A Bit Of Water - short story

'I am not going out in that,' she declared, pointing at the rain hammering the window, 'to do some boring report on dam safety.'

'A bit of water never hurt anyone and the sun will be shining by the time you get there.'

She pivoted on her stiletto heels to make her exit.

'Do this and I'll give you the music awards.'

Sensing weakness she moved for the kill.

'All areas and sole presenter.'

'Well...I'm not sure...'

'I'm not sharing.'

'Fine, just get the dam report done and there's a few more local interest stories I need you to cover.'

'Bridget, carry my bag,' she shouted, throwing the weighty tote at the newest crew member. Tapping furiously at her phone she redialed the number again. 'Connor, finally, I've been ringing you all morning.'

'Yeah, sorry Julie, I'm in a meeting, just stopped for a coffee break.' 

'Good, in that case you'll be free to get on the phone and reserve a table at Diva for tonight.'

'We'll never get a table on such short notice.'

'You will and you better.'

'I'm with clients, I can't. Why don't you do it?'

'Because I'm in the middle of shooting a report about the imminent danger of this dam bursting, a bit more pressing than your clients.'

 'Tonight's no good anyway, I've got that corporate do.'

'If your clients are more important to you than me, you needn't think I'm going to put in an appearance at a boring office with your suits.'

'Give me a break.'

'Sounds good to me, get your stuff out of my flat, tonight.'

'Jules, this will do. Good lighting and background.'

'It's Julie and I'm reporting from over there, make it work.' Bloody camera-men, think they know everything, she thought, clipping along the tarmac path that surrounded the top of the dam wall. Glowering at the dark clouds nestling over the surrounding mountains she warned them not to top-up the reservoir until she'd escaped it's cold, gloomy clutches. Wrestling with the wind-blown papers, she memorised the script, only part of the UK with no regulations for dams and she was standing atop the largest of them. She was counting the days until the music awards and the moment a national network discovered her. Who cared about dams that had been there for a hundred years? Celebrities, that's were the real news was.

The lights glared, the cameras flashed, crew and presenters jostling in their cattle pen for the best position and chance to grab the A-list celebrities parading in front of them. Julie watched from her  tower, the princess she knew she was born to be, positioned above those who considered themselves her peers, but she was beyond their reach now, spotted by the sponsors and elevated, there would be no more shivering in the rain or smiles for nobodies from nowhere, her provincial nightmare was over. Turning her back on them, she used her compact mirror to rehearse the questions for the exclusive interviews only she would get to present. Dreaming of the moment she'd finally get to meet her peers and joining the A-list she knew she belonged to, she didn't hear the roar, didn't see the people below scatter, didn't see the water that hit the scaffolding on which her glass box was perched.

Alone in the studio, the editor viewed the memorial reel, beginning with the news of the unprecedented flood after the Victorian dam broke, footage of the water following the man-made channel through the city, missing the redeveloped quays and emptying into the docks. The anchor  explaining how the event organisers failed to consult the city plans and erected the scaffolding too close to the channel. Julie, the only casualty when gallons of water caught the edge of her metal and glass tower, pulling it into the churning mass. Then a segue to Julie's last report, the one on the lack of regulation and concerns over dam safety, before flicking to a series of clips and finishing on a still of her. Pulling up the dam report he listened to Julie's final comment again, a smile teasing the corner of his lips.

'The reservoir is full and, despite the saturated ground and current heavy downpours, I'm assured it's as sound as the day it was built. So take my word for it, this dam will be around longer than me.'