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‘Yeah.’ I’d picked up another piece of bread and dipped it into the dish of glassy oil that dribbled down my chin after I’d taken a bite. Bugger.
‘Well, as part of this I get to attend pitch meetings for new television shows that are hoping to be commissioned.’
‘Mmhmm…’ I was struggling to see what point he was trying to get to here, as I was too busy dabbing the greasy oil stain from the front of my blouse with the napkin I’d sloshed with water.
‘One programme that has been the talk of the boardroom is called Wanderlust Warriors.’ He paused, presumably to build drama. ‘This show that’s got everyone buzzing in the office is actually inspired by you and Ben.’
‘Wait, what?’ I looked up from the growing wet patch I’d created, causing more damage than good, to catch his eyes that had creased into a genuine smile while waiting for my reaction. Rahul laughed at what must have been the most idiotic, blank expression I was rocking on my face.
‘I may have told you a little white lie earlier. I’ve known how well Lonely Hearts is doing because my team have been watching you grow, especially since that piece in the Daily Times.’
‘What are you on about, watching us?’
He held his palms up. ‘Don’t look at me like that! Not in a weird sense. Just that because of your success story there has been talk of putting together a show that documents couples who work together in or around the travel industry who are poised to become the next big thing in the industry. A sort of inspirational piece that looks at the highs and lows of managing a business and a relationship at the same time, mixed with globetrotting.’ He took a long sip of his drink. ‘And you and Ben were the reason for this idea, the spark that started it all.’
‘Oh, right, okay, cool.’ I felt myself blushing. I’d never been called inspirational before.
‘The show will not only be about mixing work and pleasure but also about how travel has impacted these couples’ lives, as the contributors all work in the travel industry or use travel a lot for work reasons.’ He paused to flash a genuine smile to the waitress who placed our plates in front of us and shimmied off, obviously for Rahul’s benefit but it had been lost as he was currently making love with his eyes to the hunk of red meat on his plate.
‘Sounds exciting!’ I smiled at him. ‘Wow, this food looks amazing.’
‘I know! Right, let me get to my point.’ He pulled his eyes away from the delicious-smelling dead cow and back to my face. ‘So, where was I? Oh yeah, the show will also follow this travel theme as the filming is going to take place in South America, Chile specifically, I think.’
‘Ooh wow. When will it be on? I hardly ever watch telly these days but that sounds right up my street.’
Rahul flicked his head back and let out a light laugh. ‘Georgia. You won’t just get to watch it; we want you and Ben to be on it.’
‘Wait, what?’ The chunky chip I’d speared on my fork paused just before my open mouth.
‘They want you, along with three other couples, to take part. You get an all-expenses-paid trip just speaking to the camera about how you manage your work and relationship. Plus, there’s a cash prize up for grabs at the end of it all for taking part in some fun games along the way!’
I started to laugh. ‘Hahaha, funny. Oh. Wait. You’re serious?’
His face had dropped as if he didn’t get the joke.
‘Rahul. You’re serious? You want Ben and me to be on the telly?’
Rahul nodded. I stopped fanning my hands in front of my face and choked down the giggles.
‘Er, I really don’t know.’
‘Think about the publicity this could drum up for The Lonely Hearts Travel Club! I can see the headlines now…. Wanderlust Warriors Take On The World.’
That did sound pretty good, to be fair.
‘Georgia, your story is really inspiring, how you have turned a negative experience into a hugely positive one, and found love and a cracking business model along the way. Ever since that article you’ve been the talk of the industry and people want to know the secret to your success.’
I scoffed without thinking. ‘There is no secret. Hard work, determination and sacrifice is what it’s taken,’ I said quietly, thinking back to when Ben and I had nearly lost everything – including each other – when Serena stole from us and the Indian tour looked like it was about to ruin us.
‘Exactly. But people love to hear stories like this; sometimes good news does sell. Trust me. Plus, it means you both get to go to South America, which is such a stunning part of the world. Have you even been away as a couple yet?’
I shook my head thinking about the couple’s holiday idea that Marie and Shelley had suggested. ‘Hmm, well what would we need to do? Hypothetically speaking, of course.’ Oh my God, was I even entertaining this idea? Ooh, I wondered if there would be a hair and make-up artist included.
