The Studio - A Short Story by Dave

The band was successful - Maybe that was all Alex had needed from life - But not Damon

To contact dave please email - davemcalder@icloud.com

The Studio

Chapter 2

Loose Ends

Rev 6

Contents

Annabelle 3

Leave the Past Behind 16

Beginning of the End 46

Sienna 53

Andrea 72

Cerise 80

Progress – At Last 87

Headless Chameleon 172

End of Chapter 2 Loose Ends 189

Rethink!

One thing that the whole hog option did for sure was make them all think. Yes, it would be so much more exciting, but oh so much more work. So who do we need? No. Not more people all milling around asking what they should do next. What do we need to sort out before we break cover? IMD have a track record of crushing new independent labels. Studio. This building. A whole army of people on so many different aspects. Bands, groups and artists – and so much else. Gigs. For our artists, yes. Bur also, we need a gig, to record the live album that we still owe IMD. That means recreating the Chameleons without Alex. Then we need distribution. That’s the expensive bit. Adam knows some guys that do low volumes, and Australian Media can do large volumes, but they’re expensive and it would mean getting the master down to them. Or masters. How many? How many bands? One a month? One a week? Maybe more. But this is something right up Gordon’s street. He’ll probably bail out when he hears the plan, but he knows Kessler, and that is a possible solution. So much more! But we’ll just add all these things to the progress board in Michelle’s office and move them all along, one at a time, one step after another.

Annabelle

Damon was back in Edencombe again. Life in the remote countryside was peaceful and even inspirational, but some things just had to be done back in town. One of those was Gordon. He’d now decided, or maybe it was, discovered, that his only motivation for going to the remote back of beyond was if there were ten thousand fans there just itching to watch him treat a rhythm guitar like it was an exact science.

Damon wanted to talk through the new plan and see if Gordon wanted to join in, hoping really that he wouldn’t, but Damon had to ask anyway.

Mission accomplished and Gordon was back on a train for London to think about Damons suggestion that he should track down Wolfgang Kessler, if he wasn’t busy doing anything else, because Damon might need him and this minor task would keep Gordon involved until he lost interest altogether. Its not that Damon disliked him. He’d spent every day with him for the last twelve years and they were still very much good friends. Its just that Gordons attitude and reputation with girls was diametrically contrary to the image he wanted to build for his new company. But now, Damon was going home.

Annabelle turned on the wipers as the drizzle was now heavy enough to cause spray on her windscreen. Ooh a new Range Rover in front, that’s nice, but it was going a fair pace so line up behind and follow the leader.

The low cloud had closed out much of the sunlight and the odd street light had come on here and there. She tailed it round into Upper Quarry Street wondering whether to cut through the back lanes to avoid the main square ..... But whoa. What’s this.? Someone in the road, waving. Brake lights on. Struth! She’s got no clothes on!. Ahh brake lights on. Brake, Brake stop stop stop please stop. Oh! B….!

Oh no! I’m stopped.

The minor impact bounced her back against the headrest and she sat for a moment closing her eyes in frustration. But the guy in the car she’d just hit was out in the road and now at her window. Oh goodness, what do I say?

She wound down her window ready to apologise – it was clearly her fault being too close for the conditions...

“The buildings on fire. I’m going in. Quick, dial 999. There’s a phone in my car, and get her a blanket, there’s one in my boot and get these cars into that car park over there” - and was gone sprinting towards the main door across the road. Annabelle watched him with mounting disbelief, then turned to the girl standing forlorn by the back of his car as the rest of the traffic simply edged on by.

Boom! Crash. Crash. Explosions one after the other cascaded around her as windows gave way to the pressure of the heat. She focussed in on the noise of a particular window that had exploded at the far end of the block as flames spurted from the void. She jumped out of the car. Phone in the car? What? She pulled open his door. There’s a coiled cord, that might be a phone. Whoa, never used one of these before. Yes. 999. Fire brigade. Upper Quarry Street just by the car park for Mallard Park. B-Boom, Crash. And a continuing tinkle as glass fell from new windows,

“What was that!”

“Another window exploding”

“And your name please”
“Annabelle. Oh forget it! I’ve got people to look after”

“Hello, caller! Caller?”

Annabelle got the blanket. The girl without clothes was shaking, shivering in the rain, and wearing only a brief pair of panties. Annabelle wrapped her up and sat her in the warmth of her little car.

“What happened?” she asked, but the girl in the blanket just shook her head and said nothing.

“Do you speak English?”
But the girl in the blanket just shook her head and said nothing.

She looked back through the smoke towards the building where she could just make out a guy at the side door filing people through one at a time, avoiding a crush fighting their way out in panic. Once outside they were headed right for her arriving one on top of the other in confused desperation. Bewildered and wide eyed they stopped in front of her as if looking to her for something, Annabelle had no ideas.

“Wait under the trees” she said loudly waving her arm in the direction of the park and leading them under the trees around the car park. It will be OK, Help is on its way. But the group simply looked at her without reply. 24 eyes blankly accusing her of… of what?

Sirens, oh good. Now, get car off road. A bus drove past as another window exploded, nearer this time showering glass across the road. Oh gosh! I’d have been hit if that bus hadn’t been there!

With her car parked, time to move his. That’s what he’d said. Wow this clutch is heavy. Screech! And sensitive, and this was powerful and stop. Oh my, at least I didn’t hit anything, or anyone. Out of car, I wonder what’s next.

“Good evening, miss. Is this your car?”

“No Officer”

“Can I ask whose car it is?”
“I’ve no idea”

“But, you were driving it, if I’m not mistaken”

“Yes”

Boom, Crash, Crash as more, even closer windows exploded

“Stone me. Stand well back”

“These people have just escaped. I brought them over here out the way”

“Good for you”

“The driver of this is in there helping people get out”

The policeman got back in his car to block off the road.

The side door opened, and Annabelle saw another gaggle of girls hurrying out in disarray. But this time, no sight of the guy. The girls huddled round in the street watching the fire take a more visible grip now spreading from the far end of the second floor.

Inside, Damon was on the third floor. Yelling his head off even though he had no idea if anyone was there

“Fire! Fire! Buildings on fire, get out now!”

A face appeared as faint smoke drifted from under a door into the corridor. Start at the top. “Out, out! Get out now.” But what’s this?

“Help, Help me! I’m stuck” it was faint but distinctly panic

“Help! Help me”

He made it along to the far end and burst the door open.

Jeez.! He stopped dead in the doorway.

“Debbie! What are you doing!?”

He dived towards the top of the bed where Debbie was lying spread-eagled, tied at each corner to the four poster with a short cord. He scrabbled at the knots, right wrist, then the left, then… a rustling at the door. He turned to see a hand reaching in to grab the key from the lock. Diving at the door, he just managing to stab his foot in the gap as it was slammed closed. He grabbed a perfume bottle from the handbag on the near shelf and slammed it down on the hand that was on the handle

With a sharp yelp of pain, the man took off along the corridor. Sh.. that’s the end that’s on fire! Jeez, Damon threw the door open and took off after him, but he shot into an end room, slamming the door, locking it just as Damon got there. Priorities! He tore back to Debbie, who was struggling with the fourth cord

“Gotta get out, now”

“I can’t. I can’t walk on my leg. Don’t know what’s wrong with my ankle”

“Ok” he paused for a deep breath then scooped her up in both arms and headed off.

“No. No! We can’t go out the front. We have to go out the back”

“The flippin buildings on fire, We gotta get out!”

“Please, please, you don’t understand. We must go out the back. I might as well stay here if, if…”

“OK, ok already!”

He carried her down the central staircase, all five flights, then .. then he recognised this place! Of course, Zaks was on Lower Quarry Street. this is just the upper part, built up the side of the steep valley. So the exit is this way, out into the lane.

“Its absolutely imperative no-one finds me”

“Jeez!” just saved your life, and your making demands, “Listen, we gotta get through this gap in the fence. Then we can get across the stream”

He bundled her through like a sack of potatoes, then carried her across the scaffold planks someone had placed across the leat, and up the rough path to the back door of Gerrards, dropping her carelessly.

“Journeys end. Three flights up there is the bar Emma works in. But I’ll be back”

Back in the hotel, the smoke had filled the corridors and he could hear the fire now spreading towards him. A few people were jostling through the door at the far end onto the stairs. He pulled his handkerchief over his face to help keep out the smoke.

“Who’s left? Is anybody here? Is everyone out?”

“Di sini! Dalem sini!”

The door was locked, but a determined heel had it flying across the bedroom floor. A terrified girl stood shaking in the middle of the floor surrounded by swirling smoke

“Come on!” he yelled at her

But she just stood there shaking. Damon glanced round and grabbed the dress from the back of the chair stuffing it through his belt, while grabbing her arm and hauling her out into the corridor. Once moving, she seemed to get the idea, and then started coughing as thick black smoke spilled into the corridor from an open door just ahead of them. With vision eliminated, she stopped abruptly, pointing at it, squeaking something unintelligible.

“Take a breath through you nose only”

She didn’t seem to understand. He threw his arms around her. She screamed. He ignored it

“We’re going through” he yelled, mainly to boost his own determination. Now with her in both arms and off the floor, he gained speed towards the increasingly dense smoke. Room 27. Must be three doors more, if I can’t see too much. He crashed into the wall at the end and spun right, kicking the stair door open. There was screaming from the next floor, and the noise of the fire was building now as he saw light from the open door at the foot of the stairs come into view, just. He kept going, almost made it to a run, and leapt the cordon tape still carrying her. He dropped her to the ground and rolled over onto his back gasping for air even though the smoke hadn't got to him much.

“No, I’m ok. I’ve kept my mouth shut and breathed quick and shallow” he explained to the paramedic who was kneeling down beside him.

“What's it like in there?” asked a fireman.

Damon paused as another policeman arrived

“In there? 10 to 1 no one else comes out alive”

“How did it start?”

“I've no idea. I'm just a passer-by”

“Passer-by?”

“Yeah I was just driving down the road and this girl flags me down says the buildings on fire. So I go in to see what I can do”

“Driving?”

“Yes. That's my car over there”

“And you stopped quite quickly”

“Yes. Had to. Otherwise I'd have run her over. But the girl in the Fiesta behind me wasn't so lucky. She didn't stop in time. Probably taken a lump out the back of my car”

“Probably?”

“Yes, haven't had a chance to look yet. Buy hey, at least she's taken them off the road. Good for her”

“Anything special about the girl who flagged you down”

“English isn't her first language. And she was wearing a pair of pink polka-dot panties, eh, and nothing else”

“That checks out with what that girl over there said”

“That's pretty much everything I know”

“Don't leave the area” warned the first policeman.

Go stick you head in a bucket, thought Damon as he walked slowly back towards his car. He flicked a glance at the girl in the blanket still sitting in the Fiesta and lobbed the dress in through the door

“Hope it fits, I didn't have much time to choose”

He could see the Fiesta driver standing alone next to a tree some yards away and stood silently beside her. She turned and glanced at him just to acknowledge his presence but stayed silent for several moments.

Oh my. What's going on?

“Are you ok?” she asked very quietly “I can't believe you just ran in there”

They stood in silence for several more minutes

“Oh, my, my dad’ll be getting worried about me as well”

“Why don't you phone him from my car”

She said that she’d be quite late and had had a bit of a bump in the car in Upper Quarry,

“... and the .. and the hotels on fire, that’s how I bumped the car. But dad. There's .. there’s people hurt and injured. And .. and they're dying right in front of me, and …”

and any farther explanation was lost in tears as emotion overtook her. Damon took the handset

“Yeah.. We're outside the Royal George but there'll be nothing left of it when it cools down …”

“What on earth was that?” as a rumbling explosion interrupted them

“That? Gable end collapsing. Yes, she's a bit shaken. In shock really, but I think a little walk around, then maybe a drink or two. No, she'd be better not going to sleep straight away anyway. No, you don't want to drive if you’re just back from the pub. Yes, if my car isn't damaged too much. And if we can get past all the service vehicles. If not I'll get her a cab. Yeah, no problem”

“Is dad all right?”

“Yes, but he's clearly had a few. He doesn't want to be driving”

“Maybe your right. Maybe a little walk”

They walked into the park towards the town centre, slowly, silently but with the noise and bustle of the emergency receding into the background.

The far side of the park was darker, away from the street lights as he took hold of her hand. She looked down at it and then over at him, he smiled weakly, but she wasn't inclined to pull away

“Are there many people left in there?”

“No, I don't think so”

“I saw so many coming out of the fire door. They looked so confused, just standing there rather than running like hell, but.. “

“It's not easy seeing something like this, it can get too, you know, personal. By the way, I'm Damon”

“Annabelle. But Damon, there were windows exploding, there was screaming and wailing, but, but, but..”

He stopped walking and held her back

“But what Annabelle?”

“But, there was this guy, he appeared at a window, second floor right at the far end over where the fire was worst. He just tottered in the windowsill, I think his clothes were on fire, then there was another explosion somewhere behind him and flames shot out through the window and .. and he just lost his balance. Damon, he fell out, and then straight away, flames ripped through the roof and tiles and debris and stuff all tumbled right down on top of him”

She turned towards him for comfort and he folded his arms around her, squeezing her in tightly

“It wasn't that bad inside. But so many of these girls didn't seem to understand what was happening. Like they were all high on something. Like, spaced out”

“That’s right! I noticed that. I just thought they were in shock, or something. But there weren't any men. None at all. So strange that”

“Not really. It’s still early in the evening. And there’s no great demand for men... .. in a hotel that rents rooms by the hour”

“You mean its a…. You're joking”

“Listen Annabelle, I'm no expert in these things, but I'm just guessing based on the fittings and the equipment in some of the rooms I busted into. Either that or it's some sort of weird gym. Cos I know nothing about gyms either”

She managed a very thin smile and squeezed his hand

“That doesn't make it any less. I mean those poor girls. Reduced to that, then this trauma on top”

They walked back across the park in silence broken increasingly by the noise of the fire and the crescendo of emergency sirens. Back at the car, the girl with the blanket had gone with the dress, leaving the blanket behind.

Damon had a look at the cars

“I wouldn't drive yours very far if I were you. Looks like the radiators damaged, can't see what else. Mine looks ok, thanks to that tow bar, but we'll never get out of here past all this lot anyway.”

“Oi you! I thought I told you not to leave the scene”

She shrank away from the accusing tone but Damon was unphased

“We haven't. We're here aren't we”

“Yeah, well I need statements”

“You've already got them”

“Yeah, well I aint got your names and addresses” he continued, opening his notebook with pencil poised

“Annabelle Larchmont, 3 Springdale Crescent”

“Damon Lehrer, the Studio, near Elfinford. Can we go now? “

“S'pose”

“If you desperately need us, we might make it as far as Gerrard’s in East Street”

He put his arm around her to shepherd her towards the perimeter path, and she surprised herself to find it warm and comforting and safe. She snuggled into him

“I'm supposed to be engaged”

“I guessed that. There's a clue on your left hand. So when's the big day?”

“It's not set yet. But your address, the Studio? That's a bit vague isn't it? Are you an artist?”

“No, that's it's real address, and we don’t advertise its location much. But I'm not an artist, I'm a musician”

'Any good?” she teased to relieve her tension

“Yep” he replied taking it more seriously than she intended

“What do you play?”

“Guitar. Keyboards sometimes. Piano occasionally”

“In a band?”

“Until recently”
“Until recently? What happened?”

“One of the guys decided he wasn’t going to play with us any more”

“Why?”

“He was dead”

“What?”

“The rest of us are taking a somewhat different direction. But we still play sometimes. What about you? What do you do?”

“At the moment, I'm a receptionist – of sorts. It's a whole lot less than I was doing. But it's a job, and that's a plus. Do you write songs, or play covers, or what?”

“We mainly played our own stuff. Would you like me to sing one for you?”

“Really!. Yes please”
They got close to the gate, and the last of the dim path lights before the glare of the town square would take over. He stopped her again and turned to face her as they looked at each other.

Whatever else happens, this is going to go down as one hell of a night. He took hold of her other hand as well.

“This song I wrote quite recently. I guess its not all appropriate, but some of it is” and now holding both her hands he started to sing very quietly

Today is still today

The day before tomorrow

We met like it was yesterday

So soon confined to history

The future is a mystery

But we’re still here today

You and me have someone else

That thinks they’re the only one

But you and me are here right now

Is damage already done?

I’ve known you for a long time

Since the beginning of the future

I’ve known your name forever

If forever starts today

You and me have someone else

And we can’t cause them pain

But I want to hold your hand

And I think you feel the same

I want it to last forever

When you kiss me in the rain

“That's so beautiful, she breathed, but I...”

“I know. And sorry, it wasn't written exactly for you, but it seemed sort of appropriate, well, some of it anyway”

And, still gazing into his eyes, she kissed him.

“Like the song said” she said softly

“Drink?” he whispered

They walked only with the odd word down to Gerrards on East Street

“Every time I close my eyes I see that window exploding, or that guy falling from the window with his clothes on fire”

“It’ll fade”

“You seem so sure”

“I was in Rio. Rio de Janeiro. We were in a theatre when some prankster let off a fire cracker. Some folks thought it was a gun shot and stampeded for the exit. It started a small fire and the place started filling up with smoke. We just kept on playing”
“You were on stage?”

“Yes, and we just kept going. The stewards put the fire out and opened the doors. The smoke cleared and we just carried on. But 3 people were killed in the crush trying to get out. I still remember it, but I’ve just come to accept that these things happen. There was nothing else we could have done”

“I’ve never seen anything like this before. But I did what I could”
“That should make you feel better. The fact you helped as much as you could, for people who needed it. What else could anyone expect? What else do you expect from yourself?”

“I suppose so. I got everyone far enough back to avoid the falling glass”

“Look, there’s Gerrards bar. Just a couple of drinks. Yes, its not a matter of trying to forget, like, expunge it from your memory, its more a matter of coming to terms with the fact it happened and there’s nothing you could have done to prevent it, and nothing more you could have done after it happened. But don’t you take that song too literally. Its not all about you. Actually, it wasn’t written for any particular person. I just wrote it”

“If you recorded it, I could see if I could get it played on Eden Radio”

“Oh, you’re going into band management, are you?”

The bar was warm and cosy and comforting

“OH! Hi Damon. Have you seen what’s going on across the valley. There’ll be nothing left of it. And sometimes there’s a huge squishy noise and that’s them hosing down our building so’s we don’t catch fire too, and Damon….”

he interrupted her with a quick kiss “Emma, Yes. That’s where we just came from”

“Its really terrible. Do you think everyone got out….”
“Please Emma, don’t! Oh Emma, you have no idea. The noise, the screaming, the calls for help, all those girls crowded under the trees. Oh my! And the guy falling from the window”

Emma paused, her excitement deflated as Gerrard laid a tray on the table with an assortment of drinks

“I know I’ve got Damon’s, Debbie’s and Emma’s right. I guessed a vodka and coke?”

“That’s perfect. Thankyou so much”

With a few quick gulps the immediate excitement faded

“Is this your girlfriend?” asked Annabelle, but it was Emma who’s excitement interrupted any reply

“Oh wow. Damon, You didn’t tell me you’re engaged!”

Damon looked around momentarily confused

“Oh what! Look! Not my girlfriend Emma, meet not my fiancé Annabelle” he introduced, but it was Debbie that burst out laughing

“And I’m Debbie” she added. “And as far as I know, I’m not connected to you in any way”

“That’s ok. Sometimes I think I’m not connected to me either. Sometimes I feel like I’m just missing all connection to everything”

Annabelle began to recover after the second drink, but still felt decidedly hollow.

“We have to sort out the cars” she said during a natural pause in the conversation about the fire.

“There’s no point in doing anything about it tonight. We’ll never get anything done over there. Services will be there till the morning at least”

“I don’t actually want to go back there at all”

“What? Not ever?”

“No, Damon, not ever. The sirens, the shouting, the screaming, the guy falling from the window. No not ever”

“Listen, Annabelle, suppose you give me the keys. I’ll go over there in the morning and assess the damage. Then maybe we meet up here at say six after work and I’ll tell you the bad news”

“Would you?”

“Sure”

“You don’t seem phased out by all this. I’m thinking I’m missing something”

“No, you’re not. I was inside the building running like a wildcat on speed. I was on a mission. You were looking after the girls on the outside. You could see what was happening, I could only guess. But I think you should try to make it into work tomorrow. It’ll be a good diversion from just replaying the whole thing in your head. Debbie, I think you should give it a miss”

Debbie gave him a wry smile and retreated to a world of her own.

Cue: What I See by Planet P Project

But soon it was time for Annabelle to go. It had certainly been an evening to remember for all the wrong reasons “But I’ll see you tomorrow”

Damon went with her to find a taxi, “You sure you’re ok. I told your dad Id make sure you got home safely”

“I will, Damon, honestly. I’m a big girl you know”

Back at the bar, Debbie had bought a round while Emma was bouncing up and down along the bar serving other customers, leaving them on their own

“I owe you an explanation…”

“Not really. Everyone has their own reasons for the way they behave and act. But that doesn’t mean it needs an explanation”

“Maybe its that I need to tell someone, even if I think I might not make it to the end in one piece. I’m still in shock. I’m trying not to think about what would have happened if you hadn’t showed up to untie me. Oh my….”

“Ok, lets not go there. You just tell me. Cos I’m not going anywhere right now”

“I’ll start, But I apologise in advance for breaking down”

“Debbie, everyone has their own life, their own history and their own future, and yours may or may not include me. I just live and let live. Until it starts interfering with what I’m trying to achieve”

“You mean, its nothing to do with you”

“Pretty much. But I’m happy to listen because you want to tell me”

“Maybe that makes it easier….”

She paused taking a deep breath “…. I went up to Uni last September. Hated it, Absolutely hated every second of it. So I told my dad I wanted to drop out and try again next year. He wasn’t happy. He said, ok but I’d need to get a job. But Damon, I’m not qualified to get a job. I never had a job before. I couldn’t get Saturday job in Top Shop when I was at school and I was sent away to my granny’s for the summer holidays. A lot of the kids at uni were talking about working to get some extra cash. And one thing they all said was ‘if we’re going to spend every night in a bar, why not work there and get paid for it’. So I thought that since I seemed to be spending every evening flat on my back with my legs in the air, why not use the same logic”
Damon shrugged “Makes sense, so far”

“So I ended up in Zaks. It wasn’t as I expected. Not everyone who comes in just wants to get into bed. Quite a lot just want someone to talk to and others! Well, there’s all sorts of wierdos out there. One guy even came in looking for a lost teddy bear! Anyway, somehow Zak became suspicious of me. He’s just so paranoid! And he came straight to the conclusion that I was really a spy, then he decided I was a researcher, then he decided I was from MI5 spying on his people trafficking. I mean, you did notice that none of those girls speak English. They’re all destined for similar places in other parts of the country. Then he decided he’d kidnap me and hold me to ransom, which is why he tied me up”
“Oh yeah” said Damon in as disbelieving tone as he could muster.

“Yes! Anyway, I was the only British girl there and if I was found there, they’d assume I was in on all Zaks dodges, like his people trafficking. And once they’d decided I was guilty, I’d never prove I wasn’t”

“That sounds like a problem”

“That, Damon, is not just a problem. It’s the end of my entire universe”

“Ok, but what brought you to Edencombe. Rates have got to be higher in London, or were you just making sure that you didn’t bump into anyone that knew you”

“Partly that, but I heard about a job down here. I was offered a week’s trial by a guy called Simpson at Eden Radio but he said to make sure I got the job I’d have to, you know, spend some time with him. Maybe that’s not such a big deal in itself, but I didn’t want to take a job on that basis. Working at Zaks is honest, straightforward sort of work. That’s just underhand like blackmail. And it was really strange! So many people there just sort of avoided me, like a really wide berth. I thought I was really quite approachable and friendly”

“They probably thought you were a spy”

“Anyway, then I met this other guy called Sir Edwin Weslock. He owns the place and he said he was looking to cut staff rather than hire anyone and he thought it was quite strange that I was being offered a job. It made me think that this Simpson guy was just a con merchant and there wasn’t a job there no matter what I agreed to do. Anyway, apparently the place was losing money and he was trying to sell it. So I just said I didn’t think I’d fit in and thanks, but no thanks. Then I’m on the way out and this Simpson guy comes in and someone says oh hello Mr Brownlee. What! That spooked me into convincing myself I should leave it out”

Cue: A Rainbow and a Star by Gathering of Kings

“I see. Strange. So do you think it was Zak who tried to lock you in your room?”

“I think so. I’m pretty sure he had decided I was spying on his illegal immigrant business, so when the fire broke out he just took advantage of the situation”

“Well, the way it turned out he would have been rumbled anyway what with thirty young Malaysian girls huddled under the trees in various states of undress in the rain. But no matter”

“I'm still worried he'll come after me”

“He won't be doing that. He fell from a second floor window, and then the roof fell on him. So what are you going to do now?”

“Go back to London. Look up a few friends and take advantage of any opportunities”

“Well, good luck with it, whatever it is”

“I can never repay you for saving my life tonight - twice”

“Well don't. But. Can I have a kiss”

“Of course. It's the least I can do”

“Thanks, it kind of completes the set for the evening”

Next morning Damon headed out towards the cars like he promised Annabelle. The road was still cordoned off, but this gave him thinking time as he walked back. Why would you sell a radio station? Broadcast licences are as scarce as rocking horse poo. Its got to be a licence to print money, surely. Once its set up anyway. But Eden had been running for years. Sir Edwin must have some angle on it, unless Debbie’s got it all wrong.

Back at his flat, tracking down Sir Edwin was a good excuse to phone Lady Patricia which then made things so much easier than he’d expected

“Oh, Damon, I was thinking about phoning you, but the number I’ve got for you is very strange it begins 07 and that’s not in the UK, I think”

“It is, Lady Patricia. Its in my car. Its mobile. That’s why its not listed as a city.”

“Oh my. I wouldn’t try to explain that to Albert. He’d be asking if you need to take the operator with you in the passenger seat!”

“Yes, a lot of people my age have trouble with the concept. New technology must be really hard for him”

“But you phoned me, Damon, so what can I do for you”

“Just clutching at straws Patricia. You wouldn’t happen to know, or even know of, a Sir Edwin Weslock, by any chance?”

“Eddie? Why yes. He’s my cousin. He has some interests in your sort of business as well. I think he may own a radio station somewhere if I’m not mistaken. Do you know him as well?”
“No, I’ve never had the pleasure, but I understand he might be interested in selling that radio station of his. You know, being in the music business, its something I could be interested in”

“Well, you know I do trust you Damon, but he’s very secretive with his phone number. I think you would understand why. But I’ll call him and ask him to phone you. And if he doesn’t, then you know he’s got other plans. It’ll give me another excuse to phone you. Or perhaps you could call me in a couple of days”

He headed back towards the cars, re- imagining the details of his plan and cutting through the park, the way he’d come back with Annabelle rather than straight up the road that was still closed.

“Is this your car, sir?”

He looked round at the policeman standing at the rear of the car and raised himself from the ground where he’d been inspecting the lower end of the radiator.

“No. It belongs to a friend of mine”

“Oh yes? And did they give you permission to drive it?”

“Not specifically. But she gave me the keys. I think that probably counts”

“Well, you won’t be able to take it very far. The road is still closed off”

“I saw that. But it’s not going anywhere right now, the lower hoses have blown”

“And you were planning on fixing it?”

“I’m planning on looking at it. If I don’t think I can fix it, I’ll have to arrange a pick up or a tow. When are you going to re-open the road?”

“When we get all the debris cleared”

“By this evening?

“I hope so, sir”

He returned with a few tools, remembering the last time he used them in anger, nine maybe ten years ago when they still drove themselves round Europe from gig to gig in that old Peugeot van. He inspected the Range Rover, but could find nothing worse than a scratch on the towbar cover. But it took a walk across town to get the parts for the Fiesta, and a good chunk of the afternoon to fit them. But with that completed he headed for East Street.

Somehow he found it easier to work in Gerrards than in his flat. Maybe it was the knowledge that there would be no shortage of beer or scotch, and maybe the possibility of someone interesting coming in – even if he didn’t take advantage of these opportunities on this occasion. And of course there was always Emma to interrupt him.

Five o’clock came round and Damon was happy with his numbers. He now had a much better idea of what they should be aiming at for mass production, so now he would just have to wait until Gordon came back with some numbers from Kessler and if they needed a short term solution, he’d talk to the Ozzies. Expensive, but reliable. There was also a small matter of a live album that they owed IMD.

But it was Debbie that interrupted these final thoughts

“I just popped in to say goodbye. I’m glad I found you, but I’m on the 5.50 to Paddington.”

“You going to disappear into the London crowd?”

“I’m going to figure things out a bit better this time. But, Damon, I‘m so scared. I keep getting flashes popping into my head of smoke and flames and screams. And I woke up twice in the night thinking I was still tied to that bed and …”

“It’s a kind of shock. I don’t think there’s a cure except to just keep doing stuff and the ‘what if’ fears will fade, even if you keep the memory”
“I can’t imagine I’ll ever forget it. And I’ll never forget you, Damon. Because I don’t want to. Part of me says I want to stay.”
“But?”

“But you know too much about me”

“That’s probably what Zak thought. But I’m not planning on forgetting you either, except I’m going to concentrate on the fun loving little girl that helped me look for a teddy bear that a mutual friend had lost in the place you were both staying at the time”

“I didn’t know you could select which memories you keep”

“No, maybe you can’t. I just want to make sure that if someone asks me if I knew you, that’s the bit I’ll tell them”

She finished her drink and got up to leave

“Kiss?”

She shrugged off something that was no more than a peck

“Properly!.. .. Now, that’s the bit I’ll want to remember.

“I can’t believe you carried her all the way over here. She could hardly crawl up the stairs when I found her” said Emma after she’d gone

“Its when you’re on stage under the lights, playing guitar, concentrating, working the foot pedals, and jumping around like something possessed. It builds the stamina”

Damon turned to her, stood up and then lifted her clean off the floor, and carried her round the room.

And that’s when Annabelle stopped to watch from half way down the stairs. Damon sat Emma on the top of the bar when he noticed, and Emma jumped down giggling.

“I thought you said she wasn’t your girlfriend!”

“Yes, more of a sister really, how are you anyway. Did you get to work?”

“Yes. Work was ok. But I can't get yesterday out of my head”

“Yeah, that's just the effect I have on some people”

“Oh Damon, I didn't mean you. I mean, oh, that's a different subject. I mean that whole thing. I phoned my brother Ricki as well. I told him the bad news and he was actually more upset than I thought he’d be”

Damon looked puzzled as he put the drinks down on the table

“Why would your brother be so upset about the brothel burning down?”

Annabelle thumped his arm playfully

“Not that! We share the car. It was my mums. He commandeered it two years ago, so she bought a new one. He's at college in Bournemouth and there’s nowhere to park it on campus so I can use it till he comes back from summer camp, then when he's off again back East. And in the meantime, Vince is driving my car. I lent it to him so he can get back more easily at week ends”

The bar was empty, and Emma sat down with them uninvited.

“Does he normally carry you round the bar like that?”

“No”

“No, I was just keeping up my stamina and strength, now that we're not playing on stage. It's good exercise, till I get signed up to a gym or a park or something”

“I’m still seeing exploding windows everywhere. And it seems that some people on the bus were injured by glass”

“What bus?”

“The one that was passing as I was getting into your car, and if it hadn't been there I'd have got completely showered”

“Guess it was your lucky day”

“Damon! I hardly think so! But there's been nothing at work except talk about it. Actually I felt a bit more integrated. Usually I'm in the foyer on reception, but today I was in the office for a whole morning. I was being interviewed. Did you hear me?”

“No. Sorry. I didn't know you were on”

“Oh well, never mind. Yes, everyone was talking about it and I told them yes I was there, and filled in a few details for them. So Judi from the news team took me into the studio and we talked about it on air. I told you I was the receptionist? At Eden Radio?”

“Yes. You said you were a receptionist when you were threatening to go into music promotion. But you didn’t say where”

“Yes, and everyone wanted to talk to me about it. I was planning to try to forget, but I've relived if so many times and I'm still alive, I think I’m coming to terms with it now. I’ll never forget it, but I’m beginning to believe that I can live with it.”

Emma asked her what it was like working there, which saved Damon the trouble, and then Annabelle had to repeat so much of it because Emma had to bounce off to serve another customer. It seemed that there was a significant charity focus at the station as Damon steered the conversation. There was probably something worth knowing here. Or it would be if Sir Edwin came back with a deal. But the conversation stopped abruptly when a gaggle of blokes came in taking in Gerrards as part of their East side pub crawl.

“I only came in to find out about the car”

Damon looked dejected

“Damon, stop it. I'm still engaged to Vince you know”

“Yes. 'Course you are”

“Damon, I'm 31. It's time I stopped running round in circles and settled down with a couple of babies”

“Ok, if that what you want, and you’ve found the right guy, that's what you should do”

“It is what I should do”

“But it's not what you want”

“Damon! I never met anyone like you before, and I...”

Damon relented the pressure by interrupting

“Annabelle, it's not that. It's the circumstances. Everything is seen differently in times of stress. But you came in to talk about the car”

He dangled the key for her to take “it's parked 4 cars down, this side of the road, turn right out of the door”

“But it was leaking water and oil all over the place”

“Yes, but the lower right mounting for the radiator had rusted away, so when you hit my towbar, the mounting gave way and pushed the lower hose off which saved the radiator itself from damage. So I put on new hoses, they only sell them as a full set of four, and refilled if with antifreeze”

“Ohh! You star!”

“Oh, and since I was there. I reset your plugs and adjusted your carb and distributer. It's running so much better now”

She jumped out of her chair and swivelled round the table to give him a hug which turned into a kiss

“I thought you were still engaged to Vince” he teased

“Oh! Stop it!”

“I had this interesting conversation with some mardy copper as well. Yes, I was just working on the engine while I was letting the antifreeze bubble down, and he says, oi, what do you think you’re doing? Of course I said I'm working on the car, he says, this isn't a garage workshop, So I said, define garage workshop, he says it's a place a mechanic works on cars, I said, so this is a garage workshop then! And he wandered off muttering”

“Damon, thankyou, again. What about your car.”

“There's a scratch on the towbar cover. That's all. No one will ever notice”

“But I ought to pay you for mending my car at least”

“It's only a couple of quid. It's not worth worrying about”

“It must be more than that. Full set of hoses and then there’s the antifreeze and time on top of that”

“Listen, when I get down to my last tenner, I'll pop by your office and see if you can help me out”

“Damon, I’ve got to go now. But thankyou for everything you've done. I won't forget you. I’m still supposed to be engaged to Vince. But I hope maybe we'll meet up again sometime”

“Don't you go getting upset about it. There was enough going on yesterday to get upset about to last us both a good few months”

“Goodbye Damon, although I don't know how I'd have got through yesterday without you”

“More of an au reviour, Annabelle, but I'm more concerned about how I'm ever going to get through tomorrow without you”

“Oh don't be silly!” but she could see the smile lurking behind the words

“There's a good chance I'll be not far from here, if you fancy a drink”

“Thanks for everything”

She turned to go.

And then turned back.

“But you're right. I don't really want to go” she conceded “I’ve nowhere special to go to because Vince’s in the north again and dad will be at least half cut watching the telly”

“You're only going because you think that's what an engaged girl ought to do”

“Yes”

She sat down again and took her coat off.

“Annabelle, it's tough. Yesterday’s game was tough, today you watched the replay, and tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow, I'll be back at work, sitting on the naughty stool at the foot of the stairs. Everyone else is on the first floor, but I'm the gatekeeper down below so I do get to watch what’s going on”

“So how come you're doing this? Have you always been a receptionist?”

“Oh good grief no. I went to Uni, Nottingham, and got a Masters in International Business Studies”

She paused as if expecting him to respond

“What about you, have you always been in music?”

“Kind of. I went to Durham and did Cellular Physiology. But while I was there I met the other guys. We formed a band in our second year, and started playing at different pubs just to pay for the beer, then after graduation lots of people were taking a year out. So we said yeah, why not. We bought this beaten up ancient van, bundled in, and headed for Germany. That’s where we thought it was all happening then. We toured all over Europe playing in all sorts of dives and joints. And then one day we just happened to roll back into Heidelberg and just set up in the square. An hour later this guy came over and asked us to go to his bar to play, and we played there every night for six months. Then we moved on. That was a good dozen years ago and we got back only a few months ago. But what happened to you after Uni? Because you’re from around here, right?”

“Yes, but I got a job in Hampshire, and I met this guy at work, and we got engaged. And then the company went bust. I was in Finance at that time, and John blamed me for putting him out of work. He said I should have seen it coming and done something about it. Damon, I did see it coming and I sent a report to my director. He invited me to present it to the Board and they all seemed to agree that the logic made sense, and then nothing happened. I told John all of this, but he still blamed me. So .. we split up, and sold the house, eventually. And I moved back here. I had nowhere else to go. Then, I met Vince again. We'd been to school together, but just always went separate ways. He'd moved north and got married, but she walked out on him, I never did find out why. But we got on well, and six months later his divorce came through and we got engaged”

“But there's no date set yet?”

“No. And that was nearly six months ago. It's just that he's away so much. He comes back at weekends completely trashed, then plays golf on Saturday, says it helps him unwind”

“So how did you land up working at Eden?”

“Oh my! I applied for a job as a programme researcher. I wanted to stay in town for Vince because he was supposed to be based here. And radio seemed quite exciting. I was expecting to see the MD which I thought was a good start. But I was intercepted just as I arrived by a guy called Westlock who said he was Chairman of the Board. Anyway, the long and the short of it is that the job didn’t actually exist but he’d like to take me on as receptionist to keep an eye on things. So I thought, well, it's different and I should be in the right place to see what’s going on if anything else came up. And it's a job! And there were precious few of those around, like right now. And I’ve been there since”

“And do you like working there?”

“At first I felt very isolated being detached from the rest of the staff, but more recently I'm glad I'm not in the main office, the atmosphere there is dreadful with everyone just snapping at each other. There are rumours that the company isn't doing very well, .. .. . And all the charity work is a major distraction. If there were any other jobs around I'd be off tomorrow, but, better the devil you know, and in the meantime I get Weslock on my case asking if I’ve figured out what’s going on….”

Damon eventually poured her into a taxi at quarter to midnight and next morning she decided to leave her car where it was rather than fight her way through a raging hangover to collect it. She hadn't made another date with him, but during the quiet times at her desk her thoughts seemed to alternate between flashbacks of the fire and replays of Damon at various points -- in the park, singing his song to her, in the bar, introducing her to Emma. And then she realised mid-afternoon, not once did she think about Vince, well, except to realise she hadn't thought about him at all. She considered going back down to Gerrard’s that evening, she had to collect her car anyway. But then the sparkle from her left hand caught her eye and she reluctantly decided against it.

Leave the Past Behind

For Michelle, the decision to go the whole hog relieved the pressure. Instead of having to work to the timescales of an external customer, they could schedule everything to a realistic timetable. But conversely, this new concept was so much hugely bigger, and that meant a lot more work and even more excitement. And another huge whiteboard.

Another week on and the plan was becoming much clearer. She manged successfully to avoid Pete and the Crown on Wednesday, but it did make her think about the crowd she used to hang out with. Friends? Possibly. Alison was still her friend, maybe. And maybe that’s why she felt like she needed a night out.

She’d thought that she didn’t want to lose track of that scene altogether but her Friday evening had been a disaster. With everything else going on, she felt it should have brought her back down to earth but now she was seriously questioning that decision.

Saturday morning she woke in a state bordering depression. She avoided her office and instead wandered out into what should have been the formal gardens. So much could be done here. She knew very little about gardening except what her mother had taught her ten years ago. But this archway could be cleared, surely, with a few snips from a decent set of choppers. Not that she was in an danger of volunteering.

She wandered aimlessly for over an hour and sat for a while on a neglected bench just listening to the birdsong and a distant waterfall before returning to find a silent coffee.

“Hey, I assumed you were around somewhere because the car’s here but I was getting worried maybe you’d got lost!” Adam interrupted her in the deserted soon-to-be restaurant

“How did it go? Good time?”

He tried to ignore the half smile. Did she know she could talk to him if she wanted to? Maybe not. But maybe it was all just too personal.

“Did you manage to pick up your gear?”

“Yes”

“I guess that’s quite sad”

She nodded, sadly

“Not the best circumstances, but you’ve got a home here. And you like it here, don’t you? Or has the lure of the Crown in Edencombe changed your mind about us?”

She looked up with the weakest smile “Adam, its fabulous here. And you’re fabulous too. And no, I doubt if I’ll be back in the Crown anytime soon”

“Well, I thought I’d let you know that Damon and me went through the whole financial bit last night. Now that you’ve got all that work started, its all looking far more possible than it did even a month ago. We’ve not upped our stake, but we have a much better idea about the return. There is money in radio, but there’s a lot more in live gigs”

“That’s great Adam. I’m really looking forward to being part of this”

“I thought you would be. But I still think you need certifying”

He left her to her own thoughts but suggested to Damon that he might like to just pass by that way

“Would you like to go for a walk in the garden” she told him as he arrived “The weather’s nice, sun’s out”

He walked beside her out across the terrace and down onto the lawn

“I’ve asked Colin to take some time on the lawn. It would be a shame if it just turned into weeds. I hope that’s ok. He’s looking for some direction”

But as Adam had hinted, she sounded distant and less than enthusiastic

“This arch – it could so easily be beautiful again with just some pruning. And all these roses. I’m sure they only need to be cut right back to have a wonderful display next year. And that statue. Its sparkly stone underneath that green slime”

She fought along the next overgrown path and sat down on a rickety bench, turning towards him

“Yesterday…” but she didn’t continue

“Did you collect everything?” Damon asked, not knowing where else to start

“Yes. I picked up most of my stuff. I don’t have much really…” she paused looking desolate “Then I collected the supplies you wanted and I went to see the furniture supplier”

“And then you went to see Alison?”

“And a crowd of others…”

She’d paused, but her hand was reaching out slowly towards him along the bench. Oh dear! This does not bode well. He took hold of it and held it gently, which raised a weak smile. This, presumably is why they’re in the garden. And the remote garden as well!

“I parked down the road. I didn’t feel comfortable. I wanted to be part of that old scene again and they don’t drive. And if they did it wouldn’t be a new car unless they’d nicked it. We had a few drinks, but I needed to keep down to two or three. Most of the others got ratted early on so they hardly noticed but I was talking to this guy a lot of the evening. Then as it got later they all seemed to get together with someone and this guy turns out to be Jen’s new boyfriend and they suddenly just disappeared together. I was so cross with him. There were other guys there, but none of them came over. And then there was just me and a dweeb. He wasn’t nice, he wasn’t even polite. He said something like ‘its you and me then, since we’re the only two left’. Damon! It was like it was me or the dogs on the street. Damon! I thought I was the prettiest girl there. I thought I had the nicest dress. I was talkative, tactile, flirty. I mean, I was expecting to go with someone given the right encouragement. But this guy had wasted my whole evening and now this dweeb only wanted to go round to the back of the bus depot! I said I didn’t want to do that and he said well, he wasn’t taking me home. Maybe he was just too drunk but maybe I just wasn’t attractive enough for him. Or any of the others”

Damon moved over and folded her into his arms and sat hugging her for ages and ages as she sat there breathing quietly and gently crying.

Slowly he released his hold on her.

“Damon, I’m sorry. It’s just everything ….”

“You mean that stuff with Pete, and then your dad wants to repossess your room, and then your friends last night and finally that drip you found yourself with?”

“I was so cross with him. Told him if he wanted me he’d have talked to me earlier on, but he didn’t. He followed me as I walked back towards the car but he wasn’t expecting me to just get in and drive off. It’ll get back round that I did that. That I had a brand new Range Rover, but it’s irrelevant now. All those kids are irrelevant now. But it’s not just that. Damon, all I wanted was someone to make me feel I was still wanted as a woman, and even you said you didn’t want me”

“Honey, that’s a little unfair. Or maybe it’s not. It was more important that you knew that there really was an exciting job here and I couldn’t let you to think that there was a price for getting it. That sort of thing is almost endemic in our industry. Its one of the things that has to change, but I needed you to know that you could live your own life and not just be involved with me. It was driven by a sense of ethics and morals that may not always take priority”

“I know. And its very sweet. But I don’t think that helps”

“Michelle, your quite possibly the prettiest girl I’ve ever met. And I’ve met more than my fair share”

“Yes, Adam mentioned you were popular in Malaysia...”

“Oh my! Kuala Lumpa. One of the few places we’ve needed police protection to get back to our hotel. But you’re so much more. You’re intelligent and pragmatic and sexy and flirty and tactile...”

“.. But you still don’t want me!”

“Oh my goodness Michelle you have no idea how much I want you. I’ve always wanted you but that would just have been taking advantage of you. And I don’t think that’s fair”

He reached out with more of an attraction cuddle than the previous protective hug that soon progressed to being more intimate with an encouraging response

“Damon. Just because we get together doesn’t mean we’re together forever” she whispered

He kissed her. Not a childish, frantic lust induced attack, but gently and long giving them both time to explore each other and decide just how much they didn’t want this to stop.

“Listen, Michelle, this industry has an unenviable reputation...”

“You mean good?... “

“Not on this occasion. I guess it’s not everyone, but every company I’ve dealt with has some people who act this way. They raise all sorts of false hope. Solo artists, leading female vocalists. Some of the stories and unimaginably horrible in the damage they do. They’ll say they listened to the demo tape and would they like to come down for a discussion. Then its ‘how much do you want this? And sometimes its not just a personal night of passion before the band is booted into the long grass anyway”

“But, Damon. That’s all to do with the members of the band and their aspirations”

“Yes, and young secretaries aren’t immune either”

Cue: Save Me by Fair Warning

“I'm not that young. And anyway, this is exceptional. What you're doing is not just new and exciting. It's huge, it's adventurous, its epic, it's trying to change the world. It's invigorating, it's innovative. And I want to be part of all that. And I want to throw away all the constraints that this new business will be breaking anyway. I want to be part of that difference. It's so high speed that anything before this morning has already been superseded and disappeared into history. And I want to work like that, and play like that and live like that. You once said you wanted me to be free to be rash and impetuous and independent and maybe adventurous too. And I agree. I want to, and this is a chance not to be missed. But it doesn't stop me being all these things …. with you. Just because you’re a little older doesn’t stop you being a bit impetuous too - sometimes”

“Ok, I'm not disagreeing with anything you’ve said. You’re right, the world has turned. And Michelle, one of the things that persuaded Adam and me to decide on the whole hog option was that it didn’t sound so daunting if we would get the kind of support you’ve been giving the project so far”

She slipped her arms round him and wiggled them inside his shirt just to tease him.

“I’ll try as hard as I can. Damon, I know that when you first brought me here you told me there's a lot of similarities between an interview and a date and we shouldn't get them mixed up. Well, maybe I've not done that very well”

“Michelle, there’s nothing I’d like more than to play games and have fun with you sometimes. So long as you know you’re not over a barrel just to keep your job. And the other side of that coin is free as well”

They headed back towards the house for lunch with her head tilted over onto his shoulder. The door was no longer closed and now all her options were open. Perhaps there would never be a normal steady state in this company. Normal would almost certainly be frenetic with every day being different, but she was also sure that their impetuous enthusiasm would overflow into shared intimacy fairly soon.

“Thankyou for recovering me. This afternoon I’m going to talk to Colin and give him a definite direction for the garden. Can you afford another gardener?”

“Yes. We need to get a recovery underway. It will only get worse with another season. But it may not be permanent. Like everything else here, if we don’t succeed, we’ll shut up shop and everyone will be on their way out the gate”

But Michelle was just shaking her head.

“Damon, Its not going to be like that”

The continuing building work was quickly becoming Michelle’s mission and the discussion continued in the bar. Adam was keen on getting bands in and laying down some tracks but Damon was more wary.

“We need to be able to meet the expectations. Like organise gigs as well as distribution. I think we need to line up everyone we need, and sync that with the building being less noisy. We need the environment, the infrastructure and the people all here, all ready to go so that we can concentrate on getting it right first time. If we choose our first release carefully, and back it up with an album and a tour, the distribution networks will have to take us seriously, no matter what IMD threatens. If not, it’ll be an uphill struggle”

“Yeah” conceded Adam with obvious disappointment “And I guess the guys we need could be on a month or even three months notice”

“Yes, and they’d need confidence that this is really going to happen. They won’t get that if the interview is in a building site”

“We could start off somewhere else, then move here when its ready”

“Could do. But the attraction of this place is the acoustics and that’s what should attract the best guys to join us”

Michelle listened to the discussion. Yet again there were no entrenched positions, just alternative views to make sure that the right decisions were made.

“Michelle, we need another of your boards. We need to identify all the jobs we need doing. Then identify possible candidates, then sort them by preference, then track them through to actually arriving here to work”

“But while we get all that in place, Michelle, we need to get this building work finished because full scale recording can’t happen effectively with that amount of noise and vibration. We’ll also need to create an overall schedule so we know where to focus to get everything to come together”

“Yes – as well as everything else!” she gasped assuming that task was coming her way as well

“Exactly. I think I remember telling you this would be a full on rollercoaster. Well, I don’t mean to disappoint”

“Gee, thanks Damon!”

“But” he said turning to Adam “the next big thing is this mini tour and the Suffolk gig just for Jason. That will get us free from IMD before they get wise to us setting up our own label”

“Own label!” breathed Adam “Chameleon Media”

That sounded good.

“We need to get the driveway completed”

“If possible, but we could live without that – but we do need to get the studio sorted. There’s still some crossed wires down there”

“Well, the bar is complete”

“Now there’s a move in the right direction”

“But we also need production to be available, and the support services like distribution and invoicing. And Michelle, we need to see if Colin is interested in doing any work at all, because so far he seems to have opted out. Can you work some question like that into your conversation with him about the lawn? Maybe he would like to chauffeur folks down from the station. It’s the essentials of making it work. We need names in all these boxes – bands, transport, accommodation, food, cleaning, scheduling, studio, recording, pressing, distribution, invoicing, revenue collection, tour setup and transport. So if you do that, I’ll get on with this gig we owe IMD”

“Damon! Are you serious?”

“No”

But Damon also knew that production would be a major issue. Adam had put Max and Andrea in the frame for this, and that was good for demos, initial volumes and pre-release to radio stations. But a chart topping single needed hundreds of thousands of copies, not just hundreds like Max could make. As he’d discussed with Gordon, Australian Media Distribution would be a good short term or fall back option, and that was enough for the time being.

Dinner over again and Michelle wandered slowly along the first floor corridor almost idly turning the handles of the numbered doors. The light switches worked, the beds were made up and turned back ready for the next band. The ceilings were all complete and newly painted. On down the main staircase with her head still spinning, she didn’t remember telling anyone to polish the banister, but she was sure it looked shinier and the scuff marks and surface chips had all gone. And it made such a difference. In the meeting room, that great big table was dust free, Damons office felt like it still had a buzz in it even though there was no-one else there, and the noise from the builders had reduced enough to let her simply loiter in the finished bar. Progress. Everywhere. How much had they achieved! And how much more did they need before….. before they could start recording.

Mini Tour

Michelle saw no impediment to success. Ok, so Damon was more cautious. He would like to believe that they’d be successful, so maybe it was just another few months of taking it one step at a time and making steady progress. More progress was more commitment, but it also clarified the imperatives for the next steps. All she could do is continue what she’d already started. Continue pushing the builders, and the glazier, and the pool engineer, and….

Yes, she could take this pressure off Damon, What she couldn’t do is set up the gig for the live album recording. She wouldn’t know where to start and that was up to Damon.

Adams priority was the studio, and that as nearly there. Then it was a matter of checking out potential recruits. It was a leisurely, laid back operation and that also gave him time to check out with some old friends. Next on his list was the production and distribution side of the plan and was already covertly pursuing old contacts. That kept him out of the Studio and away from the noise and that suited him better. But he felt the pressure was off. Although he was itching to make progress, he feared that the building work would take several months, and if the next part of the plan focussed on recording, it could only be implemented after the noise subsided.

Damon. However, did not feel any similar relief. He was more concerned about the live album they owed International Music Distribution. IMD had seldom done them any favours and Damon considered that Jason, their main link into IMD was an amoral parasite with the ethics of a sadist and without a single empathetic bone in his entire body. He was Damon’s prime example when he talked about the industry having a poor reputation. But, while Damon had managed the group himself, their European distribution contract with IMD included a live album, and that had not been scheduled before Alex left the band.

But a live album meant a live gig to record it and he wanted to get this all sorted before word leaked out that they might be setting up their own operation. He didn’t want any loose ends that IMD could use to garotte him.

Not unusually, events conspired against him and it wasn’t until late that evening that he was sitting down in the bar with Michelle

“Wow, so after all that, what I was about to tell you is that I’m going up to Glasgow tomorrow. I want to drop in on a few venues and phone calls are too random, you seldom get to talk to the right guys and it takes months. That’s ok if you’re setting up for next year, but I want this mini tour in about six weeks. A flash surprise”
“Mini tour? I thought you were only doing one gig? I thought you were doing some random village hall because it would be easier setting up recording at a small venue?”

“We only need one gig for our contract. But we also need that album to be successful. Our line-up will be changed and we need to convince the fans. I’m looking for 4 venues. Glasgow, then Sheffield then London and then that smaller one just for Jason. So I’ll drop in on Karen when I’m on the way through. We’re going to call this the Headless Chameleon Tour because that was Alex’s name – Alessandro Kopf – German for head. And he, of course will be missing”

The ’smaller one just for Jason’ was Damon’s sting in the tail for when they had finally delivered their full quota of commitments. There was no sympathy for any of them when Alex ‘left’ the band, only ‘how are you going to satisfy your contract’. This attitude was what was wrong with the industry. Me, me, me. Grab everything you can, and take every opportunity to wring the very last drop of blood out of anyone unfortune enough to be defenceless. Well, that was their way, but it wasn’t Damon’s. IMD may only need one more gig, but Jason did not control the Chameleons. The plan for the tour was simple. Book an available venue for the date, not book the date that the venue is available. Maybe Wembley would be available. It was expensive and that put most people off. Or maybe just the Arena. Celtic park? There must be a football stadium somewhere in the country that was howling out for the revenue from a major gig. And with that level of flexibility, he was confident.

Daniel Muir

Cecily was not a public speaker. Her voice could be loud enough when invoked, but she did little to enamour her audience

“Listen up, y'all…” she bellowed in the Eden Radio offices at nearly going home time “…First thing in the morning there's a guy called Daniel Muir coming in. I don't know exactly what for, but he has an invitation from Sir Edwin Weslock who is our chairman. I understand he's a musician, so its probably the studios he's interested in”

Strange, thought Annabelle, but then the chances of her being involved were minimal, but now it was early morning and she was concentrating on sorting the mail when Damon bundled in swinging both of the doors wide open. She spun round hearing some noise and he caught both her arms and stole a kiss quickly before she had a chance to respond. She twitched in surprise although she was really quite thrilled

“Actually. I’ve come to see a guy called Jim Brownlee” he said taking her completely aback.

“I don’t think you're supposed to do that sort of thing at work”

“What? See Jim Brownlee?”
“No, kiss people”

“No? Really? I always do”

Ohh. You’re not teasing me again, Ohh

“I was hoping to meet Jim Brownlee at 8.30. It was set up by Sir Edwin Weslock”

“Really? He's not in”

“Who? Sir Edwin or Mr Brownlee?”

“Both”

“Curiouser and curiouser”

“Said Alice” she completed “no, I'm usually told about people we’re expecting, and the only visitor today is a Mr Muir. I’ll call Cecily”

“Cecily? I've got Mr Lehrer in reception. Says he has an appointment set up by Sir Edwin”

“Well I’m not expecting him, and Gavin is waiting for some frog called Danny l’Mere or something to show up. Tell him to sling his hook”

But with no-one there to meet him, Damon decided that Brownlee was a non starter and he needed more of a plan before he rocked in to rock the boat. But on reflection, if it was losing money as Sir Edwin, Debbie and Annabelle had all suggested, and no-one was saying why, then there must be something nefarious going on and so a level of aggressive secrecy should be expected. And surely the MD would have noticed!

Still, it means an earlier start on the long haul to Glasgow.

Cue: If it Weren’t for Him by Rosanne Cash

Glasgow

The hardest part about setting up that gig in Glasgow was getting into the ground to start with. He was met with a look of serious suspicion when he told the gate-man that he wanted to talk to someone about hiring the entire stadium for a rock concert. It took several phone calls before he was even allowed off the street but he retrieved some credibility as he remembered the layout of the tunnels under the stands that led to the management admin offices.

Of course it was a short timescale, but no shorter than Damon was used to. He’d done this so many times before and already had enough of the answers. This was probably the last thing that the stadium manager was expecting in the fading afternoon, but the initial meeting sounded encouraging and they finished late after adjourning to the pub. It was all very amiable even though it was something of a bolt from the blue, and Damon was happy that he’d taken the trouble to go there rather than just phone up, and with a deposit paid he was confident they’d make the arrangements.

Early morning, it was back on the road, this time to Sheffield not too late to meet Karen for lunch.

Karen

Damon had known Karen at school and had seen her a few times since then, when he was in the country. But he tracked her down through her parents when he’d first thought of the idea for the radio programs and she still seemed to have her specific talent. When a new single was released, she’d predict just how far up the chart it would get. And Damon had remembered that she was nearly always right. Now living in the north midlands she knew her way around the emerging music scene in that part of the world, and it did appear that there was a lot of talent there to exploit. And not just that, but she spent most evenings in the live music bars and clubs keeping up with the emerging trends.

Karen was looking forward to this. She still wanted to retain her day job, but this was evening and weekend work. And with the lifestyle she had already chosen, this would hardly be work at all. In fact, if she was going to be responsible for progressing the career of some of these bands, she saw this as her contribution to the music scene that gave her so much pleasure and entertainment. All she was doing now was waiting impatiently for Damon to fire the starting gun.

She was overflowing with enthusiasm while Damon was trying very hard to slow her down, explaining the situation regarding the building work without dampening her spirits. But Karen had another angle on it. This job wasn’t really full time. Ok, some, most even, A and R scouts pretended it was a full time job and shamelessly accepted a full time salary for doing it, but Karen couldn’t see how it would take more than the evenings, maybe only two or three days a week. She couldn’t see what she’d need to do during the day.

Daman had to agree. His opinion of music industry scouts was unprintable. Most of them were worthless parasites signing up third and fourth rate bands, raising the hopes and expectations to unrealistic levels just to make their quota. Targets that were set for quantity not quality, and that classified them as leeches sucking the life blood out of the industry just the same as band managers - all leaving very little for the artists themselves.

This was confusing. Karen was so enthusiastic, but this seemed like the other side of the coin. But no, as she explained. She’d recently been offered promotion at the office she worked in. She hadn’t accepted immediately because she knew this offer from Damon would be materialising soon. In response, her company had increased their offer. Now Karen was suggesting that in the immediate term she’d take that promotion; take the next couple of months to settle into it while keeping an eye of the scene, hanging out in clubs and bars in the evening on Damon’s account with the more serious task of actual recruitment. She, of course, would be critical to success and keeping her happy was of the utmost importance. Not that he couldn’t do the job himself – if he had to. But this way might even improve the quality as she’d have more time for assessment. Either way, Damon was happy to go with it. It introduced the risk that Karen wouldn’t have the time to do the job properly, but fitted all the other factors including the timescale.

“But you’ll need to make sure everything is working at your end as well?” Karen continued

“Yes. But we wont really know what’s going to go wrong till we try”

“The thing is, Damon, I’ve been looking around already, just to test my plan. I’ve got some guys in mind,

They’re a heavy rock band, but with a cello player as well. But I think I’ll look out for something a little dodgy as well just to see if you pick that up at your end. And if we don’t sign either of them its not a great loss”
“Plan! And that will act as a test of everything before you send us someone serious”

Heather

Hillsborough were not immediately enthusiastic. He needed full co-operation to make this successful on this timescale even if they looked disappointed when ten minutes later he terminated the meeting thanking them for their time and saying he’d find somewhere else. He was still confident that there would be a dozen high capacity stadiums just itching to stage a high profile midweek concert.

Finding a free football stadium or two somewhere in the Midlands should be fairly straightforward. Finding a suitable vocalist to join them on stage could be a little more tricky if his first choice turned him down. But with that someone in mind, and with success in the bag at Elland Road, he headed for Heather’s address.

He rang the bell. It would be so much easier than trying to phone her, especially if he'd got the wrong number, and it opened a crack, suspiciously held by a chain

“Mrs Tinsley? Is Heather in?”

“No. Was she expecting you?”

“No, not unless she’s psychic. I was just on my way past. Is she still doing a lot with her band?”

“Her band? Oh no, not at the moment”
“Really?”

“No. They all fell out with each other a few weeks ago”

“Hmm. So she might be interested in a little gig I'm putting together”

“I wouldn't be surprised. She's at an interview right now. Thought she'd be back already”

“Maybe I should call back later. Could you confirm the phone number I've got for her?”

The door closed in his face and he heard the chain rattle till the door opened again, this time a bit wider

“You could come in and wait for her if you want. I really am expecting her any minute”

But Heather remained elusive even as they finished the whole pot of tea, and talked for nearly an hour

“I'm sorry Mrs Tinsley. I've taken up enough of your afternoon. Maybe you could give her a message from me”

“I'll get you a paper, and you can write it down. I'm getting very forgetful these days”

“Who did you say he was, mum…” repeated Heather as she finished reading the short note “…I don't know anyone called Damon”

“But he wants you to meet him for dinner at the Crest International. That’s the best hotel in town, so it must be important. And then you'd find out what its all about”

She remained perplexed all through her bath and getting dressed and even her taxi into town. The head waiter was completely unphased by her rather vague request

“I'm supposed to be meeting Damon for dinner. Do you know which table that is?” as he directed her to a window table set for only two looking out across the city where a smartly casual man in his early thirties was quietly studying the wine list. Somehow she was expecting there to be more people than this. More of a gathering. A party maybe? But no. This looked more like a romantic date for two.

“Damon?” she asked hopefully as he rose to greet her

“Heather. I'm so pleased you could make it. Hi. We were nearly introduced before, about two years ago, in Singapore, but something suddenly exploded backstage and the priorities changed. But I’ve been something of a fan of yours and I’ve seen you on stage several times, most recently last year in Berlin......”

She moved closer to shake his hand but instead he pulled her in gently for a quick and unexpected kiss “Damon Lehrer” he introduced. “Guitarist and sometimes keyboards with the Chameleons”

“What!” she gasped loudly “No way!”

“Hey lady…” the American on the next table intervened “….If that guy’s being a nuisance I'll get him chucked out for you”

“No! oh my! Oh please don’t do that! I didn’t know who I was meant to be meeting. But I could never possibly have expected this! This is by a long way the best guitarist on the entire planet! I was looking forward to dinner. Now I'm not sure I'll be able to eat anything at all!”

“Sure you will. Lets just sit down, get a drink, order some food and you can tell me what you've been up to recently. Although I'm inclined to stick with this wine I've already got. It really is decidedly drinkable”

She scanned the menu, finding that her hands were both shaking, hardly recovering as the waiter took the order.

“Not quite calmed down yet? Try this”

He passed his glass across to her for her to taste, which all seemed bizarrely over familiar, but they’d already kissed, so whatever…..

“Then I'll tell you what I have in mind and see if you're interested......”

“Whatever it is, the answer is yes”

“That's a bit rash! Considering the reputation this business has got”

“Maybe. But oh my goodness - Damon Lehrer! But yes, you are right. Don't remind me. You don’t know Jason Reinhart do you? He’s at IMD”

Damon looked immediately sympathetic

“Yes, Heather. I know him”

She nodded “yes, well, About a month ago when the band ran into trouble, I got an invitation from IMD”

“Did you go?”

“Yes. I hadn’t heard of him before and, you know, he might be one of the good guys. Anyway, I was still upset about the band and I was following every lead...”

Damon was shaking his head as if it was a lost cause as she continued

“... But he's not one of the good guys. I got out with only minor damage, which also meant I missed out on the contract”

“Likely there never was one, Heather. But you don't need a contract to do gigs. Sometimes things are impromptu”

“Ok, but that's just like busking isn't it? There’s never any money in it”

“True. But it can be quite good fun. Look, that pianos free. If you fancy a song”

He turned to the American “You interested in a bit of entertainment?”

“Are we allowed to do this? Damon, are you sure…. I don't know if ... I… ….?”

“Of course you know. And we’ll never find out if we’re allowed to or not if we don’t ask. And since we don’t want to know we’re not going to ask”

He pulled her up out of her chair and she tagged him over to the piano

“Bridges” he suggested, starting a few bars introduction

She knew 'Bridges'. It was a well-known standard song by the Chameleons and half way through the first verse her nervous reluctance had disappeared as he slid up and down the keys. It was a fun song with dark humour lyrics and a twist at the end that Damon had composed in a dim corner of Eastern Europe many years before. She was grinning from ear to ear as she revealed the unexpected ending and Damon suggested the next song

“I don't know that one!” she responded loudly with as much despondency as giggling and Damon announced an alternative with some minor laughter from the unsuspecting audience. Damon drifted up and down the keys exploring and stretching her vocal range. They dived into a third track and finished the sequence with some hard core rock, escaping back to their table before they attracted any adverse comments for interrupting everyone as the waiter appeared with two complimentary glasses of champagne

“It's a good way of getting free drinks” Damon explained “they don't want to throw you out because you're spending good money, but they don't want too much disruption of everyone’s evening, including their own schedule”

“Wow Damon! I can't believe we just did that. Woohoo! Was that epic or what!”

“Awesome!” declared the American “that kinda thing just doesn’t happen in Chicago”

“Buddy, it would if we were there!”

Food arrived and, as requested, Heather continued her update on the cities and venues she’d played recently, with the good the bad and the ugly of audience feedback..

She seldom ate dessert, but this was a special occasion and in the excitement she’d also ordered a liqueur coffee.

He turned to focus intensely on her “So do you want to know what I have in mind?”

“Yes. But I already told you the answer”

“Ok. But as an aside, one thing I intend to start doing is repair the damage to our industry. It seems like its got to the point where every invitation a girl gets to a sound test or studio is for something completely unrelated to music”

“You're not going to disappoint me are you?”

“Quite possibly. Don’t expect me to be anything like Jason. As a rule I like everyone, but he’s the exception that proves that rule. But, I’m not looking for recruits to that crusade. There’s something else I wanted a chat with you about. Now, I want to give you a hint. In order to come to the right conclusion, the answer to every question is ‘yes’. If its ‘no’, we get another drink and talk about something completely different, have a lovely evening then we’ll meet up again, maybe in another year or two. Ok?”

She brightened up visibly, this was already weird. Now it was mystery as well.

“First question, would you like to do the vocals at a rather special gig? In about seven weeks”

She thought for a moment. This had all of a sudden turned serious!

“Emm. Yes. I guess technically I’m unemployed at the moment…”

“It will be quite a big venue. Definitely more than Berlin which would have been about four thousand, yes?”

“I guess so. We were always looking to stage bigger venues”

“Is that a hope or a yes?”

“Sorry, It’s a yes” she replied with increasing intrigue and only now starting to take this seriously

“And its with some rather high profile guys”

“Are you joking?”

