Notting Hill-Karen's Story

by chrisbeta

The Notting Hill story told from Publicist Karen's point of view.

'Assess the implications of your Departments' Ethnically Diverse Disability Access policies' objectives given your period three outcomes.'

Karen couldn't help but despair. She knew that she was good at her job;she had to be,hers was the Primary Account. The trouble was that she only seemed to be allowed to spend a few precious hours a day,week,month,even it seemed sometimes,year doing it. When it went well it was great,like last fall at The Ritz.
Jeremy had kept a watchful eye on the hacks and she had cued them in,walked them from artist to artist and even though they finished too late for inches in the Evenings, everybody including Primary thought it went well and the pieces that appeared over the next few days were very good for everybody's business. Several of the more troublesome ones wrote or called to thank her personally and never wanting to miss an opportunity Karen reminded them that this kind of access to The Agencies' top client came at a price and that meant a phone call or a meeting BEFORE going to press should they get hold of something about Karen's Client from A THIRD PARTY. Karen had no inkling how soon that request would bear fruit.
Jeremy took her out to dinner that evening. He's a very nice man, shame he's the boss.
They couldn't help chuckle about the man with the yellow roses. At one point Karen had the distinct impression that he didn't actually know who he wrote for and Jeremy said he wasn't on the list and neither was Hound and Groom. It wasn't been until later that Karen discovered that his interviews were a bit well,odd.

Jeremy didn't seem to mind though,''We can't micro manage.''He pronounced.

And anyway dinner was unexpected. For three reasons: First of all she had expected to be at the BAFTA Fellowship. Primary expected to walk off with Actress and Film and FX were certainties.A star studied appearance at the Gala would seal it. Then she tells Karen to cancel. At the last minute.

''I have to spend the evening with Britain's premier equestrian journalist.''

She never wants to be with a journalist. Well certainly not for a whole evening. Secondly it was just with Jeremy. And thirdly because of his news. She hadn't seen 'the nearest and dearest' as Jeremy always referred to his 'other half' (an alternative) since the last Christmas do and she'd booked him into London hotels a lot recently even though Tring wasn't that far to commute so she'd guessed that things weren't going that well for them. All the same,that it was over was a sad shock. He knew that The Agency was the cause. India next week,LA with Primary the week before. If it was just London junkets and conferences as it was before,the agency would run itself but The Owner had big ideas and that meant more clients which was what Jeremy was chasing. With no more staff.

''No,not until you've got 'em,chicken and egg.''Asserted The Owner.

So everybody had to double up.A lot of Jeremy's came to her. Like this submission.54Mbs worth of it. Jeremy looked after his staff really nicely when he could and if he couldn't he'd make the right noises and try to point you in the right direction.

''One to Four is just what we've done but Five is a whole different ball game and after that,well….''

He wasn't kidding.

''It's no good saying you don't know anything about it because none of us do,you'll have to read around it m'love and get something back to them by Wednesday. The Owner thinks accreditation will give us an edge if there are disabled clients to be had.''

A million miles away from being a publicist. But even Ethnically Diverse wasn't what really took up Karen's time. Not by a long way. That was a much more thorny problem and one that took Karen much further from her comfort zone. Professionally and definitely emotionally.
Karen wondered how the tear ducts worked. Did they just have so much tears and then they stopped when they were empty or did they keep on refilling and so could go on forever?

Karen hadn't meant to live in the U.K She'd read of The Victorians seeing the world and that Disraeli had got as far as India. Her aim was Paris or Yugoslavia where her family had originated but then there was a three day stopover in London and that was it,one of her better decisions she felt. Driving on the wrong side of the road and listening to Radio Four. The Agency came along with contacts and frequent trips home to Pittsburgh so her personal life seemed on track too. It was during one of those Stateside trips that Primary first appeared and they had hit it off straightaway. Primary asked a lot about The Agency but,and Karen didn't realise this until later,a lot more about London and a whole lot more about herself.
Why did they giggle together about birthday dates?Yes,their birthdays were a day apart in October and therefore at some point somewhere in the world then,yes they could have a birthday party together but why did that matter to a beautiful,very promising up and coming actress and why did she want to giggle about it with someone fourteen years her senior and who just wanted to offer her services as a publicist. Who did she normally giggle with? Given the way that things had developed Karen sometimes rather wished that she hadn't been quite so forthcoming but she couldn't complain as Primary's needs were well,primary and as Karen had discovered entirely genuine.

Things hadn't really fallen into place until Gramercy Park. Virtually the whole world had jumped on the bandwagon and now everything was going to happen in seven seconds time! George Bush used it in a speech. Seven times. There was the hit record 'Seven Minutes to Midnight.'And for Comic Relief Big Ben was made to chime seven seconds too early. Karen's memory was a bit less comic.

''You'll have to fly to Georgia and see her.''

The man she had lined up for the weekend seemed a very nice guy and Karen was enjoying learning about him and whether he might be ready to return the love she thought she felt for him so she hadn't planned on sitting in Tourist for twelve hours over the weekend.

''It can't be Business Class,we can't charge this to the account. Not the Primary anyway''

''So she is the Primary now Jeremy?''

''Yeah,and she's yours,I can't think of anyone better. You both seem to get on so well.I don't quite know why. You say you've become friends,you know I'm pleased but she's trade.I'm not complaining or trying to tell you how to be a pro' but well we've both seen her in Diva mode and I don't want her doing a Diva on you because I might have to get involved and make a decision that could never be right.''

Karen loved Jeremy when he hinted at a mix of business and pleasure like this,and in the same sentence telling her not to do it. So she booked her flight,made her apologises to 'him' and rang Mom to tell her she'd be in Pittsburgh Sunday. She never made it.

The Georgia house wasn't what Karen had expected at all.

Multi million dollar location. Check.

Multi million dollar security system. Check. With one exception.

Multi million dollar grounds. Check.

But the property itself was a lot smaller and it wasn't as antiseptically clean as Karen had seen when visiting other 'celebs'. Then again Primary had said in interviews that ''I'm an ordinary person doing an extraordinary job.''Karen knew it,she'd written the line for her and the client had been mightily pleased with it. So why shouldn't she have an ordinary house in Georgia in the town with the name that couldn't be pronounced let alone spelt. Oh and another in Beverley Hills,New York and if things went according to plan L.A.

Well it's now or never Karen thought. This'd make a good movie plot:

Approaching the slightly mysterious house. No answer at the security intercom. But the security gates weren't actually shut in fact they couldn't shut...

Karen struggled with mechanical things. Opening her garage door had required help,Jeremy had turned out on a filthy night. Karen had kicked herself afterwards for not insisting that he come in for coffee. It wouldn't have just been coffee,she knew that.

...The darkened house, the wind in the trees , the creaking gate, the howl of the dogs...…

'Oh shut up,focus will you. You just need her signature,then you can go. Why won't she answer the 'phone or keep appointments?Why is it that Karen is the only person she'd see?Where's her Agent,staff and most importantly where's 'The King of Gramercy'? Karen rang the bell and waited. No answer. If she was there,she must have heard her trudge through the gravel,or shut the car door. Other than the light upstairs the place could have been deserted.

''Anna,are you there. It's me Anna. It's Karen. Please open the door dear I've come a long way. Are you all right?''

No sound,no noise but then Karen noticed a flicker from the light upstairs. It was a candle or something. Then the flicker appeared downstairs and approached the front door. Karen wished she hadn't played Hitchcock so imaginatively. And the door opened and a poor little girl stepped forward. Karen wasn't sure and seeking to convince herself said ''Anna?Anna Scott?''

''Karen.I'm in trouble.''

Karen had surprised herself. Garage door phobic last week and Electrical Engineer this week. She thought that perhaps 'The King of…' had fused everything when he forced the security gates on his way out. Karen had had a chance to poke about in Anna's house by now. Whitewashed walls,steps and landings up to the two levels..A telephone hanging on its cradle screwed to the wall. There was a fair amount of well thumbed literary works and biographies. Some pictures but just prints. Karen knew that the nice stuff was in the apartment. Even given the three days that Anna had suffered in it alone and the sterling work of her housekeeper before that,Karen could see that Anna tried to keep it like a normal house. Karen guessed like the one that Anna had grown up in.A town house.

What a disaster. This man had chosen this very normal setting to do something very un-normal. Not rape but certainly emotional rape.

Karen reckoned that Anna must have bought the house and then created the garden around it. The garden was the complete reverse of the house.A magical fairy-tale. The lawns, trees and shrubs manicured and the spaces broken with beautiful statues and tinkling fountains. Under the dappled moonlight Anna and Karen sat on a park bench and finished off what food Karen had managed to salvage from the fridge. Judging from the way Anna got it down she guessed that this was the first time Anna had eaten,permanent diet or not.

It hadn't taken Karen long in Britain to learn that at a time of crisis only tea will do. With or without gone off milk. She was beginning to understand the difference between Anna and Anna Scott. Anna was a girl growing up in a modest townhouse who imagined herself a Disney character in a magical moonlit garden. Anna Scott was a product of an industry that had taken a beautiful thespian with a great knowledge of fiction and in her twenties and had propelled her to the big screen. She had an apartment overlooking The Hudson filled with the result of lots of haggling at galleries and nail biting on the 'phone during auctions. Her showbiz friends came from Hollywood more or less but the little girl had no one to call friends other than the cartoon characters she used as cover.

The Diva was in fact a guard dog that was allowed out of its kennel when the two dimensions fell out of equilibrium. And that was why Karen was so important to her. She was normal enough to exist in the first dimension and because of her profession was more than capable of operating in the other. And her personal standards were above reproach. Karen could see that Anna didn't usually giggle with anyone. Karen could also see that as far as Anna was concerned Karen was only deficient in one regard and that was that she couldn't share her love.

'The King of Gramercy' was a product of the industry who,Karen concluded had sufficient baggage to make him not normal enough and whose personal standards were pants. Karen reckoned that Anna rarely allowed industry people to Georgia,only those men who she thought could be trusted with a fairy-tale normality.'The King' had left his counting house but had been found wanting. On the other hand Karen knew that there had been normal guys but that they couldn't exist in the rarefied atmosphere that Anna Scott inhabited.

So the quest was for a man that was an all-rounder,with exceptional personal qualities. And no matter how cosmopolitan everybody might be it obviously had to be a man. Oh and six foot plus maybe, GSOH, solvent,time on his hands,good set of friends.A good lover... For some reason Karen couldn't help but think that probably 'Mister Right' would not be from these shores. She couldn't help but think of Jeremy. Karen added Agony Aunt,Counsellor and Psychologist to Electrical Engineer. Not bad for someone that was supposed to be a Publicist. Having said that there was one more question on Karen's mind. Wasn't there someone else to whom Anna should be able to turn?

The lights had focussed attention on the elephant in the room. It was certainly a very good shiner but completely out of place on the face of arguably the most beautiful woman in the world. Karen couldn't understand why she felt so calm,so confident and worst of all why had she started being funny.

''You should see the other fella.''

''Well if you will go six rounds with Mike Byson.''

''If I socked your right side that would even things up''

The battered little face winced as she tried to smile. Still a lovely smile.

Hire cars in Georgia have to have first aid kits and Karen made the best use of it she could.

''Right let's go to the hospital now.''

''No! No-one can see me like this.''

''It's a job for the police,''

''NO!''

Karen couldn't but wonder how The Diva could emerge and bark even at a time like this.

''If you don't report it he'll get away with it and might do worse to the next girl,''

''No one can see me when I cry.''

Karen realised that Anna was going to be a long long,full time job and that it was going to take up all of her time and rob her of what independence she had left. And she knew she had no choice.

''Damn the phones I can't even ring Mom or Jeremy….''

''You mustn't tell Jeremy especially.''

''Why ever not he's very understanding,he'd help you and me. I could ring him he'd be here first thing tomorrow morning''

''You don't get it do you?I've dealt with this garbage for eight years and you've only just started. Anything like this gets filed away and whenever anyone writes anything about me they dig it out and then I'm not worth so much so Jeremy or at least your Owner will sell me to another Agency and then I lose you and you're my best friend''

Her Client's statement hit Karen like a brick. She'd seen her demolish arguments in meetings. She'd flattened Jeremy with Half Diva. Maybe just Quarter Diva. Karen didn't like seeing Jeremy flattened. And now she'd had the same treatment but over something so so personal. Anna Scott's best friend. Now there's a job to put in your passport. Karen had been going for nearly 24 hours now.

''I'll have to sleep,I'll shop for you tomorrow morning.''

Karen hadn't slept in the same bed as another woman for years,and then it had been whilst camping and it certainly hadn't been with a girl who wrapped her arms around her as soon as the light was off. Karen didn't expect to cry with her best friend until she just couldn't cry any more.

Shopping in the local mall on a lazy Sunday morning would normally be a pleasure,but shopping on this particular Sunday in a town Karen didn't know, for somebody else who could only tell her where things used to be wasn't so easy. Anna had sent her staff to the apartment in New York or given them time off so her housekeeper,security and gophers were not available. Then there was the list of things to get. Repairs to a security gate required on a Sunday. Anna's staff would have a contract in place or a trade contact but without access to that Karen had to trawl the small ads and talk someone into doing it discreetly,for cash,today,for a Miss S. White.

Over dinner one evening Jeremy had told her that if you had three sons they should be a Doctor, a Lawyer and a Plumber because they're the three people you can't get on a Sunday.' A' list Hollywood actresses didn't have their knowledge but they did know about theatrical make up. Specifically what make up would disguise a bruise. After three days it was in full 16:9 Technicolor. Yellow at the edges morphing through red to purple nearer the eye. The white of the eye was bloodshot but that was receding so with a bit of the right make-up and a pair of 'A list' sunglasses,given a day or two Anna thought that she might be able to get out and about again. The make-up wasn't regular cosmetics but Anna suggested that Karen try a shop in the back streets of town that she went to years ago when she was starting out. Assuming the shop was still there and assuming it was still owned by Mr Kelly there would be an out of hours telephone number in the window. Well there was ten years ago. Karen was surprised that she found the shop. Surprised that there was a notice in the window and surprised that Mr Kelly opened up for her and provided the exact hue that Anna wanted.

''Ah,this'll be for a lady then. Under the eye I'd say. It's it's not for you though is it Madam?You would require a number fourteen,this actress is younger,she'll have dark hair….'

Karen felt that Mr Kelly would see through 'Miss Snow White' immediately when he prepared the invoice: 'This must be for Anna Scott,she used to be a regular. Has a boyfriend given her a black eye?'

Karen was a bit nervous when she got back to the house. Would Anna have done something silly? No in fact Anna had perked up a lot and Karen learnt,had got as far as having a bath now that the hot water worked again. As the two women prepared dinner Karen found out what had led to the assault. Her co-star had trotted out his line,'In seven seconds I'm going to ask you to marry me' but instead of flashing that smile Anna had said no and proceeded to tell him precisely why.

Which had been too much for him. Karen was relieved,propping up Anna in this circumstance was a full time job but she hadn't taken to the 'King of Gramercy' at all and wasn't remotely surprised that he'd gone off the deep end. Karen had another go at persuading Anna to go to the police but even though she kept The Diva in the kennel this time Karen got nowhere. Anna had made up her mind that Karen wasn't to talk about the assault,in fact no one was to talk about it. Anna was to keep her own instruction for over a year and the first time she told anybody else her openness shook her as much as her admission did her audience. Karen wanted to tell Anna not to be such a 'Stupid little bloody fool' but even though she was,it seemed 'The Official Best Friend ' she thought better of it. It would be more than a year later ,in a different country and under very different circumstances before Karen would do just that.

Jeremy wasn't at all pleased to see Karen over a week later. He was really surprised at her,and disappointed. Ok,she had got the Primary Account back on track and he had no problem with her staying with her mother for several days,especially if she was ill;even if there was work to be done. But to not telephone!

''Ok so the phones were down,what,throughout the whole of The States?All week?''

It wasn't just the professionalism or the trust. Jeremy liked Karen. He did. He liked her hair and her figure and her choice of clothes and her eyes,especially over a glass of wine and her smile but most of all he liked her voice. sort of sing-song.

''Come and have a look.''

Of course professionalism works both ways. Pity he was the boss.

''Sir Richard is on the telephone,do you want me to maintain the laryngitis or can you speak all of a sudden Anna?''

''I'll talk to him Karen.I've lost count of the number of lies you've told for me''

Anna knew that Sir Richard Attleburgh's concern would be entirely genuine and his desire to support The BAFTA Fellowship would have been compartmentalised away. Only the truth would do. Otherwise he'd check and call back or take the trouble to visit and tell her off and The Diva wouldn't even whimper.

''I'm sorry I cancelled but well it can't have escaped your notice that I attend everything on my own.''

''They must be mad Darling,If I wasn't a couple of years too old for you I'd be there like a shot and sod the press.''

''Well last night I had the chance to go on a regular date with a regular guy who might be strong enough to cope with the sodding press and I grabbed my chance. Sorry about The Fellowship.''

''What Fellowship is that dear girl?''

Anna's epiphany had led to an unexpected opportunity to help her best friend, no strike that, second best friend maybe. Anna didn't visit Karen's office that often. Peering over or around a monitor to study a spreadsheet was too far from the novel on the lap in front of you.

''I'll get you a PC,you can get scripts by Email.''

''No no,I'm fine Karen.''

And Anna couldn't really worry that the time that Karen spent propping up her Client's morale diminished the time that she could contribute towards growing The Agency. However she certainly understood that her instruction to not tell Jeremy about her personal support and Karen's unwavering loyalty might well cause someone not appraised of the full facts to question Karen's effectiveness,even motivation. Now Anna thought she might have a way to help Karen. Other than some tear stained scribble that was meant to be directions to a shop in a Georgian town,she couldn't remember the last time she'd been able to offer any constructive help. Even now it was tenuous, would Bella's name be on the list?

Anna couldn't remember the address really. William had helped her out of the taxi and they had walked around the corner to Bella and Max's on Kensington Park Road. Or was it Kensington Gardens or Kensington bloody Park Gardens. Every things got bloody Kensington in it. Half twisting,half standing behind Karen and trying to keep the glare of the Tuesday morning sun off the screen,Anna scanned through the list of names and addresses at rejected script velocity. It didn't help that she knew no surname or that only initials were used but about half way down there was 'B.'and it was Kensington Park Road,Notting Hill W11.

