Jackson sat at a table with three girls. From the bar, Sal could see him engrossed in their company, his hands drawing pictures to accompany an anecdote, the girls smiling and involved. She thought they looked foreign – Italian, Spanish, something like that – with their thick dark hair and tanned faces. Sal could also see Annie watching the scene unhappily and then being summoned by Tania, who deftly passed on a very thin blonde woman and man in a jacket with huge shoulders – was it Simon Le Bon? – for Annie to escort.
One of Tania’s strengths was her address book, which spanned film and music, minor royalty and socialites. She could beat Fitz on home numbers any day. Although there was no demarcated VIP area, the back right-hand corner of the restaurant had been designated an inner sanctum and, under Tania’s experienced handling, the more celebrated of the guests were ushered in that direction, where they would find other well-known faces and be sheltered from the general mass.
Rob had just seen Trevor Eve make his way there and was about to leave the security of the bar in an attempt to crash the privileged nexus. ‘Do you think your friend Annie could give me an intro to Trev over there?’ he asked Sal.
‘Don’t know. I’ll ask her.’ Sal was pleased to have an excuse to interrupt Annie and walked over to where her friend had deposited her last consignment of celebrity.
‘You look great. Is it hell?’
‘It’s a bit full-on right now,’ Annie replied.
‘What time do you think you can get away?’
‘God knows. Not before 8.30. But Jackson’s here, and he wants me to do something with him afterwards.’
‘Well, you’ve got to go to the Chapel with me.’ Sal’s voice clearly indicated there was to be no discussion. ‘Jackson can come with you. Come on. You’re always doing what he wants. We owe it to Kendra.’
‘Yes … I know … But it’s difficult … look at those girls he’swith.’ Sal started to walk quickly over to Jackson’s table. ‘Sal. Don’t’ – but Annie’s words were lost, and she knew that, even if Sal had heard, she would most likely have continued undaunted. Jackson looked up as she approached. In their brief acquaintance, Sal had already decided that he was far too pleased with himself and, personally, she didn’t get his looks. The way he swaggered into a room as if he owned the place drove her nuts. And she wasn’t wild about the way he always called Annie at the last minute either. But she knew it was pointless to make her feelings known. It wouldn’t make any difference.
‘Sal. Good to see you.’ Jackson stood up and kissed her hello. ‘Cruz, Gaby, Simone – meet Sal.’ There was something about their languor and ease that made her feel gauche.
‘I just thought I’d tell you, because Annie’s so tied up here now, that we’re all going together, at about 8.30.’ She spoke quickly.
‘All going where?’
‘You know, to Kendra’s gig.’
‘News to me.’ Jackson smiled at the girls around him.
‘Well, it’s not news to Annie, and it’s important to her. She must have forgotten to tell you, and she’s sort of busy so I thought I’d organize it.’ Sal was determined not to let him off the hook, and to make it clear to Cruz (stupid name) and whoever the others were, sitting there with their silver jewellery and eye make-up, that Jackson was already spoken for.
Annie could witness the conversation and was close enough to see that Jackson was annoyed. He was scratching his head the way he did when he was irritated by something. She would have to go over.
‘Hi.’ She smiled brightly at the group.
‘Sal here was telling me about some plans of yours …’
‘Yes. I know. It’s this gig, at that place of Kendra’s. We don’t have to go there for long but … I’d really like to show up. If you don’t mind?’ The words tumbled out, lamely. It would be so much easier to say to Jackson that it was fine, they wouldn’t
One of Tania’s strengths was her address book, which spanned film and music, minor royalty and socialites. She could beat Fitz on home numbers any day. Although there was no demarcated VIP area, the back right-hand corner of the restaurant had been designated an inner sanctum and, under Tania’s experienced handling, the more celebrated of the guests were ushered in that direction, where they would find other well-known faces and be sheltered from the general mass.
Rob had just seen Trevor Eve make his way there and was about to leave the security of the bar in an attempt to crash the privileged nexus. ‘Do you think your friend Annie could give me an intro to Trev over there?’ he asked Sal.
‘Don’t know. I’ll ask her.’ Sal was pleased to have an excuse to interrupt Annie and walked over to where her friend had deposited her last consignment of celebrity.
‘You look great. Is it hell?’
‘It’s a bit full-on right now,’ Annie replied.
‘What time do you think you can get away?’
‘God knows. Not before 8.30. But Jackson’s here, and he wants me to do something with him afterwards.’
‘Well, you’ve got to go to the Chapel with me.’ Sal’s voice clearly indicated there was to be no discussion. ‘Jackson can come with you. Come on. You’re always doing what he wants. We owe it to Kendra.’
‘Yes … I know … But it’s difficult … look at those girls he’swith.’ Sal started to walk quickly over to Jackson’s table. ‘Sal. Don’t’ – but Annie’s words were lost, and she knew that, even if Sal had heard, she would most likely have continued undaunted. Jackson looked up as she approached. In their brief acquaintance, Sal had already decided that he was far too pleased with himself and, personally, she didn’t get his looks. The way he swaggered into a room as if he owned the place drove her nuts. And she wasn’t wild about the way he always called Annie at the last minute either. But she knew it was pointless to make her feelings known. It wouldn’t make any difference.
‘Sal. Good to see you.’ Jackson stood up and kissed her hello. ‘Cruz, Gaby, Simone – meet Sal.’ There was something about their languor and ease that made her feel gauche.
‘I just thought I’d tell you, because Annie’s so tied up here now, that we’re all going together, at about 8.30.’ She spoke quickly.
‘All going where?’
‘You know, to Kendra’s gig.’
‘News to me.’ Jackson smiled at the girls around him.
‘Well, it’s not news to Annie, and it’s important to her. She must have forgotten to tell you, and she’s sort of busy so I thought I’d organize it.’ Sal was determined not to let him off the hook, and to make it clear to Cruz (stupid name) and whoever the others were, sitting there with their silver jewellery and eye make-up, that Jackson was already spoken for.
Annie could witness the conversation and was close enough to see that Jackson was annoyed. He was scratching his head the way he did when he was irritated by something. She would have to go over.
‘Hi.’ She smiled brightly at the group.
‘Sal here was telling me about some plans of yours …’
‘Yes. I know. It’s this gig, at that place of Kendra’s. We don’t have to go there for long but … I’d really like to show up. If you don’t mind?’ The words tumbled out, lamely. It would be so much easier to say to Jackson that it was fine, they wouldn’t
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