“That wasn't an option for the answer”

“Oh! Wow! …. I mean Yes, like a big yes”

“We’d need some time for rehearsals, but more intensely in about five or six weeks Are you available”

“Yes”

“Do you think you’d be able to learn the lyrics? You should have plenty of time... “

“I’m not doing anything else right now… I mean yes”

“And lastly, what about reserving some time after that in case we need to do some recording?”

“Recording? What?”

“Yes – But its not organised yet. Just an expectation”

“Oh wow! I mean, yes. Like a big yes. So why me?”

“Because I need someone reliable and flexible. Someone who’s up to the standard. What I don’t want is one of those prima donnas who need their luxury dressing room and a raft of impossible demands. I need a team player to avoid that stress. But don’t underestimate how important this is. I’ve been thinking about this for four months. You came to mind in the first ten minutes and you are still number one, top of the list. I need a real person. Someone who’s good enough but at the same time would be able to just rock in off the street with a guitar slung over their shoulder, hike up onto the stage and just jam”
“You mean, like we just did?”
“Yes”

Cue: All on Your Own by Fair Warning

“So who else is on? You said they might even be high profile? Would I know any of them?”

“Who else? I’m bringing in a guest singer called Megan Taylor for a couple of tracks. I’ll back her on keyboard. She’s only 15, but I can see her as a future star”
“So just me and her? Who else is backing? Or is it just you?”

“I’ll be there, Heather. But the other guys on stage will be Adam McNab and Gordon McPhearson”

“But that’s….”

“That’s right. What I’m inviting you to do, Heather, is front the Chameleons”
“Damon!”

She sank back in her chair as he refilled the glass she’d just drained

“Damon, You want me to appear on stage with you guys? You're kidding, right? I can’t even believe that I’m having dinner with you never mind ……!”

“Oh, come on, Heather! You stand up at a moment’s notice with no invitation in a busy hotel restaurant and run off three tracks with me with no problem at all. And now you're having a issue with something far more organised and rehearsed”

“I’m lost for words”
“You don’t need any. You already told me the answer”

“But I didn’t know what the question was then!”

“And anyway, its only three gigs”

“Three!”

“You’ll get the hang of it by the time we get to Wembley”

“Wembley? No way!”

“Although it might be the Arena if the Stadium is booked”

The astonishment subsided slowly over the next hour as they talked and she got her heart rate back under control. Nothing could ever had prepared her for this. If anyone had even hinted at this she’d have asked them what they’d been injecting

“Can I tell the guys you’re definitely in?”

She nodded feverishly “You think I can do this don’t you”

“I know you can do it. Its you that’s not sure – yet”

Success! Heather sorted. Tomorrow, phone Megan. But that can be from the car on the motorway heading south.

The call from Kate in Sir Edwins office persuaded him to divert to Edencombe rather than London and Gerrards would be a good place to think through the rest of the plan, but before that, lunch would be taken at the Coach and Horses. This was exciting. Sir Edwin had invited him to a meeting and that meant this was now serious. He was currently up to his neck with the steel works he was also trying to sell but had decided that he could spare the time for Damon if it resulted in losing that particular monkey from his back. And he said he’d round up the financial position.

Starburst

Heidi

Heidi lifted her head up like a meercat at the sound of her name.

“In” was all Jim Brownlee said, jerking his head towards the inside of his office.

Sluggishly she crept up. Meetings with him were never pleasant. The only saving grace for this one was that it was impromptu, so no misery waiting for it. She pulled the chair back preparing…

“Don’t sit down. I’m on the way out”

‘Good’ she thought, but simply looked in his direction waiting for the explanation

“Sir Edwin…” he began, but maybe she was still looking blank and he offered farther explanation “You know Sir Edwin Weslock? He’s chairman of our board? Yes?”
“I know who he is, but I’ve never met him”

“Ok, well he wants four documents. Last year’s annual CH filing, Staff list with details of service, job titles and salary, company accounts for last month including balances, and sales forecast for the coming 12 month. Got that?”

“Mr Brownlee, I don’t have these documents”

“Well go - and - find - them. By lunchtime tomorrow latest. Well go on, get on with it”

Back at her desk, she wrote them down in case she forgot, although she was already thinking that this was impossible. Hmm. If I look for the easiest one first, it might give me confidence that I’ve got some chance with the others..

But there were no forecasts in the Sales office and she phoned William for some help. His view, however, was that it was pointless producing forecast and prospect lists because he had nothing left to sell.

Ok drawn a blank there. Oh well, not the confidence I wanted, but at least it cant get worse! Next was Edna. She handled people type things, like training and hiring people, but no

“I can’t just give you that” she exclaimed “That’s all personal details. You’re just not having it, Heidi”

“I should think not!” cut in Miriam “what kind of nosey parker is asking for that stuff anyway?”

Heidi declined to comment, and moved on to the accounts. At least she had access to the historic accounts filing cabinet. But more disappointment was hiding inside and Heidi wasted no time in finding it. Two years ago, three even! And before that, but not the most recent, and no time to contact Companies House. But that’s absurd. Why am I even considering contacting them for one of our own reports? And accounts. She already knew that was a lost cause. Simpson, Bernie Simpson that is, or as he would snap at her ‘That’s Mr Simpson to you’ kept any information on that totally secret. He made up the final accounts himself, always said if you want something doing properly, do it yourself. Too important to let anyone else get their hands on it.

She went in to see Cecily now that Brown Thing had gone

“I’m struggling a bit”

“Aren’t we all?”

“Yes, but Mr Simpson keeps the final accounts under lock and key after we’ve all given our input. And as for staff salaries!”

“Look Heidi, you were told to get those reports. I can’t see much future for you if you don’t get them. Sir Edwin is not a patient man”

“Oh, thanks Ces”.

Just what I needed. But Annabelle on reception was much more sympathetic. We could create a staff list, she suggested. Yes she agreed, I guess you could, watching everyone come in and out every day as you do.

Having little better to do, Annabelle started her list. By going home time she had 32 names on it and gave it to Heidi on her way out.

“Thanks babe. It’s a start, but I think I might as well strike my name off right now”

Next morning, Simpson wasn’t in – again, and neither was the brown thing. Heidi trawled through the information she did have. All summary data, like bank balances. But not all of the bank accounts and nothing at transaction level. But don’t be silly, you can’t just create an accounts summary. Heidi you’re mad. Don’t even think about it. It’s for the chairman of the board for goodness sake.

But no doubt brown thing will be in soon, or maybe Mr Simpson will show up, and I’ll just have to beg for some help, and be declared useless, again. It was at times like this that the stark reality of recession got personal and smacked you in the face. Oh, for another job to go to!

But mid-morning came - and went. Cecily went off for an early lunch and unsurprisingly Simpson never arrived.

“Excuse me”

She looked around. The deep voice was from an older gentleman, very smart with a crisp suit and short moustache

“Is Jim Brownlee in? or Bernie Simpson?”

“Neither I’m afraid. Did you have an appointment?”

“No, Brownlee was getting some documents for me”

“Oh I’m so sorry. Are you Sir Edwin Weslock?”

“That is correct”

“Mr Brownlee asked me to round up some reports for you, but, Sir Edwin, I’ve tried my best and not had much success”

“Really! How much success?”
“None, actually”

“What on earth have you been doing? No, don’t answer that. I’m desperately late already. Our client may be waiting for me even at this very moment. I need to rush. But I need to talk to you as well about these reports. So, only one answer, come on, get your coat”

They hurried out and without thinking too much she found herself being whisked at speed up the Mallard Hills Road in the passenger seat of Sir Edwin’s Bentley.

“We’re only going to the Coach and Horses. Do you know it?”
“I’ve been there once, Sir Edwin. It’s a special occasions type of place for me”

“And you are?”

“Oh I’m sorry Sir Edwin. I’m Heidi, Heidi Sinclair”
“Lovely name, Heidi. And call me Ed. Can’t have Sir Edwin being called all around the pub. No telling what beggars and scroungers that would attract”

As if, she thought, the Bentley wouldn’t.

“Now, you said you’re having trouble with the documents. They’re standard in any company, so why are you having a problem?”

“I’m so sorry. But I’m told that the staff list contains so much personal information that the lady who keeps this wouldn’t let me have it. Even when I said it was for you. I asked if she could just copy out the salaries and things, but she said that’s the confidential bit. Apparently it should be kept under lock and key”

“Hmphh”

“And last year’s accounts aren’t in the file where they should be. I brought the previous year’s, if its any help”
“Interesting. That’s a public document. Any Tom, Dick or Harry can apply for a copy directly from Companies House”
“I know, Sir, but not in the timescale I had”

“Not on someone’s desk then?”

“Not that I could find, Sir… I mean Ed”

She jumped as she was sure she heard a phone ringing

“Ed.. No .. 500 .. 5% .. can’t we do better than that? 25s a lot of money .. Have you pointed out the social impact and cost to secondary industries? .. No .. call his bluff .. I’m not dropping another 25 .. Yes call me back”

He sighed “You know, Heidi, some of these guys lose track of the real world. Just another 25 indeed!”

He looked over towards her as if expecting a response

“I agree. I think 25 pounds is a lot of money really”

He looked back, startled

“Oh! My dear Heidi! Its not 25 pounds. But you’re right. Sometimes we do lose track of values. For an analogy, if you were in the pub and the drinks came to 12 and a half pounds, the barman would ask for 12,50, wouldn’t he? The pounds is assumed. As it is with this. Actually, that was about a steel works I’m trying to sell. It should be worth 550 to 600, but that’s millions. And the 25 is too. Still, good point you made”

They pulled in to the car park and he led her through the arch in the hedge to the sheltered garden. Heidi’s heart jumped as a younger guy, maybe in his thirties got up and extended a handshake to Sir Edwin. If this was the client, she’s glad she came. Equally well dressed, alert with sparkling eyes that she was sure clocked every movement, and no ‘tash.

“Damon, good to see you. And this is Heidi. She’s from the administration department. Damon, would you mind very much looking after Heidi for me. I really must dash to the little boys room”

“Hi Heidi, Good to meet you. I guess you’ve been given the task of rounding up the financial position”

“yes. But…”

“And I guess Sir Edwin has sworn you to secrecy, at least until the sale is agreed”

Heidi jumped again but manged to keep quiet. Sale? So that’s what this data is for

“I’m quite excited about this. Actual broadcasting is new to me. Oh! But at the risk of deserting you as well, there’s a big party just arrived. I’d like to get over to the bar ahead of them. Can you stay here and keep the table. What d’you want to drink?”

With both of them now gone, she checked out the menu. Oh I do hope we’re not going Dutch. At those prices it’ll bankrupt me for the month.

‘Oh my goodness’ she breathed to herself trying to maintain composure as Sir Edwin” sat back down at the table. She managed a weak smile that quickly vanished as she remembered again just how mad he really should be at her.

“Damon’s gone to the bar to get some drinks ahead of some big party that just rocked in”

“Ok. Do you know what you want to eat?”

“I’ll have the steak and ale pie, please”

“Certainly. I’ll try to catch Damon at the bar”

“Thankyou..” she continued hesitantly, biting the inside of her lip

But back at the table and with a new round of drinks and the food ordered, Edwin opened the conversation with some small talk. It was mainly about his family which she gathered had been discussed on previous occasions as his cousin was in a part of France that Damon seemed familiar with. The conversation moved on to Damon’s other business in music production just as the waitress arrived with their food

Sir Edwin finished his devilled kidneys and mopped up the remaining gravy with the last piece of olive bread.

It seemed that Damon had been waiting for him to finish before moving the discussion on.

“So, Ed, do we have any numbers to work on?”

“No” he said slowly “Heidi has been trying to amass the data you want, but with limited success. Is that right Heidi. We didn’t get much time to discuss this on the way up here,

“That’s about right” said Heidi “Looks like any data there is, is locked in cabinets and anyone with a key seems to be unavailable”

“What?” Sir Edwin shook his head slowly “No information at all? Hmm. If it gets any worse it sounds like your low offer might become attractive”

“Ok, we are where we are. But do we know what the debt situation is”

“I’m not aware of any loans taken out in the company name”

“What about guarantees?”

“Nor that”

“But no documentary evidence to that effect”

“Heidi?”

This was double edged sword. A chance to contribute, but not a positive response

“There are no debt payments from the bank accounts I can see. But, I’m afraid, that’s not every account”

“We’re not doing so well then?

“What about the sales forecast?”

“Apparently, all the available advertising slots are filled”

“Are they indeed!” replied Sir Edwin with rhetorical optimism

“So, no room for increased revenue there” replied Damon, negatively

“Unless we can move out some of the lower earning clients”

Damon nodded in agreement

“Accounts?”

“I'm sorry, but without Mr Simpson, I can't do anything on that. He finalises the accounts himself, so everything else is just used as input. I was considering trying to recreate it, but, honestly, it would be as good as a guess”

“And” continued Damon “the annual accounts have not been submitted to Companies House, I checked. Expect the fine any day soon”

“Which is why they're not in the file, but why not?”

“This does not leave us in a good place” Damon said eventually having pondered the situation “Look, Ed. I’m up for a fair price. But let’s just take stock. We have no financial information, staff morale is low and that hardly gives us optimism for the future. There could be all manner of gremlins hiding in there, and the cloak of mystery around any information suggests that serious caution is required”

“Yeah” Edwin breathed out. “Got to blame myself for this. Don’t know how it managed to get this bad without being noticed”.

Heidi twitched. What on earth am I doing here?

“If this was just an isolated commercial proposition” Ed continued “I expect you'd walk away right now”

“Yes, but it isn't. For sure its uncharted territory and that can be very exciting. It can also be very expensive. To me, it has a strategic value to the rest of my business rather than simply generating additional margin. I could survive without it, you know, it wasn’t part of the original plan. But it should significantly reduce the risks if it pans out the way I envisage. Which is why I want to persevere.”

Heidi listened, trying desperately to think of something to say that would let her join in. But her mind was also drifting to the surreal. What was she doing here in an up-market rural pub garden sitting between these two business men? One with the biggest Bentley she’d ever seen, and the other clearly with enough money lying around somewhere to buy the whole company. And her with, well, next to nothing

“Ed,” Damon continued “its like in any business. You trust people to do a job, and to do a good job. If they then set up their own agenda, and then try to conceal it, its well nigh impossible to track till its too late. ’Specially with your portfolio to look after as well”

“So you’ve drawn a complete blank” Edwin frowned at her

She nodded “I’m afraid so Sir Edwin”

“Hmm… So did Brownlee just give you the list?”

“All he did was tell me the list of the information that you needed. He didn’t go through it, or explain anything, or even why it was wanted – although” she admitted “Damon did explain some of that just before you arrived”

“I always think you get a better response if folks know why they’re being asked to do something. If they’re in the picture they can contribute. If not, you’re relying on them hearing what you think you said” explained Damon

“Quite so” conceded Edwin. “So what does Brownlee say about this?”

Heidi looked over with obvious surprise “I’m sorry Ed. I haven’t seen him. He’s not been into the office since ….”

“Jesus wept! I don’t suppose, young lady, that you’re hiding some good news somewhere?”

“I started making my own lists” defended Heidi “And I think I’ve got the employee one up to date”

“Ahh a start” Ed said more cheerily than Heidi could have expected.

“But” responded Damon “without payroll data, we don’t know if there are any others, field sales people maybe? Contractor Presenters? Part-timers. Or even ghosts”

Heidi flashed a questioning frown, and Damon explained “Names that appear on the payroll, but don’t actually exist”

Heidi gasped again. This was new territory for her. She’d seen the levels of trivial theft in the company, like Sandra raiding the petty cash box to pay the sandwich lady, but this was business deceit on a much grander scale.

Damon turned to her “Heidi. What's the realistic chance of you obtaining these documents, say by the end of the week?”

She glanced over at Ed who appeared to be thinking deeply about something, but not necessarily this.

“To be honest, Damon, sorry Ed, if it's left to me, the chances are not good. I would need to wait for Mr Simpson to return and then get him to release the monthly accounts to me to give to you. Same sort of thing on the staff list and if the annual report hasn't been submitted...Sorry Ed, I….”

“It's a sad day, Heidi, when you have to apologise for being truthful, but I must take it at face value and agree that you are probably right”

“Ok” said Damon, trying to raise the mood “What about assets”

“Assets? Damon”

“Look, we're getting nowhere with the current financial approach, so what about asset. If we put a value on the assets that would give us an alternative starting point”

“I see. An asset only deal” nodded Sir Edwin in defeat

“Or” Damon continued “You could wait another month until the company funding runs dry and see who’s squirming most, which should point you in the direction of the haemorrhage”

Ed turned to look at Heidi and with almost a smile “I sometimes wonder if there’s anyone on my side at all? And, there’s no telling what it would be worth if it went down, and I really don’t have the time or the inclination to delve into the depths of that scenario”

“Yes, and its also possible that the remainder may well have a negative value”

“Unlikely, if there’s no known debt. The assets and the licence should be worth a couple of hundred”

“The only thing against all that” said Damon supporting Edwin’s thought “is that I’d prefer to keep some continuity”

The table fell silent

“Heidi, were you going to ask something?”

“I was.. But .Sorry, it’s a stupid question”

“Not at all” Damon replied “You can’t contribute if you don’t know what’s going on”

But I doubt I can contribute anything of value anyway!

“What's an asset.?” she asked “Sorry, stupid question”

“Not at all” explained Ed “In this context an asset is anything tangible. Like a studio or an office building or some technical equipment. Sometimes, maybe in financial circles, they'll include things like bank accounts and customer good-will as assets, but we’ll specifically exclude those on this occasion. So, where would we start in valuing the assets?”

“But I can do that!” she said with a note of triumph “there's an inventory. It includes the studio equipment and even desks and chairs. It's used for calculating the depreciation write down”

“When can you get that together? How long?” asked Sir Edwin

“Shouldn't take long, a couple of hours, but that's mainly to check what's included and the dates and so on”

“Tomorrow lunchtime then?”

“I think that's achievable”

“You think?” he criticised

“I'm sure that's achievable”

“That's better” he smiled

“Look, Ed. I'd like to think we could move forward. Suppose I propose an outline deal. We take the value of the assets as described in the inventory. We check that it is complete. Then I get my technical guru to check that the system will run end to end as a complete unit. Like, there aren't any vital components that are rented or something which would omit them from the inventory, and we do a deal purely on that. Ed. You've got to agree that the original plan is just a blank cheque. No one is ever going to take you up on that”

“Let me think about it. My immediate reaction is yes. But I haven't convinced myself that we can't get those numbers together. I'd like another chance at that”

“I've no problem with that, but I want to tie this up sooner rather than later. And the bottom line is, it's losing money”

“So kind of you to remind me” quipped Ed keeping the mood amiable as they shook hands.

Back in the Bentley, Sir Edwin was in pensive mood

“I'm sorry, Sir Edwin. I hope I didn't say anything too far out of line. But I did my best. Really I did. Everything is so secretive in that office”

“No, no, my dear. The task you were given was impossible. I didn't know Brownlee was going to delegate it like that. Believe me, I know how hard it is to get figures out of anybody. But you have given me cause for significant thought”

He stopped at the foot of the stairs to talk to Annabelle and if, being on reception and seeing everyone come in and out, how many people were employed there. He would have taken longer, but hearing Brownlee exploding, hurried on to the top.

“Where the devil have you been? You knew those reports were needed by lunchtime. You haven't even left them on your desk for me”

“She's been with me” broke in Sir Edwin “And very useful she was too. Heidi, I want you to take the rest of the afternoon off. You know what your task is for tomorrow. Now, I hope to get back here, but I might not. In which case I'll phone you, all right”

Heidi’s thankyou fell on deaf ears as Sir Edwin had already moved on

“As for you, Jim Brownlee, get back into that office. We need to have a chat”

The chat was short and pointed. Ed was all fired up, loaded, primed and aiming at Brownlee

“Listen, all MDs have essentially the same job. They take the given circumstances, they take charge, they grab it by the throat and they make money. Your task is no different and you have failed. I will call you mid-morning. If you can talk me through a feasible recovery plan, you might save your skin. Otherwise you’re out. And I want that Simpson guy in here as well. I want those financial reports”
Brownlee sat simmering for a few minutes to make sure Sir Edwin had left the building, then burst out through his door looking this way and that
“Where’s that Heidi girl. When I catch up with her I’ll skin her alive”
But wisely, she had gone home.

Early that evening in Gerrards, Damon had time to reflect and consider this. No doubt it would be a bit like the Studio because its not going to be like anything anyone ever dreamed of. But I need to tell Michelle so that she’s included. It’ll take some time up here in Edencombe, but she’s handling the work in the Studio ok anyway. I’ll rename it Starburst. Its such a good idea, and the opportunity is really timely, even though Eden Radio is a basket case and even Ed agreed with that.

He made a point of making a date with her for the bar later, partly so that each of them reserved the time and partly to alert her that he had something special to discuss.

Michelle was more excited than Damon had expected by this new venture. He explained that he didn’t expect there to be too much work coming her way as he was intending to get a girl called Annabelle to do most of it. But he’d keep her up to date so that she could contribute and help. Wow! Why be content with one crazy roller coaster where any expectations would seldom be underestimated when you can have two!

Invite Megan

The ball was firmly in Ed’s court and until he called another meeting – maybe with some financial details – there was no more to be done. However, he had his lead vocals sorted and maybe he could return to success with Megan. He wanted to take advantage of the situation. These gigs would of necessity be different, so he wanted another difference or two to really differentiate this from previous gigs and tours. The Chameleons would be different. He didn’t want to even pretend that they’d be the same. Heather would be different. And including a young guest would reinforce not only that this was different, but that this is the direction he and Adam were taking.

As luck would have it, Kim wasn't in and her dad was back on the moor.

“Just wondered” he'd said “if you'd be interested in singing a couple of tracks on stage at a gig I'm organising”

He paused for the stunned silence but then continued assuming she was still there .

"Three nights, three performances, plus a full technical rehearsal the previous day"

"You'd get paid…" he persuaded

That was enough invitation until she sounded positive.

"Oh wow! Yeah! like, sure. Damon, I was just suddenly speechless. When is it?”

" 12^th, 13^th and 14^th of June with the final rehearsal just before that on the 10th At that time I'd expect you to be perfect with the rehearsal covering your cue and sync with the lighting and effects"

This was exciting - epic really, and she stayed up late waiting for her mum to return to tell her about it.

"He said I'd get paid. Mum, that's almost like going professional. He wants me to do the two songs I did for the competition and another in case we need an en-core. And he wants me to get that black dress specially cleaned and he's given me the name of a washing additive that I need to use on my blouse to make it more fluorescent"

Megan seemed to be so excited by this that Kim couldn’t possibly be anything but supportive. It wasn’t during the holidays so there’d be some contention with school, and it raised questions about travel and accommodation because it was unlikely to be local, and whether she ought to be taking time off to go with her….

In school the next day, Megan tracked down Gina Scarretti.

"I was hoping you'd help me. I've been offered the chance to sing two songs at a gig Damon’s doing. I guess it'll be a bit like the competition, but I want to practice some stage moves so I want to borrow the stage in the hall. But I don't know who to talk to about that"

Mss Scarretti was busy, but encouraging. This is not the sort of thing that happened every day in her music department

"Lets take a walk round to Drama and see what they say"

Drama too, was a lot more interested than Megan could have expected

"Oh my! How exciting!. And do you have some idea of what your act is going to look like? Have you thought about using any special effects or lighting? What about props?"

They hadn't seen Megan's performance at the competition, but booked the hall in her name and offered to sit in or her rehearsal with whatever advice and help was appropriate.

Dawn was interested in helping her as well. This was another way of keeping in touch with Damon. She wasn't intending to leave school, but she did want to move her music career forward one way or another and she’d already decided that Damon was key.

She set up her Korg that Damon had lent her and hadn’t taken back yet and ran off a couple of attempts before the others arrived. She'd only had a couple of days to learn and practise the tracks that Megan wanted and now with an audience it felt a lot more like a live performance as she ran through ‘Fire and Ice’.

"Goodness! That's an impressive piece of equipment! Are you Megan's regular backing musician?"

"No, we've never actually played together before. But it'll be more realistic if I play for her because there’ll be a short instrumental section between the tracks and that's where she'll have to figure out what to do, what kind of dance she needs"

Megan found a table. It was only about three feet high, but it was quite high enough to leap off to start with. Dawn held her G minor chord and Megan's leap onto the stage went less than perfectly. Her light summer school dress flew up almost to waist height with loud gasps all round, while Dawn fell about laughing and failed to continue playing. Megan lost concentration, lost balance, tripped over and landed in a bundle on the floor.

"Ooooh. Forgot about that"

The following week, the audience had increased to 8 including Rosine and a couple of boys. Drama and Music departments sat ready, and Megan was intent on running through as finished a performance as she could. She leapt onto the stage with the rising volume of Dawns G minor. Her heavy leather skirt stayed down, she crouched on landing and tore into the lyrics, still low, first creeping, then strutting across the stage. She fired venom from her eyes as fury encircled her lyrics. Dawn stopped playing for the last two bars letting her sing unaccompanied, and then rattled out a crescendo of chords as Megan took her bow.

"Whoa! That was something else. Is that how it's going to be on the night?"

"Yes. I don't think Damon will change it. He'll like that. It's a bit more dramatic than when he saw it before, a bit more violent and bit more venom"

"I need to get a ticket for this. If the rest of the show is anything like this, it will be unmissable. Where is it you're on?"

Only now did Megan realise she had no idea.

Find out was two days later. Damon had phoned to ask how she was getting on and confirming that she still wanted to do this. But it hardly prepared her. She noticed that her mum was now in the audience which had grown again. And now Damon had arrived too. This made her nervous, but not as nervous as Dawn. Megan had her invitation. She still needed to impress.

"Ooh Damon. Hi."

She stepped down from the stage to meet him

"You've not come to take your Korg back have you. Oh dear, I do hope not"

"Depends if you’re looking after it properly and making good use of it. Play something that you wouldn't be able to on your Accadia"

She tore into a medley she'd been practicing and wound up the special effects. Damon and Miss Scarretti listened with some surprise

"Ok. Point made Dawn. You keep the Korg. But don't you dare sign any record deal without talking to me first"

"Really!"

"Yeah. But not yet. I've got a few ideas. Maybe you, Jeff Blaze, maybe Megan, and I'll find a guitarist somewhere. Might even be me. Don't know yet, but don't rule it out. You’ve still got schoolwork to do"

They moved on to Megan's act. She had her special black dress on again and the leap onto the stage was completed with more than sufficient decorum. Megan had practiced moving in her crouched position and that variation gave her even more impetus as she leapt to full height for emphasis and strutted across the stage breathing fire and fury. She eased off the vengeance in her next track and was comparatively mellow in the third one that Damon had asked for. She finished by drawing out the last note and dripping to a low bow

"That's all from me - have a great evening"

And was joined by Dawn sitting down on the edge of the stage.

"Awesome" replied Damon to her questioning look for critique

"Right up there"

More compliments came in from the others until Dawn asked the question they all needed to know

"But what I want to know is where this gig is, and how do I get a ticket? Is it near here, like a village hall or an inter schools competition or something?"

"Gigs" corrected Damon "plural. And, no. No church halls. So maybe it's time for the big reveal - no Dawn, not that sort of reveal. Megan…. “

The group stopped suddenly silent in response to Damon’s suddenly serious tone

“…All these rehearsals you've put so much work into and this revised act that you’ve perfected are all in preparation for your guest appearance with the Chameleons on their Headless Chameleon tour"

Disbelief struck everyone but Megan's eyes were widest as Damon continued

"So, you need to keep up the practice, although if we went on stage tomorrow it would be ok. Then on the 10^th we all meet in Gloucester at the Cameo for a final technical rehearsal. This will be all the links, special effects, and so on. Then the next afternoon we travel to Glasgow. It's Ibrox Park Thursday. Kick off is at 8 and we'll be through by eleven. The next day its south to Leeds, then it's Wembley on Saturday"

No-one could believe it and Damon went through it again as the initial numbness started to ware off. Dawn, more than anyone, was looking despondent

"I was so looking forward to seeing this live on stage, but I doubt if dad will pay for a Wembley ticket. And I’d have to get there, and back"

Damon studied her face. She looked genuinely disappointed, and he wanted to encourage her interest in a career in music

"Ok Dawn. I think its still term time, so you need to check that out with your dad. Then see if he’ll drive you up to Gloucester? Or maybe you could ask Kim, and you come over with her and Megan?"

"To see the rehearsal? That would be great. A bit like a private viewing!"

"No. I think anyone on site at the Cameo will be drafted in to help move kit, set it up, stack it in the truck or some other essential but previously forgotten task. No, we'll take you up to Ibrox. Then the next day we'll all go to Leeds and you can get the train back from there"

"But there's only two seats in your car"

"Yes. But I only take up one of them. But, yes, you might have to go with Adam in his Lamborghini. And you might not need a train if we discover something essential has been left behind, because if it has you might have to come back and get it, and for that you'd be in the helicopter"

The what! This sounded like she’d suddenly been drafted onto the stage crew and the jet set all at once, and not just that! But she’d be at the gig as well. So long as it didn’t escalate into her backing Megan taking over from Damon. That would be just too much. Or would it?

Bankrupt

But while Megan was recovering from the shock of her invitation and organising her rehearsals, Damon felt like he was on a roll. Success with Heather. Then with Megan. Time to sort out the last two venues.

Lesser Waterton seemed like a good bet for his ‘smaller’ gig. But there was somewhere a bit closer that might do instead of travelling all the way to Suffolk. A certain basement bar in Edencombe might be a viable alternative and Damon had to meet Crispin somewhere anyway.

He was waiting at the door when Damon arrived

“Closed? Can't be. Emma would surely have said something”

“But that's what the sign says”

Damon tried just a little more force on the door and nearly tumbled down the stairs as it gave way. Now inside they could see Emma sitting forlorn, alone at a table. Damon knew she'd been crying - he'd seen her before after she'd been crying

“What's he done to her!” accused Crispin

“Can't be, Crispin. I know she can be pretty provocative but you do know that Gerrard’s batting for the opposition”

She flung her arms round him and then, so that he wouldn't feel left out, she slipped an arm round Crispin too

“Damon, it's back to the drawing board. We've gone bust”

Damon stared at her incredulously “Gone down! Can't have….” but was cut short by Gerrard “Oh hello boys. We're closed I’m afraid. Oh Damon! Didn't notice it was you. Sorry, but we’re shut”

“Why? Run out of beer? Emma, did you not remind.......”

“No, the brewery won't deliver. Seems like we haven't paid them”

“Well, have you got any beer left?”

“A few spirits and just the tail of a keg of IPA”

“So let's have that on the table and work out what the problem is”

Gerrard sat down with them. He had already abandoned all hope, but was prepared to put time into anything that even sniffed of a rescue. This was a first, he'd always stayed behind the bar and was always standing up. But now Emma had persuaded the fourth pint to splutter out of the now empty keg

“Pint as well, Emma?”

“May as well. Just one last final fling”

They sank half their beer in silence until Damon broke first

“Ok, Gerrard. There's got to be a solution, so what's the problem”

“We're bankrupt. No money in the bank. Cheques are bouncing. No supplies. So that's it”

“But I thought business was booming”

“Not exactly booming. But it was improving”

Gerrard opened up about his finances, not that there were any dark secrets there anyway. It just wasn’t a normal topic of public conversation. But it certainly appeared that the bank balance was negligible

“So where's it all gone. I mean, you do take the money to the bank don't you!”

“Yes, every day. Can't afford for it to be here overnight. But that’s only a few quid. Mostly it's card payments”

“Ok. So where are they on this statement. It should be added in when it gets to your bank”

“Maybe Barclaycard have got your account number wrong and they're paying it to someone else?” offered Crispin

Gerrard disappeared to find his original application to check off against the statements.

“So it's not getting there. Phone them up Gerrard, find out”

But Gerrard’s call proved fruitless.

“No” he said returning to the table “they don't have any transactions from me since over four weeks”

“Are you sure you took those payments?”

“Oh yes. I always check that it says ‘complete’ ”

“So if it's not getting there, they must all be stuck here somewhere”

Gerrard went through the process of taking a card payment with Crispin, but then looked blank when he asked what happen next.

“That's it” said Gerrard “it's gone into the computer and it says ‘complete’ ”

“Yes, ok, so it gets into your computer”

“Maybe its still there! Do you think you can find it, if it's in there. Maybe you can get it out again?”

Crispin looked incredulous. He wasn’t used to dealing with people who knew less than nothing about computers. He usually dealt with other technicians, but he started to delve into the technical depths of the system as Gerrard looked on, helpless.

“Emma, maybe we should drive over to the brewery and buy a few kegs to get the show back on the road this evening. Crispin, can you see if that data is still in there”

“That's the plan. So far I think I’ve found where the files might be. I’ll see how far I can get”

Two hours and one very confused taxi driver later they were lowering the kegs down the hatch from the street. They’d phoned for a cab from the brewery, but three kegs would not fit into the back seat of his car. Undeterred, they put one in the front and Emma between the to in the back. And the fourth was shoehorned into the front seat of the Aston Martin that they seemed intent on using as a dray-cart.

Behind the bar, Crispin was holding a short wire with a small plug on the end of it.

“Gerrard, This is meant to plugged in to the phone. That’s how the data gets from your computer to the bank”

“Like….” Damon explained “….Your computer phones the bank and talks to them about each of these transactions”
“But its not long enough if the computer is close enough to the card machine. It didn’t seem to make any difference when it got pulled out”

The next day he got back there quite early just as Crispin arrived clutching a specialised extension cable. With this now connected, Crispin explained he didn’t need to get into the files. All he needed to do was send them to the bank. And there was a built in way of doing that which was designed so that the system would continue despite transmission failures and catch up later on.

Gerrard watched although he looked increasingly confused as he couldn’t see anything happening. But Crispin seemed pleased enough. Instead, Damon distracted him with a suggestion of putting on some live music on that stage at the entrance end of the bar. This was a cover for testing out the acoustics of this lower ground floor He was definitely sliding towards Lesser Waterton, partly because they were unknown there and partly because it was just simply a square box shell of a village hall.

However, having now set that ball rolling, he felt obliged to show up because Emma had put so much effort into finding a local Chameleons tribute band that were only too pleased to be invited, and Damon’s Thursday evening was a welcome addition to their usual Saturday bookings.

So Lesser Waterton would have to wait for this sound test, but Wembley wouldn’t. Lets get into central London tonight and avoid the traffic in the morning.

Setting up the London gig was easy. There were so many venues that would be suitable. It was only a case of finding the biggest one that was available and they all published their schedules. He’d phoned the Stadium the previous week with a speculative inquiry but had flinched at the price they were quoting. No wonder it wasn’t booked already. But this was the climax of the new Chameleons, it was the perfect setting, its not as if they had the massive management overhead from someone like IMD and Wembley was delighted to welcome him back.

Corrine

There was hardly an hour went by that Damon did not reconsider the decision to go the whole hog with the Studio. Adam was keen on it. Michelle was confident it was possible. And Adam had convinced him there was a bucket of profit at the end of it. Michelle was sure they could do it, but Damon thought that this was pure blind faith that could carry a cartload of cash to hell in a handbasket. But then, that million dollars in his Swiss bank account was only gathering dust. Oh, and eight percent interest. But if you’re going to do this – do it! Where’s the confidence now?

The focus was on the building, his vast ancient manor house that was in surprisingly good shape despite warnings to the contrary, but even with so much work already started it would take some weeks if not months to complete.

Damon had discovered a side-line in Eden radio, not that he had any spare time to start with, while Adam was staying out of the way. Its not that he thought it would fail, it was the pure cost that frightened him, and maybe that’s why he was more confident than him. Instead, Adam was re-establishing contact with friends and contacts they’d met in the previous ten years that might now be useful allies. One of his first contacts was Druze, but after a number of conversations it seemed it was more him helping Druze than Druze helping him.

It also occurred to Adam that while Damon was investing in this giant manor house – and that it might actually be a good investment, eventually – all his accumulated wealth was also sitting in a Swiss bank. Helping a friend while investing in property may even be a good idea. He’d known Druze for many years and their paths had often crossed in the most unlikely places. Druze was one of the acceptable faces of rock music, which is probably why the industry got the better of him on so many occasions as they had recently experienced when Damon had suggested that they rescue him from depression. But Druze saw himself as more of a nomad. He liked living on his yacht when he wasn’t touring with his band or holed up in a dingy dusty studio trying his hardest to cut another album just to make a shed load of money for some undeserving leech in the record company he was signed to. What he did not need was to own a house in North London. Adam asked why he’d bought it in the first place and Druze had hinted that he’d bought it for a girlfriend, except Adam knew that Druze didn’t have a girlfriend. Adam knew for sure that Druze made a point of not having a girlfriend so that he could spend time – even if it was just the night – with anyone that happened by. Like an ethical version of Gordon.

But Adam reckoned that property was unlikely to go down in value and taking it off his hands would relieve some stress for him and let him concentrate on his new album. He’d phoned the agent but was immediately distracted by some lights that shouldn’t be lit on the mixing desk and wasn’t paying much attention. He mentioned the address and almost heard the agent sit up to take note, but he was actually more interested in the lights. What would do that? Something is crossed down there in the depths of the electronics.

“Yeah, dude. Take 10% off the current listing and cheque’s in the post. Ok?”

“Ten percent is quite a lot of money on a property like this, sir. But I’m sure the vendor would be happy with 5”

“Ok. Take 5 percent off and the cheques in the post”

“Wouldn’t you like to view the property first, sir?”

“No thanks. I’m a bit busy right now. Its international. It’s a Credit Suisse account”

And that was that. He didn’t need a house in North London. But, hey, if it helps Druze. And it was an investment. And a distraction from the delays that Damon was introducing with all this building work.

Corrine had just left the Newsagents with her guilty pleasure chocolate bar. She’d had a bad day and felt that her survival deserved a special treat and this was it. Out on the pavement she took a double take at the guy on his way in. She caught a glance of him pressing the switch on his key fob and saw the lights flash on the sparkling metaflake deep blue car just 10 yards away. Oh my! A Lamborghini. She stepped over to it and touched the rear wing. Her heart nearly stopped as she stood next to it considering just how low it was - and wide. But the guy was coming back now, holding a map. That made sense, anyone with a lambo in this part of town was almost certainly lost.

Thinking about his map, Adam pressed the remote and as the door unlocked she spontaneously opened it and slipped as she crouched down to look inside, falling into the seat.

He looked up, momentarily confused, but calmly went round to the other side and slid into the car.

“Sorry” she gushed as he got in “I do apologise. Its just a bit of a dream come true, just to sit in a lambo like this. And the door just unlocked right beside me!”

“Hi” he laughed, more surprised than annoyed “I'm Adam. And you are?”

“Eve”

She raised an exhilarated smile “Wow, what a machine. Don’t worry, I'll be out in just a second”

“That's not an issue. Your main problem is going to be that you’re on a yellow line and there's a warden just up the street. Checkout the door mirror”

She glanced at it and sure enough, seven or eight cars back, was the unfamiliar yellow banded cap of a North London traffic warden.

He held out his keyring towards her “its left hand drive. So you're driving”

“I did notice that! she exclaimed “After I fell in!. But this was the side next to me. No, I've already been far too rude. But thankyou. And thankyou for not being too cross”

“So, why not drive yourself to where ever you're going. Its not as if I can hijack you or anything”

He shook the key fob and she focussed on the key still dangling just in sight of her right eye and the spontaneity welled up again inside her

“Are you serious?”

“Sure, But get a wiggle on, He's only got five tickets to go”

“I've never driven anything like this before”

“Fine, so start now, no time like the present! Its not often I meet someone who knows their Lamborghini from their Ferrari”

Gingerly she took the key from him “But we'll have to treat it like a driving lesson. These things are a bit different from your usual Vauxhall Astra”

“Ok” she said looking feverishly for the ignition.

“Ok, turn the key, fasten seat belt, watch mirror, clutch down, second gear”

“Second?”

“Yes, or third! First will catapult us into that bus shelter if you’re not very careful. Second will reduce the torque just a little. Clear for take off”

She could hardly hear him now as the burble from the engine pounded her right ear.

“Now let the clutch up very slowly, touch, don't press the gas pedal. Don't rush that clutch. Still clear behind us. Clear to go”

She found biting point and the car moved forward, almost slowly at first and then with a bounce that knocked her back against the seat and bounced her head off the headrest

“Ok we’re moving now, stay in second. You won't need anything else. Its good for starting and its good to 65, so in town just stay in second”

She was concentrating so much now on the road as it appeared ahead rushing towards her

“Keep checking your right hand mirror. Ok slow now, stationary traffic. Dip the clutch first, now brake - not too hard” as she dipped forward as the brake took effect

“Now wait till these guys move away. You don’t want to poleaxe that Cortina's boot lid if you slip or make a mistake”

She pulled left onto the main road and relaxed just a fraction as she burbled along.

“Careful now” she heard him saying “You're doing 45, and its a 30 limit”

She took in the inference and eased off. Woe, this thing was so sensitive, but in no time they were on the dual carriageway. She glanced furtively at the speedo while concentrating on the road and managed to change gear again as 80 came up on the dial before backing off for the next roundabout. She turned and headed back pulling into a supermarket carpark and finding two spaces to park in. She turned off the engine and found herself completely buzzing “Oh thankyou so much. That was awesome. But I can walk home from here and let you get on”

“Ok. But maybe you could help me before you go”

“Sure, if I can” she said slightly more hesitantly

“I was looking for an address, but I don’t know this part of town. That's why I stopped to get a map. But if you're from round here maybe you know it. Hampstead Park Avenue?”

He unfolded the map and she helped to pull it open across the whole width of the car, obscuring the windscreen

“So” she said, leaning over towards him “We're here”

“Ok and that's Hampstead park way over there. So Hampstead Park Avenue should be round the edge of it somewhere. He checked the index. “Its in square E6”

“Which is here” she continued pointing farther over towards him. He turned his head towards her almost meeting her eyes as they both became aware of people outside the car.

“The downside of a car like this is that you can’t stop for five minutes without attracting an audience. They're one of the safest cars for girls - you can’t even read a map, never mind get up to anything”

“I hadn’t thought”

“I guessed that. You just jumped in. A bit risky really”

“You think so? I've always wanted to ride in one of these”

“Ok, but did you think that this is a Lamborghini. Its expensive. So anyone who has one has made a lot of money from somewhere. And that is probably in business of some kind. And guys who make a lot of money in business are generally ruthless eye specialists”

“You mean doctors?”

“No, ' I ' specialists. ‘I’ am going to do this, and ‘I’ want my own way, and ‘I’ am the most important. Which also means they have no qualms about taking advantage of lesser mortals”

“You don’t seem like that at all” she said rather crestfallen

“No, I'm the exception that proves the rule”

She laughed and perked up again at his disarmingly gentle smile

“Ok point taken”

Cue: A moment in time (Instrumental) by Edenbridge

She looked back to the map

“Park Avenue. Its way round the other side. If it was me, I'd go up here and just walk through the park”

“Ok, maybe I'll just strap the car to my back!”

Oh my! not only a lambo, but a fun guy and a sense of humour.

“So to get there from here. Looks like its along here and then all the way through this maze” she drew with her finger

“When were you meant to be there?” she asked

“No special time”

“Oh, is it open house? Its early for a party to start”

“No, I just bought it. I’ve just got the key, so I was going to have a look. I've not actually seen it before”

“You bought it without seeing it?”

“Yes. But it'll be fine”

“So its not your girl-friends place?”

“Now, why did you ask that!”

“Because I was going to offer to drive you round there while you navigate from the map, but I didn’t want to get you into any trouble”

“That's very considerate of you. Would you? That would be great. But I don’t want to hold you up. What did you have planned for the last hour before you fell into my car?”

“Not much. I was on my way home to cook myself some tea”

She found that by keeping the revs down in a higher gear she was able to hear the directions and soon they were creeping up the wide avenue. Broad gates in tall walls lined the pavements, and she crept along until the number came up on the stone pillar that held the gate

“Wow, that's some place!”

“Hmm. I've only got a picture of the house” as he passed her the estate agents brochure

“Do you want to have a look?”

She hesitated “After all the warnings about guys with Lambos?”

“I told you, I'm the exception. I've no idea how much furniture and stuff will be in it, but I'm hoping there's at least a bed or a couch or something for me to crash on tonight”

He pushed open the gate and she edged the car into the drive

“Exciting, eh?”

She peered through one of the front bay windows as he tried both the keys in the lock

“Strange, wrong keys. Neither of them fit.”

“Maybe its just stiff?”

“No, they're completely the wrong shape”

“Is that the only ones you have?”

Adam nodded. “Rats! Have to phone the agent. He might still be there. They're open till six thirty”

“I've no idea where the nearest phone box is”

“ 's ok. There’s a phone in the car”

This was another first for her. She'd never even seen a phone in a car before

“Ok” she heard him say “So this is the key to the back gate. Hang on, we'll try that”

She held the handset as he tried the side garden gate, turning and shaking his head”

“No, she said down the phone, it doesn’t fit the side gate”

“Oh, not the side gate, the back gate. The gate into the garden from the park”

“So, where’s the front door key?”.

“So we go to the back gate, and this key gets us in. Then the other one opens the shed.

Inside the shed there’s the key to the garage at the front, and the back door key is in there

He put his face right up against hers so they could both hear

“What!. What on earth for?”

“Its for security”

“So, we have to walk from front to back all the way round and through the park. Where's the key to the side gate”

“You are joking! So that’s all the way round at least twice. Its certainly secure if I can’t even get into my own house”

They hung up and turned to face each other.

“Where's the side gate key? she asked

“Its in the house”

“That's bonkers!”

They both burst out laughing and he caught hold of both her arms to stop them both from falling over

“Look, why don't I stay this side. You go round and get in from the park and we can pass the keys across the side gate”

The phone was ringing when they finally broke in.

“Who is it?” called Adam from an upstairs room

“Its the agent wanting to know if Adam McNab and his good lady have managed to get in yet. He's been waiting in the office in case you needed farther assistance”

“Tell him we're in, thankyou”

“So you've suddenly become 'my good lady'!”

She grinned at the situation “So it would seem”

“So how would 'my good lady' like to have dinner with me? I'm famished”

She caught his eyes looking straight into hers as she hesitated for a few seconds that felt like an entire era

“I'd, I'd love to” she stuttered. This was even more unexpected

“Where’s good to eat around here? - But first I need to get a hotel. This place is totally devoid of furniture of any kind, and I draw the line at actually sleeping on the floor”

“There's a Holiday Inn down on the roundabout at Swiss Cottage, but I’ve no idea what the number is”

“The girl on the phone will”

“And eating? Somewhere nice. I'm not taking you out to a Pizza Hut”

She thought a while. “There’s a bistro at the end of this road, but it'll be busy cos its quite cheap”

“Wouldn’t you rather go somewhere nice? There must be some really nice places round here. He picked up the phone

“Damon, give me somewhere good to eat near Hampstead. The What? Spaniard?. Spaniards Road. Cheers Dam' ”

“Do you know it?”

“ I know where it is. I didn’t want to suggest it because its really expensive. But, I'll take you there if you like. My treat for letting me drive your car”

“Come on then, Chauffeuse. But my treat, if you drive. But I guess it all depends on what you were planning to do before embarking on carjacking, like maybe you have something to rush back for, of course”

“No, with her smile diminishing. No, nothing to rush back for, not especially”

“You ok driving?”

“Really!”

She glanced across for just long enough to catch the mischievous grin, but didn't reply. The noise in the car stifled conversation.

She concentrated on driving. It was hard, the clutch was heavy, the accelerator was impossibly sensitive, and the brakes were fearsome

The sign for the Spaniard came into view, and she braked hard to make the sharp turn into the short drive. The car park was busy, but busy with a couple of Bentleys and a half dozen Mercs.

She pulled into the car park and killed the engine. The roar was still ringing in her ears as she turned to him with the adrenalin burning her veins, the smile was nearly as wide as the euphoria. He turned again to look at her

“Are you going to tell me your real name? It seems only fair”

Her mouth suddenly went dry. He was looking questioningly “Because I don't think its Eve”

“That’s just a Jalpa isn’t it” interrupted some random passer by

“Yes, that’s right”

“Not a Countach then?”

“Have you ever been in a Countach?”

“No”

“Well, if you had been, you’d know why I drive a Jalpa”

That was him back in his box

“Its less expensive” continued Adam turning back towards her

“Especially if you count losing your hearing as an expense. And I can still hear you”

“I've not been in either before,” she replied

“Well, the difference is that the Countach is more powerful, but not much. Its much more difficult to control in traffic, and its less comfortable, because its really a racing car, and its much. much louder to the point of permanent deafness. And yes, its more expensive, but its not more exclusive”

“And I can't believe any of this is happening! You let me drive and that was just awesome, And now you want to take me out for the evening. Although, wow. I feel a bit out of place here. I've never been here before. I feel I should be more dressed up”

He shook his head

“No, no, I think you'll find there's a number of people here who will be less dressed up” he continued as they entered through the doorway arch and she looked around. The dress code varied. Some girls were in long dresses and then there was an older guy there in shorts and a tea shirt”

“Yes. Looks like its one of these places where its only polite to be dressed up reasonably smart. But then you get jokers like him. I’ll bet he owns one of those Bentleys. Guys like that who have so much money they think they can do whatever they want tend to develop a sort of sense of inverted snobbery and turn up here looking that scruffy. And even though some clients, like me, feel disappointed that they're that arrogant, the management can't afford to turf them out. And the thing is, they know it”

“But I feel under dressed”

“Well you're not. You look gorgeous”

The comment made her gasp a quick breathe, but she didn’t comment as she scanned the menu. This dinner was going to cost about as much as her monthly shop. But, she resolved, she'd offer to pay her way. After all, this was just a continuation of a once in a lifetime fairy tale come true.

“Would you like wine, sir” the sommelier was asking.

Adam asked her “oh, yes please, but just a glass, if that's all right”

“Not for me. I'll take a coke, and a large glass of that sauvignon please. You see…” he continued to her “I'll drive back. It'll be dark, and because the car is so low, and the windscreen so raked you get a lot more glare from other cars headlights, and if you're not used to it, it can be quite difficult”

That wasn't what she was expecting, more, I'll drive back so that I can detour and find somewhere to stop and do something interesting to your body. But it didn't matter. She was having such an amazing time. It was unreal. And then thinking back to the car, there really wasn’t much space. She looked over at him studying the menu as she thought, they’d both have to be practising contortionists to get up to very much actually in the car.

“Have you always had an interest in cars?” he was asking as she was aware she was just gazing blankly across the candle at him

“Oh, yes, I guess so. My friends brother had a Lotus Elan when I was 14. Actually, I think she was my friend because her brother had that Lotus. He took me out for a few short drives, and it was great, just the wind blowing through your hair and I didn't have to make polite conversation because of the wind noise. I'm not good at, you know, just small talk”

“So I guess you live over on the south side of the park? Near that shop?”

“Yes I share a small flat with another girl, Rose”

“And I guess you have a job, to afford your flat”?

“I'm called a scheduler. Do you know what that is?”

“Maybe. I suppose I’ll be doing my fair share of scheduling”

“Its trying to sort out the sequence of events so that they all flow seamlessly together”

“You sound doubtful”

“Only because there’s always new things cropping up that disrupt everything”

“Actually, when I think about it, that's probably what I’m going to start doing a lot of”

“So what do you do? It must be something quite special. I'll bet you work in the City”

“Stocks and shares? That sort of thing? I don't think so! Playing reckless roulette with other people’s money. Bunch of crooks. No thankyou!”

He thought for a minute

“I do lots of things, but simply put, I'm the sound engineer in a recording studio”

“Oh my goodness. So exciting. I love music”

“Favourite bands?”

“Oh loads, but it more depends on the song. There aren't many bands, maybe even none, where I actually like everything they've done”

“I agree with that. It's almost impossible to churn out stuff everyone likes every time because, when you're in a studio, sooner or later you run out of time or patience or both and say, that's a wrap. I don't suppose you're ever going to tell me your real name are you? Although, to be fair I probably know more than my fair share of girls who go under pseudonyms. Most of the girls I meet are in bands, and they often make up alternative names, like Polly Thene or Ali Money”.

“Do you really want to know?”

“Yes I do. And I want to know where you were born, and how old you are and how long you've been with your boyfriend and what school you went to and how you got into scheduling, and whether your parents are still married to each other and what kind of events you schedule – weddings maybe?...“

Her heart was back in her mouth. He can't just be being polite. These are not one night stand questions,

“Well” she began, “my real name is Corrine. Eve just sounded right at the time. I was born in a small town called Couper Angus”

“Central Scotland” he confirmed

“I can't believe you know it!”

“Can't say I know it. I've been there, but a few years ago”

“It won’t have changed much”

Dessert arrived. “Adam, it's a work of Art. I can't eat that!”

“Oh, I think you should. The chef will be mortally offended if you didn't after all the time he's spent creating it.”

Dinner was coming to an end as she sat shyly reflecting on the evening. The smile had subsided from her face as she leant across towards him

“I have had the most fantastic evening. I'm never ever going to forget this”

“That sounds a bit terminal”

She smiled but couldn’t say anything. She hadn’t thought at all beyond today

“I mean, you said you didn’t have a boyfriend, at least not a serious one, so maybe we could go out again. No?”

“I. I. I don't know” she stuttered.

He looked at her sadly “Ok, that's a shame. I’ve had such a good time”

“But Adam” she responded desperately “everything I know about you says yes please, and everything I know about me says no, I shouldn't”

“Whyever not?”

He sat back a little considering this

“Sounds like a reason for us to get to know each other a bit better. There's synergy in that there 'Good Lady' ”

“Adam, I saw the price on the front of the estate agents brochure. That's the kind of money I'll earn in my entire lifetime, and you've spent it buying a house without even seeing it. I struggle to find my tube fare on a Monday after I've treated myself to Saturday night, you have a Lamborghini as an everyday car, and I have to walk sometimes because I don’t have the bus fare.. I'd struggle to pay my way, and I'd feel I was just sponging off you”

“Ok, I guess I understand that. I mean, some folks are born poor, some work hard at becoming poorer, and others have poverty thrust upon them. But I'm not from a rich family. My mum and dad had to save up to get me my first guitar, and then I wanted a drum kit as well. And before I switched into keyboards, I started with a melodica. But I worked at it. I guess I had a few lucky breaks, like meeting Damon, but at the end of the day, I'm just a simple soul who likes home cooking and quiet walks at dusk, with someone special”

They got up to leave “I'll drive you home”

It was only ten minutes’ drive to her apartment as he continued “Maybe I missed out saying 'please' “

The road camber was steep, and he got out of the car and help her up from the low seat

“But I just want to say thankyou for one of the best evenings of my whole life”

He turned to open his door again. He was sad, but he also understood that people had their own reasons for doing things and preserving self respect was important.

“Adam!”

He turned back to see the tears in her eyes glinting like specks of gold dust in the orange street lights as she took the two steps towards him. She stood still, almost gasping for breath as they both stretched their arms towards each other and fell together into a long kiss.

“Adam, maybe I could take tomorrow afternoon off work and we could find a quiet beach to walk along?”

“…and then maybe we find a small country pub with good beer and a ploughmans and real people rather than scruffy arrogant millionaires, or where the guys at the bar wear shorts and T shirts cos they have no use for smart clothes”

The smile returned to her face, but the tears were dappling her make up as they sealed the deal with another kiss

“I'll be at the Hilton. The foyer, not my room”

Up in her flat, Rose was nearly ready for bed.

“Hey. You're late, thought you weren’t going to make it. But what's up? What's with the tears?”

“Rose, if I told you all about tonight, you simply wouldn't believe me!”

“Well, that fella of yours needs to get a new exhaust. That motor makes enough commotion to wake the dead”

Next morning, he checked out a few more potential suppliers. There was no commitment, but the more he got into this, the more he realised the importance of confidentiality. The big players were ruthless and didn’t care who fell by the wayside. There was no loyalty in this game.

The south coast was a two hour drive but Corrine was loving every mile of it. She’d got the measure of the car by the time they reached the M3, and Adam spent most of his time looking around and out of the window, scaring half to death other road users who weren’t awake enough to realise the girl in the left hand seat was actually driving. They walked for miles along the shore, some of it sand, some just a path, and eventually ended back close to the car park as the light finally faded.. Adam drove inland a few miles. Neither of them knew this part of the country, but they both reckoned they’d recognise an authentic rural pub when they saw it.

They listened to the banter at the bar until their main course arrives, but didn’t join in. They’d felt that they were getting a lot closer together. They’d laughed a lot, held hands a lot , kissed a lot ….

“Adam….I just don’t want this evening to end…. Ever”

“They do rooms here. We could stay tonight. That’s about as long an evening as you could get”

“And get up really early to drive back?”

“Or phone in saying you’ll be late”

But Adam had been on the road for twelve years, just the same as Damon, and he too had no real idea how to develop a longer term relationship. Maybe Corrine would be better with just the memory rather than the reality – but then again, Damon had already identified that they’d need someone to look after the studio diary. Especially if the number of studios was to increase.

Beginning of the End

The steel works deal was not going well, but Sir Edwin decided to take a few minutes out to return to the Eden Radio offices. By the way he stormed the staircase like a mediaeval assault on a Keep, it was obvious that all was not well. The state of Eden Radio had been exposed during his meeting with Heidi and Damon, and retribution would be swift

“Would you mind asking Gavin to step out to the main office” he asked Heidi softly and politely as he reached the top of the stair “and get Annabelle up here too. And Brownlee,! is that scumbag Simpson in the office?”

Sir Edwin’s voice was loud and surprisingly clear “Right. Who deals with personnel issues here?” Edna slowly turned her face

“What d’you want?”

“Where’s Simpson?” he waited in the silent room for a reply

“I’m sorry Sir Edwin, but he hasn’t been in for several days” Heidi said timidly

“Thankyou” said Sir Edwin rather softly “Do you know why?”

“I’m afraid not, sir”

He turned instead to Edna

“I want you to issue a termination notice. Simpson’s leaving. Reason - desertion of post, dereliction of duty in not posting the annual return. He’ll need a P45. He’s fired.”

Silence drifted like a chill around the office as Edna slowly complied. She moved her large frame forward with a proforma to sign and a hesitant murmur spread across the room as he headed for the coffee machine

“Now listen up” he boomed taking a sip from his cup

“For anyone who doesn’t know, I’m Sir Edwin Weslock, and I own this company. However, the function of a business is to make money, and as some of you may already know and all of you could have guessed, this operation is losing money. Each month I have to write a cheque to cover the shortfall and my patience for such situations is decidedly short. So, no more. Over the last few months I have tried to find a buyer for the company, but the state of the financial record keeping is such that no-one could afford to take the risk. My currently intended course of action is to close it down. So, bear that in mind, all of you, over the next few days before the final decision is made. And finally. If Heidi asks you for any information you will provide it. It will have been on my instruction, Understood?”

Sound Test at Gerrards

Thursday afternoon at the Studio continued relentlessly, but Damon had to leave. The tribute band that Emma had found were playing Gerrards basement and that was Damons sound test for the venue. He could also sit undisturbed at the bar and talk to Emma when she wasn’t actually serving.

There was a doorman guarding the entrance when Damon got there. Interesting. This was Gerrard being optimistic at last. Perhaps this was over speculation, but at least there’d be no trouble when the inevitable crowds turned up.

It was a fat guy at the front near the stage that started the problem. The band was running through it's repertoire of tracks, and most of the audience seemed appreciative. Of course, it wasn't quite as good as the real thing, but tribute bands seldom were. But then, they were more accessible and a whole lot less expensive.

Damon perched on his high stool with his back to the bar because he'd swivelled round to watch. The girl on the next stool had been there before him, but hadn’t raised any concern about him taking that place, like she wasn't reserving it for anyone. She'd just gazed into her glass and occasionally turned to watch the band.

“Hey, man, we can't play 'Revival' ” the lead vocalist was arguing

“Listen, call yourselves a tribute band and can't even play their songs”

“Ok. But 'Revival is real complicated. We're a tribute band. We're not the real thing. We never made any secret of that. They're awesome, and we don't claim to be that good. That guitar lead is well nigh impossible. We've tried it! We just do our best, and most people appreciate that”

“You're rubbish. You don't deserve... “

But. Damon had slipped off his stool and was climbing the few steps up onto the stage.

“Hey Man, maybe if you let me have a crack at it, your friend at the front will be happy that at least we tried”

“What's the plan” called fat man “ you're gonna play so bad that the band start lookin’ good, yeah?”

“Might do”

Clyde switched the mic off

“I don't know who you are fella, though you look familiar. But I just want to get on with this gig. I'm not used to hecklers” as Damon lifted up the Fender that was leaning against an amp and plugged it in. “It's on 4” is all he said to Clyde to identify the amp channel. The other members of the band looked on nervously. They were unsettled by fat mans interruption, and now an unknown character on stage was increasing the anxiety. Clyde stood back as Damon took the mic

“Ok! You want Revival? You’re gonna get Revival!”

He turned towards the drummer and counted him down to the intro. Wow! This guy looks like he knows what he’s doing! The track started with 3 nervous bars of drum solo, and that was going well. The bass player came in on bar 4 as expected with the lead guitar joining part way though the next bar on the offbeat. Damon spun round of his heel “wow” he yelled into the mic “Revival!” And struck an wild D minor with an overdose of reverb. Clyde picked up the vocal as Damon blasted out the lead guitar.

Halfway through the second verse, Damon started to crank up the volume, and the tempo. This was as it was supposed to be. Bass and drums we're keeping up, but soon Damon heard the bass backing off. Probably the pace was too much and he couldn't keep up with the response times for the beat as he reduced to half time. But Damon continued the increase incessantly through the instrumental parts while he hopped and danced around the stage. He could also see that Clyde was flagging. He signalled him to back off as he hopped past, all the while blasting out the complex riffs. Now nearly finished he turned to the drummer to sync the ending and five crash chords later it was complete. Damon turned to Clyde and was met by a howl of audio feedback that Clyde immediately extinguished, and then turned to the drummer who had slumped across his kit leaning on the timpani and high hat. Clyde took the mic as the applause subsided with shouts of encore

“That,.. that, was nothing short of awesome. I'm exhausted just watching it. Thankyou so much”

“No hassle. And that job from your drummer, well! Gordon himself would have been proud of that!

He slipped the guitar off and leant it back against the amp, turning back the volumes and returned to his stool as Clyde shuffled to centre stage to prepare for the next number

The girl on the next stool smiled to him as Damon attracted Emma's attention.

“You'll be needing a pint after that, Dame' ”

“Yes please Emm”

“That was unbelievable” said the girl on the stool “I've only heard anything like that once before and that was at a real Chameleons concert”

“Oh yes? Where was that?” he asked idly

“NEC in Brum. It was a couple of years ago now. It was such an amazing night”

“Do you want a drink?” offered Damon as Emma returned with his pint

“Another vodka and coke?” offered Emma “is that on your tab, Damon?”

“Please, Emma. and get somethings for that drummer, I think he's been given a bye on the next track, and they're gonna try to do it with a rhythm guitar instead. Brave!”

“You're called Damon, right?”

“Yes, and you are?”

“Rhiannon. And you're a professional musician, right?”

“Not quite. I used to be, I'm in media now. I don't actually play much anymore. Sure, I used to”

“But you ought to. That was amazing there. I mean, like, that must be the highlight of the whole evening”

“Actually, there's more money in media. But I'm pleased you liked it. And me? my highlight is probably getting something to eat”

“Eat?”

“Yes, I had a sausage for breakfast, then got called to the phone, then lunch seems to have successfully avoided me, so I'm going for dinner after this. Do you want to come along?”

“Ohh. I don't know”

“You're on your own aren't you. Or have your friends just deserted you temporarily?

“No. I'm here, just me”

“Well, I like company for eating. It's such a shame, I think, to have to eat on your own when it should be an excuse for a sociable occasion”

“Where are you going?”

“Not sure. But I'm looking for more than a pizza. And I refuse to go to Chez Moi”

The band was well into their next track now, but being around the side of the stage-left speaker Rhiannon and Damon could still hear each other if they put their heads closer together.

“I don't know Chez Moi. What's wrong with it?”

“It's expensive, and Samson who runs it has become rather intolerant recently. I'm tempted just to go to the George and Dragon”

“That’s quite expensive too isn't it?”

“Yes, but the foods good. It's not Michelin, it's more homely”

He could see she was being tempted

“And, all it will cost you is the pleasure of your company from now till pudding”

“What’s to lose?” she laughed “Ok”

But fat man was on his high horse again

“Well, ask your mate at the bar to help you out. Jeez. Give us a proper concert can't you! He is still there!”

Damon turned to find Clyde looking forlornly in his direction

“Do you know the track 'Meridian Man'?”

He turned to Rhiannon “Can you wait five minutes?”

Back on stage he took up the spare Fender again. This time the audience went quiet in anticipation as Damon played a quiet simple riff repeatedly as he hopped over to the drummer “Ready?”

“If it doesn't kill me this time!”

He hopped back to Clyde who had positioned himself at the keyboard.

“Oh, Ho! An Adam McNab impersonation. I’m looking forward to that!”

Cue: Centennial Legend by Edenbridge from the Shine Album. Guitar solo at 3mins 25 from start

Damon spun back to face the audience and crashed out a resounding minor chord with massive echo rebounding between the speakers. They were off, charging through the track, with the bass and keyboard taking welcome relief during the lead solos. Again Damon increased the tempos and the volumes, and again the atmosphere took on a surreal tinge. Damon noticed fat man nodding his head in time with the beat, and took some sadistic pleasure in watching him as he turned up the tempo. And turned it up again. Now the beat was thumping, the atmosphere was electric and Damon was expressing the vocals with emotion and passion in equal measures ' never mind the average, or the median, man'.

And fat man keeping up with the beat looked like he was going to explode.

Eight minutes of frenetic mayhem and Damon spun round to the drummer to sync the crescendo as the whole bar erupted. Damon stood quivering with adrenalin centre stage but Clyde was first to speak

“That” he gasped into the mic “was beyond anything I've ever witnessed close up”

The audience quietened a bit as Damon took the microphone

“Thankyou Clyde. Thankyou everybody” he flashed a smile directly at Rhiannon and she felt herself melt, just a degree or two, and decided to rush to the loo before he got back, as Damon continued

“Everyone here.. .. All of you out there, should take note of this band. They’re good. They’re very good. So why you might ask, can I do this better than them? Its not an unreasonable question. Its because I understand these songs. I’ve played them a hundred times. I know how they're constructed. And how do I know this? Its because I wrote them. Because I am Damon Lehrer from the Chameleons”.

There was a collective intake of breath and Damon took advantage of the pause to finish “Goodnight y’all Enjoy the rest of the gig”

Marginally refreshed, Rhiannon returned just as Damon was wondering if she'd done a runner.

“Are we still on for dinner?”

“Whoaa. If you still want to?”

Outside, the cooler air hit them. He took hold of her hand as they walked up the street. She looked down at it with surprise and a little confusion, but just closed her fingers around his

“That was such an awesome performance. I've never been that close to something like that. I was at the NEC Chameleons gig, but like, 35 rows back. that was... , I can’t describe it”.

“The band was good, though” responded Damon “But Clyde’s right. They shouldn't be expected to be as good as the Chameleons. Chameleons have spent 12 years continuously touring. And that means playing every night, and getting better. And those two tracks are quite recent. they were written for the capability of the band two years ago. They’re just not for novices”

“But you can play it”

“Yes, but I’m not a novice. Anyway” he continued “how is it that you’re out on your own tonight? No girlfriends?”

