This London Love

by Clare Lydon

  She found Tanya at the stove, fussing over asparagus and green beans, with Chris seated at the dining table.

  “Hey! You’ve been running — you always make me feel bad when you go running.” Tanya smiled a wide greeting at Meg, which threw her off her game slightly. She’d come in prepared for a fight.

  “Lovely night for it.” Meg walked over and grabbed a glass from the cupboard, before filling it and gulping down the water in one. She needed that. “Anyhow, how did today go?” She refilled the glass and waited for an answer.

  Tanya turned her head. “Today?”

  Meg nodded slowly and took another sip of water. “The estate agent.”

  Tanya’s eyes widened.

  Meg’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t tell me you forgot.”

  Tanya screwed up her face. “I knew there was something. Shit, I’m sorry.”

  Meg exhaled and tried not to throw her glass of water all over Tanya. It took supreme effort. “I told you last night and I texted you — what happened in the interim?”

  “Sorry — I really am. I did mean to be here, but there was a last-minute schedule change…”

  Meg banged her glass on the counter-top with more vigour than she intended, which made Chris jump.

  “It’s funny how there always seems to be a schedule change whenever something important needs to be done, isn’t it?” Meg turned to Chris, who at least had the good grace to be looking away.

  “And you.” Meg was pointing. “I hope you know what you’re letting yourself in for. Because this is it. Work comes first, and life always has to revolve around what Tanya wants.”

  Meg turned back to her ex. “I’ll reschedule and make sure I’m here next time. This is going to happen, T, whether you like it or not.”

  She left the kitchen and clattered up the stairs, a headache limbering up, every muscle clenched. So much for her relaxing run and leisurely dinner. She’d have to do that when the kitchen was clear and she’d calmed down somewhat. For now, a hot bath and much exhalation was needed.

  26

  The current issue of Female Health & Fitness was in its final stages of production, with most pages laid out and the cover nearly done. Kate was attempting to line up the picture of Princess Emily in sports gear beside their ‘30 Ways To Lose Those Pounds’ feature, but getting the princess’s head to work around the ‘30’ was proving tricky. She’d have to consult Dawn.

  Kate swivelled in her chair but couldn’t spot her editor — she must have slipped out for lunch. Kate had tried to get a picture of Meg on the cover, but it hadn’t really worked, so she’d settled for Meg’s dazzling bone structure inside instead.

  Meg had done a sequence of early starts this week, all of which meant they hadn’t seen each other since Sunday — and today was Thursday. Which must mean Kate was getting more mature, not spending every second of every day with the person you’d just slept with. She’d been there, bought the T-shirt. Now, she was ready to take things slowly. Well, slowish.

  Today was a good day, though, because Meg was coming in to meet her from work and also to finalise some quotes with Hannah — that was the last feature to lay out tomorrow and Kate was going to take extra-special care with it.

  A noise from behind startled her — she turned and there was Dawn, just plucking a Kit Kat from her drawer to have with her cup of tea.

  “There you are.” Kate spun round in her chair, rolling her shoulders after all that hunching over her screen. She let a momentary dizzy spell pass before she spoke again. “I wanted to chat about the cover lines — the ‘30’ keeps hitting the princess in the nose.”

  Dawn peered at Kate’s screen. “Can’t you make her nose smaller?”

  “Not without making her look demented.”

  “Can Harry not help?”

  Harry was the company’s go-to wonder boy when it came to massaging images. If you needed to cover up a spot, add some make-up, lift someone’s bust or add some highlights, Harry was your guy.

  “I don’t think so,” Kate said. “I don’t want to stray too far from the truth, seeing as it’s royalty. Plus, I think her PR might reject it at approval stage. Can’t we just change the words?” Kate turned back to her screen to assess the image.

  Behind her, she heard Dawn sigh dramatically. “Okay. Let me just finish my lunch, then we’ll get right on it. Honestly, you’re an award-winner, you think you’d be able to fix this…”

  Kate spun back to her, sticking her tongue out at Dawn.

  Dawn smirked in reply.

  “And that’s your lunch?” Kate wagged a finger at Dawn’s Kit Kat.

