Page 86 of Happily Never After
‘Yes?’ Liv asks when I dry up.
‘Actually, you might have a point there. I’m not exactly a country mouse but I’m certainly no city slicker. Shit, do you think everyone’s going to be looking at my outfit and judging me?’
‘No, and this is anxious Laura talking. I can guarantee you that nobody in London is even going to look at you, let alone give you enough mental processing to judge you. They’re all far too wrapped up in their own lives.’ She shudders. ‘I hate London, now I come to think about it.’
‘I’ve never heard such bollocks!’ Donna exclaims. ‘Honestly, Laura, you should have seen her when we were in Chinatown. She was like a pig in clover, snuffling out the best restaurants like truffles.’
‘Can you hear that?’ Liv asks her.
‘What?’
‘That sound. You need to listen carefully, but I’m pretty sure I know what it is. It’s the sound of similes screaming in pain.’
‘Oh, do shut up. I thought you were being serious there for a minute.’
Normally, I’d sit at the kitchen table and enjoy their good-natured banter, but Liv is right. I need to get going.
‘I’ll see you guys later. Thanks for taking Meg in today, Donna.’
‘It’s nothing,’ she replies. ‘Actually, scratch that. It’s not nothing. You’d normally be paying handsomely for the privilege, so make sure it’s worth my while, OK?’
I’ve been over this journey so many times using the planners that I think I could do it from memory, but I still consult my phone several times to double check I’m going the right way. I may not be a country mouse, exactly, but it’s a long time since I’ve been to London and even longer since I’ve had to navigate around the place on my own. I’ve decided to treat myself and go on the high-speed train to St Pancras, which gives me a fairly straightforward two-Tube trip to White City. According to the map on my phone, the studio is just across the road from the station, so it shouldn’t be that hard to find.
While I may be prepared in terms of the route, I’d forgotten how hot, stuffy and crammed the London Underground system is. By the time I step out into the fresh air at White City, my shirt is clinging to my back, my face feels uncomfortably flushed and I’m sure the combination of heat and humidity has undone all my careful work on my hair this morning. Despite Liv’s predictions of doom, I make it across the road unscathed and even get through the ridiculous automated revolving door without trapping any limbs or my bag in it.
You know those alternate reality scenes in films, where a character steps through some kind of portal into a totallydifferent world? That’s what the studio lobby feels like. Outside, it’s all heat, bustle and noise. I can see it through the large windows. It takes me a moment to figure out what the lobby reminds me of before it comes to me. It’s cool and quiet as a tomb, only one with lots of space, gleaming floors and really nice chandeliers. I mean, it’s not totally silent; I can hear a phone ringing on the reception counter, but it’s so muted as to be barely audible. Even the people are silent. There’s a faint clack-clack of heels on the floor as a woman crosses to the security gates, and a man is standing in the corner, having a whispered conversation on his mobile phone, but they’re both kind of swallowed by the overall silence. For a moment, the rebellious streak in me fills me with the urge to shout, ‘Good morning, everyone!’ at the top of my lungs, just to prove to myself that I’m still alive. Instead, I make my way over to the reception desk, where a blonde woman who doesn’t look old enough to have left school regards me with interest.
‘Hi,’ I say quietly. ‘I’m Laura Spalding, here to see Finn Robertson.’
‘Oh, yes,’ she replies. ‘We’re expecting you. I’ll give him a call and let him know you’re here. There are a couple of security things I need to do, but if I time it right, we’ll get those finished just as he arrives.’ She picks up the phone on the desk and presses a couple of buttons.
‘Can you tell Mr Robertson that his VIP guest has arrived?’ she says. ‘Thank you.’
‘VIP?’ I ask.
‘Oh, yes. He was very clear that we were to extend you every courtesy. Now, can you just look into the camera there for me for a second? Perfect.’
After a few keystrokes, the printer next to her quietly comes to life and spews out a card with my picture and a QR code on it.She folds it expertly and slots it into a plastic wallet attached to a gold lanyard with ‘VIP’ embroidered on it at regular intervals.
‘This will get you through security,’ she explains. ‘All you have to do is scan the QR code. When it comes to the lifts, you’ll need to scan it on the reader first. It will then allocate you a lift that’s going to the floors you’re authorised to visit. Any questions?’
‘Umm, no.’ To be honest, I didn’t understand a word of what she’s just said about the lifts, but hopefully Finn will be able to explain it better.
All I need now is for him to arrive.
31
‘There you are!’ a familiar voice exclaims, and I turn to see Finn hurrying towards me from the direction of the barriers. ‘How was your journey?’
‘I made it,’ I tell him with a smile. ‘I’ll take that.’
‘I never doubted you would,’ he says, wrapping me in a warm hug that instantly reassures me today is not going to be a repeat of the last time we saw each other. ‘Your navigation skills put mine to shame. I can’t tell you how excited I am that you’re here. I’ve got so much to show you. Shall we?’
To my surprise, he reaches out and takes my hand. It’s a nice sensation that reminds me of our first morning walk together. I can feel myself being swept up in his enthusiasm as he leads me across to the barriers, where he shows me how to scan my pass to get through. This is more like it. This is the Finn I’m used to, and I can feel the happiness bubbling up inside me.
‘It’s only the third day of filming, but everyone’s really excited about the show and the contestants seem to be loving it,’ he says as he scans his pass on a reader by the lifts. ‘Lift number six. Over here.’
‘The reception lady was trying to explain the lift system to me, but I didn’t get it,’ I confess.