She paused a while “It’s a sad story.. .. I can’t imagine you want to know about it”

“So its bloke trouble”

They walked in silence for a few paces as if in reverence to the sanctity of 'bloke trouble'

“I'm happy to listen if you want me to”

“That's sweet. But you…”

“But you want to tell someone, don't you? Careful now, traffic. Dragon' straight across the junction now”

“Hey Dame' “ greeted the receptionist “You in for dinner? Or just a drink? I'll get you a window table. I'll bring a menu to the bar for you”

“Its wonderful what you can achieve with non-verbal communication when you can't get a word in edgeways” he commented to Rhiannon as they perched at the bar

“Oooh, Its not cheap is it”

“You just leave that part to me. And remember, you’re only committed up until the end of pudding. Then there's a door right there. There's no lock on it and you can walk out through it any minute you like.

“Ok” she conceded

“Ok, about this boyfriend of yours?”

She sighed and looked over at the gentle smiling face that was non verbally asking her to explain “I’ve only known him for about 4 months. About a month ago, he moved in with me in my flat over in Spring Meadows”

“Ok” said Damon, just to prove he was still listening “and the nearest pub is the Red Lion, right”

She nodded “Yes. Anyway, we were going nowhere. Like, our relationship wasn't progressing. I couldn’t see a future in it. So.. .. So This morning I decided to do something about it. I guess it was a bit like a test. You know, make or break. I bought a new dress at lunchtime…” and briefly tugged at her hem by way of demonstration “…and I took the afternoon off so I could go home and cook something really nice for dinner. I was going to have candles on the table and low lighting and find some slow music. The plan was to see if this would spark any interest. And also to see if this is what I wanted to do for him as well” she took a big breath and sighed loudly “Well, I got home, and I heard a strange noise, and I went through to the bedroom, and there he is, plain as you like, in bed with some random woman”

“oh dear..”

“So he jumps clean out of bed, and he’s not wearing anything of course, although I think she might have been. Anyway, I say ' don’t worry, you just carry on. I'll go back to work where I'm meant to be’. So I go back outside and take a slow walk to the park not thinking of much at all. And then I walk all the way into town and hang out in Costa's for a while, and eventually I remember someone saying that there’s a gig on at Gerrards. And here I am”

The starter was on the table when the waiter led them through, and eating took priority over talking

“So, the thing is, I don’t know what to do now. Any ideas?”

Damon thought awhile

“Well, if you just go back tonight, either you'll have an almighty row, which I don't think you want, or you'll just give in and then you open the door to being walked all over for ever. If you do go back, you could try to throw him out. It is your flat, right? I mean, it sounds like you're not totally in love with the guy. If you were it would be easier. But it sounds to me like you should just bin him. Right now”

“That’s the conclusion I came to. Actually, I came to that conclusion about twenty seconds after leaving the flat. But then I’d be short of somewhere to stay tonight”

“What about a friend? Someone local with a spare room?”

“There'd be a lot of explaining to do”

“Ok, what about mum and Dad ? Oh! Don't tell me. Even more explaining. Right?”

She nodded again

“Ok, just check in here, and have your own room. That solves all the problems – but only till tomorrow.

He waited for her to consider this

“Or… you can stay at my flat with me”

He grinned over at her and paused watching her consider the idea before continuing “but if that’s not your style, there is a second bedroom there”

With dinner finished, They moved through to the bar with Rhiannon still pretending to be undecided about her overnight plan. She flopped down beside him and stared into the middle distance with a faraway look

“You look like you just had another thought. Maybe a new option?”

“Sorry” she sighed at length “I was just wishing Charles was here”

“Charles?” he prompted, a little miffed by the statement

“We split up five months three days ago. I don't know why. It was over nothing. Well, it was something. He'd taken an assignment in Manchester. I said something about him not caring about me enough to stay round this area, and he said it was worth a ton just in the experience and he was doing it for both of us. Anyway, he went and our phone calls just always seemed to cross. And then he was working long, long hours and I got drunk one night and met Rory, and .. And I already told you the rest.”

“So, this Charles. Where's he from?”

“Rural Kent, somewhere”

“So, where's he working now?”

She shook her head slowly and sadly “I don't know, but I guess he's still with kpmg.

“Kpmg?” said Damon “Management consultancy?”

“Charles Hanson, his name is. Not Chas, not Charlie, just Charles. Last known working at Lloyds Bank in the south bank technical centre”

Damon shook his head, “Ok, All a mystery to me”

She talked about Charles for a while and also what a scumbag Rory turned out to be

“Look” he continued “tomorrow, I've got quite a busy day and I wasn’t expecting to work-out on stage tonight either. So, at the risk of hassling you, if you’re going to check your own room here, I'll get another round in. If we're going to my flat to have some fun, then we really ought to get a wiggle on”

She giggled. She'd been giggling quite a lot throughout the evening

“No point in me getting a room, when you've already got one – or two, she teased”

Back at the flat, he retrieved the half bottle of champagne from the fridge and they fell together as they clinked the glasses. Rhiannon wasn't really in to this, and progress was restrained until the fizzy stuff started to take effect. Finally, she livened up. It wasn't fair, she told herself, to agree to all this and then not participate. And, after all, it was quite fun.

“This” she said as they were going to sleep “will go down as one of the best days of my life. Decision on Rory, going to that gig, dinner and now overnight with you. G'night babe”

Next morning, they were both up early and she headed out to work. He thought for a while about his gig and decided that Lesser Waterton was a better option. Decision made, he looked up kpmg’s head office number

“Hi, I'm trying to track down a guy called Charles Hanson. Was working with him on the Lloyds Bank contract, last year”

“I'm sorry, he's moved on from there. I'll put you through to his team leader. I think he may be in Bristol now”

The team leader sounded like maybe she was carved out of wood

“Is there a problem?” she had asked almost aggressively

“No, no. Just trying to put together a bit of a reunion for one of the sub projects” he blagged. And a couple of calls later he had Charles on the line

“Hey!, Charles. Remember me, Damon. On the Lloyds Bank contract with you”

“Hmm let me think...”

“Hey man, don't tell me you've forgotten already - hey no matter. Listen, thing is, you were quite insistent that if I found an opportunity that was genuinely unrepeatable, then I should let you know.”

“Ok” he replied hesitantly

“Look, I can't talk too much on the phone. Can you make dinner this evening”

“Yeah, where”

“I'd like you to be in a small isolated pub. It's called the Second Star, and I'll tell you how to get...”

“That's ok. I know it. “

“You know it? Struth. Is there any remote pub in Britain you don't know?”

“No, I just know that one. It's where me and Rhiannon had our first date”

“Oh, yeah. The lovely Rhiannon. Course you to must me married by now”

“No. No, no such luck. Not sure how we managed to drift apart, but, hey, life goes on”

“Ok. 7 tonight”

“See you there. But this had better be good or you're paying, ok?”

“Deal”

He phoned Rhiannon. It took a few minutes to extract her from wherever she was, but she came on the line, but, yes, she was still looking forward to meeting him that evening.

“Oh, and Damon. Thankyou so much for yesterday. It was awesome. Everything about it was just surreal”

No point taking two cars, he'd said as he picked her up. She put her small flight bag in the back of the car as Damon headed out of town

“It's this lovely little pub with an amazing restaurant at the back. Its some distance, but it will be worth it”

“Did I mention this place yesterday?” she asked as they parked the car

“Don't think so. Do you know it?”

“Yes, I've been here before”

“It's obviously more well known than I'd thought”

He perched her on a stool at the bar to wait for 7 o'clock to come around.

About quarter to, he surprised her by bringing in her flight bag.

“Are we staying here tonight? I thought we'd just be going back to your place?”

“I might be in Lesser Waterton by then. You might be here” he said puzzlingly

7 o'clock came up, and right on cue, a tall, fit, alert guy appeared through the door. His eyes darted round the room, looking for a sign as to who he was supposed to be meeting. Damon raised an arm and Charles headed over. Damon took hold of Rhiannon’s shoulders as Charles approached and spun her round on the barstool.

They caught sight of each other simultaneously. Charles stopped dead. Rhiannon slipped off the stool, Damon caught the glass that was in her hand, and without a word they fell together in a huge hug and a kiss. Then still with an arm around each other they turned to Damon in disbelief

“You won't be needing me around, will you?” he smiled as the barmaid interrupted. “Will you not be wanting your table now?

“Yes, they'll need that. It's booked for two”

“But Damon, I haven't got my car”

“I didn't think you'd need it”

“No. .. I guess not”

Charles looked at him – he was pretty sure… “Damon, You look real familiar, but I’m not convinced we’ve actually met before. I’m sure I’d remember”

“Probably not”

“But you can’t possibly know how much this means to me. I’m certainly not going to let her go again”

“Damon, I’ve got you to thank for it all. You’re unbelievable. Thanks for everything. But please, don’t look so sad. I can’t ever tell you how much this means to me too”

“That’s ok. It became obvious the minute you mentioned him”

“I’ll always remember you” she said with a misty trickle forming in one eye

Damon shrugged “Yeah. Every girl I ever met broke my heart - One way or another”.

Cue: Wonderful Life by Two Door Cinema Club

It was late that night that Rhiannon awoke for no apparent reason. Her mind was racing as she looked over at Charles lying asleep beside her. But, she thought, this is what I want. Never mind waking up with Rory only yesterday morning, last night with Damon and tonight with Charles! Good grief! What kind of girl am I turning into? She rolled over closer to him. He murmured quietly, took hold of her hand and stayed asleep.

The following day she returned to her flat. She'd expected Rory to be at work, but his shift pattern had changed and he was slouched on the sofa watching tv. He turned with a start as she pushed the door open

“Hey! Hi Rory. How you doing?”

“I'm good. You ok?”

“Yes, just came round to pick up a couple of things for tonight”

“I was worried about you”

“Really. Like you think I can't look after myself?”

“No, not that. Just...”

“Just what? You thought I might be upset that you'd rather be in bed with someone else. So yes. I was disappointed you just used me, and took advantage of my good nature. My hospitality. But. I’m ok tonight, but its my flat you know, and you’re moving out tomorrow. I need it to live in, and live in it without you”

“Why? You got someone else?”

“Not that’s moving in. Its just me. But actually, I met the most fantastic guy that evening. I learned so much that night, or maybe it's just that I realised it.”

“Ow Rhiannon! You didn't let him touch you did you!”

“Oh yes I did. In fact, I told him to do anything he wanted to. I said that if there was anything he ever wanted to go with a girl he should just do it with me right then”

“Rhiannon! You never said anything like that to me!”

“No, because I took what I needed from you and you never deserved anything else”

Damon had moved on as well – all the way to Lesser Waterton. The lady at the Village Hall was as dippy as a duck and only too happy to confirm his booking

“Its just three of us on stage playing a few songs”

“What kind of music is it?” she asked sounding as though it would make the difference between heaven and hell

“Its all sorts. Some slower ballads, some faster stuff, some humorous, some hard rock. All-sorts. It’ll be ticket only. No tickets on the night. I’ve got about fifty people coming. But the hall holds at least 80, right? Ok, so you can sell the rest here in the village in aid of the village hall funds if you like? Oh, and are you ok with us landing a helicopter in your playing field?”

There were a few more details to sort out for the tour. He’d made sure Bruce was available as roadie, but could now schedule in the rehearsals especially with Heather and check that Druze knew about it, even if he didn’t show up. So back to some fun – working with Michelle on getting the Studio up and running. Oh, and there were two bands arriving this weekend as well. And Starburst to set up if Ed ever set up another meeting.

Sienna

Michelle had not been wasting time while Damon had been away organising the mini tour and dabbling in some crazy deal with a radio station. He’d told her to ramp up the work and Len had brought more men in. That was as much as could be done there, so she’d moved on to the glazier.

“Clive. Do you do greenhouse glass as well?”

Clive was just finishing the third of 26 broken panes in what was being called the West Wing Extension. It was lower than the main house being only two storeys high with no dormer windows in the roof, and he was expecting this to take the rest of the week. He smoothed the last of the putty and slid down the ladder

“Yes. If its anything to do with glazing I can sort it for you. What did you have in mind?”

“Some of the panes in the greenhouse have gone, others are broken or cracked. So we need them replaced”

He knew she wouldn’t know exactly what she wanted. But he also knew that she would have a view of what it was supposed to be or look like when it was finished. He was patient with her. She was a lovely girl who just wanted people to help her – and seldom argued about the price.

“Ok. I can take a look when I’m through here for the day. Do you know how big they are?”

Michelle gave a rough indication with her hands as he looked on rather bemused. They were probably standard size, but it would be worth checking just to be sure

“And how many do you need? Have you a rough estimate?” As he knew for sure she wouldn’t know exactly

“I’ve counted 80 so far. But I probably missed some”

“80!”

“I think that’s about a quarter of them”

Ok so this was a big greenhouse, but no surprise there. Everything around here was on a giant scale.

He phoned his wife to apologise that he’d be later than expected, and suggested instead that she meet him in the Belle for some of Rosie’s cooking. Work was in short supply, and he’d been trying to pick up business in a wider area. But that travelling time ate into family time and profit and a large local job like this was not to be sniffed at.

She got to the pub early and just at the same time as Sienna was passing on her bike. They stopped to chat, but that soon turned into a drink inside rather than standing outside in the weather.

Clive related the tale of greenhouse windows and that’s how Sienna came to be freewheeling down the slope towards the front door of the Studio. That was lot of glass. And if that was a quarter, that was a huge greenhouse. And if there’s that many broken panes, then it can’t have been in use for some time. And if they were getting it mended then they must have some intention of using it. And that meant they might be looking for a gardener. She built herself up to this possibility trying to ignore that very last part in order to build her confidence. She hadn’t been to the Studio before, but she’d heard some strange tale that Hal had built an entire pub in one of the rooms there. She’d assumed it was just another fisherman’s tale that had been exaggerated in the Belle, but now with Clive’s story of an enormous greenhouse she’d got to imagining it as some kind of fairy story giant’s castle. But even that didn’t prepare her for the reality. She stopped on the crest gazing down towards it. Big! Wow! And the rest!

The forecourt was populated mainly by tradesmen’s vans and several stacks of building materials. She failed to find the bell rope, but the door opened easily when she pushed it.

She took a few steps towards the inner door and peered in. Then a few more inside gazing in awe at the frescos on the ceiling, and at the staircase and at the chandelier.

She looked along the corridor and back again, but the whole place seemed to be deserted apart from the assorted discords of out of sync hammering from somewhere beyond the staircase. She was still standing at the foot of it when Michelle returned with her coffee from the kitchen

“Hi. You looking for someone?”

Sienna jumped “Y..Yes” she stuttered, startled “Could you tell me where I'd find the head gardener”

Michelle looked around as if looking to see if he was there

“No?” Sienna questioned “I expect he's out in the grounds somewhere, but I've never been to this estate before so I don't know where to start”

Michelle sighed “Most days I don't know where to start”

They walked the few steps back to Michelle's office with Sienna still straining her neck to look at the ceiling

“I've worked at a number of stately homes before, but nothing on this scale. None of them was this amazing”

“Head gardener?” repeated Michelle returning to the original question as the other girl nodded encouragingly

“Well, good luck with the search. And if you find him, please drop by and tell me who he is”

Sienna dimly looked perplexed but fortunately Michelle continued

“I was hoping Colin would take that role. But he doesn't seem to want it. Why do you ask?”

She shared her thoughts with Michelle, but the super confidence that she had walked in with had deserted her now and she was starting to get flustered. She was just a quiet, reserved, self-deprecating introvert. She didn't get on very well with people and someone had suggested recently she might even be autistic. But the autism spectrum had grown over the last few years to include half the world population, and as such had become meaningless.

“Sienna, we’ve been concentrating on getting the work on the building started. I’ve only recently started thinking about the garden. Would you like to see it?”

Michelle retraced the route she’d taken with Damon when she’d been upset - through the overgrown arch, into the rose garden and on to the large statue. Sienna had pointed out what pruning, clearing and other work would be needed and Michelle got the distinct impression that she knew what she was talking about.

“The lawn needs some treatment as well” Sienna offered

“Yes, and I told Colin to get some weedkiller stuff and shake it around, but so far nothing’s happened”

“Maybe he hasn’t got a spreader. He wouldn’t want to do that size of area by hand. It would be too uneven”

“So I would have hoped he’d come and ask for a spreader if he needs a spreader. He knows I know nothing about plants – except maybe how to kill them”

They cut back from the terrace into the kitchen where Janice was just finishing the decoration on a coffee and walnut cake

“No!” she said before Michelle was even in through the door “Oh, I’m sorry. But young Michelle here has a reputation around here for eating my cakes even before I’ve finished them”

“Janice, that just proves how good they are. But I don’t’ see much happening to that lawn. Has Colin not got round to that yet?”

“Michelle, Colin’s a good man. And he works hard. But he needs to know what he’s meant to be doing”

“Hmmm. Doesn’t sound like he’s cut out to be head gardener”

“Oh, you know we’re both really worried about the situation. He won’t want to be turning down offers. But I think he’s hoping you’ll come up with something else. Maybe without so much responsibility”

“Janice, I’m sure we can do that. There’s no shortage of things that need to be done”

But this was progress for Michelle, and added excitement for Sienna. And they left with fresh coffee. And two slices of cake.

Back in the main hall, they diverted into Michelle’s office. Sienna talked about herself, and some of the places she’d worked and trained, and was starting to treat this as something of an interview, while Michelle was just finding talking to this new friend really quite interesting.

“I’d love to work here” Sienna heard herself saying “Just having the chance to recover that walled garden and that fountain would be a dream come true”

“Fountain?”

“The huge marble statue that’s covered in algae”

“Al who? You mean that green slimey stuff? I didn’t know it was a fountain”

“Yes! And there’s a large pond hidden by all that overgrowth”

“Bonus! Even better”

The next conversation with Sienna seemed to cover two sides of the same coin. Michelle had answered the phone but immediately thought that Sienna sounded upset

“Hey Sienna? Are you ok? Are you still able to join us? Even if you’re not you could pop in just for a chat”

“That’s so sweet Michelle. I don’t mean to sound down, I’m quite resilient usually. Its just that when I said I was leaving, my foreman was a bit off. Then the director came out to see what was going on and he went completely ape. And they effectively threw me out”

“Oh what! That’s a bit out of line. But looking on the bright side, does that mean you could start earlier? Come over for a chat anyway. We’ll see if Janice has a fresh cake to raid”

The chat continued as Michelle led Sienna up to the top of the South West tower and pointed out various landmarks in the garden - the greenhouse that was going to be repaired, the lake that was going to be cleared of weeds and reeds, the path down to the west orchard that was going to be passable one day. And then they went outside and Michelle left her to explore this new territory and just how overgrown all these things were. She returned late, not realising the time passing and was surprised to find Michelle still in her office

“You weren’t waiting for me were you?”

“No, I’m always in the office till well after this. Then I migrate to the bar”

“Is that the Olde Belle in the village”

“No, its three doors along the corridor”

Sienna was no less surprised and impressed that something resembling a village pub had been built into the room next to what had been referred to as the restaurant, and that Hal had not been exaggerating after all, but Michelle was asking her about equipment

“As I said, I know very little about this. But I saw Colin start to have a go at clearing the rose garden. Except he had a pair of gardening scissors…”

“…secateurs? “

“… yes, them. But that’s no good. It was like he had a match when I think you need a flame thrower. What we need is an industrial sized pruner, maybe an electric one. But maybe they don’t make stuff like that”

“Oh, they do. But a lot of the time you need to be quite careful with the plants in case you kill them”

“Well, maybe the ones growing right across the paths need killing. But the question is the same. I think we need a trip out to whatever kind of shop sells this stuff. I was thinking maybe Wednesday?”

“It would certainly be quicker with the right tools”

“Its very important that Damon sees progress. This is my idea although he agreed ages ago that it needs to be done, so the sooner the better”

“Equipment like that isn’t cheap, Michelle”

“No, but the sooner we can get the garden back in shape the sooner we can get some inspiration from it. But I’m pretty busy till later in the week”

Not, she thought, that she’d be any less busy when the end of the week actually arrived

“Who’s this Damon? I take it he’s the boss?”

“Yes. He owns this place. He’s the one who’s setting up the company here. Its his money I’m spending”

“What’s he like? Old? Fat? Balding? Traditional?”

“No. none of these, Sienna. He’s tall, slim, 34 and he’s… he’s … quite wonderful”

Sienna started work the next day. She sharpened some of the pruners that she found in the old shed and made some visible, if not particularly delicate, progress round the archway to the rose garden.

Damon was concentrating on the gigs and talking to Karen about maybe bringing down only one band a week while the renovation continued which would be better than none at all, Michelle sat with a quiet drink in the bar. She was trying to stop her head thinking about everything so that she could concentrate on one thing all the way through to a conclusion when Sienna poked her head nervously round the door. Michelle welcomed her in and poured her a drink. Sienna bubbled about the progress she was making, but was also nervous that there might be other priorities. And she wasn’t sure she was allowed into the house, especially if she was muddy.

“We all need to be smartly dressed, Sienna. We need to show an example to the bands that we invite. So we don’t want you trailing half a field in here and spreading it all over the hallway, but that apart, you’re welcome in the bar anytime. I’ll be only too pleased to see you. But since you’re here we really ought to go and find Damon and make the introduction. He’s probably down in the studio… “Oh, No, Sienna, he’s……. he’s here” ” as Damon appeared before they even got to the door

Sienna froze. He looked gentle and attentive and smartly dressed and only slightly older than her and….

“Damon. Can I introduce you to Sienna”

Sienna felt him looking straight through her eyes into her thoughts

“I’d love you to introduce me to Sienna” he purred mischievously

He replenished the glasses, as Sienna tried to regain composure. He looked absolutely nothing like the aggressive stuffy aristocrats that she expected to own an estate like this. Despite Michelle’s initial comments, she was completely unprepared

“Have you joined us on the domestic side?” opened Damon

Oh my goodness. I’m so flustered…. “No, n n no..” she stuttered “I’m afraid not. I’m….I’m a gardener”

“Oh! wonderful! So you’re going to sort out the garden for us?” as he pushed her glass towards her

“I’m not sure I should have this. I’d like to but I might be too wobbly on my bike getting home”

“You could always just stay here”

Sienna gasped conspicuously

“No Sienna! Damon didn’t mean it like that. What he meant was that we’ve got about a hundred bedrooms here, at least half of which are usable, and you could use one of them if you weren’t confident about getting home”

“Is that not what I said, Michelle? Sienna can stay here”

But this was all new to Sienna as well. She wasn’t a girl to go out to the pub and not make it home that night. Even when she felt she’d like to be like that, she never found the opportunities. Just too shy maybe. And Michelle sounded so sure that that was not what Damon meant.

The next day she made it down to Michelle’s office by eight o’clock to find the day’s issues already in full swing although Michelle didn’t seem to be in the least bit flustered

“Stressed? Not me. Its not me that’s got the deadlines and financial penalties. Its all those guys. And they’ll just have to get a wiggle on. But it does mean I won’t be able to get to that garden shop with you. Maybe you could take Damon instead” she added noticing that he’d just re-entered the room

“Sienna, I will take you anywhere you want to go….” he purred again reducing her legs to jelly. How can a guy like that say things like that and have an effect like that and her not think of any suitable response

“….And if you’re really good, I might even bring you back”

“Oh, yes please” she heard herself whisper

“But I think you ought to have an outline shopping list before we go. I’d like to know that there’s nothing suitable already here in the sheds before we buy a new one. Of whatever it is. So can you just check out what we’ve got and if its all rusty. Then tomorrow afternoon we’ll go and get whatever you need”

Shopping with Damon was something completely different all over again. The drive out was a revelation. Instead of the rattling vans that were all used to transport grass cuttings, hedge trimmings, bush clippings and landscaping rubble that managed to get themselves into every possible nook and cranny, this car was new, quiet, clean and oh so comfortable. She had no hesitation at all sitting down on the seat without first attempting to wipe off the worst of the botany and was very glad that she’d avoided getting muddy that morning

The supplier had a vast array of horticultural equipment and every conceivable tool, gadget, machine and widget spread out over several acres of indoor space.

“I’m lost already. You’ll need to explain what on earth you’d use any of this for. But before that…”

“Before?” she was expecting maybe he had to go to the little boys room, but no. He’d picked an orange chocolate bar from the display near the checkout and started eating it, offering her the other half. The assistant who was about to welcome them blinked twice as Damon simply stuffed the wrapper into his shirt pocket

“Don’t want to forget about this on the way out. Now, where to start. I think you ought to get a trolley. A big one. I can’t go outside or they’ll expect me to pay for this chocolate bar”

Damon was in discussion with the sales assistant when she returned with a large flatbed,

“Sienna, we’re here to get the equipment you need to give you the best chance of success. My knowledge is limited, so the only times I’ll be questioning your choice is when it looks very like something we’ve already got”

Discussions on each item were quite detailed. She’d been used to operating electric equipment in the small domestic gardens she’d being working in, but now it was all going to be petrol power. She’d be too far from a plug, and Damon fairly quickly dismissed his own idea of buying cheaper electrical stuff running from a decent sized generator. They worked their way through trimmers and strimmers and loppers and blowers and had made it as far as lawn mowers. She said she’d need a smaller sized lawn mower for the detailed areas in the rose garden, and that was a step too far for the trolley. Instead, they took it directly to the checkout and set it aside for when they eventually made it that far, together with the already loaded trolley.

Next, they moved into a section for larger equipment and Damon was talking her into needing a medium sized John Deer for mowing the main lawn. And while the previous units were costing the same as several weeks of her salary, this was more like six months.

They moved on and the equipment got bigger. Damon stopped beside a strange vehicle. It was a cross between a golf buggy and a land rover pickup, then reduced like a half scale model. It had small wheels with chunky off road tyres and looked like it was designed to go almost anywhere

“Now, something like that would save you a huge amount of time getting from one side of the garden to the other”

She looked at him. Was he really thinking about buying one of these as well. They were very expensive and a decision like that could take her weeks

“Of course…” he was continuing “… if you’re going to clear the overgrown areas, you’ll need a bigger load space. Maybe you need a trailer”

He moved on to look at trailers without making a final decision on the buggy

“Does that buggy use a standard ball hitch?” he asked “So if we had one of these to clear the overgrowth, we could load the buggy into it with the rest of the gear and take it all home this afternoon on the back of the car”

Both salesman and Sienna looked astounded. There had been a general assumption that delivery would be arranged, possibly the following week.

“Yes” defended Damon “That way you can start work tomorrow. Do you also have a spreader attachment for any on these. For weedkiller? Or maybe that should wait till we get the John Deer”

But Damon was actually serious about this option. Why leave it till tomorrow when you could get it done today?

“I’ll stay here and help get everything through the checkout then help load up. You bring the car round and find someone to open that gate so that we can hitch the trailer”

She took the keys in continuing disbelief while Damon headed for the checkout.

“Don’t forget this!” Damon remembered dropping the empty chocolate wrapper on the counter.

It was close to closing time when they finally cleared the gate

“I’m hoping that’s everything you need”

“So do I!” she replied “I expect that’s blown the budget for the next five years”

“Yes. At least it would if there was one. That’s something else we need to sort out. How about we find the nearest pub, get ourselves a drink, and you can tell me all about you. And if there’s any time left after that we can talk about how you’re going to recover the garden and what sort of budget you need. Unless you’ve got some pressing engagement for this evening?”

Sienna had nothing planned for that evening. In fact, she had nothing planned for any evening, generally keeping to herself outside work.

The conversation was another revelation. He listened without interrupting and she told him more about herself in those two hours than she’d ever told anyone else before. It also meant that she could explain her initial ideas about the garden without getting flustered and then terminate the discussion suddenly with indecision. Then Damon explained the objective of what he wanted her to do, what he thought Michelle wanted her to do and how it was an integral part of the whole way the Studio would work.

“It doesn’t want to be restored precisely to its former glory because that might be too old fashioned and formal. More that the existing layout should be used as a base to re-establish a masterpiece in its own right. But it would be nice to retain some of the major features like the fountains”

“Yes, I was planning on doing that. But I might need some help. Like, maybe an electrician to check the wiring to the pump”

“Sienna, there’s every trade imaginable on site already. I think Michelle has hired every available builder chippie, plumber, electrician and labourer in the entire county. So if you need a specialist to get that fountain working, go find them. They’re probably on the second floor”

Dinner followed on naturally. They were in the pub anyway and their ideas about the garden were bouncing around

“I’d like it to be a place of inspiration. But modern inspiration rather than Victorian” which was music to her ears. It gave her all the latitude she needed and it was becoming clearer after the second drink that Damon had no real intention of interfering or dictating how to do it. Dinner was simply the best way of continuing the evening as he turned the conversation back to her

“I guess its just a technicality” he said “but have you actually joined us? Did Michelle give you a contract to sign?”

“No. We did look at one, and there was nothing very scary in there. But then she said that there were going to be some changes soon, so was holding back till that was sorted. Its not a problem is it? I’m so looking forward to this. Especially with all that new equipment”

But not just that. She felt able to talk to him without risking her ideas being crushed or her point of view dismissed out of hand. She realised she’d lost some of her shyness and if that was a pointer to the future this was going to be so much more than just a better job.

Sienna’s bicycle was still at the Studio and they parked the trailer in one of the disused stables before getting side-tracked towards the bar. It wasn’t late, she’d only had three drinks over the last 4 hours, so why not if it helped her to get to know her new company. Talk was about the company direction, which sounded very serious and largely left her behind not knowing the context, but returning from a much needed loo break it seemed to have moved on again

“So, Michelle, are you implying that Damon has to talk Sienna out of her dungarees?”

“Adam! That is so out of context…. Hi Sienna”

This depressed her spirits. Maybe there was a level of banter that someday she might be able to understand. But yesterday’s comment was double edged, and now this. And Sienna was only too ready to read anything and everything into it. It had been a good day up till then, and now she felt deflated. Ok, so Michelle seemed to be in the habit of wearing micro short dresses, but she was office based, not bending and stretching and crouching down on the ground all around uncooperative vegetation.

She bailed out with enough time to cycle home before dark, but the edge had been taken off her euphoria. Maybe it would all become clearer the next day. And the job was still her ultimate dream even if she did have to take her dungarees off for Damon. Its just that it sounded a bit underhand. Why didn’t he just keep her in the pub till later and then suggest they stop off somewhere. At least that might have had the air of romance about it.

The sky was darkening red when she set off the next morning. The air was cool and the ride would be exhilarating. First she’d sort out the equipment from yesterday. No, first she’d sort out where she was going to store everything because wherever it was it would need swept out and need the paths and tracks around it cleared just so that she could get in. If Colin was supposed to have been looking after the garden these last few years, he seems to have done remarkably little.

She was still lost in thought when thunder cracked the sky and the heavens opened. In seconds she was drenched. And another two minutes of the monsoon and she felt that even her underwear was dripping. She turned back. There was still time, but her plan to be really early had vanished. But then, maybe that was ok. She didn’t want to set the standard too high. Dried, changed and moving again the clouds seemed to be regrouping for a second assault on anyone brave enough to tempt them into action. Top of the hill now and freewheel down the track for the last mile! But the weather was saving its worst till last as it opened up all over again.

Now looking and feeling decidedly drowned she wheeled her bike all the way round the West Wing to the kitchen door. She didn’t dare go in through the front hall, partly because she’d create muddy puddles all over the carpet, and partly it would give Damon or Adam another excuse to continue yesterday’s inuendo.

Janice answered her jaded tap on the glass and ushered her in out of the downpour. She gratefully accepted the mug of hot coffee as she apologised for turning up like a drowned rat

“It only came on the last 400 yards…”

But she was now shivering and Janice was more concerned now as Sienna sneezed repeatedly

“We need to get you dried and warmed up”

“Oh Janice, I’m so sorry” she repeated “But I already turned round to get dry clothes. This is the second time. But I’m sure I’m meant to be meeting Damon this morning”

“Not in your state you’re not. You look like you’ve gone several shades paler and you’re shivering too. You need to get out of those wet clothes, pet, or you’ll catch your death of cold”

Janice retrieved a couple of large towels from what appeared to be the laundry room off to the right and helped her out of her jumper and trousers

“Janice, I know you’re trying to help, but I can’t stay here like this. Not with the comments in the bar last night”

“Whatever they were, I’m sure they’re only teasing. There’s a lot of that goes on. But come on, come with me. We’ll put you up in one of the bedrooms”

She hustled her along a narrow passage, up a back staircase to the first floor checking that the coast was clear and into a free room.

“There’s more dry towels in the bathroom. I suggest you take a shower. That’ll warm you through and I’ll get your clothes sorted out just as soon as I can”

“But what about my meeting with Damon. I’m supposed to discuss my contract!”

“I’ll find him just as soon as I get your things in the wash. I’ll get the mud out first before drying or it’ll be baked in forever. I’m sure he’ll understand”

She felt better in the shower. Just as much water, except this was beautifully warm and rescuing her body from hypothermia helped her clear her head. She wanted to get her contract signed. She wanted to know what her salary would be. And working hours. Oh My! She’d agreed to this job knowing any of these and that now sounded unusually rash. That uncertainty needed to be cleared.

Warmer and dryer, she gazed out of the window all the way to the lake. And that was another major piece of work. There also seemed to be more sections of the formal garden, albeit overgrown, out beyond where she’d been with Michelle. But she’d have to concentrate on the bits nearest the house first. No point getting carried away by more remote ….. “Oh!”

The knock at the door interrupted her thoughts and she spun round not knowing. It could just be Janice, or… She jumped into bed, rather than be wearing just a towel.

“Hello” she called. Oh, but maybe being in bed was wor….. “Oh Hello, Damon”

“Hi Sienna. Hmmm. I think this may be taking Adams comments last night rather literally. But, hey, Janice said you got caught in the rain. How are you? Are you ok or a bit shivery? I brought you some hot Ribena, and a couple of biscuits. Thought that might help the recovery”

This was certainly unexpected. Her previous director would have yelled himself ill that she should get out there and get some work done. She’d dry out sooner with some vigorous activity.

“I’m…I’m ok. I think. Thankyou. Its just that I don’t…”

She stopped not knowing how to phrase the next bit without inviting a negative outcome

“Its just, I don’t have anything to wear until ….”

She paused nervously waiting for whatever comment that would attract

“Yes. I understand from Janice that you got quite wet. But following the last couple of days I’m reluctant to say too much for fear of misinterpretation. But I did want to talk to you this morning about your contract”

“Oh Damon, thankyou. And thankyou for my drink. I’m feeling much better now”

“Good! So if all you’re short of is clothes, we could just talk here”

“Here!” - What? I’m naked and in bed. But then…. he’s not, and not in bed, so I guess it hardly matters “I can’t see why not”

It didn’t take long for Damon to skip through the main headings on the contract, offer her hugely more salary than she was expecting and agree working hours and overtime rates

“But Sienna, you need to retain a flexible attitude. Its all about helping each other when we need to”

She nodded in acceptance. Wasn’t that just the way she was anyway?

“So lets talk about our objective and then we’ll talk about clause 5”

Everything was going so well. Was that all going to change?

Damon explained how bands would be found and invited and the anticipated flow through the studios before going on tour

“Its all in its very early stages and its seriously confidential. The reason I‘m telling you is because that’s the sort of environment the garden is supposed to support. It should be a quiet, fragrant, peaceful place for these guys to unwind and de-stress. It should be a place of inspiration for composing and writing new material. Imagine standing quietly in the rose garden with your eyes closed and simply taking in the fragrance, then slowly open your eyes to see through the far archway like a window on the distant fields ten miles at least down the valley?”

“I see! So its not just a recreational area. Its an important part of the whole business…”

“Yes, like we touched on yesterday, its an integral part of getting into the right frame of mind. We need people who can create new songs, new lyrics, new melodies and have new ideas because being the same is too competitive. We need to concentrate on being different, to think differently and take different inspiration. That will be helped by having quiet, inspirational sensory spaces. And that’s why we need someone like you with ideas as well as ability to sort it out for us…”

Wow! That was an unexpected compliment

“…But another thing that will help people feel different is if they look different. Not necessarily kaftans and togas, just a little different from each other within the bounds of normality. Anything too different might encourage a negative reaction by being too weird. But differences will help them develop their personal identity which is different to everyone else. And that takes us straight to clause 5 which relates to the dress code. Everyone on site here needs to look smart. That’s because looking scruffy is a mark of a scruffy attitude and that leads to scruffy work. This is a working environment, although some of us do live here as well.

Differentiation is the key to our company’s success and it is diametrically opposed to equality. So we’re going to focus on differences. The music industry is overpopulated with bands just imitating each other. In that market you have to out-perform all the others. But by being different, you can set yourself aside from the rest. You become one of a kind and you become the best of that kind.

So if differentiation is key, we need to minimise things that would make you the same. Jeans are all the same, and they’re the same for boys and girls. Wear blue jeans and you will soon disappear as just another face in the crowd. So, we’re introducing a dress code. No jeans. Boys will be expected to wear shirts and trousers, girls - dresses or skirts. Shirts come in all sorts of patterns and colours. Dresses are not just different from boys clothes but are even more varied in style, length, colour and pattern - all different from each other.

And additionally, no emblems or logos. We’re not putting in all this effort just to advertise someone else’s brand”

She listened intently. Oh my! So the comments about my dungarees wasn’t such a deeply personal thing after all. Just some minor inuendo that I missed the start of.

“Sienna, I appreciate that wearing a hemline may be more difficult for you than for maybe Michelle. But there is no compulsion to wear anything very short. How would you feel about wearing maybe a midi length for when you have to stretch up for pruning, but not so long as it trails in the mud. I’d like you to think about this. Its not a show-stopper if it’s impossible but it would make it much easier for me if there were no exceptions. I doubt if I can extend this differentiation to the whole estate, but I’d like to impose it on the house and extend it to the garden and I do want our permanent staff here to set an example to our visitors”

He left her to think about it not wanting to pressure her into anything hurried. But she returned the signed document just as soon as she’d got dressed again.

“So no problem with the dress code?”

“No. I’ve never thought about it that way before, but if I need to buy something new it might not be till the weekend”

Odd? Strange? Bizarre? But then, so much else was as well.

Over the next few days the weather was better. She stayed dry all the way there, and even all the way back. She found the disused gardeners hut near the greenhouse and cleaned it out. She tracked down an electrician in amongst the refurbishment work in the house and asked him to check out the electrics for her and then in the greenhouse that Clive would start work on soon. It would be an advantage if the light worked and maybe she could get a small heater for later in the season when the weather turned.

Late Friday, Damon found her in the rose garden. He’d just got back and was interested to see if she’d made a start. She’d cleared the overgrowth from the path and was loading the cuttings into the trailer when he interrupted to introduce Colin. She’d heard of Colin, being Janice’s husband, and her information was that he was supposed to be doing something in the grounds, but didn’t think it was her place to track him down and tell him that she was head gardener now.

“Colin works hard and does a good job…” Damon was saying “… but he’s better when he’s doing a specific task or a one-off type job that’s a bit more defined. Colin, Sienna trained with the Royal Horticultural Society and will be better at planning what needs to be done and what the schedule should look like so that things like pruning the different pants gets done at the right time. I’m expecting her to work a lot more independently so that I can concentrate on the music side of the company and just enjoy the fruits of her labours. In the same way as she could enjoy what we’re doing in the studio if she got herself a music player”

Colin confirmed that he’d be very happy picking up tasks here and there, so long as it was well defined. That was a lot more encouraging than she had expected, and the confrontation that she had feared looked like it might not happen

“Ok” she replied as brightly as she could “Supposing I show you how the hopper on the new tractor works and you could spread the lawn weedkiller”

“Ah, but I might get the dosage all wrong. Like if I go too fast or slow or something. Or if I put the wrong amount in the hopper, or measure it wrong. I don’t want to be killing off that whole lawn”

“You’ll be fine. We’ll load it up together first time. It doesn’t matter how much you put in the hopper. Its spread out using an auger in the base. That is turned by the road wheels so the faster you go, the faster the auger turns and the more weedkiller it lets through. And if you slow down then its less. So no matter how variable your speed is, you’ll always spread the right amount. All you have to do is not go over the same bit twice”

“Is that right!” he exclaimed, surprised not only by the technology, but the fact that she knew all about it

“Anyways” he continued as Damon left “I brought you these”

She looked at the offering and it took a few seconds to sink in that he was handing her two number plates and a clear envelope with a tax disk in it

“They’re for that new mini pickup thing there. Make it road legal. Like as not you’ll be able to use it to get into work without getting soaked again. Do you want me to fit them for you?”

Going home time and she decided to change the plan. She changed into a less muddy skirt and swapped her boots for a clean pair of shoes. Then she took the pickup to the front of the house and headed for the bar. As expected Adam was there, deep in concentration but he broke off to invite her in and get her a drink.

Next in was Michelle, and finally Damon, but the open invitation was there for any time she wanted to pop in and be sociable – even if the likely subject of conversation was work.

She hadn’t planned to stay long and this latest invitation reinforced her case. She was on a roll, and a third success was likely – she hoped. And maybe prayed.

She left the pickup at her little cottage and walked the three quarters of a mile to the Threshers Arms which was her nearest pub. It was also the nearest pub to her old company and a haunt of everyone who worked there. She parked herself at the bar and ordered a gin and bitter lemon. She sometimes drank that, and now she felt it was more sophisticated than the pint jug she often had with her work colleagues as an attempt to integrate better with the boys. She’d wanted to do that when she’d worked with them to merge in and be one of the crowd. But now, pushed into being different and wearing a pretty floral skirt she felt very differently. She felt she had a new identity as an individual and part of that difference was being not quite so shy.

There were still a few of the crew there and it didn’t take long for them to find her. But they were with the boss, and they didn’t want to leave him on his own too long because he was buying. Except Alan’s glass had run dry and he too was headed for the bar for a refill

“Oh! Hello Senny”

“Hi Alan. Oh, empty glass. Do you want a beer?”

This took him rather by surprise. Their last meeting wasn’t exactly pleasant – for either of them.

“So you’ve got another job then? If you can afford to buy the beer!”

“New job?” quizzed Alan “Already? Not joined National Gardening have you. Contracts specifically exclude leaving to join the competition”

He sounded accusing. But then, he never sounded friendly even if he was.

“Hmm...” she started, passing him a fresh pint “I doubt if that clause applies if you get fired. And I think that getting thrown out into the street probably counts as that...”

The others looked on wondering where this was going. Alan seemed to be on the attack while Senny was the conciliator buying the round!

“But in any case, no. I've got a job already because I had one before I resigned. That's why I left, or would have if I hadn't gotten slung out. But it's with a private Manor House. The garden has been neglected for a number of years and it needs to be recovered”

“Well you could have made it an introduction for us. You'd have got commission on that”

“Not as much as I'm getting paid as head gardener”

“Head?”

“Yes. Of course I still expect to do most of the work, but I've got one other gardener at the moment and I think I'll need another two, at least in the short term while we do the clearing”

“Hmm. So what you doing in here then?”

“It's the nearest pub to where I live. But I also wanted to see you guys. I just wanted to ask you something”

“Like? You’re not wanting your old job back are you?”

“No no no no. It's just that if I find something specific that is critical but I haven't got time for, I wanted to check out if you would be interested, or if I'd get the bums rush like before?”

Alan mellowed. “Thanks for the beer. And no problem, we're always interested in doing business”

Yes! Third success of the day. Knew I was on a roll, and this just proves it. Think I'll go to work tomorrow just to show willing, and then take Sunday off .

Cue: Heart of the Summer by Fair Warning

To Sienna this job was everything. Colin was ok – once he got going. All she had to do was talk gently, smile sweetly and tell him exactly what he had to do. Michelle was so supportive. She’d described how she thought the rose garden might look with all the bushes flowering with their scent at sniffing height, the lawn paths delicately winding between the beds and the fruit trees trimmed back against the walls overflowing with fruit in late season. But Sienna was also clear that Michelle was trusting her to do what she thought was best. She was the expert and in the same way that she wasn’t going to tell Adam to turn up mic 3 and back off that bass guitar, Michelle wasn’t going to tell her how to create a lovely garden. And Damon had said that if a plumber of electrician was needed to get a fountain working again, she should head for the second floor where the indoor work was all going on and get someone out there to help her.

Progress was visible and now that it was obvious what was weed and what was flower, Colin was able to do some of the maintenance on the beds she’d already renovated.

And there was no criticism! In her old job, clients would continually moan that she’d missed cutting two blades of grass in an inaccessible corner or that she’d cut a twig too many off their prized fig. Here, it was the overall effect that was important and while that included the detail no-one was supervising her every movement. She wondered if there would be progress meetings, but if the track record so far was anything to go by it would be more her updating them with what she’d been doing and any issues or conflicts of priority and it would all probably be incorporated into the general conversation on the occasions that she invited herself to join them in the bar. And she could schedule those for when she had something she wanted to tell them or ask Damon or Michelle. She had her mini pickup truck to get to and from work, she had her little hut near the greenhouse and she could change into a prettier dress if she wanted to go to the bar before going home, or even if she wanted to drop in at the Threshers. She had a huge salary compared to what she was earning before and she’d rebuilt relations with her former boss just in case she needed some expert help at short notice. Now it was just a matter of working hard, making progress and making sure Damon and Michelle continued to be impressed.

But while this was a whole new career for Sienna, Michelle managed to reduce it down to a single line on her whiteboard, although there should be significant points in that task like there were in the building work. She kept track of ‘rooms completed’ because that defined the number of people she could accommodate and the probable time before the builders were all off-site. And the timescale for Janice getting more staff because that restricted her as well. Maybe clearing the walled garden of weeds was a significant event? Or getting that big green slimy fountain working again? But they didn’t restrict the number of bands she could invite. No, the garden was more to do with the next phase. A time when composers would sit out there and be inspired. And for the time being she’d leave that entirely up to Sienna. Or maybe just take a walk out there sometimes or just mention it in passing when she came in to the bar. But Sienna was the first person on her new people board and also the first to be marked as ‘completed’.

Instead, she mulled through all the other issues, each with its own line. Some that she had no idea about were one single word while others had a lot more detail. She talked through the list with Damon filling in the timescales for each part of the setup, rubbing out, scoring out, annotating and drawing arrows as everything shuffled into place and the plan became a tangled interwoven web. It also included all the risks that Damon had raised at the decision meeting and the date it would no longer be relevant - if they’ve managed to avoid it, and now Michelle saw it all falling into place. It was huge. It was complex. But it was in understandable pieces. It might take some time for her to get her head around the whole thing, but until then she could focus on the plan one day at a time, updating it as events panned out. But first she had to completely redraw it to get rid of all the squiggly lines.

Phone Cecily

Damon was still concerned that Eden Radio was considered to be a liability and virtually worthless to Sir Edwin. He was still considering dropping 25 million on the Steel Works deal, while this whole show was worth about three percent of that. Conversely, to him it was a strategic investment that could play a vital role in Chameleon Media’s success. The lack of any financial information was worrying, but the plan was to close down, start again, and all that he’d really have for his quarter of a million pounds was the license to broadcast. But there must be some known costs. Like how much did it cost to rent space on a transmission tower? And who supplied those services anyway?

He was seriously considering going up to Edencombe to storm that office like it was a bank raid during the prohibition, and extract that information from wherever it was hiding. But maybe a phone call would do.

Someone eventually put him through to Cecily although it rang frustratingly long before it was answered.

“Cecily?”

“Yes”

“Its Damon. Can I speak with Mr Brownlee please?”

“No”

“Why not?”

“ He’s not in”

“So do you have the documents I need that Sir Edwin requested ?”

“No”

“I usually like girls who keep saying ‘yes’ ”

“….Oh yea. But this is all company confidential…”

“But in your case, I’ll be happy to make an exception” he snapped as his light hearted approach failed. “I hope you know why I want them because I am led to believe by Sir Edwin that he has informed you”

Cecily’s confident smirk had shrunk back a little and following Sir Edwin’s statement, she felt decidedly uncomfortable.

“I thought it was the production facility you’d be interested in?” she asked faintly.

“Not really. I can already hear that it works. It's entirely the finance side to assess corporate viability”

“No! I can't just give you confidential company data”

“Even on Sir Edwin’s instruction. Do you have a sales forecast?”

“No”

“What about last year’s statement as filed with Companies House?”

“I'm sorry, but I don’t keep a copy of that here. In fact, I can't remember seeing it at all. It's only Bernie that would have that”

“And, don’t tell me! He's not in, right?”

“Well, no. sir Edwin fired him”

“Well, that’s progress at least! Cecily, perhaps you would be so kind as to call Sir Edwin’s office and get the necessary authorisation to release these documents?”

“I’m sorry but I can't do that. I have no authority to do that”

“Oh for goodness sake! Is it only you that is this obstructive, or is it endemic?”

“I can only apologise”

At least I didn’t waste a whole afternoon driving up there and back.

Next call was to Heidi. Maybe she’d be more co-operative

“What I’m looking for Heidi, is a list of all supplier contracts. Its to assess which ones would be critical to retain, in the event that we decide to continue broadcasting”
“Alice might be able to help me with that. But there’s not a lot of enthusiasm for anything around here now. It was bad to start with. Now it’s a whole lot worse”

Oh well, I’ll wait till I get on site and try again!

Crispin’s progress

By the end of that week, Sienna was still on a high. She’d overcome her desperate shyness for once and had landed the most amazing job in the world. Now, she could look forward to going to work every day.

Crispin had joined this particular roller-coaster several weeks before but was feeling much the same. He was a one hundred percent computer geek. He’d been programming since he was thirteen, a good fifteen years ago. But now with his increasing involvement with Damon and the Studio, he’d extended his expertise to include processing and displaying sound files. He’d researched sound file formats and was now perfectly capable of breaking them out into component parts. His original system for producing radio programs was almost certainly being shelved, but the interfaces and analytics that he’d written were the basis for his waveform display system that he’d written with Damon. This would form the core of the evidence for and against a band’s progression and Crispin was pleased with himself that he now knew enough to connect into the main mixing desk. His analysis of waveforms and how to identify harmonics and filter them out meant he could now hold his own in making technically good recordings.

Not just that, but he was now confidently wiring up a fully functional rehearsal room. This would be ready for Heather but he was sure it would be fully utilised by everyone else who rocked in as well. He was pleased with the result but it also got him thinking. This was a good way to work. Damon would come up with off the wall ideas that may never have been tried before and then question him on why it shouldn’t work. That got him thinking maybe it could work and then how to make it work. And all with no real doubt that he’d get paid. Two days later he had his prototype. All he needed now was a singer to test it

Michelle was busy checking the progress of the continuing building work when he asked her for help. Always willing to get involved in everything especially something new, she followed him down to his cave near where Adam said he was about to build Studio 2.

“I need you to sing into this microphone here”

“Crispin, there are much better singers than me around. What about Adam? Or wait till Heather gets here? I can’t sing a note”

“That’s a better test”

That evening, he had a date with his long-suffering girlfriend and rushed off suddenly when he realised how late he was going to be, leaving Michelle to explain it to Damon in the bar.

“So Crispin’s found something else he thinks I should spend money on?” asked Damon trying not to sound critical

“Yes. Its specifically designed to show me how bad I am at singing. Even though I never claimed to be able to sing in the first place. But it will also help Heather. Its like the waveform thing you want to use for the bands reviews, but this one displays the words she’s meant to be singing as well. And then it goes red if she’s too far off the note. I told him that for me it would be better if he made it go green anytime I get near to the note”

This was all new. Adam’s covert research was finding nothing else like this in other studios and it all contributed to their increasing confidence

The next day Damon succeeded in getting through to Jim Brownlee but with nothing constructive beyond that. He explained that he had been trying to get enough information to assess the viability of a broadcasting company in Edencombe. On the premise that the existing one wasn’t, he would need to reduce overheads or increase income and these financial papers would provide the clues.

But Brownlee was not on his side

“I can’t see a takeover being in our interests. We already have a minimum workforce. Apart from the charity workers of course, but they’re not on the payroll”
“So the income would need to improve”
“Quite possibly. But the advertising percentage is already at its maximum”

“But, Mr Brownlee, the company is currently unviable”
“That is only a matter of opinion”

But this was enough to confirm Damon’s decision. He would tell Ed not to bother pursuing the financial case. There was no option but to close down, lose all the staff and recruit new members. This was all much more work that he had anticipated. Adam had the studio under control and was already talking to some potential candidates to help them. Michelle had the building under control. Now he had to get Starburst Radio under control. It would only add to the excitement.

Brownlee clearly had a different view of the world. Odd. Would’ve thought that he’d be interested in maintaining production. After all he must know what’s going on, even if he hasn’t told Ed. Unless….

Maybe I should just go and see him. I need someone to run the show, but on current form its not him.

Deal

Next day the warmth in the morning sun turned to a frosty chill in the office. Jim Brownlee was already stomping around disturbing everyone when Heidi hung her coat up
“That’s optimistic” said Edna quietly “from what I hear you won’t be here long enough”
But Brownlee avoided her, stopping by only to thump a staff list onto her desk. She found her inventory and decided to see if Gavin would give her a steer on its completeness, after all he couldn’t be any more aggressive than brown-thing was already. Gavin was the production manager. It was his responsibility to make sure that the station continued to transmit. He’d not been with the company very long but was already regarded as the elder statesman of the company being that much older and keeping a steady and thoughtful view of everything while others jumped to conclusions and into deep water. He was sympathetic and attentive, although she didn’t know him well and he confirmed that there was no equipment that was rented or leased. However, he said, the asset list she was using was for the purposes of amortisation. Fully depreciated assets might be on the list at zero value although that did not mean they were worthless. He smiled
“Good luck. I think you’ll need it”

Back at her desk, there was no sign of Simpson, and brown-thing was still stomping around in a temper. He seemed to be leading the frosty atmosphere around the room and into various offices as he poked around doing nothing except upsetting people. Heidi engrossed herself in studying her list to familiarise herself in case she was asked any questions, and was surprised by the phone ringing
“Hello, is that Heidi Sinclair at Eden Radio?”
“Yes it is”
“Its Katie here from Sir Edwin Weslock’s office. Hold the line please while I connect you”

“Its Ed here. Are you having any success with those documents today?”
“Yes, Some. I’ve got the inventory I mentioned, and Mr Brownlee’s given me a staff list, although I’m not sure its going to tell you everything you need to know”

“Oh, Why’s that?”
“Because its just giving a single number for each person. I would have thought there were bonuses or overtime and things like that, which might be relevant”

“Ah yes. We’ll have a look at it at lunchtime. I’ll pick you up at 12.30 outside the main gate if that’s all right. It’s a bit of a squeeze turning this car around in that car park”

Damon was waiting for them at the Coach and Horses. It seemed he had his own list of equipment and was checking the inventory against it while Ed perused the staff list.

“Inventory looks good” said Damon after a while “But there’s a few elements at zero value?”

Heidi was elated to be able to explain that in a positive way. Oh such a contrast from before. Ed seemed impressed as well

“But” he said “You sounded concerned about the staff list?”

“Only that it adds up to a consistent number, and I know from one of the accounts that I have access to that there’s as much as 10 thousand pounds variance in payroll each month. That’s why I said it might not contain bonuses or other extra payments which you’d need if you were trying to work out what the annual costs were going to be”

Ed looked at both of them in turn

“Search me!” said Damon “But its just another nail in the coffin of the viability of Eden Radio. Ed. That confirms it really is a basket case”

“I agree” he replied with mounting disappointment and some finality. “Its sounding dreadfully like an asset deal”

“Its still a stab in the dark. Look, I know Heidi’s trying hard. But the raw fact is that there is no reliable information available. Even the asset list only gives current value. It doesn’t give a view of replacement cost or timescale. Staff costs? We could work on that but what else is committed? I could do a deal today, walk into that office tomorrow and find myself with a million pound bill by the end of the week. Shift pay? Bonuses? Unpaid royalties anyone?”

“Look, Damon, it should be making money but the bottom line is that its losing 9 thousand a month. No-one knows why, but Annabelle has a theory. So I could employ someone to go in and work out what the problem is and sort it – or I could just sell out to you. I know it’s a risk for you, but there’s also the potential. And you already said its strategic to you”

Damon stayed quiet and Heidi held her breath. Something was about to happen, but she couldn’t tell what. Both of them had stopped eating and she felt she ought to as well in pure deference to the situation.

“All right” broke Ed “put a number on the table”

“One amendment. Change the wording to tangible assets, but excluding non-tangible assets including staff and staff liabilities, cash in hand and debt. We’re mainly talking physical things here, and I think if we find, for instance, an existing revenue stream, that would also be included because it would be too complex for you to recover that”

Heidi was getting lost, but staying quiet seemed like a very good idea.

“Ed” said Damon slowly “What we’re talking about is that you shut down Eden. I acquire the assets of value, as broad as you like, but excluding the staff because that money’s not walking out on its own!” he paused and resumed his lunch

“Oh come on Damon. I know the inventory value is only 100 or so. But, Its got to be worth more than that”

“Yes” agreed Damon “because there’s licences and existing contracts, such as the Clarke’s advertising”

“You know I was looking for 300”

“Yes, but that was as a going concern. Its got to close to get rid of the loss making source”

“All right. You also know I don’t want to spend ages on this. I’ve got that steel deal going on”

“Yes, I know. Its nothing to do with me, but from what you’ve said, I think you should call their bluff. Just sit on it for a few days and let them stew. Brief Katie to say, but only under pressure, that she’s not supposed to say but that you’re still considering possible amendments”

“That could rattle their cage. Risky though”

“Ok, but you could just take a day out to play with Eden instead of something worth 200 times that”

Damon continued to side-track the conversation into talking about that instead and that gave Heidi time to reflect on what was happening. The company was going to close down. She thought she knew where the problem was, but should she say anything. If she did, the cost would go up, and she’d be to blame. If Damon took over she’d be first out for costing him money in the deal. If she kept quiet, her current boss, Sir Edwin would lose out. Oh my! Why, and how did I ever get mixed up in the middle of all this?

“Sooner or later” said Ed after a pause “We’re going to meet in the middle on this. Put 225 on the table and we’ll shake on it right now”

His eyes were piercing and unblinking as he stared Damon into agreement. Damon stared back.

Oh my goodness, though Heidi suddenly, surely they’re not talking millions again. Damon stopped the waitress who was passing, but strangely just held her hand for a moment as she stood by the table in some surprise

“Can I help you, sir”
“Yes, but just a moment, please” he said keeping hold of her hand to stop her moving on, and turning to Sir Edwin “I’m really thinking 175 to 200, but to prevent us falling out, Ed. At your request, 225, cash, bank transfer Thursday next week, noon. And I’ll throw in a favour. I’ll oversee the close down for you so you can concentrate on the steel deal”

He held out his other hand as the barmaid waited expectantly. Heidi held her breath. She’d never been a part of anything like this before and the implications started dashing randomly through her mind. Ed raised a smile as he shook Damon’s hand.

“In that case, a bottle of Dom Pérignon please, miss”

He squeezed her hand and let it go.

Sir Edwin raised another smile “This is about as unconventional as it gets. However, we both know what needs to be done. And if we’re both happy with the deal, then any minor issues can be sorted later on. So often it turns out that the various parties are not even on speaking terms by the time the deal is finalised”

“Yes, Like we don’t even have a complete inventory. But we both know what we mean, and we both know why we want to do it this way without publicly publishing the detail. We just work towards the objective without knowing the minutia up front. We both know the spirit that this is entered in and we both know that I can’t tell you nearly enough for you to make a rational decision. But we also know that some of the best deals are unconventional”

“And if it really goes prune shaped, we could ask Lady Patricia to arbitrate!”

Ed chuckled “Well, there’s a thought. Sometimes, Heidi, its best when you ignore all the rules”

“Perhaps” said Damon “you would be so kind as to introduce me. It would have more strength than if I simply rock in tomorrow”

“I could” replied Ed “and I will if you insist, but then you could be seen as part of the problem rather than a perpetrator of the solution”

“I’ll take your steer, thankyou”

“I’ll get the ball rolling, while I cogitate the steel deal. Then I’ll pass it over to you, probably suddenly if that deal takes off”

“Even more exciting!”

“And Heidi, this means not a squeak of this from you. Understood?”

She nodded nervously.

The second glass seemed to be having an effect on her. Drinking champagne at lunch time was something she’d only previously associated with weddings, but now she was on her way back to the office in the Bentley with a third of a bottle down her neck in addition to her opening Bacardi, and when she got there she’d be the only one who knew what was really going on.

“Heidi” he said turning towards her “We might not meet up again, so I want to thank you for your contribution. You’ve proved to me that you’ve been as honest and trustworthy as I hoped you would be. Which is a jolly site more than I could say if I’d involved that charlatan Brownlee. However, far more important than that, you also pointed out something which although I already knew, I had not applied properly to this case. And, if fact it is already proving profitable”

“Thankyou, sir” she heard herself say through some strange fuzzy haze “I tried my best. I’m just sorry I couldn’t do what you wanted”

Even though she had no idea what he was talking about.

This had been the anticipated outcome, but far from what he was hoping for. Ed was not impressed and the steel works deal had become even more tense winding him up even more. A speedy conclusion on Eden Radio would take on disproportionate importance and he resolved to spend no more time on this than absolutely necessary. Annabelle flashed a startled smile at him as he marched past emulating his previous military style. None of this was good, thought Heidi as Annabelle appeared inquisitively some distance behind them.

“Invite Gavin to join us, please” he asked Heidi as they reached the top of the stairs

“Ah Brownlee, it appears that you have failed to supply those documents that Heidi asked for as I instructed”

Sir Edwin’s voice was loud and surprisingly clear

“Right! You. You deal with personnel issues here, don’t you?”

Edna slowly turned her face “What d’you want?” she repeated like a slow motion replay.

“I want you to issue a simple termination of employment letter and P45. For Brownlee. The reasons are : Failure to take control of the company and failure to maintain profitability. Failure to cooperate with a potential purchaser that might, just might have saved the company and everyone’s job”

No-one dared say anything as Edna completed the proforma

“Brownlee, you can go now”.

A hesitant murmur spread across the room as Jim Brownlee headed for the stairs and Sir Edwin headed for the coffee machine. He turned as all eyes stared fearfully

“Now listen up” he boomed taking a sip from his cup

“I’m going to say this only once so make sure your ears are cleaned out. I have one last chance this evening to retrieve this company from the brink. I shall return at 4 O’clock to collect the various financial papers that Heidi has been looking for on my behalf. Based on that, I shall make another, possibly final, announcement possibly tomorrow”

With that, Sir Edwin disappeared back down the stairs and Heidi watched as heads fell to hands all around the room. She wasn’t expecting anything quite that violent. She alone knew there was a plan to maintain broadcasting, but now it looked very much like a ‘was’ rather than a ‘will be’. She knew Damon was wanting a smoother transition, but maybe the plan had changed. Closure was now inevitable, but then she reflected, it always was. Maybe there was just no nice way of doing this, and maybe if Damon took over, it wouldn’t be quite so aggressive.

However, despite the repeated instruction, the papers failed to materialise, and 4 o’clock came and went.

“I told you all before to co-operate with Heidi and those concerned clearly have not. Which is a shame. And it’s a shame for all of you, because that information might have secured a buyer of this company as a going concern.

However, without even the basic financial status no-one can take the risk. I have therefore agreed to sell certain selected assets, rather than the operational company. And the end result of that is that this company, Eden Radio, will be closing. I regret having to take this decision, but it is also tinged with some relief that it will terminate the continuing drain on my other resources. Closure will be no later than the end of the month and preferably significantly sooner. The doors will close and the lights will be turned out. P45s will be available for all staff, and I trust that, on the basis that you are still being paid, those dealing with 3rd party agencies and companies will make the necessary arrangements during that time. I wish you all luck in whatever new ventures you take on.”

He looked around the sea of desolate faces unbelieving, but without the elapsed time to realise the implications.

“This announcement can be taken by all staff as giving you notice of termination. It is sad, but I really cannot afford to lose any more money. So, finally. As I am selling or novating certain assets to Chameleon Media, I am entrusting them to wind down the operation in as orderly a fashion as they can. Given the recent history, they will need all the luck in the world. And that, is all I have to say.”

Now that Sir Edwin had left, a burble of disbelief rumbled around the office like the aftershock of an earthquake.

Annabelle was only too pleased to be able to scurry back to her perch at the foot of the stairs. She tried to think but her thoughts drifted back to the fire when she first met Damon. It brought a tear to her eye. And now here she was in the middle of another disaster, except this time it involved her. It all seemed strange. It all seemed so interesting when she was talking about the Station with him in Gerrard’s, especially her theory on why it was losing money. And now – catastrophe. And not just that! She now felt she’d been stitched up like a kipper. The job sounded exciting, slightly risky and undoubtedly covert when she accepted it. But now if the company closed down, she’d be on the register as Receptionist. And that would hardly enhance her cv. But there was little point in sitting in her splendid isolation down here and she drifted up to the main office. Heidi was sympathetic but said almost nothing. No-one else was doing anything either, just whispering secretively and helping each other feel worse.

Now feeling worse, Heidi sank onto her desk. Sir Edwin had been kind to her but now seemed distinctly short on pleasantries. She felt she’d somehow been stitched up and if she was seen as part of the cause of the problem…… She shook her head. No mention of any of the positives they’d discussed, or the possibility of a new company that Damon had hinted at and gloom had now overtaken frost as the pervading characteristic of the office.

Recriminations were flying in every direction. Heidi spared herself the disbelief, but then found herself uncomfortably cornered between Edna and Miriam who had moved in on her

“This is all your fault”

“You don’t know what you’re dealing with here”

“You. You will regret this. I’ll be making sure of that”

“You make sure you’re looking over your shoulder. Because I’m going to rearrange your face to look like a bloomin’ Picasso”

“what are you talking about?” she managed to blurt out “I haven’t done this. Its, Its my job as well”

“Its not just jobs, girl. Like I said, you don’t know what you’re messing with”

“Like as not you won’t be needin’ a p45 the state you’ll be in”

Maybe they’re just wound up” her boyfriend tried to sympathise that evening “But what’s this Damon guy going to do now he’s bought the assets”

“I don’t know. He hinted at setting up a new company, but Sir Edwin didn’t mention it”

“But that’ll take months! Won’t it”

The fact free discussion continued over dinner and with another few drinks after dinner, Heidi crashed out early.

Annabelle, however, had decided that a more pro-active approach was appropriate and was using that very loosely as a camouflaged excuse to visit Gerrards. At least Damon would be sympathetic and there was a fair chance that he would be in there at some point, and in any case she could have a chat to Emma.

She was the only customer in Gerrards and she slumped down in a chair with a mounting despondency as Emma brought her drink over

“I don't know what I'm going to do. But then, neither does anyone else”

“Yes, I guess so. It won't be easy, but I expect Damon will have a plan”

“Damon? Why would he have a plan. No no Emma, I don’t mean Damon’s plan for me! I’m still supposed to be engaged to Vince”

“But Annabelle, I’m sure Damon has some interest in Eden Radio even if you’re not interested in him, although I, for one, can not understand why”

“Emma, I’ve told Sir Edwin where the problem is, but he’s just getting someone to close it down for him anyway. That doesn’t sound to me like Damon has expressed a serious interest”

“Well maybe he’s got a plan on what to do once its closed down”

“A plan? I was just going to see if he had any alternative ideas on what I could do next. Or maybe he’d just lend me his shoulder to cry on, even if I am still supposed to be engaged to Vince”

“So you are interested in him!!”