''That's the one,give her a ring.I'm sure she's the one.''

Karen was really sceptical. What does she think I am? She can't know. Karen had only showed Ethnically Diverse to Anna as a bit of a joke. Instead of brushing it aside Anna had immediately wanted to read all 54Mbs and the latest details that Karen had unearthed.A list of lawyers specialising in disability cases. Maybe Karen could interest one to give a little advice so she could burn the midnight oil and cobble something together to meet tomorrow's deadline. She knew that it would be a disaster,even if she could pick an amenable lawyer from the list who would be prepared to give advice,today,for free;well maybe some sort of donation. And here's Anna Scott,she knows about make up you know,telling her,at Quarter Diva to ring number fifty-seven. Out of a list of one hundred and twenty five.

''It's just a hunch I've got. Go on ring her now or leave a message.I mean you don't know which one to pick. Women's intuition. We girls must stick together.''

''Ok ok 0207 811….' Karen read out the number as she dialled and was a bit surprised when a man promptly answered by announcing the telephone number in a very business-like manner.

''I wonder if you can help me….''

''We're jolly well gonna try.''

''Well yes that's lovely um,I'm trying to get a little information concerning disabilities for a submission that I have to make,er tomorrow unfortunately and An-my colleague had a hunch that you might be the one that could help.I mean it's a real long shot.''

''Which has hit the bulls eye dead centre except that you need to speak with Bella who is at this moment on the throne in the smallest room in the house to where I am journeying as we speak.''

''Oh fantastic,thank you so much.''

Karen couldn't help but think about the difficult ones in the press she had to deal with most of the time.

''Bella,excuse my hand that is about to sneak its way into your most private of offices but there is a lovely lady on the 'phone with a lovely sing-song voice who wants some advice because she's up shit creek without a paddle at work. She must be a duffer,it never 'appens to me.''

''Heavens,don't I get any peace?Now you've got your girlfriends ringing me in the loo.''

''Ok handing you over, the next voice you'll hear will belong to Britain's premier disability rights lawyer.''

''I must apologise Karen...''

Karen heard the echo of the room as Bella spoke.

''...since I had my accident he doesn't get it so much so when a filly comes on the 'phone he wants to bonk her senseless.''

Karen had lived in the UK for a while now but wondered whether her command of the language really was good enough to sort out the difficult ones. Like with these two,she wasn't always sure when they were joking and when they weren't. Two countries separated by a common language. Karen explained what she wanted and tried to give the impression that she really cared about disabilities and that she'd done a lot of research already. Bella wasn't fooled for a second but really liked the bright warm person on the other end. And she's in P.R. she thought. Wasted .This is a very caring person.

''OK, so where are you?''

''Oxford Circus (Central,Bakerloo,Victoria).''

''Right,well we're here right now and it's five stops on the Central Line so we'll get the kettle on and see you in half an hour.I've just got to lock Max in the dungeon and you'll be safe.''

Anna felt fantastic. The last twenty four hours had been an unforgettable experience. Not only had she dated William but now she'd been able to help Karen as a result of the quality of the whole gang of friends that came with him. She certainly wouldn't get that with Jeff King. If she could just get that orange juice out of her clothes.

Karen was on her way home with a big smile on her face and she had two questions on her mind:

1. Why can't all people be like Bella and Max?

2. How did Anna know to pick her? Yes HER. It didn't say Miss or Mrs. Or even Ms in the database but Anna had definitely said 'Ring her.'

The next twenty four hours was going to be challenging so Karen forgot to quiz Anna and Karen wouldn't find out the truth for a long time.

Karen was so used to funny hours that she checked the time constantly and so knowing that it was 01:42 on Wednesday morning seemed the most natural thing in the world. She reached for the telephone and hoped that her mom was alright.

''You sound sleepy,so am I and I'm at work.I'm sorry to ring you at home and in the middle of the night but you reminded me that if I get anything it goes to you first.''

Karen kept that voice locked up in the deepest dungeon in her memory and hearing it at this hour was part of her Hitchcock screenplay. Still here was the chief of the difficult one's doing just what she'd asked.

''Ok Dominic what have you got this time. It's Anna Scott right''

''Yes,look it's not a great exposé or anything,actually it's quite a nice story but well you're the best and nicest publicist I deal with and I'm truly sorry about some of the things we've printed about Anna and that's why I want to print this because it shows the other side.''

What nonsense,Dominic was the hack not the editor but he was also the shark and would say anything to get an edge.

''So?''

''It seems that there was an altercation at Nobu tonight. We've been able to interview someone called Gerald and although he didn't want to talk about it very much my colleague told me that this guy appeared out of the blue and ticked his stag do off because they slagged off Anna. Well they took the piss and then blow me down Anna appears herself and lays into them!''

Oh my God,thought Karen,The Diva loose and on the warpath at Nobu.

''What did they say,no strike that what did she say?''

''Well he wouldn't tell us,my colleague put him under pressure and he started getting upset;well they're rugby club blokes. Apparently she didn't do The Diva, whatever she said flattened them without that. It'll be a piece at the bottom of a column:Jeff King lets they lady do the talking.''

''I thought Jeff was still shooting with Harold Beeker.''

''Well that's the other funny thing isn't it?These rugby blokes took the piss out of Jeff and lived to tell the tale and Anna had to sort it out.I mean just how drunk was he this time?''

Karen had expected to be up all night anyway bodging the submission but had been spared that. Bella had taken one look at Ethnically Diverse and selected Delete and then Delete All.

''First of all it's about three years out of date and it can't be done to a timetable anyway and the terms are all wrong and the way to do it is personally and I'd say you're the best one for the job so I'll just give you a copy of this and you can go through it and take out I.C.I and put your details instead just like they did. They had to take out B.P.'s name. They're the ones that paid for it.''

Karen couldn't help thinking of the family she had heard of whose children submitted the same coursework. The first year it got B-,the second year C+ and the third year A-. In the morning she'd send it off and no doubt meet Jeff King. Oh joy. She'd better get some wet wipes on the way in,maybe a gas mask and breakfasting on garlic would be the best plan.

''What an earth do you see in him Anna?''

''He's got a big dick.''

''Which he doesn't seem to be able to control. This cocktail waitress,Yolanda something,there's a paternity case.''

Karen respected Anna's security team a great deal. Forget firemen these men and women were her idols. They work at the confluence of two dimensions and if need be would go as far as to save a life whilst risking their own. They had no legal status and had to do it all through force of personality and a high visibility jacket. There's plenty of nutcases and a lot of them seemed to be attracted to Anna Scott. Was it because she was single?
Tony's the best:

''I'm not supposed to tell you this Miss,I'm paid to remain blind and deaf and dumb but we wonder sometimes whether we're here to protect Miss Scott from a nutcase or Mr King. Then there's his people. They're armed you know. They're not licensed or trained or regulated in any way.A disgrace to the profession''

Anna and Karen had laid their plans carefully. If Anna wanted a Mr Right then she'd have to find him the hard way. Whenever she got the chance she'd mooch about in some of the more fashionable parts of which ever world city she happened to be in and visit the sort of places where her own interests drew her: galleries, libraries, museums and hope she'd meet someone who wouldn't be scared away by a movie star. If they chose the right part of town maybe celebrities would be a more common sight and she might not be bothered too much. As far as London was concerned Tony suggested Notting Hill.

''It's no paradise though,every August Bank Holiday they stage a riot.''

Tony was worried about Anna's safety of course. He and a colleague would deliver Anna by car and be parked in nearby streets ready to intervene if they got a call over the radio. When all was done they'd pick her up and take her back to the hotel. He was touched that his Company's Client had chosen to enlist his help concerning so personal a matter. It seemed nuts to him,surely Miss Scott could have any man she wanted.

Then to Tony's and Karen's horror Anna shacks up with Jeff King. Chief amongst Karen's dislikes of the man was his personal qualities. Which ones?Well all of them really but smoking was definitely number one. The night Karen and Anna got drunk,watched that gay porn video and hatched their boy shopping plan they wrote out his description and put non-smoker at the top. If he's intelligent he won't smoke because that's a stupid way to shorten your life.

Jeff must have realised that Anna didn't like fags,possibly seeing his packet shoved down the john gave him a subtle hint. So he cut down. Good for him. He went over to rolling his own. Smaller you see so less. But the paraphernalia was greater though and Jeff acted like he was Leonardo da Vinci. The artist that created such elegant roll ups.

''Look at that one,she's a beaut.''

If Karen could have kept Jeff downwind things might have been fine but he was all over her and the stench pervaded his hair,his clothes,his breath. God and Anna slept with him.I must be like kissing an old ashtray.

''When are we having that threesome Karen?The younger and older thing gets me going.''

Karen felt repulsed,she wasn't too proud of herself either. Just because they were drunk the porn video was still porn. If someone she knew was involved in something like that she would be in bits. And then there was his 'tailoring': Fancy turning up to take out Anna Scott or attend a Royal Premier in polo shirt,tracksuit bottoms and trainers (no matter how exclusive the label). Still at least 'Sir's ensemble' covered up his tattoos and have a shave, half cut isn't trendy,it's lazy. Karen added well-groomed to their boy shopping list.

Karen arrived at the Trafalgar Suite guessing she was in for a rough ride,but she had to check on Anna and she wanted to get to the bottom of the Nobu affair and ask her about Bella and Max. Sure enough no sooner had she knocked on the door she was picked up and carried through to the bedroom. Anna peered out from beneath the bedclothes looking sheepish. It had been just the same last time. Karen couldn't help but wonder what he was doing there, usually she would seek her advice on Operation Boy and certainly if she was going to invite Jeff back into her life especially given the rumours about him and his latest leading lady. Well whatever Anna's plans for her day with Jeff might be Karen didn't want to be a part of it and a slap across the face was the clearest message she could give him. She picked herself up off the bed and walked out without saying a word. She was especially proud of the fact that she didn't slam the door. Karen learnt that that Anna and Jeff had gone to Anna's hidey-hole the way the rest of the country did. The picture on the front page of the Standard.

Karen was a bit surprised to be summoned to see The Owner. She had met him before of course but always with Jeremy. When she arrived Jeremy was nowhere to be seen.

''It was you I wanted to see,you've scored the goal of the year with this disability thing.I've had the IAAF on to me,they want to give us the rights to all the P.R for the World Championships. The submission cracked it wide open. There's Government and EEC money on a plate, they asked me to tell them how much I wanted.''

Karen was delighted but didn't want to say too much. She had only scanned through Bella's document when she edited out I.C.I so she knew that her knowledge wouldn't stand scrutiny.

''I'll tell Jeremy and we'll develop a plan of campaign.''

''No don't worry about Jeremy,you answer to me direct on this. There's the list of athletes,go and get me every one of them. Report progress to me every day without fail.''

Karen didn't like this at all. Now she had two bosses,one of whom was also the boss of the other and Jeremy had moaned that The Owner was often out of reach,unreliable at returning Emails but apt to arrive unannounced and change direction irrespective of the amount of work already done or promises made. Bella had said that the personal touch was essential and that timetables weren't appropriate so reporting back to timetable wasn't either. And what about her Primary Account and all that entailed. Karen didn't know when Anna would be back but she'd noticed how much better she'd been sleeping without Anna to check on every day. Of course Jeremy and The Owner didn't know that that was happening,as far as they were concerned no new movie meant no work on the Primary account.

A week later Anna was on the phone.''Hi,I'm in New York. Have I got a story for you.''

Karen was a bit relieved,as soon as she walked into Anna's apartment the clean air told her that Jeff was history. It was a fabulous view, even when you weren't looking at the artwork. Karen thought it was a bit like debriefing a spy that had just returned from deep cover. The first thing Karen asked about was how come Anna had to bail out Jeff at Nobu. Karen could see another screenplay on the stocks,a farce this time: P G Wodehouse :'Careful there Vicar'. So it wasn't Jeff at Nobu. It was Mr Right!

Bookshop.

Orange Juice.

First kiss.

The telephone call.

Three days of hell waiting.

The press junket.

The birthday party

The magical garden

The second date.

''...And his house is like my house in Georgia and the garden was like my garden and he ticks all our boxes.''

''All?''

''Well all but one,but judging from the size of him he'll probably give Jeff a run for his money. Or would have.''

''Would have?''

''Will was coming up to the Trafalgar.I thought that I was ready. When I walked in Jeff was there. Rather than create a scene Will went home. He said goodbye.''

''Oh shit. When are you seeing him again? This week you have to be here but we could move some of next week.''

''You don't get it do you?We've set out to catch a man with standards,when you cross one of those;by not telling him you have a boyfriend you didn't know you had for example. You lose him for good,probably.''

''He couldn't face up to Jeff's fame or survive on your stage.''

''No,he didn't face up to Jeff because he's the Gentleman that Jeff could never be. As for survive in showbiz,well you'd be a good judge there.''

''What do you mean?''

''Well you met him,you even put the flowers in water for me.''

''What Hound and Groom or something.''

''Horse and Hound.I told you I had to go out with him but you didn't guess did you.''

''You cancelled the BAFTA thing for him.''

''Yeah,Sir Richard said he was looking forward to dancing with me but that I was doing a dance of my own.''

''But his questions were a bit odd I heard.''

''Well they would have been wouldn't they?He'd expected to come to tea and he hadn't seen Helix.''

''He hadn't seen it!''

''Why would a man with that sort of knowledge of the classics want to see a space flick?Even a nominated space flick?Were his questions any worse than most of the garbage we get?''

''Definitely not.''

''Well there you are then. The showbiz box gets ticked too,Unfortunately I behaved appallingly and threw away the best chance I've had.''

''How?''

''As I say by not declaring the state of my relationship with Jeff.''

Karen noticed a difference in Anna,disappointed to lose William but much more confident,the smile was back.

''So what about Jeff now?''

''I realised that I couldn't remember any of the reasons why we were together.''

Karen returned to London and realised that whilst Operation Boy had made progress, she'd forgotten to ask about Bella and Max. Anna didn't follow her across the pond for some time. Eventually Anna had to come over and Karen made up her mind that she was going to remember to ask now that she was here for the weekend. That so trivial a matter was going to get missed was apparent as soon as she reached the station and saw that the newspaper stand had sold out of tabloids. They littered the inside of the carriage though.

'WOTTA LOTTA SCOTT'

'ANNA STUNNA'

'SCOTT OF PANTARTICA'

'IT'S DEFINITELY HER'

At the office a video of the film was in the machine,Karen wanted to see it so she could exclaim: 'Ah that's a stunt bottom' or 'She's got no mole on her back' but as it was she managed about a minute before she left Jeremy and the others to throw up. How could that stupid cow do that?

Jeremy was incensed. He wasn't surprised that Karen hadn't known about the photos or the film. She had definitely been off the boil for some time. It wasn't just Ethnically Diverse. She was up to something. She wasn't moonlighting,it was something to do with Anna Scott. She wasn't going to tell him, that meant that whatever bought her silence had to come from the Client. Maybe she had known about the photos and had been working on supressing them. They could have come out at any time. Why now?Had negotiations broken down? Did that explain Karen's promotion,had she been working to prevent their publication with The Owner and Ethnically Diverse was a cover story. It would make quite a screenplay. And The Owner,arriving to support his troops?No,Jeremy rang but his staff didn't know where he was.

The Press,led by Dominic,so Karen concluded,had waited for Anna to return to London,Friday night,so to cause as much impact as possible. And as much hurt. Even getting to see her at the Trafalgar was a nightmare. The Ritz was surrounded and for a second Karen wondered if Tony was actually going to use one of those moves that he had shown her one evening in the gym. She thought she should be ready in case Jeff flew in again after all. Seeing Anna,for once with Jeremy,made Karen think back to Georgia and what might have happened if Anna had allowed him to come to their aid that night.

Jeremy quickly realised that there was no way that Anna could stay there. She was safe of course but even a gilded cage is a prison cell and The Ritz were having to foot a large policing bill. They would never be so indiscreet as to complain of course. He quickly realised something else: Anna was a lot more than just Karen's Client. This was it. Anna and Anna Scott were very different people and it had been Karen who had been scraping the bits back together every time the newspapers made entertainment out of each time Anna got her heart broken. Jeremy went to the toilets and stared at himself in the mirror. How could you have doubted her?Well this'll have to be sorted out,with or without The Owner's help.

Whilst he was in the toilet Karen said to Anna :

''Talk very very quickly,we need a safe house for you;do you think you could go to Notting Hill?

Tony struggled with the gears in his brother's builder's van. With a healthy amount of accelerator and a very smooth release of the clutch a different gear could be obtained without stalling. Just. He was beginning to wonder whether it would complete the journey from Brixton (Victoria)to W1, let alone its important mission after that. An hour later,with much grinding of gears,Tony had managed to park the van in The Ritz's undeground delivery bay and behind the security shutters its cargo made herself ready.

''I'm sorry Miss.I know it's a bit of a heap but I've put down a blanket in the back.''

Anna managed a weak smile and thought back to one of her first boyfriends. He had a pick-up,this was close enough, she squeezed herself in beside a cement mixer and sat on some paving slabs.

At a given signal Karen,Jeremy and some of Tony's boys left The Trafalgar Suite arguing with the reporters,the security shutter to the delivery bay was opened and sawing at the wheel,Tony drove the van up the ramp. Inside Anna clung on to the mixer. The reporters on the street scattered and the van disappeared up Berkeley Street in a cloud of blue smoke. After a mile or two Tony pulled over and a slightly dischevilled and dusty 'A Lister' transferred to the Seven Series. Tony did well he thought,to keep up with the Bimmer and he arrived on Portebello Road not long after it. He hurried into the Travel Bookshop and asked for something by Dickens.A ferrety faced assistant informed him:

''This is a travel bookshop,we only sell travel books.''

Tony argued that his friend had recommended the shop and ferety face said that he could fetch his manager in a few minutes if Sir wanted to complain. Tony left the shop and gestured down the hill. The chauffeur started his engine. Parked outside Nu-line on Westbourne Park Road,Tony watched the chauffeur open the limosine's door and Anna walked across the road and rang the bell at number 280. For what seemed to Tony at the time like an eternity,Anna stood on the pavement until finally the door opened and after a brief exchange she was admitted. Tony breathed a sigh.

''Well good luck to you mate,I don't envy you though.''

Tarquin liked writing for Time Out. The Editor wanted quality stuff,on the edge but,and this was very important to Tarquin,never smutty.

