“What are you going to do while I'm having some downtime? Surely it's about time you took some time off.”
“I'd love to take time off Buckie. Believe me, if I had the time I wouldn’t hesitate, but I'm going to be busy sorting out your next project.”
“Take a couple of weeks off for goodness sake. I'm pretty sure you could do that. Two weeks isn't going to make a difference. We'll tell Margot we're working. What she doesn't know won't hurt her.”
She contemplates that for a second and smiles. “I would love to go and visit my friends and family while we're back in the UK. I feel as though I've lost touch with the real world over the last few years. A few weeks in the Cotswolds with my folks would be epic.”
“When was the last time you went on a date Shelly?”
“Why Buckie are you asking me out?” She laughs as she takes a sip of her coffee. “I don't have time for dating. I'm on call for you 24/7. Could you imagine being in the throes of passion and having to stop to take a phone call. It would be like that scene in Love Actually. Mood killed, dead, done. There's no coming back from that. Believe me it happened once and never again.”
“You know what you need to do on your time off then. Go and have fun Shelly, I know I will be.”
“Please for my sanity keep yourself out of the papers.”
“Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye.” I crossover my heart with my finger and give her a wink.
Shelly shakes her head and rolls her eyes. “Okay enough you. Here is all your paperwork. There's an itinerary there with all the press calls, chat shows and interviews. You’re expected to be available until this run of PR finishes. Probably until the week after release, and then after that you're free to do what you like. I've organised a few extra tickets for the premiere if you want to bring anyone like your parents or any friends. Also, as you requested, I've organised that kilt maker in Edinburgh to make a few kilts for you. They’ll have them ready for delivery when you arrive in the UK.”
“I'll pick them up myself since I'm going straight to Scotland as soon as I get to the UK. Going to take a train from London up to Glasgow. I haven't been on a train for years. In actual fact since I left five years ago.”
Shelly raises her eyebrows at me. “As long as you’re back in London for your interviews and the premiere, you can do what you like.”
“Sorted then. Watch out Glasgow, Buckie’s back.”