Page 5 of Love Will Save the Day
Chapter Five
‘Hello, Henry Byron speaking.’
His warm and confident voice sounds through the phone after just two rings. I take a deep breath and try to steady my own voice into that of someone significantly less inebriated.
‘Yes!’ I say brightly. ‘Good evening, Mr Henry Byron. This is Bess. Bess McKinley. Are you well?’
I appear to be completely overshooting the attempt to not sound tipsy and end up sounding like a customer services call centre assistant.
‘Bess McKinley,’ Henry says warmly as if we are old friends. ‘You called!’
‘Indeed I did, indeed… I did,’ I reply stiffly.Get it together, Bess.
‘How’s it going?’ Henry asks as if it’s totally expected that I’m on the phone to him right now.
‘Um,’ I cover a boisterous hiccup with my hand. ‘I… well, I was just wondering…’
‘Yes?’
‘Well… Uh. Henry… Do you, uh, have a personal trainer?’
The other end goes silent for a second.
‘A personal trainer?’
‘Yes. A personal trainer.’
‘Um, no I do not.’ Henry says slowly, sounding more than a little befuddled by the question. ‘My PT actually moved to Argentina this last summer. Why? Are you looking for a recommendation? I would be happy to ask around for you? More than happy. I mean, it’s the least I can do since—’
‘—I saved your life?’
I hear the smile in Henry’s voice. ‘Yes. You saved my life.’
I nod quickly and then realise that Henry cannot hear me nodding so I speak again. ‘The thing is. I’m actually a personal trainer.’
‘Oh!’ Henry sounds delighted. ‘How brilliant. Is that how you knew so much first aid? You’re a trained first aider?’
‘Yes!’ I say, which is only half a lie. I am a trained first aider. Closing one eye, I try to focus on the wall which seems to be wobbling a little bit – I appear to have drunk way more than I realised. ‘Um, so, I’m calling you because I lost my job yesterday and I’m actually having trouble finding a new one.’
‘Right?’
‘Yeah. I’ve just been evicted from my flat and, well, I’m pretty freaking desperate. So… I just thought, you looked like you might be someone who worked out.’ I cough. ‘I mean… from my professional assessment of the shape of your body.’
Bess, you idiot. This is not professional at all,
‘I see,’ Henry says, amusement lightening his tone.
‘And, well… I was wondering… do you need a personal trainer at all? Because I can do that. I can train you. Only if you’re looking, obviously.’
My cheeks flush hot with embarrassment. What am I doing? This is ridiculous. I can’t just call up someone who I just met who thinks I’m someone else, and ask them toemployme out of the blue.
‘Sorry,’ I mutter, rubbing my eyes and heading over to the sink to grab a glass of water. I take a big gulp and carry it back over to the bed. ‘This was a super weird thing to do. I’m sorry. I’ll go before I embarrass myself any more. Sorry, Henry. Best wishes. Good—’
‘Wait!’ Henry almost shouts down the phone. ‘Wait, don’t go! Idoneed a personal trainer!’
‘Oh?’ I say, sitting up straighter.
‘Absolutely!’ Henry says. ‘This would be perfect timing, actually. I’ve been trying to find the time to look for someone new and, gosh, here you are! Callingmeup to offer your services. As if you haven’t done enough for me already.’