''We're not the 'News of The Sun.' His Editor remarked when he hired him.

Tarquin particularly relished the opportunities it afforded to indulge his musical interests. His first journalistic success had been as a schoolboy. Managing to get Paul Wheeler's 'phone number in Woking he'd interviewed The Preserve's songwriter from the 'phone box outside school and published it in his fanzine. Every now and then he'd meet Wheeler again but so far he couldn't match the immeadiacy of the interview made that lunchtime. Since then he spent a lot of time trawling for fresh talent at divey pubs and although the Duke of Wellington wasn't,it wasn't The Ritz either.

He'd been at The Ritz earlier in the year. Not his usual hunting ground ,indeed he was just standing in for the usual guy who was on holiday. Alison at home was thrilled:

''Anna Scott! I feel like I could know her and be her best friend and go shopping with her and…''

And Tarquin had,after all been thrilled too. He'd gone in a long time after the chap from Horse and Hound. The bloke had shown up at the same time but been sent in straight away just with the mention of his name whilst the rest of us had had to wait our turn. Maybe Alison was right,if he got on,got promoted or went to a paper that had a different profile,maybe his name would open a few doors. As it was the interview with Anna Scott had gone very well and he bumped into the bloke from Horse and Hound as he was on the way out and he summed her up:

''Fabulous.''

And he was right. She was obviously very happy about something and she twittered away like a school girl. She was very emotional and he was in there for a bit longer than the five minutes he was allotted. The P.R. chief and the American woman running it came in and chevvied them up. At that point Anna changed a bit, perhaps she'd realised how late it was and she virtually walked out. Good stuff though. The Editor gave him a pat on the back and a pay rise.

The Duke of Wellington was full of totally different people. The group that Tarquin was due to see attracted a rough lot and they clashed a bit with the regulars who were obviously most strongly represented by the big Welshman. Although 'Taffy' had had a few he was still compos mentis after the gig and Tarquin noticed too that actually,although he was full of shit most of the time,he had something about himself that you couldn't help but like. Maybe that's why his mates ribbed him so mercilessly especially when he told such tall tales.

''So this megastar right,is staying at your house.''

''Well they're in love you know.''

''But he's a fuckin' dickhead,it's not a proper bookshop,it just sells atlases and shit.''

Tarquin mused about the story as he walked home. He'd tell Alison,she'd be all squidgy about it,a couple hiding away to keep their love a secret.

''So is it true?''Alison asked.

''Well I don't know,I don't wanna know.''

''Well why not?If you uncover it and get an interview and some photos you'd be made and we could get a better place.''

''I think there's been quite enough photos of her.''

Tarquin reeled at the thought of someone he loved like Alison being displayed like so much meat. If that nice woman had really gone to this man for help he certainly wouldn't want to interfere.

When Tarquin had gone to bed Alison checked the Standard:'….staying at The Ritz but not been seen all day'. She thumbed through Tarquin's address book,selected a promising entry and a man answered promptly.

''Anna Scott is staying with two men in Notting Hill in a house with a blue door.''Then she hung up.

Karen hadn't heard from Anna all day. Tony reported back that the delivery had gone well and Jeremy had spent a long time with her trying to re-carve up their respective responsibilities in the light of what Jeremy had deduced. The conversation continued over dinner and Karen went to bed wondering whether her friend was sleeping alone.

Her telephone rang at 10.30am.

''The Press are here.''

''Someone found out?''

''No,there are hundreds of them. My brilliant plan wasn't brilliant after all.''

''We can get you out.''

''I know.''

''You're due in L.A. Tuesday ''

''I know,I know..Ah,Just get over here.''

Tony didn't like it.

''This could get very ugly,the streets 'round there get very congested.I'll get the boys together.I want you to ring Notting Hill police station please Miss and tell them what we're going to do. The crime is obstruction so we have that on our side but we're not allowed to do it either. Neither must there be a breach of the peace.''

At his flat,Jeremy had described the London he grew up in by showing Karen a video of 'The Sweeney'.Riding in the second Jag she couldn't help but feel she was on a raid. Westbourne Park Road was jammed and Karen was petrified. Anna was inside the house so protected a bit from the scene that confronted Karen. Tony told her not to make any kind of eye contact with anyone even if she knew them.

''Don't speak to anyone no matter what the provocation Miss.''

Karen was a little surprised at how the throng of reporters opened up but equally alarmed at how instantly it closed behind the four of them. She rang the bell.I hope they're quick she thought. A head popped out of a window upstairs and then disappeared.

''Have you come to get her out?''

''Is Mr Thacker coming too?''

''Is she involved with Mr Cargill ?''

''Does Jeff King know she's shacking up with two men?''

''Have any more pictures been taken?''

Karen stared at the door,Tony and the boys stared at the reporters.

At long last the door opened and a poor little girl stepped forward,the noise was deafening.

Karen threw her right arm around Anna and held her as tightly as Anna had once held her. Tony virtually gathered up both of them and the long trudge through the crowd got slower and slower. Karen thought it was like walking through deep snow or treacle. She tried to blot out the questions and comments that she heard and wished that she could do the same for Anna. Karen sensed that as they approached the cars that the reporters were getting more desperate for the enquiries were getting more obscene. They clearly wanted a reaction. Karen pushed Anna into a back seat and climbed in after her. Karen thought of those scenes when the condemned is taken away from the court with a blanket over his head.
It wasn't over yet. Although the cars had been carefully arranged so that they wouldn't have to reverse,the reporters crowded around so that they had to inch along. The press banged on the windows and panels trying to attract a face to get that all important picture.
Then the horses closed in. A mounted police officer is a very intimidating thing,a horses hoof or an inadvertent kick from a nervous animal was a distinct possibility and the Jag began to pick up speed.

''Tough shit Karen.''

...Was the last comment she heard from someone outside the car. Anna turned 'round to see a blue door disappear from view, then she began to cry.

Tarquin had never seen anything like it in his own neighbourhood. Taffy had been telling the truth after all and his mates would be eating their words now. He guessed one of them had been tempted to make himself a buck or two. He'd never know how wrong his guess was.
Tarquin wasn't the only person in the neighbourhood that was unimpressed with the conduct of Her Majesties' Press. Over garden fences,in the pubs and shops and in the market all shades and classes spoke about the spectacle and resolved that such would not be permitted on their streets again.

After some careful driving the reporters on their motorbikes followed the other Jaguar,having consecutive number plates made sense. Tony pulled over to drop off his colleague and surveyed the limosine. Pretty much a write off he thought. It certainly won't do for premiers. After a fair bit of driving around Anna broke the silence in the car:

''Yesterday was a good day,which in the circumstances was surprising.''

''Was he lovely?''Asked Karen.

''It was beautiful but I'll never see him again.''

Karen's emotions were like a dam and the dam had just burst. She'd make Dominic and his lot pay pay pay. Was it his voice?She couldn't be sure….

''You stupid little bloody fool.''

Karen felt guilty. Did she want Anna to live with William Thacker because her friend was in love with him? Or was it so she would be off her hands and she could establish some kind of normality in her life and get on with Ethnically Diverse before that blew up in her face too? Tony checked his mirrors,indicated left,stopped parallel to the kerb and applied the handbrake. Karen was shocked at her outburst but even more surprised at Anna's reaction, she noticed that Anna's shoulders were going up and down.
Oh God,I've broken her, she thought,she's crying again. As Anna turned towards her she realised that wasn't the case for instead Anna started to laugh.

''An hour ago I was in bed with him and since then I've lost him and my best friend.''

The two women hugged and laughed and cried together. My God,thought Karen,a day with him and she's grown a sense of perspective. What happened to The Diva?Tony checked his mirrors,indicated right,selected 'D',Released the handbrake and pulled away from the kerb.

Some while later Anna stared at the green lights on the carphone. She'd been thinking about perspective and she'd been thinking about:

''Stay forever.''

She picked up the handset and dialled a number that she had only dialled once before and let it ring. An accented voice answered:

''Hello.''

''Can you put William on the line?''

''Hang on…it's for you,''

There was a pause

''Sorry Anna,he doesn't want to talk to you.''

The line went dead. Anna had made up her mind and The Diva issued her order:

''I'd like to go straight to Heathrow airport.''

Her flight wasn't for a few hours but maybe she could get her ticket changed.

[The author is indebted to KAMEKA for a contribution to the previous passage]

Karen had worked out that she could be at the Headington Stadium at 5:30 if she left at 4:15. Given three quarters of an hour to get ready that meant up at 3:30 and these athletes do this every day. Then they go to their jobs.
With Anna away learning her lines for Black Fin,Karen had some time at last to concentrate on developing a strategy for acquiring new business and first thing to do was to meet them and find a way to support their careers and get some money for The Owner at the same time. So that meant sponsorship. All of this seemed to Karen some way away from her area of expertise.
Anna Scott approached the Agency when she was about to break into Hollywood but she already had a profile ,so did the other clients. This time the aim was to pick rising stars in a different field that Karen didn't know much about,without being able to see them over a protracted period. Guess work really. Karen had asked around and as Bella had suggested it was a job that required the personal touch. Not a problem,Karen had no issues with a one to one but the other agencies that were doing this kind of thing regularly had huge teams in the field composed of staff that were all ex-athletes or trainers or similar. The Owner wouldn't hire specialists until clients were signed. Karen had two problems: First she wasn't from the right background and secondly even if she did manage to sell herself and forge a relationship,sooner or later the athlete would be assigned to someone else.

Still,she realised that you had to start somewhere and The Owner had secured rights concerning the World Championships. She could play on that although Jeremy had confided in her that he had discovered that they really only had the rights to some of it. Table tennis,Archery and Le Crosse didn't seem like the big league and of course few aspiring athletes wanted to compete in those sports. Track and Field were in the hands of rival agencies and worse still The Owner had been prepared to accept shared business in some cases. Jeremy was in charge of a mess.
So Karen had managed to track down some possible clients and with Bella's advice in her ears decided to try to meet them on their home turf. Hence the stadium at an un-Godly hour, when they were training.
Karen wasn't sorry to go so early,as she approached Oxford the congestion began to heat up. Finally she made the stadium and introduced herself.

On reflection it had gone as well as could have been expected. Headington Stadium,was one of the most famous tracks in the country. In the fifties the worlds first four minute mile had been achieved there, so that meant that in addition to local athletes some came from far and wide. Some,like Karen had encountered the congestion and scrubbed training and went straight to work. Some already had deals in place: The University offered excellent opportunities for networking. Some of the students came to Oxford to study and compete from overseas and brought their deals with them, especially those from the The States. Some were snapped up by the efficient,experienced and well-oiled machines of rival agencies. Some were independently wealthy. One competitor was the Crowned Prince of his nation and could call upon his Government to sponsor him. Karen wondered who the Lamborghini belonged to. A few didn't like the well-oiled machines or had been rejected by them and did appreciate Karen's amateur approach,even though Karen didn't.
And of course one guy said he'd sign-could Karen get him a date with Anna Scott?

All told Karen spent the best part of a month visiting tracks,schools,sports centres and clubs. The number of dedicated people she saw was only equalled by the number of pushy moms. Life on the road was ok but lonely. Once or twice a week she'd ring Pittsburgh and occasionally there'd be Jeremy on the 'phone. She gave her progress report,he gave his. Both of them dutifully reported to The Owner but their Emails did not elicit a comment.
Karen had almost forgotten about Primary until one night her mobile rang and it was Dominic.

''Didn't you tell me that Sean Moore was your favourite Bond?''

Karen recalled a conversation with him in a East End bar at least three years ago. She hadn't realised then what a shark the Columnist was .

''Well I suppose so,what of it Dominic?''

''I think that you might have burnt yer boats with him love because he won't have Jason mucked about.''

Karen began to see some light,Jason Moore starring in Black Fin with Anna. Some talk about a sort of sequel to The Hunt For Red October but Karen knew that it wasn't meant to be.

''Dominic!''

''It's just that I'm running a story tomorrow that your brilliant junior officer's jumped ship,I mean submarine. Don't try to con me that you don't know all about it. You're more than just P.R.''

Oh God that bloody woman! Time for a master stroke,can't let Dominic know that she didn't know. God knows where he's got it from, maybe Anna blabbed on a chat show,maybe The Diva had been let loose?

''Well tough shit Dominic,yes I heard you.I knew sooner or later you'd fall for something. Let's see it's 10.30 now so you've got about twenty minutes to stop it and cobble something together to fill the inches…''

Karen realised she was talking to a dead line. He'd fallen for it. What time was it in L.A?

''What are you psychic or something?''

''If you're not doing Black Fin I need to know about it Anna.''

''I am doing it,I think.''

''You think! What's that all about?

''Turn over four TRS's''

''I beg your pardon?''

''I'll have you know that it's Jimmy's birthday party at 19:00 and he wants four TRS's and a Kentucky Fried Turkey.''

Karen was convinced the girl had lost her marbles. She looked about the Travelodge room: Built down to a price. Breakfast sat in a packet in front of her all ready for tomorrow morning. A tiny carton of orange juice,a thimbleful of long life milk,two biscuity things shrink-wrapped so tightly that they'd crumble to dust at any attempt to open them. The room smelt of liniment and athletes,If Anna was going off the rails the prospect of decent accommodation was all the incentive Karen needed to head Stateside. It wasn't the first time she'd had to go there to rescue Anna,at least there'd be no King of Gramercy although Karen thought that whatever wounds Anna was enduring this time might be considerably deeper rooted than a black eye.

''Do you want me to come to LA?''

''No I want you to go to Sothebys in New York on Thursday. Have you ever been to an auction?''

Karen never ceased to be amazed how Anna could go from nutcase to commander in the bat of an eyelid

''Well yeah,we had to sell off some of my things when I moved here.''

''No no,this'll be nothing like that. You've seen it when a Stradivarius gets sold,there's people in the room raising their hands and more on the 'phones. If I go the price'll space-rocket but you'll not be known and so the submarines will have it.''

Karen realised that Anna was deadly serious about this and had done her homework. If she could get her to slow down and explain what she wanted her to do without going off at tangents.

''You want me to buy you a violin then.''

''You've heard of Marc Chagall haven't you?''

''Of course,Cubism.''

''Right,well La Mariée is one of his early works and the Japanese owner is selling it and I want it. We're talking a million at least including the tax. You'll be on the 'phone telling me what's happening and I'll tell you what to do. It'll be a bit stressful I'm afraid. You'll need to have someone with you to help you,charge all of this to my account. When you have it I'll wire the money and you bring it to me. Then we'll deal with bloody Black Fin. Until then I have a cold so I'm not on set.''

Oh golly so Dominic had been right after all,some problem with Anna and a movie that she'd signed to do. From a publicity point of view that's one of the toughest things to deal with. First the studio will brief against you. They'll be stories about the clients' antics on set or what so and so is reported so have said. It'll definitely end in court so the publicity for that will overshadow and conflict with whatever you're trying to do next and for months and even years after that.A minefield.

''OK I'll research it,La Mariée,Sothebys.''

''L.A. new word Mariée M.A.R.I.E.E there's an accent over the first E.1334 York Avenue 10021 at 7.00pm.''

Karen wrote down the address. What's happened to her. Clear,concise,detailed directions and facts. She can do it when she wants to. Like like when she wanted to know about Ethnically Diverse. What's the common factor?''

''Ok,why do I need help?''

''Well I'd just assumed that you didn't want someone to take a painting worth a million bucks off you on the streets of New York. That nice guy that drove the van,he's the sort of help you need. Take him first class and tell him how grateful I was.''

''Tony.''

''Sweet man. There's not many of them.''

''Have you spoken to William?''

The line went dead.''Hello hello,I think we've been cut off.''

Karen tried ringing back but it wasn't answered the first time and the second time a voice said that there was no one there called Mrs. Bambi.

The auction room wasn't all that big really. Beautifully appointed,mahogany panelling and leaded lights framed the room. At 6:30 the chairs were beginning to be occupied. Karen wondered which one of these people might prove to be her chief opponent. Certainly if she had known that one of them was called Dominic she would at once direct Tony and the boys to escort him from the building. Discreetly .
Tony had sized up the job in hand in an instant:

''This one's just the same as the Notting Hill escape,only American thieves don't play by the rules. You remember what I said about Mr King's people Miss.''

''Karen.''

''We'll need four blokes,two on you and two on the merchandise Miss.''

''Tony,Anna was very grateful for Notting Hill,it's very embarrassing isn't it.''

''My partner and I talked about it that evening. Of all the people I've looked after,Miss Scott's the only one that's ever bothered to say thank you,even noticed me. That's good really;I can't get close to clients,things happen Miss.''

''Anna mentioned First Class,if you pick the other guys from Notting Hill they go First Class too.''

Karen thought that Anna wouldn't have hesitated,she'd never know anyway.

''Oh golly Miss,I've got problems now;they'll want it every time. Besides in first class there's nice stewardesses and the boys still can't have a drink.''

''Then I won't have a drink either.''

The 'phone desks were on the left side of the room from the auctioneers point of view. An assistant auctioneer gave Karen the bidding card. It bore the number 280.

''It's standard increments tonight Madam,you show the card if you're prepared to bid another. You're here for the big one?''

''La Mariée.''

''Yeah,I'm bringing it on later,at least it's not heavy. Is there anything else?''

''If you wouldn't mind.''

Tony indicated towards the office and the assistant nodded.

Karen watched through the office window as Tony talked security with the man. She'd seen it before. The man was taller than Tony but he just seemed to shrink. Twenty minutes later Tony returned,the job done.

''OK we're in position,other than the Sotheby's cops we own the merchandise.''

''A small matter of the sale don't you think.''

''In the room are the Gentleman and Lady over there. There's two threats on the telephone: a Gentleman from New Jersey and another from South Africa. The latter will drop out at Six Hundred Thousand and the New Jersey one isn't really,he's really in the viewing gallery up there,he wears a wire.''

''Amazing,did you threaten him or something?''

''Of course not,it's just that a if a person wants to tell you they're carrying a painting in they'll probably want to boast about whatever else they know.''

''Well at least that gives us a bit of an edge.''

''Unfortunately not.''

''What else did he tell you?''

''Everybody in the building knows that we represent Miss Scott.''

Tony couldn't resist a wry smile.

''Oh blow how did they find out?''

''Like I said they don't play by the rules here.''