‘Of course, hypothetically speaking.’ He pressed his hand to his broad chest and winked. ‘Well, the first thing would be to get both of you to London where the head office is for pre-filming interviews. That’s where you’d meet the producers in charge of the show, find out some more about the concept, get to know the other couples and decide if you’re up for it or not.’
I thought this all over as I chewed on a chip. ‘Do you know who the other couples are?’
He shook his head. ‘Don’t think they’ve been confirmed. I know that you and Ben are top of the list because you were the inspiration behind the show, but there’s a long list of potential contributors as it’s such a great premise. That’s why I needed to see you today and to let you know to act fast if you think you and Ben would be up for it. Also, have you not seen the weather here? If someone was giving me the option of jetting off to the sun, all for free, with my partner, well I wouldn’t have to think twice.’
He had a point. This storm Bertha was beginning to get to me. What he was proposing sounded too good to be true. An all-expenses-paid trip to South America in return for doing some interviews, probably on a white sandy beach or while taking a salsa class. Ooh, I wondered if I could wear a flamenco dress, and I could so see Ben dressed as a hunky Latino stallion. Minus the heavy gold chains and love-rug chest hair.
‘Well, why don’t you have a word with Ben and then let me know?’
I nodded slowly. ‘Yeah, all right.’
‘Ace. Right, now leave me in peace to give this meat the attention it deserves.’
After finishing our plates, both of them almost licked clean, Rahul got up from his seat and nodded to the lingering young waitress so that he could pay for our lunch. Amazingly, it seemed like big Bertha had gone for a nap as even the heavy dark clouds had floated off slightly.
‘Have a think about everything and give me a call, Georgia,’ he said, before gently kissing me on the cheek and filling my nose with his expensive-smelling aftershave. ‘You more than anyone should know that you have to say yes to things in this life. I honestly think this would be the ideal chance to grab an opportunity that hardly anyone gets offered.’
I nodded distractedly.
‘Right, I’d better be off. Call me as soon as you’ve decided.’ With that we said our goodbyes and he headed off in the opposite direction.
I was just about to make my way back to the office when I realised that I’d left my umbrella in the restaurant. Even though the downpour had stopped, I didn’t trust my chances that the heavens wouldn’t open once more. I turned to head back inside when I saw that right next door was an art gallery.
Large colourful canvases hung in the windows lit by uplighters that brought to life the bright swirls of yellow and orange paint of the stunning paintings. The main three pieces of art were clearly from a collection by the same artist. One was a painting of a wrinkled and grinning old woman in Peru with a chubby arm casually slung around a gurning llama; another was a close-up of a glamorous, busty lady with an incredible afro shaking what her mother gave her at Rio Carnival, wearing a barely there but intricately beaded costume in the colours of a peacock feather; and the third and the largest was of a city scene that appeared to be made of bright and wonky Playmobil buildings, tagged in graffiti print ‘Valparaíso, Chile’.
I pressed my nose closer to the glass to read the small glinting plaque attached to a stand.
‘Jose Vasquez’s collection has been inspired by the artist’s journey through South America, where he felt compelled to replicate the colours, flavours and ambiance of this fascinating part of the world.’
I couldn’t contain the smile trying to escape. This was a sign.
I rummaged in my pocket to grab my mobile and quickly dialled Ben’s number. He answered in a few rings.
‘Hey there, beautiful, how was your lunch? I hope you’re bringing me back a doggy bag?’
‘Ah sorry! No doggy bag, but I can go one better.’
‘Oh yeah? Wait, why do you sound so excited?’
‘Well, because I’ve just been offered the chance for both of us to take an all-expenses-paid trip to South America!’ I squealed. Despite working in the travel industry we rarely received perks, unless you counted the stacks of branded luggage tags or passport covers piled in the bottom drawer of my desk. Somehow the ‘Don’t be flighty, get your life insurance plan sorted first’ fountain pen didn’t have the same gravitas as this potential freebie.
‘What?’ He let out a confused laugh.
