Page 27 of Love Will Save the Day
Chapter Eighteen
While I’m sick, I end up watching Auguste’s film festival submission four times. It’s glorious; thoughtful and emotional and it blows my mind that this unreadable French man has so much depth of feeling in his heart.
Three days and nights full of Day Nurse, Night Nurse, Lemsip and Auguste regularly visiting with his spicy soup, which tastes more and more gross as my tastebuds come back to life, and I’m finally well enough to go back to work. Henry – who only popped in to my room briefly to take a very embarrassing picture of me for his Instagram (which, to be fair, did elicit a local bubble bath company to bike over a selection of their finest bath soaks for me) – seems incredibly relieved that I am no longer contagious and available once more to feature on his social media and attend his gigs. I think seeing me in such a gross state has really helped to assuage his amorous feelings because he has not tried to kiss me since, even though he is still talking about me online as if I am his one true love.
The pair of us are in the living room and he has just finished taking some selfies of us together for his Instagram when his phone rings.
‘It’s my manager Elissa!’ He jumps up from the sofa and immediately scrambles to answer it, almost dropping the phone in the process. He’s been waiting to hear from his new manager with news of radio and TV meetings. I press my hands together in a prayer position.
‘Eeek!’ I say excitedly. I watch as he speaks to Elissa on the phone, his face changing from expectation to absolute delight.
‘Yes… of course! I’ll be there!’ he says. ‘I know where it is! Can I bring my videographer to film something for the channel? Ah… What if he uses an iPhone?… Great, that’s great. And Bess? Yes, definitely,’ he continues. ‘I will definitely bring her along.’
‘What was that?’ I say as soon as he’s hung up. It sounds like good news! Tell me!’
Henry grins widely. ‘I – we – have been invited to the UK Influencers Networking Event on Thursday night. It’s a fancy shindig at The Oxo Tower. Apparently there will be some Channel 4 producers there and they want to meet me!’
‘Woah!’ I say. ‘That’s amazing. Why on earth would they want me to come, though?’ I say. ‘I’m hardly an influencer.’
Henry blinks rapidly. ‘They loved the videos online of us together, especially the one of you training me in the park. I mean… they know how mad I am about you. They know I would insist on you being there.’
‘Right.’ I say, my stomach sinking because even though he’s stopped trying to kiss me, his feelings are obviously still burning bright. I need to really work on getting a place of my own asap. The longer I stay here, the more into me he will get and I do not want to break his heart when I eventually reveal the truth about who I am.
‘You will come, won’t you?’ Henry asks. ‘It would mean a lot to me! Plus there’s an open bar. And I’ve heard that the canapés at The Oxo Tower are mind-blowing.’
Open bar and canapés at The Oxo Tower? ‘I’ll be there.’ I say, because I may be a liar but I am not an idiot.
‘Great!’ Henry claps his hand together officiously. ‘They’re not allowing full camera set ups but apparently they’ll let Auguste come and film on his phone so we’ll do a video while we’re there…’
‘Great!’ I say.
‘It’s all working out as planned,’ he says softly, almost to himself before his face suddenly falls into a dramatic frown. ‘Gosh, I’ve just thought what if Dynamo Barbers have no appointments left before Thursday? I usually have to book a month in advance!’
I start to laugh because surely this is a joke. He can’t actually be this panicked about a haircut, right? But it’s not a joke.
Henry runs to the front door, his face contorted with alarm. ‘You what, I’m just going to head there in person. See if they can fit me in. Surely they must. It’s an emergency. ‘Oh and it’s black tie, so make sure you wear something fitting.’
And then he darts out of the front door without a backward glance.
Black tie? I’ve never been to a black tie event. I’m guessing my favourite onesie won’t cut it.