  In return, Dawn lifted her middle finger. “Bite me,” she said. “As far as everyone else is concerned, I follow all our magazine’s advice to the letter. And if there ever comes a day where it shows otherwise, there’s always Harry to make me look gorgeous.” Dawn winked at Kate as she prodded her in the back. “Anyway, isn’t the famous florist due in today? I can’t wait to meet her!”

  Kate sighed. “Due later, so the wait is nearly over. And please don’t call her the famous florist.”

  ***

  Meg breezed through the doors of the magazine company just after 5pm, black handbag hitched over her right shoulder, a frisson of excitement flashing through her veins. She’d spent all day looking forward to seeing Kate again, but now it was here, she had to admit to feeling some anxiety. The idea of being in a national magazine was a bit daunting after all, but she tried to allay her fears.

  The building was everything she’d anticipated: cool, white and modern, with floors so shiny it was almost a shame to walk on them. She informed the receptionist who she was here to see, and he instructed her to wait in an uncomfortable-looking armchair. Meg perched delicately, taking in the constant comings and goings of this vast company. It made a busy day at her shop look anything but.

  A few minutes later, one of four shiny lifts spat out Kate, and she walked towards Meg, beckoning her over to the barriers. Kate used her security pass to tag Meg in, getting a withering look from the security guard in the process. She gave him a wink, then turned her attention to Meg.

  “You look lovely,” she said, kissing Meg on the cheek.

  Meg looked down at herself: ripped black jeans, black boots, white top and a tuxedo jacket. She should look lovely, she’d spent a good hour putting this outfit and its accessories together.

  “So do you.” Butterflies rose in Meg’s stomach as she smiled at Kate.

  They might have stood like that for some time too, had there not been a queue developing at the barriers behind them. Kate tugged on Meg’s hand and led her towards the lift, which Meg was disappointed to see they had to share with four other people. No sly snogging in here, then.

  They got out at floor nine and Meg followed Kate along the carpeted corridors, taking in the glass doors and walls, the chrome chairs, the sleek furnishings.

  “It’s all very shiny, isn’t it?”

  Kate turned to her, taking her hand. “It is now. You should have seen our old office — it was a nightmare. Now we’re working in this, it’s a complete turnaround.” The collar of Kate’s green shirt was stuck up at an awkward angle, but Meg stopped herself from reaching out and fixing it.

  They arrived at the magazine and Kate introduced Meg around, Hannah shaking her hand warmly and Dawn arriving just in time to press some flesh.

  “Heard so much about you, it’s a real treat to finally meet you.” Dawn stood in front of Meg, her eyes not-so-subtly assessing her as if she were about to slap on a price tag.

  “You too — it’s a real thrill to be featured in the magazine. My mum’s very excited.”

  “You’ll have to give us her address and we’ll send her a special copy,” Dawn said, all smiles.

  ***

  While Hannah dragged Meg off to a meeting room to finish up the article, Dawn grabbed Kate’s arm and steered her into one of their side offices, making big eyes at her as she did. Dawn closed the door and sat on the small table, lett
ing out a low whistle as she did before punching Kate lightly on the upper arm.

  “What?”

  “What?” Dawn replied. “You didn’t tell me the bit about the famous florist also being a hot florist! I mean, I’ve seen her in running gear, but that is nothing compared to her in the flesh. Where did you pick her up, the florist runway? That girl is drop-dead, hold-onto-your-hat gorgeous.” Dawn stood up and walked over to Kate, poking her in the chest. “You have been holding back. I want to dump my husband and run off with her. Forget about the baby-making. We can adopt some from Vietnam just like Angelina and be perfectly happy. That okay with you?”

  Laughter creased Kate’s face. “Sorry, did you need input from me? You seemed to be doing fine on your own.” Kate tapped Dawn on the arm. “Now let’s go back out there so you can fantasise about my new…” Kate paused. “Well, it’s early days.”

  Dawn grabbed Kate’s arm again and hung onto it. “Girlfriend! She’s your girlfriend! Go on, say it.”