‘Rahul works for a TV company who want to send us, along with some other couples, to Chile for some documentary they’re filming on people who work together in the travel industry. He said that everything will be paid for, we get time to travel and explore, just in return for doing a short interview or something!’ That was what he’d said, wasn’t it? Well I’m sure that was the gist of it.
Ben started to laugh. ‘Did this lunch turn into a boozy one? You want us to be stars on the small screen?’
I nodded down the line, still keeping my eyes trained on the stunning art in front of me before realising that Ben couldn’t see me. ‘Yep! How amazing is this? We can promote the business and take our first holiday together. I’m sure from what Rahul said the filming part of it all will be so minimal we could get it done in a day or so and then head off to finally travel together!’
There was a strange silence on the phone as Ben thought it over. I could hear Conrad’s booming laugh in the background at something.
‘Ben? You still there?’
‘Yeah, yeah, sorry, G. Erm, wow. It sounds amazing and I don’t want to be a party pooper but how are we going to manage everything going on with the business if both of us are taking time off?’
My heart sank. He was right. Maybe I was getting totally carried away with Rahul’s enthusiasm.
‘Well, the show will be going ahead with or without us, as they have other couples lined up. If we don’t take them up on it then we’ll miss out,’ I said. ‘And now we have Conrad, I’m sure he can handle things for a couple of weeks without us. And think of the PR opportunity! They’ve asked us to go to London for some pre-filming meeting thing to discuss things further. We’d be under no obligation to take it any further; it’s just to get some more details on it all…’ I trailed out and began chewing my lip. Come on, Ben.
He let out a breath he’d been holding. ‘Ahhh…okay. Let’s at least go and hear what they’ve got to say, hey?’
‘Eeeee! Okay!’ I did a little jig.
‘It’s never boring with you, Georgia, that’s all I can say.’ He laughed. ‘Right, get yourself back here before I change my mind.’
As soon as I’d hung up I hurriedly dialled Rahul’s number to tell him we were in. This was going to be the start of a whole new adventure; I could just feel it.
CHAPTER 6 (#ulink_ba434b2c-15a7-52e6-8b5d-96e00c77c1fa)
Vagary (n.) – An erratic, unpredictable or extravagant manifestation, action or notion
Once we had agreed to at least look into Rahul’s offer by heading down to London to meet the producers of the show, I’d been unable to get the conversation I’d had with Marie and Shelley out of my head. A trip to Chile would be the perfect opportunity for us to talk, and for me to make sure I was one hundred per cent on the same page as Ben. Maybe he’d even make use of the opportunity to propose? If Ben so obviously thought we were there, then surely I should too? It was definitely time I met his family.
Just this morning as we’d been rushing to get ready I’d brought up the possibility of popping in to see his dad whilst we were down in London. He had met my parents enough times and they liked him as much as I did, but it was starting to feel one-sided. Previously Marie and Shelley had told me that I needed to just let him go at his own pace, that he was just a typical man and that putting off learning all about him – warts and all – for as long as possible meant the dewy-eyed shine would last longer. But finding the engagement ring had changed all of that. The other night at Marie’s house had been a sort of wake-up call that I needed to get some answers to my questions before we even thought of getting married.
When I’d broached the subject of meeting his dad as I brushed my teeth this morning I’d just got a noncommittal, ‘yeah, maybe’ answer, but I swore that as he said it his face clouded with a look of worry, or was it something more than that? Oh God, maybe I was being paranoid after having a not-so-rosy experience of Alex’s family. Ben’s not going to have any potential psycho family members, trust him. You know and love his godmother, Trisha, and if she’s anything to go by then you could soon be able to inherit the in-laws of your dreams! I told myself.
We arrived in London on time and caught a cab to the production team’s head office in Hoxton. I felt my tummy whirl with excitement at what the pre-show filming would involve; it already sounded so glamorous! Marie, being a part-time actress, had been giving us tips, telling us to wear something smart and business-like with no stripes or bright colours for the cameras. Hence I was now teetering down a cobbled courtyard to the head office that was in a complex of old converted stables, wearing my #girlboss black heels that gave me blisters but looked amazing with the deep green jumper dress I had on.
Ben looked super class in his thick woollen coat and the cable-knit scarf that brought out the colour of his eyes. If this went well we could soon be losing all these extra layers and feeling the heat from the sun and I could ditch the one hundred denier tights that were currently the only thing preventing me from developing frostbite.
