trinny straight-forwardly. “And right now all these new lockdowns and measures and everything – it’s an ideal time for us. Especially when even the Prime Minister can’t get it right. Imagine that as your hook line – the government all need a subscription to Together…Apart and then they’d know exactly what to do.”

“I’m not sure we should get the public to imagine the Prime Minister using a dating app,” said Sandra dubiously. “I mean, you know what he’s like…”

“That’s not the point,” retaliated Trinny. “The point is now is the ideal time for us and I’m beginning to think you don’t appreciate that or you don’t want to be a part of it.”

There was a pause.

“Are you..?”

“I’m just telling you what I think. I want you to know where we stand and sometimes,” said Trinny, “Sometimes I don’t think you completely get it when I use emojis.”

Sandra put down the phone a few minutes later. Trinny deserting emojis was serious indeed. But so too was childcare. Sandra resolved to work out exactly where she thought she stood with Trinny, as soon as she’d worked out where Sukie had hidden Freddie.