It was time to put through the call to Anna,Karen picked up the 'phone on the desk but Tony stopped her.

''No no,this is your 'phone.''

Tony opened the attaché case and Karen expected Sean Moore to walk in.

''It's a satellite,the scramblers built in and Miss Scott has one in L.A.''

''Wow Tony, now that is an edge.''

Karen put on the headset and checked reception.

''Hi you sound like you're just next door.''

Karen ran through the scenario and gave Anna the bad news.

''Right well I think that means another quarter of a million or something.''

Karen stared at the painting on the dais. The Auctioneer was just as Karen had imagined. Auctioneers and baddies in American movies:always an Englishman.

''Ladies and Gentleman,La Mariée depicts a yearning for something that is lost and Sothebys are delighted to welcome you,our guests who seek perhaps to satisfy their own yearning.''

It hit Karen like a brick. Something that is lost. So this is after all to do with him.

''Although many have been puzzled concerning the composition of this Chagall,that it concerns the love of a man and a woman is without doubt. The wedding of a couple,she the bride,he the groom who Chagall portrays differently.A reserve guaranteed at Five Hundred Thousand Dollars,our terms are as advertised and without delay I intend to commence proceedings.''

''Don't do anything!''

Anna was a bit surprised at how smartly The Auctioneer had started. Karen mustn't bid now.

''Can you hear anything Anna?''

''Yes the line's perfect I can hear everything in the room. Don't do anything.''

Karen was glad to be able to watch without involvement. It made her more confident,would she fluff it later on? As Tony foretold the South African dropped out during heated bidding just shy of Six Hundred Thousand. Soon the bid reached Six Hundred and Fifty Thousand.
Anna broke the silence in Karen's earpiece.

''Raise the card.''

Karen complied and felt every eye in the room turn to her. The Auctioneer stopped mid-sentence.

''Say Seven Hundred Thousand.''

Karen passed on the bid hoping that she was clear enough,She wished Jeremy was doing this,he's a great public speaker.

''Ladies and Gentlemen I'm bid Seven Hundred Thousand Dollars,Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand Dollars anyone?''

Karen thought she noticed The Auctioneer glance towards the viewing gallery. Back came the offer from one of the other telephone bidders. Karen guessed that it was really the New Jersey man.

''I'm bid Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand Dollars,Eight Hundred Thousand Dollars please.''

The headset remained silent but the Gentleman in the room raised his card. His wife looked at him,Karen tried to imagine what she might be thinking. Admiration? Horror? Bemusement? Her face remained blank. Karen wished she was as calm.

''Raise your card again.''

Karen felt the eyes of the world again. Karen bid Eight Hundred and Fifty Thousand for a painting of a woman and a goat playing a cello. It had to be a cello,it had to be a goat. The Auctioneer looked back to the Lady and Gentleman. Then he looked at the Operator.

''I'm bid Nine Hundred Thousand Dollars.''

Karen hadn't expected to be outbid so quickly.

In Los Angeles Anna somehow guessed what had happened,her instructions were explicit:

''Go out to the centre of the room,look up at the public gallery,you'll know instantly who we're dealing with and offer Nine Hundred and Fifty.''

Karen heard a murmur as she walked towards the dais. Presumably The Auctioneer was used to such theatrics for he asked for the next bid like it was so much loose change. Karen remained in her new place,she couldn't make out anyone in the gallery because of the TV lights but she knew that Mr New Jersey could see her standing next to La Mariée.
The Telephone Operator was a professional and didn't appreciate being cut out of the loop, her Client should have stayed away she felt. Here was this woman,not a professional bidder,representing that actress with Comms gear she'd never seen used before,standing up to her Client and making her look like a go-between. On her 'phone she heard him make his next offer and she placed it.

''I'm bid Nine Hundred and Seventy-five Thousand Dollars. Can I ask for One Million Dollars.''

In L.A. Anna knew it was close,down to Twenty-Five Thousands now and so Mr New Jersey must be near his limit. He wanted it for a private collection,or perhaps as an investment or to offset against tax. On loan to a gallery perhaps to make him look like more of a philanthropist.
Anna had a much deeper reason: If she could patch things up with William. If he'd see her again then perhaps the original might allay any fears he might have that she wouldn't want to share her wealth with him. She didn't really think that he cared too much,even separated she knew that their love went straight past money.
On the other hand even though he'd paid the bill at Nobu without a second glance,she knew that he couldn't buy dinner for two at £347.00 every day.
And of course he had the print. When she'd seen it in the kitchen,she'd known the auction was imminent,she'd have probably tried for it anyway. If she'd missed it never mind,there'd have been other works to buy. But not now,now she had to have it.

''I need it as a present for someone.''She told her accountant.

The last time Anna had bought a work of art at auction Jeff had been with her. The advantage of having a presence like Jeff in the room was immense and even when Anna tired Jeff didn't. Face to face with those that bought every other day the street fighter in him faced them down and intimidated them out of the running. Anna knew that good though Karen was,her positive strengths would be liabilities in that room and she'd tire or lose her nerve or both before too long.

''Raise the card and say Nine Hundred and Eighty-five Thousand.''

Karen was confused,The Auctioneer was asking for a Million,would Nine Eighty-Five get it? Still,maybe that would end it. Anna sure must want it but what has that got to do with her love for William?
The Auctioneer looked at Karen.

''Yes Madam?''

''Nine Hundred and Eighty-Five Thousand Dollars.''

''Don't forget to glare at the gallery.'' Added Quarter Diva.

The Auctioneer remembered the last time Anna Scott had bid. Very well judged,a pity that her choice of companion was not so praiseworthy. Attendance at an auction,certainly at Sothebys and definitely at one of his demanded an amount of decorum. And clean clothes.

''You had enough Mac?''

Mr King might have been an accomplished performer but The Auctioneer would have preferred it remain in the cinema. This time Miss Scott had stayed away and instead of engaging the services of a professional had sent her assistant into the lions den. Miss Scott must have her own reasons for doing it like this but he couldn't fathom them. Either way this lady sure had some bottle. Whatever happened he wanted to make sure that she was looked after on conclusion.
The Telephone Operator thought her Client would stay quiet,She thought she heard a door close upstairs somewhere,Certainly she heard nothing on her telephone.

''Thank you Madam,I'm bid Nine Hundred and Eighty-Five Thousand Dollars,can I ask for Nine Hundred and Ninety-five Thousand Dollars now?''

The Auctioneer looked at the Operator . He looked at the Lady and Gentleman. He looked at the gallery. Nobody tried to catch his eye.

''I'm bid Nine Hundred and Eighty-five thousand Dollars,are there any more bids please?La Mariée,Marc Chagall,at auction for Nine Hundred and Eighty-five Thousand American Dollars this evening at Sothebys here in New York City.''

The Auctioneer went 'round the room again,they all looked at their feet or the ceiling or La Mariée. Only one person looked at him and she looked scared. Standing beside her stood a man,he looked like he was never scared. The Auctioneer knew he could drag it out,he might top a million,that would earn him more commission but right now the scared woman was more important to him. Let's get this done.

''For Nine Hundred and Eighty-Five Thousand Dollars the first time.''

Pause

''I'm concluding this auction Ladies and Gentleman,For the second time of asking now,Nine Hundred and Eighty-Five Thousand Dollars.''

Another round of the faces. Could the scared woman hold on?

''For the third and final time then,Nine Hundred and Eighty-Five Thousand Dollars.''

Auctioneers practice offered a wide range of different styles when concluding. When it was a real hammer a solid whack was possible,some colleagues still favoured a decisive blow but the fashion these days seemed for an almost unobtrusive tap. The Auctioneer raised his gavel.
The doors at the back of the room burst open as if an explosion had happened behind them and marching down the central isle a slight balding man raised his voice.

''Nine Hundred and Ninety Thousand.''

The New Jersey man was not finished yet.

''Thank you sir,I'm bid Nine Hundred and Ninety Thousand Dollars. Can I ask for Nine Hundred and Ninety-five Thousand Dollars.''

The Auctioneer went around the room again. The Lady and Gentleman would not return his gaze. He looked at Karen. Would Miss Scott bid again? The Auctioneer thought she would.
In L.A. it had taken a few moments for Anna to catch her breath and realise what had happened. For a moment or two she thought the new bidder might be,well new. When she cottoned on she realised that the same scenario was in play. On the 'phone or in person,the man from New Jersey was still very near his limit. Judging from the drama a bit past it even.

''Offer Nine Hundred and Ninety-two Thousand.''

Karen heard Anna's bid in her headset. It must be real close. Despite already getting to the brink once Karen felt more confident now and when she placed the bid her bright voice reflected her feelings.

''Nine Hundred and Ninety-Two Thousand Dollars please.''

''Thank you Madam,I'm bid Nine Hundred and Ninety-two Thousand Dollars. Can I ask Nine Hundred and Ninety-four Thousand Dollars?''

Mr New Jersey was sweating. He'd thought that he might have had enough earlier,thought that he might have given up. The Chagall spoke of loss. He didn't want to lose it but he was over his limit already. If Anna Scott wanted it that much….She's an actress,what does she know about art? She does space things. She knows about make-up. What's she gonna do with it? He'd never seen her mount an exhibition. Well not of her art anyway. Her ass maybe.
One more go.

''Nine Hundred and Ninety-two Thousand,Five Hundred Dollars.''

A gasp circulated the room. Someone down to hundreds.

''Thank you Sir,I'm bid Nine Hundred and Ninety-two Thousand ,Five Hundred Dollars. Can I ask,please for Nine Hundred and Ninety-three Thousand Dollars?''

Anna thought about it. She didn't want to dance to Mr New Jersey's tune. She was also concerned about Karen,could she hold her nerve? Anna thought she could but how much do you ask of someone? She'd thought about hiring a professional but the desire to have something normal was too strong. William had his friends. Anna had Karen and Tony. Two teams at the top.
If Anna had asked her,Karen would have allayed her fears. She was loving the experience. Still she'd be glad when it was done. What would happen now?
Finally Anna broke the silence.

''Just raise the card.''

Almost immeadiately,as Karen started to move The Auctioneer made his announcement.

''Nine Hundred and Ninety-three Thousand Dollars. Can I ask you,Sir for a bid of Nine Hundred and Ninety-four Thousand American Dollars?''

'No,you can't….. ' Was Jersey's first thought. He had no seat allocated to him,was supposed to be in the gallery. In fact he wasn't really supposed to be there at all. As he looked away from The Auctioneer he noticed an empty seat,He needed to sit down.

''It's in your court Sir. Can I ask for Nine Hundred and Ninety-four Thousand Dollars?''

The room was silent. No-one returned his gaze. Karen stood beside Tony.A rock she thought.

''Can I ask for Nine Hundred and Ninety-three Thousand Five Hundred Dollars?

Again a silent room. Will they let me finish this time?

''Sir?''

No reaction from New Jersey.

''Very well then Ladies and Gentlemen.I'm bid Nine Hundred and Ninety-three Thousand Dollars for La Mariée here this evening.I intend to conclude our auction if there are no more bids at this time.''

Another check of the room.

''For the first time of asking. Nine Hundred and Ninety-three Thousand American Dollars,Ladies and Gentlemen. Going once.''

Now,a proper look around the room. On the 'phones,at the back where the last minute ones like to hide, Mr New Jersey got a hard stare.

''Going twice,for the second time of asking now at Nine Hundred and Ninety-three Thousand Dollars here tonight.''

Surely not again,not another interruption as he concluded.

''For the third and final time then.''

The Auctioneer raised the gavel,just enough so people could see it,not so much that his colleagues would rib him about hammering a nail.

''Sold…''

Whatever The Auctioneer may have had to say about the auction or La Mariée or Sothebys was drowned out like The Beatles. Everybody was talking;everybody was shaking hands;everybody was surging forward,everybody was trying to reach Karen. Tony and the boys were in their element,Karen and La Mariée virtually disappeared,even The Auctioneer missed it and he only looked away for an instant.
Ten minutes later Karen found herself in the corner of a massive warehouse surrounded by crates and parcels of every description. She felt sure this must be where Indiana Jones keeps the Ark of The Covenant.
Sitting beside her, The Auctioneer held a box of tissues and a glass of water.

''Are you sure you're alright Madam?''

''Yes I think so.I just feel a bit giddy that's all.''

The Auctioneer brushed Karen's hand for the briefest of moments.

''You were brilliant,you've never done this before?''

''No,but it was straightforward really.''

''Well I'm glad you think you so. When you see Miss Scott you can tell her from me that I think it's a bit much. Sothebys would have been pleased to provide her with the service she required rather than using a colleague or friend.''

Karen didn't feel used at all. She felt that the auction was friendship, duty. It had been a great experience. It was part of Operation Boy. Still ,she was grateful for the concern of The Auctioneer.
Tony arrived at that point with the assistant from before.

''Our property is already on its way. The business is attended to Miss,although this Gentleman requires your signature.''

Karen signed the forms without reading them,she started to but The Auctioneer told her not to worry about it and shook hands wishing,on reflection some time later,that he'd enquired about dinner.

Dinner with a Client in her house with her friend was a bit too close to Tony's non-fraternisation rule for his liking but his partner told him not to be so silly.

''So it's an orgy is it? Those pictures of her!''

''No of course not.''

''Well go to dinner and enjoy yourself,you've had some adventures and she's grateful. And chill for God's sake. Anna, Karen, that's their names OK,you're officially off duty.''

The view of The Hudson was breathtaking and Tony spent a long time looking at the artworks in Anna's apartment. The dinner was lovely,Anna's cooking wasn't celebrity stuff. Mum's home cooking really although dessert was definitely an aquired taste. Apricots and honey. Surely you want apricots to taste of apricots not honey. He noticed Anna really liked it. He and Karen gave Anna a blow by blow account of the auction.

''I think The Auctioneer took a shine to you,I was on the verge of making myself scarce.''

They all chuckled.

''You see that's why Karen's part of Operation Boy,she gets all the chances,has to fight them off. Older English Gentleman. There's at least two now and they'll be lots more to choose from in The Siege of London.''

''The Henry James,you've started Black Fin,learnt all the lines. What's wrong with it?''

''Message from Command:Would you like them to send in the H K's?
No,turn over four TRS's and tell them we need Radar Feedback before the KFT's return at 19:00. Then inform the Pentagon we'll need Blackstar Cover from 10:00 through 12:15.
Very well Captain I'll pass that on straightaway.
Thank you. And Cartwright,I promised little Johnny I'd be home for his birthday so could you get a message to him that I maybe be a little late.
Certainly,I'll do what I can Captain but I can't promise anything.''

''Well?''

''I think Karen,that what our client's trying to tell is she thinks the script to her next project is bollocks.''

''It took six guys to write that garbage,now they've got another team on a rewrite because Jason and I said we weren't happy with it. We neither of us said it was bollocks. Though Tony, I wished we had.''

''So how did the London press get the idea that you were going to pull out?''

''I don't know,maybe it was Jason,maybe ….''

''Maybe it was his Dad!'' Concluded Karen.

''Yeah,that makes sense doesn't it?Jason is getting cold feet,Tells his Dad who tells a contact but mentions my name so Jason doesn't get the blame. Your Dominic takes up the story but your ruse is enough to discourage him from printing a story that hadn't been checked and involved Sean Moore.''

''Now you two ladies are getting far too close to how I do my job. How does the painting fit in to all this?''

''Ah,It's a present for someone.''

''Someone! You mean you've spent just shy of a million on a present for a man you've met,what five times?''

''Six. And with the commission and fees and tax it was well over. And the insurance on top of that.''

''I'm sorry Miss…Anna but I have to ask this,has he been checked?''

Anna was slightly annoyed that Tony asked the question.

''I don't need to.''

''I agree with Tony,It's not very nice but remember someone told the press you were in Notting Hill and they knew about Spike too.

Have you got contacts that could check bank balances Tony?''

''He'll never know it's been done and what's more if I find nothing I'll tell you nothing. How about that?''

Anna didn't like it. She knew that normal people with normal relationships didn't have their friends 'checked'.As she'd remarked to William:

'Any time I've tried to keep anything normal with a person that was,normal, it's just been a disaster.'

Now she thought that but for her appalling behaviour she might have something normal and she wanted to keep it that way without compromise. On the other hand what Karen said was true,presumably it had been Spike but she didn't know for sure. Did she want to know? Well not really but if there was something nasty hidden away,well it would come out sooner or later anyway. In any event she wasn't at all sure that she'd be able to get back with him. She just hoped that when the right moment came he'd want to try again like she wanted to She hoped against hope that he thought about her as often as she thought about him. Every waking moment. Alright then,let Tony do it He would keep it to himself or tell her,or maybe Karen she thought,if there was some story to be told.

''Alright Tony,help me with that…..''

And quickly changing the subject.

''…Shall we have a look at it then?''

On the way down the stairs Anna explained why they were going to her garage.

''The crate was much too big to take upstairs so I had Tony's guys lock it in the Prius. It's all nailed shut so I couldn't open it but there's some tools so you'll know what to do.''

Oh golly,Tony had been caught like this before. Decorate a room or fix a car with the tools women buy. Usually it's a pair of scissors and a knitting needle. This time Tony was wrong.

''Jeff used to work on his motorbike in here,I gave him that tool cabinet.''

Tony lifted the crate out of the Prius's boot and put it on the bench. Whatever sort of man Jeff King might have been,Tony realised that he sure knew how to run a workshop. He selected the correct screwdriver bit and using the electric screwdriver opened the case,after several layers of packing La Mariée finally came into view.

Under the florescent light in the garage the Chagall looked completely different to the painting that Karen and Tony had bid for the other day. The first thing they noticed was the texture of the paint,in some places it stood up from the canvass nearly a quarter of an inch. The roughness of the brushwork close up didn't say quality but it did say real .And original.
They spent some time looking at the gilded frame and the back of the work. The labels,to the collector were all important and Anna was able to offer a run-down of the history of the painting with reference to them.
The colours ,close to,seemed to be varied or scattered depending on how you looked at it. It wasn't the same blue all over for example,because the texture interfered with it so much.
They also spent some time checking out the details in the background. Even after a close up view of thirty minutes or more they were still finding things that they hadn't noticed before.
Finally Karen broke up the art class.

''OK Anna,so you're gonna give it to him. When and how?''

