Transcript

EXTRACT ONE [SOPHIE]: Did you sort out your phone contract? [ADAM]: Yeah. The cheap offer online was only for new customers, so they wouldn't give me exactly that price. I said I'd leave, and then they found a different plan with more data for only a little extra. [SOPHIE]: Do you actually need more data? [ADAM]: Probably not most months, but I'm travelling in August and I'll use maps a lot. The important thing is the contract lasts twelve months rather than two years. My current phone still works, so I didn't want a new one included. [SOPHIE]: Did they charge you for changing early? [ADAM]: No, the old contract ends next week. The new plan starts the following day, and I keep the same number. They're sending a new SIM card, although the adviser said my old one might continue working. [SOPHIE]: That sounds unusually simple. [ADAM]: I'm waiting for the confirmation email before celebrating. I wrote down the price while we were speaking, because last time the bill included an extra service I hadn't agreed to. If the email matches my notes, I'll be happy. EXTRACT TWO [OMAR]: Did you find Julia at the station? [BETH]: Eventually. Her train arrived at platform nine, but I was waiting by platform six because that's where the app first said it would come in. The display changed while I was buying coffee. [OMAR]: Couldn't you call her? [BETH]: Her phone battery had died. She borrowed someone's charger on the train, but it only gave her enough power to send one message. I didn't see it because the station Wi-Fi kept dropping out. [OMAR]: So how did you meet? [BETH]: We both went to the large clock in the main hall. It's the place we'd mentioned as a backup, though neither of us expected to use it. She was standing there with her suitcase and a newspaper she'd bought just to get change. [OMAR]: Were you late for lunch? [BETH]: Only by fifteen minutes. I'd booked the table under my name, so the restaurant kept it. Julia was more worried about her phone than the delay. We charged it behind the counter while we ate, and by dessert she could finally show me all the photos from her trip. EXTRACT THREE [CLAIRE]: How did you get on renting a suit for the awards dinner? [RAVI]: Better than I expected. The first jacket fitted well, but the trousers were much too long. The shop can shorten them temporarily, so they won't make any permanent changes. [CLAIRE]: Do you collect everything on the day? [RAVI]: The afternoon before. They want me to try it on again with the shoes I'll wear. I nearly bought new shoes, but the assistant said my plain black ones were fine once they'd been polished. [CLAIRE]: What about a shirt? [RAVI]: That's included, along with a tie. I chose a dark red tie, then changed to a blue one because it looked less like a school uniform. They also offered a waistcoat, but I'd be too warm wearing three layers all evening. [CLAIRE]: When do you return it? [RAVI]: By midday on Monday. The dinner's on Saturday, so that gives me Sunday to check every piece is still in the bag. Cleaning is included, which is a relief. I was imagining myself trying to remove dinner stains from a suit that isn't mine. [CLAIRE]: Take a picture before you leave the shop, just in case. [RAVI]: Good idea. Then I'll know exactly how the tie was meant to sit.