You Got It Wrong - Part Twelve

Chapter Twelve

                “There are SO many lights!” Nina hissed leaning close to Lilah’s ear. Like her cousin, the two tall women walked with grace and poise, smiling at the paparazzi all clustered waiting for a possible snap of the Princess of Pop Madonna.  

                “Just smile, you look a million dollars!” Lilah hissed back through her media smile. “Just hang on to my arm and don’t fall over!”

The three of them moved gratefully across the red carpet and into the five star hotel that was host to the launch of the fashion range. Just inside the door, as the three giggled together, an older man stood smiling, then he raised an eyebrow at Amelia.

                “So an interview is ok?”

Amelia clapped her hands, “Clive! Of course. Girls, this is Clive Hyatt, he’s the fashion editor for the Times, they’re after a full page interview.” Amelia’s eyes fell to Nina, “you ok for this?”

Nina wasn’t, not really, she craved anonymity, and this was the last thing she was going to get when this came out. But she owed it to the two women who had invested time and money into her business.

With a nod and a smile, she replied, “I’m sure I have nothing of interest for Clive, but I will try my best.”

The older man smiled, “I’ve got a room to interview...” he gestured to his left and led the three into a conference room. Initially the conversation was informal, about the two other women, but once they’d highlighted why they’d both believed in their friend, the conversation came around to Nina.

                “So Nina, where does the interest in jewellery come from?”

Nina had been asked this so many times, she hated that the reply might sound contrived.

                “I always loved the simplicity of rings, the eternity, never ending...but I never considered working with metals, not like this until I worked with Juan Hernandez, a famous name in the jewellery field in Madrid. He’s a great goldsmith and I immediately fell in love with his work, he appreciated my interest and shared tips and techniques. When I finally got back to Britain, well I got into college to learn the intricacies of the trade. My tutor was a very talented woman, but she was fascinated by my influences from Juan, and helped me grow.” She looked up at Amelia and smiled, “then Amelia saw my work, and commissioned her wedding rings...and in the after math, my quiet world is no more!”

Clive laughed, “and you are coping with the increased interest?”

Nina smiled at that, “I want to hand craft every item, that means that I can only produce at a certain rate. If we grow too big then I’ll have to take on more metalsmiths, and I don’t know if that’s the route I want to see this place go...but on the other hand, it’s a business and we have to discuss things as we go.”

She’d already thought about making standard rings, alongside the bespoke service, and if that was the case, she could employ someone to produce them, she needed to discuss things with the other two, but at last she was starting to realise that change wasn’t necessarily taking the individuality away from her.

The man was gushing asking loads of questions of the three of them, and other than the technical aspects, Nina was happy to sit back and let the others answer. Especially when those questions started to become more pointed, she had no intention of discussing her family with this man, and didn’t want any links made to them either.

Once they got into the launch, a cross between the catwalk show they expected and a pop concert, Nina was drained, the stress of the interview and the champagne on an empty stomach churning inside her.

                “I’m just going to get some fresh air...I feel a bit sick.”

Lilah looked at her worried, “I’ll come with you!”

Nina shook her head, “no, I’ll be five minutes; this is all a bit much for me.”

She nodded then kissed her cheek, “you did amazing.”

                “I’m not sure about that!”

There was a bar across the hallway from the huge room that was hosting the show, and beyond the bar was a terrace, above the London street, and after ordering a glass of wine and a packet of peanuts in the hope they’d settled her stomach, she made for the outdoors with relief.

Theo looked at his friend and grimaced, “this is like a nightmare Tony. All I want is Melody with me, and you’re telling me that I still can’t have her. Three times she’s not been there when I’m dropping her home. What does she have to do for me to protect her?”

Tony glanced at the waiter and ordered them another drink, meeting in a busy hotel like this had been a mistake, but he’d tried to kill two birds with one stone and help his best friend out whilst sealing a business deal. Instead they’d walked into a media circus, some fashion event was happening, and the whole place was packed. NOT the ideal location for his friend to have a breakdown.

                “We’re gathering evidence and I’ve told you I’ll help with surveillance, we won’t let anything bad happen to Melody, but life is a game. If we move too soon, she’s forewarned and forearmed. Trust me ok?”

                “It’s Sadie I don’t trust...and it’s a long time since you’ve dealt with family shit like this MR HotShot Corporate lawyer.”

Tony smiled, “what’s the point of being a lawyer at all if you can’t help out your friends? And anyway, I have a junior at the company working on it for you...she’s rather cute?”

Theo groaned and closed his eyes, “I’m in this mess because of a woman, don’t try and force me on someone else.”