''Well I don't know really,The plan,such as it is,is to take it with me and go to see him and sort of keep it in the background and leave it with him as a sort of peace offering. Maybe. If necessary .For all I know he might have found someone else.''

''When is this likely to happen? You're officially filming Black Fin, if you pull out...''

''Oh I have to.''

''Why Anna?''

''Because William doesn't like it.''

''He doesn't like it! What's that got to do with anything? Anyway you're not with him…sorry….''

''I know,I know. But really when we're not together;I mean not together at all,like now;I still feel that we are still together and anyway I trust his judgement.''

Tony thought about William Thacker. Other than a shadow at the door he'd never seen him. Tony knew,or thought he knew,that when he did see him he'd know it. That man must be something. He's got his hooks into Anna Scott so deep, usually it's the other way 'round isn't it? Is it?
Karen's next,rather terse question snapped him out of it.

''But you've said yourself he might not have you back. Can you really allow him to influence what you're doing that much?''

''When he took the piss out of Blackstar he was only saying what I thought anyway but I was too close.I can't blame my Agent,she thought I wanted to do this sort of thing. Space flick,Sub flick. Besides Helix is probably gonna get me an Academy Award.''

''Hmmp''

Karen made her sound not just because she knew that Black Fin really had been sunk. It was also because she knew that she'd have to fight Anna's corner going into the Oscars with Anna assuming that,after all,she was going to win. And they're fickle enough already.

''Sorry Karen but I know that pulling out of Black Fin will cause ructions for you.''

''Well yes but that's not what I'm thinking about. What do you think? You obviously agree with him,that it's garbage but why? Why would The Siege of London be better now when you turned down Mrs Headway months ago? Would they have you still?''

''Well they said I still had first refusal.I far as I know they've not got very far with pre-production.I haven't told my Agent to organise it yet. She'll go bananas obviously but there's another reason for doing The Siege of London.''

''Yes?''

''Well,the clue's in the name isn't it. London. He's there,you're there,and we've been through it for real. If it weren't for Tony's boys and his brother and his van we'd probably still be under siege somewhere.''

They all chuckled.

''Ok Anna,one thing is though, how're you gonna carry it?''Tony gestured at the Chagall.

''Well I've got The Captain's trunk to take it away in.''

Now there's a name Karen heard mentioned a lot. Tony had never heard it before of course but he followed Anna's gaze to the corner of the workshop. Sure enough an old,battered steamer trunk lay on the floor. He could pick out the name on the label.

'Captain MDR Scott .'

Usually hidden away in the office at Oxford Circus or chasing backwards and forwards to Anna,or maybe running tracks at Five-thirty in the morning,Karen knew that being on set for a month or so would be a great change of scenery. Especially if the scenery included a certain man.
The past months had been a whirlwind for Karen. First of all were the new accounts: Athletes didn't need flowers in the green room or have the ad-dabs at Monte Carlo parties. Their issues were more down to earth:

''I've lost my job at the call centre.''

''My mum's sick so I can't train.''

''I haven't bettered my P.B.''

''I didn't know it was a banned substance. It wasn't last time.''

The Owner said he'd hire more staff once the accounts were there and in a sense he did. That is,he didn't complain when Karen and Jeremy hired them for him.
Jeremy told Karen that he'd appeared,with entourage,at The World Championships but although Jeremy managed to corner him for half an hour before he had to fly off,he didn't offer any advice or encouragement. Jeremy couldn't work out what he spent his time doing or what he was doing with the money he regularly took,without notice,from the operational funds. At least he didn't change anything this time or commit the Agency to anything it shouldn't be doing.

As it happened Black Fin wasn't so difficult after all. If it had just been Anna it probably would have been tougher but everybody knew that Jason Moore hadn't been happy either and although nobody mentioned Sir Sean everybody wondered whether he might have made a 'phone call or two at some point. The way it was left was that Anna might be interested in re-joining the crew aboard the good ship Black Fin next year as soon as her commitment to her next project was fulfilled. There were several pieces in The States and in Variety about performers pulling out of contracts and also a couple of pieces written by wiser heads concerning the quality of parts for women. Karen thought that the general consensus was that if you need a dozen guys to write a movie script it's probably a bit shaky anyway.
Anna Scott should have known better than to sign up to something like that but if there's a shortage,she'd maybe had little choice and anyway,after Helix who could blame her for wanting to stay on a roll.
Besides,Siege was being produced by three blokes,including Sam East,from a tiny office in Soho and no-one in London would hear a word against them. Here was The Queen of Notting Hill in The Siege of London.

Dominic and his colleagues loved the prospect. Lots of opportunities to remind their readers of Anna Stunna's previous exploits. With an emphasis on the X:
Pictures of Anna coming out of a spacesuit. Although Fox wouldn't allow them screenshots so it had to be a photograph of a model and a kid's spacesuit
Pictures from Anna's porn film. Although every time they put them on the front page circulation dwindled,particularly in West London. The restrictions were getting more tough for the owner of the photos so he was charging more every time they were published. Slowly Anna's legal team were getting somewhere restricting circulation.
Pictures of Anna in Notting Hill. On the face of it these offered the paper's their most promising lead. Dominic and his editor and their opposites at the other papers made their way to West London in search of a story:
William Thacker and Boris Cargill,known as Spike. One owns a bookshop and the other sings and plays harmonica in semi-pro groups.
All Mr Thacker would say was:

''No comment.''

When pushed the furthest they'd get was:

''She's a friend.''

Or

''Look,I've told you all there is to know so if you wouldn't mind,now can I suggest that you ask Miss Scott.''

A couple of brave souls tried to get something out of Mr Cargill. In contrast to William the problem here was stopping him:

''Anna Scott ! Anna yes,well let me tell you now well I could tell you things about Miss Scott that would make you're balls shrink to the size of raisins! Oh yes boy!See,she's in space and the capsule is out of control and she's got just minutes to save everyone and she has to take the spacesuit off afterwards for decontamination.A very well turned pair of ankles if I may be so bold out of a spacesuit you know.
And then there was this time in an art gallery see and this fella says he wants to marry her in seven seconds but I don't see how you could marry someone that fast though 'cos you've got to book the church and make the cake and everything and you couldn't do that in seven seconds now could you,I ask you.''

The direct approach fared little better.

''What happened when she came to your house?''

''Oh it's not my house now silly,did she come there?Well now I s'pose she must've 'cos you all took my picture with me in grey underpants. You know they're famous now aren't they?How much do yer think I could get for 'em do yer think?Lovely to talk to you.I buy your paper everyday,thanks for all the drinks. Is that your car with the parking ticket on it?''

Another problem that Dominic and his colleagues noticed was the attitude of increasing numbers of people in West London. Several of the nicer eateries seemed to be permanently busy. Food in pie and mash cafes seemed to always be cold or they'd just turned the stove off for cleaning. It was the same in the pubs: If Dominic took his wife out they'd be served same as usual. If he went into the same pub a day or two later with the lads they got served late or there was a problem with the beer or something. And then there was the circulation. The group owned several broadsheets,they sold slightly better,tabloid sales were down 20% in the area;
One morning Dominic noticed his paper was not stocked at his station.A notice said:

'Not sold here.'

''It's just not on sale.''Was all the vendor would say.

Back at the office a hasty meeting was held and someone recalled what happened,indeed was still happening in Liverpool over a paper's editorial about Hillsborough.

The Chairman,The Editor and Dominic cornered a junior who lived in Notting Hill.

''I've been asked if I write for us and I lied and said no.A couple of guys and a woman knocked on my door one morning. It's because of the incident that Sunday. Everybody's talking about it. If you're seen with a copy of our paper it'll be taken from you. There's a lot of people in Notting Hill in particular who thought they should have been left alone. It's not kids or rich or old or the West Indians or any one group. The women are behind it a lot.''

The Chairman said he'd speak with his golf partner,he had the ear of the Chief Constable. The Editor assigned more of his troops to Notting Hill. There must be a story there. They all groaned at the posting.
Dominic consulted his own expert that evening:

''It's your own fault,I've told you before. You see a story. They're people.''

Then his wife served dinner.

Anna asked Karen to be on set with her for good reason but knew that it would mean that Karen couldn't get on with the other work that her Agency wanted her to do. Sooner or later Anna knew that Karen's role would have to be re-thought. She knew that there was only one person she'd trust enough to do that with and he was the reason that she wanted her on hand.

''OK so he knows I'm here. Maybe reads it in the papers.I'm doing the Henry James. He knows that I know he favoured me doing it in the first place,maybe he puts two and two together. Maybe he visits the set. If he does,you're here to make sure he doesn't disappear,or get cold feet or the wrong end of the stick about something. If he doesn't come I go to see him in the shop or at his house or I ring him or write him or something. Either way I need you on hand in case things don't go according to plan.''

As it happened things didn't go according to plan.

Kenwood House on Hampstead Heath dates from the early part of the Seventeenth Century and is normally open to the public and therein,in addition to the weather lay the root of the difficulties that the producers of The Siege of London encountered.
The original plan had been to shoot the exteriors first,principally at Kenwood House over three months in the autumn and the then transfer to Shepperton for interiors for another two. This way,in the controlled environment of the studio,alterations could be more easily made to ensure that shooting matched what was already in the can from Kenwood.
Wisely,the producers scheduled a second two week location shoot at Hampstead in the spring so that the reverse could happen. Shooting at Kenwood to ensure that the exteriors matched the material already in the can from Shepperton and from the initial shoot in the autumn.

Anna and the Operation Boy go-team were more than happy wth the schedule. Nearly six months in London including Christmas. More than enough time to check on William's situation,for Anna to reconnect with him and hopefully for a romance to blossom properly whilst he helped her with her lines on the flat roof at 280. Within six months she figured,she might be married or pregnant or both.
At the dinner party,Bella had announced,in pursuit of the remaining brownie that she could not conceive as a result of her accident and Anna had immediately looked at William. Concern for Bella obviously but there was more etched on his face and Anna realised that William wanted to be a father. He had no children from his marriage so they could make a fresh start. Life in London she felt would suit her and with Karen riding shotgun to keep the papers in hand Anna thought that she and William could spend many a happy afternoon in one of those private gardens.

With Blackstar William couldn't really add anything but Henry James was a different matter. Anna had looked at William's bookshelves and it was patently clear to her that here was a man with a knowledge and understanding of the classics that only one other man she knew possessed and that perhaps,if she could make a good job of The Siege of London,she might be able to convince The Captain that her decision a decade before to concentrate on movies had not been so wrong after all.

At home in Georgia very early one morning Anna cuddled her pillow a bit more tightly. With any luck it would be Will that she'd be cuddling tightly not long from now. She'd not received a proper answer to the nudity question and perhaps another inspection of her breasts might be on the cards. Was he a breast man? She didn't care really. She felt sure that he felt the same way about her as she did about him. She looked at the 'phone on the bedside table. Go on you idiot. Ring him now. Then she thought about the time difference. He'd be at work. She didn't have the 'phone number of the shop and at home Spike would probably answer.
Oh God. A planet called Wales.

Any Londoner could tell you that London is the home to more than just The Thames.A dozen or more rivers flow beneath London,buried beneath streets and buildings,rising in the hills to the north and south of the capital. The Fleet is perhaps the most famous of the hidden rivers and it rises on Hampstead Heath. During normal years The Fleet emerges from Hampstead Pools and disappears almost immediately into its subterranean culvert. This autumn things were different.
The weather forecasters had to check their computer print outs a second time at the start of September when major depressions started to queue up over the Atlantic and the showers started,followed by days of heavy rain.

Walking the thousand yards up Portobello Road to work one morning,William wished he'd remembered his umbrella the night before and turned up the collar of his jacket in an attempt to prevent the rain from trickling down his neck.

They'd allocated a week to set up the facilities at Kenwood House. On the Monday they'd take possession and mark out the roadways for plant. Buildings would arrive and be erected on Tuesday. Rigging would commence on Wednesday and Saturday afternoon some test shooting might take place.
It was Dominic who sounded the alarm first.

''Have you got a tow rope?''

''What are you on about Dominic?''

''Well Karen,it's that I have just been told that if Mrs Headway was to arrive now she'd need gumboots and a canoe up there. Apparently all the lorries are stuck in the mud and they can't get them out. It's all the rain,the ground's sodden.''

Karen rang the producer. No answer. Then she rang Sam East,one of Jeremy's accounts.

''Hello Karen,it's a nightmare here. The ground looked solid enough but it's like a mouldy rice pudding:solid on top and bog underneath. The vehicles can't move and the Health and Safety people say definitely no cranes no matter how much packing they put under them. The RSPCA say no animals either and half my scenes are behind horses. And it just never stops raining.''

''So what are you gonna do?''

''Well we've got a few days in hand of course so that's something but The Corporation of London chap said to me 'Forget it,even if it stops raining now,this instant,the ground won't dry out for weeks,months even. He said it's London Clay and it soaks up water like a sponge'.I think we might have to reschedule,do the interiors first. It's arse about face of course.''

Karen thought back to the production of Helix, Most of it might have been shot on the huge sound stage at Pinewood but there were location shoots in a dozen different places 'round the World. Fox had a team big enough and experienced enough to cope with whatever problems nature threw at them. That's the problem with niche films,it's done on a budget and doesn't attract the top people. One of the reasons Anna turned it down in the first place. In this case here's the lead actor trying to sort out locations.

The rest of the week went from bad to worse. No,Siege couldn't just swop 'round. Shepperton was booked now and there was no room. Siege was due there in the Winter. Where else could they shoot the exteriors?Plenty of places in the UK but all of them either waterlogged or booked already. The other productions were suffering too. The rain was one thing,with enough ingenuity you could manage. The lack of light,quite another. Especially when you were trying to shoot such big scenes. Eventually the sun shone on the production and someone found an excellent location with a reliable amount of light. The loser was Operation Boy. The new location was in Portugal.

The new plan was to complete the exteriors abroad,return to Shepperton for interiors on schedule and then move back to Hampstead for a month or so to marry everything up. No said The Corporation of London,they could only allow the original fortnight. They'd be busy in the spring and the damage to the lawns would have to be paid for by Siege. On their return they'd have to stay off the grass.
So Karen missed her opportunity to sun herself on set. Hob-nobbing with handsome and distinguished looking actors. Instead she spent her time with sweaty athletes and pushy mums,fending off attempts by other Agencies to wrest from her the meagre toehold in sports publicity.

Anna had a miserable time in Portugal. She concentrated on her lines,annoyed that lines from Black Fin kept on creeping into her memory. Nearly as hard to forget as remember. She'd made another mistake too. She'd had to wait for a flight at JFK and wandered into the bookshop. Fatal. The novel,Captain Corelli's Mandolin was engrossing and so she had three works of fiction on her mind. Four really,she was certain that William would enjoy Captain Corelli and she couldn't get the image of the two of them reading together in a quite park one summer's afternoon out of her head.

Even when Siege returned to the UK things went badly. The Director hadn't liked filming in Portugal and eventually matters came to a head. Although he was replaced by someone more experienced,the new man took his responsibilities to heart somewhat and everybody didn't get on so well with him. Anna had no problem with the lines,or their delivery or having to do it so many times but some people did and she got tarred with the same brush.

Sam East wasn't so happy,the little team that started it had lost a cog and Anna noticed Sam go off the boil a bit. He'd not concentrate so hard,Anna gave him a bit of friendly advice at one point and the next day she found that he'd repeated it virtually word for word to a reporter. There was nothing wrong with it really or Anna's advice. Sam said in the interview,sincerely,that he was grateful. Anna wasn't so happy. It was the fact that his comments had been so verbatim that alarmed her.
Oh how she longed for William,he'd be just the right person here.

''We'll sort it out.''He'd say.

Anna liked to stay at The Trafalgar Suite. She more or less had a guaranteed booking.
The Ritz had been alarmed at the actions of the press last time both outside their building and in Notting Hill. Word was getting around that certain sections of the press were not welcome in parts of West London and they had to ensure that their establishment remained distant from any possible future developments or reactions howsoever caused.

Anna knew nothing of this and when the hotel pointed out that a journey from Central London,at the crack of dawn and back again in the evening might be frustrated by heavy traffic she only thought that their advice was in her best interests. So she found herself staying outside London and nearer to Shepperton. It made sense of course. The hours were long and the shooting,especially under the new regime, exacting.
Every so often she'd go to the wardrobe and drag out Dad's trunk. Under the blankets lay The Parcel. Neatly tied with string. She thought back to that happy evening in New York.

''No I don't mean how are you going to take it to London,I mean how are you going to take it to him. It needs wrapping up.''

Tony walked around the corner from Anna's apartment building to the store. All the wrapping paper looked too garish and seasonality was out,they couldn't be sure when the present would be given. Eventually he settled on plain and strong brown paper and string for quite a few dollars less than the last purchase he'd made for his Company's client.
Back in Anna's garage the three of them had measured and cut and made a fair job of hospital corners. The string,Anna thought was a master stroke, she felt sure William would appreciate something with string rather than something with scotch tape.

Now so many months later she couldn't help but wonder what Mr New Jersey would think of it.'He'd have put it on display',she read.
She could have gone to Notting Hill,she could have written or 'phoned but she couldn't help but remember what Spike had said when she'd tried:

''I'm sorry Anna,he doesn't want to speak to you.''

And she had to admit that she had something else on her mind. some unfinished business. Anna Scott had been nominated for Academy Awards before and smiled in usually genuine admiration when other actors walked off with an Oscar. Successful movies she'd noticed,fell into two categories: some got awards heaped on them but were scarely remembered a year or two later. Some made a lot of money,were never off the TV but never troubled the critics. Helix was one of those that seemed to bridge the gap.
And so it proved. Up against stiff competition it was always the front runner for best picture and although she didn't really believe it was a formality she knew that picture and lead had a habit of coinciding.
Appearing at Sunday night's ceremony Anna thanked her co-stars and director but gave particular praise to the audiences who had flocked to see the picture worldwide.

''We took a risk and the audiences have come with us.

In cloud-cuckoo land for some hours afterwards it was a chance remark by Sir Richard Attleburgh in the small hours that made her think.

''Just quid pro quo darling.''

She couldn't hang about. Ten days of filming,In a hurry,on The Heath (or as much of it as The Corporation of London would allow them to tread on) followed by a lightning trip there and back on Concorde and today just one day to finish up. And it wasn't going well anyway.