‘After you.’ Ben winked, holding open the heavy barn door for me. I gave a small curtsey and laughed, before suddenly stopping at the commotion going on inside the open-plan office we’d stumbled into.
There were people everywhere; small meeting rooms seemed to shoot off down bright corridors like clavicles on a heart. Phones were ringing, people were shouting, TV screens were playing some dance music video with three very orange women gyrating in tiny string bikinis. I must have taken a step back into Ben who was gawping at this lively scene with a similarly shocked expression.
Rahul had said it was a low-budget, small TV company, so I’d expected to meet maybe one or two people in a coffee shop or something equally as chilled. I hadn’t expected to be dropped in the media equivalent of the Wall Street trading floor on uppers. We were barked at to move out of the way by three harassed men in baggy black T-shirts and scuffed Converse trainers as they pushed large cameras on tracks past us, while a young woman about the same age as Kelli was concentrating on not dropping a stupidly full tray of teas and coffees, and a pack of hipsters with matching beards and spotty red bow ties were sitting at a round table typing furiously on gleaming Apple Macs.
‘Erm, Ben? Is this the right place?’ I whispered, wanting him to put his arms round me and reassure me that this hadn’t all been a huge mistake. He didn’t get the chance to do this or even answer me as a grinning, chubby man danced over and planted himself in front of us. He literally pirouetted to a standstill and put out a fleshy pink hand as he smiled at us expectantly.
‘Let me guess…’ He twirled a finger that had a tattoo of a moustache down one side. ‘Georgia…’ I nodded. His clean-shaven face broke into a bigger smile, making him look like a plump version of the Joker. ‘I knew it! And that means you must be…’ He pressed his fingers to his temples and closed his eyes, deep in thought. ‘Ben?’
‘Hi, yep, that’s right,’ Ben said. His voice sounded deeper and more manly than normal, in contrast to the high-pitched, camp dancer who was clapping his hands together like a hyperactive seal as if he’d just guessed which box held the £250,000 on Deal or No Deal.
‘Awesome! Welcome, welcome. My name is Blaise; Rahul has told me SO much about you both!’ He started walking off and nodded his head for us to follow him. We nervously glanced at each other and picked up our pace so as not to get separated. Blaise turned back to me and put a hand up against his mouth and said loudly. ‘By the way, can Rahul, like, be any hotter?’ He wiped his brow and pretended to faint before letting out a bark of a laugh that made me jump.
‘Oh, erm, well…’ I stuttered. Ben hadn’t actually met Rahul yet and I may not have told him just how handsome he was. Of course, I knew that he trusted me, but there was no point rocking the boat by telling him I was having lunch with a buff Indian god. But I hadn’t forgotten to mention whether my stunning friend was an ex, unlike Ben when he went out with Alice, I huffed inside.
Luckily Blaise didn’t go on to drool over Rahul any more and just waved manically at a woman at the other end of the room who was on the phone. This didn’t put him off as he yelled loudly, ‘I’ve got Georgia and Ben here! You know, the jilted bride, and her new man!’
‘Oh, well, that’s not really what the story is,’ I said, feeling my face grow flushed.
Blaise turned to face me with a look of surprise. ‘Ah now, darlin’, that is right isn’t it? Your business all came about because you were dumped before your big day?’
He pronounced that word as if spitting out a wasp’s sting.
I nodded. ‘Yeah, but that’s not why we’re here today.’ I couldn’t bear to look at Ben, knowing how humiliated he must feel that he had just been referred to as my ‘new man’ rather than the invaluable business partner and half the brains behind The Lonely Hearts Travel Club that he really was. I felt for his wounded pride and was determined for Blaise to get this.
‘My past relationship doesn’t have anything to do with why we’re here. Rahul told us that this show is going to focus on our business, so we can share advice with others.’ I tried to say it in my most forceful way, despite Alan Carr’s hyperactive younger twin manically grinning back at me.