Her head spun with every strange thought ... Wait a minute! Maybe he’s the guy that Heidi's been going to lunch with. Her mysterious disappearance late morning with Sir Edwin and trying to collate information and Damon has been showing an increasing interest, and he’s a musician, and now Emma thinks he’s got a plan. Maybe he’s not that interested in me after all!

She turned from Emma to see Damon standing behind her as the penny finally dropped. Her hypothesis finally started to fall into place as she unravelled the events of her mystery, even if it was purely for her own benefit.

Damon too was in favour of expediency and an evening in Gerrards to get his head around Eden Radio rather than the Studio. And then an early start at the close down .

“And this plan?”

“Shhh!”

He sat down all too close to her

“I have bits of a plan. I need to put them all together before I announce anything. Drink? Now, since you’re here, perhaps you can tell me about the folks working in that office. Like Alice?”
“Alice is an accountant. She mainly handles purchasing”

“What about Juliette?”

“She does the playlist costs. But she’s stressed out. Don’t get too close to her. Her stress is contagious”

“Edna?...”

Annabelle described most of the other staff and finally ended up with…
“Mr Brownlee’s secretary?”

“Cecily. Although we all just called her Silly for short”

“Ah yes, of course. I have talked to her, although she was so unhelpful I mistook her for an executive”

“So you don't have much time for her?”

“None. Too arrogant, unfriendly. I can’t see why you’d ever employ someone like that at all”

“I agree, she can be quite difficult to work with. And no initiative. And then you could often hear brown-thing going spare at her for something she'd got wrong or hadn't done”

“Yes. No interest in finding out what the issue is before dismissing it”

“Not a good start, then?”

“No. Which is a pity. I was hoping maybe she was gorgeous and efficient and reliable, because I’m going to need someone like that to help me if this plan is going to make it”

Annabelle’s heart jumped in anticipation of the opportunity

“Well, Damon, Cecily is definitely not your girl”

“Ok. Maybe I should talk to Heidi”

“Heidi?!” she exclaimed somewhat alarmed and thinking No! What about me!

“Well, yes. After all, she knows a lot more about this than anyone else”

Although she’s not the most suitable! But I can’t actually ask for the job, I have no idea what it is.

“You will let me know what’s happening, won’t you? It would be easy to get quite out of touch sitting on my own down on reception. Although recently with so much uncertainty up there I’ve felt privileged to have somewhere to retreat to to avoid the sniping and the flack all day”

“Hmm. Well, we’ll soon put a stop to that!”

“Oh, thanks! I just hope you won't get me into the same sort of trouble as Heidi”

“I wasn’t aware I'd got Heidi into trouble! I would have thought it was a bit early to tell!”

“Not that sort of trouble! At least, not that I know about. I didn’t realise you knew her that well! But, some people are blaming her for the situation because she was involved in the meetings with Sir Edwin after collecting all the financial information”

“That’s a bit unfair, but we’ll see how things evolve after Cecily leaves. That will open the door for progress”

“Is Cecily leaving?”

“Everyone is!?”

“Yes.. But…”

“Ok, but she’ll be one of the early ones. Except she doesn’t know it yet”

This was going to keep Damon busy for some time. A good job that Adam was continuing to progress the issues on Michelle’s whiteboard

Andrea

While the band was touring, Damon had dealt with most of the management – venues, gigs, hotels, transport. But it was Adam who identified with the road crew and the sound engineers and the girls selling merchandise and tickets and souvenirs. Over the years he’d built up a network of friends and acquaintances in the technology side of the industry. Now that he’d done his covert research he was headed to London to call on Max Fairweather to discuss the potential of working together and what that would mean in terms of timescales and costs.

His recent information indicated that Max was still running as an independent. Adam didn’t know him well, so had resolved not to give too much away. This was a cut-throat business, and the longer you could keep your hand secret, the less chance there was for the opposition to put in the kybosh.

He was in his office, which was the front half of the garage attached to his house when Adam pulled up. Andrea, his wife of 13 years, looked decidedly downbeat as she brought in tea and biscuits as they all sat down together, intrigued at the unscheduled appearance of an industry star. Carefully Adam described his previous business setup, where a few selected bands would be laying down a few tracks for their radio programmes, and these could be released out to Radio stations to assess any interest. Andrea smiled a very half-hearted smile at this. It sounded like it was providing opportunities for new bands, and that’s what she and Max were hoping to achieve by providing copying and pressing services to get their work out there. Even if only to selected DJs. It sounded like a very similar idea.

But the atmosphere was still depressed. Adam asked about timescales for potential volumes and the kind of turnaround that might be available until Max interrupted him

“Adam, we’d love to help you and take this on. We really would because it sounds like its right up our street. But we’ve got a problem. And that is we’ll probably not be in business long enough”

He reached out and took hold of his wife’s hand

“Two months ago, we took an order. It all seemed good. The guys said they were already getting airplay on local radio and were expecting to go national. They asked us to make four thousand copies, Not huge in the industry, but a lot bigger than our usual job. The next day, we heard the track on the radio, and that seemed to confirm it. But we’ve still got them. We never saw those guys again. We tried their number and there’s no one there. The address is derelict. When we tried to ship them, we were told that the track was already on release and in stock, but not by the guys we were talking to. It was a spoof. Someone trying to put us to huge expense for nothing, trying to break us. And I think they might have succeeded”

Andrea welled up with tears

“If it was just us, maybe we’d try to recover over time. But we’ve got the children and that’s got to be priority”

“But you’re still here!” Adam tried to encourage

“Yes, but not for much longer. We still owe on some supplies, but while we were trying to sort this out we missed a bank loan repayment, and the bank is threatening to close on us”

“They just did” added Andrea trying desperately not to break down completely and handing an opened letter to Max.

“That’s pretty much it. I went to see a broker earlier today. He’ll only give us a minimum for all the kit, and that won’t even cover this”

He waved the letter before dropping it onto the coffee table

“There are some big players in this game, and they don’t like competition” said Andrea

“Sounds like you’re not too keen on those guys”

“Adam. What I think about those guys in unprintable, but maybe I shouldn’t be saying that to you”

“Don’t worry about that. I’d assumed that as an independent they wouldn’t be your best mates”

“I guess. And you and Damon have not exactly been aligned either”

Adam leant forward. “Listen. There’s a bigger plan. We’re only investigating it right now. I’ve got a meeting over dinner tonight to talk about it. But it opens up a whole bunch of options. But I need to know where Damon’s got to before I can discuss it. Look, I gotta go now to be back in time for this, and I’ll call you tomorrow and let you know”

“Sure, if there’s a possibility, you let me know. You got any ideas – we’re listening”

“In the meantime Max, don’t do anything rash – like selling the kit”

But it wasn’t Adam who called the next day. Adam’s discussions with potential associates was overrunning by a vast amount. Damon had offered to phone them instead, and he’d be in a better position to gauge the reaction.

Andrea answered the phone with a soft whisper that Damon could hardly hear

“Andrea?”

“Yes”

“Its Damon Lehrer here. I’m a good friend of Adam McNab”

“Oh hello Damon. Are you the Damon that Adam mentioned that he’s working with?”

“Yes that’s right. Actually Andrea, I think we may have met before. If I remember correctly, you were in the girl band Pink Survival. And you were playing in Frankfurt the same time as I was there, but its over 10 years ago now”

“Not many people remember that”

“No, too much water under the bridge since then. Is now a good time to talk, or should I try to get Max on the line as well”

“Max is not in right now. He’s gone down to the estate agent to see about selling the house”

“Its that bad huh?”

“Adam told us not to sell the kit, but something’s got to go! Its not all bad though. I’ve wanted to move the children out of London anyway. I don’t want them growing up here”

“Well, that’s nothing if not looking on the bright side”

“We’re trying to stay optimistic for the children”

“I guess. It isn’t a place I’d choose to live. But …..” he paused hoping to phrase this encouragingly

“That’s a very doubtful ‘but’ “ she interrupted “Adam suggested there might be an opportunity, but I’m guessing this is the ‘but’ ”

“I wouldn’t look at it like that. Andrea, The ‘but’ is that I don’t want to raise any false hope and I really don’t want to say very much on the phone. But, how about you guys pop down to the West Country for the weekend and we can talk a bit then, and you’d get a break anyway”

“I don’t think that’s practical, Damon. We’ve got two children”

“Yes you said, how old?”

“Tom’s 10, and Ellie is 12”

“And are they city kids? Down here its all sheep in the lanes and the smell of cow poo. But there’s no shortage of space for you all to stay. I’m trying to get a plan together, so you’d be doing me a big favour”

“So there is an opportunity after all!”

“Seriously Andrea, that’s all I want to say just now. Except, whatever you spend on petrol minus what you’ll probably save on food would probably make it worth a look”

Max was stunned and amazed when she told him they were taking a countryside break, but she just hugged him and whispered

“Maybe I’m clutching at straws Max, but Damon Lehrer has been round the block a few times in this business”

“He certainly has. He was basically responsible for all the money the Chameleons made. Every other band handed the management to their record company. Not him, Oh no, he kept control. Set up his own gigs, booked his own hotels, and even drove the van. And then when they made the big time, he raked in in for all of them”

But Tom and Elie were less enthusiastic about being packed and in the car by 9 o’clock on a Saturday morning. The main routes were busy and a stop at the rural side of Swindon was welcomed by all.

“We’re only half way there” moaned Ellie “and we’ve been going two and a half hours already”

“So, it’ll be lunchtime when we get there”

“Where are we going, anyway? Nobody told me”

“Yes they did, you weren’t listening”

But they calmed down as the fields became more visible, and Ellie was content just to watch the sheep and cows speeding past.

“You two ought to try doing your homework” suggested Andrea. Then you won’t have to do it when we get home”.

“And it means mummy and daddy are on hand to help” cut in Max.

“Well, that’s that done” said Tom an hour and a half later “That means I’ve got the whole journey home tomorrow to get bored”

“Oh, look on the bright side why don’t you!”

But now the countryside became much more interesting. Ellie was in charge of navigating from the directions that Max had taken from the girl in Damon’s office.

“We’re looking for the road to a place called Farthingbridge” she said as they slowed through the rural town centre. It was bustling with market stalls and assorted farm trailers as they wound their way through the crowded streets and main square.

“Now, four miles down here we turn right to Elfinford. Its only a small village and we’re looking for the pub. It’s called the Olde Belle and we turn left when we find it.

“Is this what they call the back of beyond?” asked Tom

“Yes” said Max “This is the back of beyond and now we head for the middle of nowhere”

“….And turn right at the end” continued Ellie as they made progress up the hill.

“Daddy, what’s a hairpin bend”

“Its where the road does a U turn back on itself. Like a Kirbie grip. Why?”

“Because we turn right when we .. here!”

Max swerved right across the cattle grid and immediately spotted the sign on the grass verge that said ‘The Studio’

“Are you sure. This looks like a private road”

“Maybe they live on a farm. Lookout sheep!”

Max noted the raised barrier as they passed it and wound their way between the sheep that had wandered out from the unfenced meadow and Max slowed until they’d gone

“We follow this until we see the house on the right. It says here you can’t miss it”

“Famous last words” said Max as they climbed towards the crest

“Well we can’t” Ellie was saying “Because the track ends at the hou…” her words trailed off as the house came into view.

“Wow. Is that where we’re going!”

“That’s where we’re going. I can only hope it’s where we’re meant to be”

“Welcome to the Studio” said Michelle brightly as they headed in through the grand entrance

“What kind of studio is it?” asked Ellie “Art?”

“No it’s a music recording studio. Come on in, I’ll show you around”

Andrea glanced over to Max – Recording studio?

But even the children were awestruck by the building as they gazed up at the chandelier refracting shards of colour, and caught sight of the staircase, the frescos and the vaulted ceiling

“I want to run all the way up that staircase” enthused Tom

“Well, off you go. What stopping you?” said Damon as he arrived to meet them.

“Is this a castle?” asked Ellie as Adam joined them

“It used to be” Damon said bending towards her level rather than talk down to her “The vaults date back 600 years”

“And the dungeon” added Michelle to Tom as he slid down the banister, jumping off the end and crashing into her at the foot of the stairs

“Have you got a dungeon?”

“Oh Yes and I’ll show it to you later on. And.. .. If you’re very very good, I’ll even let you out again”

“Oh what! I don’t want to get locked in the dungeon”

“Well it sounds like it’s up to you” suggested Damon “Now, I need to talk to your mummy and daddy so we need to discuss what you’re going to do this afternoon. So let’s go find some lunch and have a chat”

They turned to follow Adam along the wide hallway

“Are you Damon from the Chameleons?” asked Ellie

“Yes, do you know our music?”

“I love it. Especially Colour Change. I play that album on repeat. And I can’t believe I’m really meeting you”

She was oozing with nervous excitement and Damon realised she’d taken hold of his hand without seeming likely to let go all the way to the dining room

“The next door up is the bar. That’s where we’ll probably be if you can’t find us”

Once in the dining room, the children ran over to the window

“Oh! Look at the park!”

“That’s the South Lawn”

“It’s probably got keep off the grass signs”

“No, it’s for walking on, for running on, rolling downhill, playing football”

“Is that a river beyond that? It looks like its shimmering”

“Yes, it’s a lake, but the river flows in at one end and out at the other”

“Can we go there! Please!”

“Yes, you can go wherever you like”

“What? Anywhere”

“Yes. But I think you should use a bit of common sense. There are a lot of rooms in this house.”

“How many?”

“No-one knows, well over 100. But if one of them is occupied, you should find a different one to go in”

“What about the lake. Is it big?”

“It’ll take you about an hour and a half to walk around it. An hour if you run all the way”

“Can we go there.”

“Yes, and there’s a boat down there. You can row out as well. Just try not to drown yourselves. That might be difficult for me to explain to your mum and dad”

This all sounded like way more freedom than they were used to in London and the excitement continued through lunch. For those not used to having younger people around it was energising .. And exhausting. This was yet another new dimension to the excitement for Michelle, realising that she was closer in age to the children than she was to the adults.

“Are we allowed to go around and touch things and explore” asked Ellie

“Yes” said Damon with some puzzlement

“It's only, well, in old houses like this you're never allowed to touch anything and you have to keep to the paths and don't cross into the roped off area. And you get hung drawn and quartered if you as much as try to play a note on the piano”

“Ellie, there’s an electronic keyboard in the bar that you can play as much as you want – so long as you try to play it not just thump a few random notes…”

“Yes – we’re not jazz artists” added Adam

“….And you can do anything you want and go anywhere you want. And….”

“What! Anything? there must be some things were not allowed to do. There always are!”

Lunch was coming to an end, albeit prematurly as the children had finished and were itching to go exploring. Ellie was gazing at Damon with a faraway look, and Tom was getting impatient. He hadn't seen his sister like this before.

“So what are we not allowed to do” he repeated

Max was trying to formulate an answer and was about to when Damon replied quietly

“Ellie, Tom, What I don’t want you doing is anything that would make me disappointed in you when you come back for tea and tell us all what you've been up to”

“Like?”

“Like maybe throwing stones at the ducks. Or causing damage. That sort of thing”

“Oh..ok, that sort of thing”

“Yes, and we’ll go down to the dungeon later” added Michelle

Now with the children gone, more coffee arrived at the table.

Damon looked questioningly at Adam, then at Michelle

“I don't know who that is” commented Damon with a note of concern

“Me neither” said Adam

“Not that I'm complaining” he added

“Nor me” said Michelle “but I did tell Janice to think about hiring some help, if only for the renovation cleaning. So maybe she was listening”

“Whatever” said Damon passively

“Has she jumped the gun, perhaps” asked Max, eager to include himself in the discussion

“Maybe, said Damon. Whatever”

“That’s fairly laid back”

“Yes, but Michelle's right. We're going to need more domestic help in the near future. And I’m continually telling Janice to go and sort something out to get ahead of the game”

“More help?”

“Yes, as everything ramps up over the next couple of months. Now, as I said to Andrea on the phone, this is a competitive business, and the fewer leaks we have the better, so I'm trusting everyone round this table. Ok? We were planning a small scale recording operation just to fill in the track gaps for our playlists. The plan was to use unsigned bands which would be less expensive. However, having now started looking, we’re finding there’s a whole mess of talented groups out there going nowhere. We came to the conclusion that we might be missing a trick. What we should be doing is concentrating on the sector of this industry that we know best and maximising the potential of the bands we’re finding. And what that means in real terms is starting up our own record label. However, there are some important factors to take into consideration. We know we'll be up against the big boys, particularly IMD. And we know the way they work. They’re ruthless and they don’t care who they trample on the way. Nothing matters to them except power. So, I want to be in complete control of every critical part of our supply chain. I'm happy to buy paper for our printer from ‘most anyone, because there's plenty of different sources of supply. But I want to keep control of copying, publishing and distribution. Just the same as I want to keep control of A.& R, recording and production”

“Wow” enthused Max “a new independent label, now that sounds like it's got its fair share of risks”

“It has” replied Michelle, “but we've spent loads of time identifying them and building them into the plan”

“That’s one of the reasons for keeping control of the supply chain. That way we're in control of the solution to whatever the issue is”

“So the summary is that the things we don't need control over are those that are easily replaced, like consumables, and the other one is venues”

“Venues?”

“Yes, we’re going to need to set up tours and gigs to promote the singles and albums. Ok it might feel the other way round, but we still need them. What we really need to do is own all the theatres and stadiums in the world, but that’s way outside budget. Even if we bought a couple we couldn’t expect the people in that area to pay out for a different gig every night, so we’ll have to live with that downside. Anyway, that's where you can join the show. And that's what I invited you down here to discuss”

“Where's it all based” asked Andrea hardly concealing her initial excitement

“Right here. It's got the space. It's out of the way and when we need to go public, we can explode out of here with a bang. Because we're in control of everything that’s in here.”

Andrea looked over at Max who was suspiciously silent

“Well, we don't know much of the details, but it seems to me to be an opportunity to get in at the start of something that could be huge. More than that it's the chance to work with some really nice people who've got the experience. And its here at exactly the right time. I'm sure we can work out the details to everyone's advantage”

Max raised his head to look round the table

“ My view is, This is too big to miss. But Damon, its not certain to go ahead is it?”

“That’s a yes and no answer. The stage we're at is that we're working out the details of how its all going to work, who we can involve, who we need to avoid, and at the end of all that, how much is it going to cost, and is there a sensible profit. So this stage is going ahead, and we need some good guys like you to help with that. We’re putting the right people in place to set everything up. They’ve all got experience in their area and they understand the risks. They also understand the potential and are prepared to take that risk. If it doesn’t fly we’re going to shut the doors, declare a failure and think of something else to do and everyone here knows that”

“Like re-form the band maybe?”

“Maybe. Right now we’re confident enough to buy the studio kit and we’re paying good rates because we’ve been clear it may not last more than the year. And there’s risks all around, like we’re doing all the work on this building even though we don’t actually own it yet. At the end of this stage, either we press the big green button, or we can it”

“But” added Max “the bit you’re missing, that is the extension from what you first envisaged, that’s the reproduction and distribution because you’ve got the A&R and the recording”

“That’s right, if you then include tours, gigs and merchandise”

“Sure, but the repro and distribution, that’s where we come in because that’s our bag, right?”

Damon nodded

“So that means that Andrea and me are more in control of our own destiny than we'd thought. If we can make that bit add up, if flies. If not, it folds”

“That’s a pretty good summary”

“But Andrea and me - we'd be employed? Right? I mean. In different circumstances we might be looking for co-directors working at risk and putting in investment. But you already know we're not in a position to do that”

“That’s right again. I appreciate you guys are not in a position to invest in this, but me and Adam are putting up the initial capital and the way expenditure is going there’s no shortage for the planned setup. Your risk is that you move down here and then have to move on in a year when we admit defeat”

“That’s understood. But the opportunity in the meantime….!”

“And it solves our immediate issues. And it moves the children to the countryside”

“Yes. But we need to ask Ellie and Tom. If they're dead against it, it will be an uphill struggle.

“I've got another card” said Damon ”We'll see about playing it when they get back for tea. Why don't you two take a walk round, discuss if between yourselves. You're bound to come up with a whole host of questions. See how Sienna’s getting on recovering the garden. But please, no mention of this outside this estate. Think of what kind of deal you might want. An offer for your company maybe? And then you stay on an employees of Chameleon Media to operate it?”

Michelle was the first person Tom and Ellie ran into as they bounded back in through the dining room “Come on” she said cheerily “Time for tea, Lets go to the dungeon”

“I don't want to go to the dungeon” squeaked Tom, backing away to where his mum was appearing from down the hallway. But Michelle and Ellie had already set off down the narrower staircase. Tom followed some way behind, carefully peering around each corner as he descended the stairs.

“Come on scaredy. There’s sandwiches and cake and biscuits and pepsi and fanta down here”

Tom edged forward nervously, torn between his fear of the dungeon and his interest in food

“There's always food available in the kitchen” encouraged Janice

“Kitchen?” squeaked Tom

“Yes, kitchen” she repeated, being unfamiliar with the problem

“Where's the dungeon?” squeaked Tom as he edged towards the table

“Oh Tom! did I say Dungeon? I meant Kitchen” said Michelle with a mischievous grin

“Michelle! You’ve been tricking me all along. That’s not fair!”

Tom hung onto Andrea’s arm as he sat down at the table

“Now, don’t you two eat too much. This is just a snack. We've got dinner at seven o’clock and Janice is going to a lot of trouble to prepare it. So you need to be in a fit state to eat it”

“Oh! Look at that! Janice's chocolate cake” announced Damon as he arrived with Max

“Hey! this is supposed to be for the kids”

“Well , I'm just a big kid really” and then addressing Ellie and Tom “Maybe over dinner you can tell us what you got up to this afternoon, but before that, I've got a little quiz for you”

“A Quiz. What sort of quiz”

“Its an explore quiz.”

“Like a treasure hunt?”

“Yes. After tea you'll probably want to have a bit of a rest, and later you'll get tidied up for dinner. And in between you might need to watch some TV. Dinner will be in the boardroom. If you go along the hallway, past the dining room you'll find a staircase on the right, and at the top of that there’s a room on the right. 7 o’clock. Don’t be late. But before that, I want you to find these things. You'll find all of them on the ground level, just go to the end of the hallway past this staircase I mentioned, and that’s a good start. I've given you the initials. Some of them are as big as a room, some a bit smaller, but all of them are much too big to carry. And then you can tell me the answers at dinner. Ok?”

“Can mummy and daddy help?”

“Oh no. This is for young person’s only”

He handed them each a piece of paper and a pencil. The papers are the same. Its not a competition, its teamwork. Ok? but if you can't find one, you might want to split up and look in separate areas”

7 o’clock was approaching fast as Damon invited everyone to sit down at the boardroom table which was set for dinner, and there were two empty places.”

“Mummy, mummy, you'll never guess. There's a great big swimming pool just downstairs from here and ...”

“Shushhhhh”

Tom suddenly became aware of his surroundings and went quiet as he pulled in his chair.

“How did you get on with the little quiz?” asked Damon, and the room went quiet because everyone was interested in the answers.

“So the quiz was to find these things, and also to find what was wrong with them, given just the initial letters. Now, did I hear you say swimming pool?”

“Yes enthused Tom, it's just downstairs. You turn right and just go through the door”

“It actually took us a little while to figure out what you were looking for, but I think we got all but one” added Ellie

“So we've already got SP and what, beginning with W is missing?”

“Water” said Tom. “It's empty. Can we get it filled up?”

“Yes, the answers water, and yes, we're going to refill it. But first it needs some new pumps”

“That won't be today then” said Tom, disappointed

“No, but it wouldn't be ready today anyway. If we started now, it wouldn't be full till Thursday”

“Why not?”

“Because it takes that much water. And it can only flow through the heaters at a fairly slow speed. Otherwise it would be cold, and you wouldn't want that would you. So what else did you find?” he asked, at the same time teasing Ellie by trying to peek at her notes that she was hiding.

“TTT is the table tennis table and it's missing its net.

TC is the tennis court, and it’s missing its lines

SC is the squash court and its missing 'potf' which is part of the floor, although I don't know what a Squash court is. It just says that on the door”

“And finally” said Tom trying to get in on the act “J is the jacuzzi but we don't know what it's missing. It begins with B”

“That's very good, especially getting potf. The b you're missing is bubbles. The air jets aren't working”

“But” added Michelle “the engineer is coming on Wednesday.”

“In fact” Damon announced “Ellie and Tom have done so well, that I think they deserve some dinner”

The conversation soon turned to the main purpose, and Max broached it with the children

“So, have you had a good time today? …. How do you think you'd like to live here, or is it just a good place to visit?”

Tom seemed quite enthusiastic, even when Andrea reminded him he'd have to leave his friends behind

“I will do anyway when I go up to the big school. And Gazzy’s going to St Useless's anyway”

Ellie was quieter, and more contemplative

“I'd like to live here” she said eventually, wistfully “Its peaceful. All the fields and trees and animals. It's so much more interesting than London. That’s just more and more buildings and people you don’t know just rushing around” she continued dreamily

“What about your friends?” prompted Max

“I'd miss Lottie, but maybe she could visit…. I could just walk for hours, just by myself, through the meadows and the wild flowers”

“I don't think she should” said Tom “There's something happened to her. Maybe she left her brains down by the lake, or even back at home”

The conversation lulled as Ellie seemed to drift back into some kind of dream

“Is it” Andrea started “a bad time to raise practicalities, just as everyone seems to be on an ethereal high”

“Like what?” asked Max, hoping she'd raise the issues he was avoiding for fear of losing the deal now that it was so close

“Like, where's the school? And where would we actually stay, and is there a supermarket anywhere about?”

“Well, certainly initially, say the first six months, you would be staying here”

“What, right here. In this building?”

“Sure. There's plenty of space. And Ellie and Tom would be near the swimming pool. It would also mean you would eat here, so no need to go shopping. Now, school? You'd have to drive into Farthingbridge for the nearest comprehensive for Ellie. I think you would have come through there on the way here. There’s a primary school in Elfinford which is only a couple of miles from here. There's also a very good private college...”

“I hardy think so. At least not in the current circumstances”

Max turned for a quiet word with Damon “on that subject, we don't know quite where we'll end up financially. Is there any likelihood of salary as well as board and lodging? I don't want to appear greedy, just, well, asking”

“I missed that?” queried Andrea and Damon turned back to the table

“I don't think it's that much of a secret?”

Max shrugged

“Max was asking about salary. I don't want to commit to a specific number without some discussion. So instead I'd say that staying here takes out a big chunk of worry over the essentials. And ....”

“Does that mean we're going to stay here? Like, dead near the swimming pool. And we could get a new net for the table tennis table. Oh wow”

“Can we? Really?” asked Ellie quietly in contrast to Tom’s euphoria.

“That's the plan, Ellie, yes. Unless we think of something major that will change it”

“Oh, mummy, that's wonderful. Damon, you live here too, don’t you?”

“I think that's the children sorted, Max. But staying here would be your least expensive option, although the downside is you’re never far enough away from the office. I think it would simplify the situation if I simply bought your company, but you need to think about how that would fit in with your exact circumstances. We've got some fairly large numbers floating around this setup. I don't want to commit right now to pouring tens of thousands into your problem, but I'm certainly not going to let a few grand get in the way of getting the right answer”

“Max and I will think about it overnight, but I think this is an opportunity we would be crazy to miss. It provides so many immediate solutions that I can't see why not. But with recent events I'm just a little cautious”

Cerise

Max and Andrea, Tom and a tearful Ellie had gone, returning to London. But they’d be back soon, he hoped. The new day had dawned and the new challenge for today was to run the two bands that Karen had invited through the sound tests and the studio.

Karen had been undeterred by Damon’s insistence that he couldn’t take every band that she found that was awesome until the building work was finished. But she continued her nightly quest around the clubs and pubs, partly to get to know her way around and partly to make notes for when the Studio was ready. And these two were her test bands. They were here to test the systems and see if they could differentiate the winners from the losers

So far, so good. A four piece of two girls and two guitarists , and a five piece that looked like regressive Neanderthals. Michelle welcomed them all, but if other bands were going to be arriving, she would need another white board. Studio scheduling. Oh my! This office really was looking like mission control.

Damon had heard the five piece that included the cello and it was ok. No, better than just ok. The cello gave them a uniqueness, but was that enough? And the cello player was actually very good.

In contrast, the four piece with two guitars and two singers was a disaster. No. It was a complete success at testing if the system would find those that were unsuitable. The guitarists failed to show up for studio time and now that Adam had found them on the terrace outside the bar, both of them were in no fit state to stand never mind play for a recording.

Denise stood back from her. She was concerned. No, worried. No, scared. She'd accepted the invitation from Cerise to join her band. They'd done a couple of numbers on stage and sure enough as Cerise had predicted, Karen from the Studio had invited them for a sound test. But now, having finished the studio sound test with Damon on backing keyboards, it was crunch time.

She knew she was nervous and with good reason. The two guitarists that formed Cerise’s backing band had been sent home early for missing studio the previous day and now she was part of a duet. That was not the plan, but then, the guitarists getting ratted wasn’t in the plan either.

She’d worn the headphones that Adam had offered her so that she could pick up any comments or instructions from him at the mixing desk. But what he was actually feeding her was what Cerise sounded like on her own. And that was the main thing that was now making her nervous. The other was Cerise herself.

Denise, by her own admission, was meek, mild and lacking confidence. She'd tried being a solo artist but out there on stage on her own was not something she looked forward to. The audiences seemed to be appreciative when she got going, but at the end of the song she'd be all alone and flustered again, and running a one girl concert was simply not going to happen.

Cerise on the other hand had confidence in spades, bordering on brass neck, with a domineering attitude and even by her own admission was never ever wrong.

Now in the bar, she was sounding off, holding court and preaching at everyone whether they were listening or not.

“I don't see the point in the review - we’re bound to be accepted”

“You sound confident” came a comment from Kieran in the other band who was also waiting for their review meeting with Damon

“ ‘Course I am.. Look, how many other girl duets are here? None. So we fill that gap in the line-up”

“I don't think it's that simple”

“Of course it's that simple. They need to cover all the bases. We are one of a kind”

She turned disdainfully towards him “Whereas you. You are just another heavy metal thrash”

The guy was clearly not confident about his bands review and this sort of dismissal hardly helped. But he didn't want to make something of it either. His view, that he'd pieced together carefully since arriving at the studio three days before, was that there was a lot more to getting accepted than just being in the right place at the right time

“We're good” he replied calmly “we've got a unique sound merging in our cello. But we're not perfect either”

“Whereas, as a duet, we are” she completed, finishing another large vodka as Adam appeared at the doorway

Cerise had morphed herself into being half a duet instead of quarter of a group in about ten seconds flat, while Denise was still reeling from the shock. Cerise seemed to have the bronco by the ears, while Denise felt liked she’s just fallen off and was about to be trampled.

“Whose not perfect?”

“We're not” replied Kieran “but we've some ideas on what to do about it and we’ve got a lot better since we got here just concentrating on it”

“Your review is about now, isn't it”

“Yes” he said with some finality getting up “but either way we’re on the train back home tonight. Some of us still hold down day jobs too”

“Yeah, well don't give it up, loser. While some of us are headed skywards” Cerise shot at him as a parting gesture

Kieran bit his lip but let the insult drop, which is more than Adam did

“Who's headed skywards?”

“We are, La Cerise!”

“Let's discuss that during your review can we”

“Pointless. We're a shoo in. We are THE duet. We are the winners. That review is just a waste of time”

Adam fixed her with a steely stare

“And I can't see the point. You've already heard us in the studio. I'm going to just continue celebrating”

But Damon had now appeared at the door. His thinking was that if the band due for review were going to be late, there was probably a good reason and that was probably a good excuse to get a drink in the meantime. But catching the tail end of this rant raised the hairs on the back of his neck

“Yes” he started” we did hear you in the studio....”

“Yesss!!” she hissed punching the air

“But” said Damon definitively with a long pause “there's more to it than that”

Kieran perked up a little now deciding that they wouldn't be crucified for being late, especially since Adam was still here too. And not just that, but he had been right.

“We set this company up to cover four bases. We make the best music because we’re the best musicians. We’re innovative which differentiates us. We work hard, play hard and have fun with people we like. And we do all that through mutual respect and teamwork”

But the serious tone caught Cerise slightly nervous now

“And the issue you have, Cerise, is that you're struggling on all of these”

“All!”

“The most important being respect. Apart from you simply can't sing”

“What'd you mean, can't sing. Damned cheek! I've been singing for years”

“Look, the great thing about advice is that you don’t have to take it. But my advice to you is to stick to instrumentals”

The guys in the heavy metal band burst out laughing and Adam winked at them in agreement while Cerise was momentarily speechless while Damon continued

“I think you should accompany me to the office and I'll show you”

“Show? What?”

In the office things hardly improved as he flicked on the computer screen

“This is the recording of you in the studio earlier. Not good is it? “

“It's a duet. I'm not supposed to sing solo”

“A good thing too because you can't sing at all. And before you get wound up even more look here. At this screen. This line here is the note you're meant to hit. This waveform is what you actually hit. Look it's nowhere near and it's all over the place. Its not even a harmonic.

Listen, Cerise, apart from that, you need a certain attitude to work with us at Chameleon Media. And you don't have it. What that adds up to is that we will not be progressing any deal with you”

Cerise went all but berserk. The shouting could be heard back in the bar, but Damon was keeping cool even as the entire population of the building migrated his way to see what was going on

“This latest outburst of yours proves it. You should pack your bag and Colin will take you to the station. There’s a train in an hour”

The metal band filed in as Cerise fumed at the door, reluctant to accept the finality of leaving the office.

But Damon had already moved on

“Guys. Crowd round this screen. Lets take you guys individually first. Look here. This is the score of the music. This is where you guys are. That second guitar is a very slightly flat, but you could say it adds to the depth of sound…..”

Damon ran through the rest of the review while the guys spirits rose rather than fell

“I know you need to be on that train and get back to your day jobs. You should take Cerise’s advice and don’t give them up. But that’s not terminal. You said you were getting better just being here and that’s good – both that you recognise the issues and that you can do something about it. It shows you’ve got the aptitude and it also shows you’ve got the attitude. So what I’d like you to consider is organising some time off from your day jobs – maybe just a couple of days added on to a weekend and come down here again, maybe in a month. Chill out. Take advantage of the atmosphere here. Take advantage of the rehearsal room recording facility to identify where you could improve and we’ll run another sound test. If its all going in the right direction we should be able to work something out. How do you feel about that?”

“Damon” said Kieran “that is a perfect ending to a perfect weekend”

Denise was not a brave person. She’d migrated back to the bar, not wanting to be on the sharp end of whatever violence from Cerise, but as the previous ambience started to return, she moved towards the back corner. Cerise wasn't a friend of hers. They'd teamed up for this purpose, and now the dream had gone. She sipped a new dark rum and coke as the bar now seemed deserted. But, on the bright side, she hadn’t been told to get the next train out.

Michelle was next into the bar with the news that Cerise would definitely be on the next train out. The minibus would now be full up “But…” she continued as Denise looked to her for more information “…no-one else is scheduled to leave tonight so it hardly matters”

Denise continued to gaze at her rum. At least it was free! Maybe she was too sensitive. She’d never realised how poor a voice Cerise actually had until she’d heard it in isolation on the studio headphones. That had prepared her for a ‘no’ vote from Damon but she hadn’t expected that kind of outburst. Nonetheless her fate was sealed. Maybe she’d been too hasty, too flattered and jumped at the chance when Cerise said she knew what Karen’s job was and that they could get a guest slot on that stage. But, oh well…She cupped her hands around her glass and consoled herself that she still had her job at the surgery.

She hadn’t noticed that Damon had slipped in and only now that he was sitting down next to her did she acknowledge him with the weakest of smiles.

“You are staying till tomorrow, aren’t you?”

She nodded sorrowfully “There’s no room on the minibus”

He pulled an ironed folded handkerchief from his pocket and brushed away the few remaining tears “Actually, that minibus being full is just an excuse. Adam or me or Michelle could have got you to the station if it was that important. Trouble is, plans are sometimes not a very good guarantee of the future. If you want to we could have a chat tomorrow and see if there’s any future after Cerise?”

But she wasn’t a baby. She should pull herself together despite the shock and overwhelming disappointment. She should get something light as a snack and then pick up another couple of drinks in the bar and maybe someone would come in that she could talk to. And then take tomorrow as it comes. After all, she was still here and Damon had already said she could have been on that train if.. if …if...

Next morning she headed down the main stairs hoping that there might be a schedule posted somewhere in the hall. Or maybe she’d have to ask Michelle. But no, Damon had just appeared out of his office in the direction of the narrow spiral staircase which was the shortcut to the studios and an almost cheery ’good morning’ from her had him diverting over towards her “What time is my review scheduled for?” she asked sounding more up-beat than she expected

“Good morning Denise. How are you this morning?”

“I’m ok thankyou”

“Good. A bit of a shock, suddenly being down to one from the original four! The question is: do you still want to pursue a career in music?”

Her heart missed a beat. So its not all over! or maybe it is

“I’d…I’d like to” she stuttered “but I….”

“Ok” he interrupted before she said too much “I need about an hour. Why don’t you get some breakfast or coffee and have a think about it. I toured with the band for twelve years and the four of us were always together and there was always a plan. Here, its me and Adam and for a lot of things like this building its just me. I find its very different. And one of the big differences is that so much hardly ever goes to plan”

For Denise the shock was not just about being four down to one, it was that she was here at all! She would never have been invited if she’d been on stage on her own.

Breakfast was on the patio, along with recovery and some serious thinking. She felt she should be stressed. In about an hour, it would all come to some conclusion, but the atmosphere, the mild sunshine and four guys just along from her talking excitedly about how they were going to take the studio by storm and blow everyone away in the 10 o'clock session made her try harder to think of what opportunities could possibly open up for her.

She was still in contemplative mode when Michelle found her.

“You’re having a bit of a rollercoaster ride. I can’t imagine this is what you were expecting”

“I don't think anyone was expecting it”

“But Damon’s has been keeping the door open for you”
“I don’t think its as open as you might think. This was such an opportunity. It meant everything to me. But Michelle, I was in a band. I worked so hard for this, rehearsed every night, stayed up till the early hours writing new stuff. And now...”

“And now?”

“And now I’m here on my own and I’m not a solo artist. The guys were good musicians. Adam showed me how bad Cerise was, so that’s no surprise, but the three of us, maybe we could have found a drummer somewhere and we’d still be a band.”

“But the guys dipped out. Why would they do that if it meant so much to you?”

“They got ratted. This free bar here has destroyed them, and me too. She cupped her hands round her coffee. I guess I might as well add a couple of vodkas to this while I can. You know the penalty for missing studio is you get booted out. Why do they do this? They're supposed to be making bands not destroying them. And this free bar, it's just wrong. Its wrong Michelle”

“Denise. That’s why they do it”

“What! To destroy bands? They raise hopes, show you what it could all look like and then wipe you out. Why? Just why?”

Michelle touched her hand in sympathy and tried to remember how Damon had explained it to her.

“No, Denise, It's like this. Close your eyes and think for a moment that you made it. You're on tour, you're selling out stadiums. You pop into a bar for a drink. You say in a loud voice ‘free beer for everyone here all night’. You reach into your jeans and pull out some notes, you don't count them, you give a wad to the barman without counting it, and you put the rest back, you tell the barman when that runs out just ask for some more. You see, you have so much money you don't care what the bar bill is. You can drink as much as you want and it doesn't dent your bank balance. You don’t even know how much is in your bank, except its more than you can spend. Except you only drink two. You watch everyone else pouring it down their throats, but not you. It's like you're still at home with your mum and dad, you count each one. Why? It's because you're due on stage next afternoon and you can't afford to be smashed. Because you want to be on that stage, and seeing those fans and you want that more than you want to get ratted. This free bar here just weeds out those who wouldn't be able to handle it out there in the dizzy heights of the rock world. And that's down to Damon. He doesn’t want bands out there with his name on them that can’t take the pace and land up crashed on a bar-room floor while they’re meant to be on-stage at a sell-out gig. He doesn't want a reputation for letting fans down by cancelling concerts, and that's why he does this. It's not cheap and its Damon whose paying. Its to make sure that only those with the right attitude and self discipline actually make it through”

“No one ever told me that before” she whispered

“It's another of those strange things”

“Oh, like clause 5!”

“Exactly, it's there for a very specific reason, and this is as well. Its not all about the music”

Michelle would have explained more but Damon interrupted again

“Sorry Michelle. Denise, have you got a few minutes. Now of possible in my office because I’m expecting a phone call that you might be interested in”

She smiled terminally at Michelle and walked slowly back along the corridor with Damon, with a solemn face and legs of jelly. Is this the end? Or maybe its not all over.

“Sorry for taking you away from your little chat on the patio….”

“Michelle was just explaining a few things”

“Like?”

“Like… why you have a free bar”

Damon stopped and turned towards her at the foot of the main staircase

“A bit unfortunate for your two guitarists. Looks like they can't take the pace”

“Yes” she whispered “Michelle was just explaining that”

“Good. But, there’s something else I wanted a chat with you about”

“So long as its not Cerise”

“Cerise! Babe, even if she could sing she’d never make it with that attitude. If she was the best singer in the world I’ve give her to IMD because she’d waste so much of their time. But I don’t want to talk about her, I want to talk about you. So, are you still interested in working with us?”

“Damon, I don’t think I can”

“Because the rest of your band has gone? Denise, our aim here is to be the best and only the best will make it. To do that we need to weed out the second rate and leave them to take their chances with the likes of IMD. It must be disappointing, but its not the end of their career. That heavy metal band that was in the bar last night are coming back next month. And they’re coming back to use the facility here to improve because we all think they’ve got the potential even if they’re a couple of semi-quavers short of a scale right now. But, how are you feeling because I need you to be thinking straight. What about a drink? Coffee, or there’s Pepsi and Fanta on the fridge. Sit down, please” he said motioning towards the chair in front of the computer monitor.

“Of course I respect that you have empathy with your band-mates, but some people are just better than others. And I’m assuming that you are still interested enough to continue the review?”

Oh my! There’s a question. Ten minutes ago I wasn’t, but after Michelle’s explanation…

“Ok” he said as he sat down in front of the computer on the side table “I get the impression that you’re not convinced, but I’m going to continue anyway. I’m going to show you the graph that I showed Cerise yesterday. This line is the note in the score. As backing vocals I was expecting her to harmonise with this. This is what she actually sang”

Denise was stunned. Somehow she’d expected it to be down to what they sounded like to Adam’s and Damon's ears. This level of technology was something else!

“That’s amazing! I didn’t even know anything like this even existed”

“Neither did she. She was expecting to be shielded by you. And a lot of the time she was. I guess in other gigs she’s shielded by the guitars. But here’s something else that’s amazing. This is the same score but now with your recording….And if we filter out the harmonics so that we can see more clearly…. Its near enough pitch perfect”

She stared at the screen and then across to Damon and then back again as Adam joined them

“That’s why Damon wanted you to stay till today. There’s not many singers are that good”

“I’ve got a gig I’m organising and its short of a vocalist…” Damon continued as Adam sat down opposite her

“…Now, who do you think he might have in mind for this?

“Really! But Adam, I’m so rubbish when I’m on stage on my own. Damon, the problem is, I get this, like, stage fright if I’m on my own. I just don’t seem to be able to hold my nerves on stage if there’s only me. That’s why I said I don’t think I can when you asked me if I wanted to continue – I did say that”
“That’s ok. There’ll be some musicians there too”

“So I might be ok. When is it?”

“Thursday evening. Rehearsals are here on Thursday, but largely it’ll be more of a jam. One of the guys may not make it over much before we go on stage anyway”

“Oh? Is he on holiday?”
“No, he’s touring the US right now. I think he’s in Seattle, but Tuesday he’ll be in Baltimore”

“Oh wow. So is that the end of his tour?”
“No, he’s playing Buffalo the following Monday”
“Damon! So he’s flying in just for this!”

“I guess so. And to catch up with some old mates”

“So, I’ll give you a list of probable tracks. Do you think you can learn some lyrics by then?

But he was interrupted by the phone

“Oh, thanks Michelle. Druze! Good to hear from you. Did you get the whole message?”

Denise could just make out the voice on the end of the line but Damon switched it on to speaker

“Yeah. Sounds cool. Like a haven't done anything like this for years. I guess it's something special?”

“Yes, it's one night only, and there isn't time in one evening to put on three top bands, so I'm looking to take her favourite members from each and make up a one night stand supergroup”

“Does my agent know about this?”

“You don’t want paid as well, do you? I can get Michelle to talk to him about it if he’s gonna get bent out of shape”

“Oh, don't mess with it, Damon. This sounds like I'd do it for the hell of it”

“It's no issue either way. But the others are doing it just for the hell of it”

“So who else is in? Anyone I might know”

“Yes, I've got Butch Gretchen on bass”

“Oh man, that's awesome. But he’s resident in Vagas isn’t he! Anyone else?”

“Yes, but he’s flying over for it. Then there's a guy called Scott Gillespie on percussion. You might even have heard of him..”

“Heard of him! You’re joking again. That’s ace”

“And Huck Carraway might make it along with his horn if the message gets through to him in time. He said he would last week but he’s currently in Memphis on his US tour. I’ve not played much with a sax player on stage, so that’s going to be interesting. And I’m hoping you’re gonna tell me we’ve got Druze Lazenby on keyboards especially flying in from Cannes”

“Count me in, Damon. Who’s on Vocals?”

“Everyone, depending on the track, but I'm also just sorting out a new female lead. I'll let you know when I finalise. Denise, are you definitely in?”

Denise was speechless, but nodded furiously in sheer panic

“Druze, yeah, she’s in. Denise Lucas. She’s new on the scene but pitch perfect over two and a half octaves. She’s awesome”

“What about rehearsal?”

“Thursday. I’m intending to reserve it ahead of the gig, But if you’re short of time we could just jam it. It is supposed to be fun!. If Huck makes it he’ll be off on an improvised descant on his horn anyway. That’s his style. I'll send you the track list, the lyrics and the sheets. I'm annotating the sheets with timings so everyone can get a handle on them individually, that'll cut down the amount of time we need together. But it may not get out to you in time. The others have got theirs but chances are Huck will only start looking at his when he’s on the plane. Then again, he might just let rip in the aisle of that 747. And then the gig is in Gerrards Basement. That's a bar in Edencombe, only holds max a couple of hundred”

“Definitely in, Damon. Keep contact”

“Cheers Druze”

He turned back to Denise

“Did you get most of that?”

But Denise had gone white. Oh my goodness! She swallowed hard and tried to say yes. But she couldn't. She tried again and was literally speechless.

“You ok?” he asked, now concerned

She nodded vigorously- again

“I'm setting it up for a friend of mine. It's a surprise for her birthday, which is why its only one night”

“Your girlfriend, I’m guessing”
“No. We’re not an item. She’s just a very special person to me. But I don’t have the time to go out with anyone – even Emma. But I thought this might make an interesting diversion now that your band mates have deserted you”

Falteringly she found her voice again

“You're not joking are you”

“No. We need a lead vocalist, and I tend to find that they're a bunch of prima-donnas. I'd rather work with someone who's prepared to integrate and work hard and doesn’t expect it all on a plate. And is flexible enough to put up with deviations to the script, and there’ll be more than a few of those.”

But these were the top guys in rock music. Only someone like Damon could ever put this together. The music paper she had been reading on the train had pictures of Scott Gillespie in Atlanta only a few days before, so presumably he was flying in too. She’d never seen Huck Carraway play live, so that would be another treat. And Druze! Last year she’d paid over fifty pounds for a ticket to see the Militia. There was no bigger name in rock at that point. And Denise Lucas. Who?

Progress – At Last

It was with an air of trepidation that Heidi climbed the stairs into the office. Maybe Edna and Miriam would have calmed down. After all, everyone was in the same boat.

She flashed a glance into brown-things office where Cecily was sitting at her desk doing what appeared to be absolutely nothing. But then, why not? With brown-thing gone, there was nothing left for her to do. Edna arrived just then scowling as usual and narrowed her eyes as she saw Heidi. Miriam was in as well, but seemed to be lost in rummaging through her junk,

The air was tense. Heidi alone knew that this was the day that Damon would take over and was much relieved when she saw Damon appearing up the stairs. He’d got his vocalist sorted for Emma and now had the next exciting episode in the offices of Eden Radio.

Heidi, however, had now realised that if she’d got those documents for Damon, whatever dodge Miriam and Edna were up to would be exposed, and by not getting them the whole show was closing down and the dodge would end anyway. But wasn’t that just Damon’s plan?

Annabelle had let him in without offering any challenge and he’d gone straight through to the broadcasting offices to see Gavin. Just a quick, friendly introduction, because he, if anyone, would be key. He stopped for a few moments counting the staff in the office and watching a few more as they arrived with various levels of nervousness and disillusionment.

Edna was passing Heidi's desk as Damon passed by with a cheery good afternoon

“Who is that?” demanded Edna

“Damon” she replied without thinking

“Who?”

“He did want to buy the company, but he couldn’t get hold of enough data”

“What’s he want data for?”

“To work out what the profit and loss would be, to assess the risks. Oh I don’t know. Just to help him with his decision. But he didn’t get any so now he’s winding things up for Sir Edwin”

“Well you just keep ‘im under control, since you caused this”

“No I didn’t. Its losing money. It cant continue like that no matter what else!”

“Hi Heidi. I was going to ask you how you were. But I think that may be a silly question and a foregone conclusion”
“I’m ok, Damon”

“Good. I thought maybe since you know everyone, you could show me round?”

“I thought you were here to close everything down”
“Heidi! I thought you knew more than that”

As expected, the gloom thickened as Damon made his way round the offices as the reality of the situation started to sink in and Damon took note of the key characters as Annabelle had described them.

Back at Heidi’s desk, Damon thanked her for the tour and headed for Brownlee’s office

“Where’s he going?” demanded Edna

“To see Silly, I guess”

“Who are you” she said with open contempt. Heidi immediately thought that she should follow him in and introduce them, but paused to consider that it may not be something to get in the middle of. Instead, she was interrupted by an excited Annabelle who had just arrived at her desk. She’d seen that Damon had finally turned up in the office as she had expected and she’d now finished the few things she needed to do

“I see you’ve made yourself comfortable. You needn’t have bothered” Damon opened.

Annabelle jumped. With her back to Damon, she assumed the comment was aimed at her. But if he’d intended something like that, surely he’d have said something in the pub! Her jaw dropped open as she and Heidi both held their breath and turned slowly to watch through the open door.

“No, not you Annabelle. Cecily,” he continued “I’m Damon, and I’m closing this company down for Sir Edwin. So with Brownlee gone, there’s really nothing for you to do here”

She glared at him “But you’ll need me to help you wind things up!”
“There is no doubt I will need some help. But what I need is someone helpful, considerate and proactive. And Cecily, that hardly describes you. In fact I have already found you to be conceited and obstructive. As you already know, everyone will be leaving, so I suggest that we start with you. You should leave straight away. He handed her an envelope. In there you’ll find a letter from Sir Edwin, which I will admit I find unfortunately curt, your P45 and a cheque for your salary till the end of the month as far as I can create it from the records that are available to me, which are, as you will be aware, scant in the extreme”

She stood silent for several moments

“What about redundancy?”

“You’re not redundant. As you yourself pointed out, the job still exists. But you’re not suitable for it. You’re fired. The company is moving on and you do not have the attitude to move with it”

“Is that it? Is that all? What am I supposed to do now?”

“That’s entirely up to you. Perhaps you should have thought about that before you were as unhelpful, obstructive and quite frankly, as rude as you were”

“Well thanks for nothing”

“Goodbye. You should go now”

“This joint sucks anyway”

“Well yes. With people like you around it would, wouldn’t it?”

Heidi stifled a giggle. Even closing down might actually be fun with Damon around

“Oi, you can’t do that. She’s been ‘ere for years” interrupted Edna without raising herself from the chair at her desk “She’s due her redundancy, same as the rest of us”

Annabelle and Heidi looked at each other in shock, now expecting the worst, but Damon simply looked up at the interruption. “I’m surprised that you heard my statement. But I have your envelope here too”

“What! Now!”

“Yes”

“You can’t do that”

“I’m sorry? And who are you to tell me what I can or can’t do? Its just a matter of time before everyone gets their envelope and leaves. So maybe it should be your turn next. After all, you’re pretty obstructive too”

“But I haven’t done all the notices yet”

“But they’re not hard. I’m sure someone else can do them – even me”

“But you won’t know what salary to include”

“I can ask each individual to bring last month’s payslip, and we’ll go from there. Everyone leaving will be collecting their P45 in person”

“But it would be easier for you if I did it”

“That is true. Ok, just get a wiggle on”

Now with his first job done, he sat down on Heidi’s desk

“Are you the bloke who’s been asking for that financial stuff” asked Edna peering over from the next desk
“Yes, that’s right”

“Well it don’t exist. You won’t find it even if you’re in this office”

“I suspected as much. But it hardly matters now. With everyone leaving, and Eden closing down, its no longer relevant. But I need to familiarise myself with this office anyway to make sure the job is done properly and completely”

Heidi walked round with him again, this time introducing everyone as they went, William in sales, Juliette, Lucy, Simon, Alice in accounts, with a peek into the studios and out again

“And over there? Surrounded by, by what? Jumble?”

“No, that's Miriam and her team that runs the charity”

“Charity? And what sort of thing do they support?”

“I believe its homelessness prevention”

“But they’re not on the payroll, are they”

“Aren’t they? I included them in the numbers when I gave you that list at the Coach and Horses”

And with the gloom pervading every space, they were back at Heidi’s desk

“So what’s next?” she asked innocently, although she already knew the answer as they shared a glance at each other.

“I think all we need to do is inform all the suppliers not to ship any more product, pay them off, and that’s about it. Sir Edwin will rock in to make sure the company has closed down. He may even check that everyone has left the building before he locks it up”

“Closing down. That means everyone will be made redundant. That is so terrible. Jobs are as scarce as…” she tailed off as the notion started to sink in. “Oh dear! But Damon, I thought it was going to continue to operate. It can’t close down , it needs people to operate it”

“Yes it does Heidi. But not necessarily the ones that are here at the moment, and not necessarily from this location”

She gazed at him tearfully

“Its not my fault, Heidi. I did my best to get a handle on it. But its losing money and is about to go out of business anyway. Its in our interests to try to keep the continuity going, But I can’t take it all on when no-one can tell me what even the fundamental financial situation is”

“No” admitted Heidi “That’s why I was asked to find all that stuff. And I failed, And that’s why we’re closing down instead of transitioning. And all we do know is that the company is losing money because we can see that in the bank statements”

“Not quite” corrected Damon “We also know that there are some people in the company, almost certainly in this room, who are responsible for this situation, and that they are actively concealing it”

“Yes. And that’s why you can’t just take the whole company. Its to avoid the staff!”

“Pretty much”

“So what happens next?”

“Once I figure out what there is here that’s of any value, everyone left will get their envelope and that will be the end of that”

“And that will be the end of Eden Radio, and everybody – and me ….”

But this had to be a balance and there was already so much going on at the Studio. Get back there, use the travel time for thinking and pick up on this tomorrow.

In Gerrards basement the drinks were on the table with Annabelle looking more nervous than she’d ever been, Damon leaned back on his chair

“I thought you’d be keeping Cecily. She knows her way round better than anyone.” she probed

“No, she’s not my type”

Annabelle sighed. She was hoping to have a serious conversation

“But you said there was so much to do. Surely you’re not thinking of doing everything yourself?”

“No, although I don’t think closing Eden down is that big a job”

“So what happened to Silly?”

“Competent, Reliable and helpful is what I think is needed”

“I see. And that hardly describes Cecily. But Heidi’s quite useful” she hinted hoping he’d give her a positive clue

“ Yes, I agree that should be an obvious alternative, because she knows a lot about this already. But Heidi’s not the answer. Annabelle, I don’t know what’s going on here. And I’m not going to spend a lot of time finding out”

“But Damon, I’ve a feeling that Heidi could be in danger”

“Which would make her a dangerous choice…. .”So Cecily was out on three counts. Heidi is out on 1 count. But the real point is, what about you. Do you think I’d be able to rely on you to give me a hand?”

Annabelle leaned forward on the table

“Damon, I’ve already told you about everything that I think is going on, but Alice handles payments and Marion handles contracts with suppliers?”

“So, they can handle most of the close down. But this isn’t to do with that. This is to do with something completely different”

“You remember I’m still supposed to be engaged to Vince?”

“How would you ever let me forget? But this is not that kind of different. This is business. Its to do with whether you want to work with me after Eden closes down?”

“After! Ohhh. Yes. I mean, yes but doing what?”

Oh my! Is this a permanent job, or just setting something up? But actually, it doesn’t matter

“Yes”.

Damon looked at her, as bemused as she was flustered

“Sure?”

“Yes. And not just because jobs are well nigh impossible to find right now, but because I think working with you would be just so much fun although I admit that I expect you’ll tease the life out of me, even if its only for a few weeks…”

“Ok. I’ll try to make sure there’s enough teasing in it for you”

‘Well at least its started’ Heidi was saying as Annabelle leaned on her desk still shocked at the speed of Damon’s recriminations. But he’d asked her to pop up when she had a moment and she moved tentatively towards the office

“Its you next, is it?” asked Simon, but Annabelle could only shrug. She really didn’t want to admit her covert meeting with him in Gerrards that had given her some short term security where everyone else had none

“I don’t know what I’m going to do. I didn’t see this at all. I don’t understand what’s gone wrong” Heidi was saying.

“Shh” said a voice just behind them with a nod in the direction of the office. They turned to see Damon’s head poke out

“Heidi, can you spare me a few minutes”

Annabelle turned to Simon “I guess not”

She looked at Annabelle in horror “Me next?”

But Damon was standing at the door and closed it quietly behind her

“Heidi, come in, sit down” he said softly “Its all a bit of a shock to everyone isn’t it. So how are you feeling?”

“Feeling, sir? Em. Lousy, shocked, puzzled. Guilty”

“Guilty?”

“I don’t know what I did wrong”

“Wrong, Heidi? But you haven’t done anything wrong. At least, not that I know of. Of course, it must have been clear to everyone that works here that this company is a basket case – yet, no-one raised a flag”

She looked even more shocked “Me? Oh not you too! But you surely can’t think I caused this as well! But you can’t?”

“As well as who?”

“As well as Edna and Miriam. They.. they … “

“Of course not. That’s a bit harsh. Because there was no-one to raise issue to. I can’t imaging Sir Edwin was on your Christmas card list”

“No, No he isn’t”

“Now, now, Heidi. You’re getting more upset. Let’s get you a cup of coffee, and see if we can find a biscuit, and you lean back in that chair, and try to calm down a bit

“You see, there really wasn’t anything you could have done, except collect a few more details on the list you started”

“That’s all I could get. People just wouldn’t tell me. I .. I tried. But I failed”

“Not quite Heidi” he said so softly that took her by surprise and made her sit up just a fraction as he returned from the coffee pot

“You tried and you were successfully obstructed”

She took the cup, with the chocolate digestive on the side, no less confused than when she went in

“So if you were to leave here today, what would you do.?”

“I don’t know, leaving wasn’t on my plan. I haven’t got a plan that doesn’t include working here. But, I guess I’d put the wedding on hold - I think that’s expected. Not that he’s actually proposed yet!”

“There are jobs around, Heidi. Eden is disappearing without trace but believe me, it isn’t the end of the world. Were you listening when I said I would have to rebuild the company if Sir Edwin closed it down?”
“Yes, but you insisted that it closed down. And he’s not closing it down, you are. And that’s different”

“Yes. That’s because we don’t know where the cash haemorrhage is. It could be anyone here”

“But surely you don’t think its me! You can’t.! Oh! My life is going from worse to impossible! Miriam and Edna are threatening me because they hold me responsible for the company closing. And now you’re saying it might be me as well”

“Heidi, Heidi, calm down. No, it can’t be you. If it had been, you’d have been far more nervous at the meetings with Sir Edwin. But there’s so much to do and I’d like you to help me achieve it”

She looked up at him looking questioningly across at her from his perch on the end of the desk hoping that her tears of frustration would subside before they visibly overflowed.

“Heidi, when Eden Radio closes down, this space won’t be available to Miriam and her charity work so they’ll be out on the street, and that doesn’t seem quite right. So I wondered if you’d like to do something about that”
“Like what?”

“Like find them an alternative base. Of course, you’d have to be discrete to the point of secretive, but that’s nothing new around here”

She shrugged “Ooh wow. But I’ve no idea where to start”

“I think you could start by checking out some commercial estate agents. I think what we’re looking for is a small warehouse. Not too big because the bigger it is the bigger the heating bill. And you need truck access, and you need space for tables for sorting stuff, and you need office space, and car parking outside for staff”
“And for people donating stuff” she interrupted thinking that she’d got the thread

“You’ve got it. That’s how you need to think. You’ll need outside space for a skip, for anything they reject completely”

“Maybe two skips!” she hazarded “And Miriam’s team?”

“Can you put her team in a skip! –Ok, maybe you can!”

“No, Damon. They seem to be a dedicated bunch, collecting this junk, and presumably they make something out if it for the greater good”

“I’m not passing judgement. But the sooner they move out of here the better”

“Ok” she said perking up considerably “But this isn’t a permanent job, is it”

“I don’t know. How long are you going to take?”

She finally managed a smile, she felt so much better now that she thought that he was teasing her

“No, I meant, might there be other little tasks after this one”

“On a scale of yes to no, it’s a definite maybe, drifting a little into possibly. But I’m also concerned about you getting blamed for this situation”

“That’s kind of you” she said as he clocked the shiver that shouted ‘scared’ at him

“What about the other admin stuff I’m doing” she asked trying to avoid thinking about it

“Largely, forget it. I think we’ll need to round up some numbers over the next couple of weeks. But if we’re closing Eden down, the numbers are largely irrelevant. Its stuff that involves suppliers that we need to concentrate on. Ed said he was pushing about nine thousand into this operation each month to cover the shortfall. I don’t know where that number came from, but we need to know what it is this month. I’ll pick up that bill, but we will tell Ed what it was. We’ll get no credit for it if he doesn’t know, and I think he’s still a bit disappointed by the final transfer price. And Heidi, I’d like to think I could rely on you to help me with all this as well”

“Yes” she said more seriously than she expected “Yes you can” thinking that his inclusion of ‘we’ was the first positive sign she’d picked up.

“Thankyou. I’m not the most popular guy round here right now”

“No, but I think Sir Edwin has dropped you in it as well. And I’m not exactly popular either”

“Interesting perspective. Now, you may have to go and see some of this property. You can borrow Gavin’s company car, but he still needs it to get home. And when you’ve got a recommendation, or a shortlist, we’ll go through it and come to a decision. Ok.”

“Will that involve Miriam as well?”
“Only after we’ve got a feasible proposal. And she may be left with Hobson’s choice”

Some of the tension had drained from her as she headed down the stairs. This was away from her desk, and working in Miriam’s favour. Or maybe not, as Heidi reflected on the probability that it was Miriam who was behind the whole problem. This was a holding operation. A temporary task. But he’d hinted at forming a new company at the Coach and Horses meeting, and again now, and this would fit in. Or at least she’d like to think so.

“So you’re next, then” consoled Annabelle

“No. I’ve got an assignment”

“Oh wow! Well done you. So there is a future, somewhere. What is it?”

“Oh Annabella, I don’t get to tell you, but don’t you think there’s just something about Damon”

Yes, thought Annabelle to herself, but you’re not meant to think that. You’re supposed to be getting engaged!

But Damon was next to appear

“Heidi seems pleased with herself”

“Yes, it’s not all bad news,”

“Are you going to tell me what she’s doing?”

“No”

She glared at him suspiciously

“But, I have got an assignment for you as well, if you want one”

She looked up with interest

“Ok, What I want is that you track down a chippie and get him to fit a keypad lock. That way we can get rid of this position of receptionist”

From excitement she switched to shock. Then quickly saw the mischievous glint in his eye that she’d learned to look for before.

“Are you teasing me again?”
“Now, what do you think? I have to talk to Gavin, but maybe you could pop up to the office after that for a couple of minutes”

“Hi. Thanks for coming up. Look Annabelle, I’m going to need quite a bit of help. You did say that I could count on you, but I’m just checking”

“Is this just to shut the shop up?”

He sat down and she sank as nervously as Heidi into the chair opposite, sitting up and leaning towards him

“No, No its not. Alice and Marion can handle that. And Heidi is off doing some stuff that we need immediately as well. No, this is all about the future. This, Annabelle is all about today being the day before tomorrow, not the day after yesterday. Everything I want you to help me with is building the base for moving forward, not for finishing off the past.”

He moved over closer to her and whispered. “But for a number of reasons I’d prefer to have this conversation in the pub. You know which one. From about 5”

She turned, surprised and a little disconcerted. She started to say something, but he pressed a finger onto her lips as ‘shhh’ and nodded. She nodded back, but couldn’t help thinking it was a bit melodramatic as that train of thought was interrupted by Heidi returning from her mission. She’d opened the door and popped in just to say she was back.

“Two minutes” Damon said to her, “then we’ll have a look at what you’ve come up with.”

But with her back at her desk, Damon noted the dagger looks from Miriam.

“Annabelle, while I check this out with Heidi, can you do something for me please. Can you pop out and get a proper coffee machine and proper coffee and some edible biscuits. I don't remember seeing soggy rich tea on my diet sheet and I gave the last digestive to Heidi. And, while you’re out, can you see if you can find a large white board, preferably two”

Within a few minutes, Heidi had his desk covered with property details.

She had no experience whatsoever of selecting commercial premises, but all of these units seemed to satisfy the limited criteria of accessibility and mix of office and warehouse space.

“The impression I get is that some of them will do any deal we want just to move something, anything. The market seems dead as a dodo. Some of the details brochures are faded yellow round the edges they've been around so long”

So in between fending off interruptions from estate agents, they selected the ones that looked most promising mainly because the terms on offer were the most flexible and that, to Damon, was more important than being perfect for running a glorified jumble sale.

By the time Annabelle got back, they’d whittled the mix down to four, two probable and another two possible.

“So what do you think?” he asked Annabelle as she struggled in with a bulky object

“Think of what? Damon”

“We need to rehouse that charity crowd, although what on earth they're doing here in the first place is beyond me”

“Oh! That’s what Heidi’s been doing. She didn’t stop to say”

“So, I think you should take a look at these, Heidi. At least you’ll be out of the office”

Target Heidi

Back at Eden Radio, Damon had an increasing suspicion that the blame that was headed in Heidi’s direction was about to escalate. He clocked the malevolent looks from Miriam and some sort of sign language between her and Edna.