                “You’ve been single for over a year, have you even looked at another woman in that time?”

Theo hated that his mind wandered to a swimming pool in France for a moment, then he shook his head, “I’m not interested Tony. I just want my little girl.”

He’d hinted to his mate about the issues that happened in France and his change in family circumstances had unsettled him a little.

                “Look Theo, all I’m saying is life goes on.”

                “It does, without my little girl. That’s all I’m asking. No amateur matchmaking, no armchair psychology, just get my girl. Ok?”

Tony laughed, “you credit me with SO much more than I am capable of!”

                “From where I’m sat you fill those boots EXACTLY!”

The waiter appeared with a bottle of whisky, placing it between them with a flourish, then pouring two small measures before he disappeared.

                “We’re friends Theo, don’t doubt that I’ll always do the right thing, but I’m allowed to offer my advice too...” he paused when Theo glared at him, “and right now, I’m saying that your life is passing you by. You’re thirty one, but you’ve given up on what should be the prime of your life.”

                “Bullshit. I’ve grown up Tony; just cos you still want a string of non committing young blondes on your arm does not mean that I want the same. Ok?”

Tony laughed, his eyes trained on the bar, “who mentioned blondes?”

Groaning, Theo tilted his head towards the bar and saw the object of Tony’s attention, a rather petite brunette stood alone at the bar in a clinging dark dress and killer heels.

                “Now that,” Tony assured him, “is something worth breaking the blonde rule for!”

Theo cringed unable to believe that he’d once been as casual with his affections, “that is a she.”

Tony rolled his eyes, and it wasn’t until that moment that the woman moved collecting her drink, and the side profile made Theo freeze, that short hair, the upturned nose, and the long fluttery eyelashes.

                “Shit!” The word escaped his lips before he’d even registered it, then he was standing, following her out of the room without a thought for his friend, entranced. She moved out onto the terrace, her legs in her heels deceptively long, and her hips wiggling. As he reached the door, he called out her name.

                “Nina.”

She froze still for a moment, before turning slowly to stare at him.

                “What do you want?”

He shook his head, “you look amazing...

Nina stared at the suited man in front him, no amount of flattery, or suave suit could make her forget the man who’s been so rude, so derogatory to her in France two weeks earlier.

                “Like that’s your business.”

He ran a hand through his hair, “I’m sorry, I got things wrong.”

That made her laugh, “so what? Everyone has to stand up and forget the way you spoke and looked at me? I was doing YOUR grandfather a favour, helping HIM achieve his dreams because YOU his grandson couldn’t be bothered. You think I had some sort of motivation for it, that I was after something. And I wasn’t. I wanted to help him, because I could. So stick that in your pipe Theo and smoke it, cos from where I’m standing you’re not exactly a perfect citizen yourself.”

His nostrils flared, the only sign that he was angry, “you know NOTHING about me and my life.”

She gave a sickly smile, “of course, and I don’t profess to. Unlike you, I don’t prejudge people. I don’t know why you followed me out here, but to be honest I have nothing more to say to you.”

She made to march past him but he reached out, wrapping his fingers around her forearm, the jolt was shock and nothing more she told herself as she snatched her arm away from him, “don’t touch me!”

He dropped his hand, “I just wanted to say sorry.”

                “You’ve done that. Now if you don’t mind...”

When he stepped back she stormed past him, but her attempts at a dramatic exit died when she wobbled on her heels and almost fell into his arms.

He steadied her, trying to stop the laughter that threatened to fall, then righted her. With a shrug, trying not to laugh herself, she shook herself then carried on out of the bar.

Theo watched her leave wondering how in the hell the scowling angry pocket rocket that he met in France became the petite diva that turned heads as she walked. OR rather tottered...in those heels...that made her legs look twice as long. Shaking his head, admiring her spunk as much as her curves, he strolled back towards Tony. Who was sat in his chair with a knowing look on his face.

                “Not interested? Theo Peterson YOU have some explaining to do.”

Theo groaned, “if I knew what was happening I would explain. That was the worker from my granddad’s home who took him to France.”

                “That was no nurse Theo, that was a classy stylish woman who’s just walked back into the fashion thing across the hallway...she either knows Madonna, or she’s invited as someone important. That, I think mate, is the real mystery!”

Theo stared out of the door of the bar to the glitzy decorated room opposite, the lights, red carpet and security. Tony was right, she was more than a low paid worker in a nursing home, and suddenly he wanted to know exactly who Nina was...he didn’t even know her surname. That was about to change.