Karen had at last been able to get some sun and a couple of times had been able to spend a short time talking with the few approachable gentleman on set. The trouble was that everybody was so under pressure. Any shot that had been planned to incorporate Kenwood House itself had to done now. Given enough light.
So for her what had,she hoped been a nice dinner with a nice gentleman became a quick coffee whilst he tried to learn his lines that had so hastily been rewritten to account for the deletion of this scene or that. Scenes had been cut because of the absence of facilities in Portugal,or time on The Heath or money or a combination of the three.
When cutting a movie of two hours, The Editor might expect to have three and a half hours of material to choose from. Siege was:

''As is….''

…as The Director put it.

And Anna had to be in New York on Thursday.

The Standard had reported that Anna was back in London grasping her Oscar and also speculated that she would imminently don her scuba gear once again.
As soon as the Oscars had been announced Black Fin's production company staked their claim.A meeting was hastily scheduled. Anna wasn't at all sure. Black Fin meant Hollywood for six months and she'd given it little thought. In any event she was tired and she'd noticed that other than a quick glance at The Parcel that week William had barely crossed her mind all week. Was she over him?
Today's Tuesday. She leaves tomorrow night so Operation Boy looked dead in the water unless something was going to happen very quickly indeed.

The final day of shooting of any movie is always difficult. Even when the shoot has gone well. At best a well run shoot might result in,say,three minutes in the can per day. Today,the last day,the aim was maybe ten in total,from different sequences and parts of it. An early start and a quick cup of coffee was followed by,luckily,a trouble-free drive to North London. By 5.30am Anna was in the chair letting Slugger work his magic. Today Anna would be Mrs Headway for the best part of eighteen hours.

Karen had a similarly early start but her first duty of the day concerned the daily mountain of correspondence in the office at Oxford Circus. Fortunately Jeremy was back in the country and had a full day at base planned. She hadn't seen him for a few weeks and she wished that she had more time to be with him.

''You look very Summer-y'', he remarked.''

Certainly one of the advantages of being on set was that every day was dress down day. Except for the actors of course. She could only sympathise with Anna concerning the discomfort of her costume.

''You've gotta go tomorrow night,when are you going to Notting Hill?''

''Heavens Karen,maybe I could call him. There's just no time.''

For Tony and the boys the high pressure of the shoot had been a bit of a blessing. The Director had cracked the whip and the shortage of time had been apparent to even the most self-indulgent of actors so they'd tended to get on with it. Many's the time that Tony could remember having to haul the Jeff Kings of this world out of clubs,night and other kinds,at un-Godly hours and sober them up in preparation for their performance on set the next day. Most of Tony's time during the last two weeks had been occupied with interesting chats with members of the public at the security point.
'Security Point',well that would be an exaggeration,indeed so would security really,the whole thing being so laid back. Later on that day Tony recalled his own briefing to his staff:

''Beware the relaxed atmosphere in a given situation. That's just when you'll miss something important.''

Tony obviously had meant something calamitous,even alarming but as it turned out what he himself missed that morning was neither of those but undeniably he kicked himself later for not making things so much easier for the people he was supposed to be looking after.
By 9.30 on duty at the point it was tea all round and after a joke with a colleague Tony noticed that a casually dressed man in his thirties had appeared.

''Can I help you?''

''Yeah I'm-um looking for Anna Scott.''

''Does she know you're coming?''

''No. No uh,no she doesn't.''

''I'm afraid I can't let you through Sir.''

''Right,I mean I'm actually a friend,I'm not a lunatic but-er no,basically er…''

Tony had had the conversation dozens of times in that last few weeks,hundred of times over the years. Just tell tell him:

''Can't let you through Sir.''

Tony finished his tea. Later on he thought, just one question would have done:

'Do you live in Notting Hill?'

Even after Miss Scott had spoken with the guy,even after Karen left him with Harry,Tony still didn't realise who he was. Then he went missing.

''Mr Thacker,have you seen Mr Thacker?

''Err Mr Thacker ….''

Tony knew so much about the man,his bank balance,the state of his business…..There had been nothing to report,nothing of note,Tony had forgotten about him,as he said he would….

''That was him.''

Karen realised that Tony hadn't realised who the man was,she couldn't complain,she'd been caught off guard too.

''This is a Henry James film?''

As if he didn't know!
But now it was serious. Karen knew that affable Harry would look after him. Just time to run away,get Mr Thacker lunch tokens and get just a couple of seconds with Anna. One to find out when Anna could see him and where,presumably dressing room and one second to go bananas with her. He's here,he's here. He blinked first,that helps us…..er….Anna. He's hers,not ours.
Yours is back at the office,hopefully,Karen reminded herself.

'Your Mr Thacker aren't you.I can tell you that between you and me Anna is very,very pleased that you're here. It's just,as she said, this is the last day and so she's really tied up but don't worry she will be back. Here's your lunch tokens and you must remember me,I'm Karen and you know you had me completely fooled,I really thought you were from Horse and Groom,I mean Hound and….'

OK. OK….I know what I'm gonna say to him.I'm gushing like a schoolgirl. God knows what Anna's going through and trying to concentrate on Mrs Headway.

''Shit,where is he?''

''Sorry Karen?''

''That man Harry,what happened,where did he go?''

''Oh,well he left,he said thanks and he left.''

''Harry,this is important where did he go,did he go to use the toilets or go on to the set or something?''

''No I think he left,I mean he went back up the hill,through the pergola,I mean I was concentrating on me levels at the time.''

''What did he say,no strike that what did you say?''

''Well I just gave him the cans and I remember I said,'the volume's on the side' and he sat there and after about three or four minutes he said thanks and had to go.''

''Harry,there must be more to it,he's important,why did he go?''

''Ah big-wig is he? Yeah…I mean maybe he didn't like the filming on his land,yer know that's er, maybe the thing. But he didn't say anything to me about it and I didn't tell him anything about the grass either.I mean we know it looks like grass but it amazing what they've done with green paint…''

''No,no it's not that Harry,I've gotta find Tony. If he comes back don't let him disappear.I've gotta find Tony.''

Half an hour later Tony and the boys had drawn a blank.

''If he's on The Heath we'd have seen him Miss. Do you want me to nip over to N.H?''

''No we'll have to tell Anna.''

''I'll come with you. It's my fault,I should have known.''

''No it's not you,it's just the last day.''

Anna had been just about hanging on to herself. Sam East couldn't have had any idea what was going through her mind.

''…..bony excuse for an arse….''

She thought back to a certain Sunday morning, William had a nice ass. Ah here's the go-team,just a minute or two to go before the next shot. Poor Third gets the worst jobs,chasing'round after everybody. Hey why'd they look so glum?

''Anna he's gone.I'm sorry.''

''What do you mean,'He's gone'.Where?''

''We don't know,he was with Harry,I left him and well,it wasn't five minutes. When I went back he'd gone. We don't know why.''

''I'm sorry Miss Scott,I should have guessed who he was.''

Anna was speechless. It took her some time to comprehend,to collect her thoughts. Poor Third was looking at her,trying to catch her eye. That blasted clipboard. Anna had always relied on The Diva at times like this but now that she was needed ,Anna suddenly found out something that she didn't expect. The Diva had gone AWOL. In her place was someone who, for a second or so Anna herself didn't really recognise,Someone who owed a lot to the support and kindness and concern of her loyal friends and also to one very special love who had just sprinkled his magic over her in the last few minutes and who,even in that briefest of moments had helped to drive away The Diva and replace her with someone who possessed a much fairer perspective on events.

''No,no…''

Karen was worried,was The Diva about to howl? Now was not the time. She herself possessed a clipboard just like Poor Third's there. After all,the day's hardly begun and they are beginning to make progress so a row wouldn't be good just now.

''This isn't your fault at all,either of you. It's nothing to do with you really. It's my problem,it's me.I should have dealt with all this anyway. Just saying I'm,I mean everyone's busy.I don't want you two blaming yourselves. Just wait 'till we've got this scene done and we'll go over exactly what happened and what we're going to do. And thank you so much for all you've done both of you. It's wonderful….''

''Anna….''

''Of course,thank you for waiting,I'm ready now.''

Anna disappeared in the direction of a clipboard.

Flip-flops weren't what Anna wanted to wear on her feet.
Courts? No. After being Mrs Headway all day yesterday the feet needed a rest. Trainers? Ideal but the only pair were caked with mud from The Heath late last night. And green paint. So flip-flops it was.
Karen drove Anna to Notting Hill this time. Although Tony would've been ideal both Karen and Anna knew that whatever happened this morning,the result would be emotional,very emotional and they'd rather keep that as private as they could. Anna had The Parcel on the back seat and glanced 'round a couple of times during the journey to check that it was really there. Karen parked the Jaguar on Portobello Road and they looked down the hill at the shop.

''Nine-Thirty,he must be in there by now.''

''Yeah,if he's not we'll drive down to the house,I've no idea how long I'll be or what'll happen but I would like to find out what made him change his mind yesterday.''

Anna opened a rear door and lifted La Mariée off the back seat.

''Sure,we talked about it for most of last night,it doesn't make sense.''

''Thank-you,wish me luck.''

Karen watched Anna enter the travel bookshop and wondered how long she'd be. What happened in the shop would,she knew,alter everything in Anna's life and much of her own too. It was a show down for sure. Three possible outcomes she thought:
Short visit:He's not there,off to the house.
Long visit:Really good result,she's staying;'I'll see you later' or 'come in for tea'.
Medium visit:Ah,that's the hard one to call. It could go either way.
Twenty minutes of staring at the shop door and then there she is,running her hand through her hair. She looks shell-shocked. No parcel though. Anna opened the door and climbed in.

''Go.''

Karen started the engine and headed back to The Ritz. Don't ask her,she'll tell you. It obviously was bad.
Anna looked straight ahead,she didn't look at Karen when she spoke. She was very quiet,very controlled. Karen guessed that Anna was making an enormous effort to keep herself together. She hoped that Anna would let it out sooner rather than later, she was glad that Jeremy was on hand. She guessed that it wasn't just Anna that was going to need some moral support today.

''How quickly do you think you and Jeremy could pull a press conference together for me?''

Well that wasn't expected.A press conference,just like that.

''Golly,I dunno,I've-we've never set them up in a hurry. It could be done. It'll have to be,your flight's at Six.''

''Yeah I know,well that's happening for sure but I'm not going to that meeting. No Black Fin,no future projects.I'm going home.''

''Oh,right,ok.''

Karen thought it best to ask nothing now,Anna would go into details when she was ready. Anyway,Karen couldn't do anything now,she had to get back to the office. Dominic was going to have a field day. With the clock ticking Karen couldn't miss a trick. As soon as she got back to the Ritz,whilst Anna retired to the Trafalgar to pack Karen rang him.

''You know that we have been doing all we can to suppress distribution of the photographs and the unsolicited film of Anna Scott.''

''I do Karen,you haven't mentioned the porn film before,what's up?''

''Anna leaves tonight,she'll make a statement this afternoon,I haven't worked out where yet but I think you might like to come along and bring all your little friends with you.''

''Drastic stuff,good publicity for Black Fin Two,you're giving me an exclusive?''

''I wouldn't think so,by the time I'm finished you'll be just a face in the crowd,when I know where,I'll announce it. Fax,text,Email,whatever.

Karen rang Jeremy next,glad that she'd briefed him the night before.

''Anna has decided to blow out Black Fin and damn the consequences,she told me she wants to go home. She wants us to arrange a press conference this afternoon Jeremy and I've just told bloody Dominic.I mentioned the photos so they'll all be there.''

''She must abide by all her present commitments. We cannot represent an artist who won't.''

''No I don't think it'll come to that,she's had an upset for sure,I don't know all the details yet. It's personal of course.''

''Ok.I'll get on the 'phone,it won't be a hard sell. Anna Scott wants to talk to the press.''

''I'll get there and give you a hand.''

''Thank's but no,you're better there. Look we want to hold it at The Ritz obviously so book it yourself with them. And get Anna sobered up or whatever and find out what she wants to say. Upset or not I won't have our Clients letting people down. Black Fin's different.A,it's a dead duck and B,It's crap but there's a fair bit still to do for Siege of London. Post-production's all the more important given the chaos of the shoot…shoots. Sam told me this morning they're gonna dub the whole thing at Denham. Apparently the levels are all over the place.''

Karen couldn't help but wonder how things connected. Harry had lost more than just Will Thacker. Karen went to see The Ritz Duty Manager.A formality.
The Ritz,in common with its rivals prided itself in offering a complete service to it's clients. Nothing was too much trouble and Anna Scott was one of their best customers. That the Duty Manager even had to think twice concerning Miss Scott's request pained him professionally and personally. He lived in Notting Hill.

''Yes Madam,I'm sure it's not a problem. We've done things at short notice before.''

First he rang Front of House:No.A firm no. Then he rang the General Manager.

''Can we do it? Have we the space for a really big one with what we're already doing?

The Duty Manager knew that was it. Would they have to inconvenience other Clients?Yes they would,so it's a real no isn't it. Can't leave her in the lurch though.
His establishment had a long running relationship with its chief rival. Relationship wasn't the right word really. They didn't speak. But of course acting on another level they didn't need to. Once colleagues,always colleagues. He dialled a number he'd never forget.

''Watcher mate it's me. Anna Scott want us to stage a big one this afternoon. We don't wanna do it and in fairness we're fully booked. Will you do it?''

''Yes fella. The Lancaster Room is at her disposal. If you host the papers your neighbours'll skin you alive. What time?''

''Let's say 14:00.''

Karen agreed the time there and then and took a cab to The Savoy to get the ball rolling:

Seating,parking,conference facilities,accommodation,food and drink, translators, front of house, telecommunications, lighting, security, accountancy,health and safety,guest list,disabled access, publicity…She was glad when Tony and later on Jeremy joined her.

''Sorry love,I was a bit short with you on the 'phone,'I won't have our Clients'….''

''No don't worry,this is a big day for her and so we get a bit of it too.I haven't thrashed it out with her yet. She's due at One so they'll be most of an hour to check with her. She was very measured this morning but that's an act. She's just had her heart broken.''

Ahhh, thought Jeremy,she found out about Jeff King at long last. Funny,I've been away so much I thought it must have been common knowledge. She's just found out how long he'd been two-timing.

''Does this mean that Miss Scott will not be publicising her next film?''

Jeremy had asked Anna the very same question not half an hour before. Anna was horrified.

''Good God no,Siege of London will be great. There's a lot to do on it but apart from anything else it owes me a brand new pair of trainers covered in green paint.''

Karen loved hearing Jeremy's voice at any time. Open, commanding, refined. Amazingly erotic thing the human voice. The acoustics of The Lancaster seemed to deepen it so effectively.

''No,it absolutely does not mean that,she'll be abiding by all her present commitments. She just won't be making any more for the next…year.''

Karen watched as Anna nodded as Jeremy checked with her towards the end of his statement. Yes,they all thought that a year was enough time to scupper Black Fin once and for all. Funnily enough Karen rather thought that Black Fin would suit her now. It would be Hollywood,it offered nothing for a bookshop owner she used to know,in fact he probably wouldn't bother seeing it. Instead,try as Anna might to leave the UK she'd be back,at Denham. Karen wasn't sure if Anna knew about the dubbing,maybe it wouldn't happen anyway. Sam East wasn't The Director after all but if Harry's levels were out they'd have to do something and so releasing in the US towards the end of the fall seemed about feasible.

Karen surveyed her flock. About a hundred and twenty of them,and a straggler slipping in rather noisily behind the monitors over to her left. She couldn't see really. She thought everyone knew it was 14:00 sharp. She knew nearly all of them and their publications,The Sun,The News of The World,The Daily Star and The Evening Standard of course. Then there's Hello and the other gossips,the TV and the foreign ones.A good crop. She wondered how many of them were disappointed. Had they thought that Anna was going to speak about the porn film? How did they end up thinking that? Cat got your tongue Dominic? Ah there's his hand.

''Anna,how much longer are you staying in the UK then?''

Karen knew that Anna would head straight to Georgia. The hidey-hole was a possibility, she'd love to be able to get away from it all.

Jeremy felt it was going well enough. His Client had assured both himself privately and agreed wholeheartedly in public that present commitments made would be abided by. Given the circumstances he was impressed by Anna. Perhaps,no,definitely he wasn't as able to read her as well as Karen but he could see well enough that she wasn't too happy and Jeremy thought that all she wanted to do was run away and hide. He remembered that he felt much the same last year when his divorce was finalised. Twenty-five years down the drain.
Jeremy just hoped that nobody brought up the subject of Jeff King.

''Is your decision to take a year off anything to do with the rumours about Jeff and his present leading lady?''

Jeremy held his breath. Karen didn't. She was much more interested in the man in the pink shirt making his way through the crowd. Although The Savoy had provided seats,a lot of them had just been used to support briefcases and handbags and the ever growing quantity of paraphernalia that reporters had to lug 'round with them. The front row,whence the current question came,were seated but behind that it was standing only and if you were discreet,Karen felt,you could creep down the front and that was obviously what that man was doing in the pink shirt.
And he looked very much like William Thacker!

The crowd chuckled.
Jeremy was amazed. She's just found out that her boyfriend has been involved with his leading lady for all these months and calmly says it's really not my business anymore. And she had a go at him. Always rumours about that sort of celebrity. Jeremy remembered back five years: Hamburg, he and a young black security guard had dragged King out of Die Blau Diamant at the dead of night. He'd had to pay the bill with their joint account and his wife never accepted his explanation.

Karen squirmed in her seat. She looked at William,half behind a couple of reporters;one she didn't know,one she did but couldn't place. Perhaps he's standing in. The notice had been short for a lot of them. What are you gonna do?What are you gonna do?Don't you know this is a press conference? She looked across at Anna,she didn't think that Anna had seen him. It must be more diiificult for her,she's got a lot more on her mind. as for Jeremy,he's got no idea. Just you wait, something's gonna happen soon. Just need a spark.

''The last time you were here there were some fairly graphic photographs of you with a young English guy so,er,what 'appened there?''

Karen wanted to shout: 'Him,he's there,that's the young English guy.'

''We were just friends,we're still friends,I think.''

Karen felt her eyes moisten,'…we're still friends,I think.'Hold on though he's just about to turn this upside down.
Jeremy wasn't too sure,he'd let most of the higher profile ones get their chance. Just time for the odd last one now. Better choose a rank outside. Yeah,that chap there. Don't know him.