Annabelle was still in Damon’s office as closing time approached and even though he was gazing in unfocussed concentration he still became aware that Miriam suddenly moved quickly as Heidi went to get her coat to go home. Damon spun round

“She sure can move quickly for someone so ugly” but Damon was fairly sure her motives were less than pleasant

“Annabelle” he said with increasing urgency “Can you take your car and give Heidi a lift home please. She’s just left and I think Miriam is right behind her. You’ll be less conspicuous than me”

This was not on Annabelle’s agenda, but the tone in Damon’s action offered her no choice. Oh well, she was meeting him for dinner later anyway and maybe there’d be an explanation. She called a weak ‘good night’ to Miriam as she passed her in the foyer, clearly looking or waiting for someone. And was that Edna in the car she was getting into?

Heidi had crossed the road towards the bus stop and Annabelle watched as Edna slowed to take a careful look at Heidi as her bus pulled up. If she was in trouble, they wouldn’t try anything here. They’d wait till she got off where it would be more deserted.

Annabelle followed the bus. Slowly, letting it pull ahead and waiting, trying not to get in the way of the traffic. She had a rough idea where Heid lived and eventually saw her on the pavement

“I’ll give you a lift home” she called pulling up beside her as the bus moved off

“Oh! Annabelle. Its ok. Its only a couple of streets along now. But. What are you doing in this part of town. You live in way out on the west side, don’t you?”
“Yes. I’m just making sure you’re ok”

Heidi got in, now rather more concerned than when she left the office. Sure enough, parked ready to emerge from a side road was Edna’s old Citroen.

“Don’t look round. They might not see you” said Annabelle as she accelerated past “I just wonder what they’re doing in this part of town?”
“Maybe they’re just picking up some jumble?”
“Maybe”

But Heidi was also thinking that nothing nice would be expected from that pair, and yes, she conceded, they might have been waiting for her

“I'm nearly home” she said

“But that means they'd know where you live”

“Yes, but that’s on file anyway”

“It’s not fair, Annabelle. I'm scared. What happens if they're waiting for me tomorrow morning?”

“I'll pick you up”

Damon couldn't help thinking that the sooner he got rid of Edna and Miriam the better. He had no real ambition to crack exactly what the dodge was because that could become dangerous, but they were in it together. Maybe not just the two of them, but by carefully revising the staff he could sort it whatever it was. Miriam was next on the list but it would all wait till tomorrow and Heidi would be safely ensconced at the Studio. Annabelle had given her a lift home today, but she'd be safer out of the area for a while.

Annabelle was thinking how strange this all was. Going round the office yesterday, he'd invited Gavin and William to have dinner with him tonight, and also asked them to bring their partners Julia and Rosalynne as well. And he'd invited her, but that's just to make up the numbers. Just an excuse for a date with me, maybe? Although he could have suggested we meet in Gerrards to discuss Heidi…

“You do remember I'm still engaged to Vince” she’d replied with a nervous smile

“So I'm led to believe, but this is strictly business - well, maybe not that strictly”

Annabelle popped home to change

“You going out?” asked her dad rhetorically

“Yes, it's a business dinner”

“Thought the company was closing down”

“Yes it is”

“Well that's a bit odd then!”

“I agree. But I’m beginning to realise that with Damon, odd should be considered the norm. I think its one of his trademarks”

Dinner was a remarkably relaxed affair. Julia had met William's fiancé Rosalynne a couple of times at company functions, but Annabelle knew neither of them. The conversation was reserved to start with, but after the first bottle of wine it started to flow better and was light hearted despite them all knowing the current situation. The main course was finished and the desert menu as on the table as Julia cupped her hands around her wine glass and leant forward

“Damon, is it not strange that you should issue exit notices to everyone, then invite us all to such a lovely dinner. It can't be as a reward for reliable service because you’re the new kid on the block. So it must be something else, and I think you've invited us here to tell us what it is”

She smiled as if a flirty smile might encourage the escape of a few secrets and delve farther into the mystery

“Well!” he began leaning over the table towards her “Its really because, as you know, we’ve met before although it could be that you don't remember exactly where and I thought that in the inevitable alcoholic haze you and I might just sneak off somewhere, and I invited Annabelle to keep Gavin amused while we are away, and William and Rosalynne as a smokescreen for the real intention...”

Everyone broke into laughter, immediately identifying the proposition as ludicrous. But it helped to farther lighten the atmosphere

“... Or it could be” he continued “ that I want to discuss the creation of a new company with you”

“Now, that is far, far more likely. Possibly more disappointing, but infinitely more likely” said Julia with an even wider flirty smile

“If you are” opened Gavin “count me in”

“I'm listening” said William

“I'm up for it, whatever it is” said Annabelle and then realised what she'd just said as the table burst out laughing again.

“I thought it was me and Damon that were supposed to be sneaking off somewhere” smirked Julia

“I'll bear that in mind” he teased “Ok. Its like this. Eden is closing a week next Tuesday. But what I want to do is open Starburst Radio immediately after that. And in order to do that I need someone running Production and Broadcasting and someone out there trying to retain the clients. My target for these is you two guys. But I also invited Julia and Rosalynne because there’s no guarantees in this new company and I think job decisions like that should be a family affair. It helps if wives and fiancés are in on the act, especially if they have the opportunity to contribute. Sir Edwin ran into trouble because of some of the people that he had there. I think the main culprits may have gone now. Others will follow”

“So you're not closing then?”

“Oh yes, it is closing. It has to. You see, no one knows if the company has any debts or exactly why or how much it's losing each month. Or exactly why it concentrates on advertising Miriam’s charity. So the new operation must be completely separated from the old one”

“Now I’m getting the picture. I thought something was going on. It would have been more Sir Edwin’s style to give everyone 24 hours notice and bring his Katie in to pay off the suppliers”

“Yes, that’s the impression I get of him. He’s in business. He doesn’t do charity, which is why this particular situation has wound him up. But if broadcasting is going to continue, William, it would be helpful if retained some contracts”

“There's precious few of them. So many slots are taken by Miriam”

“Yes, and that is an unacceptable limit to our income stream. But she won't figure in the new setup. She’s moving out. Although that may turn out to be one of the minor changes. I think you’ll find that this new company will be a bit…. different. There’ll be the opportunity, no, perhaps it’s the necessity, to use significant amounts of initiative. So there’s an element of risk in that. But it should be fun and it should be exciting. Can I count you guys in?”

“I’m in” said William with finality, then quickly looked over to Rosalynne for confirmation

“But, I have to ask this, what’s remuneration likely to be?”
“You wouldn’t be in Sales without asking questions like that! More than at present. But with a full quota of advertising slots, the potential is significantly more. Is that enough detail?”

He focussed on Damon trying to figure out if this was a trustworthy proposition. Damon returned the gaze breaking into a slight smile before he turned away

“Gavin?”

He looked over to Julia “I’m in. And I’m assuming that you’ll be looking to retain some of the others as well?”
“Yes, but they’re not so specialised. I mean, in the event that Alice wasn’t around, we could get a new accountant in a matter of hours, whereas without you two the plan gets delayed”

“So, what’s next?”

“Tomorrow, me and Annabelle will draw an org chart. It won’t have any names on it, and it will be up to everyone to put their name in a box. That will be the equivalent of an application and everyone will be able to see what everyone else is aiming at. But that won’t be announced until I lose all the people that I wouldn’t employ under any circumstances”

“That’s a but harsh!” criticised Annabelle

“Some might say! But I’m with Damon. We’ve accumulated a rum crew over the last year”

“And I can only go so far on what I’ve seen over the last month”

“Month!” gasped William. Damon flashed a smile around the table “Yes, Annabelle’s been involved in espionage for a lot longer than that. I now think I know what’s going on, but I have precious little experience of operating a radio station”

“Well, if you want my advice…”
“Yes please, Gavin! Look, I know the music business, production, recording, performance and what will be successful and what won’t. But I don’t know about broadcasting. I need all the help I can get, and if you’ve got any advice going spare, believe me, I’m listening”

“You see” Gavin continued “In your position, I’d take advantage of the situation to replace some of the presenters”

“Do it!”

“Just do it?”

“Yes. They should all be on notice anyway as part of the Eden closure, so you need to talk to the guys you want to keep, and the rest – they just walk on by”

“Just me?”

“Sure. Who else do you want to involve?”
“Well. Previously, Jim would have to be involved in almost everything”

“I’m not so keen on that approach. I’d rather have people who are employed to do a job, and then are left alone to just get on with it. But it needs to be within the context of working with the rest of the team”

“Ok. Sounds like that’s one of the changes. But that’s fine with me”

“I think it will be up to you to try to keep the show on the road. But one thing we can do is call on the Studio to pre-record full length programmes that run on auto pilot. It’s not ideal for us, but it would fill any gaps short term”

Gavin nodded approval “Sounds like a safety net”

“And if you wanted a second opinion I’m sure Annabelle would be listening”

She jumped, startled, but William was continuing before she was able to respond

“So, do you want me to start canvassing some of the current clients?”

“Yes. The maximum percentage of advertising is defined in the license, but you can assume they’re all available”

“And what about Annabelle, our star infiltrator? Apart from chief sounding board!”

“Oh, well? Hmm…She’s very decorative”

“Damon! I can’t believe you said that! I work really hard. Its not easy being remote from everyone else…”
“You’re teasing her, aren’t you” interrupted Julia before Annabelle dug too deep a hole for herself. Instead she heaved a huge sigh

“I’ve a feeling I’m more than decoration and infiltration, there’s teasing as well” she said with deepening despondency

“Ok” said Damon hoping to retrieve the situation “So that’s decoration and teasing. Any more?”

“I was hoping there might be, but I guess these are the two most important” she replied sarcastically, desperately hoping that there really was more to it than that.

“Yes there is” said Damon, suddenly serious. “What I want you to do is be a bit like Michelle. I hired Michelle as a PA. But she quickly moved into the role of acting for me if I wasn’t around. In fact sometimes it only took me to be not around for a matter of seconds for her to act for me. Or even just wait until I’d gone to get her more coffee. And that’s what I want you to do here. I already mentioned that we’ll be drawing up the org chart, but after that I want you to run most of the setup. I want you to create the white board org chart. I want you to identify and resolve any conflicts on it. I want you to make sure everyone has a contract and is happy with it, and I want you to make sure everyone knows how to work together. And I want you to be the main interface between the station and the Studio”

“You want what?! Oh wow!”

“Not much then?” chipped in William

She looked aghast “You’re teasing me – again!”

“For once Annabelle. This is the exception that proves the rule”

“That's quite some step up from receptionist” remarked Gavin without giving any clue as to whether he was serious or teasing her as well

“Yes” said Damon taking him seriously “but when you take into account her previous experience, in identifying and highlighting company critical issues and making presentations at boardroom level, it starts to become more reasonable. Then when you consider that a significant part of an international business studies degree is the interrelationship and interaction between diverse companies across country boundaries its a good start to interfacing between two group divisions that are extremely culturally diverse, and a certain young lady at this table just happens to have a Masters in International Business Studies”

“Wow! I had no idea” exclaimed Gavin
“Good for you! If you can step up to it” added William

“Well!” said Julia “The evening is full of surprises, is it not!”

Annabelle was speechless. Oh my goodness. Damon had just written the job description, written her cv and her letter of application, her offer and her acceptance all at once

“Of course, any of you can bail out. There's no compulsion, and there's no lock on the door. But it will be exciting. You will have the freedom to make decisions and simply get on with it. The objectives will be set at a high level. How we all get there will be up to the three of you working together to achieve it. And, it will be worthwhile if we get it right!”

So, the idea of a new company seemed to have gone down well with those that matter most. The plan now was to retain most of those who were left, while making sure that Eden closed down completely.

“Ho Heidi. Close the door please. You do get to sit down. Coffee?”

This was all going the right way and she started to relax, just a little.

“Heidi, I’m worried about you”

“Me! Why?”

“Because there’s a reason that Eden is losing money and there are a couple of people here who are probably responsible for it. Trouble is, I get the impression that they think you know about it. I suspect their thinking is that you may have discovered it while searching for the documents that Sir Edwin wanted. If that’s anywhere near correct, you could be a target”

“Oh Damon, don’t remind me! Like yesterday” she sank back onto the chair “I’ve been trying to put a brave face on that, and try to forget about it”

“What does your boyfriend think about it?”
“Oh! He thinks I should go away for a few days. But I told him I can’t because something might happen here … and I cant afford to miss it …”

“Well, I think you should take a few days out as well”

“But Damon. I’ve not got anywhere to go. I was thinking about maybe asking my auntie may or even my gran. But really, Damon, I’ve not got anywhere to go”

“But I think you agree its best. So tonight, I want you to pack a case for three or four days. Don’t bring it to the office. You’ll pick it up tomorrow afternoon. Between now and then we’ll make sure you’re not out and about on your own. Like we did yesterday”

“You mean…you told Annabelle!”

“Heidi, I couldn’t predict this, but I can’t let you get hurt. But you have to trust me.. .. and Michelle”

“Michelle?”

“Yes, Michelle. She’s my PA and she’s coming here tomorrow, and I want you to go with her, just for a few days and hopefully we can defuse the situation here. But tell me, what did Edna say to you?”

“Edna? Oh, just threats”

“No, anything more specific?”

“Only well, I said to her its my job too that’s on the line and she said, its not the jobs. She said you don’t know what you’re messing with. Its much more than just a job”

“Heidi, tell me. Can you ever remember seeing Jim Brownlee and Bernie Simpson in this office at the same time?”

“Em, No. I don’t think so. Not that I can remember anyway”

“That figures”

“Damon! I don’t know what I just said. But don’t let her find out it was me. Ok I guess I might take you up on that go away bit. But where am I going?”

“To the Studio”

“But that’s your house isn’t it?”

“Yes”

“I’m not sure what my boyfriend will think about that!”
“No. No Heidi. Yes it is my house, and I do live there. But it’s a big old country house and there’s quite a few other people live there as well. Including Michelle and Adam. Janice the housekeeper and her husband Colin. and some rock bands as well. usually”

The conversation was cut short as Annabelle peeped in

“You wanted me Damon?”

“For sure. But apart from that, have you confirmed this Mick guy of yours to help shift all Miriam's stuff tomorrow afternoon?”

First thing next day it was Miriam’s turn. She sat down in the hot seat but was surprised that he didn't ask Heidi or Annabelle to leave.

“Ah, Miriam. Do sit down. Annabelle, could you sort out coffee for all of us. Now, Miriam. As you know, Eden Radio is being wound up due to increasing losses. That means this office is passing to new ownership. Now, you're not on the payroll, so you won't be included in the redundancy work, but it would be appropriate for you to move out sooner rather than later”

She sat there scowling at him as if plotting vengeance but he continued unabashed

“Now, I'm not one to evict a charity out onto the streets, so I've asked Heidi to find alternative premises for you. Perhaps you'd like to elaborate, Heidi?”

Heidi flinched. Here she was in a business meeting with someone who only a couple of days ago was waiting in ambush for her. She’d been rescued from that, but now? Now she had to make sure Miriam knew how much she was trying to help her. She pushed the brochures across the desk describing the differences between them

“That's my preferred option” said Damon pointing to the second one “it's in Lea Valley”

Despite looking lost and forlorn, Miriam smiled sweetly and agreed it looked appropriate.

“Unless you’ve made your own arrangements since Sir Edwin made his announcement, I think you should take a look, it's either that or the other one. Heidi, these are the best two out of how many?”

“Oh. Over a dozen. There’s loads around, but most of them are considerably bigger. That has an unwanted side effect on the heating bill, so I narrowed it down to these for you Miriam”

“Good, and Annabelle has scheduled some help in moving from a man with a van”

“Yes, Mick can start this afternoon. That gives us enough time to sign the lease and collect the keys - if you're available that is”

“I’m sorry, but I won’t be making it. Michelle is coming up from the Studio and she can sign off anything that needs signing”

“That's very kind of you” said Miriam without any hint of sincerity “But my information is that you’re opening a new company, are you not? It would be so much easier to be co-located with the new team, especially when it comes to altering the message we need in the advertising. I think we should really stay here with everyone else”

“Sorry, Miriam. That’s just not possible. It is not certain that a new company will be formed. It is certainly not public knowledge and its quite probable that any new team would not be working from this location. I’m doing the best I can for you. So I'll leave it to you to inform your staff, and I suggest that a speedy move would help your organisation with continuity”

“But surely we‘ll keep our advertising with the new station?”

“That is purely a commercial decision” replied Damon “If there is a new company, all slots will be available for sale. But we would also need to limit how much exposure we gave to any one client. The public wouldn’t like it, and we can’t afford to be too dependent on any single source of income”

Miriam twitched to a severe look and back again to the false smile

“Oh, Damon, I think this could take a whole lot more discussion. Perhaps tonight? Dinner maybe? I’m sure we can work something out” she purred crossing her legs to reveal far too much of her right thigh. So that’s where she comes in, thought Damon. I wonder which scam came first, and who’s put the bite on who. But then again, I’m sure I don’t need to know.

He leaned back in his chair. That’s the leavers gone, so now we can get on with the future. It seemed strange, but even though the close down date was approaching as fast as ever, the atmosphere in the office had noticeably improved. Maybe this was just a hunch, but he was now even more convinced that he’d identified the problem, but may well be left with the legacy if the whole show was not terminated as planned.

It was just gone 10.30 when heads turned towards the stairs. Simon in particular found his eyes out on stalks as Michelle floated into the office with sparkling eyes and a smile that would melt the Arctic. He studied her from afar in his corner. Beautifully short coat, even shorter dress, hair he could spend all morning just running his fingers through, and that smile. Yes, and the confidence.

“Can anyone tell me where I’d find Damon, please?”

Not just looking around like a little girl lost, straight onto the office, one look and straight in to see Damon without even knocking.

Damon was with Annabelle and introduced them, just after his welcome kiss.

Annabelle looked surprised “You did say you did that in your office!”

“Yes, and it could even extend to people who are supposed to be engaged to Vince”

He poured more coffee and they sat around the informal low coffee table.

“So, Michelle, two main things on the agenda. The first is signing up the warehouse for Miriam and her Charity, the second is Heidi. But first a quick update on the Studio?”

The update was quite short. Annabelle was familiar with most of the words that were used, but was completely lost in the overall meaning. “We've got 4 bands in, Stuart's still suffering in estate sector 6, same issues, but Janice still seems to have some problem hiring anyone. And now she’s bent out of shape because Natalia brought two more people in”
“Oh good”

“Except one didn’t survive for continually breaking clause 5. And I told NatAgri that we’re interested in a deal on Upper Elfinvale. But maybe they’ve jumped the gun because they’re already sending the paperwork to Penny”

But Damon seemed ok with all of it, and it was on to today's business

“Thankyou. So its all under control, or nearly. Ok This morning there are two probable sites. I suggest that you take Miriam over to take a look at the two options, and take it from there. Annabelle, I think you ought to go as well. Just in case. But the objective is to sign this morning. Then back here for part two. Directions are on the brochures, bur Michelle, you know this town anyway”

“Ok. I doubt its changed too much. And I also have to drop Adams car off, but they'll give me a replacement, so we’ll do that first. Annabelle, do you know Arnold's garage? It's in Upper Quarry Street”

“I've never been in there, but I know where it is”

“Ok, so we’ll meet you there”

Actually, she reminisced, its just up from where I met Damon and I never wanted to go back there.

But Miriam was reluctant to go along because she hadn't yet come to terms with the idea that the game was changing and she was moving out. But Michelle persuasion was that it was that or nothing. Personally, she’d be ok going on her own, and then directing Annabelle’s man with a van to move everything. But if Miriam wanted any say in the result this was her only chance. Off they went as Simon watched from the window out of idle wide eyed curiosity

“Oh my goodness” he wailed “oh oh”

“What on earth is up with you” interrupted Alice getting up to see what was causing him such grief beyond the window,

“Oh, Alice” he wailed “she's driving a lightening blue Lamborghini. A Lamborghini! My life will never be the same again”

They left Annabelle's Fiesta at the garage too, and now with a Granada Cosworth at their disposal, they could look forward to a much more comfortable tour around the town.

“But” moaned Miriam “I don't want to go anywhere. There’ll be a new team that we should be co-located with” as they left the first warehouse

“Well, you don't have to” Annabelle heard Michelle saying “no-ones forcing you. Damon’s trying his best to do you a favour. Heidi’s put a lot of work into this for you, but you can do your own thing if that’s what you prefer. I think in your position, I’d take this offer and if its not exactly perfect, move again after the first six months”

“Oh. I thought you meant there was a chance I could stay”

“Absolutely not. There is no option to stay under any circumstances. That's why Damon is trying to help you rather than you being out on the street. Actually, there may not be anyone at all in that building in a couple of weeks. But its hardly suitable for you anyway being all on the first floor”

Put like that, Miriam agreed that option 2 was preferable and Michelle drove straight to the agents,

“Now we need to get you moved” said Michelle. This was so like Damon. No sooner finished one thing than dive straight into the next while Annabelle was still recovering from the discussion that Michelle had had. And how she had just calmly pulled out a cheque book and signed out the first six month’s rent.

“There's a man with a van starting this afternoon” she eventually managed to splutter. But it was difficult for her to stay down for long. Here in Michelle was someone who was genuinely happy. With life with work and with herself. She wasn’t in the least stressed by the situation, and she just got on with everything. That’s that. What’s next?

“Lunch?” asked Michele

Lunch was short. A drink, a sandwich and chatting mainly about Miriam's charity work and the issues around relocation, although Miriam spent more time moaning and fishing for hints about how to get Damon to agree to her free advertising. But Michelle simply batted Miriam’s moaning into the long grass without hesitation. She was absolutely clear about what the situation was and was at pains to make sure that Miriam was aware at every opportunity that there was absolutely no wiggle room, that Damon was doing her a favour and that while Heidi might be a little miffed that all her effort was for nothing, she and Damon would be in no way offended if she turned down the offer and made her own arrangements instead.

And, Annabelle reflected later, Michelle was giving not an inch and had made sure that Miriam was aware of that fact which made everything so much simpler for everyone. It also occurred to her that Michelle hardly gave a fig about Miriam, or what her opinion of the options should be. Michelle was focussed on the objective she’d agreed with Damon and was in no danger whatsoever of discussing alternatives. And this is how Damon wanted her to behave too!

Back at the office Simon managed to be at the coffee machine at the same time as Michelle. “Great car you've got”

“Which one?”

“Oh! Sorry” he gasped, taken aback “I thought you were driving a Lambo this morning”

“Ah that one. Yes, I just dropped it off for servicing. Its ok. It really is very fast, but that's all. Its just a race car wearing number plates. Anything resembling comfort has been left out, although its not as bad as a Countach. They've given me a Granada Cosworth instead. Its soooo much more drivable. You get into the Lamborghini and the first thing you do is tell it that you, not it, is going to win. Then you fight it at every junction just to prove your point. The Cossie is so much more of a team player. Of course its not quite as fast, but sooo much more comfortable”

“Comfortable” echoed Simon, mesmerised. A girl with conversation on top of everything else.

“Yes, the Lambo is a bone shaker and that Cosworth is just the opposite for whatever it is that you might want to do in a car” her eyes widened as she smiled and turned to float back to Damon’s office and emerged with her coat on, as Simon shrank – oh, and almost flirty as well

“Not leaving already!” he asked

“Yes, and another car switch. Sadly leaving the Cosworth behind”

“So what have you got now then?”

“Aston Martin” she replied as Simon suddenly felt he might just be having a heart attack,

No sooner had she gone than Damon called Heidi in.

“Time for you to go now. Just around the corner, before anyone can start following you, you'll find Michelle in my car. She'll pick up the story from there. Ok?”

Heidi raised a smile of thanks and was out the door.

She wasn't sure if it was Edna in the car at the gate, but she hurried around the corner anyway as the door swung open ahead of her. Michelle took off quickly and detoured round to pick up Heidi's case,

“Damon did tell you to leave out jeans and trousers didn't he?”

“No, but he did say I should wear a dress today or I wouldn't be allowed in. Which I thought was rather strange”

“I'll explain it when we're on the way. But you'll need to wear a dress or skirt all the time you're on site. And I think that will be all the time till we come back here”

She repacked her case quickly feeling confused and a bit steamrollered. But her mood improved with each mile. Michelle had dropped the roof and the wind was whistling through her hair as they sped down the link road. The car was beautifully comfortable, and quiet and warm, despite the outside temperature and the wind chill and the background burble of the engine.

“I said I'd explain the dress code” said Michelle dropping the speed as they settled into the journey so that they could talk more easily.

“Very briefly. Music, at least new music, depends on innovation and being different. Without being different, you’re just another band and that means you have to do what everyone else is doing, but you have to do it better. The alternative is to be different and that depends on differentiation. Everyone seems hell bent on equality and making everyone equal which means they’re the same. That’s the opposite. It destroys differentiation. So what Damon is doing is that when a band comes to the Studio, he tries to get them to focus on their unique points, which are what makes them different to other bands. And that difference is essential if they’re going to make it in the industry. That starts with two things, one is that its a work environment and we don’t want scruffy work so we don't want scruffy musicians, and that then extends to everyone on site. The second is, you have to start thinking that you are different and for girls that is start thinking you're different from boys, not the same, not equal, not less not greater, just different. Start being different by wearing a dress. Jeans are all the same, dresses are all different. Boys don't get to wear jeans either. They have to start finding differences elsewhere, but at least they’re not looking the same as the girls. So its all about looking different, being different, thinking different and then writing different songs so your music is different. And that will differentiate you from all the other bands producing new music for people to buy”

“Ok. In a way it's a sort of a uniform?”

“Its sort of the opposite. A uniform would make everyone look the same. Its more generic rather than specific. But it's written into the contracts. If you don't like it, don't sign - go somewhere else. Its like Miriam this morning. If she doesn’t like the warehouse we’ve bought for her, she can go find her own one”

“And that's goes for everyone?”

'Yes, And it will apply to you too if you work for Damon. Oh Heidi! We even had a girl on site who was a painter. I almost felt sorry for her. Two floors up a ladder painting the windows. Normally she'd wear dungarees like the blokes. But not here. Here there were no exceptions. Damon told the company that that was the deal. And if they didn't want it he'd find someone else”

“What did she do!”

“She wore a long skirt, just above the ankle, and just carried on. But Damon slipped her a clothes allowance, so she was happy. But its written into every contract. Clause 5, as it's known”

“Clause 5! You mentioned that in your summary to Damon”

“That's right. Damon’s view is simple. If it's more important to her to wear jeans than it is to have a job, then that's fine with him. It means she's not that interested in the job, so he'll hire someone else. Its really quite simple. The rules of our game are explicit. If you don’t like them, find someone else to play with”

“So it's not just that Damon likes seeing girls in short skirts?”

Michelle chuckled “That’s what Sienna thought when she arrived. She’s the gardener. No. For sure he does. Most blokes do. But the skirt can be any length you like. Can even have a train if you want to be that different, matched to the tiara”

“I certainly wouldn’t want to throw my job in just because of a dress code. Jobs are so hard to find out there. That's why there's do much depression at Eden.”

“I agree with you, but that was up to her. You’ll like it at the Studio, But Heidi, I need to do a few things on the way back, so there’ll be a couple of detours. Then we might have to get a bit of a wiggle on, if they over-run. There's something I want to see and I think you’d like it as well. It’s the perfect day for it, but we may have to make up some time”

The conversation lapsed as Michelle wound up the revs. Heidi could now feel the power but had the chance to lie back, warm and comfortable, and reflect.

But soon they pulled off onto the B roads and then off into the lanes

“Do you drive, Heidi?”

“Yes, but I don’t have a car at the moment” she said shaking her head although she knew Michelle wasn’t watching.

“What would you get if you were buying one?”

“Oh Michelle, I’d love to buy a new car. It would be a Peugeot convertible. It would be that bright orange colour that they do. Sorry, I was just dreaming out loud”

“Don’t apologise. I did ask! Well there you are! I told you you’d feel better if you just lay back in the chair and relaxed”

“Do you know how long Damon is expecting me to stay?”

“No. Until the heat dies down in Edencombe I suppose”

“It's just that, well, I think he's intending to do something with Eden Radio, and I don't want to miss out if there are any jobs going”

“We'll have to find out when the main events are and get you back there in time. But I do have a question for you, if you don't mind?”

Heidi found Michelle looking over at her with a nervous sort of smile that made her feel slightly uncomfortable, especially as she was supposed to be watching where they were going.

“Ok?” she said to prompt the question

“Heidi, do you know who it is up in Edencombe that Damon’s chasing after? Or more directly. Is it you?”

“Is he? Me? Oh, Michelle, no it's not me. Oh my goodness! If I thought he was chasing me I'd stop running!”

“Hmmm. So who is it then?”

“Any clues?”

“Not many. Only that he met her before he started talking to Sir Edwin. He’s seen her half a dozen times I think”

“Before! I really have no idea he knew anyone there. I suppose it could be Annabelle. He’s always teasing her – oh or maybe Juliette”

Heidi considered the question as she watched the tranquillity of the countryside drift past. The fields and hedgerows, the odd cottage and the cows and sheep, and was only interrupted by the security check at the gatehouse.

But now inside the estate Heidi noticed that their speed had dropped to a crawl

“Look over to the right.” Michelle said breathlessly “just as we round this crest. There, with the sun just dipping behind it. I think that's one of the most wonderful views in the world”

But Heidi was lost for words until they’d parked at the building.

“Is this the Studio? I've never even seen anything like it. Its huge, and that sun .…”.

“Yes. That’s what I wanted to show you. You can just imagine, can’t you, the inspiration you could get from that to write lyrics. I cant wait for some better bands to show up and see if they can make something suitably magical”

They were met in the hall by Adam, asking a dozen questions at once. One by one, Michelle seemed to know all the answers as they walked in as far as the stairway and Heidi was mesmerised again. The chandelier, the ceiling, the staircase.

‘Heidi’ she heard her name, but was on another planet. ‘Heidi’,

“Oh sorry Michelle, I'm just, I don't know, overcome”

“I was as well. When Damon first brought me here I was convinced he’d kidnapped me off into the wilds of the countryside for things I didn’t dare to imagine. And when I saw this….And when he said this is where we’ll be working if you join us – well, I nearly died. After a while you get used to it but right now I need to sort out some of this stuff for Adam. Down there, the restaurant is the second door on the right. Hopefully, Janice will be able to rustle up some food for you. And the bar is just beyond that. If all else fails I'll see you in the bar later. I'll get Natalia to find you and tell you your room number”

“Thanks Michelle, see you later” she whispered, but had already started to float up the stairs. She stopped at the top to take in the view across the hallway, down the corridor, up to the ceiling which was yet another floor above her, and then the immediate area, the wood panelling, the deep soft carpet, settees and chairs just dotted around seemingly randomly.

She was still there taking in the surroundings when a younger lady, possibly of Eastern European origin approached her.

“Heidi?” she asked questioningly “Hello. I Natalia. I look after house. I come let you know that your room is 224. Is on next floor up and look out to garden and lac. You want me help you with case or are you ok!”

“Oh, no, no thanks. It's not heavy. Oh and thankyou. This is just such an amazing place”

“Yes. Yes it is. Is very amazing. I so lucky get job here”

Heidi floated up to her allocated room and gazed for ages across the lawn to the lake beyond it, thinking that yes, this would be a totally inspiring place irrespective of your field of expertise. But next on her list was food.

The man that Michelle referred to as Adam sat down at her table uninvited and introduced himself. She asked if Damon had suggested anything to occupy her during her enforced exile.

“No” she replied “I had no idea what I was coming to. But I’m pretty much overwhelmed by the place”

“Yes, it gets to most people like that. Imagine what it must be like for a young band who get invited down here from playing in a back street dive in Sheffield, and the big time is way out of sight around a blind bend, And you arrive here and immediately have to play and perform better than you’ve ever done before - or you blow your whole chance. Imagine the pressure!”

“Well, I’ve no idea what I’m going to do, Adam, or even meant to be doing, or for that matter how long I’ll be here”

“But you’ve got some kind of design degree or something haven’t you?”

Heidi blinked, twice. How on earth would he know that about me. Unless Damon had told him. And that means Damon must have looked in my file.

“Yes. I studied Fashion and Design. I added a module on Marketing. A lot of it was just to do with how products are advertised”

Adam continue to look interested

“So, you might be able to help me?”

“Really?”

“Most of the bands that come down here, their music is awesome. That’s why they get invited. But, Heidi, some of them, they look hideous, and their stage act is rubbish. Now, that may be what has held them back before, but somehow we need to sort that out if we’re going to make the most out of them. Maybe they just need someone with an eye for design and a few spare hours to have a think about it”

“Really? Have you got any bands here just now? What do you want me to do?”

“Hmmm yes. We’ve got one called Low Life. Suppose I introduce you. Then maybe you can take some time to listen to their kind of music and watch them on stage and see if you can come up with something. I’ll get Stan to join us in the bar after Studio time which will finish at 8”

The next day Stan caught up with her at breakfast and they headed down to the old chapel where there was a high dais. He introduced the rest of the band and moved straight into their set rehearsal as Heidi watched. This was never what she had envisaged when she wrote her thesis, but as she watched the set, she noticed one thing after another that just seemed out of place, inconsistent or just plain wrong. She started making notes, and soon found herself scribbling as fast she did at her final year lectures. Then it occurred to her that what they were wearing should be related to the lyrics, where appropriate and she scribbled even more ideas, following the steer from her initial conversation. It was hugely encouraging

“…if you’ve got any ideas then just go for it. You have to admit that they’re not going to make it in live performances as it is. That’s’ going to limit them to recording and that’s going to be difficult to advertise without some live shows so people can see what these guys are about. Actually, I’m only repeating what Damon said but I must admit that I certainly wouldn’t want to watch those guys for very long”

“Do you want me to come back to you with some ideas?”

“Heidi, I’m up to my throat in the studios. What I want is for someone to come up with an idea, get the guys to agree to try it, implement it and then invite me to the revised stage set. Or in other words, just do it!, Tall order? Yes. But Heidi, if we can get this right, we can schedule a tour for them because that’s where the money is. If it doesn’t work it will give us a new angle on what’s wrong”

It was another full day and then a bit more before she sat down with the band for their discussion. By her calculation it was Monday afternoon, but no-one seemed to have taken any notice of the change from working week to weekend and back again. Eden Radio broadcast seven days a week, but the schedules were different at the weekend. Here, they all seemed to work seven days a week with no distinctions. Oh my! When did anyone ever rest?

She was also nervous that she would have to go back to Edencombe at short notice in the next couple of days to make sure she was included in the new company, and this possibility heaved extra pressure on her to get this done before she had to go.

“So” she started “This is my idea for you. You start the set off looking scruffy, then change to smart then back to scruffy ready for the next set.”

They were all a good eight to ten years older than her, and serious musicians. This was not your average post punk thrash band. These guys were professional and listened attentively

“The theme is that as low life, that is criminals, you do some successful heists and that way you can afford good smart suits and move up in the world. Then you get over confident and careless and you get busted, there’s flashing lights and some sounds, I don’t know if you can make a noise like gunfire on a guitar! Any way that moves you back to scruffy.

So this keeps your fans happy that identity with you as scruffy, as well as attracting a new more up market audience, and it has undertones of crime doesn’t pay

But there’s a twist in the tail and that is that you’re not just criminals at all. Low life is where you start, then you – and what I mean is the band as a single guy - then you meet a girl and the high life smart suits is when you’re trying to impress her going out together, then you blow it. The same theme as the criminal one, overconfident, careless, you have a bust up which is signified by the flashes and gunfire, and you end up as low life which is what you feel like when you’ve been dumped and you’re back to square one”

She ran through a list of the tracks that she’d heard them play slotting them in to the outline to form more of a connected story “Its not a matter of creating a rock opera, its just giving it more of a context”

She sat back and flashed a glance around the four of them looking for a response which was a while in coming.

“Ok” Stan started slowly “So that gives us more of an identity, it gives us a base to form the whole set round and .. and it gives us a flow for the sequence of the songs”.

“You mean. Basically it defines the whole show”

“Yea, but that gives us a structure to fit things into. New tracks and so on”

“So how do we get changed in the middle of the set?”

“I think two of you go off – you may need to stage an excuse, and then other two play solos or a duet till they come back. Then the other two”

“We’ll need to put together some new material to get this all to link properly”

“Yea but how long d’you think we’ll need to get changed”

“Oh, come on dude. Give the girl a break. I can’t think she’s got all the answers, at least, not yet. But this is something to work with, where before we had nothing – not even an idea. But what we did know is that we’d do a jolly site better if we could get a decent stage act together. And this could be it. It needs some work, but not a huge amount”

“Thanks for that Heidi. Like, for all the time and thought you’ve put into this”

“I think we need to talk the whole thing through”

“Yeah. Even if its not the whole answer, its shed a lot of light on why we’re not making any progress”

Yeah, but it could change everything”

“That’s true dude. But it needed changing”

Cue: Creation by The Pierces

Heidi was ecstatic. The stage act was such an improvement. It wasn’t necessarily the kind of music she’d listen to in her car, but she was part of this. This was her creation and she was still grinning like the Cheshire cat when Adam caught the tail end of the show

“Well, there’s a turn round. You must be surely proud of yourself”

“Thankyou so much, Adam”

“It needs a bit of refinement. But these guys can be creative given a steer in the right direction, and now they’ve got the initial concept, they’ll be able to do that. But if you’re not going back yet could you take a look at Dream Pool for me? Yeah?”

Damon was in to Eden Radio at sparrows. He’d turned most of his office upside down over the weekend and eventually found what he was looking for. Then he’d rebuilt it. He’d repositioned his desk so that he could see Heidi if his door was open as a cover for the chaos, and that had proved a good call. The plan was now crystallising and he was keen to make some progress. But the close down was designed to shut down the scam, whatever it was, and if Heidi was being blamed then she would definitely be the target rather than him. And it certainly seemed that there was some substance in that angle. But had he really thought that they would simply whimper off into the sunset without a fight or retribution?

So far, the day had been tense with Alice getting completely stressed in a conversation with a supplier. Edna had been twitchy all day and had managed to dislodge the earpiece she always wore. Confirmation! As, Damon noticed that it didn’t seem to affect her hearing. And Miriam knew far more than had been publicly released. Now that Heidi was hidden, he could accelerate the plan

“Hi. I thought you’d be leaving early, but it seems not” interrupted Annabelle as she poked her head in to continue her white board.
But Damon had moved very close to her and was whispering in her ear

“Someone around here knows a lot more about what’s going on than they really ought to. See that hearing aid that Edna always wears? Well it seems to me that she can hear equally well without it”
“So what’s it for” she whispered back

“Well its not a replacement earring”

Damon motioned her to keep quiet and watch as he slipped back towards the filing cabinet. He picked up the guitar that was decorating it and made some adjustments. But rather than something sweetly melodic, perhaps like the song he sang to her when they first met, there was a low howl of audio feedback. And while that was already quite loud in the office, Edna leapt out of her chair ripping the hearing aid from her ear and covering her damaged eardrum with her hand. She spun round glaring daggers into the office as Annabelle wondered what she’d done to deserve this. Damon had proved his point.

“And that, Annabelle, is why we had to meet in the pub”

“And I though you just wanted a more sociable venue!”
“No point really. I understand you’re still supposed to be engaged to Vince”

The next interruption was from a much shaken Edna as she poked her false smile around his door.

“I've produced the payroll for the end of the month, but there's a block on all the accounts, so can you tell me how to get the block removed so I can send the transfers through”

“Emm. No” he hesitated “I've stopped all the accounts because that would be Sir Edwin's money we’re spending and I need to account for every penny of it. And there'll be quite a few people over the next few days that are given a cheque up to the end of the month with their P45. So the payroll would almost certainly duplicate some payments, and there'd be no chance of getting it back”

“So what do you want me to do?”

“Nothing. I'll sort out an individual cheque for everyone. There may need to be some extra payments if anyone does anything after they get their P45”

This seemed to Damon to be a perfectly reasonable way of dealing with the situation, but it clearly did not go down well with Edna. Damon noticed the nervousness that made her almost twitch, but he successfully concealed any signs. Now, he thought, I wonder why it's so important to run the payroll as normal. I can only guess.

Miriam ignored everyone as she headed for her corner

“Careful Miri’. Damon’s been watching me since I grabbed Heidi’s arm the other day”

“Do you think he’s clocked you?”

“Maybe. One thing – he’s not daft.”

“It’s a tough life Eddie”

“No way Miri’ If I’m going down you’re coming with me”

“Not a chance. If you’re rumbled, you’re on your own”

“Edna, your turn, I'm afraid”

She trudged slothfully into the office and plonked into a chair

“Edna, you've completed all the exit notices now, and all they need is to be collected by the individuals. And that payroll really isn’t needed I’m afraid”

He noticed her eyes widen and her face tense up as he continued,

“And I thank you for that. But there's no more for you to do here in the wind down. So what we need to do is agree a form of words on your own exit paper. But before that I need to say a couple of things. The first is that Heidi was in no way responsible for this happening. Oh sure, she was asked to collect the papers together and bring them to the meetings, but she didn't. And that's because one of them doesn't exist, another you gave her some surrogate that was essentially worthless, and the other two are under lock and key somewhere and the key holder has been awol for long enough to get himself fired. Yes, I know that for you it's not all about the papers. And do you know what? I know why”

She shifted in her chair trying desperately to think of something non-incriminating to say.

“So, on your exit paper we can put 'redundancy due to company closure' or we can put... “

he paused to look straight at her “we can put 'summarily dismissed due to illegal adjustment of personnel files for personal pecuniary advantage”

“How dare you! How dare you make such a allegation!”

“Well, let's just see who doesn't turn up to collect their papers, shall we? And then we’ll cross check that with the payroll and staff list. So what do you think we should do? After all, you do know about everything that happens in this office. And Edna, coming from a musical background, I too know a few things about microphones”

Edna flinched and said nothing as Damon continued

“Of course, there’s a price on the former wording. And that is that you make every effort to avoid Heidi. Got that. Avoid. If you see her, go another way, into a shop, up an alley, jump under a bus if you have to. It’s a small price to pay. You see, Heidi has nothing to do with all this. She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, and the documents she was asked to find were all unavailable, as you yourself told me. So there’s no way she’s responsible”

She managed another almost imperceptible nod

“Good”

Job done. She got up to leave as Damon continued

“Of course, if you fail to avoid Heidi, then details of this other enterprise of yours could fail to remain confidential”

She pulled the door behind her, which was unfortunate as Annabelle was trying to go in.

Since the demise of Eden Radio was announced there was no need for Annabelle to sit on guard at the foot of the stairs and since the discussion over dinner, she had been working on her white board. Annabelle’s board, the organisation board, and mainly out of sight in Damon’s office.

She’d drawn an organisation structure and then added outline process flows to it. But with updates and re-thinks it was looking more like a child’s drawing of a plate of spaghetti. This could be why Damon had asked her to get two boards – so that she could redraw it and not miss anything out. She’d redrawn it so many times and was having trouble coming to terms with how few people she seemed to need. It would be nice to go out into the office and ask everyone, but that would have to wait for Damon’s announcement of the new company. All this wasn’t new to her. She’d done this before when she was in Hampshire and engaged to John. That had all been accepted by the Board and that gave her confidence that this attempt was not far out. The difficult decisions were around holiday cover when the job was only really big enough for one person. But time was moving on and with this last round of not-so-sad farewells, Damon was now quite sure that the trouble makers had gone. Not just that, but leaving the announcement any longer could risk everyone else going as well, and that was not the plan.

The Pheonix

Tuesday, and Annabelle had tweaked the org board again and now it was it was ‘A’ day at Starburst. She re-drew it again, neatly and early afternoon Damon peeked out of the office. Everything seemed calm as everyone sat around talking in quiet despondency or idly browsing situations vacant. Work on shutting down Eden was virtually complete - as Damon saw it. It was really just a matter of not buying anything else on Sir Edwin’s account, but Alice was going bananas. She had the longer term contracts to sort out, like renting arial space on a transmission tower, but Damon seemed blissfully unconcerned about that. Alice knew that it was their biggest exposure. Unless the contract was terminated, it would cost thousands and the bill, she reckoned, would be going to Sir Edwin. Maybe that’s why Damon was unconcerned. But then again, Sir Edwin was trusting him to do this job. Oh well. It wasn’t her that was going to have to pay it either way.

He slipped out and put the cake on Heidi's desk placing the Eat Me card on top. She wouldn’t be back for a few more days yet.

“It’s coffee and cake time” he said only loudly enough to be discernible. Enthusiasm was naturally low as was to be expected but a few minutes later and with nothing better to do the lure of cake encouraged some activity. Annabelle fussed around unnecessarily to focus the interruption and Damon took up his planned position perched on the edge of a spare desk.

“Hey guys! Bring your coffee over here a minute. I'd like a little chat with y’all”

With general ambivalence chairs scraped the floor and repositioned the occupants. This was different. Previous announcements from both Edwin and Damon had been barked during arguments with people who had then immediately left the company. But Damon looked relaxed and even approachable.

“I see the cake is going down well” but there was no verbal reply

“Listen guys, this may be of interest to you. First up, I wanted to thank everyone for still being here. As far as I'm concerned, we've pretty much completed the wind down that we had to do. I’ve got a bunch of envelopes here with a big fat redundancy cheque for each of you which you can collect and cash any time you like. So that is essentially the end of the road for Eden Radio”

He bowed his head in deference to the deceased through the muted sigh of disappointment and finality as he continued

“Now I know that all sounds disappointing and a bit terminal, but it also means we can get on with the next bit. Eden Radio is still set to officially crash and burn in ten days time, but the way is now clear for me to let you know that I intend to open Starburst Radio like a Phoenix from the ashes”

Alice and Simon were still at their desks, preferring to remain apart from what Damon was doing. She fundamentally disagreed with Damon’s approach, considering that there was a huge amount more to do than he had instigated. Simon broke the stunned silence by getting up

“Did I hear that right? Did you say Phoenix?”

“Yes, I did Simon. Although I thought your movement was only because you desperately needed more cake.”

Lucy stifled a giggle.

“It may be an insufficient bribe, maybe more of a gesture, but it is homemade, I did bake it myself and I do intend to bake another cake next week. And the week after”

“I'm sorry, Damon. The week after we will all be gone”

“Ah. Judi. Eden may be gone, but the Phoenix may be hungry”

“Phoenix again!” said Simon “Are you implying...”

“Ah. Alice! Slice of cake? I can't imagine you've actually come to join us”

Alice returned his smile with a hostile glare, but gradually an edge of hope was creeping in around the sides.

“I'm afraid we don't have a campfire, and it's not exactly a girl guide’s jamboree, but I do hope we can relax just a little.”

He took a long silence from his coffee as the 18 eyes focussed in on him

“You may remember, at least I'm led to understand, that in his first rant, sir Edwin let slip that he'd sold certain assets to me. And I can confirm that this is the case. Those assets include the studio equipment, transmission equipment, licences and certain other assorted bits of hardware. My intention is to use everything for its intended purpose of running a radio station. However, I can't do that all by myself, and I need some help in a whole variety of areas to establish a broadcasting company”

“But we've got a broadcasting company” said Lucy rather carelessly.

“No” said Simon catching on “No, No, Lucy. We had a company. We used to have a company. But not any more!”

“Correct Simon. There used to be a company here. But we won’t have that after the 21^st . So where better to start recruitment than amongst people with recent experience in that specialised market sector”

Damon scanned the audience trying to discern the various confused faces, but Judi was boiling over

“That!” she fumed “that, is outrageous. Totally outrageous”

He looked at her quizzically

“Why on earth didn't you just continue with Eden and save everyone the fear, depression, anxiety and panic of the last two weeks!”

“Can I be clear on this” said Simon now moving in to a ring side seat “you're going to run the station, only under a different name and as a different company and you're starting recruitment right here?”

“At the risk of being insufficiently precise, Yes”

“Well count me in!”

“Hold on just a minute Simon, don’t you need to know a bit more about this before you jump in at the deep end?” demanded Judi “And. It's.. It's.. “ Judi stuttered fearing she’d been ignored “it's..its.. Why? Why all the pain? You’ve taken five years off my life! For what!” she screamed at him

Damon turned to her with a relaxed smile.

“Let's see if we can answer that in a way everyone will understand. Judi, how about we play a little game. You pretend to be me, or even just you and you're interested in buying Eden Radio. I will pretend to be Sir Edwin and give you the answers to the questions you ask. So fire away. What would you want to know before you put several hundred thousand pounds on the table?”

“I.. I don't know. I've never bought a company” she said, visibly calming in response to Damon remaining completely unflustered

“Well, maybe everyone else could suggest questions for you to ask”

“Judi, what about how many people does it employ”

“Judi, what about how much money does it make”

“Oh, I see! Ok pretend Sir Edwin, how much profit does it make?” she asked wondering if she should really be taking part in this game.

“I'm sorry, but it doesn’t. It makes a loss of about 9 thousand pounds every month”

Her face fell “So how much debt is it carrying!”

“I'm sorry, I don’t know, but I don't think it has any formal loans and I cover the operating loss personally each month”

“What's the income? Surely that could be increased by selling more advertising”

“I'm sorry, but the amount of advertising is strictly controlled under terms of the broadcasting license, and all the slots are taken”

“Taken?”

“Yes, by some local charitable organisation”

“But they don’t count. Miriam told me. Charities are exempt from the quota”
“Sorry, not so. I’m afraid they all count”

“So, how many people does it employ?”

“Not sure. Somewhere between 37 and 46, I think”

“But you don't know?”

“Not only do I not know, but the information on the payroll has been vigorously withheld”

He paused for these revelations to sink in

“So, Judi, on the evidence so far, how likely are you to buy Eden?”

“Oh my goodness. I didn't realise...”

“You see, guys, I tried. I asked all those questions, but no one would tell me what the wages bill was each week, or month. How much debt the company owed, what the potential income was going to be. Or any other factors that would materially affect the continuity of the company. Sir Edwin was finding it to be unviable. My gut feel was it must be able to make a profit, but there's no evidence. The material evidence is that of a basket case. So, my question to you is, would you have bought it, and just continued to operate in the way it was?

The other major point is that the company was overstaffed so the numbers have to reduce, and there were a also a number of people here who were so isolated from the team that we were better off without them. I hope all of you will want to come along on this new journey. I think it's very exciting. So is anyone interested?

“Count me in” said Simon above the abject silence “Where’s the application form?”

“There's no application form. The way its going to work is that if you're interested, then you write your name in the relevant box on the organisation chart. That way you can see what everyone else has applied for. Now, you might think that that is meant to be confidential, but I think it's as important to know who you'll be working with as it is to know what you'll be doing”

“Can you apply for two positions?”

If you think you can do two jobs”

“No, like a second choice”

“There’ll be no point, I’m afraid. If its your first choice and someone else joins you in that box, then there will be a discussion with both people which will also provide the opportunity to move to a different box”

“Ok, its just I don’t want to miss out altogether”

But Judi was still looking perplexed and annoyed and he looked directly at her encouraging the question

“So why now? Why did we all have to wait and go through all this trauma?”

“Ok. So let me ask you a question, Judi. What's the biggest difference between Monday last week and now?”

“For me? Me personally? That I now expect to live 5 years less than I did then”

“You and me both! Judi. And from a company perspective?”

“That Eden was here, and now it isn't?” she hazarded

“Anyone else with an answer? No? What about this: last Monday there were a significant number of people in this office that I would not employ in any capacity under any circumstances, and now I would happily extend interviews to everyone in this room. So if I had announced the plan then, all of them would have expected to be included. It's only now that they have gone that I can start to move forward”

“Damon, I'm not sure that this is all legal!”

“Sure it is. Look. Everyone was given notice. Everyone will leave Eden – no exceptions. Everyone who left got an envelope, everyone here can collect theirs any time and irrespective Eden will close down on the 21st. However, some ex-Eden employees may decide to pursue an opportunity that they have heard about. Some of you are probably looking for a new job already? All I'm doing is suggesting that you may want to apply for some positions working for me that previously did not exist”

“I'll apply. Where do I sign” persisted Simon optimistically

“Before we all get too excited, there's a number of points I want to make about this new company. I’m not one for drip feeding information, but I want you all to have sufficient time to consider the opportunity. The new company will operate differently to other companies I’ve seen and I will go through that part tomorrow afternoon with anyone who wants to listen. In the meantime, Simon, you asked how do you apply. No, Before I answer that let me re-introduce Annabelle. Some of you, including Simon, may have noticed a girl called Michelle come in to the office. She was wearing a yellow dress and a mid-grey coat….”

Simon interrupted with a long involuntary ‘ooooh’ just at the reminder of the memory “…she took Annabelle and Miriam to sign the lease on the new warehouse for Miriam’s charity. Now Michelle, joined the company as my PA and that is probably still her official title. But she does a lot more than that. She makes a lot of independent decisions and recently she attended a property auction for me while I needed to be somewhere else and spent over a million pounds of my money. You all know Annabelle because she has been sitting on your reception desk for the last six months. However, Annabelle has a masters degree in International Business and has held senior financial positions before joining Eden. Its only the imperative of staying in this town that persuaded her to take that job. And I’m expecting Annabelle to be Michelle’s equivalent in this office. Not just working for me, but acting for me as well. So, Simon, how do you apply? Over to Annabelle”

“Hi. I’m so excited by this new company that Damon is creating. Over the last few days I’ve been drawing the new organisation on this board which is a job that I’ve done previously in other companies. Each job in the new company has a box. All the boxes have suggested job titles and a couple of lines of the main job functions. None of them has a name in it. To apply for that role, you simply write your name in. If two people put their name in the same box, we will discuss the situation and try to find a simple resolution so that everyone is happy. The boxes are also linked together to show basic process flows of who works with who to create the results we need. I’m about 80 percent happy with it, but I’ll be taking advice from all of you as we fill it in to make sure its right. Once its as complete as it can be, we’ll adapt it to include things that have been missed out. Then there’ll be an interview – or more likely an informal chat and that’s it. In the event that no-one applies for a particular role, I will ask for suggestions of people that you might know”

“So you won’t be advertising vacancies to people outside?”

“No. We would like to give people in this room priority. And after that we’ll look for suggestions from you. Might be a partner or a nephew or a neighbour. But we can’t afford to be deluged with applicants”

“But” added Damon “Don’t bother suggesting someone that used to work here and has recently left. Because they all left for specific reasons and will not be invited back. And suggesting that won’t do your own case any good either”

Questions started to flow in and Annabelle retreated to Damon’s office, returning with her white board.

“Sometimes its easier to understand if you have a visual aid. Simon, you’ve been consistently interested in getting your name on the board first, so which box do you want?”
“I thought Damon wanted to explain some stuff first – that’s tomorrow’s discussion”
“Yes, and that’s to do with the level of autonomy that you’ll have in your role. Not everyone wants to work that way. But you can always just rub it out if you change your mind”

The promotion of Annabelle from receptionist to something approaching CEO seemed to be going a whole lot better than Damon had expected. The rumour mill had picked up the case and decided without reference that Damon had bought the station at a hugely reduced rate considering the level of profit that was rumoured to be flowing in and that Annabelle had been part of this from the beginning, acting as a spy all along specifically to facilitate this. And, the rumour mill continued, is that not just what Damon would have expected from his girlfriend?

Alice was beginning to mellow as she figured out on her own mind how the plan would take effect

“So that's why you didn't want me to spend time closing down the transmission contract! And… Now I'm beginning to understand”

“Yes, Alice. But now I hope you can understand why I couldn’t tell you that”

They’d all gathered round for part two. This time there was no-one sitting back ignoring it and the mood was optimistic. Two of the presenters who weren’t due to be in had turned up as well having heard interesting snippets through the grapevine and confirmed by Gavin.

“Now, on this org chart…” Annabelle continued “…you will also see some coloured lines. They represent the flow of work. The main point is that it shows which people are either side of you. Alice, either side of the accounts box, just to give it that perspective, is clients on one side and sales executive on the other. Inside that box is where the invoice will be raised. Sales will sell something, the client will buy it and that accounts box will join the two together. So while the task inside that box is raising an invoice, the job consists of making sure that those two people on each side suffer as little pain as possible. So none of the boxes operates in isolation. Everyone has to work together and help each other. And the people who have recently left the company would not be capable of working in that way”

She took a nervous break and Damon picked up the thread

“You see, there are a lot of people believe that Business is a cage fight for physically challenged psychopaths, and many, if not most, companies are run on that premise. But it doesn’t need to be like that. What I intend to do is let this company work through co-operation and understanding of the overall objective. Everyone has to know what specific contribution they make and how they inter-react with everyone else. If we get this right we will all have a happy working environment and a successful company. Now, I have no intention whatsoever of sitting in that office every day popping in and out with instructions on the minutia of what you should be doing. Each of you will have the freedom to work that out for yourself but restrictions will develop due to your co-operation with your colleagues on both sides of the task you are doing. That will inevitably restrict your freedom and keep you all focussed on the common objective. You are all still here because I belief that you can work in this way. Its up to you to decide if you want to or not. Because, to be clear: anyone not working in co-operation will not be here very long. This is a team. Of course it has a team leader. But that is a leader, not a manager, and certainly not a slave driver. The destination will be set. I will meet you there, but how you get there is up to you.

You will have noticed that none has the boxes has the title of manager. The box with William in it is Sales Executive. Gavin’s box is production director. The box that Alice has just scribbled in is simply accountant, Tristan is technical specialist

Everyone works as a link between two other people or events. It is each individual’s responsibility to link those two as painlessly and seamlessly as possible.

Any questions? Or is everything clear?”

Annabelle leant the chart against the wall and fielded the questions as they rained in from all quarters as names were added:

“There’s no receptionist box here?”

“ Yes but we’re not expecting any visitors who don’t have an appointment with someone specific”

“What if there’s stuff that doesn’t fit in any box?”

“We’ll talk about it with the people most affected by it not being done”

“I expect we’ll need more than one person in finance”

“Why? Are you thinking of buying loads of stuff? But if we do, Alice, you’ll have to hire an assistant”

“What we need is a junior admin person – to help Alice, answer the phone and cover if someone’s not in”

“Well, if you’re looking for one..” interjected Judi “…I know of a very good candidate called Esmé. She’s quite young, just left school. But very bright and attentive”

“Guys! What I’m seeing is that everything is going as well as expected and in most cases a lot better.

“Is that why you keep talking about the 21^st where the original close date was the end of the month?”

“Yes. Because the switchover will simply be an announcement, and then repeated frequently to get our listening public to accept the change”

“So everything is just continuing”

“Not quite. You may have noticed that the construction work in the site just down from here completed last week. Yes, that new totally glass block. Well, we’re moving in there instead of here and that will be your first task at Starburst. It should only take a afternoon of your time which should be Wednesday 21^st . Tuesday 20^th will be the final structure announcements and that gives you all about 4 hours to work out the desk plan in the new building. Ok?”

“We’re also setting up new studios and new equipment so there will be a switch over. I’m not sure exactly what is involved, but I’d like to think that all of you would volunteer for any tasks of whatever nature that Gavin needs help with irrespective of whether its anything to do with your job or not. And that’s because its to do with the success of the company and that’s everyone’s job. Sometimes in a team game like this you need to cover more than your pitch position. Moving your office is next Wednesday and you will be doing it. No, Alice, I’m not expecting you to carry your desk down the road, but I am expecting you to move any papers that you might need. There is no history, Starburst is a new company, but you may like to take some reference material from a previous job that you might have had. Switchover of the broadcast equipment is planned for late on Sunday night before all that, but it wont make much difference”

“I can’t see it making any difference”

“Only that you’ll get an extra 10 days pay from Starburst Radio”

It was later in Gerrards that Annabelle sat down with a bump “Thanks for dropping me in at the deep end!” she complained to Damon

“I had to. If you’re going to succeed, you need to build credibility pretty quickly. I think you did perfectly”

“I’m hoping that everything is so different that it’ll just get lost in the mist”

“Maybe I should leave it up to you to make it different”

The Chart had filled up with only Marion failing to add her name. The chatter and banter was increasingly good humoured and talk turned to how this was going to be different, or how much it was actually going to be the same

“It sounds like it could be very similar to before Miriam moved in”

“Yeah, but better cos we don’t have the brown thing….”
“Or Simpson”

“Yes!”

“I do hope Michelle starts to work out of this office”

“And” added Annabelle concentrating on joining in only appropriately “Damon’s tab will be open at Gerrards Basement if anyone is interested”

“Why?”
“Its an opportunity for us to get know each other a bit better, and a less formal atmosphere for any questions or clarifications. It’s a regular Thursday thing – about five thirty to seven or half past”

But Juliette was trying desperately to catch up so that she didn’t miss her deadline again, and she missed most of that.

Georgina

Meanwhile Adam was in London again. The issue was that the number of copies they’d need to press was going up by an order of magnitude every time he thought about it. Max’s machine would cope to start with, but a bigger more permanent solution was needed. Ok, so Australian Media Distribution would almost certainly co-operate – at a price. But using Max’s machine that much more would require significantly more supplies, and that was next on Adams list.

The pain in her lower tummy had intensified and now that Georgina had tried to identify it, it had faded to being just uncomfortable or maybe an ache that came back in waves. It interrupted her work, but worse than that she was worried about it. It was distracting her even as she was picking her lunch in the queue in the cafe.

Oh no! The guy in front of her had just chosen his dessert

“Have you got any more of these chocolate puddings?” But no, that was the last one

“That just about seals my morning!” she breathed not realising how loudly her exasperation was showing, not helped by the longer queue. It was busy. In fact it was heaving. The guy in front had paid now and was darting his eyes round the room looking for a spare space at a table. She too was now looking and becoming increasingly distracted and despondent

“No pudding. And now no table”

“No point in having a pudding if you haven't got a table” said the guy a lot more cheerfully than she would have wanted. “Careful! You're in danger of spilling that!”

But she paid almost no attention as he steadied her tray for her and moved off in the opposite direction.

Georgina was half way through her ravioli. She'd just dropped yet another blob of sauce and only now picked up her serviette to mop up the mess. But... A double take at the tray. She replaced the serviette and took it off again. No. It was no illusion, the previously illusive chocolate pudding had magically appeared. Maybe today wasn't a complete write off. There were none left. He'd taken the last one, and now here it was, clear as day on her tray. There was only one explanation, and that made her smile as she raised her head to look round for him. Not, she thought, that she’d recognise him anyway, just ahead of being a little cross because she had no idea who he was. Or even which floor he worked on.

Chocolate pudding had eased her pains, or maybe just her perception of them, but they still escaped from their enforced captivity interrupting her afternoon. It was more worrying. Her decided diagnosis was terrifying and life changing and by half past three her concentration had finally failed.

Her wander around the building took her aimlessly to the tenth floor. A good choice because, as far as she knew, she didn't know anyone up there and that was a good reason to choose that stair window to gaze out of.

It was a while later, maybe a whole ten minutes, that she was joined at the window by someone sounding equally despondent

“Anything interesting out there?”

“No” she replied without turning round

“Just looking, huh? Me too. I come all the way up to London to place a big order and the sales rep tells me she doesn't want the business. Max did warn me that might happen, but it's still disappointing all the same”

She turned to face hm. It sounded like his day was going the same way as hers until they actually turned towards each other

“Hey! It's chocolate pudding girl!”

“I’m not sure that's a compliment!” she wailed in some dismay “But hey, thankyou so much. I can't believe you did that. I can't believe anyone would do that, especially do that for me – and then not even mention it”

“You just sounded like it was just the last straw, considering it was only a pudding”

“Yeah. But you sneaking it onto my plate made it a whole lot more. It helped a bit”

“Only a bit”

“Sorry”

“Maybe a drink after work would help another bit? There's a pub just in the next block. Right next to the lights”

“5.30?”

Adam was at the pub at five twenty waiting near the door. Five twenty five he was ordering her rum and black and just on five thirty the whole bar was invaded. Financial analysts and investors were noisy beasts at the best of times, but following a good day gambling with the general public’s money the crescendo was mayhem. He tried to whisper in her ear and was relieved that she didn't jump out of her skin with him invading her personal space, but the only way to communicate was to revert to sign language.

Outside, she suggested a quiet bistro she knew a couple of back streets away. Their aim was to serve food rather than become just another bar, but were happy to serve anyone who managed to find them with whatever they wanted.

But one drink down and Georgina wasn't feeling any better. Adam had asked about her troubles and she'd shrugged it off. She didn't know him. He wasn't her best friend. What would he care? This was just a chat up, wasn't it! But now he asked again. He sounded genuinely concerned.

“Look, Adam. If you must know, I think I might be pregnant”

“Any idea who to?”

“Cheeky monkey!” she snapped, genuinely cross “what sort of girl do you think I am?”

“Ok. Sorry. So, is he pleased about it?”

She looked deliberately at him

“Not exactly.”

She sighed heavily, then decided to tell him. Maybe talking to a stranger would get it clear in her own mind

“Adam” she started a lot more gently, “when I first thought I might be, I mentioned it to him. I didn't say a definite, I just started talking about babies and kids and maybe getting a flat together. The more I said the less he seemed to respond. We always set our next date at the end of the evening, but that time we didn't for some reason. I phoned him and he just sounded distant and then he said that maybe we weren't as suited to each other as we had thought. Family life was clearly not on his agenda”

“Did you actually tell him? Sometimes guys will act different if its actually for real?”

“No, I guess not. I was quite pleased with it. It wasn't planned, but I've always wanted a baby, so long as its with the right guy. Now I'm thinking I've got the baby but without any guy at all, never mind the right guy”

“Sounds like you may not be so keen on it now”

“No. I guess I'm not. I think I was quite keen on a family life. Single working parent is something quite different”

“Look, I know you'll just tell me it's easy for a bloke to say, but what about just having the operation?”

Georgina choked back tears “Yes. But Adam, it's too expensive”

“Not compared to the rest of your life”

But now she was crying, blinking her eyes to clear the flood

“No, but it is compared to how much I’ve got”

“Georgina, I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to upset you. I guess I didn't think this through before I said anything”

“It's ok, Adam. It's me that's stupid, not you. Look. Two months ago my little sister – she’s a bit younger than me, she’s only 14 - she had this once in a lifetime opportunity to go on the school ski trip. It's to Canada, and it sounded fabulous. Nothing at all like the exchange trip to France I was offered at that age. Mum and dad don't have any money. I doubt if they've got fifty quid between them. They looked after me as a kid ok, but maybe that's why they waited so long to have my sister. Well anyway, I gave her my savings. 500 pounds. It's all I had, but I didn't need it, and this opportunity for her.... Except now I do need it, and it's all gone”

“Is that what you're looking at? 500?”

“I don't know. A friend of mine had it done end of last year and it was 350 in a clinic. So I'm guessing about 400. But it doesn't matter because I can't raise that much anyway”

“Suppose you wait till payday, then spend it all on the op, then blag your way through next month on your credit card in the knowledge that you've still got the rest of your life?”

“It's a thought”

Pointedly, the waiter presented them with two menus

“Do you want to eat. I ought to. I need to be on a train at 7.30 or I'll miss the last connection”

“Where to?”

“Upper Elfinvale Halt”

She smiled through the mist still trickling from her eyes “you are joking?”

“No. That's the nearest station to where I live”

“Sounds like the middle of nowhere”

“Not quite. You have to get to the middle of nowhere, then find the sign to the back of beyond, and once you follow that and are completely lost, you're possibly somewhere near”

She shook her head in disbelief with a short laugh

“Georgina, listen, I understand if you're not hungry. Maybe we could find a quiet pub nearer Paddington. I can't just walk out and leave you crying like this”

“But you might miss that train”

“There's another one. Just I'd have to persuade someone to come and pick me up from Edencombe.”

