The final call just rang so I’d get along now, little dogies.’
‘No, it’s okay, we want to hang around and see if they call our names out.’
Julia pulled desperately at Ellie’s rucksack. ‘Come onnn … ’
‘They won’t, necessarily,’ said the stewardess, smiling sweetly. ‘It’s up to me, you see.’
‘Bye!’ yelled Ellie as the two girls took off at full speed for departures.
‘We won’t be able to go to duty free now,’ grumbled Julia as they ran from one end of the concourse to the other, desperately searching for the fifteen-foot sign that announced ‘International Departures’.
‘So what? So you can carry around a big sticky clanking bottle of Baileys for three thousand miles? Anyway, we’re going to the land of the cheap EVERYTHING. God, I think I’m going to start smoking. And using petrol.’
‘I just can’t believe we’re so late.’ They thudded down the heavy metal corridors, running like the Bionic Man along the moving walkways and trying not to knock down more old ladies than strictly necessary.
‘I just can’t believe Big Bastard wouldn’t give us a lift.’
Julia hit her with her prepacked bag of magazines.
‘Have you never heard of the repetitive banality of evil?’
They could see a huge queue at passport control, and the TV screens were flashing ‘final call’. Ellie fumbled for her ticket. Julia flapped frantically.
‘Come on! Come on!’
‘Okay, okay. Don’t worry. It’ll be fine. Andrew will be waiting.’
‘They won’t hold the plane for us, you know,’ said Julia. ‘They’ll chuck the bags out on the tarmac.’
‘For God’s sake will you stop panicking? Okay, here it is. RUN!’
‘Shit! Shit, hang on!’ screamed Julia, stopping suddenly.
‘Hold on! Stop!’ Julia shouted again. She dropped her hand luggage and spun around.
‘I cannot believe this,’ said Ellie, unfurling herself. ‘Are we late or not? Do they change the time zone as soon as we get in the airport?’
‘Shut up. And look!’
Hanging over the departures barrier, waving desperately, was Loxy.
‘Would the last remaining passengers for flight BA1273 to Los Angeles please go to Departures immediately. This flight is closing. The last remaining passengers for this flight please go to Gate 354 immediately. Thank you.’
‘Oh my God, he did it!’ said Ellie, her panicmomentarily lifted by the sheer movie emotion of the moment. ‘He did a Ferris!’
‘Lox!’ squealed Julia, racing over and hugging him over the barrier. Some elderly people looked on, smiling and nodding encouragingly.
‘I didn’t say goodbye properly,’ said Loxy, breathing in her hair. ‘I’m really sorry.’
‘I’m sorry too!’ said Julia. They clutched one another.
‘Would passengers Eversholt and Denford please go to Gate 354 immediately where this plane is ready to depart.’
Ellie looked round for everyone applauding. Nobody was.
‘Just …’ He pulled her tighter. ‘I love you. You love me. Come on. Let’s just go get married. Let’s get a plane somewhere else. There’s a chapel here. Let’s just get married RIGHT NOW on the CONCOURSE.’
As he yelled this, people were gradually starting to clear a space around them. A couple of Americans whooped and cheered.
‘I’m not going to let her go!’ shouted Loxy, galvanized by the scene. ‘We’re getting MARRIED.’
People started to clap and sigh.
‘Ah,’ said Julia.
‘Passengers Eversholt and Denford – your luggage will be removed from this flight if you don’t present yourselves at Gate 354 immediately …’
Julia shot a desperate look at Ellie, who flagged down one of the small carts.
‘Well?’ said Ellie. ‘Are you coming or not?’
‘Loxy,’ said Julia. ‘I already told you. I just … I just don’t know .’
His face turned to stone. The cart came over and Ellie jumped on it. Loxy lowered his arms very, very slowly.
The crowd started to boo.
‘What!’ yelled Julia crossly. ‘This is the
‘No, it’s okay, we want to hang around and see if they call our names out.’
Julia pulled desperately at Ellie’s rucksack. ‘Come onnn … ’
‘They won’t, necessarily,’ said the stewardess, smiling sweetly. ‘It’s up to me, you see.’
‘Bye!’ yelled Ellie as the two girls took off at full speed for departures.
‘We won’t be able to go to duty free now,’ grumbled Julia as they ran from one end of the concourse to the other, desperately searching for the fifteen-foot sign that announced ‘International Departures’.
‘So what? So you can carry around a big sticky clanking bottle of Baileys for three thousand miles? Anyway, we’re going to the land of the cheap EVERYTHING. God, I think I’m going to start smoking. And using petrol.’
‘I just can’t believe we’re so late.’ They thudded down the heavy metal corridors, running like the Bionic Man along the moving walkways and trying not to knock down more old ladies than strictly necessary.
‘I just can’t believe Big Bastard wouldn’t give us a lift.’
Julia hit her with her prepacked bag of magazines.
‘Have you never heard of the repetitive banality of evil?’
They could see a huge queue at passport control, and the TV screens were flashing ‘final call’. Ellie fumbled for her ticket. Julia flapped frantically.
‘Come on! Come on!’
‘Okay, okay. Don’t worry. It’ll be fine. Andrew will be waiting.’
‘They won’t hold the plane for us, you know,’ said Julia. ‘They’ll chuck the bags out on the tarmac.’
‘For God’s sake will you stop panicking? Okay, here it is. RUN!’
‘Shit! Shit, hang on!’ screamed Julia, stopping suddenly.
‘Hold on! Stop!’ Julia shouted again. She dropped her hand luggage and spun around.
‘I cannot believe this,’ said Ellie, unfurling herself. ‘Are we late or not? Do they change the time zone as soon as we get in the airport?’
‘Shut up. And look!’
Hanging over the departures barrier, waving desperately, was Loxy.
‘Would the last remaining passengers for flight BA1273 to Los Angeles please go to Departures immediately. This flight is closing. The last remaining passengers for this flight please go to Gate 354 immediately. Thank you.’
‘Oh my God, he did it!’ said Ellie, her panicmomentarily lifted by the sheer movie emotion of the moment. ‘He did a Ferris!’
‘Lox!’ squealed Julia, racing over and hugging him over the barrier. Some elderly people looked on, smiling and nodding encouragingly.
‘I didn’t say goodbye properly,’ said Loxy, breathing in her hair. ‘I’m really sorry.’
‘I’m sorry too!’ said Julia. They clutched one another.
‘Would passengers Eversholt and Denford please go to Gate 354 immediately where this plane is ready to depart.’
Ellie looked round for everyone applauding. Nobody was.
‘Just …’ He pulled her tighter. ‘I love you. You love me. Come on. Let’s just go get married. Let’s get a plane somewhere else. There’s a chapel here. Let’s just get married RIGHT NOW on the CONCOURSE.’
As he yelled this, people were gradually starting to clear a space around them. A couple of Americans whooped and cheered.
‘I’m not going to let her go!’ shouted Loxy, galvanized by the scene. ‘We’re getting MARRIED.’
People started to clap and sigh.
‘Ah,’ said Julia.
‘Passengers Eversholt and Denford – your luggage will be removed from this flight if you don’t present yourselves at Gate 354 immediately …’
Julia shot a desperate look at Ellie, who flagged down one of the small carts.
‘Well?’ said Ellie. ‘Are you coming or not?’
‘Loxy,’ said Julia. ‘I already told you. I just … I just don’t know .’
His face turned to stone. The cart came over and Ellie jumped on it. Loxy lowered his arms very, very slowly.
The crowd started to boo.
‘What!’ yelled Julia crossly. ‘This is the
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