Blaise wafted his hands and let out a giggle. ‘Sure! Course. Right, come on. We need to get you both set up. Ben, if you could go with Anna here.’ As if by magic, a glamorous and jaw-droppingly gorgeous woman in a clingy wrap dress, with shiny blonde swishy hair cut into a cute long bob, was by our side. She guided Ben off with one swoop of her clipboard and flick of a tanned wrist. I didn’t get the chance to even say good luck or ask what was happening as Blaise then led me down a corridor and shooed me into a darker but thankfully quieter room.
‘Here we go. Just in here,’ he said, looking at his chunky plastic watch at the same time.
‘Oh… I…’ I stuttered before he winked and shut the door. What the hell was going on?
‘Georgia?’ A man’s voice with a soft Scottish lilt startled me, making me spin round to locate the source. The voice was coming from behind a large, kidney-shaped desk, and hidden behind three ginormous computer screens was a man in his mid-fifties peering down his wiry spectacles at me. His thick beard was peppered with greys, less London hipster and more kindly grandfather, and his lips had curled into a wide smile through this bushy facial hair. ‘Come and take a seat.’
He wafted his hand at the two sofas and got up to sit on one himself. ‘I take it you’ve been offered a cup of tea?’
I shook my head and stayed planted in the same position. He sighed and rolled his eyes heavenwards. ‘I am sorry about that. Those kids out there have lost the art of good manners. Unless it comes with a whizzy app or a hashtag, they’re not interested.’ He shook his head at the youth of today and picked up a phone on the cluttered desk.
I smiled, starting to warm to this man who looked like a funky Father Christmas in his checked shirt and Levi’s.
‘Hello, Dana, can we get a cup of…’ He glanced up at me to get my order.
‘Tea please. No sugar,’ I said, finally finding my voice.
‘Make that two cups of tea, no sugar. Thanks.’ He replaced his phone and pointed to the sofas again. ‘Please take a seat as we wait for our drinks. You can take your coat off if you like; it’s bitter outside today, isn’t it? Although, thank goodness that snow didn’t last as long as everyone was expecting it to. Oh, I don’t think I’ve introduced myself! My name’s Jerry, by the way.’ He stretched out a thick, rough palm. His hands looked like they’d actually been used to a day’s hard work, unlike the soft, pudgy palms of Blaise.
‘Hi. Georgia. Nice to meet you. Sorry if I seem a little lost, I’ve never been to a TV studio before and I didn’t really have any idea of what one would be like,’ I admitted, awkwardly shrugging off my coat.
Jerry laughed, reminding me of Rahul. I could see the two of them working together. ‘Oh well then, let me welcome you to the head office of See Me TV. Out in the cattle yard, as I like to call it, is where you’ve got PR, marketing, sales, web design and all these jobs that go over my head. I’ve been working in TV for the past thirty years and back then it was nothing like this performance it seems today.’ He rubbed his beard and sighed. ‘But things change.’ A knock at the door made him pause as he gratefully took two steaming mugs of tea from a woman wearing a thick fluffy jumper that had dog paw prints embroidered over each large breast. ‘Thanks, Dana.’
Dana blushed and dipped her head before scurrying out into the corridor.
‘So, Georgia, I’m one of the producers here and we thought it would be great if you and I got to know one another a little better. Today is about you and Ben, and informing you both about the premise of the show, and why we’d love for you to be involved. I spoke to Rahul who said he’d filled you in on some of the details but I wanted to make sure that you’re comfortable with everything before you sign up.’ Jerry passed me a cuppa and grabbed a notepad. ‘To really make sure you’re both happy we prefer to interview potential guests separately – that’s why Ben was also whisked off. He’ll join us shortly.’
I gave a hesitant nod; this was the one time when I could have really done with having Ben by my side. Don’t be such a baby. Where’s that fearless traveller gone? I berated myself.
‘Is Rahul about today?’ I asked, blowing on the steam of my cup of tea.
Jerry shook his head. ‘No, he won’t actually be working on this series. He’s going to be away filming something else. He just acted as matchmaker.’
My face must have given away how disappointed I felt. I really got on with Rahul, and as charming as Jerry seemed to be, I had hoped that my first foray into the world of television would be with the support of people I already knew and trusted. I felt like I needed some hand-holding especially after the last time I was on camera in India it caused me so much trouble.