  Kate raised an eyebrow. “You can be so childish sometimes, you know that?”

  “And that’s why you love me,” Dawn replied. “But seriously, girl — she is smokin’!”

  Kate froze. “If you say she’s hot like a George Foreman grill, I’ll deck you.”

  Dawn was understandably confused. “What?” she asked.

  Kate shook her head. “Nothing — just forget it.”

  ***

  “So did you like the photos?” Kate fell into an easy stride alongside Meg as they headed out of Kate’s office and down towards the Thames. Sunset was yet to happen so they’d agreed on dinner and a ride on the London Eye, which, despite living in London, neither of them had ever done.

  “I did — they were really flattering. Did you touch them up when nobody was looking?” Meg smiled at Kate as she said it.

  Kate glanced sideways. “No need — you’re gorgeous just the way you are.”

  “You’re making me blush.”

  They walked along for a few more seconds dodging other pedestrians on the busy pavement, before hitting the river itself and turning left, heading towards the South Bank. Beside them, the river Thames was flat and glassy, the sun shimmering off its surface as it made its way south. Joggers padded by them, office workers hurried towards buses and tubes, and thick chunks of teenagers laughed as they passed by.

  “It’s great to see you, by the way.” Meg paused as she considered the next words. She took Kate’s hand as she spoke them. “I’ve been thinking about you — us — all week. My mind’s been a whir of flowers and sex. I love flowers, don’t get me wrong, but sex trumps them every time.”

  Kate smiled and squeezed Meg’s hand. “What about sex on top of flowers? A bed full of red rose petals to get jiggy on, that sort of thing.”

  “How very American Beauty.” Meg stopped in her tracks. “But promise me, if you ever feel the need to do that, you’ll get white rose petals?”

  Kate laughed. “Not red?”

  “Never red.” Meg shook her head, grinning. “Looks great on film, a nightmare to get the red stains out of your bedding. Plus, red’s a bit corny, don’t you think?”

  Kate raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Should I be looking for aged red stains when I stay over at yours then?”

  Meg’s face fell. When she stays over at mine.

  “It was a joke — you okay?” Kate asked.

  Meg swallowed and rallied. “Fine. And you won’t find any red stains — I promise.” She picked up her pace, changing the subject without any words.

  “So, you’ll be surprised to hear that I’ve been thinking about us, too.” Kate looked at Meg. “My mind hasn’t been many other places apart from in my bedroom with us in it.”

  Meg kissed Kate’s hand as they walked. “What happens when you actually go into your bedroom?”

  “My mind explodes and I have to lie down for at least ten seconds every time.”

  ***

  Fifteen minutes later, they were in a surprisingly short queue to take a ride on the London Eye, the giant white metal wheel that casts its shadow over the river Thames. Their pod, one of 32 on the wheel, was egg-shaped like all the rest, with an oval-shaped wooden bench in the centre, the shell made of reinforced glass.

  It might have been romantic had the pair been on their own, with a glass of Champagne and poetic sonnets at the ready. Instead, they were locked in a pod with ten over-excited Italian teenagers, all chattering at such a high pitch that Kate and Meg pressed themselves against the glass at the far end, as if that would somehow lower the volume. It didn’t.

  The London Eye moved at glacial speed. As the pod made its way upwards, Kate eyed London sprawling out on every side of her, the Houses Of Parliament that had seemed so large on the ground now a speck in her eyeline. From here, they could see landmarks like St Paul’s Cathedral, Buckingham Palace and the Gherkin, and witness the wiggle of the river as it meandered across the city.

  “Shame we’re not here on our own, isn’t it?” Kate said.

  Meg turned her head and raised an eyebrow.

  Kate laughed. “Not like that.” She nudged Meg with her hip. “I was more thinking perhaps a spot of dancing on the bench like in the Sound Of Music bandstand scene, then a glass of bubbles to round things off as we hold hands and watch the sun set.”

  Meg smiled and placed her hand on the small of Kate’s back. “You old romantic.” She paused. “But that does sound great. I love The Sound Of Music and I’m all for a glass of fizz. Champagne always makes things feel special, don’t you think?”