''Right ,um Gentleman in the pink shirt.''

Karen had read that when you're in a car crash or something,you think life slows down and she told Bella later that the next few minutes felt like an hour. Like this,waiting for William to speak,she thought he might have stage fright or something because he said nothing for a long time. Hurry up or Jeremy will go to someone else.

''Yes…Miss Scott. Are there any circumstances in which the two of you might be more than just...good friends?''

Karen wasn't sure at which point Anna realised that her lover had been in front of her for five minutes without her seeing him. Even years later when they'd replayed the scene a trillion times Anna still couldn't recall. If it had been a movie they could have worn out the pause button working it all out. Karen felt so powerful,normally she deals with things that have happened or things that will be done by Clients. This time she was seeing tomorrow's headlines today:

TOTAL STRANGER PROPOSES TO ANNA SCOTT IN FRONT OF THE PAPERS

And other than Anna,she's the only person in the room that knows what happening,what's going on. Anna's doing it so Karen felt that she was the only one at all.

''I'd hope there would be but now I'm assured there aren't.''

Good answer Anna,thought Karen. She'd not had a blow by blow account from the morning but that answer told her all she needed to know. He'd turned her down. She noticed some new arrivals over on the far side. Three or four,one in a wheelchair.

''But what would you say…''

''I'm sorry,just the one question please…''

For God's sake Jeremy. Shut up. Karen wanted to strangle him.

''I was just wondering if it turned out that this person….''

''Thacker,his name was Thacker.''

Remember Jeremy,remember that name. Our conference is being hi-jacked….And what did he just say?He did just say PRICK didn't he? DAFT PRICK in fact!
Jeremy was incensed for a second. Hang on it's not his conference it's the Clients and this isn't normal. Isn't he going to ask about Miss Scott's next project?
Karen watched the crowd. They were noisy. They were on the edge . She didn't sense that they were angry or annoyed though. They just didn't understand. Who does that guy write for?

''Yes,I believe I would.''

Karen could only see the side of Anna's face but she was certainly thrilled. She wondered if she'd rush to him there and then. She wanted to herself.

''That's very good news. the readers of Horse and Hound will be absolutely delighted.''

All right,just 'cos you caught me out,twice,don't push yer luck. What's Anna doing?

''Can you ask that man there to ask his question again,about going tonight.''

Jeremy was lost. Man in pink shirt rang a bell though.

''Right, er Dominic. If you'd like to ask your question again.''

Dominic knew he was being used but like his wife had said. 'They're people'.

''Yeh, Anna. How long are you intending to stay here in Britain?''

Karen loved it. You're being made use of by the person whose life you've made a misery so many times. How apt it had to be you.

Karen did hear Anna's reply but it never registered. As the press slowly caught up with what they'd either witnessed or been a part of she found that she only had eyes for one person. She looked behind Anna and eventually he turned 'round to her. She smiled her brightest smile. And he returned it.

So Bella and Max were William Thacker's friends. They'd hosted the dinner party last year and that was how Anna knew that Bella might be able to help with Ethnically Diverse.

The last hour had been mad. Like something coming together but in a very messy way. Karen understood how Tony felt: You've got a job to do so you don't wanna be friends. On the other hand all your friends want to talk to you.
A week later Karen and Jeremy had slowed down enough to pick through it all and she told him that the best thing about it was the meeting of the two teams. Bella,Max,Honey,Bernie and Spike and her,Jeremy and Tony. It wasn't quite the same. They were friends,we were people who worked for her but either way we'd all supported our center forward.

Karen had thought that Anna did a very good job of keeping herself under control in The Lancaster Room. The Press got the idea eventually and Karen heard a guy exclaim,''They're going t' get married.'' She watched Dominic close in towards William but he was already surrounded.

''Then you're Mr Thacker,aren't you?''

William remembered later that they all asked that same question really or at least a different version of it. They never got as far as 'Why?' or, 'How?' and certainly not as far as, 'What happens next?' which was good because he couldn't have told them. Slowly William's scrum started to move. Whether William made it move or the reporters dragged him along nobody seemed to know but eventually he made it as far as the front of the conference room. Anna was sitting just the other side of the table and she raised her eyebrows. William had seen that once before: Clad only in his shirt,breakfast in bed had arrived shortly afterwards.

Shortly William was aware of a presence. The man wasn't large but he wasn't the sort of man you argued with if he said: 'Can't let you through Sir'. Reaching the doors the man asked William a question:

''Do you live in Notting Hill Sir?'

'

The ante-room was smaller and darker than The Lancaster and William noticed that it was more intimate. In front of him stood a person who'd just started a year's holiday. Karen heard the person start to say something:

''I'm just a girl…''

Karen never heard the rest of the sentence. Bella told her later what it would have been. William and Anna embraced very passionately,their lips buried in each other's. Jeremy noticed how Anna raised one foot behind her as they kissed. He stood next to Karen and wanted to take her in his arms too but knew that the time wasn't right yet. Instead he sought out her hand and squeezed it. They held hands for longer than they both knew they should surrounded by their staff. Not that any of them cared,they'd all known for years that Jeremy and Karen were in love. When would they stop being so hung up about it?. In silence,as statues,every person stared at William and Anna. As soon as they released each other everyone went back to work without a murmur

Karen felt a bit like Poor Third yesterday morning:

''Sorry Anna,what do you wanna do?''

Anna looked back at her,she was still in a daze.

''Do you wanna go back to The Trafalgar,do you wanna get away somewhere else.''

Anna would just then have loved to just get away,William read her thoughts.

''Well now look,Honey and Bella and the whole gang's here and Max did a great job just getting me here and I don't think it's fair to just cut and run.''

Anna put two and two together.

''Do you think they'd like to stay to tea?''

Tea at the Savoy was a new experience for Spike but then the last day or two had been like that see. Honey had yelled,'You're my hero' as the Peugeot disappeared 'round Trafalgar Square and thereafter he'd run all the way up The Strand.

He'd arrived just in time to catch the aftermath of William's attempt to put the toothpaste back in the tube. Honey had said that it was good but he was still a bit annoyed with him for not having the balls to stick with Anna in the first place. Spike was a bit worried too because he knew that he had accidentally put the papers onto her last year. Maybe William couldn't be blamed too much. After all if he'd kept his trap shut the two of them wouldn't have needed to sort themselves out like this.
Above all he'd realised the benefit of having someone sincere to talk stuff through with. He'd find a moment to seek Honey's advice.

After William had run through the doors in the direction of the conference,Bella and Honey had stayed in the foyer and Honey wondered how her brother was going to swing it. It's a press conference. You can't just march in and walk off with the star turn. On the other hand she'd seen William do some amazing things a couple of times before. The thing with him was that it took a fair bit to get him moving but when you did other people seemed to just get brushed aside. Either way Honey wanted to see what was gonna happen and just then Bernie and Max arrived.

After dropping off Bella and Honey outside the Savoy,Max found the last space to park the Peugeot on Southampton Street. Between them,he and Bernie could only scrape together enough loose change for forty minutes. Max had no idea what was going to happen inside The Savoy or how long it would take and he reckoned that anyway he would probably miss most of whatever was going to,or had already happened because he would have to rescue the car.

Bernie had been to The Savoy quite a few times before but this time it was different of course. It'll be your own money now he thought. Can't think what's going to happen. By this time they'd made it to the foyer and there was Bella and Honey.

''Where's William?''

''He's already gone in Max,Bella and I thought we'd better wait for you two but I've no idea where we go.''

'I do,I've been here loads of times''

Bernie led them through the doors and past the piano. Bella was relieved that she hadn't had to unleash her best courtroom manner in the direction of the concierge again. As it was Honey had to help her find a different way into The Lancaster Room because of the stairs. They pushed their way through the fire door and they were in.

Spike wished that he'd not spent so much time sitting on William's sofa. Looking for musicians wanted in Loot or New Ads took up a fair bit of his time and when called upon to put on a bit of athleticism he'd found it a bit hard going. By the time he'd reached the foyer he must've looked a sight and worse still they weren't there. Maybe that chap there could 'elp.

''Don't tell me Sir,you write for their in-house magazine.''

''No,actually I'm a musician actually.''

''Well I suppose you'll want to go through the doors to your left Sir.''

''Oh,right,much obliged to you anyway,right.''

Spike didn't know,the fella must be having a bad day.

Bernie noticed her as soon as they got into The Lancaster Room. The fire door made a fair racket and a few people in the crowd turned round to see who it was that didn't know how to use a door properly. She was one of them. It was one of those times when you caught someone's eye and they caught yours and normally you can't wait to break it off but this time it didn't happen like that.
She was French he reckoned,well out of his league but he wished she wasn't. She might be interested in a stockbroker but for sure not an unemployed one. The rest of them bundled in behind him and with an eye on the front table,Bernie found himself standing next to her.

Ah yes,there's Anna sitting in the middle and the one on the end must be her agent. Honey remembered that the name she'd given William was a woman's,anyway where is William? A bit like Karen,William's friends knew more than the papers but although they knew by now what he was trying to do,they could only really guess at the significance of each part of the conversation that he and Anna were having in front of everyone. It was like it was in code. Later on they found that each one of them remembered a part of it,Max focussed on,'You were saying',whilst Bella had,'I believe I would'.

Honey felt herself jump at,'Daft Prick' because she knew who'd come out with it less than an hour before. She was so proud of him: Spike was the one that had had the guts to say what he thought whilst the rest of them had just been too nice about it. Where is he? He's missing it.
Spike got there just in time for

''Indefinitely''

Honey was sniffling by now because of her brother and because of Spike and she lept up and kissed him. He didn't quite know why but if that what happens at The Savoy,Spike was all for it.

Bernie didn't really know what came over him either but she was French and gorgeous and although he shook her hand first he kissed her straight afterwards. She certainly didn't seem to mind.

Max loved Bella for being there with him in spite of what they'd been through but he still couldn't get the car out of his mind and just as he was thinking about it for the hundredth time he realised that he knew the woman in the tan jacket that was approaching them through the crowd.

''Now I know how it was that I met you before, You're Mr Thacker's friends aren't you?''

''Oh my God! You're you aren't you. William seems to have disappeared though.''

''Anna suggested that you might like to stay to tea. She said I should ask the hotel if they've got brownies.''

''Ooh Max,tea at The Savoy,do you think they might need a hand with the cooking?''

''I think rather that it's us that might need a hand. At this rate we'll be walking home. Bernie and I only had change for forty minutes Besides the only lawyer I know doesn't do motoring.''

Karen made a beeline for Tony.

''I think we've got a problem with a car,this is Max,could you sort it out?''

''No problem,what do I need to do Sir?''

Be the time Tony and Max got back from Southampton Street everything had calmed down a lot. They'd arrived at the car at about the same time as the enforcement officer and he was already scribing RRW780W on his form.

''STOP.''Shouted Tony. The officer promptly dropped his pen.

''If you could only guess who uses this car to stay out of the limelight you'd never want to finish that form….''

Max had never heard a minor civil servant apologise so much in such a short space of time but all the same he was glad to have the Peugeot safely parked in The Savoy's car park.
Sitting in Anna's apartment,among the serviettes and cucumber sandwiches the chief topic of conversation was what next?

Spike couldn't really get involved,

'' I'm on tonight at The Wellington,so that lets me out of anything.''

''Oh yes I was wondering how you were going to scrape together enough for this month's rent.''

''Hold on a second,what does 'on' mean exactly.''

''Well Anna,you see Spike has finally found himself something called The Acid Casuals and within this outfit is now poised to take on The World.''

''But he's starting in Notting Hill first.''

''Well Max that sounds pretty cool,I havn't been to a London pub before,it's a bit hard when you're likely to drag half the world's press there with you.A little gig like this,they mightn't notice if we're all there…

''Oh we're only one of three,the headliners are Small Wonder you know. It's a Mod gig see. Only the prettiest woman and the most,well-dressed man gets in see''

Everybody howled. What's Spike on about,he's the scruffiest dresser of them all. Anyway they'd made up their minds.

Karen liked the Idea. dressing up nice,dancing with Jeremy,a proper night out with him. On the other hand she'd already made the phone call to cancel Anna's flight so she was a bit worried. Given the afternoon's events,Dominic and his little friends would be on the prowl and wouldn't miss a chance to corner Anna somewhere like a pub. She looked across at Tony,I bet he's delighted. Just protect Anna Scott and the rest of us one night in a pub where they stage a riot every year.
Tony though had a feeling that everything would be alright.

The Duke of Wellington didn't have live music that much but they'd been encouraged by the success of what they'd booked before and 'This Mod lot',as the publican referred to Small Wonder,came with the recommendation of that chap from Time Out and he must know. Apparently, as the publican was informed,because Notting Hill was an up and coming district of West London,Mods would be attracted to an upper crust and cosmopolitan atmosphere and if The Wellington smartened itself up a bit with hanging baskets and tablecloths Etc, there might be a good crowd.

There certainly was on optimistic atmosphere in Notting Hill. The corner shop had at long last been let and Tony Crowe had opened up what looked to be a very well regarded restaurant. It seemed to have had a few teething troubles but apparently was fully booked tonight.A few diners were going to see Small Wonder straight afterwards. Apparently they knew one of the singers.

The Portobello area had small streets without space for ton-up boys on motorbikes but Italian designed scooters would fit in well. Under the banner:

THREE BANDS TONIGHT !

The Publican booked The Ovals,who would be 'Opening Up',The Acid Casuals,who weren't that Mod but did feature Spike on harp and Small Wonder from East London to headline. Someone suggested that one or two of the local celebrities might turn up and swell the size of the guest list.
Over dinner Max asked William how things were and William had summed up his feelings:

''When you love the girl it's all worth it.''

And everybody thought that that answered Max's question.
After Anna signed a couple more autographs they made their way to The Wellington. The Ovals had started and after a few of the crowd moved 'round to allow Bella a bit of space,Honey and Anna managed to worm their way to the front,the boys on their heels.

Bernie's guest arrived at that point and so did Karen and Jeremy. Bernie's girlfriend made a point of telling Karen that she wasn't at work. Karen smiled,laughed and said she wasn't at work either. She didn't realise the significance of the statement.

It was loud and sweaty and the crowd was overflowing onto Portobello Road.A huge cheer went up when The Ovals finished on their hit,'Opening Up'.

'If you think that somethings good then do it fast.

'If you think somethings wrong,put it down in a tune.'

Anna was swept along by the euphoria of the optimistic atmosphere and the events of the day. Just now she'd expected to be on her way home alone to Georgia and she knew she was just in a daze really. Behind her,big and strong,William wrapped his arms around her tightly. She knew that his home was only 'round the corner and that she'd be sleeping wrapped up in his arms all night. At long last.

Karen sometimes felt a little jealous of Anna,it wasn't the wealth or the looks so much but she did seem to get all the attention. Especially when she switched on that megawatt smile. But here,large glass of Cabernet Shiraz in hand she'd noticed that Anna seemed to have just melted away into the crowd. The fact that so many good looking,well dressed women filled the audience must have had something to with it and Karen had noticed that she was definitely not going without a fair bit of male attention either. Jeremy found fortunately that he still had a bit of his London swagger about him and with a bit of help from Jack Regan made sure that everybody saw that the woman with the nice hair was his.

Bernie's girlfriend was very popular with everyone. The men wanted a French girlfriend like her and the women wanted to look as cool as her. Bernie wondered about himself. No girlfriend since puberty and now her.

The Acid Casuals started their set without Spike and he came on twice to sing and blow the harp. First on 'Got Love If You Want It' and secondly on 'Smokestack Lightning'. Only Honey had heard him play before and they were all amazed at the transformation. Spike grabbed the crowd,rolled them up and carried them away with him. Anna especially liked the way he held the microphone and harp together.

Meanwhile,far way in another part of town telephones were buzzing.

''She's what you say,she's at a pub?''

''Yes Dom,she's at this gig. At The Duke of Wellington. Mods it is.''

''OK OK, get down there. Who's she with.''

''Thacker and Mr Cargill is on stage there.''

''Security?''

No Guv',listen I don't mind going there but not on my own.''

''No,No I'll turn out the guard for this,hold the front page.''

Small Wonder started about Ten P.M and tore through their back catalogue. John Wraggen flashing his Rickenbacker like a crucifix.

'The grain-mountains sow and the wine lakes get deeper,

Still trillions are starving throughout the world.'

At the bar two men stood pints in hand. The chap from Time Out was one of them and he'd been delighted that the publican had gone for the idea so much. Alison had tagged along and after a few moments he'd pointed out Anna Scott.

''There you are dear. She might remember me,if we get a minute or two I'll introduce you. That's her new fella,they do look a good looking couple don't they. And after what they went through here last year.''

Tarquin remembered how Alison had gone all silly about Anna Scott before and couldn't work out at all why she didn't seem to want to talk about her now. Alison wanted a big hole to open and swallow her up. It's always like that when you know you've done something wrong.
Tarquin's guest at the bar was tall and fair.

''I've gotta hand it to you Tarqi,getting our movement into Notting Hill is a master stoke. Small Wonder sure have a sound.''

''They certainly do Paul,it's a sound I've heard somewhere before though.''

''OK,OK. You got me,sound of The Preserves,nothing wrong with it,wouldn't be the same without the Rickenbacker though would it?''

Tarquin was delighted,it had taken him too many years to get Wheeler to open up so candidly about the root of his earliest success.

''Hey! There you are Tarqi,there's that quote for you. Put that in yer rag.''

Paul Wheeler knew what Tarquin only suspected. Small Wonder's set list had a couple of gaps towards the end and Wheeler intended to join them at the end to tear through 'Moonflower' and end with 'A Bomb On Frith Street'.

On the fourth floor at Wapping (East London),Dominic was on the 'phone.

''What d'yer mean you can't get there,where are yer?''

''Notting Hill Gate (Central,Circle,District)''

''Just go down the hill.''

''We've tried that Guv'. We've tried cars, bikes. We've tried coming down from Westbourne Park (Hammersmith and City) even, as soon as you get near people come up to you: 'You look like The Papers, go away. We know what you want'. If we try to push past it gets ugly. There's a lot of women. Mums, a lot of Mums I'd say. It turned into a slanging match and some of our lads got pushed around.''

''Don't be daft,it's a free country.''