The menu looked tempting and even though this 'blow your entire wages on this' option sounded crazy, it was a real possibility. The waiter was back, pen poised, and food appeared fifteen minutes later. She'd opened up a bit saying that she lived in Cowley in Oxford and only came into town twice a week and less of she could manage it. She'd asked about Adams place out in the Styx

“It's not mine. It's a great big house that belongs to a friend of mine and I have a room there. It's all run a bit like a hotel but we all work there as well as live there”

But Georgina had trouble visualising anything anywhere near that concept,.

She caught the tube with him even though she wasn't on a short timescale to get her own train. But there was time for a quick drink as an excuse to sit down out of the harsh wind that was bellowing through Paddington Station. He'd found out that most of her salary went in paying her mum and dads mortgage as their benefits just about covered food, and that's what stopped them all, including little sister being turfed out into the street.

He sank most of his glass and looked over at her with his gaze into her eyes refracted by the tears that still clouded them

“I just don't know what to do? Do I risk not paying the mortgage. I just don't know”

“When I don't know something, I ask myself 'how do I want to remember today'. In this case, do I want to look back and remind myself that I spent the evening with a lovely girl who was very upset and I tried to look after her. But she was so sad that I said, poke it, it's not my problem, and left her crying in the bar at the station…”

She listened impassively thinking that this was not an unlikely outcome

“…Or, do I want to remember that I was able to do something positive. You see, Georgina I was beginning to get excited on the tube because I thought maybe we'd have another drink and then we'd agree to meet up again. But now I'm thinking that may be out of my control. Because, there's another way....”

He glanced at his watch “Not long before my train” he said getting up and holding a hand out to help pull her up too as if maybe she was pregnant or something.

But instead of heading straight for his platform he diverted her across the road towards the illuminated Nat West Bank sign, stopping by the ATM and drawing £200. Then he swapped cards. Now with £400 in his hand. He opened the top of her handbag and pressed the notes inside

“Adam, you can't do that! We only just met and...”

“Georgina. It’s the rest of your life”

But she stopped. Adam was right, it was the rest of her life. Even if he was about to say they were going to check out a hotel room, it would still be worth it. No, she wasn't that kind of girl, but right now 400 pounds when she needed it most for a simple night of passion with a guy she’d love to go out with anyway sounded like a perfectly valid option. She shouldn't take this, it wasn't right. But it was rescuing her. She looked over at him. She was torn. What possibly to say? But it was in her bag. Maybe she should just turn and run away. No. He gave her his pudding!

“Adam, I can't take that - I hardly know you”

“Georgina, it's to save your life. Look, if you fell in the canal, and I dived in and saved your life, you wouldn't turn it down. You wouldn't jump straight back in saying I hardly know you, I'm going to drown unless someone I know rocks up”

But it was saving her life. It was giving her back the next twenty years and…. more. It was giving her the chance to make the family she wanted with someone who wanted a family with her. She couldn't turn it down.

“I'm not going to phone you” he said slowly “I'm not even asking for your number. I'd love to see you again, but not if its only because you think you owe me. So I'm leaving that up to you”

But this was the final straw for her as her conflicting emotions bubbled over onto tears. Even if it was his last few pence, he'd offered it. She hadn't asked him. And now he wanted the ball to stay in her court in case she felt under any obligation.

“Georgina, I didn't need that chocolate pudding, but you did . And I don’t need that 400 quid that was just sitting in a bank doing nothing, but you do. Look. I gotta get that train. But, Georgina, I’d love to see you again. Maybe in happier circumstances. Its just that I don’t want you to feel you have to. You don’t owe me. I don’t want that back, no matter what happens. I’m just trying to help someone who’s run out of options”

She rummaged in her handbag for a loose receipt to scribble her number onto even though he hadn’t asked for it

He added his business card to the wad “I only have one number. We all live, work, sleep, eat and play in the same place so there's only one phone number. But at least it's got a good chance of being answered. Call me. But only if you want to”

He glanced at his watch. This diversion had taken all his extra time.

“Trains about to go. I'd push that money into my handbag if I were you before if blows away. Au revoire.”

The top notes started to flicker in the breeze as he turned. She clasped her hand round the wad and buried it deep in her handbag

“Adam”

He turned briefly back “

“Adam, I will phone you. I promise”

“No obligation. But I hope so”

That night she took the money out of her bag and counted it just to make sure she knew what she could now afford and in the morning, she’d phone the clinic.

The receptionist was knowledgeable and helpful. She set up a telephone interview with the senior consultant which was free but turned out to be more of a sales call than a medical diagnosis.

But this was a business where delays were unacceptable and Georgina soon found herself in the consulting surgery. She'd worn what she thought was an a practical flared dress, but was distinctly nervous about some guy poking around her body, and only slightly more nervous at what the diagnosis would be, even though she had already decided on the conclusion.

The examination was uncomfortable rather than painful but she had to keep reminding herself that he was a doctor not some random date and then continually reminded herself that this is not something she'd fogey up to with some random date even if he was a doctor.

He turned away as she got dressed again, which she considered rather unnecessary in the circumstances as he sat down on the big leather chair at his desk and swivelled it towards her.

“The news, Miss Paterson, is that you are not pregnant. I am 100% certain of that. In addition, I think you were pregnant quite recently, but I am only 70% certain of that. I think the discomfort and pains that you have been suffering are the after effects of a natural miscarriage.”

Her look of dismay encouraged him to continue

“It's perfectly natural and happens all the time. Making a new human being is hugely complicated and if anything goes wrong in the early stages, the process is terminated before it gets too far, usually leaving the mother free to make another attempt. So no farther treatment is necessary and that is good for both your body and your wallet”

She'd already been feeling better these last two days, and now she was ecstatic.

That evening she dialled Adam’s number. The rest of her family were laughing at something on TV and that was a good indication that she wouldn't be interrupted.

She was a lot more excited than she expected to be. She wasn't 16 any more! But there was also an undercurrent of nervousness bubbling up to the surface ready to break out at the slightest provocation. Her news now was that she'd been making a big fuss over nothing and had essentially acquired £400 of his money under what now transpired to be false pretences. But he wasn’t expecting it back and she did have most of it left. And he had said he’d like her to call.

She still hadn't figured out this live, work and play all in the same place as Adam had described and the phone ringing for so long only added to her trepidation. So many mixed and mixed up emotions – again.

Eventually, a perfectly calm female voice picked up the call and several minutes later Adam was finally talking. She felt perspiration beading on her forehead as she relayed the updated situation but Adam wasn't cross at all. Quite the opposite.

“Georgina, that’s wonderful news. I bet you’re over the moon! Maybe we could meet up again. This time without the depression on both sides?”

Emma’s Party

Starburst had taken far more time than Damon had wanted it to. But now it looked like Annabelle could actually organise it as far as it needed organised, and Damon could get down to Gerrards to consider the layout before everyone else started turning up. He was looking forward to this – the surprise for Emma, and seeing how it would work out – just him and a few old friends, and Denise.

Following the shock revelation about her career from Damon, Denise had been back behind her receptionist’s desk at the dental surgery trying to focus on her job. It had been tough, continually preventing herself from drifting off into speculation about Thursday.

Her offer to swap late shifts so that she could take Thursday and Friday off was more appreciated than she’d expected and she spent every spare minute learning the songs, driving her flatmate Molly to distraction playing and singing them over and over again. By Wednesday she was more confident and started to pay more attention to the timing that Damon had added to the score and Molly was glad to see the back of her for a quiet long weekend as Denise caught the late train South on Wednesday.

“Are you the special girl?” she asked timidly as Michelle picked her up at the station

“No. Not on this occasion. Its all for Emma. But I’ve no idea who she is. She doesn’t work with us, and I don’t think she’s his girlfriend because he’s hardly spent any time away from the Studio except to set up some venues and take Heather to dinner, and she’s not his girlfriend either”

It was getting late as she followed Michelle down to the kitchen in search of a snack straight after she dropped her case in her room. Denise thought she’d be nervous, but now being there and seeing Druze sitting at the table clearly rehearsing one of the tracks for the next day, she was caught up in it and excitement took over from everything else.

Michelle returned to the bar after making the introductions, saying that Butch was arriving even later, but she’d introduce everyone in the morning. For now, at gone midnight, she settled down with a long drink and waited for Butch to arrive. As self-appointed hostess for this event, she thought she ought to.

Denise held back as Druze greeted him, and then turned back towards her

“Butch, this is Denise. Damon probably said she’s singing with us tomorrow. Now, I don’t know where he found her, but judging by her performance so far, I’m gonna get real worried if he starts looking for other keyboard players”

Next morning, the three of them commandeered a small rehearsal room and ran through most of the tracks. Druze and Butch had played together before and quickly formed a view on how these tracks should be performed and how it would all come together. They continued through till late morning sustained by an almost continual supply of coffee, cake and biscuits, and adjourned to the restaurant for lunch, where, surprisingly, it was now Denise’s turn to lead. She knew her way around the Studio and how the bar worked and what the procedure was in the restaurant. In fact, she now felt like she’d invited them.

Lunch over, they adjourned towards the lounge, but were waylaid by Butch noticing the bar. The detour made them easier to find by Damon and Adam, staying together and getting on wonderfully well despite the odd interruption from Adam, and talked through what could happen that evening.

This set the scene and the nervous energy of the Studio had stayed with them through describing their personal backgrounds and she was beginning to drop her guard as they got to know each other better. These guys worked so hard. They took their music so seriously even if they played hard as well and she was thinking she might just be getting on their wavelength

“Do you do many one night stands, Denise?”

She put her glass down looking stunned even as the American maintained a dead pan expression. But before she could answer, Druze came to her rescue, and being half Ozzy wasn’t phased by this at all

“Butch. Lets just take a rain-check on that, buddy. That phrase usually means something else over here in England. Denise, babe, what Butch was asking about was the gig tonight. In the States its when you only play one night at a venue then move on, usually to a different city for the next gig. Butch, buddy, over here it means when you only play with a girl for one night then move on”

“Whoa! Thanks Druze. And sorry Butch, I actually do prefer longer term relationships”

But it was Butch that had gone several shades redder.

The afternoon had rolled on and they ran through a couple of final changes before heading relatively casually for Edencombe in Butch’s rental car.

Gerrard was optimistic again. Perhaps this was over speculation, but the doorman was back for the evening to make sure there was no trouble. Boris was leaning on the doorway when Damon got there very early

“What’s up with him?” asked Damon with a nod towards the other half of this duet.

“He's trying to figure out if he should give up work and if he did how he'd afford to live”.

Gustav spoke with a strong Eastern European accent. Originally from Moldova, he was in England to escape the desperate poverty.

“I'm too conscientious” he was saying “I try to do a good job. Except all that work gets in the way of what I really want do”

Damon invited him to the bar and listened for some time. It wasn’t really a pathetic tale of self pity as he might have expected. Instead it was a rational discussion on how to solve a rather common catch 22 situation. To earn enough to live and pay the rent, he needed to work so many hours that he had no time left for living.

But Damon had an alternative for him. He'd allocate him the small cottage that adjoined the gatehouse, and he'd pay him enough to buy food and the odd drink. And in return, Gustav would check the invitations and dress code of visitors. There were only half a dozen each day, and often all first thing in the morning. That left him plenty of time to write his book about international spies, deceit and corruption. And still do a conscientious job to earn his crust

It was still early and Gerrards was filling up. Suddenly there were far more people than ever before and it was Emma's turn to be perplexed.

Boris had turned up, and he usually only worked on Saturday. Gustav was there as well. And not just that, he had two mates with him, both as big and all equally ugly.

Her head was in a muddle. She understood the words that the girl introducing herself was saying but made no sense of it.

“You are Emma, right? So it's your time off cos you’re the special girl, and I'm here to cover for you”

“But Gerard hasn’t said anything. Are you sure”

“Sure I’m sure. Oh look, here’s Issy and her team

“Her what?”

“They're sorting the buffet. Then they’ll help with the bar”

Emma made her way up the staircase to the street level door.

“Boris! What's going on!”

“Got some important geezers in tonight. Need to make sure there’s no trouble”

“Trouble?”

“Yeah, snap happy cameras, freeloaders, gate-crashers and stuff. And you! You need to go home and change into a party frock since you’re not serving. And then get back here sharpish”

He sounded like he knew the score and, sill confused, she did as she was told, joining the crowd on the pavement when she got back. There were cones to prevent parking in the road outside and he was having what appeared to be an amiable chat with a police constable.

“You got a ticket?” he rasped, deadpan

“A what?”

“Invitation. It's tickets only tonight, sorry. No gate-crashers”

“Boris! What are you....”

“Only joking, Emma. But it is invites only”

“Tickets? Invitations? What!”

“Normally, she's the regular barmaid” she heard him say to the officer by way of explanation “but tonight she’s the party girl”.

At the bar she ordered a rum and coke, and was mildly surprised that she wasn’t asked to pay for it, and migrated towards a group where she thought she recognised a couple of the blokes

“I have never heard anything like it” Michelle was saying “If it's even half as good as the rehearsal yesterday, it'll be an absolute triumph”

“What's it all for? What’s going on?” she asked, but it seemed that no one actually knew why they were here, just that it would be worth while, and Damon had invited them and when Damon invites you, it's usually worth turning up.

Damon knew that Emma didn’t know very many people in town. She hadn’t been out and about much and her job had taken all her time after she started at Gerrards. But, he’d asked Gerrard to invite the well behaved regulars and Michelle had invited Audrey and a couple of others from her old work. She’d also invited Alison and Jenny. This was partly because Ali had been her best friend for such a long time, and on reflection, taking Pete off her hands had done her a favour. But also, she wanted them to appreciate the kind of company she was keeping and that it was so much more important to her than getting ratted in the Crown on a Saturday night. But not knowing anything about this, Jen’ had brought another new boyfriend with her, and he didn’t have an invitation.

Boris was all for bouncing the three of them off the far pavement, but Michelle got there in time to avert trouble.

“They’re all ok, Boris”

“You sure, Miss Michelle? I was told no exceptions”

“I know, Boris. But just this one will be fine”

Ali was still recovering from Michelle’s position of authority when they stopped on the stairs. Michelle was pointing out Damon, and Butch and let out an unexpected squeak as Druze came up behind her and squeezed her

“Oh! Hi Druze. You all set?”

“Yip, all ready to go. But its gonna be real laid back. I mean, we’re taking the music seriously, but its all set up for fun, so lets join in, yeah?”

She introduced Alison as her best friend from when she was at school, and Jennifer, Alison’s sister

“Great to meet you folks. Maybe we can catch up later if Damon gives us any time off”

“Druze?” questioned Alison

“Druze Lazenby. You know, leads the Druze Militia band. Remember? He’s the guy who’s yacht I was on in the Med before you gate-crashed our helicopter back to Bristol”

Jen’s boyfriend went a paler shade of white with his mouth falling open as Michelle twirled her micro skirt and disappeared down the stairs.

Alison shrank two dress sizes. World famous rock legend. Mediterranean Yacht. Helicopter. A superstar lifestyle at the other end of the scale from herself. Where oh where had she gone wrong?

“And you know these guys?”

“Sure” said Jen trying to impress “Alison was best friends with Michelle at school. And then when we were stranded at Heathrow cos our flight was cancelled they gave us a lift in their chopper”

He watched Michelle bob through the crowd in the bar below reflecting on how dreary his life was. They continued down the stairs feeling distinctly out of place, but Michelle was at the bar.

She ordered them drinks and introduced them to Emma who immediately broadened the circle by introducing some guys she’d just met that had flown in especially from Philadelphia with Huck Carraway. This was good. It all contributed to Michelle’s plan to make sure Alison knew that no matter how famous these musicians were she was the hostess for tonight’s jamboree. She excused herself with the parting shot

“Sorry, but I must find Druze. I’ve changed the plan slightly and he doesn’t know about it and I don’t want any problems”

And it was the ‘I’ve’ that Alison picked up on.

Adam was milling about. He was intending to crash a couple of tracks and just jam with the others. He’d told Damon, but they both decided that it would be more like a party if they didn’t formalise it. Quite apart from the stage getting quite crowded.

The party was buzzing. So many people that hadn’t seen each other for a long time balanced with so many others that they hadn’t met before and Alison was finally talking to a real live rock musician.

A riff struck up on stage. Nothing special, just a repeated few bars to attract attention and to act as a background to the introductions. Ali all but dissolved a she caught a glimpse of who it was climbing the steps to the stage. Michelle had asked to do this and as Damon had no better angle on it, he had just agreed. It was nice that she wanted to get actively involved in that side of the business as well although she’d only been behind a microphone a couple of times. The first was her impromptu sound test for Crispin, and then yesterday at the Studio as practice for today. She wanted to be centre stage. She wanted to get audience reaction. She wasn’t sure how to do either.

But Scott helped her along with an unrehearsed off script drum roll that only served to raise the electric atmosphere even farther. This would set the scene, no script was needed.

“Good Evening!” she shouted into the mic “And welcome to Gerrards Basement. In a few moments I’ll hand over to Damon and he’ll tell you what this is all about. But before that let me introduce the band. This evening for one night only we’ve got a never to be repeated supergroup. First out its Scott Gillespie on percussion who finished a 36 city tour of the States last Friday and starts again in Buffalo next Monday. Taking time out from his residency in Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas we’ve got Butch Gretchen on bass. On keyboards its Druze Lazenby from The Druze Militia who has taken time out from his yacht in Cannes to fly in especially for this evening. Just for tonight, Philadelphia is missing Huck Carraway and his world famous horn. On lead guitar, it’s the one and only Damon Lehrer from the Chameleons. Most people here will have heard of all those guys even if you’ve not met them before. But last and by no means least to complete the line-up, we’re privileged to have a rising star from Sheffield. She has a beautifully mellow voice with a pitch perfect range of nearly three octaves and once you’ve heard her you’ll definitely want to hear her again. Out lead vocalist – Denise Lucas”

As anticipated the instrumentals all came in on cue, all wound up their volume on their ascendency and extended their rehearsed part as the audience demanded. Denise gave Michelle a very embarrassed look as she took centre stage for her introduction, Damon fired up the band and they ran straight into their first number taking everyone by surprise.

The audience was getting well up to temperature by the end of the second track and Damon delayed the start of the third. He moved forward to the front of the small stage

“Where is Emma?” he hollered at the audience

“Is that the next track, Damon” quipped Scott

“Only if you want to wait twenty minutes while I write it”

“Emma!”

Emma was being pushed forward through the crowd and finally stood amazed and isolated. Michelle took her hand and led her up onto the stage, handing her over to Damon, even though it was now quite crowded.

“Emma is the regular barmaid here and even if she doesn’t know it, she is one of the most important people in my life and its her birthday today. Emma. This is all for you. This is to say thankyou. Of course I need to say thankyou to my great friends on stage here, and to all of you for turning up. But this whole evening is to say thankyou to Emma. Let me tell everyone here that without Michelle the Studio would never happen. But without Emma, it would never have been invented. Butch, take it away”

Emma turned her tearful head and draped herself round his neck as he carried her off stage. That, thought Druze is the cue to the track we do without Damon as Adam leapt onto the stage taking Damon’s guitar.

Michelle was hoping that she might get the rest of the evening off, but there were so many people trying to catch up with her, ask her about the Studio and Audrey was there and seemed to be unable to thank her enough for inviting her.

“I’ll get you a ticket for Lesser Waterton too”

“Where?”
“Its in Suffolk in a couple of weeks”

Break time, and while the music took a back seat for a few minutes, the party continued and Huck felt the need to do some low volume solo improvisation for anyone close enough to listen.. There was no intention of playing three or four hours on stage without plenty of breaks to get re-hydrated.

He tapped the mic “Hey everyone. Before we get the guys back on stage for some more entertainment tonight, I just want to make sure that everyone here is looking after Emma.

The crowd parted between the stage and Emma as she walked forward “I can’t believe it….”

“Emma” Damon continued “ maybe you never realised that you were the break point between thinking about the Studio, and actually building it. Its play time for everyone – except for Scott cos he’s getting paid”
“No I’m not! Hey! That aint fair dude! For insults like that I’s just gonna out-play you this evenin’ ”

But it was all just jovial banter between good friends and the jam took off. Every three or four tracks they stopped for a beer break and the party buzzed through past midnight.

Alison looked like she’d found a new life

“Michelle, why do I hang out down the Crown when there’s joints like this around”

Maybe because you never dared to dream beyond losers like Pete, but instead she said

“A change of scene is always good, now and then. I’m sure its not always like this in here”
“No, because these guys over there are all American, but these guys here are all regulars”

“Ali! Just get the bus into the square and it’s a hundred yards down East Street on the right. Its not hard”

Alison looked desolate and confused. If it was that simple why had she not done it years ago?

It was half past two when Michelle wound up the show. Gerrard bundled the final stragglers towards the stairs and Michelle let out an exhausted sigh.

“I’m whacked! I’m wiped out” as she trailed slowly up the street.

Damon slowed down and waited for her to catch up

“Michelle, you never get wiped out!”

“Except now”

“But you do everything back at the Studio”
“Thanks Damon. But there’s no pressure there. If it doesn’t happen today it’ll happen tomorrow. And you’re so amazingly understanding about changes to the schedule. It was different tonight. Everything had to be perfect and perfect right now. It was for you and your friends like Druze and your reputation. I know you set it all up for Emma, but it was your neck if it all went wrong. And that was down to me”

The others were staggering much faster than them and opening up a significant lead in their eagerness to get to the bar at the Dragon Hotel

“You’re booked at the Dragon?”
“Yes, with everyone else”
“I can’t see Butch or Scott letting anyone get an early night”

“Early! Its already late!”

“They’ll be in the bar till it closes. And I know from experience that the bar stays open till the last paying customer has left”

“Ohhh. Damon I might just collapse on the floor!”
“Look, Michelle. I’m not booked there. I’m staying at my flat”

He nudged her arm and pointed her down the alley at the side of the car park and supported her as far as the lift

“We’ll just take a final wind down drink and if you just fall asleep on the settee it doesn’t matter. There’s also a second bedroom which would be better if you can make it that far”

Over at the hotel, Huck and Tilly had thrown the towel in, Butch had decided that Alison was as good a bet as any for the night and Druze had drifted into deep thought mode. This Studio of Damons would certainly make a world wide impact and he was already deciding to spend enough time there to write his new album. It hadn’t even opened for business yet, but to Druze it was already a success, while Scott was simply intent on drinking as much as he possibly could on Damon’s account.

Their continuation of the party drifted on through the night and none of them read anything in to the fact that both Damon and Michelle were missing.

Damon woke late next morning. At the Studio he’d always be up and working by 7, and Michelle would be ahead of him. But this was different. By her own admission, she was wiped out and Damon was sure that had never happened before. Even when she was a bit fragile after her leaving do. Or after the late night restaurant on Druze’s yacht. But this was his apartment and he ought to play host. He brewed some fresh coffee wondering if the aroma would wake her, but no. And she hardly noticed when he placed it down on her bedside table. He'd put her in the second bedroom so that she could get a better night’s sleep, considering that she was already asleep when he rolled her into it. Last night she was tired. She’s hardly had much to drink and would have burned that all off just keeping everything organised. But now she would be refreshed and her previous disillusionment charged back in to haunt him. ‘Even you don’t want me….’. oh my, was their anything ever farther from the truth. And he wasn’t going to be accused of disappointing her again. He left her door open so that he’d hear any movement

“Damon. My coffee’s gone cold”

He poured a new one. This was his invitation into her room. He placed it carefully and leant down for an everyday, quite normal ‘good morning’ kiss. This was the opportunity and both of them recognised it. Slowly she shuffled across the bed to make room for him and gently and intensely they make love.

Over at the Dragon, everyone was going separate ways. Butch was on a late flight He was looking forward to telling everyone in Vagas that he felt the need to fly to England for a two hour set, but Alison was suggesting that it was really just to spend the night with her.

The residual adrenalin had kept Denise awake for most of the night and was hardly thinking when she accepted the ride back to the Studio with Adam. But Damon wanted a quick debrief with her before she disappeared even though she felt in no way capable of rational decisions.

It was late morning when Damon caught up with her. She’d been expecting some sort of review, or at least a suggestion on what happens next.

“What do you see yourself doing next?” Damon was asking her while handing her a large glass of something alcoholic

“Damon, I don’t know. I don’t know what the possibilities are. And I’m not even sure I know what I’m capable of”

There was no formality about the debrief. It was simply an animated and hilarious discussion in the bar of the Dragon Hotel sometime before lunch with even more alcohol – as if the party hadn’t been enough!

She’d found Emma’s party exhausting and she felt drained and weak as the adrenalin deserted her and the fresh alcohol replaced it. She attracted more that her fair share of comments about her performance and all of it good. But this didn’t guarantee her future.

Druze suggested that she come along on his next tour and present a number of solo tracks while his band took their regular breaks. Damon knew the answer, and he knew why, but was still impressed with how politely she managed to decline.

Denise was as chilled out as ever. It was so nice being able to be completely honest with Damon. He wasn’t her boss. Ok maybe he was, but not in any way she was used to. He was an expert in this line of business, and she was expecting him to have some ideas. That, surely, was the plan. That way they’d both have some success, have some fun, and work and play with people they liked. Which covered all the objectives, didn’t it?

“What about forming a band?
“Yes, maybe. I was in a band before. I know some guys who play, but I don’t think they’d be up to the standard. Not like the guys yesterday. And they’d likely all get ratted before studio”
“Denise, your voice has got what it takes. yesterday proved that. The question is, have you got the attitude and the resilience to go along with it? I understand that you’re nervous about going solo. But when you’re with a bunch of guys, you’re totally ok. So this door isn't closed. You were brilliant at Gerrards. Just the way you adapted to the styles and came back in exactly on time after Huck had gone off on some musical freestyle rant. What I think you should do is think about it and think about what help you need and if any of that help could be available here”

“I’d like to, Damon. Yesterday morning with Druze and Butch, and then on stage last night showed me what it would be like. Its not the exotic cars like Adams or the free bar all night. Its being on stage and buzzing and connecting with guys that will cover for you if you make a mistake so that no-one will notice”

“Ok. But that’s what happens in all good tight bands. It’s a team effort not a competition”.

The Studio was such an inspiring place, there had been no suggestion that she shouldn’t go back there for the weekend and going back to the dental surgery seemed like such an alien place and could certainly wait till Monday.

She’d never been in one before but decided that Lamborghini’s were simply not the best place for catching up on sleep. She wasn’t sure what she was expected to do now. The plan had been completed and as far as she could tell from the comments, it was a huge success. Scott had asked for her number. He explained that he already had a girlfriend back in Atlanta, but would like to keep in contact with her because he had several projects that he was working on that could benefit from her contribution. But none of this was immediate and another day at the Studio would be a wonderful bonus.

Now that the gig for Emma’s party was over, Adam was reflective. Denise had closed her eyes and conversation had faded as he kept the revs and the noise down. The revelation was that he could still play on stage! Did he really ever think they might not be able to? It was great fun especially with top class players. He could do it again. Maybe he could get a guest invitation to some of their gigs in the States like Gordon did. But now with renewed confidence he resolved to get on with rehearsals for the tour. And see how much time he needed for Georgina and how adaptable she wanted to be.

The End of…

Alone now, Damon returned to the Eden offices. Spirits were high in anticipation of the new company. They’d got rid of the negative influences, they’d all got a reasonable redundancy payment, they were all still getting paid and they all had a better paid job to go to when Eden finally closed. Most of them had started working on anything that would give them a head start and make life easier when Starburst opened. The chart had filled up and Annabelle had managed to assure everyone that it really was that simple.

Gavin was maintaining transmissions and was interviewing for new presenters and revelled in his new found freedom to operate the way he wanted.

Judi was still a little unsettled. Annabelle had referred her request to Damon and Damon had not exactly jumped at the idea. But he hadn’t rejected it completely, he was still considering it.

The only new bit they needed, and they all needed to come up with ideas, was how to generate the level of feedback that Damon was looking for. This wasn’t just output to the listeners, it needed input as well.

But as far as the new cast was concerned, the countdown had started and most of them adjourned to Gerrards Basement to discuss it.

It sure was a rollercoaster, but Juliette was now able to stop to catch her breath, almost for the first time that day as she found she was the only person left in the office. There was a muffled conversation somewhere in the studios, but too indistinct to listen to. She was just finishing her figures and was startled by the phone. She looked at it. Its not my job to answer the phone. Or is it? There’s no one else here. So maybe it is me – in this new setup where we all help each other, even if we haven’t officially started yet. But who are we – we’re not Eden are we? Or are we Starburst already?

“Hello”

“Hello, I hope you can help me. I‘m looking for Annabelle Larchmont”

“Who’s calling please?”

“Its DC Brendan Jones from Cheshire constabulary”

“Oh my goodness. She’s not in trouble is she?”

“I just want her to help me with my enquiries”

“Sorry, but she’s not here. She left a half hour ago. Probably in Gerrard’s Basement by now”

“Do you have a number for them?”

“Sure, hold on. I’ll just find that for you”

Emma picked up the phone in Gerrards, pressing it close to her ear to cut out the background hubbub

“Who? Miss Larchmont? Have you got a first name? Annabelle. Oh yes. I’ll just get her for you”

“Who is it?” she whispered as they returned to the phone

“Don’t know, but he’s Welsh”

“Miss Annabelle Larchmont?”

“Yes”

“DC Brendon Jones, Cheshire constabulary”

“Oh dear, is something wrong?”
“Its about your car.”

“What’s wrong with it”

“Do you know where it is?”

“Yes, its outside the pub here. Well, it was half an hour ago”

“And where is the pub?”

“Its in East Street”

“What village is that?”

“Village? It’s in Edencombe. Its quite a big town really”

“Edencombe?”

“Yes, in Somerset?”

“Somerset?”

“Yes, you know. Taunton, Weston-Super-Mare?”

“Yes, I know that. So where were you at 3 o clock this afternoon?”

“At the bank”

“Would anyone be able to verify that?”

“Wel, yes, the papers I was signing were countersigned by the bank, timed and dated”

“So you weren’t driving your car at that time?”

“No, it was in the car park, right up till I drove it over here after work”

“Miss Larchmont. You are the owner of a blue Ford Escort?”

“Oh! That car. I assumed you meant my red Fiesta. That’s the car I use on a daily basis here in Edencombe. My fiancé uses the Escort. He’s at a technical conference in Northumberland right now”

“And his name is?

“Vince Barton”

“Miss Larchmont, I’m sorry to tell you that your car has been involved in an accident. No other vehicles were involved. As far as we can ascertain there were two people in the car, a male and a female. Both were taken to hospital before we managed to get to the scene although the male has since been released. I’m just trying to put the pieces together”

“Maybe I should come up and help you, if its my car, and if Vince’s been injured”

“That would be most helpful. But please don’t worry too much about the gentleman. I understand he has no serious injuries”

She finally got the address of the police station and a potential appointment the next afternoon.

“Vince’s had an accident in the car” she said returning to Damon and the others.

“I’m going to drive up there”

“Where to?”
“Nantwich – its this side of Manchester – apparently”

“Do you think your little car will make it that far” asked Judi

“I don’t know – maybe not, its not been running that well. Better since Damon sorted it, but not that good”

“Look, Annabelle. In the left hand drawer in my desk at the office, there’s a car key on a leather Mercedes fob. The car’s in the car park. Take that instead. I don’t want you getting stranded somewhere”

“Really? Thankyou. Oh no, not on top of everything else”

“When are you going?”

“Tomorrow”

“Not tonight?”

“No I need to pack some things”

“Oh! I thought maybe you’d keep some spare underwear in your handbag in case you didn’t make it home one night”

But this latest development on top of the office stress had finally caught up with her and Damon’s attempt at humour failed miserably. The thwack of her left hand connecting with his face resounded around the bar.

Gavin grabbed hold of him and steadied him as, caught off guard, he keeled over at a low angle.

“Its ok Damon. We’ve all been through the mill recently” he said trying to defuse the situation before it arose

“Haven’t we all”

Judi thrust her drink into his hand and he took a few sips, not knowing what it was

“Sorry” he said quietly

“Oh my goodness! I’d better go home and pack a few things”

Drips of blood on his cheek were appearing as quickly as he wiped them away where her ring had caught him as he slowly returned Judi’s drink.

“It’s a rollercoaster for everyone” she said as though that might be a suitable explanation.

“Sometimes its good to get feedback” he said, which seemed to defuse the situation.

“Not a good idea” muttered Simon “Not ahead of the board being finalised”

“Emma” called Judi “can you get something for Damon’s face”

Emma looked surprised, then made her way round the bar, leant up and kissed his cheek

“There, that’ll be making it all better now”

She left early, but the drive to Cheshire was fraught. Not knowing what to expect, not knowing how injured Vince was, not knowing how badly the car was damaged, not knowing….. anything. Except. Except that Vince was not alone when the car came off the road. He was with a woman. But then, he must work with dozens of women. And except that he was meant to be in Northumbria not Cheshire. But at least the garage was easy to find.

“Will this be on insurance?” asked the mechanic

“It looks pretty bad to me” she said forlornly

“Aye it is. That’ll no be runnin’ again I’m ‘fraid. But there’s all the recovery charges”

“I expect so – do insurance companies normally pay that sort of thing?”

“Usually – do you want a closer look – I’ll run down the main damage”

He’d just finished explaining the bent bits when the phone rang and he left her alone to ‘retrieve personal belongings’. Not that she had any as she hadn’t driven it for months, but the discovery of certain items more than took her aback. The decision she’d been avoiding since – well, since she met Damon was now made. She was cross, no, she was furious, no, she was disappointed, no, she was right. Now she had the proof of what she’d been denying for probably the whole of the six months they’d been engaged. And she hadn’t wanted to believe it, maybe till now.

Next stop was the police station, but DC Jones wasn’t there, which, she reflected, was good that he was out chasing crooks rather than loafing about at the station. But she re-made an appointment for first thing the next day. She checked in to a pub that the desk sergeant had recommended as she, herself, would be in there later for a drink or two, if Annabelle was feeling nervous and wanted some company.

But Annabelle wasn’t nervous. She could run away to her room anytime she liked and lock the door to everything except her thoughts. But thoughts were not so much of Vince but of her work and what that might be, and of Damon and what he had in mind, if anything after her outburst and how was she ever going to apologise. Surely she was used to his teasing – except that this was so inappropriate. Maybe he wasn’t that interested in her after all. He hadn’t, she mused, tried very hard, she would have given in to him if he’d pushed her a little bit farther, wouldn’t she? Although every time she’d tried to imagine it, it wouldn’t happen. Something, somewhere was missing. And maybe that meant he would only ever be a friend and a reliable ally in the office. And maybe that’s what he really wanted from her – or not? But the pub grub was good.

In on time, DC Jones started to confuse her. No, she wasn’t in the car when it crashed. Yes she was 200 miles away in a pub in Edencombe. Yes she had a whole raft of witnesses, and that previous afternoon at the bank signing papers with Alice. And no, she didn’t know Vince Denbigh, or his wife Anita. But she did know Vince Barton who was named on the insurance certificate which was in the glovebox. Maybe this Denbigh character had stolen the car?

But between them, they eventually agreed on the circumstances

“I’m sorry about your car being written off” he’d said “Because, your man Barton has sworn in his statement that his lady friend was driving – and like as not, she’s not insured – at least not comprehensive.

This was a new blow. Annabelle had not seen this coming “Oh my! Well, that’s not the only thing that’s written off” she said as he noticed her glancing down to her left hand

“No. I can understand that too. Good day to you Miss Larchmont”

Oh well, that’s the end of that. I haven’t had the car for six months, and now its gone. Maybe not much difference. She idled slowly up to the hotel, slowing for a good look at the hole in the fence and the telegraph pole at some odd angle at the end of the drive. But Vince wasn’t hard to find

“Mr Denbigh, I presume” she called out as she entered the bar like a latter day Morton Stanley

“Oh Jeez! Annabelle”

“Oh Jeez, indeed. And how is Anita?”

“What? Oh. She’s still in hospital. What are you going here?”

“Strange she should be more injured than you when the passenger side was more wrecked than the drivers”

He avoided her glance as she pulled up a bar stool

“I had to say she was driving”

“Oh. And I wonder why that was” she hissed with simmering violence

“You know why”

“You tell me”

“Because I was ratted”

“Actually, I don’t want to know” she said in less than a whisper “What I do know is that you’re checked in here with your girlfriend, you’ve blamed her for the accident, except she’s not insured so that’ll be her rap, and who’s going to pay the garage bills? And for my car that you’ve written off? And I certainly don’t want to know the details of how two used condoms and a pair of rolled up knickers and tights happen to get into the back of your fiancé’s car when she hasn’t been in it for at least three months”
“How dare you humiliate me in public like this!” he hissed, but she’d already said her piece.

She wriggled her ring off, placing it slowly on the bar “Give this to someone you intend to marry – because it clearly isn’t me”

She slipped off the bar stool and walked with her head held high across the bar and out towards the car park

“Oh…” she said turning at the door “…And you can sort out the recovery bills from the garage because its got nothing more to do with me”

Back in the Mercedes, the drive was more relaxing. Strangely, she felt more settled. Confirmation of what she had long feared, but that in itself reduced the uncertainly.

She fell in behind a dark blue Sierra that seemed to want to get a move on and cleared the traffic for her. Now, she reflected, the decision was made and executed. Vince? Yes, he had been executed as well, at least metaphorically. And now she was a free woman again. She had been confident that Damon had a job for her, but now, breaking down like that, may have introduced some doubts about her resilience in the kind of independent role that he’d reserved for her. Still, nothing she could do about it now, except be cross with herself. And if she really wasn’t suited to it, then better find out sooner rather than later. But he had lent her the car, and it was a comfort just to drive it.

Birmingham wasn’t busy and Bristol came up quickly, but that was the end of the easy cruise. All 3 lanes stopped just short of the Avon Bridge. She edged along in the middle lane as her thoughts turned to her and Damon, and whether she had any say in what happened there at all. She looked around at the other cars – an older businessman strumming on his steering wheel, a trucker, somewhere up above her puffing cigarette smoke out of his window, and the 3 guys in the Vauxhall next to her with their windows open.

“Hey! Is it always like this here?” asked the front seat passenger

“I don’t think so. I guess someone’s hit something. Why, are you guys in a hurry?”

“Yeah. We’ve got to see a bloke about a job. Yeah, may as well turn round if we could” shouted the driver “We’ll never be there in time now”

“No, can’t even phone the dude – bummer”

“What kind of job is it?” she asked rather to break the monotony of being stopped on a motorway

“Its in Avonmouth – its construction work. But we’ve not had a lot of luck recently – we’d likely not get it anyway”

“Yeah, s’pose. Its not that big a deal, its mainly labouring”

“Come on Jack, its more than that. You need some experience to do this stuff”

“Yeah but its pretty much unskilled – and we’ve never been for like, interview before – and never on a Sunday - makes it sound more posh than ‘tis”

“You must have a posh job” he said to her “big flash car an’ everything?”

“Maybe” she replied sadly “I’m due to be made redundant. My company is closing on Wednesday, and I’m not sure what’s happening after that”

“So you must know something about interviews then? Can you give us some tips?”

Annabelle reflected for a few moments on her own situation. She hadn’t had a proper interview, or in fact any interview - maybe because she herself had done most of the interviews. She was sure Damon would tell her she should’ve interviewed herself! And what would she say…. If….. She turned back towards the guys.

“You have to be yourselves, or you won’t be able to do the job if you get it. You need to show enthusiasm, like, you really want this. And you have to come across like the kind of guys your new boss would want to employ”

“What d’you mean?”

“Well think of it this way. Supposing you wanted to employ someone. Maybe your gran has had some building work done and her back garden is full of rubble all over her prize roses. You offer to clear it because you’re nice guys. But then when you get there you realise its too big a job for just you. So you need some help. What sort of man do you need to help you. Well?”

“Fit? I guess. Strong. Turn up on time”

“Be careful with the roses that are left” came the addition from the back seat

“Ok, so maybe that’s what your construction boss is looking for. You need to make sure he knows you’re the right guys for the job”

“I see – but it’s a lost cause now – we’ll be a good half hour late”

“Have you got a number for him?”

“Yeah but we can’t afford the time to stop”

“Give it to me”

“What?”

“Give me the number”

Front seat passenger passed their invitation letter to her as he watched her pick up the phone from its rest in the central tunnel, turning back to them a few minutes later

“Your man Jarvis is currently running about an hour late, I said you were stuck on the motorway so you’ll be fine”

“Hey! Brill. But ok, How, we gonna explain how we phoned him – he’ll think we’re stopped in the pub somewhere”

“Just tell him the truth – that the cute girl in the next car thought you were such nice guys that she used her car phone to help you out”

“Yeah – and thanks and yeah, you’re real cute”

She handed back the letter as the traffic started to move

“No phone number?”

She shook her head as they moved on ahead and leaned out the windows to wave

Maybe, she thought, that was my good deed for the day. And maybe now I’ll remember that confidence when I next meet Damon.

She pulled into the car park finding that her confidence during the journey seemed to want to stay in the car as she parked it back where it came from. It was something of a wakeup call to drive her old Fiesta again. It spluttered all the way to Gerrards, but Emma was as bubbly as ever. She was disappointed that Damon wasn’t there but intrigued by Emma’s comment that yes, Damon had suffered a small cut, but that she’d kissed it better for her and it was the ‘for her’ that she didn’t understand. Never mind. She talked a bit to Emma between her serving but Damon would have to wait till Monday.

Ricki was back from Bournemouth when she got home

“Hey – you made it. Dad said you’d gone to Manchester. I just hoped you’d know how to coax that old girl along slowly while she recovered from her bouts of spluttering”

“She’s not so bad. After the accident, Damon spent some time on her”
She started to tell him about it, but they were interrupting their dad watching the TV.

Instead they migrated to the pub “C’mon, it’s a while since I took my sis out to the pub” and actually, that wasn’t a bad thing. Not all of his friends were wierdos and jesters. And he was a good listener. If he wasn’t her brother, she might actually go out with him. But she also agreed that it was his turn with the car, and that the next day he’d head off and she’d be back on the bus again.

Meanwhile in Edencombe the mall was crowded as Damon edged his way through. The least thought on his mind was Edna, but there she was right in front of him. No chance to dodge into a shop or take a different route, not that there was any need to. He said hi out of mere politeness, but she seemed really jumpy, flicking glances left and right.

The crowd swell was pushing them both back out the way he came in.

She said she was ok, but with a wide eyed fear that belonged only to the tortured.

“You’re looking like you’ve got yourself into more trouble”

“What’s it to you?”

“Not much. I just think it’s a shame. I thought you might take the reprieve to close that down and try something straight”

“Its not that easy. Its not just me that was in that”

“Ahh, so they’re on your back”

“Not yet, but its only a matter of time”

“Hey, which way are you wanting to go?”

“Not this way” as the crush moved on “Is there a match on or something?”

He grabbed her arm and tugged her into the door of a coffee shop

“I don’t want to go that way either”

“Look, Edna, I have no intention of figuring out what the dodge was or who exactly did what. My remit is to close down Eden’s affairs. I’m not a gumshoe”

“But you know who else was involved”

“Not exactly, and I don’t even know if all the things going on are actually connected and, Edna, I don’t want to. My way of getting round the problem is to close down and then start something new. My deal with you was to protect Heidi. She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. She just happened to be in the firing line when Sir Ed needed to get those numbers. She didn’t. Or the staff costs. That’s what sunk the whole show. Of course if she had and we’d gone through it, that would have sunk the show anyway, but with the dodge exposed. So in some ways she’s done you a favour”

“But she’s the problem”

“Who is”

“Heidi. Because she’s disappeared”

“Disappeared – so what. You were wanting to re-arrange her face anyway?”

“Yeah. But when someone notices, like maybe her boyfriend, he’ll call the cops, and the fuzz will start snoopin’ around, and probably call in on you and you’ll say something like she was getting’ threatened by a couple of people and the whole thing will be blown open”

“Yes, but her boyfriend would notice pretty soon. I mean, they live together”

“No, he’s not been home for several days. He’s been working 18 hours and sleeping at his office”

“Maybe they had a argument and are spending some time apart”

“No, she’s not been seen since last Friday, not anywhere”

“And you’d know that?”

“I said, its not just me”

“Well, whoever else is involved, she’s done them the same favour as you”

“I can tell them that. But I sure would like it if she was back in town. It would be one more headache off my list”

“Look Edna, let me spell this out. The only people who know what your dodge was is you and whoever you are working with. No one is investigating it. No one is looking for what went wrong. Sir Edwin has written it all off. He’s got much bigger fish to fry. Right now you’re in the clear. You don’t even need to watch your back. But. If something happens to Heidi then her boyfriend will get the old bill involved and they’ll want to find out not just who but why as well. That will open up that whole can of your worms and no matter how that turns out you will lose. I've already done you a favour by telling her to take a break, and at least that's stopped you doing something silly. Now its up to you”

“But you still know all about this”

“No, most of what I've got is through guessing, and most of it is circumstantial. Either way there's no mileage in me getting involved. Anything except leaving sleeping dogs lie is going to cost me. My guess is she just ran away from you”

“So if she wanted to get back at me then she’s doing a damn fine job. Cos Damon, I’m scared. And that’s a new feellin’ for me”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if she shows up again when she hears I’m opening a new company to replace Eden”

“I don’t suppose….”

“No, nor Miriam and her crew, Bernie, nor Jim, nor Leena, you know, that mardi presenter who makes aggressive comments on everything and a few others as well, Marion, Martyn maybe”

“Marion – why her”

“Oh, she’s not interested. She’s having a baby. – what’s up? You seen a ghost?”

“No, its just Marion has been seen round and about really friendly with Martyn while her old man is on nights”

“Edna, that is another thing that is nothing at all to do with me. Look, crowds easing. And don’t worry about Heidi. Of course it would help if you could tell Miriam what a favour she did for her”

Edna fixed him with a gaze trying to drill through to see what he was thinking

“I’ve gotta go” he said “But the only thing that will ever blow this gaffe is if Heidi gets hurt. Think on’t” and take care”

“She won’t”

“Sure?”

But Edna merely nodded.

Starburst – At Last

Annabelle’s plan was to be first into the office and was oddly relieved to watch what should be the new team turn up and start to busy themselves. She’d hinted all along that if they were confident, and they trusted Damon on his part of the deal, there would be a positive benefit in thinking about how things would work and what they, personally, were going to do to ensure success. She was quietly confident of this as some team members and in particular Alice in Finance and William in Sales had been beavering away on the new company since she first showed them the board.

Lunchtime came and went and it was nearer 3 o’clock before Damon rocked in. Pleasantries were uncommonly few as he scanned the whiteboard, then called the team together.

“Ok guys. Time’s up. The final whistle has gone and the results are in”.

She remembered back to the first time Damon did this when he announced he was setting up Starburst and the ambivalent disinterest that had now turned to bubbling enthusiasm. She’d seen the lights come on in so many of these people as she had explained the new setup. Yes, there was some satisfaction in knowing it was her efforts that had directly contributed to this current atmosphere. Oh how different from even a month ago where anyone here, including her, would have happily swapped jobs with anyone at all outside the company.

“So is there anyone who is either uncertain or unhappy with the box they're in, or to be more polite, the job they have selected for themselves?”

A murmur ran round the room as everyone looked at everyone else, shaking their heads in various confirmation directions, just as Heidi made it to the top of the stairs.

“Ok, so what I want to do is run through this from one side to the other. Annabelle tells me that there’s been a lot of discussion in personal meetings about what the job descriptions are, and who is going to cover some of the gaps that were identified. We can’t expect to have thought of everything, but that’s where attitude and ambition to make this a success come in. And if all else fails – lets talk! There are also some extras that have crept in to virtually every box. That is, things you specifically wanted or occasionally wanted to put in someone else’s box. Like Judi. Not just researching, compiling and presenting the news, but also more in depth articles of several minutes and we’re also going to trial a current affairs comment slot. This isn’t a phone in. Its Judi’s perspective on current events maybe to put things in context, maybe to bring things back down to earth, maybe to just inform of additional factors that may not be reported elsewhere. It will be different. It will be topical, It will almost certainly be controversial”

“Really! Can I get my comments program? I didn’t know you’d finally agreed to that”

“Yes. Although we'll need to monitor reaction, and, it is not a phone in”

“Yes! I'm more excited about this than I was the day I got married”

“Lucy - sales secretary. You’ll be working with William, although we may need someone else as well, not that William will want to split the available commission. Lucy will also be the main interface to whoever is designing and recording our adverts. That is currently external with the same guys as supplied Eden mainly because they have the experience, but we’ll try to reel that in and combine it with the graphics design we use at the Studio”

“Yessssss! I think I'm as excited as Judi - but I haven't got married yet!”

“Ok” work starts for real tomorrow morning, starting with the office move. I want to turn the key on this door for the last time tomorrow lunchtime, so try not to get locked in. But just one final thing. You all start getting paid by Starburst Radio from tomorrow. However, since everyone has put in so much effort over the last week, Starburst is going to give you a weeks back pay as well. So for those not so good at maths that’s the third pay you’re getting for that week – Eden Radio, Redundancy payment and now Starburst as well”

“Oh my days!” shrieked Alice, and was suddenly quite in embarrassment

Damon handed over to Gavin to introduce the three new presenters he’d hired and then let Annabelle go through the rest of the chart to make sure no one felt left out.

But Gavin was seriously considering bringing the party back down to earth with a bump

He exchanged glances with William almost simultaneously.

“Annabelle?”

“Heidi?”

“ I'm not that surprised at Annabelle. See that red mark all across Damon's right cheek? Annabelle. In Gerrards last Friday”

But Gavin decided to ask the question if no one else was going to

“Damon, are there a couple of people missing from the chart?”

“I don't think so, Gavin. If you're not on the chart, then you're not working for Starburst. Anyone in particular?”

He looked over towards where the two girls were standing right behind Damon. Surely he knew. He must do. So better not to pursue it, at least not in public.

“Ok team, I thought a little celebration would be in order. Yes, that buffet you saw coming in earlier is for you. Should be some drinks there as well. May the fun begin.”

Damon ushered Heidi and Annabelle back towards his office, with Annabelle high on adrenalin and Heidi following blindly in dismay closing the party atmosphere behind the door. Unable to contain herself any longer she burst into tears, looking to the filing cabinet for support and hiding her face in her hands. Annabelle looked nervous, almost sombre as she slipped an arm around her, and Damon moved over putting an arm around each of them.

“That's that part of the puzzle complete, or nearly. Now we need to see if it works. But one thing it highlights is the sad fact that when it all gets really complicated and you get really busy, its the people closest to you that get left till last and left out”

“I knew I'd miss out if I stayed at the studio too long. I just knew it. After everything....”

They broke apart, Damon to the coffee machine. Heidi with her head in her hands on the filing cabinet and Annabelle at the far cupboard. Uninvited she scanned the contents and poured a large scotch for herself taking a large swig, gasping on the effects.

Damon turned to look out of the window, slowly munching his way through a chocolate biscuit, rather than looking directly at Heidi.

“Sorry about that. But, Heidi, you had a great time at the Studio. Why don't you tell Annabelle what the best bit was. What did you like most?”

She tried hard to pull herself together but instead turned on Damon

“Adam told me everything would be all right. Michelle said don’t worry, its all sorted out. But its not. I’m not on the board. Not at all. And Annabelle, I asked you to put my name on the board, you promised, I trusted you and in the end its not there. An Lucy got that job instead and she's nowhere near as qualified as me”

“But my name’s not there either, and Heidi, I did put your name in, honest I did, at least three times. And each time someone rubbed it out. It wasn't even taken as a duplicate for discussion. I know that because I held all of these discussions myself”

Annabelle was now becoming concerned, but continued more gently “I heard you were having fun, so what was it you were doing?”

Heidi sighed trying to recover herself. She was, she suddenly remembered, still in the office

“I was asked to rebrand a group. They were called Low Life. I got to suggest how they could amend their stage performance. We devised an entirely new act so that their songs linked into a story, a bit like an opera, of sorts. They were so pleased, over the moon, and on stage with the lighting it..just …looked…. fantastic…” she tailed off as her current situation overcame her again.

“And I was safe from Edna. Oh my! What am I ever …”

“Heidi, Heidi, calm down, I meant to tell you. Its one of these things that got missed out. I sorted things out with Edna. I spelled out a few things to her and she won't be a problem any more. She, and the rest of her crew, have decided to keep a low profile, so you're safe again

“Oh. well, thankyou for that at least”

“Yes, I did suggest to you before you went that you had to trust me. Right ahead of when I said you had to trust Michelle. Oh, and Annabelle, can you quickly take that champagne out to the office and say to start, and we'll be out in a few minutes to join in. That's something else I just forgot”

“Well I won’t be joining in. I think I'll just get my coat and go before I make even more of a fool of myself”

But Damon was paying more attention to gazing out of the window

“Oh my goodness. At last!” he said suddenly becoming excited “Oh look! Heidi, you know your cars, what's that strange orange thing over there that's just driven in to the car park”

Reluctantly she moved to the window. Damon put his arm around her as he had so many times before but she shrugged a little hoping it would fall off

“Over there. Oh, and that's Michelle getting out of it. I was wondering what sort of loony would want to drive something like that”

“It's a Peugeot convertible. It's what I always wanted. Its all right for some” she replied without any enthusiasm and trying not to well up again just as Annabelle reappeared

“If you want a glass, you'd better be quick, they're not wasting time pouring it down their throats already!”

“No hassle, I've got another couple hidden away. Maybe you could get one from that far cupboard where that whisky used to live and pour four glasses”

“Four?”

“Hi. Oh Damon,” said Michelle crossing to the window for a kiss “I knew it was important to get Heidi's car here. Arnold's were talking of delivering it next week, so I decided just to collect if myself.”

“Heidi's car?” echoed Annabelle being more alert than Heidi who was using her entire concentration to prevent herself breaking down again.

“Yes, the bright orange convertible. That colour is seriously hard to get hold of, but we tracked one down in Cambridge so Gustav drove me all the way over there yesterday and I’m only just back. Sorry I'm a bit late”

“My car?” she turned towards him through her tears.

“Heidi” began Damon gently “you really didn't want to be sales secretary. Interminably changing the names and dates on proposal documents and leaving the rest the same. Answering the phone, making coffee for sales meetings, and all for a minimal wage. No, you'd be much more suited to being styling, design and branding consultant. Take in the bands coming through the studio and see what needs to be done, but will also touch on the clients here if it's appropriate. And I think a fluorescent orange car is just right for someone in branding, design, image and marketing. Don't you?”

But there was no immediate reply because Heidi had buried her drying tears on Damon’s neck, squeezing the very life out of him.

“Could be worse” he breathed “death by asphyxiation by a gorgeous young lady while drinking champagne” as a bemused Michelle looked on.

After the whirlwind of her entrance, she was now calming down and becoming a bit concerned “Damon, did Heidi not know?”

“No” he admitted “Some things got missed out in the rush for the finish, especially with Annabelle being away”

“Well, we’re missing out on the party” said Michelle as Gavin poked his head round the door “Have you guys got your own party running here?”

“That’s pretty much what I meant!”

“Michelle, you go through with Heidi and Gavin. I need a quick word with Annabelle.

“Do you think someone should say something?” Gavin asked

“I guess so”

Gavin tapped on a glass as they reached the meeting room door

“Hey guys, Listen, no corporate party would be complete without some executive making a speech. Michelle?”

“What?” Me? Surely not. But the room had gone quiet except for Simon drooling and his tongue hanging out just staring at her low cut short dress, her hair tumbling down over her shoulders and her infectious smile filling the doorway.

“Hi. I’m sorry but I’ve not met most of you. I’m Michelle, Damon’s PA and I work at the Studio. I’d like, on Damon’s behalf, to welcome you all to the Chameleon Media group. I hope you enjoy working here as much as I do, and if for any reason its not working for you, talk to the people each side of you on the chart, and if that doesn’t work, talk to Annabelle, Damon or even me.

I know some of you may be concerned that there were some people in the room who were not on the chart, and I’m talking about Heidi and Annabelle – well, and Damon, but we all know about him. The reason they’re not on the chart is that they will not be working for Starburst Radio…”

She paused to let the unexpected disappointment subside before continuing

“…and that’s because they will be working instead for the Studio. Annabelle will be the main interface and first point of call for anything that might involve any other group operations. She will be the reporter back to the Studio, and she will give periodic updates on any Group activities that might affect you or be of interest. She will also sort out anything that we’ve all missed in the few days we’ve been setting this up.

Heidi will also be working for the Studio. As the Design, Image and Brand consultant. This is not so much the branding of Starburst or Chameleon, its the individual bands and rock groups she’ll mainly be involved with, but she’ll also be available, Lucy, to help with advertising campaigns for Starburst clients. So, enough of the boring executive thing, its time for another drink, and good luck to everyone and lets try to have as much fun as this every day”

“That…” whispered Damon right behind her left ear “…was brilliant. You can do all of these in future”

His short chat with Annabelle had gone equally well. Initially she’d jut stood facing him, knowing that the last time they saw each other she’d slapped him so hard she’d actually drawn blood, and now reflecting on it she had no idea what to say

“Would ‘sorry’ help?”

“No, Its all forgotten”

She watched him as he glanced down at her left hand

“I see you managed to lose that dangerous weapon then?”

“Don’t Damon. Please. Its all over, Eden Radio is finished, Vince and me is over, my cars written off”

“So its an all new start”

“I hope so. Except for Starburst…” she paused, suddenly thinking maybe she’d blown that as well “…maybe? I guess, we never managed to talk about me”

“No, like I said to Heidi, it’s the people closest to you that miss out the most. Sorry. It was going to be Friday, but it should never have been left that long. We had other opportunities, but always talked about everyone else”

“Maybe tomorrow?”

“Yes, or in Gerrards tonight. But its pretty much as it was at dinner with Gavin, if you still want it”

“Want it! Oh Damon!”

“We need to work out the details. I don’t know what’s involved. Its just a matter of trying as hard as you can to make it work and make everyone happy at work, and that will spell success – like Michelle went way over to East Anglia to make sure that Heidi’s car was here. Its the same for you. I don’t know what’s needed, but whatever it is I’ll expect you to identify it and if its straightforward, just do it”

“Ok. But at least I’ve got my new job. I thought that after Friday you might have changed your mind”

Her eyes twinkled as a tear formed in a remote corner “Is there a salary with this as well?”

“No. I thought we could do a straight barter. I’ll not tease you if you don’t expect to get paid!”

She poked him hard in the ribs as she turned towards him. Any more encouragement like this and she could so easily fall in love with him! She stood facing him silently only inches away. Oh my, is he going to kiss me – properly…I hope….

“Hey you two, you’re missing the party” said Gavin poking his nose around the door “Everyone will jump to the wrong conclusions if you’re much longer”

But they might not be so wrong

“In any case…” Damon continued as they headed for the conference room “… you should keep the car. You’ll need it to get between here and the Studio. It was the company car that Brownlee got for Simpson, but somehow its mainly been used by a girl called Bernadette”

“Oh, that’s Brownlee’s wife. I think”

But the party was not expected to run very long. Gavin bailed out to check that the production team plan was in place for at least the rest of the day and the early morning show the next day. And there were various girlfriends and husbands who were expecting their partners home for tea.

Heidi had remembered after her second glass that she had a new car to take home. And that she’d been away from home for over a week, although it seemed infinitely more. That was being apart longer than they had been since they got together four years ago.

But after the big hug as they met back at their flat, she hauled him out to see the car and take him out to dinner at the Coach and Horses so that she could tell him all about everything.

Annabelle however had sunk three glass of champagne before Damon said he was adjourning to Gerrards. She tagged along leaning heavily on him to prevent herself falling over, and sank into a chair at the far end of the bar.

“While you’re still in a fit state to listen, there’s going to be a lot to sort out tomorrow. I don’t think we’re all quite ready, but tomorrow morning its in at the deep end and hope we all remember how to swim”

She nodded, but Damon was almost completely certain that she hadn’t understood a word.

Cue The Bourne Identity by The Last Shadow Puppets

It had been a tough rollercoaster, but now it was over and on to the next ride. Foolishly, he asked her about Cheshire, and she talked for over an hour. He suggested that she might like to stay at his flat that night, but was equally sure that she hadn’t understood that either and she took a cab back to her dads house to try to sleep off some of the adrenalin.

First Day

Morning came up far too quickly for Annabelle. Again she had intended to be in first, but the Eden Radio office was already buzzing. The presenters had a new enthusiasm and it showed in the broadcasts. The feeling was very much a team spirit and if anything needed to be done, they’d just get on with it. That was part of the deal for Damon paying them all so much more. Damon, however, was wondering how long they’d remember that.

It was moving day, but there was precious little to move. Its not as if any of them needed to take any history with them. Maybe a book or list of contacts and phone numbers, but everything else could stay behind. A small box or even just a pocket was all that was needed for a couple of pens or pencils and any personal photos. And no one found it hard to say goodbye to that office. So much grief had occurred there, and the new office was such a stunning symbol of the new beginning, the new company and the new future.

The bigger issue was where everyone would sit with various points of view on which location would be best – nearer the door, next to the window, in a quieter corner….. By mid morning, they’d got it sorted without war breaking out and a quick glance around showed just how overstaffed Eden Radio had been – irrespective of the ghosts.

There was only one person left to arrive. By popular consensus, Annabelle had agreed to the addition of a ‘general admin’ box on her chart. William had raised a concern that Lucy would find herself doing all that, which would detract from her task in Sales, and everyone agreed that there should be someone nominated to answer the phone if it rang rather than interrupt the whole office.

Judi had suggested someone; Annabelle had interviewed her and now Esmé would start her first ever job.

Esmé

Funny, she thought as she found her way through the glass front doors, that she hadn’t minded her mum fussing over her this morning. She remembered back to thinking how unnecessary it all was when she made the same fuss over her getting ready for her school leaving prom. Friends of hers were all fired up for some cheap travel round Europe before dressing down for their start at university. But for her, she was through with education and had decided that her next move was into paid employment. That, however, was easier said than done. Despite all the encouraging words from her careers teacher, she should have been worried about getting a job, they were not plentiful, and she would not ‘just find something’. Neither was she overqualified. If fact, she reflected, just about everything he’d said was turning out to be false and the last few weeks had been frantic – writing letters, combing through sparse situations vacant columns, making phone calls, adapting her CV. But now, after the panic and the fuss and the bus into town and the walk up Peach Street from the square, here she was – excited, nervous, alone and afraid.

She was meant to be meeting Judi here, but last night Judi had popped round to say she would have to go to Court this morning to cover the trial for her news bulletin. So here she was all on her own. Alice had said hello as she’d walked in and was friendly enough directing her to her desk, but with no more induction that that not wanting to point her in the wrong direction. Simon made her a cup of coffee but was similarly reluctant to introduce her to any real work.

“Don’t worry, its all going to be a bit different. It’s the first day of the new company here so I don’t expect there’ll be too many phone calls, and certainly not people just rocking in off the street, but I suggest that you sit in the office there, so that Annabelle or Damon will find you as soon as they get in”

She sat up straight and held her head up like she had at the interview, and tried to look grown up. But inside she still felt like a schoolgirl. Part of her told her she wasn’t ready to go out to work which is the reason her friends had applied for college, but more of her said she definitely wasn’t confident enough to go to college. What! Her! Away from home, looking after herself? How would she do her washing? How would she cook for herself? But more than that, how could she ever afford it?

So work was the answer, and after countless disappointments following up every last grain of hope, her next door neighbour had recommended her for a job that wasn’t even advertised!

“Whoa!” Damon gasped as he pushed the door farther open “This is going to be a good day”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Got to be. When I come into my office first thing and find a beautiful girl that I’ve never met before sitting beside my desk, It’s got to be a good day”

She turned to watch him as he slipped around the desk to the chair at the business side

“Hi, I’m Damon. You could say I’m the boss around here. But don’t let that put you off, as I have a full time job somewhere else as well so I won’t be around that much to interfere”

This was disarming, as were his eyes as they darted around the office then settled on her

“And you are?” he asked

“Esmé Armstrong” she heard herself say more nervously than she had hoped.

“Ah. Now, unless there is more than one Esmé expected here today, can I assume that you are our new admin assistant?” But Esmé just nodded

“OK. And your interview was with Annabelle, yes?”

“Yes, last Thursday”

“And what was it that made you think you’d like to work for Annabelle?”

“Oh! I didn’t think I‘d be working directly for her! But I thought that as a small company the work might be more varied than just being one of a crowd”

“In that case, you’d be right. Everyone here has their part to play. Its like a football team – do you play team sports at all?”

“No, but I played netball at school” Rats! I wasn’t going to mention school. I’m supposed to be grown up now.

“So you may remember that the team only works effectively if everyone plays together. You may have had a team captain, but she didn’t tell you what to do every minute of the game. When you got the ball, you had to decide what to do with it, whether to make progress yourself or whether to pass it to someone else. Well, that’s how we want to work here, so there should be plenty of opportunity to make your own personal contribution. So, tell me, Esmé, what do you expect to be doing here?”

“Annabelle said the job was quite varied. Maybe updating some documents as well as answering the phone, making coffee for visitors, and quite a lot of general admin and clerical stuff as well. Filing?”

“Yes, the issue we had was that no-one wanted to interrupt what they were doing to answer the phone when it was unlikely to be for them. However, if you simply sat there waiting for the phone to ring, you’d likely get so bored you’d fall asleep and miss it”

She giggled rather loudly.

“Which is why your job has lots of other things included. Ok, so before you take on the entire clerical workload for the whole company remember that everyone here has a specific job. If you can help them, that’s great, but I don’t want you doing it all for them – any one of them. But you need to maintain a balance. If you do too much and run round like something possessed you’ll start making mistakes. If you loaf around doing very little you won’t be making your contribution, and anyone who isn’t contributing to the company success won’t last very long. A bit like your netball team. Its also important that you have fun. You spend more time at work that doing any other single thing and if you’re not enjoying yourself we need to do something about it”

She looked perplexed, understanding the words but not how it would work in practice

“Ok. We’re all approachable people and we’ll all do what we can to sort it out. Esmé, this admin job has huge potential and I hope you decide to make your career with us as well as your first job. But whatever you do, there’s one common thing you need to know And that is: How to operate the coffee machine”

She watched him set the machine up and pour out a cup “Coffee?” he asked, but had already poured one for her. gosh! Fifteen minutes in and two cups of coffee already as Damon continued “And one of the strange things about coffee is – how wet it is, Its absolutely essential to have something dry with it just to redress the balance – like a biscuit”

She followed him out of the office and over to the large desk set towards the front of the office

“I think Alice wants you at this desk, but I want you to have a large desk because you’re likely to have lots of different things going on at the same time”

“Yes, Alice said this would be where I’d be sitting”

He showed her how to adjust the chair, although she noticed, the controls were dangerously close to her hemline. She found a notebook and pencil in her drawer and he showed her how to transfer phone calls, as she made notes.

“There’s a lot to learn on day one” he was saying “so lets go and meet some of the team”

He introduced her to everyone and made sure she kept quiet as he led her through to the studios to meet Gavin.

Back in his office, he talked her through the company objectives and the way he intended it to work, emphasising the opportunity to make decisions by herself if she thought it would be appropriate

“But, if you do think you’ve gone wrong or made a mistake, tell someone – whoever it might affect most, or Annabelle or me. We can’t help you recover the situation if we don’t know about it, and no-one is in danger of crucifixion”

That at least was good to know. All of a sudden, it wasn’t nearly as scary as she’d first thought

They were interrupted as the phone rang. Esmé jumped.