  Kate took Meg’s hand. “I agree. But as it is, we’re here with a load of teenagers. So no dancing and no Champagne, but we can do the hand-holding bit.” She squeezed Meg’s hand.

  Meg squeezed hers right back.

  They twisted and turned as the pod made its way round, pointing out landmarks they’d once worked at or passed on the bus.

  “If you look really closely — I mean squint — you can probably see my old school from here.” Meg pointed northwards.

  “Really?” Kate squinted obediently.

  “No.”

  Kate laughed. “What school did you go to? You never told me the other night.”

  “It wasn’t really top of my list of topics.” Meg smiled.

  “You had a list of topics?”

  Meg nodded. “Course — just in case things went badly. You know, favourite films, favourite bands, favourite sexual position. What school we went to barely grazed the top 30.”

  Kate put a hand on Meg’s waist and held her gaze. “So what are your answers?”

  Meg licked her lips and thought for a moment. “Let’s see,” she said, counting on her fingers. “One, The Sound Of Music. Two, toss up between The Backstreet Boys and Fleetwood Mac. Three — I’ll let you know later.” Meg kissed Kate on the lips and lingered, before pulling back slightly. “As for schools, I went to Westbourne and then Borough.” Meg smiled. “You went to the grammar school, didn’t you?”

  Kate nodded.

  “Full of geeks. We were by far the cooler school.”

  “Oh really?” Kate said. “Cooler than this lot you think?” She indicated the Italian teenagers all around them.

  “Definitely. This lot have far too many colours. We were muted, sophisticated. At least, we thought so at the time.” Meg paused. “And what about your favourite things?”

  “I’ll tell you over dinner,” Kate replied.

  As their pod reached the highest point at the top of the wheel, the teenagers all began squealing in high-pitched excitement, pressing their faces against the glass and hugging each other.

  Meg had to laugh. “It’s pretty magical, though, isn’t it?”

  Kate kissed her hand. “I wouldn’t want to be here with anyone else.” She paused. “Including all of this lot. Shall we invite them to dinner with us?” Her eyes sparkled as she beamed at Meg.

  Meg let out a bark of laughter. “Perhaps a step too far.”

  Soon, the ride was ove
r and the pair were disembarking, being thanked by a man dressed in an ill-fitting royal blue jacket and with far too much gel in his hair.

  “Worth the wait?” Kate asked as they fell into step on solid ground, this time hand in hand.

  Meg slung a glance her way, before giving a firm nod of the head. “Definitely.”

  ***

  Two hours later and they had just finished a surprisingly good pizza, washed down with a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough region. Spanish red was more Kate’s style, but she was a versatile wine drinker. Out the restaurant window, the view across the river in the twilight saw a London skyline smeared with lights, illuminating the city for the night ahead.

  “That was delicious.”

  “It was,” Kate agreed.

  “And I was thinking — I told you all about my family the other night, but you didn’t tell me about yours.”

  Kate smiled warmly. “What do you want to know? We’re small but perfectly formed. There’s my sister Vicky who married Jess’s brother Jack, and they’ve got two sons — Luke and Freddie. They’re all great. And there’s my mum, who’s a trooper.” Kate smiled sadly. “My dad was amazing, but he died in a car crash five years ago. Only 56. I still miss him every day.”

  Meg reached over the table and took Kate’s hand. “I’m so sorry.” She paused. “Out of the blue like that must have been awful.”

  “It was.” Kate’s mind floated back to that time. It was now in soft focus, consigned to the part marked ‘Revisit Sparingly’. Those first few months had been the worst, but it had taken her a few years to deal with the grief and manage it. Nobody warns you the impact of the death of a loved one, especially sudden death.

  Kate shuddered as she remembered fully. “But life goes on, and we’re all good now.” She paused. “In fact, my mum has just started seeing someone. Met him at my uncle’s funeral, would you believe.”

  “Really? Now that is a scandal.”

  “It certainly is — especially where my sister Vicky is concerned. She’s convinced he’s out to steal Mum’s house and money, whereas I think he seems like a genuine bloke. We agree to differ.”