Page 3 of A Summer of New Beginnings
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Zara stared, open-mouthed, at Noah as if he had completely lost the plot. As if his marbles were literally falling out of his ears as he spoke. She tried to wrap her head around the words he had uttered but her mind was in some kind of baffled stupor. Did he really just saycampingto the girl who was accustomed to reviewing five-star luxury resorts for a living?
She shook her head. ‘I’m sorry,Noah, but… is this a joke?’ she asked hesitantly, dreading his answer. ‘You seem to be getting me confused with someone wholikesthe outdoors. I mean… I like being outdoors on the beach or checking out historical places for my reports, obviously, but camping? And Scotland?’ Noah was known for being a prankster; she waited for him to burst into hysterical laughter and do the whole,‘Ha ha! Yourface when I said camping! Of course, it’s a joke!’But she waited in vain.
He leaned forward and fixed her with a pitiful gaze. ‘Zara, I know this isn’t your usual bag. I get that. But the fact is that the whole thing is booked. Dillon knew this and he’s still betrayed me; well, all of us really.’ There was a sad yet bitter edge to his usually jovial voice. He huffed and ran his hands throughhis greying, floppy hair. ‘And I need you to help me out on this. Dillon’s intern simply isn’t ready – in fact I wouldn’t have employed him at all, truth be told, but that’s a story for another day. It’s not something I would normally ask of you, but I can’t let this slip just because Dillon thinks he has bigger fish to fry. We may be a relatively small publication in comparison to others, but westill need to be at the top of our game. I’m counting on you, Zara. You’re my best travel writer as it is. But now Dillon is going you’re myonlytravel writer.’
She sighed deeply and an image of her petite body being crushed by a giant rucksack manifested in her mind. ‘But, Noah…’
He held up his hands. ‘I know. I know. But here’s the thing.Travelariumhave got wind of the fact that Dillonis leaving. I got a call from Joel at their head office today. He couldn’t wait to stick his knife in. Sarcastic bastard. Anyway, they’re going to try and get there first. You know they’re already trying to make a name for themselves, and taking a portion of our readership would be a big bloody boost for them. This article would be a perfect inroad, believe me. They’re doing the real nitty-grittystuff; the Australian outback and the bloody camel rides in Egypt. They’re making us look like we only care about the fluffy, frilly shit. But that was never my intention withThe Bohemian. Dillon’s trip was supposed to be a real nuts and bolts piece; a chance to show our readership that we take travel seriously. And that the UK is just as important to us as a publication as the luxury destinationsare. We can’t let it go. I won’t, Zara.’ She had never seen him like this. Obviously Dillon’s shock announcement had floored him. But she wondered if there was something behind it all. Was the magazine struggling? Why was he not telling her if that was the case?
And anyway, what was wrong with fluff and frills? Life was too short to be so bothered about real life and all the crap that came withit. What was wrong with a bit of escapism?
She realised Noah was still on his rant aboutTravelariumand snapped her attention back to him. ‘… and the North Coast 500 route is so hot right now, Zara. It’s big news and we need to get in there first. Think of the team, eh?’
Good grief, next he’ll be telling me to think of the children. Talk about playing for my sympathy.She wasn’t quite readyto acquiesce. Not yet. ‘But surely there must be someone else better equipped and suited to doing the report. Surely there’s someone in the team, maybe a different department, for example, who loves camping and… and allthatstuff.’
Noah closed his eyes briefly and when he opened them, he shook his head. ‘Zara, I’ve been let down by my best friend of God knows how many years.Youcurrently havenothing assigned that can’t be put off for a while. I’m sorry but I can’t send anyone else. I need this to be done just right. I need your help on this. Please, Zara? You’re my only hope here.’
Suddenly the image of Noah dressed all in white with donuts for hair sprang to mind and she had to bite her lip so she didn’t laugh inappropriately at Noah’s Princess Leia-esque plea for help. She twistedher hands in her lap. She loved her job. And if the mag was in trouble she wanted to do all she could to help, obviously. Noah was an awesome boss and she wanted to be the reporter he needed her to be. But this was something above and beyond. She wouldn’t just be stepping out of her comfort zone. She’d be climbing in a spaceship and travelling until her comfort zone was a tiny speck on a distantplanet. But she knew how much Noah had done for her. He’d taken a chance on her as a newly qualified journalist and she owed him so much.
She lifted her chin. ‘I need more information.’
Noah sat up straight once more, his wide-eyed expression filled with hope. ‘Anything. What do you need to know? Fire away.’
She cleared her throat, forcing the real question – i.e.Are you insane?– back fromher tongue. ‘H-how will I be getting there?’
He nodded and took a slow, deep breath, which didn’t bode well. ‘Okay, so you’d be going north by train to Inverness. Then you’d pick up your bicycle and—’
‘Whoa! Hang on a darn-tooting-minute, here. Bicycle? You never mentioned anything about a bloody bicycle!’
He frowned. ‘I’m mentioning it now. And you like cycling. You cycle to work and you cycleat weekends. It makes perfect sense.’ He shrugged as if she was daft for not realising sooner.
Her nostrils flared and the clammy feeling returned to her palms. ‘I cycle for pleasure, yes, but it’s mainly a necessity for work and I’m no Lance Armstrong. How am I supposed to cycle with a backpack on? And… and tents. I’ve never set up a tent in my life. The one and only time we went camping whenI was a kid my dad and my older brother did it all. And midges. Scotland is famous for its man-eating midges. Oh, God. I don’t think I can do this, Noah. I’m just not cut out—’
‘Hey, hey. Breathe, Zara. It’ll be a doddle. I can show you the tent stuff. You take the trip at your own pace. It’ll be absolutely fine; an adventure even. And there’s this stuff that everyone up in Scotland swears bythat you spray on and the midges won’t touch you. Honestly, I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t think you were capable, Zara.’
She sat in silence for a while to allow the panic to subside. And then another question occurred. A much more pressing one that she really didn’t want the answer to but knew, all too well, she needed. ‘And… and why, exactly, do they call it the North Coast500, Noah?’
A wideawkward grin spread across his face and his eyes crinkled at the corners as a blush-red hue spread from his chest up to his cheeks. ‘Well, it’s like this… erm… You know the famous song by the Proclaimers?’
Zara swallowed hard, knowing exactly to which song he was referring. She nodded slowly, staring at him. ‘Mmm hmm.’
He held out his hands. ‘Well, at least you won’t bewalkingfive hundredmiles, eh?’