''That's what Charlie said. He tried to get there 'round the back streets to get her picture. They spotted him,he's had all his lenses smashed.''

''Well so what are the police doing?''

''I heard that they will only intervene if there's a breach of the peace.''

''Like a smashed camera.''

''Apparently some coppers were there,they said they saw Charlie drop it.''

Tony had given his boys the night off. He'd known it was a gamble but although he couldn't quite believe that the locals really would turn out to see that his Client enjoyed an uninterrupted night out in Notting Hill he knew that their strength of feeling was immense. Never mind the power of The Press,this is the power of The People. He turned and walked back to The Wellington and the arms of his partner.

Anna remembered the last time,late at night and slightly tipsy when she and William had wandered around the streets of Notting Hill. No,she couldn't go to his house. To complicated. She could now. She waited whilst he unlocked the door. The last time she'd stood on that doorstep she'd had some unwelcome company and the last time she'd seen that door she'd had tears in her eyes. She had again but this time they were of joy.

Some couples like to talk in the car. Some talk over dinner and some don't talk at all. William had found that was the way with his wife. With Anna,so far at any rate,in the morning in,bed was the place.

''So what are we gonna do then?''

''Well I understand that you can't just move in with me here.''

''Looks to me like I'm here right now.''

''Which I suppose is gonna be disturbed,any minute with a ring of the bell. The Papers wanting a picture of us in our God-damned underwear.''

William half peered in the direction of the window,knowing that at the back of the house the bedroom was removed from anything happening on Westbourne Park Road.

''Well we didn't have much trouble last night,I don't usually bother to look at the papers but it'll be interesting to see what they make of your performance yesterday afternoon..''

They both chuckled

''Karen'll have her work cut out getting them to say the right stuff. Like nothing about Black Fin.''

''Well that's the thing isn't it. You've decided to have a break so you've…we've got time to get ourselves sorted out without trying to rush anything.''

'' Ok then we'll talk about it again but it's not just me you see,Karen's a very good friend and she works very hard at The Agency but she does so much more for me and it's not fair to leave her like this.''

''Sorry what do you mean?''

''Well she's done a lot more for me than just publicity and well,you're going to find that your life is going to change and so we'll both need someone to help us with the media and so on. The other thing is that she's very fond of the guy she works for.''

''Ah,yes ,um that'll be that chap,I didn't catch his name.''

'' Jeremy. But you see she's very professional and I know she's a bit uncomfortable about having an affair with her boss.''

''Oh his married.''

''No no,sorry.''

''So it's more than just an affair,this is serious.I saw they were together the whole time.I think we might know something about this,don't you?''

'' That's it….so if I can help her then that'd be great. Plus she's not had a holiday in,well,forever I think and when she's had a holiday from work I've needed a shoulder to cry on and she's come running so I owe her a huge amount.''

''Fine so what do you want to do?''

''I thought she might be our PA.''

''Our PA!'' Do I need a PA?''

''Sooner or or later you won't be able to just say to some reporter, 'No comment'. I bet that there'll be something in the papers that you won't like or that they've got wrong that you'll want to correct. Something about the shop or your friends or whatever.''

''I'd just write to The Editor.''

''She 'll know The Editor. She'll ring him up. Probably at home and she can tell him to correct it because she's done him a favour before or something. That's the PR thing. If she works for us I don't feel so guilty when she does this or that else for me…us even …and not get anything more than thanks.''

''Ohh.''

William realised just how lucky he'd been to have Max and Bella and Spike and his sister and Bernie and Tony to help him. Anna had had Karen and she'd been doing it as a side line and then again part of it was a job and it's nice and complicated. And that very nice woman hadn't had much of a life because she'd been trying to help Anna when it should have been him doing it.

''Ok that's fine. How do we do this?''

''Well I don't know at the moment the first thing is that you've gotta have a shave 'cos you're all sandpapery and then we're going to do something else.''

William saw Anna raise her eyebrows again. Perfect girl. He headed for the bathroom.

Anna watched him walk by.'Bony excuse for an arse'.

Karen had had a lovely evening the night before and being with Jeremy had been great. Everybody seemed to have someone but they didn't have the hang up that she had about him. Did it really matter? She wanted to invite him in to her flat for coffee. She wanted to drag him into her bed. No strike that,the couch would have done or just the mat inside the door. That's what she wanted to do but she just couldn't and she knew that that he was far too much a gentleman to force himself on her and she wouldn't have wanted him to either.

Stupid job.

As it was he went all the way to Edgeware (Northern) with her on the tube,walked her to her flat and she kissed him nicely on the cheek and said good night on the doorstep. She knew he had to drive all the way out to Tring after that. She hoped he understood.
In the small hours she looked at her phone:Thirteen missed calls . All from Dominic and his lot. Well after yesterday afternoon that's not too surprising,She thought Anna and especially William would be front page but it was the thirteenth call that worried her most. The Owner would be in the office tomorrow and wanted to see her at 9.00 AM sharp.
At Edgeware (Northern) the papers were full of it. The last time had been the photos but it was entirely different now. In the carriage she heard two young women discussing it.

''Ah,bless him,I wish I'd had a man like that.''

A woman was reading the coverage on the centre pages and Karen watched her wipe away a tear.

Even the men we're intrigued:

''Jesus,what a bloke. Right in front of everyone. He didn't give a shit what people thought.''

Across town the distributors were having a hard time of it. Especially West London,especially Notting Hill, they wanted tabloids.

''But you wouldn't take 'em for the last six months.''

''Well now we do.''

At Oxford Circus (Central,Bakerloo,Victoria) the staff had it under control. Karen asked about The Owner's visit. Nobody knew,Jeremy didn't even know he was coming. Neither of them thought that it was to do with Anna Scott. It had to be the athletes.

Karen hadn't been sacked before, She didn't think that she would be sacked from The Agency or anywhere else but The Owner had been very cut and dried about it. He gave her his letter. The athletes hadn't been as successful as had been hoped so she wasn't needed.

''What about the Primary Account?''

''I understand she won't be making any more films for a year.I'll give her to Jeremy then.''

Jeremy was amazed.

''He doesn't know what he's doing. When someone takes a break,that's when PR is needed most because you've gotta keep the interest up. Besides look at the papers,its captured the public's imagination. When was the letter written?When's it dated?''

It was undated but it bore a reference number and so did another letter from him. They worked it out. Sometime last week.

''I'll see him.''

But it was no use. The Owner told Jeremy he couldn't discuss an ex-employee with him.

''I think you'd better ring her.I've a feeling The Diva might be needed.I reckon Mr Thacker will be furious too.''

William Thacker didn't really do angry. Disappointed,perturbed,even annoyed sometimes but mostly he took it on the chin. He was very good at keeping his feelings under control. Spike had told the papers Anna was in his house. There was no point in yelling at him or telling him to get out or something because it was a mistake or the natural thing to do and anyway it had happened. Besides he needed the money Spike gave him. Occasionally .

''Give me a hand to get rid of these old videos will you?''

Spike looked at the titles,Hunt For Red October,Gramercy Park,Helix:which William bought just the other day. He's doing life laundry,trying to wash her out of his life.

''These are good-uns these. You wanna keep these.''

''Ok so let's talk about rent,''

''Let me help you. We don't want them cluttering up the place.''

This was different. This time a very nice lady who had done everything for the love of his life without a thought for herself had been sacked by some idiot who couldn't see beyond the end of his nose. He owned a bookshop. Martin and two other people worked for him. They weren't perfect. They made mistakes,the sales push last year lost money. He didn't sack them. This chap owns a PR agency. He had hundreds of staff. It was just the same.
Anna demanded to see him. Now. Tony was was summoned. William was still putting on his tie as they drove away in the Jaguar. An hour later the Owner,Anna and William were in an office borrowed from BA at Heathrow. The Owner's flight was boarding now.

''I am very disappointed to learn that you have chosen to dismiss my Publicity Co-ordinator. She has provided me with excellent service.''

Anna waved Karen's copy of the letter. She'd been given it that morning,her in William's shirt,he in his boxer's. Karen crying in the kitchen as Anna had last year. Their eyes fell upon a painting on the wall. Spike had taken down the print and put in a larger screw.A piece of Tony's string supported La Mariée.

The Owner hadn't met Miss Scott before, he didn't much time for celebrities really although his wife thought highly of her:

''Ohh, Anna Scott. I could be her best friend and go shopping with her and…..''

Actually she wasn't his wife and she took a fair bit of holding onto. As a successful entrepreneur of course his personal fortune could easily accommodate her excesses.

''Yes well of course my personal standing is of course able to attract, to My Agency,individuals of the highest calibre who will be able to offer you the premier service that you so richly deserve Miss Scott.

''Jeremy is good but you are to withdraw this letter forthwith.''

Anna hadn't been very pleased with the behaviour of The Diva for much of the last year. First the bitch had chickened out with Sir Richard Attleburgh,then she had barked at her two best friends within an hour of each other which had led to losing William for months,nearly forever.

''No! You may stay calm!''

It would have been forever if it hadn't been for William's guts yesterday. Now when The Diva was really needed she seemed to be losing her bark. The Diva had only let her down once before. She was just a puppy then. That had had a long term consequence too,she'd barely said hello to The Captain or his wife in ten years.
Anna wanted to tell The Owner she'd find another agency.

''No you can't do that,without you he's really got no need for Karen.''

''You don't have to,I'll get something else easily enough besides they are…were the best in the industry so you should stay with Jeremy.I mean I'll be Ok.''

''They'll know you've been sacked over performance. You can't just say you were helping me personally,employers want you to maintain a distance,I've forced you to break that rule. If you hadn't had to sort me out every five minutes,you could have concentrated on your athletes and you'd still have a job. That damn painting,I had you bidding for that instead of bidding for athletes. It's all my fault.''

''And I should have been helping Anna,my pride I'm afraid, Honey got me your Agent's number.I could have written.''

Anna had to say something to The Owner.

''I should have been consulted.''

The Owner hadn't really listened to his Client,it was his Agency,he could assign his staff as he wanted but he had noticed something else. William thought that he ought to try.

''I'm awfully sorry but…And I do see it from you're ,er,um, point of view,er…well I mean but you know,well, I would take it ,you see,as a personal favour if you could see your way to,um,reinstate this lady because I know that my fiancé….''

It hit Anna like a brick. Fiancé.He did just say 'Fiancé' didn't he? He hadn't asked her to marry him. She figured that he would. She'd been worried that he might have done it yesterday at the press conference. She'd have been delighted,she'd have said yes of course but it wouldn't have been so pleasant.A bit too public even for her. Then again he'd just said fiancé.Had she missed something. Spike had referred to them on stage last night:

''This one's a Yardbird's track,'Got Love If You Want It'.This is for William and Anna.''

She'd had one too many Shiraz's ,did William get down on one knee at some point. She thought sure she have remembered. In any event she didn't think much of William,sweet of him but The Owner knows his mind and he's not gonna change it for a personal favour.

''Of course,I'd be happy to reinstate Karen,consider it done.''

Anna couldn't believe it. She wasn't going to miss her chance:

''So you will call her now and get her back to work and no quibbling.''

''Yes of course Miss Scott,I should really have consulted you. You see I have been persuing new business but with me the existing commitments remain my primary concern. In business you must never break a promise already made or promise something that you may not be able to deliver. I work closely with all my staff on a personal level and insist that they maintain the highest standards of professionalism.''

''That's…er really very good of you. Miss Scott and I are very grateful.''

Ahh,back to just Miss Scott. Anna wondered what happened to,'My Fiancé'.

William hadn't intended to blurt out,'My Fiancé'.He'd thought of her as 'My Fiancé' for the best part of a year now. Probably the first time was when he'd seen her coming downstairs at home in the short top. She'd washed the orange juice off herself in his bathroom. He thought about it every time he shaved.
He was going to ask her of course. Running through The Savoy yesterday afternoon he'd wondered if he might do it in front of The Papers. Not what he wanted to do,he knew he'd have to ask her father first. Something odd there. She didn't mention her parents very often. She'd mention 'The Captain' occasionally though.
William reckoned that Anna would want to drop the bomb shell now.

''Actually you won't need to. You see Karen has already got a new job.''

''Ahh, well that's fine. Of course there was never any reason why I would not have offered her my full support through my extensive network of personal contacts in securing the best position possible.I would,in any case have ensured that my personal recommendation would have been made available to her at any point. With me once a close personal colleague, always so. I'm delighted that she has been able to secure a suitable position immediately. My Agency will ensure that your publicity is handled by only my most experienced of Co-ordinators. You mentioned Jeremy.''

''Yes,he's started a month's holiday so you'll have to do it yourself.''

The Owner was alarmed. He saw Jeremy earlier,he was at work.

''Karen asked me to give you this. It's the telephone number of one of her contacts. She said you'd have a lot of common ground. A Gentleman called Dominic…..''

Anna paused to listen to a flight announcement:

''…..Final boarding of your flight. You'll need to get back to Oxford Circus (Central,Bakerloo,Victoria), William and I are on the front page of every newspaper in the country,if not the world. You're going to have your work cut out. We have to go now,we're seeing some friends off.''

The Owner watched them leave the room. He ran his finger 'round the inside of his collar. Ah well,I'll have to take over the reigns.I can't go abroad now,she won't like being stood up at all. He straightened his tie. It was the same design as Mr Thacker's.

Dominic hadn't worked so late at Wapping (East London) for a long time. Getting home at Five wasn't a problem and his wife wasn't surprised. He was able to hand her his proofing copy. She looked at it as she was cooking her husband his favourite cooked breakfast. The smell of bacon and eggs reminded Dominic how hungry he was. Their Labrador liked the smell too,his eyes never left the frying pan.

''it's lovely dear,very sensitively written. A couple confirming their love like this in front of everybody.I'd have been in tears if I'd been there.''

''Yeah,well a lot of prople were,it took us a while to cotton on to what was happening but we're planning our campaign now.''

''What do you mean?''

''Well he lives here and he must have had a life,maybe old girlfriends and then there's his family. Maybe he's got kids somewhere. So we can put out all the rumours and use them to get at her. He runs a bookshop so his customers'll tell a story or two,allegedly and maybe she'll settle here with him so we can get lots more on her.A chap told me the other day that it's possible to bug a mobile phone.''

Dominic's wife lifted the frying pan fron the hob and Dominic picked up his knife and fork. She lowered the frying pan to the dog's bowl and let the breakfast slip out of the pan. The Labrador didn't miss a scrap. She turned off the gas and pointed her finger at her husband.

''You'll go hungry this morning,why can't you leave them alone?''

''Well you know how it is,the public want to know.''

''The people of Notting Hill? You told me you can't sell a copy.''

''Well they're buying there today.''

''That's hardly surprising. If they learn you're trying to snoop on her…and him,that'll stop.''

''It's not just us,the other papers'll do the same.''

''You'd better hope not,if any of them do you'll go hungry for a long time.I've got some 'phone calls to make.''

Dominic listened as his wife parked herself firmly at the foot of the stairs and racked up his telephone bill all morning. First it was Gillian,then Claire,then Sophie, then Amanda. The wives of his colleagues. Some in the group some not. There was a lot of,'Yes dear'and 'Is that what he said?That's what Claire's husband said'.And of course a lot of.' Oooh,I know'.
Eventually she found him in bed.

''There,now your little friends won't be bothering that couple either. Now move over and let me remind you what you'll be missing if you don't behave yourself at work.''

Dominic's wife had found in their twenty-five years together that she couldn't stay angry with him for very long and she hoped that she wouldn't have to try.

The Learjet's engines were idling on the tarmac and take off was imminent. One couple were seeing off another.

''You can stay as long as you like really,you'll have the hidey-hole all to yourselves. We told that idiot that Jeremy's away for a month.''

''I feel awful about it really,I didn't book anything and I was berating one of the juniors about holiday procedure just the other day. The juniors'll eat him alive,they're used to us being one step ahead of them. They'll be three steps ahead of him and a lot of them really liked Karen. They all know he sacked her.I left a copy of the letter in the kitchen by mistake on purpose. He ought to ring me if he needs help.''

''He can't. There's no mobile signal and the landline only works when it wants to. If there's any trouble I'll get Tony to give him some friendly advice.''

''This is lovely of you Anna,I haven't even got my passport.I'm used to queueing at Heathrow (Piccadilly) for three hours.''

Karen tore herself away from Jeremy's clutches for just long enough to hug her.

''When you get back we'll talk about your duties as our PA. Basically it means doing what you've been doing. The only difference is you'll be paid for it now.''

William and Jeremy shook hands.

''Have a nice time Jeremy.I'd looked forward to going away with Anna sometime but it looks like you beat me to it.''

They all looked at him and he smiled.

''I mean,er with Karen.''

They all laughed.

Jeremy thought back to his telephone conversation with William a couple of hours before. He was at his desk wondering how he'd manage without her professionally and personally. Not being her boss should have allowed their loving free reign but Karen would join another Agency and rivalry was fierce. She might go back to The States. He might never see her again.

William was in the Jaguar and had come to the point straight away:

''You're in love with Karen aren't you and you know she loves you.''

''Yes.'' Was all that Jeremy could muster.

''Right, how would you like to go on holiday with her? We're about to grill The Owner and whatever happens Anna wants to repay you and her for all the personal help. Her hidey-hole is at your disposal for,well we thought a month and so is her aeroplane at Northolt (Central)this afternoon. If I were you in your shoes and I am in a manner of speaking,I'd get yourself some swimming trunks and an engagement ring.''

In the last hour Jeremy had moved fast as he pointed out:

''I must admit this is all a bit sudden but it goes a long way to make up for all the times Karen and I have had to call it a night on the doorstep.''

''If I hadn't relied on Karen to prop me up so much she'd have had more time to look after herself,you in this case.''

Jeremy had never kissed Karen,in public with people really watching. There'd been the odd kiss on the cheek and at the Christmas party they'd allowed themselves one peck on the lips. They'd kissed in private a few times but neither of them wanted it to go too far. Now though the circumstances called for decisive action. Standing at the foot of the steps he took Karen in his arms and they enjoyed the most passionate kiss they could muster.
A few minutes later the Learjet rotated and headed for sunnier climes. Anna and William watched it disappear.

'' They were all over each other at the end,weren't they?I reckon they'll like the hidey-hole.''

Anna saved her best line till last.

''They won't have to wait that long. The Learjet has a bedroom. Mile high club any one?''