hand it was Ed and it was always lovely to hear from him: on the other hand, she was in a handbag shop, about to consider a major purchase. Just exactly the kind of purchase Ed would have a fit about.
But then, what if something had happened and he was desperately trying to get hold of her? She pressed answer immediately.
‘Hello! It’s me, is everything OK?’ she asked.
‘Yes, of course. We’re all fine … do you want to say good-night to the babies?’
Good-night? It seemed just too weird to be standing in Greenwich Village, in a handbag shop, in the middle of a blazingly sunny day about to say goodnight to her babies who were going to bed thousands of miles away in London.
While Lana rolled her eyes, Annie listened to the babbling of each baby in turn and felt a very physical longing to have these little people right here in her arms.
‘That was lovely,’ she told Ed, when he was back on the line. ‘It’s not upset them?’
‘No. They seem pleased. It’s not upset you?’
‘It’s totally upset me,’ she confessed, ‘but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Is everything really fine?’
‘Yes!’ Ed assured her. ‘Where are you right now? Paint me a picture.’
Annie glanced about the shop. This wasn’t exactly a picture that Ed would like. If Lana did not get the bag thing, there was definitely no way at all that Ed got the bag thing.
‘But it’s just a bag,’ he would declare every time Annie brought home one of her hand-crafted masterpieces. ‘Men don’t even need them – we have pockets. Don’t you see this is all just a conspiracy to keep women poorer! Every £200 or £300 you squander on those things is lost for ever.’
Every £200 or £300! The poor man had no idea. And anyway, the money wasn’t lost for ever, Annie still had a busy presence on eBay, ‘recycling’ all the beauties she’d grown tired of. Just very occasionally, she still bought a treasure or two on eBay. But you had to be very, very careful who you bought from. There were so many fakes and scams out there.
‘We’ve been up the Empire State today,’ Annie replied, deciding to avoid the question completely. ‘It was amazing. Almost as good as when I went up there with you,’ she added quickly, so as not to leave him out.
‘And now … let me guess? There’s some retail therapy going on?’ Ed asked.
‘Just a tiny little bit. Honestly, considering how fantastic the shops are over here, Lana and I are being unbelievably restrained.’
‘So far.’
The assistant had the sea-green beauty in her hands and was holding it above a stack of tissue paper, gesturing to Annie.
Annie nodded enthusiastically.
‘You work very hard for your money, Annie, don’t let it slip away between your fingers too easily.’
‘Ed,’ she warned.
‘Just not handbags,’ he pleaded, ‘please do not spend any more money on expensive handbags. At the last count, weren’t there—’
‘Ed!’ she warned again.
‘Talking of your hard-earned money, Tamsin phoned …’
‘Did she? What did she say? You didn’t tell her I was over here, did you?’
‘Have you honestly not told her?’
‘Have you?’
‘Well, what did you tell her?’ Ed asked, a little exasperated.
‘I said I was going to be away for a bit … a little trip … I didn’t want her to think I was bailing out or anything. You haven’t told her, have you? Not about the dress business or anything?’
‘I don’t think so,’ Ed admitted. ‘I did say you were in New York, though. But she wasn’t phoning with news, she wanted to let you know that the money had come in for the work you’ve done up till now on the series.’
‘How much?’ Annie wondered.
‘£15,000,’ Ed replied.
‘Wow … I wasn’t expecting that much.’
‘There’s tax, agent commission and all those other things to come out of it,’ Ed reminded her: ‘it won’t be as much as that when everyone’s had their share.’
‘I know, I know … so let’s call it
But then, what if something had happened and he was desperately trying to get hold of her? She pressed answer immediately.
‘Hello! It’s me, is everything OK?’ she asked.
‘Yes, of course. We’re all fine … do you want to say good-night to the babies?’
Good-night? It seemed just too weird to be standing in Greenwich Village, in a handbag shop, in the middle of a blazingly sunny day about to say goodnight to her babies who were going to bed thousands of miles away in London.
While Lana rolled her eyes, Annie listened to the babbling of each baby in turn and felt a very physical longing to have these little people right here in her arms.
‘That was lovely,’ she told Ed, when he was back on the line. ‘It’s not upset them?’
‘No. They seem pleased. It’s not upset you?’
‘It’s totally upset me,’ she confessed, ‘but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Is everything really fine?’
‘Yes!’ Ed assured her. ‘Where are you right now? Paint me a picture.’
Annie glanced about the shop. This wasn’t exactly a picture that Ed would like. If Lana did not get the bag thing, there was definitely no way at all that Ed got the bag thing.
‘But it’s just a bag,’ he would declare every time Annie brought home one of her hand-crafted masterpieces. ‘Men don’t even need them – we have pockets. Don’t you see this is all just a conspiracy to keep women poorer! Every £200 or £300 you squander on those things is lost for ever.’
Every £200 or £300! The poor man had no idea. And anyway, the money wasn’t lost for ever, Annie still had a busy presence on eBay, ‘recycling’ all the beauties she’d grown tired of. Just very occasionally, she still bought a treasure or two on eBay. But you had to be very, very careful who you bought from. There were so many fakes and scams out there.
‘We’ve been up the Empire State today,’ Annie replied, deciding to avoid the question completely. ‘It was amazing. Almost as good as when I went up there with you,’ she added quickly, so as not to leave him out.
‘And now … let me guess? There’s some retail therapy going on?’ Ed asked.
‘Just a tiny little bit. Honestly, considering how fantastic the shops are over here, Lana and I are being unbelievably restrained.’
‘So far.’
The assistant had the sea-green beauty in her hands and was holding it above a stack of tissue paper, gesturing to Annie.
Annie nodded enthusiastically.
‘You work very hard for your money, Annie, don’t let it slip away between your fingers too easily.’
‘Ed,’ she warned.
‘Just not handbags,’ he pleaded, ‘please do not spend any more money on expensive handbags. At the last count, weren’t there—’
‘Ed!’ she warned again.
‘Talking of your hard-earned money, Tamsin phoned …’
‘Did she? What did she say? You didn’t tell her I was over here, did you?’
‘Have you honestly not told her?’
‘Have you?’
‘Well, what did you tell her?’ Ed asked, a little exasperated.
‘I said I was going to be away for a bit … a little trip … I didn’t want her to think I was bailing out or anything. You haven’t told her, have you? Not about the dress business or anything?’
‘I don’t think so,’ Ed admitted. ‘I did say you were in New York, though. But she wasn’t phoning with news, she wanted to let you know that the money had come in for the work you’ve done up till now on the series.’
‘How much?’ Annie wondered.
‘£15,000,’ Ed replied.
‘Wow … I wasn’t expecting that much.’
‘There’s tax, agent commission and all those other things to come out of it,’ Ed reminded her: ‘it won’t be as much as that when everyone’s had their share.’
‘I know, I know … so let’s call it
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