“Oh my! I should answer that. Its my job!”

But Damon smiled and got there first

“Starburst Broadcasting. Yes, we are the local station in Edencombe. Eden Radio? No. No its not. I believe it closed down. Specialist recruitment? No, I don’t think so. We have a full compliment of staff. May even have one or two too many. But I’d like to take your name and number for future reference, if that’s ok”

He replaced the receiver and turned back to Esmé

“Eden Radio doesn’t exist any more. We are in no way responsible for anything they did or are still doing. And we don’t have a forwarding address. Some people may assume that we are connected to them, either because some of the people here came from there and their names are recognised, or because we are now the broadcasting company in this town. Unfortunately, its likely that some callers will be disappointed with that and may say something to that effect. But you need to be careful because it may be that whoever is calling may be useful to us even if they’re asking for Eden”

Esmé was trying to assimilate all this and was grateful for the pause as Alice interrupted

“Damon, Is Annabelle coming in today”

“If she recovers”

“Recovers! Is she ill?”

“She was certainly unwell when she left Gerrards last night, but I’m not sure if such self-inflicted wounds count as being ‘ill’ ”

But Annabelle appeared before the conversation deteriorated

“Hello Esmé” she said brightly as she bounced over to them “Damon, is Judi not in? Oh Esmé I’m so sorry”

“Its ok, Damon’s looking after me so well”

“No surprise there! But no Judi?”

“No, she’s in court this morning” said Esmé. “She wanted to be at the inquest after that fire at the George Hotel”

Damon noticed Annabelle’s colour fading visibly

“I guess that’s the preliminary hearing”

“I guess. She wants a few facts from the early session to build in to her news comment program just after lunch. What she said yesterday is the she intends to start on a controversial note, and that is: this trial is a waste of public money and should be terminated. That's because if Theodopolis is found guilty there will be no farther action because he's dead, and if he's found not guilty they'll be no farther action because he's dead. This all relates to the fire, not the other businesses that he was said to be involved in”

“Well! Our new recruit is well up to date on current affairs! Damon, I was beginning to forget about all that. And either way, I’ll feel better when its all over”

He squeezed her hand “You and me both! But for now, we just need to get this show here on the road”

It seemed to be a lot simpler than before. Gavin now had a team of presenters that were more on his wavelength. He could set his own agenda and set the standards. William had something to sell, but was under no serious pressure to outperform unrealistic targets. The ambiance in the office was pleasant, upbeat even, with no negative vibes from the likes of brown-thing. Issues arose, and equally quickly were discussed, sometimes with people who knew absolutely nothing about the subject or circumstances. But a solution emerged and was implemented and the world carried on.

The main subject for discussion was feedback – and how to get it and analyse it, and it seemed a bit like a continuation of the discussion they’d had in the pub.

A solution was evolving and Esmé soon found herself on the receiving end of dozens of phone calls, all expressing an opinion, mostly polite.

Feedback on Judi’s controversial news program was varied, but that was to be expected, and, Judi said, it got people talking about the new station. Annabelle had teamed up with Gavin to effectively take control. Damon’s tab was open in Gerrards on Thursdays, Alice was in control of everything money related. Juliette was supposed to calculate the costs of the broadcasts that Gavin scheduled, particularly royalties, and given that information, Gavin and Alice kept within the financial limits of what William was bringing in from advertising.

This was a winning formula, Gavin had said to Annabelle. Keep it all simple, keep to a minimum staff level, don’t get too greedy and let everyone play their own part without extra people looking for unnecessary tasks, or senior management trying to justify their existence by interfering.

It sounded perfect, except it had developed a flaw.

Adam’s Direction

Sunday came up with an early drizzle making Georgina rethink her plans for the day. But by the time Adam’s train was due in she was sitting in bright sunshine on the platform waiting for him, and reverted to plan A.

They walked all the way in to the centre of Oxford and both of them did their fair share of excited chattering. Somewhere near the main shopping centre, she stopped suddenly as she heard her name called. The conversation with her friend was enough time for Adams thoughts to drift off trying to remember the last time he’d actually travelled any real distance to see a girl. Almost always he’d been with someone in the bar or at the gig or at the hotel. Not 150 miles across country. He looked over to see her wide eyed beaming face gazing back up at him as they walked on.

But talking to her, Adam was also finding out things he didn’t know about himself

“The most important thing I do…” he heard himself saying “…. is that I’m the sound engineer in a recording studio” and “ yeah, some day. I think I’d make quite a good dad”

They saw each other twice the following week in London but what he really wanted was to invite her to the Studio. He got more than a vague impression that they could develop a longer term relationship and it would be devastating if his lifestyle was too much of a shock to her.

Damon was sympathetic. Initially disappointed, but sympathetic. Alex had ‘left the band’. Gordon was freelancing in the States and now Adam looked like he was moving on too, with a more serious girlfriend. But Adam convinced him that while the building work continued he had plenty of time, and when they got into full swing they’d all need the odd occasion away from the pressure. But Damon’s view was that Adam was really saying that his whole life needed a new balance.

Patricia

They had a recording studio. They had enough usable rooms, They had Janice to do the cooking and Natalia to do the cleaning so long as there weren’t too many people on site. And getting these jazz guys to come down for that recording was a good sound test as well as a step forward in finding out what else they needed to do. Finding Denise proved there was real talent waiting to be discovered. And Cerise proved that their system could weed out the losers. He was impatient to make more progress. Michelle was doing so well. The dual body blows of her previous boyfriend with her best friend, and her previous home with her dad’s girlfriend seemed to have knocked her into throwing her entire life into this new job. It was a whole new start for her. Maybe, he mused, it was also because there was no-one there to tell her how hard it all was that she just got on with everything not knowing any different.

Like now when the phone rang and the voice was babbling quickly entirely in French. Michelle simply passed the phone to Damon as that was the only word she’d understood. But it wasn’t an issue. There was no fuss or excitement and Michelle was none the wiser as the conversation had continued.

If they were going the whole hog, the building would be even more important. Finalising the deal with Lady Patricia had to be the priority and that must be what this call was all about

Damon’s plan had been to leave Lady Patricia alone for long enough for her to get used to the idea of living permanently at the chateau. He hadn’t wanted to push her, which might make her nervous about signing the deal.

But now Chantelle had raised the risks. Ok there were alternatives - there were other country houses around. Just not on this scale. And not at this price. Or Lady Patricia could take up residence in part of the building while benefitting from the rest of it. But something had happened. Apparently she was now constantly in the company of a girl call Giselle who had her own room at the Chateau and Chantelle’s question was whether that should also be charged to Damon’s account.

No, Chantelle didn’t have a new boyfriend yet, and yes Lady Patricia had settled in. In fact she seemed to be having a whale of a time right through to last weekend. Chantelle’s guess was that the Viscount had taken a turn for the worse and she had been preoccupied with that. But now she’d asked Chantelle to try to contact Damon for her and, now connected, Lady Patricia did indeed sound a little troubled.

“Look” said Damon “There’s no secret about what I’m trying to do, and that is to make sure you and Albert are securely settled and confident about the future so that you can enjoy life. Once that’s established, there’s no reason for you not to sign the manor over to me in exchange for continue your new lifestyle for the duration. So if something is not quite right then maybe I should get on down there and see what we need to do to sort it out?”

“Oh, Damon. That’s sweet of you. It’s a huge imposition.. .. but would you? Really?”

“Is that who owns this house?” asked Michelle innocently

“Yes. I’ve put a deal together, but she hasn’t signed it yet”

“Why not? Doesn’t she want to sell it?”

“Yes, she does. But its difficult to work out what the value is because no-one has assessed what the cost of repairs or refurbishment is. Without that, no-one knows what to bid and she doesn’t know how much to ask for, so no estate agent will handle it. And there’s also a possibility that repairs would cost more than its worth. Its plain obvious what needs doing and its not as if its about to fall down. Its just such an imposing job”

“But that’s what we’re already doing and you’re already spending huge amounts on it. And if she wants to know how much it would cost, we’ll be able to tell her fairly shortly”

“Yes. But getting work done is better than paying a surveyor to assess it. This way we’ve got something to show for it”

“But she hasn’t signed yet?”

“No. But she wouldn’t be able to recover this place. I don’t think she’s got very much money and she certainly doesn’t have the energy so she’d need someone to do all the management and organisation and that’s all extra cost. And there’s a stress associated with all that whether you’re doing it yourself or paying someone else to do it and checking up on them”

“Should I delay some work until she does? What if she doesn’t?”

“No, the plan is to ramp up so that we can finish recruitment and get bands down here sooner. And she will sign. Its just a matter of how long it takes before common sense prevails”

“So how did you know how much to bid?”

“I didn’t. I’m just looking at the issue from a completely different perspective. But I do need her to trust me, so I think I’d better go on down there and check it out”

Michelle was not disappointed. The previous few weeks while Damon had been concentrating on Starburst had been manic, but she looked up towards her progress board and took comfort from the number of double vertical red lines there were at the right hand side. That was her invented signal that something had been completed. It stayed there till the space was needed, but until then it served to remind everyone that progress was indeed tangible. So, Damon’s going to France. Maybe I’ll get a chance to catch breath, assess the plan, Heather is due to arrive. Druze may hang on here for a few days. But whatever, there wont be any shortage of things that need to be done.

To France

It was the first time that Damon had really had a chance to catch breath. He’d gone through the board with Michelle checking as far as he could that everything he could remember was already there and was now trusting her to make sensible decisions on the rest. But either way, there was certainly enough to keep her busy without the myriad of things he’d forgotten – they’d probably all find her anyway without his assistance.

The show would come to a standstill if Lady Patricia backed out of the deal, so that had to be the priority. And Carcassonne here I come.

His car was one of the last onto the ferry, as he manoeuvred slowly across the ramps for fear of grounding. He lifted his flight bag from the boot with a sigh of relief that hurdle number one was now behind him. The priority now was to sort himself out for the next stage starting with dinner and he wasn’t paying much attention to the other passengers.

“Oh woow ! Look Kev its one of them new Aston Martins!”

Damon looked up at the mention of Aston to see two boys of maybe 10 peering in his direction. “Hey mister do y’mind if we have a look in your car?”

Damon re-opened the driver’s door and waved his arm

“Be my guest”

“Oh wow. Is it really fast?”

“Yes. But I’ve not been very fast in it yet. Maybe I’ll find out on the Peage”

“Come on you two – we’re meant to be upstairs already”

“O dad. But its one of them new Astons. And the man says we can sit in it”

Damon didn’t remember saying anything about sitting in it, but then, he wasn’t paying much attention, thinking instead about food.

“Well that’s very kind of him, but we need to go and find our cabin”

With many thankyous and backward glances, they disappeared to the stairwell and Damon headed for his own cabin to drop his bag en-route to the café.

He remembered back to his previous trip with Lady Patricia. So organised, luxury cabins, restaurant booking, priority onto the ferry with exclusive use of the lift – quite the opposite of today with almost no organisation whatsoever. But there was a spare table in the crowded café and the menu looked appetising. He sank back winding down with a large bowl of moules marinière, a half baguette and a whole bottle of Viognier

“Hey mister! Can we share your table?”

“Well hello you two. Of course you can. Its ever so busy in here this evening”

“There’s five of us”

“That’s ok. There’s five chairs” retorted Damon

“I’m going to tell mum we’ve got a table. You stay on guard!”

He pointed to where Kevin was sitting “Daddy, its with that man with the Aston Martin, he said we could share with him”

The new arrivals made for a noisy interlude as chairs were scuffed across the floor and plates were clinked onto the table and mum was in the usual over organisation mode of has everyone got enough salt.

“You must be well famous if you’ve got a new Aston Martin”

“Do you know who I am?”

“No”

“So I can’t be that famous then”

Kevin couldn’t fault the logic and hid his face in his pie

Now seated, their sister pulled in her chair but instead of demolishing her dinner, she simply gasped and gazed wistfully, unnervingly at him across the table.

“Oh my goodness, its Damon Lehrer. Mum, dad, you two. Don’t you know who this is!” she whispered loudly, as dad finally sat down

“Its Damon Lehrer the awesome guitar player from the Chameleons…”

Mum gasped “Oh my! Mr Lehrer, I’ve got every one of your albums, except the last four and Patricia’s got them”

“Well thankyou both. I’m glad you like the music. Ok. So maybe I’m a little bit famous”

But farther conversation was stifled as the two boys fell out with the idea of behaving themselves and a fracas of sorts broke out. Mum tried her best to defuse it, but had to give in and frog-marched them out into the corridor for the sake of the other diners. The girl sighed deeply

“Dad, what are you going to do with them? It’s been like that all the way from Exeter. I can’t put up with that all the way to Carcassonne tomorrow as well!”

“Now Patricia, we need to be tolerant. They’re just overexcited. I expect they’ll calm down overnight”

“Patricia?”

She turned to him. Damon was talking to her. Oh my! What to say. I’m all flustered now!

“Mmhmm”

“Such a lovely name”

“Do you think so?”

“Yes. I love it. But if you do shorten it please be Tricia rather than Pat”

She giggled “Yes”

“The Lady I’m going to see is also called Patricia”

“Really!”

“Just outside Carcassonne – on the Pyrenees side. Are you staying in the town itself? Have you been there before. Its really nice. Ancient, loads of history”

“History – Yeugh”

“Yeah. Ok. I guess I’m not such a big fan of history. But this is quite interesting history about the Cathars and Knights Templar”

“Cathars?”

“Yes, a local religious order. Listen, one time they were surrounded and instead of waiting for the invaders to kill them one by one as was the tradition in those days, they all ran out stark naked, down the hill and jumped in to a huge bonfire and all burned themselves to death”

Patricia’s eyes widened “Really?”

“Yes. And the town centre is really the old castle which is on an island in the river which acts like a big moat. It’s not far from a village called Rennes Le Chateau. Now, that’s where the local priest became suddenly very rich. The bishop demanded to know how he had achieved this and when the priest told him, the bishop was so shocked that he dropped dead right there and then. Except, no-one else ever found out what the secret was and so it’s still a mystery”

“Really!” she said perking up “They don’t teach that sort of stuff in school”

“They can’t do that, Patricia, They’re far too busy telling you about boring stuff like which king was on the throne, as if anyone cared”

Patricia was desperately trying to think of some way to prolong the conversation. This was incredible. No-one at school would ever believe her when she got back that she actually had dinner with Damon Lehrer, but the thought was interrupted by the frosty return of the two boys.

“Sit back down now and finish your dinner. You’ll be hungry later if you don’t. And try to behave. There’s all these other people trying to get their dinner too and they don’t need interrupted by you two squabbling.”

But behaving was still not on their menu. No sooner had they sat down than they were idly swinging their legs under the table, occasionally managing to kick each other.

“Mum, it’s like this in the back of the car. They just do this across me all the time even when you put me in the middle.”

They all moved round again to put a bigger gap between them as Damon looked on with some bemusement at what he assumed was their typical family life.

“I’m so sorry” apologised mum “You invite us to your table and then all this happens”

But the boys weren’t through yet, each sliding down in their chair to try to reach a kick to the other

“We could just turn round in Roskoff and abandon the holiday” threatened Darrin as the situation continued to deteriorate

“Patricia’s right – a whole day of this could end in bloodshed”

“Ow! Winced Patricia as a stray kick caught her on the shin “I don’t know about bloodshed, but death is a definite possibility.”

Damon lifted his glass and bottle just as the table heaved spilling tea across his bowl and replaced them as the flood subsided.

“Perhaps” he began and everyone turned in his direction “Perhaps one of you would like to drive with me to Carcassonne. I have one spare seat”

“Me” interrupted Tom

“Why should it be you? It should be me. I saw the car first”

“Or” continued Damon “Perhaps mum or dad? Then you have the option to put Tom or Kevin in the front and the other in the back behind the driver. That might diminish the war, at least part of the way!”

“Are you serious?”

“I’m going there anyway. And maybe by the time you need to come home, everyone will be a little less excited. Or, maybe you could just rope one of them to the roof”

Patricia failed to stifle a giggle.

“What!” gasped Kevin as Tom looked on in dismay.

“Of course it would be only fair to change over around Bordeaux, and it would get interesting if it was raining. It would save you having to cancel”

Tom and Kevin shrank into silent disbelief.

“Mum, I don’t want to cancel. I’ve been looking forward to this holiday. Its not fair”

“But its not fair of me to leave your dad to look after all three of you”

“Well maybe I could go with Damon?”

“Oh, I don’t think so. I mean, we hardly know him”

“But mum, it’s the obvious solution. You and dad look after the war and I meet you at the villa”

“But we don’t know Damon except through his music. That’s a stage act, so we hardly know him at all. Oh Damon, please don’t be offended, but she’s only 15”

“I understand…” said Damon

“Oh mum! Please. I’ll be safe enough”

“I was saying” repeated Damon “That I understand your perspective. So maybe if I explain a little background. About 4 months ago Alex decided not to continue with the band…”

“I didn’t know that. Why did he leave?”

“Mainly because he was dead. But it meant the three of us had to take a new direction. What we’re doing is setting up a production company finding new bands and promoting them so that hopefully they become big names. We’ve already found a couple that we’ll invite to stay at our studios for a few days while we do some sound tests. Now, most of these guys are young. The youngest we’re considering has a lead singer who is only 14. Although to be fair we didn’t know that at the time we agreed to it, and a lot of them are in their late teens early twenties. Now, these young people wouldn’t be so keen to come and stay with us if they thought they wouldn’t be safe and well looked after. Some of their parents might have a problem too. Add to that we still owe IMD a live album that we’ll need to make under a new line-up and sell that to our fans of all ages. So with all that going on, the last thing any of us can afford to do is get into any sort of scandal. So, the offer is there. I’ll be leaving the same time as everyone else tomorrow, so I’ll see you on the car deck – or not - as you wish”

He got up to leave “See how it goes overnight. Maybe everything will be perfect tomorrow”.

Light came up early in the Carrington cabin. Abi was keen to get a head start on making sure everyone was ready to disembark on time and was only too well aware that the continuing war would slow things down.

Damon had stowed his flight bag in the boot and was leaning on the door watching the excitement of the other travellers as he lowered the roof.

“Now that…” says the man next to him on the car deck “… that is the way to tour France”

Yes, thought Damon. Driving the length of France in a comfortable convertible can’t be all bad.

He saw the boys jumping and pushing their way through the crowd weaving their way through the rows of cars. But all was not well as they got to their Sierra

“I got here first”

“No you didn't, I touched the front wheel”

They started a scuffle as mum and dad struggled with the overnight bags

“Oh give me strength!” breathed Patricia loudly “It's started already” as a stray kick caught her ankle. The surprise made her lose balance and she stumbled landing on the floor in an ungainly heap.

“No! Dad. I give up! I'm going to sit right here until I get run over and killed. I’m not going to carry on”

Dad dropped the bag he was carrying as Tom barged past him trying to escape Kevin's chase.

He looked over towards his wife and at the same time noticed Damon leaning on his door just four cars behind. He heaved the bags into the boot wedging them between the rest of the luggage and walked over to him.

“Yes, I am still going to the Languedoc and I still have a spare seat” Damon confirmed glancing down towards what was pretending to be a sack of potatoes on the car deck floor. They swapped addresses as Damon continued “there's a phone in the car. That's the number there. Happy to chat to you anytime. Just be aware that calls will cost you upwards of a pound a minute, so it pays to know what you want to say before dialling. And connections can always be a big flaky. Still, they have their uses”

Darrin reached down and took hold of Patricia's arm “come on, missy. Your luxury convertible is waiting”

“What? Really!”

She grabbed her overnight bag just as the next aisle started moving and Damon closed the door behind her just as Darrin was bundling Kevin into the front of the car, with Tom beside his mum in the back.

But now, leaning back into the Connelly, Patricia felt her eyes closing.

“Good night’s sleep, then?”

“No. But Oh Damon I can’t believe this is happening. All this happening and I might fall asleep and miss it. Oh, Damon. I'm never ever going to stay awake all day. It was horrible. The constant noise of that pair trying to kick, pinch, punch, maim and kill each other. And when they weren't doing that they were just being a nuisance”

“Like what?”

“Like just a nuisance”

“Yeah, like what?” Damon persisted

“Oh. You know, like peeking round my curtain, and lifting the cover on my bed”

“You should take a nap. Then wake up when the countryside gets more interesting farther south”

But the warm sun, the soft leather, the strum of the tyres on the road and the drone of some frog wailing unintelligibly on the radio had persuaded her brain to shut down.

She dozed in euphoria as she felt the speed increase and heard the continuing wail of the frog on the radio, although to be fair, the music was soporific and without the localised war and… … oh my! Now we’ve stopped. I must have dropped off.

“Would you like me to buy you lunch? Or do you just want to watch me eat mine”

“Lunch! I should think so. I’m famished”

She frowned at the coffee stained menu on the table in the square outside the village café until she saw Damon smiling benignly at her.

“Its all in French!”

“What did you expect – we’re in France. I thought you’d do French at school?”

“Yeah. They teach us how to say we come from the Outer Hebrides and live in Belarus”

“Yes, but schools are there to teach you to pass exams. The only way to really learn French is to live in France and practice it with experts”

“Experts?”

“Yes, the French. You’ll find most of them are pretty good at it”

But Patricia was farther distressed that Damon appeared to be as fluent as the locals

“Over the last ten years. I’ve probably spent at least one of them in France touring with the band”

But the explanation did not make her feel any better about her own inadequacy, and she slunk back into her shell.

Back in the car, she watched the countryside flash past. It was so different from England with small windows in the houses and shutters that made everywhere look deserted, and it started to make her feel isolated, consoled only by the lack of Kevin.

Damon asked her about where she was from, assuming it wasn’t the Outer Hebrides, and asked about her and her hobbies and school friends. Which all served to re-confirm that no-one in school would believe her when she got back.

“So what are you going to do when you leave school – any ideas?” he continued

“No – go to Uni I suppose”

“To study….?” he prompted

“I dunno”

“So what subjects do you like? At Uni you mainly have to teach yourself. The lecturers and tutors will point you in the right direction, but the research and the reading is largely up to you. And that’s not going to work unless you’re studying a subject you’re actually interested in “

“Don’t know. I’ll sort it out when I get there”

“Really. Don’t you think it might be too late by then? You’ll be starting your ‘A’s next year, won’t you? D’you know which ones?”

“No”

“Ok, so lets just put this all together. Just think, you might be half way through your first term at uni and you’re talking to a girl who’s doing pharmacology. And she starts telling you about it and you think its really interesting as you find out more about it and the girl tells you that she needed Chemistry and Biology to get onto the course, and you think - so why did I do English and Geography? The point is, the choice you make now restricts what you can do later – without starting again at night school”

“Oh Gosh. That would just prolong the agony”

“Ok, its your life”

“But that’ll all sort itself out when I grow up”

“There’s an outside chance that it might. But its unlikely without some encouragement. And by then, it might be too late. Why wait? And in any case that’s the wrong way round. You grow up because of the things you do and the way you behave and the decisions you make, and your ability to make good decisions. You’re not just suddenly able to do these things because you’ve been on this earth for 13, 16, 18 or 21 years”

Damon concentrated on the next intersection for a while as she mulled over this latest revelation

“Ok, so let me ask you a question. Why are we on this road? Look, over there. There’s another road over there with that little car on it. Why are we not on that road?”

“I don’t know.”

“Any guesses?”

“Because we don’t know where it goes? Maybe??”

“So it might go somewhere really nice”

“Yess. But it might not be where were trying to get to”

“So you know where we want to go”

“Yes” she said now becoming slightly puzzled about what this was all about “we’ve got an address for our villa”

“And where did you get that from”

“Dad set it up months ago. Its our holiday”

“Hey calm down. Keep with it for another minute. So your dad set this up. He decided where you were going, and now we’re on the road to get there”

“Yesssss”

“Ok, now you’re what? 15? So you’ve been on your road through life for 15 years or so. As you went along that road, there were some decisions that needed to be made. Like where to go on holiday this year. If that decision had been Provence instead of Languedoc then you’d be on a different road. And if Kevin and Tom weren’t fighting all the time you’d be in a different situation”

“Ok”

“So, in order to be on the right road you need to know where you’re going, right”

“Yeah”

“So in order to make the right decisions when a decision is needed you need to know what your destination is. You need a plan”

“Suppose so”

“But you’ve got some major decisions coming up about the route you take, but you’ve not thought about where you want to get to. Its like if you’d all just left to go on holiday, all packed and ready, but just taking some random road in the hope you’ll get somewhere nice. And you won’t have a villa when you get there because you’ve not planned that in advance”

“Ok. But dad makes all the holiday decisions”

“Yes, and all the other decisions for you. Like which school you went to. But some day you're going to have to make decisions for yourself. Some day you’re going to want to make decisions for yourself. Up till now, things like where to go on holiday and which junior school you went to are unlikely to have a major effect on the rest of your life. Might do, if something traumatic happens, but most likely not. But choosing you’re ‘A’s sets your whole career direction. You see” he continued as they settled down on a quieter motorway “You need to think about the longer term, and you need to think about it now, or it might be too late. Ok, there’s nothing completely irreversible. Its just easier, less stressful and more valuable if you get it right first time”

“I thought you were supposed to learn from your mistakes”

“For sure. If you make any, then make sure you work out where you went wrong. But don’t use that as an excuse to go making mistakes in the first place. You don’t need to make mistakes in order to learn. You can learn by thinking it through. What you really need to do is work out the best viable solution up front, and remember that you got it right by thinking about it rather than by trial and error. Learning from mistakes is ok for next time. But there might not be a next time. Thing is, if you don’t have a career in mind, you can’t decide what subjects to take. Unless you hate every subject with a vengeance except one or two. That helps make your mind up”

She thought about this for a while as he watched her thinking

“But, Damon, I don’t think I know what careers are out there. I mean, I only know the ones I’ve come across. Like doctor, and that’s not for me. Or shop assistant, and I’d rather do better than that”

“Ok. So you’ve already narrowed down the choice just by saying that. There’s ambition there but not in medicine. I guess its hard if you haven’t got any experience of most of the jobs out there. That's why every little girl wants to be a nurse and every boy a train driver. Like, what 5 year old has ever heard of a lexicographer? Or a museum curator or a research chef?”

“Exactly. And not just five year olds. Maybe I need to go and see the careers master when I get back”

“Oh come on Patricia! Brain in gear. You don’t need someone to tell you everything. Thinking for yourself is part of growing up too. So lets just pick an object and work it all out for ourselves”

“What?”

“Yeah. Look, over there. It’s a bus, right? So what careers do you associate with a bus?”

“Driver?”

“Yes, that’s the obvious one – what else”

“Else?”

“Ok. So someone must have defined the route it was meant to take. So they had to work out how long it would take to get from one stop to the next and publish the schedule and then print it and distribute it and stick it to noticeboards in bus shelters - that were constructed by workmen”

“Oh! Slow down. So there’s scheduling and there printing and distribution”

“Yes, and making sure it goes to places that there are passengers to pick up and places they want to go like shopping centres or business parks. Someone has to find these things out. Research it. And look at it. Its got six wheels. Someone decided it should have six. Not four or eight. And even if it looks pig ugly, some poor soul designed it”

“And built it?”

“Yes, and maintained it – like a mechanic to make sure it doesn’t break down while people are on it. So what’s the first thing you do when you get on a bus?”

“Sit down?”

“No, pay the fare. That’s usually before you sit down. It didn’t used to be, there used to be a guy called a conductor who sold tickets after you’d sat down. But now, usually you pay the driver. How much?”

“Whatever the price list says……….Right? Ok. So someone must have decided how much. Right?”

“And that depends on the cost of buying the bus, running the bus, paying the driver and everything else including profit, all divided by the number of passengers they expect – and some accountant or cost analyst somewhere worked all that out and then monitors it to make sure its right”

“Oh wow!. And that’s just thinking about a bus!”

“Yes. So you can do the same in any industry. Busses are just part of the transport industry like trains and cars and aeroplanes. All of them are designed, and built and need people to operate them – and accountants and sales people and technicians and back office support. Like, who hires the drivers? There’s a recruitment function back there somewhere.

Then there’s other industries – like Hotels, cafes, restaurants. There’s nothing anywhere that wasn’t designed, build, put there and charged for – even this motorway”

“Wow. And I don’t need anyone to tell me that”

“No, and you should be able to figure out what A’s to take to get in to any part of it. So over the next few days, just think of all the different jobs that must exist to get everything you see to where it is, whether it’s a packet of pills in a chemist or a waiter in a cafe”

She fell back in the chair thinking about different items. They didn’t need to actually be there, they could be imaginary and it would all work the same way

“I’m struggling with this packet of pills from the chemist” she said eventually. “Like, someone must have invented them. You know, decided what chemicals to put in there. How does anyone do that?”

“Its really a branch of Chemistry. You have to know how chemicals will interact with each other and interact with bacteria and viruses and the cells in your body so that it doesn’t kill all of them by mistake. You have to learn about how cells actually work . And that’s what that fictional pharmacology student I mentioned is doing. And to do that – fairly obviously - you’d need Biology and Chemistry at A’s. Not Media Studies and Art”

She was reflecting on what Damon had said and gazing aimlessly out at the passing French countryside and jumped as the phone rang. Damon picked up the receiver and handed it to her. I need to figure out where we go at this junction he said.

Sudden panic hit her. She had no idea what to say.

“H..Hello” she stammered “D..Damon’s office”

“Hello, is that you Patricia?”

“Oh wow, hi dad, what a relief.”

“Relief?”

“Yeah, I thought it might be a business call for Damon and I’d get, like, all flustered and everything”.

“Well, you’re sounding good”.

“Yeah, everything here is just fantastic, isn’t it Damon”

“Yep, never better. Press the speaker button, Patricia. Bottom left.. and, if you’re speaking, talk to the mic.. ” pointing at the A pillar “… not the phone, Sorry Darrin, crash course in using a car phone”

“Ok” Darrin started “we’re not doing so well. Had to stop a number of times for Kevin, and then got stuck in this massive queue on the motorway”

“Woah poor you. We’re doing ok. We managed to avoid that hold up. We heard about it on the radio so we’re picking up signs for Carcassonne now”

“Well done, but we finally got off and onto the B roads, and then we needed a first exit at a roundabout, but Kevin was playing up and I dropped concentration and went the wrong way round the roundabout and that meant we took a left like in England instead of a right, so we’ve been going North for the last hour”

Patricia burst out laughing.

“You may laugh, young lady, but we’re not going to make it this evening. We’re checked in to a hotel up here. We’re probably 200 miles away. Kevin isn’t travelling well at all. I’m beginning to regret bringing him. He’s been trouble all the way”

Damon flashed her a puzzled frown “was there an option?” he muttered

“Ok”, said Damon Don’t worry about us at this end. We’ll tell the caretaker not to expect you till tomorrow”

“Yes, but I’m worried about Trish”

“No worries. I’ll make sure she’s all right”

They found the village.

“Now we need to find the street. Usually these places have a map in the central square”

and sure enough there it was. It was a pleasant walk along the riverside to No 44, a large traditional looking villa with its front door directly on the lane facing out across the river flowing lazily by in the afternoon sunshine. But there was a note on the door – in French. Patricia looked at it blankly, and then at Damon. “Do you know what it says?”

Damon nodded, “it says collect the keys from number 16”. They counted down the houses to number 24.

“There is no number 16” she said.

“Hmm, think there is but its over there” Damon said pointing to the other side of a wide tributary tumbling into the river. Another ten minutes and they’d walked up stream to the bridge and back down to the river. Madame Bousin answered the door with a flurry of words in French but Damon seemed unphased as Panic took over Patricia again. She listened with decreasing confidence as the conversation took place. She tried to pick out a word here or there, but all she could understand was ‘Patricia’. Finally, there was an all-smiles au reviour.

“But we haven’t got the keys” Patricia protested as they walked back towards the car.

“Glad you noticed”

“So what do I do now?”

“Yes” said Damon “We need a new plan. You see, Madame Bousin can’t give me the keys because the booking isn’t in my name. And she can’t give you the keys, even though she’s got your name there, because you’re under 18, and if anything happened to you, she’d be responsible and get locked up, she says”

“So! Instead she leaves me out on the street! Damon!” she pleaded to him.

“Yes indeed, Miss Patricia, that changes the plan. What do you think we should do?”

Back at the car, Damon picked up the phone and Patricia listened in mystification to another French conversation with her name in it.

“Who’s Chantelle? And what was so funny?” she asked looking for an update.

“Its all ok, that’s that sorted.” said Damon “Chantelle works on reception at the chateau I’m staying at, and I’ve checked you in to stay there tonight”

“But what was so funny about that?”

Damon laughed. “When I said that the extra room was for a young lady I was travelling with, she said I didn’t need an extra room, surely the young lady can share my room. So I said that there were two problems with that. One was that you were only 15 and the second was I was keeping the other half of my bed available for her”

Patricia tried to look shocked and wanted to say something but Damon continued

“So, on to the next hurdle. Have you got anything a bit smarter in your suitcase?

Patricia looked quizzical again

“No”

“Hmmm. Dinner is at 7.30 so we’ll have to get a wiggle on because we’ll have to go shopping.

“Shopping? Are we cooking dinner?”

“No, not food shopping, dress shopping. They’ll never let you in dressed like that.”

Patricia looked forlorn

“What’s wrong with it?”

“You look wonderful. For outdoor activities. Like, maybe, bog diving….”

“What!”

“…. But I think a dress would be more appropriate for this evening’s restaurant. You do know what a dress is, I presume”

“Yes! What d’you think I am? Some sort of tomboy?”

“Patricia, it hardly matters. Dinner his evening will be a little up-market from shorts and a tee shirt. That’s already arranged and now you’re invited. Ok? So you need to be suitably dressed”

But Damon, please, I don’t have any money and I can’t afford one. Dad only gave me a hundred francs and that was for if we needed coffee or something….

But failing to say all this now saw them headed towards the town centre

The streets off the square were mysterious, decidedly French and busy with late afternoon shoppers. They looked in a few windows, Oh gasped Patricia, that’s nice. I wonder how much it is,… but the boutique was larger inside than it looked from the street and there were just so many lovely clothes. Racks of skirts and dresses, shoes and handbags as well. Patricia looked at the price tags

“1500 francs Damon. How many francs in a pound”

Damon shrugged. “1500? That’s ok. And yeah, about 11 to the pound at the moment”

“Oh, ok”, and then in realisation “That’s about 135 quid” she exclaimed in shock as she stopped dead “Oh my gosh! Maybe we should find somewhere else”

There was only one other customer in the shop. He looked to be in his mid twenties and Patricia was surprised because the girl she had taken for the assistant kept popping in and out of the changing room with different outfits.

The assistant was clearly saying something to be helpful, but being in French, Patricia had no idea what it was.

“This guy” explained Damon “has arranged a surprise birthday party for his girlfriend, and has suddenly realised that she will turn up in jeans and a tee-shirt and all her friends will be in cocktail dresses. So he’s buying her a new dress, but to help him choose, he’s getting the assistant to try them all on!”

“You’re joking! Try that in Debenhams in Yeovil High Street”

“I don’t know what I should be looking for”, she complained “Oh, Damon, there’s so many!”

“Well, I think you need something quite smart, but you also need something comfortable enough for travelling so that you make the best impression when you first arrive. Then you need something like this, he held up a beautifully pastel, short number at 2200 francs.”

“Ohhh… its gorgeous!”

“But most important is that you get something smart that will make you feel good about yourself”

She checked through the racks, pausing on possibilities and trying to check the price tags

“Ohhhh! Damon!”

“Confused? This is not hard now. You’re in a dress shop and you’re trying to buy a dress. How hard can it be? Its not as if we’re in here when we need to buy a banana”

“Yes I know that! But mum isn’t here telling me that something costs too much, and that its too short, and…”

“I will inform your mother that there is no such thing as a dress that’s too short. I concede that there is however a point at which it is prudent to wear matching underwear and say you are straight in from the tennis court”

“Damon, that isn’t helping”

“But in this case we want something that won’t give Viscount Albert a heart attack. And I suggest a white cardigan as well, just in case we’re outside after dinner”

“Viscount?”

“Yes! I did say I was going to see Lady Patricia”

“But I thought you meant a lady called Patricia, not a Lady like with a capital L”

With various encouraging comments, Patricia chose something for the journey, then for the evening with shoes and a handbag, but couldn’t help but notice that the young Frenchman browsing the racks seemed to be watching her rather than anything else, and Damon was swapping comments with him, in French.

“Our friend here says he preferred the champagne coloured one” Damon said as she reappeared from the changing room.

“What’s it got to do with him? Really! Oh but Damon, I can’t decide. You choose”

“Our friend has a point. The cream one is less formal and I think it would be a good choice for tomorrow.”

The assistant added it to the items on counter and started to wrap them up along with her shorts as she disappeared back to the changing room to put on her new dress for the journey.

“Damon, I don’t know how much they are even”

“You don’t need to”

“But dad will need to pay for them”

“Then don’t tell him. But you need these if you’re to spend any time at the chateau. Which you are because I don’t see any other viable option. Although it would be less expensive to charter a helicopter to take you up to where your family is”

The French guy came over as the assistant had disappeared into the changing room yet again.

“Is so!” he said as Patricia watched him look her up and down “Forgive an English. It no good. But I need to say you come in you look like the dime, and you leave looking million dollar”

“See” said Damon “I told you you needed some proper French fashion”

“How rude! I can’t believe he said that!”

“Nonsense, it’s a compliment. And his opinion was quite helpful”

“But what did he say after that, in French?”

“He said he was going to ditch his girlfriend and go out with you instead. Till I told him you were 15.”

They left the valley behind and started to wind up into the hills with spectacular views over forests and streams. The first sight of the château made her head spin. From the long wide drive through the forest to the mosaic floor in the enormous hallway. Damon checked them both in and handed her two fifty franc notes.

“Make sure you give one on these to the bellhop who shows you to your room. And keep the other one for any member of staff who is particularly helpful. Like if you get lost. Now there’s no time to lose, dining room at 7.45 latest”

“Damon, I can’t. I.. Its not me. I’m just too nervous. What happens if I make a fool of myself in front of everybody?”

“We’ll all laugh. But believe me. You will look wonderful, and you’ll love it. See how different you feel when you get dressed. And don’t worry, you’ll be fine”

“But, these shoes are higher than I’m used to. Can’t I just wear trainers?”

“What do you think?” he waved his hand as though introducing the surroundings to her “Don’t worry, I’ll look after you. Ok. I’m going to pop up at 7.30 and make sure you’re ok. Make sure you’re at least partly dressed by then.”

“I bought you a present” he said as she answered his knock. He moved to the dressing table and unzipped the small make up bag.

“Just a little. We don’t want you looking like you’ve been face painted at the local zoo”

“But do you know about makeup? I mean! You’re a bloke”

“True, but I’ve also spent the last decade or so appearing on stage. And sometimes its necessary to accent certain highlights, especially if there’s cameras there on live broadcast”

Now two inches higher, she stood up and looked at Damon.

“Walk over to the other side of the room “ he said “just to make sure you don’t keel over – and back – Now, that was ok wasn’t it? and now look in the mirror”

“Is that really me!”

“No, it’s a picture of a performing octopus that I just happened to have in my pocket. But don’t you just feel so much more confident now?”

“Yes. But I’m so nervous – I never met a Viscount before. I won’t know what to do. And what do I call them?”

“There’s a protocol”

“A what! But I don’t know about that either!”

“The protocol is that Lady Patricia will tell you how to address her when she meets you”

“But this whole place is so posh. I’ll be so out of place”

“Patricia, you’ll be absolutely fine. You look like you belong here and I’ll guide you if you need pointing in the right direction”

She held on to his arm as they made their way down the stairs to the lobby where he got hijacked by the girl on reception to clarify the bill for her room

“You go on in. I’ll see you at the table”

But that was a step too far. She didn’t know the other people and she’d never met a viscount or a lady with a capital L. Nor could she remember what the hosts name was that the table would be booked under. Instead she dallied by the boutique. Damon hurried on in, only to find her not there. Suddenly alone in the lobby, she had no option but to walk through on her own. She could see a number of people glance in her direction. She was certainly being noticed and it increased her trepidation in equal measure with her confidence.

Damon was telling Lady Patricia that there was an additional guest for dinner as she arrived looking very much to Damon to tell her what to do

“Forgive me not standing. I’m a bit breathless right now” opened Albert

Damon pointed a nod in Patricia’s direction

“No worries Viscount Albert. I’m sure you’ll feel better when you’re on the outside of some dinner”

Not quite what Damon would have said, he thought, but whatever, as Damon introduced her

“Your girlfriend, Damon?”

“Lady Patricia, she’s definitely a girl, and she is my friend. But that’s as far as it goes”

“Well do call me Patricia – or Lady Patricia if there is a risk of confusion, and this is our personal assistant, Giselle, who is medically trained in case of incident with Albert”

Lady Patricia asked her about her family and how she came to know Damon. She commented on how elegant she looked, and Patricia let slip that this was the first time she’d really been dressed up like this and that she’d prefer flatter shoes.

“It all goes to make up the look” Damon said

“Well yes” said Lady Patricia taking up the case. “But being two inches taller doesn’t make you prettier. Otherwise all tall girls would be pretty”

“Quite so” said Damon “But its like this”

He took a pen from his inside pocket and drew a short horizontal line on the back of the menu. Then a longer vertical. “This is you, Patricia. Feet, and body, with no heels. Now if you put on high heeled shoes, this apex here rises from the base level. That means your body will be over at this angle and what will happen?”

“Well if your body’s over there, you’ll .... fall over” completed Patricia.

“Exactly. So you need to make this angle more obtuse and straighten your body up so you don’t fall down. And you do that by flexing all these muscles down your back. You probably feel them a bit tighter now because you’re not used to it. But if you tighten these muscles here…” he ran his finger down the upper part of her spine making her jump “….exactly, you raise the profile of the front of your body”

“You mean my boobs stick out more!”

Albert collapsed laughing.

“Yes, I do think that is what Damon was hinting at” said Lady Patricia with a broadening smile

“Oh! Sorry! Have I.. Oops”

“Not at all. And if it makes Albert laugh…..”

But Albert’s laughing had turned to choking and he was now turning a brighter shade of puce that clashed disgracefully with his open necked pink shirt. Giselle led him out onto the patio as Lady Patricia continued

“But that takes me directly on to the business that we must discuss. Now, the point is that Albert here has recently taken a turn for the worse. That’s why we now have Giselle with us at all times in case something else happens. Now I’ll get straight to the point. I‘ve been through your proposal and my inclination was to accept it. However, with Albert’s condition now worsening, I felt the need to clarify a few points”

“Well I’m sure there can still be a certain level of flexibility, Lady Patricia. Living here does seem to suit you and the climate is so much more forgiving than England for Albert”

“I do agree. And I was so looking forward to seeing the countryside around here and up into the Pyrenees”

“And so you should”

“I agree” said Patricia “I think if Albert is, like, not getting better, then the sooner you start seeing the countryside the better. There’s so much to see. I was amazed as we were driving up here. And after all, you never know what’s going to happen”

“Quite so, Miss Patricia. But unfortunately I doubt it would be safe for Albert to drive. And I, as you should expect from someone in my position, have never found the need to learn”

“Would you not be able to hire a chauffeur, maybe just for the odd day here and there? There appear to be some guys who drive the big cars for the hotel and maybe they could take you out” suggested Patricia, making her best effort to join the conversation.

“Oh, we have a car – the Bentley that’s been parked outside the front door for a fortnight, unless someone’s pinched it”

“So, one of these hotel chauffeurs could drive that, and you can sit in the back and float along as you’d expect” said Patricia now becoming quite excited that she had invented a solution, as they both turned to Damon

“Sounds like a plan. We could get a full time chauffeur, if there were other duties for him as well. But it seems a waste if we could come to a deal with the hotel. I’ll have a word with them. But the bottom line is that we’ll do whatever is most appropriate”

Cue: Nocturne in E flat major Opus 9 by Chopin

Satisfied with this result, Lady Patricia ordered dessert and changed the subject

“And do you like this man’s music, Miss Patricia?”

“Yes. Yes I do. But I like some other rock bands as well”

“Hmph. Its all too noisy for me. I think I’ll stick to my classical composers”

“I’m sorry, Lady Patricia, but I don’t think I know any classical music at all”

“Really! My goodness. What on earth do they teach you in school these days? But what is it you play, Damon?”

“Guitar and keyboards”

“Oh. Not piano, then”

“Yes, I learned Piano when I was young, so don’t be disappointed Lady Patricia. The electronic keyboard is just so much more versatile than a piano”

“In what way?”

“Well, if you press a key on a piano it will decay after a few moments. On a keyboard it will continue as long as you hold it down. And you can make it sound like a number of other instruments, like a violin or a cello or a trumpet”

“So, you could make it sound like a piano if you wanted to?”

“Yes”

She turned to Miss Patricia “I can’t see what was wrong with the old ways”

“Lady Patricia, if it would make you feel more settled, I’ll see if I can borrow that baby grand over there”

A quick word with the head waiter and Damon was pulling the stool in and Nocturne no. 2 in E Flat major floated across the room.

“Is this classical music? Lady Patricia”

“Yes, my dear. Chopin. One of the very best composers”

Patricia got up and walked slowly over to Damon just as he was starting Liszt’s Romance in E Minor

Cue Romance in E Minor by Franz Liszt

She stood by the piano until he finished “Best give this back” said Damon “There’s a guy paid to do this that we’re doing out of a job”

But Patricia didn’t hear him and back at the table she was still in a dream

“That must be the most beautiful piece of music I’ve ever heard” she whispered

“I’m so glad you liked it,” said Damon,

“That was indeed beautiful” agreed Lady Patricia.” In fact I think that has made my day. Even over your agreement to the chauffeur”

But it had been a big day and Patricia was looking decidedly wilted

“Are you all right?” asked Lady Patricia

“Yes, thankyou” she replied “I think I’m just a bit tired. And I’m not used to drinking this much wine”

“So, you just go on up to your room, and I’ll see you at breakfast. 8.30?”

“I think I’ll go as well” added Albert

“Well I do hope he isn’t going with Miss Patricia. That would finish him off most certainly” replied Lady Patricia with a hint of a smirk

Damon stayed at the table talking to her until Giselle returned and then stayed to finish the wine with her as Lady Patricia also abandoned the party.

Abi had been worried about Patricia all night, sometimes waking up concerned about what she might be doing, and was in no mood for more silliness from the boys. She started with a stern warning.

“Ohhh mum! We're meant to be on holiday! Won't be much fun if you're grumpy all day” started Tom.

“You two just behave. If you don't, we'll be on the next boat back to Plymouth. Your messing about has already cost us an extra hotel and lost us a day out of our holiday”

“But that's not fair! Patricia's getting her holiday!”

“Yes, and I hope she's all right, which is more than I am”

“I'm sure she's all right. Damon said he'd look after her”

“I know, Darrin, but we don't even know him”

The truce in the back of the car lasted just over half an hour. Darrin quietly pulled in to a dusty lay-by and retrieved the short rope from the side panel in the boot

“Who's first?” he asked flexing the rope between his hands

“Not me” gasped Tom

“But you can't tie me to the roof!” squeaked Kevin.

“But you can't behave in the car, so you'll have to travel outside the car. We can't just leave you here”

“No, no, no” he muttered starting to quake

“I'll just keep this handy for next time” said Darrin as they set off again. This time there was an eerie silence in the back of the car accompanied by an equally eerie stillness.

Without serious incident, Carcassonne finally came into view in the distance and their village was signposted. From there it was only a few miles of winding lanes that the boys found more interesting, and they were all glad to step out of the car. They found the village map, and with mounting excitement they found Madam Bousin. But Darrin's French wasn't good enough to get the full story of what had happened and the relatively fact free discussion with Abi only served to reintroduce her worries - all rising to near panic when they discovered that not only was Patricia not at the villa, but never had been!

That is, until she found the note pushed through the letter box addressed to her and Darrin, and explained in 5 lines what had happened with an address and phone number.

“Well, if he's taken her to his hotel, he's bound to be looking after her”

“I think that’s what’s worrying me. She could be in all sorts of trouble”

“Abi. If there was a problem with the villa, what else would you expect him to do?”

There was nothing else for it than to walk back into the village centre to find a phone.

Darrin’s minimal French persuaded the receptionist to find Chantelle who spoke English.

“Hi” she said in her very strong French accent “who are you looking for?”

“Patricia Carringt....”

“Ah, Patricia. Yes, but she has gone out for the day. I think they are going to Andorra. I think they have gone in the Bentley. Oh but yes, they are booked for dinner at half past seven”

“Well she seems to know what's going on, so it must be all right. We’ll try again at maybe 7 o clock”

Abi agreed. She wasn't keen on spending any more time in the car. Maybe if the receptionist had never heard of her, then she could be worried again, but then, maybe everything was all right. Why wouldn't it be? Why? Because in a fit of panic and frustration, she'd let her impetuous, recalcitrant 15 year old daughter disappear into the mists of southern France with a rock star she'd only just met, that’s why.

Breakfast at the château had been a much more civilised affair. Miss Patricia was wearing the champagne coloured dress that Damon, and that cheeky French boy, had said would be good for today, and Lady Patricia, Giselle and Albert were already waiting for her.

“If your folks set off at 9, they'll take 3 or 4 hours to get to the villa. Then sort themselves out, get lunch somewhere…. The earliest they'll get here is late afternoon and look at the weather. It's absolutely perfect. Lady Patricia, what about we all take the Bentley up though the hills into Andorra”

“Yes”, said Patricia “that way you can start seeing some of the countryside”

Lady Patricia frowned “big though it is, it's designed for only four people. It's quite uncomfortable between the seats in the back”

“I could stay behind and just laze by the pool” offered Patricia “my mum and dad might call anyway”

“Could do” agreed Damon “unless Giselle would like a day off”

Giselle perked up visibly, especially as Damon had already mentioned this plan to her the previous evening at the bar and she'd not given it much chance of success. But now there seemed a definite possibility as Damon continued “I'm sure that with the three of us, we'd be able to cope with any emergency that Albert presents us with.”

Damon stowed the picnic basket from the kitchens in the boot and that was them set for the day.

Patricia sat in the front, and was allowed to wear her trainers again with the champagne coloured dress, and Damon piloted the car around the narrow twisting mountain lanes like navigating a barge up a stream.

Lunch was awesome. Patricia decided that she could quite easily get used to drinking this wine at lunchtime as they all sat round on a rug looking out over a cliff edge across the valley to the slow, meandering river and the isolated villages all perched on top of small lush hillocks.

Afternoon coffee was taken at a street cafe under a sun-shade umbrella. Patricia mused that it's was a bit like going out with her gran and grandad, with Damon as a slightly younger dad. But she found that playing hostess came rather naturally, carrying the tray as Damon settled the bill. This simply wouldn't be the same if that tray was headed for Darrin and Abi and two evilly disposed 10 year olds. She'd always said that taking a kid from a deprived background with them on holiday was a bad idea. It would surely end in tears. And she’d said that eight weeks ago when the school first floated the scheme! Of course it sounded like a good charitable idea, but she saw that without the practicalities, like knowing how to behave when stuck inside a tin box for ten hours, it was headed for a train wreck. Kids like her and Tom had grown up from being babies with this kind of trip, Kevin had never been away on holiday with his single parent mum and the fully predictable war had only served to prove this point. Maybe mum and dad were struggling, and, she frowned, might well be worried about her, but she was having a fantastic time. And then, supposing Damon did suggest something a little risqué? She wasn't that far off sixteen, and she had to start somewhere anyway, and she nearly had at Susie’s party two months ago when the cider was flowing like the great flood and she'd suddenly realised that some boy’s hand crept right up her skirt and it felt ever so good.

Albert fell asleep on the way back. Taking advantage, Damon detoured to take in more of the higher countryside and it was gone five by the time they got back. Giselle was talking to Chantelle at the reception desk and Patricia felt confident enough to join them. They were both about ten years older than her, which sounded a lot, but when she told herself that they were only 24 it sounded a whole lot less. Chantelle was actually a qualified hairdresser and was about to do Giselle's hair when she came off shift at five, and Patricia was ecstatic when they invited her along just for fun.

It was amazing, it was messy, it was informative, it was sociable and they both helped her with her French if she made an effort to start with. She found that she knew more than she’d realised and although she made a lot of mistakes, they all laughed a lot. She was able to join in under instruction, and the end result was something quite remarkable. Yes, they agreed. Tomorrow we'll do Patricia's hair.

Darrin phoned again just after 6. He would have left it till nearer the dinner time Chantelle had mentioned, but Abi was pressuring him for answers. His intermittent French persuaded the receptionist that he wanted to talk to Patricia and he was relieved when she said she would put him through.

Lady Patricia was surprised that anyone was phoning her and was suddenly perturbed that maybe it was Damon

“Good evening. Lady Patricia Mowlsbury”

“Oh my goodness. I’m so sorry, I think I may have the wrong number”

“Oh dear, what a shame. I don’t get many phone calls you know. So who were you looking for?”

“I was looking for my daughter, Patri…..”

“Ah, of course” she interrupted “Miss Patricia rather than Lady Patricia. Of course. So you must be Mr Carrington”

“Why, yes” he stuttered, mystified

“Oh, Mr Carrington, I really must congratulate you. What a delightful young lady your daughter is. I’m 84 you know, and seldom have I met someone who I would prefer to spend time with”

“Thankyou. … Lady Patricia. I’m so glad…”

“But I understand you’re meant to be on a family holiday, so no doubt you’ll want to come over and see her”

“Yes, we were going to come over this afternoon, but she had gone out”

“Yes, oh yes. It was a wonderful day. We went up into the mountains. Spectacular scenery, you really must make the effort to make the trip while you’re in this part of the country”

“Yes. Quite. We’ll try to do that. But do you know where she is now”

“No, not exactly. I saw her talking to our personal assistant after we got back, and she’ll be at dinner later”

“But we really must collect her and stop her being a burden on everyone”

“Oh, she’s by no means a burden, Mr Carrington. So perhaps afternoon tea tomorrow would be a good opportunity”

“I was thinking more perhaps just after breakfast…”

“Surely not. I’m fairly sure I heard that Chantelle was doing her hair tomorrow morning. Perhaps 3.30? I’ll look forward to meeting you”

Darrin scrambled for another franc coin, but found he’d run out.

Abi listened wide eyed as he related the parts of the conversation that she’d missed.

So maybe we should take in the high mountains in the morning and come back through past the château. I’m dreading to think what the bill is going to look like.

“Your father wanted to come over first thing and collect you” she said at dinner as Patricia looked forlorn “But don’t worry, I bounced him till afternoon tea”

Up in the higher terrain, scenery didn’t seem to be Kevin’s thing

“What am I looking at?”

“You’re looking at the view” explained Abigail

“What for?”

Now, Patricia would have appreciated this. She’d have commented on how strange the hills looked and thankyou for showing her. And then she’d have gone back to reading her novel with intermittent one word grunts for any other questions sent her way. But she wasn’t any trouble really. It was just hard work getting her interested in anything. She reconsidered that thought but came to the same conclusion. Yes, anything. Food, school, the future, boys, anything – with the possible exception of certain restricted types of music such as loud noisy heavy metal bands and of course the Chameleons.

The boys? They were just five years younger and interested in little boy things like playing pranks and charging about with negligible regard for anyone in the way. And, she now reflected, finding things that would interest her and Darrin, and Patricia, and Tom, and now Kevin as well, was well-nigh impossible – no not well-nigh impossible, completely impossible. The best she could hope for was a compromise that did one thing for the ten year olds and then another for Patricia and then if they had any energy left they could haul all three of them around to something she and Darrin wanted to do.

But luck changed and they found respite. The remote village where they’d stopped for ice cream had a public park equipped with a miniature assault course with nets to crawl under and walls to climb over and a rope to swing from. She sat with Darrin and a long cool drink for over an hour while the boys played at being SAS recruits. Patricia would have been screaming by this time. Or maybe she’d just be reading her book.

At the château that morning, breakfast was a relaxed affable affair

“We’ll be sorry to see you go” said Lady Patricia. “I think one of the things that keeps people young is being around younger people. Especially if they’re like you”

Patricia was flattered. But there was a problem. This young lady she’d been the last few days wasn’t the real her. It wasn’t the insecure moody little girl that she knew lived somewhere inside her skin. Maybe it was just the surroundings, maybe the company. But Damon’s comment may be more accurate, that maybe it was what was expected and that the real her was an illusion that only she had and that everyone else saw a different her. She had to decide what to be and who she was and he saw her time at the château as a different side of her, not as an act that would end as soon as the curtain came down on that scene.

But now the plan was changing. Damon had had a word with the hotel and none of the hotel chauffeurs was very keen on driving the Bentley around the narrow mountain lanes with the steering wheel on the wrong side. And they said, it would always be a target for beggars and vandals.

This was a blow. It could even indicate that there might be a problem recruiting a suitable driver. Instead Damon suggested that maybe a smaller car, equally English but built for the French market might be suitable. Perhaps the new model Jaguar might be a better option.

The plan was simple. Chantelle would move the hair appointment forward to straight after breakfast, and Giselle could join in as well. But after that, Damon would take Giselle in to town where there was a Jaguar distributor, take the car for a test drive back to the hotel and take Lady Patricia for a short drive to test the concept. In the meantime it would be left to Patricia to look after, if not entertain, Viscount Albert.

And, Damon had hinted, there might be a chance that Giselle would be interested in driving it.

“Why Giselle, Damon?” asked Patricia when the others had gone to get ready

“Because, Patricia, I don’t see Albert lasting that long and then Giselle will need to find alternative employment until her ladyship requires that level of care”

“But there must be plenty of work around. There’s masses of old geriatrics”

“Yes, but not here. Its too expensive for most of them, especially with the cost of a nursemaid thrown in. And Giselle is becoming increasingly interested in the junior sommelier, you know the wine waiter, Jean-Claude”

She looked at him in amazement

“So you’re trying….”

“…. to please all the people all of the time”

She took the one step towards him shaking her head and for the first time gave him a hug

“Hey. Don’t you start getting emotional as well!”

She took Albert for a walk around the grounds in his wheel chair. They made it as far as the river and sat for a snack as he related some of his hair raising tales of his commercial life during various military conflicts in the far east and she pushed him home pretending at different points to be dodging enemy fire and swerving the wheelchair precariously from side to side.

“Giselle would never do that” he’d said over lunch “Too worried about the state of my heart”

“Oh, don’t be too hard on her – she’s only trying to look after you”

“Are you?”

“I’m only trying to entertain you till Giselle gets back”

“Yes, to treat him for heart failure!”

But lunch dallied on as they discussed the options around the Jaguar

“Actually. I think its more me. The Bentley? Now that’s more Albert. I think the Jaguar is a more flexible option. Damon, you should put one on order right away”

“I think so, Lady Patricia. It’ll be much easier with the left hand drive. And Giselle can drive it. I’m not looking to save the cost. It’s the effort and time of having two staff to look after or having to rely on the hotel staff and working around their schedule. They can’t take whole days out because there’s always someone needing taken to the airport. What I think we should do is try it this way and if we need a different solution it will become obvious.”

This step forward apparently called for a celebration as Albert ordered up a bottle of champagne

“This” he announced “is for a most wonderful morning. Not just Miss Patricia’s efforts, but also that now I believe that we can relax knowing and trusting that Damon will honour his word as a gentleman and that means we can stop worrying about it for as long as we happen to last”

“I’ll drink to that” agreed Damon raising his glass

“Which” Albert continued “Might not be that long with Miss Patricia around”

“I’m not sure that’s a compliment!”

And all of a sudden it was gone three o’clock

The entrance to the château wasn't hard to find but Abigail's heart sank as they drove up the wide drive through the trees and emerged into the lawned gardens bordering the river. Trying to tidy the boys up to a suitable standard for this would be a lost cause before she even started, and Darrin was equally dismayed

Oh my goodness. I can't imagine what the bill is going to be he wailed to himself as they parked between a stretched Mercedes and a Maserati.

Abi managed to keep the two loose cannons in check while Darrin talked to reception.

“We have an appointment for tea with Patricia” he said not really knowing whether they were meeting Lady Patricia or their daughter.

“That will be Viscount Alberts table on the terrace” she said in near perfect English as she directed a waiter to lead them through.

“Forgive me for not rising” opened Albert from his wheelchair as Damon introduced them all.

“We're missing one” said Damon as the boys ran off to explore, much to Abi's initial relief.

“I'm sure she'll be along any minute” comforted Lady Patricia

“I expect she's hiding” said Albert mischievously “because she likes it here so much”

But Darrin was distracted.

“What are you watching?” accused Abi as Lady Patricia tried unsuccessfully to turn round in her chair far enough to see

“Oh, nothing”

“Nothing?” teased Damon, guessing the problem “I hardly think that's nothing. You mean that girl over there in the champagne dress?”

“Well, yes” he admitted “she keeps looking over in my direction even though she's talking to that waiter”

“Lucky you! She, I can assure you, is absolutely gorgeous” teased Damon “oh, and she looks like she's coming this way”

“Well, you'd better just inform her straight away that you’re with your wife” said Abi crossly

“Now, now” calmed Lady Patricia “I'm sure there's a simple explanation”

But Darrin studied her as she got closer. The cut of the dress was designer as it bounced seductively, the skin only slightly tanned, the heels higher, the hair restyled, but there was no doubt that underneath all that was the real Patricia, closely followed by the waiter. Darrin stood up for a hug, and mum got one too. “Sorry I'm late” she said “is it tea all round? No?”

She turned to the waiter and confirmed the order in French for six teas one black coffee and two cokes to accompany the scones and cakes. On room 204, thankyou.

Darrin was having some difficulty coming to terms with this transformation. An interest in looking not just smart, but wonderfully attractive. Speaking French that he didn’t know she knew enough of to actually be useful. And polite! Oh where did that come from?

Cue Another Life by Mostly Autumn

Lady Patricia was as charming as ever, and Abi and Darrin started to feel a lot more comfortable. Darrin kept losing concentration as he thought about the bill until they tuned in to a voice from over by the poolside just across the lawn

“It would be better if you played on the lawn” the soviet accent was saying somewhat sternly. Abi could just catch a glimpse of the boys dodging between the sun loungers in their never ending game of chase. She watched as Kevin with scant regard for the other guests, slipped and slid around, ending with an inevitable crash, tinkle.

The Eastern European gentleman rose from his lounger as Abi excused herself and headed over to apologise, but before she got there he turned towards Kevin, still floundering on the ground

“In my country, if words fail, we take action” and with that he effortlessly lifted Kevin by a wrist and ankle and dropped him with a mighty splash into the pool.

Abi had no idea if he could swim or not and stood gasping at the poolside as two Dutch teenagers who were playing ball on the lawn side jumped in to rescue him, rolling him back onto dry land gasping and spluttering.

“I'm so sorry” she gasped. I think they're just over excited

“Probably. But the waiter can replace my drink I'm sure”

“Well… well, be sure to charge it to… to room, room 204” she stuttered hoping desperately that she'd remembered the number correctly.

Back at their table, Tom sat sheepishly with his straw gripped between his teeth nervous of what retribution awaited him as Kevin dripped back with a number of vengeful backward glances at the Russian now back in his original relaxation.

“Good afternoon. Can I assume you are Kevin?” asked Lady Patricia as Kevin only nodded “but I am slightly puzzled, young man. In these parts it is usual to remove most of ones clothing before attempting to swim. But no matter, I'm sure you'll dry out shortly in the sunshine”

As Kevin sat silently shivering slightly as he sipped his iced drink.

But it was Giselle that took up the case. “I think it might be better if Kevin was to change so that we can get his clothes dry. Would you like that?”

Kevin nodded shyly “Come on then, lets get you sorted out.”

“Maybe I should give you a hand” suggested Patricia, and the three of them headed in towards the main reception hall with the girls holding a hand each.

Tea was over, but the tranquil atmosphere had overwhelmed Darrin and Abi. No longer worried about Patricia, they felt drained as the adrenalin deserted them.

“We often take a walk between tea and dinner” said Lady Patricia “You really should join us. The grounds are really delightful, especially the river side walk”

Tom seemed unusually subdued, but without Kevin’s encouragement to mayhem, he tagged along.

The walk was slow as Damon pushed the wheelchair and Lady Patricia and Damon made the effort to include him in the conversation. Somewhere along the path he managed to explain that Kevin was like this at school as well and was always getting into trouble. He just needed to be active all the time. Like always moving. Lady Patricia conceded that the scheme was ambitious and that in the circumstances, Kevin was doing rather well being a thousand miles from home with a family he hardly knew and speaking none of the local language, although she mused, the Russian by the pool may see things in a different light.

Eventually they returned by the west path. Patricia was back at the table now wearing a rather short olive green dress with Kevin, now sporting a new pair of jeans and a checked shirt.

“Chantelle has passed his clothes through to the laundry team” announced Patricia. Shouldn’t be long before they’re back” she added brightly “But mummy, don’t you think this is just such an amazing place. And Lady Patricia and Albert are just such lovely people. She's 84. 84! I can't even imagine what it's like to have that many memories……”

Darrin and Abi were both taken aback and let her burble on until Damon arrived. It was after all a rare sound, Patricia making conversation as opposed to barking negative grunts.

Is that a new dress?” asked Darrin still conscious of the impending damage to his wallet.

“This one?” she asked somewhat superfluously

“No, that is new. I've not seen it before” confirmed Abigail

“It's kind of new. I did a swap with Giselle for my mint one. It's just till later. She wanted it for her date with Jean-Claude, but he's back on shift in a few minutes”

“Mint? The one you had on earlier?” Patricia nodded as Darrin frowned clearly in some confusion. He looked at his watch “OH goodness! Is that the time. We really should be going. Although maybe we need to wait for Kevin’s clothes”

“But surely you’ll be staying for dinner?” asked Lady Patricia appearing from behind him, parking Albert’s wheelchair in the spare space.

“But we only came over to pick up Patricia”

“And I’ve got dinner already cooking for when we get back” added Abi.

“Patricia, you’re not leaving us are you?”

“I guess so, Viscount Albert. That’s what mum and dad have come over for”

“Oh dear, its been so delightful having you around. I say, old boy. Surely we could come to some arrangement to let her stay with us for a while longer?”

“Oh I don’t think so. I expect she’s racked up enough additional expenditure for everybody already!” but was cut short by Giselle’s return pulling out the chair next to him.

“How did it go?” gasped Patricia expectantly

“Very well thankyou. And, thankyou for your dress, he was so impressed!”

“I should think so” broke in Lady Patricia “Yve’s du Vierre, if I’m not mistaken. He’s a local designer” she explained to Abigail “but gaining some repute in Paris I understand”

“Yes, he noticed the label. And oh, Patricia smart move, Patricia. Very good move” as the intrigued faces encouraged her to continue “yes, leaving that price tag on!”

“I would have thought that would frighten him off!” added Albert lifting the tag from somewhere near Giselle’s neck “You can’t expect to buy 1400 franc dresses on a waiter’s wages”

“That’s true, Albert. He is a bit nervous that I might be too posh for him. But at least it wasn’t Trish’s sea green one”

“1400! Patricia?” retorted Darrin at least one whole question behind the field.

