The Exciting Life by Karen Mason Page B

her face in
it.
    Bruno’s
looked completely different with all of the tables removed and
replaced by the rows of chairs that Annie had brought in from the
old ballroom of The Fortune. A ‘catwalk’ ran down the middle, along
which the models would walk. Annie’s office had been transformed
into a dressing room for the night, and right now it was covered in
dresses and accessories, and models were bumping into each other
and screeching while Ralf dressed them. Close to the bar, a small
PA system had been set up, where Al Dunne - Eddie’s latest signing
- would be singing as the models walked along. Eddie thought it
would be a great way to get some free publicity and Annie was happy
to help him.
    Annie
was behind the bar, helping Sylvio check they had enough bottles of
cheap beer and vodka to keep everyone going for the night, when the
door opened and Iris walked in, expensive handbag swinging from the
crook of her arm. Patrick trailed along behind her, looking rather
henpecked.
    ‘ How’s it all going?’ she asked.
    ‘ Very well thanks Iris,’ Annie said. ‘Although I’m guessing
Ralf might say something different.’
    ‘ Where is he?’
    ‘ Back office. It’s been turned into a dressing
room.’
    Iris
flounced off, but Patrick remained behind, leaning on the bar and
smiling at Annie.
    ‘ You look knackered,’ he said.
    ‘ I am. Your girlfriend has arranged this bloody fashion show,
but I’m the one who’s been roped into doing all the hard
work.’
    ‘ It’s all good publicity for the club,’ Patrick said, reaching
out and grasping her hand. Annie quickly pulled it away. She didn’t
like it when he touched her. It reminded her how attractive she
still found him, and how his touch was like an electric shock
running through her body. And that he was Iris’s
boyfriend.
    ‘ Maybe so,’ she replied, blushing and turning her attention to
putting a bottle of Smirnoff into an optic. ‘But I’ve got to rush
home and get changed and come back and make sure everything is all
in place before the guests arrive.’
    ‘ And you’ll cope perfectly,’ Patrick said. ‘Now, where are the
models? They might need some help dressing.’
    He
walked off and Annie gave a deep breath. She still didn’t know what
it was Patrick did to her – she was happy with Eddie. But when he
was around, she felt nervous and on edge and he affected her so
much she couldn’t wait to be away from him. And yet when he wasn’t
there, she yearned to see him.
    Once
everything was in place, she took her chance to leave and walked
the short distance to Regent Street, making the most of the early
evening sunshine. Sometimes Annie felt like running away from
everything. She never seemed to get a moment’s peace. It was either
something going on at Bruno’s or else trying to establish
Holland’s. Veronica Owen’s film premiere was the following week and
Annie felt nervous at the thought of the world’s press seeing a
pair of her shoes. Eddie thought it was good business sense to make
five extra pairs in exactly the same style, in case anyone saw them
and wanted a pair too. Annie on the other hand was convinced
everyone was going to hate them. Then what would she do? Her whole
future rested upon people wanting to buy her shoes.
    One
thing she was proud of was her flat at the top of the old Fortune
building. The bottom floor was now made up of three hotel rooms
knocked into one, which made a huge reception room. Another one was
a dining room, and another two were knocked into one room to make a
massive kitchen. Annie was fascinated by kitchens. As a child she
used to like going down to the kitchen in Elliott House and helping
Mrs Cray cook dinner for them all. She made sure her new kitchen
had all the mod cons she’d had when she was married to Mario – a
refrigerator and a washer and spin dryer. Upstairs in the flat were
five large bedrooms, two bathrooms and another room she’d converted
to a dressing room. It gave her comfort to