“But it wasn’t that expensive! I thought you said it was about 40 pounds Damon?”

“Not exactly Patricia. What I said was that at 11 francs to the pound plus a bit for the local sales tax it would be a hundred and forty pounds. But no matt.....”

“Oh my! “she exclaimed in dismay, so the sea-green one would be over 200... Oh oops”

“What sea-green one?”

“Oh, daddy, it's a lovely full skirt almost gypsy style that Damon bought because I needed something more than my shorts for this restaurant on the first night.

“I suppose that's being added to the bill then” he said not really realising that he'd said it out loud

“Look, Patricia, we don't need to go through that. Darrin, Patricia needed some new clothes for the circumstances and we sorted it out. Ok”

But Damon's attempt at finalising the issue was unsuccessful

“Damon, I really need to talk to you about the bill. I certainly don't expect you to be picking up the cost”

“I don't see why not. It was my idea in the first place, although I admit, I wasn't expecting the various turns of events that we've seen. Anyway, I don't need anything. All the costs have already disappeared into history”

“So on the plus side” said Albert “She won’t need any new clothes to stay here for a couple more days”

“Underwear!” exclaimed Darrin almost as an expletive as Lady Patricia peered in surprise over the top of her reading glasses.

“No, She put some on her room bill. There’s a small boutique on site here”

“I’ll bet that’s expensive”

“Not really. The numbers might seem high but when you consider that the alternative is to drive into town and that would take a couple of hours it starts looking competitive. And Patricia’s room is already paid till the end of the week because that was the only terms I could get it on because technically the hotel was full up before that, and all her meals go on to Lady Patricia’s bill which is already so high no-one will dare even look at it”

“That’s a trifle unfair!”

“So the incremental cost is pretty well nothing”

“Oh, please, mum. Its so wonderful here”

“Its worth considering Darrin. Its so much easier without the age gap”

“Age gap?”

“Yes, finding activities that suit us, two ten year old boys and a mid-teenage girl”

“True, but this is meant to be a family holiday”

“Darrin, that went out the window as soon as we loaded Kevin into the car. Damon pitching in to look after Patricia has all but saved us from either insanity or murder”

“Well…. But its rather an imposition…”

Albert took a long swig from his brandy glass and placed it back firmly on the table for effect

“…Nonsense old boy. It will go down as one of the highlights of my life”

“Really?”

“Absolutely. Like our walk this morning...”

He gave a cough, which started to turn into choking until Giselle stuck his ventilator in his mouth, and in response to his nod Patricia continued the story

“Albert was in the Far East for a number of years. Almost every country he was in was at war with someone. A civil war, a border dispute, a guerrilla war or just some drug gang warfare. He was telling me about it as we walked through the fruit trees. So we started dodging the crossfire from the lemons on one side and the orange grove of the other”

“Quite so! Avoided all the flak swerving side to side. I do declare that she had that chair up on two wheels at one point. But look, old boy, what do we need to do to get Patricia to stay on here for a few days?”

“Well. I...”

Kevin’s clothes turned up, presented washed and ironed in a clear polythene bag and Abi went to retrieve him from the settee where he had curled up and gone to sleep.

There was a pause just long enough for Patricia to catch the moment.

“Daddy, of course I want to be on holiday with you and mum. But staying here is just so amazing. And it would be easier if we weren't all trying to compete for things to do. I think you’re right about that age gap. I guess I'm not really into the same things as Kevin - like mud, for instance”

“OK” said Darrin becoming decisive again “We’ll leave Patricia here and we’ll call you at 7 o’clock on Thursday to arrange to pick you up. Now who isn’t happy with that?”

“I do believe that is the best option” affirmed Lady Patricia to a unanimous silence of assent.

The boys slept in the car and then hardly waking up through dinner, went off to bed. Darrin and Abi, agreed in their disappointment of not having Patricia there, decided that they would simply abandon their holiday plan of a mix of activities in favour of simply places and things that ten year old boys would do. Like rafting and castle ruins that they can run around and not long walks through high hills with distant views. And in any case, they now had even less idea what Patricia would have wanted to do.

But the next morning Patricia’s laze by the pool was interrupted by a cheery Damon

“I’m so glad you’re able to stay”

“Me too. But I think my dad is well nervous about the cost”

“You’ll just have to convince him then. But one things for sure. I don’t want any money from him. Not a brass cent, ok”

“I’ll try to say that when he phones up”

“But I also want you to help me out with something. I phoned the Jaguar dealer. He says that if I was interested in that particular car, he could give me a sizeable discount. And not just that, its available immediately. Now, that’s the one Lady Patricia likes the colour of and has been in and is quite enthusiastic about so it sounds like it’s the best option”

“I’m not sure I can help you with that”

“Oh, but you can!. You see, I want to persuade Lady Patricia that Giselle will be ok driving it for her. So I want Giselle to get some practice before she takes her ladyship out. And that means I want you to look after Albert while Giselle is driving round the countryside”

“And I suppose you’ll be going with her?” she said with a mischievous glint

“At first, but she also needs confidence on her own”

“Well, we’ll see what Jean-Claude makes of that!”

Thursday evening Patricia waited for the call from her mum and dad. This time it would not be such a shock. Everyone knew what to expect, and even she knew she couldn't stay here forever.

The plan was to set the time for the pick up so that they could make the journey home. But the timetable was looking ambitious.

“Is Damon there” asked Darrin “he knows about driving around France better than the rest of us”

“Yes, he's here. We thought you might want a word with him”

Yes, Damon confirmed, traffic would be heavier than last Saturday as the season got into full swing, and also he'd need time for the inevitable Kevin stops and to give Patricia a break from being in the middle. And with Kevin and Tom, starting early sounded like a maybe at best. And eventually, sounding especially gloomy, Darrin raised the issue of money.

“No” Damon said firmly “Patricia has been absolutely invaluable in progressing my business with Lady Patricia, so no. No money. However, I think I may have a solution to some of the issues, but it relies on you and Abi doing me a favour”

“Sorry? You have a solution to our problem but it relies on us doing you a favour?”

“That's right. Can Abi hear this too? Ok. Saturday will be busy. Driving straight through with the option of getting a wiggle on if you start running behind schedule will be ok. But variables like having to stop at unexpected intervals will be fraught”

“Yes” agreed Darrin “which is why I'm thinking we should cut short and leave tomorrow”

“Tomorrow!” gasped Patricia “oh dear”

“I would say that would solve your time issue. But it doesn't solve your space issue. You still have to squash in. Now, we could solve that by leaving Patricia here till Tuesday which is when I expect to be going back. However, I may need to make a detour through Switzerland and driving her around Europe doesn’t sound like the best option. In addition, I need to get a car back to England as soon as I can. So, Darrin, Abi, here's my suggestion. Darrin, you take Tom and Kevin tomorrow and drive to La Sielle in the north Loire. There’s a nice little hotel there called the La Riviere within walking distance of the football stadium. The local team are playing a league two game against St Irianne. You could use that as a bribe to improve behaviour. That gets you half way and takes out the time pressure. Then I thought that Abi could drive the car I need to get back to England. She’d stay here tomorrow night to get a sensible start and she and Patricia would meet you at the ferry. Also, if she was late, it wouldn’t matter that much, so there’s no real pressure there either and that solves your overcrowding issue. Chances are that the girls won’t want to watch the football anyway”

“Well! There's a plan! So no time pressures tomorrow, and less time pressure on Saturday and plenty of space. What do you say Abi? How do you feel about driving the length of France?”

Next morning, she got the boys ready to go, packed lunch for them and only after that set about tidying up the villa so that it was in a fit state to welcome the cleaner. And then waited for Damon. She felt quite strange, suddenly quiet without the boys and a bit like Cinderella - finishing the cleaning and waiting for Prince Charming.

Mid-afternoon and she finally returned the keys to madam Bousin. Damon, always the gentleman, carried her case for her and stopped by the large grey Bentley. He put the case in the boot and handed her the key.

“Me?”

“Just a bit of practice before tomorrow. Finding out where the windscreen wiper switch is before you actually need it”

“Is this it! But its huge.”

“Surely you didn’t think I would be worried about getting a deux chevaux, back across the channel”

“I suppose not. Oh wow!”

Nervously she set off. “Oh my! Its automatic”

“One less thing to think about” he said looking on the bright side.

She guided it out onto the dual carriageway. It was four times the size of the Sierra. It was long, it was wide, it was a long way to the pedals – and it was wonderful.

“Yes, it is like navigating a barge up a stream on the lanes around here. But on the Peage it will just waft along silently. Your main issue will be keeping the speed down to something sensible”

Damon pointed her in the direction of a longer route so that she could get a better feel for it, and now with the château entrance in view, she felt confident enough to glance over towards him sitting a long way away in the front passenger seat. Maybe this is what life was supposed to be about. No worries about what to cook for dinner, or what state the boys would get into, or if there was anyone she needed to apologise to on their behalf. She had been a bit worried about driving back, like finding the right route and so many other things that could go wrong. She knew she should have been looking forward to the drive back to Roskoff, and now - she was.

At reception, Chantelle was rabbiting something unintelligible in an animated version of French. Something was making her quite excited, but Damon had retained an inscrutable smile throughout.

He led Abi though to the bar and ordered up some wine. She looked over at him hoping he might elucidate without being prompted

“It's all about accommodation” he said quietly sipping his drink

“The château is completely full up, so the news - good or bad depending on your point of view - is that you will be sleeping in my room tonight”

Abi choked on her wine and put the glass down with a thud letting her mouth fall open in disbelief

“You see” he continued before she could reply “my room is a spacious suite. Patricia's room is a much smaller single. Now, I'm not sharing my room with Patricia. That was never on the agenda and that's not going to change now. There are two other combination and both include you sleeping in my room. Either we move Patricia out of her room and in with you and I take her room, or more simply you just share with me.”

Abi didn’t appear to be nearly as outraged as he expected her to be

“After all, there are two beds there” he continued “And there are pros and cons for each option”

But the pure matter of fact way Damon was expressing the options made it seem that there was nothing at all unusual about the situation. It was a simply issue and there were a number of solutions. In fact, she thought, this is just a continuation of the crazy series of events that had got her here in the first place. And there was no risk. She could share with her daughter and there were, he’d said, two beds.

“Pros and cons?” she prompted as he guided her through to the terrace just as Patricia caught up with them

“I saw the car arrive. I guessed you’d be in the bar or on the terrace. Hi mum. But Damon, have you seen the cocktails list. Chantelle has been explaining it to me. Strange, but we don’t seem to have covered the right stuff in French for this type of thing”

“Unless you come from the Outer Hebrides and live in Belarus” he echoed from the journey down

“Yes. So much useless stuff, just like History”

“You need to have a word when you get back. Just quietly explain to your History teacher that there are far more interesting aspects to study”

“Yes!”

“And maybe instead of just listening, you could suggest that you act it all out” added Abi

“Oh! I think that might be going a little too far” gasped Patricia

“It all sounds like a great idea to me” defended Abi

“Maybe not for the Cathars, mum. Its something to do with them all running naked down a hill”

“Ok, so next time you touch on food and drink in French just mention this. I’m sure it would get more of the kids attention. And its something the teacher will know about”

“Why?”

“Because being a teacher automatically introduces you to most flavours of alcohol”

They were interrupted by a waiter approaching them on his way through to the terrace with a tray. He touched Patricia’s arm as he passed and made some comment in French. Damon raised a smile as she stepped back from the bar and twirled her dress as the waiter looked back towards her.

“So you’ve learned enough French for some aspects of life here” said Damon

Abi looked on with some bemusement. This was all so different. A week ago she was hauling a recalcitrant moody introvert onto a cross channel ferry. Now she was flirting with the staff, twirling a £200 designer dress and talking French in an aristocratic hotel bar.

“I’m going to track down Jean-Claude and get one of those cocktail menus” she announced

“Well, there’s a transformation!” said Abi

“She’s in her element here, Abigail. But its maybe just as well she’s going home tomorrow before she gets too used to it”

Abi sighed

“But it was an opportunity, and she’s made the most of it. You can’t ask for more than that” said Damon still watching her at the end of the bar having some sort of conversation with the barman.

“We were thinking about pros and cons as she showed up” said Abi returning to their previous conversation

Its like Patricia, she thought. Its making the most of the opportunity

“Well” Damon was saying “Patricia has already said she going to bed early tonight. She wants to be able to stay awake all day tomorrow and not miss any of the journey. She missed most of it on the way down. She was exhausted, poor thing, and just crashed out. So what that means is that you’d probably have to be quite early too so as not to disturb her, rather than take some quiet time with a cocktail on the terrace or watch the owls and bats from the balcony with a glass of chilled something as the daylight disappears”

He could see she was considering this

“There must be a down side?”

“The down side is that you might or might not get carried away by the atmosphere, the emotion, the situation, or just the wine and end up doing something you hadn’t intended. But you’ve got till after dinner to consider it if we’re going to do a room swap”

“I got one! Eventually. And Damon, there’s a residents cocktail bar up on the second floor. Oh, can we go up there after dinner?”

“Yes, although I’m surprised you haven’t found it before! And before dinner?”

“I’m going to take another half hour of sun by the pool”

“What about your mum?”

“Oh, Damon. I’ll be with mummy all day tomorrow. I’m sure she’d rather be with you just now”

And what’s that meant to mean? thought Abi as Patricia disappeared.

“You know Damon, before we came on holiday she was almost entirely motionless. Now she’s a whirlwind. I’m not sure which I prefer”

“The whirlwind, definitely. She’s happy. She’s so excited and she’s just living every moment of it”

“Let’s hope it lasts”

“I expect it will. One thing she’s discovered is that if you want to make the most of things, you have to get out there and make it happen, and that way the cards fall your way instead of taking pot luck every time or following the herd”

Now with Patricia gone, they talked a bit about driving in France and how the Peage worked and if she did get stopped by the Gendarmerie, show them the car but under no circumstances speak any French and they’ll soon give up and be on their way. He said he’d booked the ferry ticket but she’d have to collect it at the office rather than just the check in, and to put all the fuel on a credit card so that he could pay her back before she had to pay it.

It all seemed organised and straightforward and the conversation migrated to being about Abi. She was now on her third glass of wine and it was slipping down only too well. And Damon was just, simply, easy to talk to. He listened. And encouraged. And didn't continually interrupt with his own perspective and try to steal centre stage. Yes, she admitted, she was content enough, but seeing the château, and the people who inhabited it gave her a flash of an alternative lifestyle. He'd already suggested that they spend the night together. Oh, maybe not, he'd said share his room, and there were two beds to save disturbing Patricia, and the risk was she might get carried away and was that all bad? Maybe not.

She was happy enough with Darrin, or maybe just content to take each day as a continuance of yesterday. Him, little Tom, Patricia - they all needed looking after and her job and the house. She didn't have time for anything else. But ultimately Darrin was boring. He was a geek. She thought he'd be a safe bet, being in computers. That was hailed as the future. But what he was short on was empathy. Damon however, had empathy in spades. Now Gareth, that she'd been going out with so very long ago before she met Darrin - he was something different. They did everything, went everywhere, travelled to the Far East and explored the remote corners of the US using the Greyhound network. He was always penniless because he just spent everything he scraped together. And that's why Darrin. He saved, he was practical and would be better for kids in the long term. She remembered she'd seen Gareth a couple of times again even after they’d got engaged, but Darrin was safer and she hadn't wanted to live life on the edge all the time. Not and have children.

“But that’s sensible, Abi” Damon had responded as she came to a natural break “Kids are stressful enough without the lifestyle of a penniless nomad. But it doesn’t stop you taking opportunities like this – dinner with a Lady and Viscount, cruising a Bentley through France. I know you were a bit nervous, but it’ll be great.”

“Ok, but what if something goes wrong? Like, maybe we break down”

“Bentley’s tend not to. But if it did as an example, get a taxi to a hotel, check in, phone me and I’ll drive over and take you to dinner”

Lady Patricia joined them to take them both to dinner

“Albert and Giselle are already at the table” she announced

“I guess we lost track of time, but we figured someone would know where to look for us”

“Now” she said as they walked back to the dining room “what were you upsetting Chantelle about? She seemed awfully animated”

“Yes, I was wondering that as well”

“It was just a minor accommodation issue, Lady Patricia”

“I’ve never known her get like that about allocating rooms before”

“Well… You see Lady Patricia, she was having difficulty finding an extra room for Abigail so I suggested, just by way of being helpful you understand, that I could give my room to Abigail and share her room instead”

Abi failed to stifle a giggle while Lady Patricia gave Damon a very old fashioned look

“You said before that you had to 'bend her arm' to get Miss Patricia a room, and now again. I get the impression you must know her a bit better than we all might imagine?”

“This may be true. Actually, we spent a little time together in Milan when she was working in Provence. She told me she wanted to move on from there, and I knew of this job. So I put a word in for her so that’s how she’s here”

“Oh, I see!” said Lady Patricia brightly “but you're not together still are you”

“No, we were never, ‘together’ as you put it. Just friends, and we're still just friends”

Miss Patricia arrived to complete the numbers now wearing the original marbled sea-green dress that had made such an impression on her first night.

“Yes,” she admitted in response to Abi's questions “this is the expensive designer dress that dad is going to skin me for”

“Don't be so pessimistic, my dear. You look absolutely divine in it. And I'm sure you'll find plenty of opportunities to wear it at home, if you look for them”

It was the ‘if you look for them’ bit that she wasn't sure about, but maybe someone would explain it. Or maybe it would just become clear as so many other things had over the last six days.

Over dinner Abi watched the dynamics. Her little girl joining the conversation with a young innocence that made Albert and her ladyship reconsider their traditional perspective only to discover that things were simpler than they were expecting even if they didn’t want to face that much reality. Like the Jaguar – “but you don’t need a chauffeur, you’ve got Giselle”

“Yes, but her job is as nurse and assistant and confidant”

“And driver” added Patricia. She turned towards Giselle “although I expect you’d just spend all your time with the chauffeur and have none left to look after Albert anyway”

Albert burst out laughing to the point of choking and needing Giselle to apply his ventilator and Giselle just smiled and shook her head.

“Yes, possibly Patricia, but not something I’m going to admit to, so thanks for putting in a good word for me!”

Dinner was nearly over when Albert leaned forward

“Patricia, you have already suggested that I shall live longer if you're not around because Giselle takes things so much more gently. I however, am not convinced its such a good deal”

Lady Patricia produced a small jewellery box. It was unwrapped and marked with the logo of a local goldsmith.

“Miss Patricia, we'd like you to accept this” she said handing it across the table to her “it has been such a pleasure having you around. It is a memory Albert and I shall cherish for the rest of our days - although for one of us that may not really be that many. But I wish you every success. Perhaps you would like to visit us next year, if you could spare the time, and either of us is still in the land of the living”

“Now who's being pessimistic? I told you I've got you budgeted for at least a decade”

“And that is comforting you know. But Albert and I are taking an early night.”

“Oh my goodness! Lady Patricia, you’re 84 and you’re still taking early nights with Albert! Oh my!”

Albert nearly fell off his chair laughing and it also raised a smile from the older lady “Hopefully we'll see you before you go tomorrow, and I'm sure Giselle will join you shortly”

“I hope so – we’ll be in the cocktail bar”

I can't see old Albert there holding out a whole year even if all they do is sleep on their early night, thought Abi to herself as she and Damon looked on with mounting curiosity. Patricia opened the box to reveal a gold pendant necklace with a solitaire diamond.. Abi looked on, stunned as her daughter raised the necklace for Damon to fasten

“Well done you! For whatever it is that you've been doing”

“Whatever it is” added Damon “you must’ve been doing it right. And you've been invited back. That may well be an opportunity not to be missed. I'd diary it right now if I were you”

Opportunities, thought Abi. Not to be missed.

They turned to head upstairs to the cocktail bar as Patricia had asked

“I don't think we need to disturb Patricia this evening, Damon. She's had such a good week. It would be nice to just leave her in her room to complete her memory, and in any case, you don't get to watch bats and owls from the balcony every day”

It was nearly 10 before Patricia headed off to her room. She said she was aiming to stay awake all day in the car, and even help with the navigation, and Damon led Abi along to his room. It was certainly spacious, with a large super king bed over to the left, a settee and a couple of chairs and a coffee table right centre, a desk covered in documents behind the door and a single bed discretely positioned against the far wall. The light was fading as Damon opened the doors onto the balcony and the swish of an owl flicked past if you watched carefully. Abi was mesmerised by how wonderfully serene it all was. Quiet, the lighting dimmed to match the surroundings and no harsh light pollution from other rooms. Just the dim driveway markers in the distance.

Is there anything in the mini bar” she breathed as she stepped outside. The balcony was more of a roof terrace with a half a dozen chairs, a table and an egg chair swing, all positioned to look out across the forests to the mountains beyond.

Damon returned with two glasses of champagne

“There's a refill left in the bottle, but I'm just conscious that you've got a long drive tomorrow and more than another couple of glasses could have you sleeping in. Look! There!”

Damon pointed out the owl as it skimmed low over the lawn. She peered into the dimness and was able to follow its shape till it veered upwards into the trees beyond.

She nestled in towards him “This is such a magical place” she said as she sipped her drink slowly to help make the moment last “but the most surprising thing is the change in Patricia. It would be interesting to know what you've done to her?”

“Done to her! Nothing more frightening than talking to her!”

Abi took a quick gulp of air. Oh my I didn't mean to upset him, oh, but that must've sounded accusing. She turned to face him in dismay, but immediately relaxed. There was no face of guilt anywhere, just the gentle encouraging smile that she'd found so disarming on the terrace before dinner.

“Before dinner on the first night, she was very, very nervous. She was in danger of being overwhelmed. I went up to her room to accompany her down. But I also took a small make up bag I'd got in the boutique. I only used an absolute minimum, but that and the sea-green dress and the high heels she hardly recognised herself. She said it gave her a boost of confidence but she still had no idea of what to say or even how to behave. I told her just to be polite and I'd prompt her on anything else that was needed. I said to look at it this way. Imagine you’re back at school and you're telling Susie about this moment. What do you want to tell her? That you suddenly shouted 'fire' at the top of your voice and evacuated the entire hotel before being thrown out unceremoniously into the lane, or that you sat through the entire episode and did absolutely nothing or what! So concentrate at least at first, and join in. Take the effort to make the event into what you want to tell your friends in two weeks’ time. She said that, one way or another, she'd had the opportunity to drive through France with an all-time rock idol of hers and she fell asleep during most of it. She wasn't going to let the other opportunities go by in the same way. I'm going to make these opportunities into memories I want to remember for the rest of my life”

Abi relaxed her neck letting her head fall onto his shoulder “she certainly seems to have responded to the inspiration”

“It's one of the ways we made the band successful. I didn't always accept the easy choice. I remember in Turin we played a small gig and the guy asked us to play the next night, and the next. After a fortnight I turned it down. Said we had a better offer in Vienna. He was a bit annoyed, but I phoned him a couple of months later and he took us on for a month on double the rate. It would have been so much easier just to stay there like we stayed in Hamburg for six months, but we wouldn't have made progress”

She nodded as he shook his empty glass and was leaning back as far as she could on the settee when he returned with the refill, but instead of sitting down beside her he lifted himself up to swing in the egg chair

“I'm glad I let Patricia come here. It seems to have changed her outlook, and just having Kevin and Tom around has certainly been an education for me. I was disappointed that we didn’t get the holiday with Patricia, but it would have been a complete nightmare with the boys as well”

Then the offer of the Bentley and the opportunity to take dinner and stay in a place like this, they're all writing the story the way I want to tell it when I get back. She got up and tried unsuccessfully to lift herself into the egg chair beside him. That is, until he helped her. It was a tight fit and they squashed together with an arm around each other to make the space. They squeezed in close to one another just watching the bats.

I can see Sandra's face now, she thought to herself, when I tell her she'll say, so you’re on the balcony with the most wonderful guy in the world and you're sipping champagne as another owl wafts past and it's the most romantic setting. So did you? Did you spend the night with him? And I'll say, well, what do you think? What would turn an opportunity like that into a perfect memory?’

She turned to kiss him as he put the glasses down and slowly with mounting anticipation, they undressed each other.

Damon was already up and about when Abi woke the next morning. She showered and dressed as Damon phoned Darrin’s hotel to make sure everything was all right, particularly with the bill.

“How do I look? Is this the right sort of outfit for Bentley driving?”

Damon nodded with negligible enthusiasm

“Come on – breakfast time. The others are probably there already”

Abi walked self-consciously into the dining room becoming increasingly deflated. After everything being so perfect, it now looked like it would be ending on a low. Oh my, surely not! But her spirits revived a little as Patricia had more enthusiasm than the rest of them put together.

“I don’t want to go” she bubbled “But I am looking forward to the journey. I think it will be fabulous, don’t you mum?”

“Yes, yes. I’m looking forward to it” but her voice was transparently downbeat

“Yes” said Patricia reflecting the tone “This place gets to you like that. Its so amazing you just want it to go on forever. But I’ve always known I was only here for a few days. And thanks to everyone here its been longer than expected. But it has to end now. And that’s sad. Oh and Lady Patricia, and Albert, thankyou so much for my necklace. Its fabulous too and I’ve enjoyed being with you so much. She got up and gave her a huge hug and moved on to a small kiss for Albert

“Careful, Trish. I can see a heart attack coming on right now” said Giselle knowing that if anything did happen to him she’d be the one who would have to look after him.

“But I can’t think of a better way to go!” he retorted

The waiter serving more coffee interrupted the discussion and Abi had the chance to turn to Patricia.

“Damon’s a bit down this morning. Which is rather disappointing”

“Damon? Oh! I’ll tell you what that is, if you really want me to”

“Yes please. We had such a perfect evening I don’t want to end on a low”

“Mum, its Damon, not you. Its just that… Oh, what exactly did he say to me? Oh I remember. When we were buying my sea-green dress he said Patricia, there isn’t a girl alive or dead that looks better in trousers than she would in a dress”

“Oh I see!”

She let out a sigh “But I don’t have anything else. My red one from yesterday has champagne spilled over it, although maybe no one would notice”

“Yes, and if anyone did notice, you just say. Oh that? Its ok, its just champagne”

Abi perked up. All this, coming from her little girl who only a week ago would at best just grunt sullenly, was just as magical as the chateau.

“What’s just champagne?” interrupted Lady Patricia

“The stain on mums dress”

Lady Patricia thought for a moment “But we didn’t take champagne at dinner”

“No, added Damon, it was after dinner”

“I thought you were going to the cocktail bar with Giselle?”

“Yes, we did. It was after that”

“After the cocktail bar. I see – so you two had a good evening at least”

Yes, thought Damon, but did she mean at least good, or at least the evening.

“Which is why mum’s wearing her black trousers. But we can’t have you leaving on a low. You can borrow my mint dress”
“Mint? Patricia?”

“Yes, it’s a lovely pastel mint that I got for my arrival, before I changed into my green one for dinner”
“I see. Another new one!”

“Yes. It’ll be a little shorter on you, but that’ll be ok with the Frenchmen we meet along the way. Imagine. Someone as pretty as mum in a high hemline driving a Bentley. Oh my goodness. Mum, just think about how you’d feel getting out at the services to refuel. You’ll be at the checkout and he’ll ask which pump and you’ll just say ‘le Bentley a la ba s’ile vou ple’. It would be so amazing. Oh, mum, you really must. It’ll be so much fun”

“Yes. Why not!” why not indeed. Maybe not an opportunity but certainly an experience and one she could relate to Sandra when she saw her during the week. It would be part of making the memory. And she was only now seeing why they said that Patricia was such a delight to have around. So full of this infectious innocent energy. And yes, why not. They disappeared off but were back in less than 15 minutes while Damon settled Patricia’s bill.

“You look fabulous” said Damon as they reappeared in the hall “simply stunning”

And that, thought Abi, meant more to her than the whole of the rest of her stay put together.

Goodbye’s said, cases loaded, smiles on faces and for Abi at least heart in mouth, they headed north.

With Patricia and Abi now gone, Damon ordered up more coffee and took up a thoughtful position on the terrace. Monday’s objective was to get all the signatures he needed from everyone including the Notary, so today and tomorrow could be devoted to turning Giselle into a chauffeuse. Hiring one over his budgeted timescale of 10 years could easily cost him over quarter of a million so there was an incentive to get this right. He spent some time thinking up reasons that he and Giselle should disappear together that Lady Patricia might actually believe so that he could complete the coaching he thought would give her the confidence she needed.

All 3 of them had been subdued over breakfast and now reappearing on the terrace they looked almost lost.

“She’s gone” stated Albert obviously

“We can still go for your walk” said Giselle trying to be encouraging

“Thankyou, Giselle, but I think I’ll just sit by the pool this morning”

“I’m going to read through the contract this morning just to make sure I have no more questions. We’re seeing the Notary on Monday are we not?”

“Yes, we have an appointment at 10 o’clock”

“Yes. But you’ll have to drop me off while you park the car and I’ll be hanging around. You know just how much I like hanging around on my own. Not ideal”

“I asked if he could come and see us, but he declined. However, I think Giselle should drive us in and we can take Albert along as well. Then she can drop both of us off and take Albert down to see the river”

“I say! Good plan Damon. And we won’t be dependent on the airport schedule either!”

So that was the Lady convinced – or maybe.

“It sounds to me like a lot more work” opened Giselle as she returned from parking Albert under a sun shade with a long drink

“I hope not – The way I look at it, they’ll either want the walk or the drive. I can’t see them wanting both. Albert at least won’t have the energy”

“I suppose so Damon”

“So how long do you think old Albert is going to last” he said opening a new tack

“How long? Oh my. I try not to think about that.”

“That’s sweet of you”

“Maybe. But I’m not sure she’d keep me on if we didn’t have his continual medical emergencies”

“Exactly Giselle. Which is why we need to find you some additional tasks to make yourself indispensable”

“Oh I see! But do you think I can do it?”

“I don’t see why not. Loads of girls drive cars – why not you?

“But its such a big car. And powerful. I mean, you were there when I tried pressing the accelerator the other day”

“Yes, it can certainly go when you ask it. But it’ll come with practice. And that’s why I think we should take the opportunity of going out now while they’re both otherwise occupied”

Somehow life seemed more leisurely, more restrained. It was less frantic, less exciting and less likely to cause heart failure or some other terminal damage now that the life and soul of the party had left. But, reflected Lady Patricia over dinner that evening, it may well be more subdued, but was also more in keeping with their age and capabilities.

Meanwhile the journey north was going entirely to plan, considering that there wasn’t one.

Patricia had volunteered for map duty. She’d added to that a frequent check on the fuel gauge.

With these two headaches taken away, Abi concentrated on the road and the traffic. Now she was leaning back in the seat and relaxing. Keeping this barge pointed in the right direction was not as hard as she had expected and was anticipating the reaction at the services with some excitement. She wasn’t by reputation an outrageous girl, she didn’t go out of her way to shock anyone or even to be the centre of attention. But this was all part of the experience and making the memory. It was like it was being staged, except that everyone else was cast as themselves and their first suggested stop came up with no wrong turnings or even arguments.

“Is it your car!” exclaimed the checkout operator almost as Patricia had predicted it

Abi tensed up. She’s going to say we stole it, just to see the effect. “It belongs to a friend of ours. He’s just lent it to us for a few days”

Abi relaxed again and even managed to retain decorum getting back into the car.

“Partly because its true” she continued as her mum’s look was asking for an explanation. She would have said it was hers “and partly, well, anyone can just buy a Bentley, but its only someone rather special who would have a friend that is a good enough friend to lend them his Bentley”

They replayed the story at the check-in office at the port. The tickets were there as Damon had said but in true French style the paperwork checks took long enough to raise Abi’s heartrate. Finally, they were handed their envelope “They are holding the ferry for you, so please do not delay”

They were last on and the crew were raising the ramp before Abi had stopped the car, But it solved another issue for her in that there was no-one behind her as she climbed the steep stairs to the deck.

As expected the boys were there first and had collected the cabin keys, but there was no reply from the knock at the door.

“Must be in the café” said Patricia “Dad wouldn’t risk those two hooligans in the bar”

She spotted them at a far table as they queued with their trays. It seemed they already had food and Abi could see Darrin looking her way. This, she thought, was a replay of when Patricia was late to the table at the chateau.

“I hardly recognised you! Is that new?”

“No, its Patricia’s. I thought this was better, although my red one’s only got champagne spilled on it”

But now the holiday was over. The family was back together again. Funny, thought Abi, as the two boys sat quietly chomping their fish fingers and chips, if they’d behaved this well on the way out, none of this would ever have happened. But events had changed her, just a little, and Patricia was a different person. Kevin was quiet – that was different. Maybe Tom had changed as well, and Darrin? Good old Darrin. Maybe nothing would ever change him and maybe it was just as well – better the devil you know.

Back at school, Patricia’s anticipated English essay was set. ‘What I did on my holiday’ – as expected the same as last year and probably next year as well. Almost everyone sat slumped in their chair with their motionless pen pointing at the ceiling. But Patricia had no such deliberation. She knew exactly what she wanted to write and tore through the lines as fast as she could make the pen move while retaining some semblance of legibility. She didn’t even slow down as the teacher stood by her right shoulder carefully reading as she wrote.

“Can I finish mine at home, Sir” as the papers were collected in. This was quite unexpected “If you wish. It certainly seemed interesting, the part I read, so I’ll be interested to see what happens next. But I need it back in good time for me to read it before next week”

Patricia went forward to get her essay back

“It's very good. I like the context and the continuity, and the central character is developed well”

She accepted the comments through oooos from her classmates “But” the comments continued “you appear to have forgotten to write the ending. It's as if the last couple of lines are missing”

“That's because” she said in a low serious voice looking straight through him “it's an autobiography, Sir. If I wrote the ending, I'd expect to be dead”

This was all too serious for her classmates

“Come on Trish. Its any essay, fiction. You made it up, right”

“I wrote it down, but its all fact”

But all that did was raise more doubt and damage her credibility.

Susie was something of an exception. She managed to remain Trish’s best friend, but still had serious reservations. Even when she called for her a few days later and saw the grey Bentley parked outside the house. That might just be the inspiration for the whole thing. Maybe its just the fantasy behind how it came to be parked in our street.

Patricia was well aware of her scepticism and showed her the three designer dresses

“I know you want to believe me” she’d said “You just find it too incredible, and I do too, looking back at it. But I’ll tell you when Damon is coming to collect the car and you’ll see its really him”

Patricia made a point of showing Susie the album cover.

“You’ll see. He looks just like this, even though that’s two years ago”

Susan was agog at the emotional reunion. Abi had answered the door even though the girls had heard the taxi. He gave her more than a peck for a kiss and a hug that made her release a louder than expected ooh! Then to Patricia who he lifted clean off the floor. Oh, she thought, if only he’d done this more in France, their might have been a whole different risqué paragraph in that essay. He gave Susie a hug too, so as not to leave her out and sat down to share tea with them all. He gave them an update on how the Studio was progressing, but really was on a rather tight schedule. They’d all finished as he turned to Susie “You're about as independent as anyone around here, Susie. So would you mind going out to the car and writing down the mileage for me. Patricia, can you show her where to look”

“I would if I knew” said Patricia

“In the middle of the speedo”

“Of course! Of course I know. That’s what I used to calculate the next fuel stop” she said as she took the keys from the hook

Susie was now fully convinced, but still had some way to go before she could accept the reality.

It was time for Damon to go. Abi wasn’t making a big thing of it. She’d never intended to have a full sized affair, just a little opportunistic fun, and she left the emotional meltdown to Patricia who clung to his neck in tears

“I can’t believe I’ll never see you again. It was all such huge fun. I can’t believe its just going to end here right now”

“Ok. But you’ve got the memories, you’ve got the future – remember how I told you to relate to your career? You’ve got the odd dress or two, and a few tips on makeup. You’ve got Lady Patricia’s invitation. And here..” he handed her a business card “I don’t expect a phone call every week, but the odd one or two would be good. And when I get the Studio running properly, you can come over and I’ll show you round. What else do you want?” which was supposed to be rhetorical

“What I want is to be with you forever and ever”.

He chuckled “Maybe if you get some good exam results and then a sensible degree, you can come and join us in the music industry. That might be as near as it gets”

“Can I really!”

“You just see how you feel about it in five years’ time. It’s a long way off and there will be huge opportunities in the meantime. But if you need my help on something specific, call me, right?”

Zurich

After Abi and Patricia had left the Languedoc, Damon had taken Chantelle out for dinner as planned on Monday evening. That at least was straight forward with no surprises and then headed for Switzerland the next morning. He wanted to show his face in his bank in Zurich to make sure that there was enough money in the accounts he was using for the building work and for paying his soon to be increasing staff.

He’d taken an extra day so that he wouldn’t offend Lady Patricia by abandoning her as soon as the contract was signed.

But now that it was, the diversion through Zurich was even more imperative. He could ramp up the work and charge ahead towards completion without the risk that Patricia would return and force them all to relocate. It made sense to do that at the expense of an extra day to allay so many concerns about the costs of the refurbishment and how to handle the money coming in from the bands – when it eventually started to flow.

The ferry provided some undisturbed thinking time, and the implications had surfaced like bubbles in a Pepsi. He bounded down the drive wondering when they’d ever get around to getting it resurfaced, and he couldn’t wait to tell the others.

Michelle was in her office when he bumped straight into her, recovering only by giving her a kiss

“Michelle! See if you can round up Adam. We need a quick discussion, and Janice, and Natalia.

“I’ll go and find him. But don’t you disappear. Miracles I can perform immediately, rounding you up may take a little longer! So how did it go?”

“Great. But we need to tell Adam”

It wasn’t long before he arrived. He interpreted Michelle’s excited tone as good news. And Michelle was assuming good news from Damon’s excitement. She stood as close to him as she possibly could while Adam perched on the side of the table and Janice and Natalia looked on wondering what the excitement was all about.

“I’m just a few minutes ago back from seeing Lady Patricia in Carcassonne. And the news is that she’s signed the contract. That transfers ownership of the house and estate to me, and that means we can go full steam ahead without the threat of needing to find somewhere else and start again. The cost has gone up, but it should still be within the budget I originally set. That gives us a much more stable base, and gives us much more confidence in making real investments. It’s a huge hurdle to clear”

“So, that means that we can start creating a schedule with a level of certainty – Karen will be over the moon”

“Not sure about that. We need to get this building sorted out before we invite too many bands to join us”

And that meant, as Michelle had always assumed, that when Lady Patricia finally transferred the manor, everything would ramp up an order of magnitude or maybe two, And she wasn’t intending to be disappointed.

Headless Chameleon

Following her dinner with Damon, the event had played on loop inside Heather’s head. Over the following few days she’d fought her way past thinking about it to concentrate on the track list and the lyrics. She knew a lot of them already because they were Chameleon’s standards - the fan’s favourites that they were expected to play every time. Damon had also invited her to the Studio, whatever that was, and not knowing, she decided to make herself more familiar with the material first, just in case it was a recording studio of some kind. But she knew the time would quickly slip away.

Being unprepared was not an option and she headed south.

If the invitation was awesome, the first sight of the Studio blew her mind and she’d hardly recovered as she stepped inside and caught sight of the staircase and the frescos and the chandelier.

“Damon’s in the garden” apologised Michelle “But that means you can take a couple of hours to acclimatise before he invites you to join the mayhem”

A couple of hours! It would take months to get used to this place. She’d stayed in her fair share of hotels while she’d been on tour, but this was something else! Quite apart from being almost deserted. Where was everyone? It was huge, why was it empty? But she had a job to do and learning the new songs was priority. She still wasn’t sure she could do this, but she was even more determined to try. And part of that was to convince herself by repeating ‘Yes, I can do this and I will be ready’

Hanging out at the Studio suited her. She found living at home at her mums house rather restricting. On the road with her band she felt more like a free spirit although it lacked the security. The Studio was infinitely better. She had her rehearsal room, complete with computerised ‘Big Brother’ monitoring her every flat note. She hardened her resolve to succeed. She determined to do her best. She practiced hard which was tiring and sometimes stressful when she continually went wrong and the machine was unrelenting in reminding her. But as she made fewer mistakes and forgot fewer cues, her confidence started to improve and she found that she could unwind in the garden. She found that the restoration which visibly increased daily was a source of inspiration. It calmed her down and she felt she could imagine what it would be like in the spring and summer when everything was in flower. She watched Sienna pruning, clearing and tidying, loading the excess vegetation into her trailer and disappearing with yet another load and leaving behind yet another recovered flowerbed. Clearly she too was on a mission and the similarities were all too clear.

Time had now disappeared. Those innumerable days that she had to learn her lyrics had vanished, but Heather was ready. She’d been ready since Sunday. She knew the songs, she knew the cues. She had a good idea of her dance moves. Now all she had to do was sync with the musicians and check out her moves against a real stage. Was that all!

Unexpectedly, relief was at hand. She was down in the kitchen with Janice and Natalia when she mentioned this

“There’s a big stage in the old chapel. You should use that” said Natalia as though it was a pig obvious solution.

Yes, I should have thought of that. And maybe I would have if I’d ever known there was an old chapel, and that it actually had a stage. Still thinking about it, she found Adam and together, they set out to find it.

“If it exists” thought Adam out loud “it will be out beyond the West wing because its certainly not over this side, but I really have lost track of all the work Damon and Michelle have got going” and it was much more exciting than either of them could have imagined.

The chapel was high, high enough to build tiered seating into. And there was already a raised dais at one end. It really did not look as though it had been used for any religious purposes for a very long time, and Adam convinced himself that resurrecting music and joy and laughter with a touch of seriousness was actually quite like its original intended purpose. Three days later, Hal had raised the dais by four feet and installed the first two layers of tiering and Adam had asked Michelle to track down some theatre type seating. It would be really useful for full sized rehearsals. An internal theatre! Yes, just another resource to ensure their success. But Hal’s hammering would have to continue without an audience as Adam, Damon and Heather would all head for Gloucester. Michelle too, would desert them the following day and fly to Glasgow.

Rehearsals were effectively finished. Damon and Adam had done this so many times that they’d simply meet Gordon at the venue, get on stage and blast out yet another concert. It was Heather that they needed to include. It meant a different way of doing so many parts of their stage act. Heather would be out in front, she’d be the focus for the dance moves, but little or none of this would affect Gordon, sitting at the back of the stage behind a drum kit or standing inconspicuously stage left with a rhythm guitar.

The day had arrived. Heather was more excited than nervous, but couldn’t explain just how much she’d been praying that it would all go well. And now they were off, heading for the theatre in Gloucester for the final run through before the……

She couldn’t even get herself to mention it. It was all such a big deal and loomed in front of her like a solid black wall that she was about to crash into with possibly fatal consequences.

Megan was ready too. It had all come round so quickly and suddenly Kim was half way to Gloucester with Megan and Dawn still suffering some minor shock. The others were already there and Damon made the introductions. Bruce – road crew and Lighting, Brenda - Road crew and Bruce’s assistant in everything including social events, and Adam. Gordon, about whom she’d already been warned was already in Glasgow, and Heather who was just as excited as her but more under control.

Kim too had high expectations. She was looking forward to seeing how different it would be from the very focussed lethal weapon that she remembered from the school concert. It all looked well organised even if there was a lot of discussion on each point, but no-one seemed stressed about it. Megan wasn’t so sure. Maybe she’d be the only one that wasn’t confident.

She stood in the wings of this real theatre. There was a lot more space here than at the side of the stage at her school, but she’d done this before – surely it cant be that different? Leap from a height onto the stage, land perfectly making sure your skirt isn’t round your ears and charge straight into the first number before thinking about anything else. Ok so the previous time there were 10 people in the audience, the time before that there were 200 and this time there'd be 40 thousand, but she couldn’t really visualise that, and if she didn't think about it, it would be just the same.

There seemed to be some kind of script that they were annotating as they went through the various stage changes although Megan figured, if she wasn’t on stage for these she might not need to know.

She knew her cue, but she’d have to listen carefully for it because the rest of the script was unreasonably flexible, depending, as it would, on circumstances and audience reaction which was even more unpredictable than a normal gig. The theme was that she'd be directing her songs at Damon in response to his attention to the other girl on the stage, or some similar analogy, but there would be a certain innuendo between her and Heather.

Bruce was listening carefully as Damon explained her entrance and her leap onto the stage, and this bit she did need to know about.

“I’ll introduce you while you’re still stage left out of sight. Don’t know exactly what, what your cue is ‘I love you, Megan’. At that point its your entry. I’ll be on the G minor, and Adam will as well. Gordon will cut in on ‘Now’ which is your first word, but as you leap down from your perch you’ll trip your spotlight which will come up immediately to catch you in mid-air. That’s why you need the fluorescent blouse and you need to make sure that at least the cuffs and collar are showing when you get dressed”

It all seemed straightforward enough. Enter as usual, and straight into two tracks and exit. But…

“Slow down, Damon. You saying Megan needs a trip-light?”
“Yeah, its just a bit extra to enhance the entrance”
“Don’t doubt that but it needs its own circuit and we haven’t got that on the plan”
“Own circuit??” questioned Heather “It wont be that bright or she’ll never see anything for the rest of the night”

“No, not bright. Its so that its not switched out on one of the pre-sets. No telling where they’ll be at that point”

The implications of this conversation eluded her, but Megan tried to look interested and to make some sense of it. But Bruce didn’t want to wait until the on site electricians had connected it all together just for him to dismantled it and rebuild it tomorrow. “It would be better if we could sort this today”

Apart from that, it had all gone rather well and Megan was feeling disappointed that it was her that was causing all the problems, until they picked up the call from Gordon. Already in Glasgow he was checking the stage construction and preparation, but the news was slightly concerning. The stage was being build for strength and security, and although he hadn't seen Megan's performance and to some extent was guessing, it looked to him as though the gap Megan would need for her entrance was being left out.

There was still a lot to be loaded into the truck, but Damon interrupted that to pull the team together.

“Guys, we need to make sure that stage is put together the way we need it for Megan. We can’t afford to be rebuilding tomorrow”

“And if they’ve missed that detail at Ibrox, I wonder if its ok in Leeds?” asked Adam

“Yes. Not just the trip light but the entrance gap as well. Hmm. Dawn, you know how this is meant to work, don’t you?”
“Damon, I’ve never used it, and I can only guess at the technology. But I’ve seen it used a dozen times in rehearsal”

“Ok, so you know why its there, how its meant to work and the position it needs to be in. Gordon’s seen these things before. Heather. Can you and Dawn take this trip unit with you. Get down to the airfield and take the chopper to Glasgow and make sure its setup properly. You should get there before the crew knocks off for the day. Adam, can you take Megan up to Leeds, make sure they know what they’re doing, and we’ll see you at dinner. It would be better if you weren’t travelling tomorrow. I’ll help Bruce and Brenda finish loading after we run through the critical lighting cues”

Dawn was ecstatic. Not just travel in the helicopter, but with a critical mission as well!

Most of the lighting changes were on pre-set and controlled by the foot pedals on stage. Damon had done all this a hundred times and it was really just refreshing his memory. But there were a few, like when Heather came on stage for the first time that he wanted Bruce to control, so that he would not be distracted from that critical entrance. And it could require a certain amount of ad-lib if there was any ‘audience participation’.

Bruce was expecting a late arrival in Glasgow, but Brenda was adamant that they’d make the bar for a couple of drinks with the rest of the team. But the number for dinner had not reduced. Michelle had flown up to show support for Damon and to see the show. And Gordon had invited an old girlfriend. But that was good. It meant that he wouldn’t be hitting on Megan or Dawn, or even Heather and that meant that Damon didn’t have to make the decision on whether to interfere or not. And he also realised now that he’d feel both protective and possessive if Michelle was Gordon’s target.

Talk was about the set. The stage wasn’t nearly as big as Heather feared it might be in a venue that size. It was the venue that was a scary size. Megan’s entrance had been remodelled, and both she and Heather were now stock petrified by the enormity of the event as they finally had time to think about it in the hotel bar

“You’ll be fine when you see everyone out there just waiting. You’ll both be fantastic”

But Damon’s off-hand dismissal of their fears was hardly encouraging

Bruce and Brenda turned up just in time to miss desert, and that invited a replay of almost the whole conversation all over again.

And while Megan and Heather were trying to come to terms with it, Dawn was overwhelmed. The stage. The whole venue. The number of people who might turn up. Was it sold out? All that! Even though she wouldn’t even be playing. And this bar she was in where no-one was even considering asking her for I.D. She’d never even stepped inside a five star hotel before, never mind stayed there. But these runaway thought were interrupted as Damon was talking to her, asking her where she wanted to watch the performance from

“There’s a VIP box you could go to. I expect that’s where Michelle will be and the Chairman of Rangers football club will be there with his wife. After all, it is his stadium we’re in. Or you can stay back stage, except you might have to keep an eye on Heather and Megan to make sure they don’t miss their cue…. And then after the show, we’ll all be back here. Probably wind down with a drink or two. Maybe discuss some changes for Leeds. But Dawn, the next day, that’s Friday, I want you to take the helicopter to Wembley and make sure that Megan’s switch is being installed correctly. It means you’ll miss Leeds, but two out of three aint bad.”

“What! Just me? On my own?”
“Yes. We all need to get to Leeds, and you’ve seen what’s needed here. You know everything about it. What it is, where its meant to be, how it works, what its for. Who else knows all that? But Michelle might volunteer to come with you”

At the stadium, the atmosphere continued to build all day long. There seemed to be an increasing number of people milling about, starting just after lunch. A few of them seemed to be doing something useful, but by late afternoon the whole place looked like it was half full with high viz security jackets and shifty looking supervisors. By 7 it had filled up. A slow trickle at first, then an increase to a veritable flood. Spare space looked like a rare commodity.

They were ready to go, sound tests complete, first tracks confirmed, dressed, and for two of them, seriously stressed. Megan clung to Adam’s arm as she gazed out into the increasing crowd

“You are wearing underwear?”
“Of course I am! Why?”

“Just in case you fall over on landing”

She thumped him, just for suggesting the possibility, and how come she’d got to know him that well in only the few hours since she’d met him? - But that comment was hardly designed to reassure her. Meanwhile Heather had gone rather quiet. This was so huge. This was what she’d fantasised about when she was a child, This is what she’d been working towards, dreaming about. Not her massive 4000 in Berlin. This was ten times that. This was a sell-out stadium. This was the peak of any artist’s career. It didn’t get better than this. It didn’t get scarier than this. And if she fluffed it, she would never come crashing down harder than this. No, anything less than perfect would be failure and that would be the end for her. She grabbed hold of Damon as he was passing and was squeezing the life out of him in pure terror.

“What’s all this!”

“I’m. I’m petrified. Look at all these people”

“Yes. It simply doesn’t get better than this”

“But… Damon…”

He held her shoulders, gazing right through her eyes into her frenzied mind

“You can do this Heather. I know you can”

He fired off 7 track names asking her for the first line of each of them, and she smiled weakly as she realised she’d got all of them instantly correct.

Glasgow gig

8 pm exactly. Adam slipped out onto the still dark stage and opened with a single chord, rising in volume only for over half a minute before Damon brought the lights up and the three of them crashed into the opening instrumental number. The crowd had gone quiet, eerily quiet, as track two disappeared with Adam on vocals. Track three was much more of a classic Chameleons song and some of the audience had joined in, fading out on the final chords.

Adam kept a background riff running as Damon stepped forward. He greeted the audience, greeted Glasgow, and greeted the whole of Scotland before making a short reference to Alex

"But, that made changes inevitable. We've thought about this a lot, a huge amount, and we think you'll like the result"

He drifted into a well known, played every gig, Chameleons classic, but right on cue for the vocals, Bruce blacked the whole stage, and brought up a spot just where Heather had appeared from stage right. They pumped out the next three tracks without interruption or introduction and only then did they pause for breath. Finally, Damon introduced Heather and now, having heard her, the crowd erupted. Damon felt 99 per cent more relaxed. Had the Scottish audience accepted her straight away? Oh my! Just how relieved must she feel as well. She'd played to hostile audiences on some occasions, but he could see even from where he was across the stage that she was buzzing at the reception. Now she had no problem pounding out the rest of the gig.

It was just gone nine when they took their next breather.

"You've probably heard enough of the Chameleons for now.." he teased the crowd, building them up onto even greater excitement

"... But now I want to introduce you to someone else..."

It was roughly time for Megan's cue, but Heather had moved into the direct beam of a spotlight, like it had just come up on her

"Someone else? Is that the end of me?"

This had always been a possible story line, just for some extra drama, but Heather had been against it in case the audience took it seriously. But with her previous reception, she thought it worth the risk and a chant broke out - 'Hea-ther, Hea-ther...' as the audience responded, and Megan's cue was delayed by another half hour.

She was staying attentive tingling with adrenalin. She was due to appear, she was waiting for her cue, but in the meantime, she'd never before been to a stadium concert and she was totally caught up in the excitement. The atmosphere was goading her, and what? Now? Yes now! She nearly missed her cue. The suddenness of it following the unscheduled delay took her by surprise and there wasn't even a split second to worry about it. Without even pausing on the platform, she leapt onto the stage, stage left, crouching across, firing venom at Damon who was centre stage on keyboards. Heather too came in for visual assault and track two spurted out. These were unusually aggressive tracks, identifying her as a separate entity and, while this was different, it was well appreciated. The chant went up for Megan, the same as for Heather, and Damon cued her reserve. She charged through it at break neck speed and held her low bow for way longer than she had rehearsed. Finally, she stood up, staring blindly into the sea of unknown faces, row after row, group after group, as far as she could see in the evening light into the far reaches of the stands. Adam opened up with another intro riff as Megan faded into the wings and the gig rocked on for its final hour.

It was nearly midnight before they got back to the hotel. The bar was still open, but the debrief would wait till breakfast.

Bruce had hit the sack early. He wasn't needed after Heathers introduction, so he was up early. And with half a dozen volunteers helping, the truck was loaded and he was back in England before Damon was at breakfast. He was in Leeds by lunchtime and the specialised accessories were all in place by 4. Just in time for a stage walk round and all was set for round two.

Damon had kept the debrief up-beat. There had been a few mistakes, but nothing that hadn't been covered by some minor improvisation, and the plan was to revert to the original layout, but follow the lead from the crowd as they had last night.

Except Dawn. She was airborne with a responsibility that far outweighed her self confidence. She thought that Michelle was coming with her, but they dropped her at the Studio before continuing to London.

“See you tomorrow, Julian. Don’t forget!”

As in Glasgow, arriving by helicopter gave Dawn the necessary persona to be taken seriously when she described what she wanted. It wasn’t on the build schedule, but she simply told the foreman that in that case it needed to be added, and added it was. Julian was headed her way. She was intent on waiting there till it was done, but he was keen to get back to his Heathrow base if he wasn’t needed that evening

“There’ll be a car here for you in about half an hour. Its from LEC and he’ll know where you’re going. That will be the same hotel as the others tomorrow”

This was all so very well organised. And that was her next problem solved before it arose. Satisfied with the switch installation she headed for the exit. Except, now on her way out, she realised she had no idea what an LEC was or how to find it. Security locked the gate behind her as she looked back in panic on what on earth to do now. And to make things worse the driver of the huge Mercedes that was blocking the gate had got out and was headed her way. Is this what happens to young girls who are alone in London?

“Miss Millward?”

“Yes!”

“Could you tell be your first name please, just to check I’ve found the right person”

“Dawn. Its Dawn Millward!”

“Good afternoon. Do come with me please”

He took her small flight bag and stowed it in the boot after ushering her into the back door of the car. And there in small discrete lettering on the door was LEC, London Executive Carriages

“And you know where I’m going?” she asked timidly

“Oh yes. It’s the way we work. It stops some random person pretending to be you and directing me to take them wherever they want to go. That would mean I wasn’t there for the right booking and that would get us a bad reputation, apart from leaving you stranded”

This was more five star luxury, with some added extras because she was on her own and strangely, there was no age check on her in the residents bar.

Leeds gig

In Leeds, Heather was so much less stressed. She’d done all this once before she told herself – yes, yesterday, and now with the confidence that Adam and Damon would cover anything that went wrong, there was an outside chance she might even enjoy this. It was really quite similar to Glasgow. The introduction, the banter with Damon, the inuendo with Megan… and Megan, too, was less nervous, although it was only now dawning on her just how big a deal this whole thing was. It wasn’t just the biggest thing that had ever happened to her, it was the biggest thing that had ever happened to anyone anywhere, brought strangely down to earth by Damon and Adam being completely calm and unphased.

Druze finally caught up with them as he slouched onto the stage for introductions

"Heather?" he exclaimed "couldn't you find someone called Alexis or even Alexia. I know! Your middle name is Alexandra, right?"

Was this just friendly teasing, or was he really having a go at her? Heather really didn't know, she didn't know him, she'd heard of him, she'd seen him in concert, but they'd only just met

"Sorry, Druze. But my middle name is Angela. Is that ok?.."

"Leave it out, Druze. I invited her because she can sing. She's not here just to slide in where Alex slipped out. Things will be different. I want everyone to realise it will be different. The Chameleons will sound different, look different, act different and last but not least have different individual names. And all of that will make them better"

Druze shrugged "ok, I guess everything changes, sooner or later"

"Ok. So now you've upset my lead vocalist just before she goes on stage are you gonna guest duet with her on ‘Someone’? And are you gonna stay with us at the Studio for a few days when we get back?"

"I've got some work needs doing on my yacht. Think I'll get that moving, then drop straight in on you guys, cos I'll be homeless for a couple of weeks with my palace in dry dock. I’m itching to spend some real time at your place after my short introduction”

“Its fabulous, Druze” joined Heather “You’ll simply love it there. Especially the rose garden”

“I have been there. But I never made it as far as the flowers. Are you going to be there?”

“Possibly”

“So yes, I’m on for a duet – One track only or my agent will start whining”

The gig seemed to follow the plan. Or was it that Heather was expecting these ad lib deviations? Right up till Damons announcement “And something we didn’t manage to do yesterday in Glasgow, and won’t make it to Wembley tomorrow. Especially for you here in Leeds - Taking time out from the Militia, especially to duet with Heather. Its….its Druze Lazenby….” sending Heather’s heartrate back through the clouds and the crowd into raptures with the added bonus of another top star.

Megan too knew that while the mood and atmosphere in the crowd was rising, Damon would stick with it and her cue would be delayed, just like Glasgow.

Megan was back first at the hotel. She hadn’t waited for the others while they passed the time of day with the stage crew after the set finished and now sat on her own at the bar waiting for the them. She hadn’t been inclined to get changed. Although her three tracks were quite active, she hadn’t been under the hot floodlights all evening. Not like Heather who was last in. Instead she reflected on the evening and the similarities with the previous day and wondered how much alcohol it would take to replace all that adrenalin, eventually deciding that that experiment would be better suited to tomorrow evening.

Wembley gig

Saturday, at last. Despite being on standby from early in the day, Julian had managed to stick to the original plan. Pick up Michelle at 1, then Kim and Mark who were all joining the family VIP box which would include Damon’s sister, Diane.

Verity was also on her way from the West Country. She'd seen the advertisements - you could hardly miss them, half a page in the national press, plus speculative commentary from any number of journalists and predictions about the Glasgow and Leeds gigs peppering every music program

Concerts weren't really her thing. And stadium concerts which were weather dependant on whether you stood there for three hours getting drenched were definitely not her thing. But none of that stopped the returning reminder of her initial indecision

"You should go" Evie had said "you'll kick yourself later if you don't"

Her flat-mate was sympathetic. But Verity had drifted back into thoughts. That surprise weekend that Gerald had set up hadn't gone entirely smoothly. Her fault rather than his, but she'd kept thinking about Damon and had lost concentration on whatever it was they were meant to be doing. And now Damon was on tour with his band again. She wanted to go and see them, but it would be expensive. Not just the ticket price, but travelling to London and staying there in a hotel. Or maybe it would be cheaper going to Leeds where hotels were less expensive.

"Look…' Evie was saying "…get two tickets and I'll come with you. And we’ll split the cost. We'd only need one room if it was a twin"

Verity was up to her elbows in work the next day and it was late afternoon before she had time to consider this again. Almost on impulse she phoned the ticket office, only to be put in a queue. She held on for twenty minutes, then quickly rose to the head of the queue only to be told that tickets were now sold out. Sold out! The girl apologised and said they'd put a voice message up onto the system, but since she was already in the queue she'd missed that.

Verity was annoyed, mainly with herself. She'd delayed, and delayed too long. And she’d spent the whole of that delay building up to going and now she'd been looking forward to it and now it wasn't going to happen.

She phoned the Stadium directly, and Leeds. Maybe there was somewhere else that sold tickets. Maybe there was a hidden allocation waiting somewhere to be discovered.

Evie was sympathetic again that evening, and then the following evening she was meeting Gerald again.

"How'd it go?" asked Evie politely when she got back at nearly midnight.

"Ok"

"Just ok?"

"Yeah. I kept getting distracted. I was trying to think of where I can get a ticket - or two"

"Why don't you phone Damon and ask him?"

"You're joking?"

"No. Ask him what agencies might still have tickets. There must still be some somewhere"

But she wasn't sure about this

"Look Verity, if he was just any old client I wouldn't suggest this. But I get the impression that he might have been more than just another assignment. I remember that first Friday in the bistro and I couldn't get a word in edge ways for you telling me all about him. And if that was the case, then you've every right to phone him just to ask the question"

Well, yes. There was more to it. And she still had his number. And he'd offered to help her with her dissertation if she phoned him.

"Hi, could I possibly speak to Damon, please"

"I'm sorry, but he's at a rehearsal just now. Who's calling please?"

"It's Verity, I.."

"Oh, hi Verity, I heard so much about you when you were setting up that concert. It's Michelle here, Damons PA at the Studio. What did you want to talk to him about?"

Verity was taken aback. She had no knowledge of this other world that Damon inhabited that she’d just right now inadvertently tapped into

"I was going to ask him what agency might still have a ticket of two"

"Oh, ok. Well I can help you with that. Was it two tickets you wanted?"

The office was busy again the next morning. Well, it would be. If it wasn't they wouldn't need agency staff. There was a junior there who seemed to spend his life wandering around looking for something to do, but otherwise just got in the way. He was standing at her desk as she rushed back, grabbing the phone only to be interrupted

"Are you Verity?"

"Yes"

"Package for you. Came by courier ten minutes ago. Thought I should deliver it straight away"

She accepted if gratefully. Michelle said she'd sort something out, and Verity was expecting a call to give her some new phone numbers to try. She took the packet and opened it carefully. There was a letter in it on Chameleon Media headed paper along with a half a dozen other bits of paper.

She sat down with a bump. Evie was right again, maybe I should have phoned him before and that evening she was mindlessly watching tv when Verity bundled in late.

"Come on, you. We're going for a little celebration"

"Celebration? Oh ok"

They drove into town with Evie still none the wiser.

"Your round" said Verity as they pushed on the door of a more up market than usual central pub

"My round? What? You invite me out, then expect me to pay as well!"

But Verity had this ear-to-ear grin that simply intrigued Evie into complying.

Now at a table, she produced the envelope

"Oh wow. You phoned him, yeah?"

"And I've got two tickets"

"Ok, so now we need to raid the piggy bank for the train fare"

"Not quite. That's the celebration"

She handed Evie the train tickets "ok” she continued getting even more excited “so we need to get to the station, but that gets us up there. And on the tube to the hotel. The letter says that our transfer to the Stadium is booked with LEC. But I don't know what that is"

"Sorry, babe. Didn't mean to earwig on you, but did you just say LEC!"

"Yeah, do you know them?"

"Never used them myself. But they're the London Executive Carriage company. Posh taxis. Mainly for royalty and visiting diplomats and the like. Blacked out windows, stretch limos, Mercs, Rolls Royces"

"Wow"

"Well we've got one booked to take is from the Connaught to Wembley"

"Oh m'gosh. I was going to suggest I buy you two a drink. But not sure I should now. You're too far out of my league "

"I don't think so! We're just a couple of secretaries. So what is it you do?"

"Me! I’m a programmer. I write the code that controls satellite orbits"

"Rocket Science! And you think we're out of your league!"

They accepted the drink offer and continued through the package as he went to the bar. By the time he got back all he papers were now revealed. It was all new to all of them and sharing it with this kind new guy hardly seemed out of place.

The last page was now out of the package .

"It's like a guest list. Look it says 'these are the guests sharing your box. If you have an existing issue with any of them, please contact Michelle and she will reallocate you’. Oh and look here, in the interests of sociability, you will be sharing your return transport to the Connaught with Michelle and Diane. Please do not instruct the LEC chauffeur to leave without them"

Evie looked quizzical

"Michelle is Damon's PA at the Studio, and Diane is his sister. And these are our vip passes to the concert at Wembley"

This was the third gig and Heather wandered nonchalantly up onto the stage. She remembered Damon saying she'd get the hang of it by Wembley, and now here she was quietly and calmly checking out the position of all the various things she might trip over and moving a few things to make sure.

Dawn had sorted out the switch, but was now nervous that if anything went wrong with it, it would be all her fault.

Megan’s cross stage run was clear. It was fabulous. Heather could get used to this. But maybe not every single night. She knew she could just keep going, but she also knew that later that evening, when it was all over, she would collapse in a heap or maybe just curl up into hibernation. Hopefully, she'd be in a bar before then. Or maybe just her bedroom.

But while she felt more confident, the venue conspired against her. She caught up with Damon as he climbed down from the scaffolding where he’d been checking some lights.

“I think I’m getting nervous again” she admitted slowly

“Yes. Wembley’s different. Its way more electric here. The whole place has a unique atmosphere all of its own, but hopefully that will affect the fans more than us”
That was nice. No instant dismissal this time. And it sounded like he felt it too. Adam was similarly quiet. Maybe it got to everyone. Everyone except Gordon. They’d agreed a change for tonight. Instead of a chord from Adam, they’d open the show with a drum solo. Still in the dark, but diverting attention to the other side of the stage before Damon and Adam appeared together.

But despite the changes and attention to detail, the set seemed to flash past. A couple of track changes that Heather coped with completely, another duet with Druze despite Damon saying in Leeds that it wasn’t going to happen, and Megan’s entrance and wind up straight through to the final climax. Except a chant had broken out. Instead of closing the show, the crowd were calling for a Heather and Megan en-core. Megan froze. Me? Heather went out first to buy a few seconds thanking the crowd for accepting her and the new line up and confirming that was not the last they’d see of the new improved Chameleons, while Damon ran through half a dozen track titles to see if Megan knew any of them. There wasn’t a huge choice, but Megan had no time to review it, or the situation. Heather had even less. She was already front of stage as Damon announced the track, and yes, it was one she’d learned. Megan bowed out after that track, and Heather after the next. Damon, Adam and Gordon stayed on for a classic instrumental of theirs, and Damon closed the show. Properly this time, a whole twenty minutes later than expected.

Back at the hotel, Heather slumped on her stool staring at her vodka and still trying to get her breathing under control. That last bit was scary. But not even a split second to worry about it. Front of stage already, Damon announces track, backing starts, vocal comes in on bar 2, go! ‘Was that really me?’ But now it's over. It's all over. Finished. And was it epic? Was it ever!

"Actually, Damon, I'm still having some difficulty believing it was really me up on that stage"

"You were brilliant. Fantastic. The crowd loved it. I loved it, Adam and Gordon loved it too. You were fabulous. We tried to warn everyone through the posters and ads that it would be different. It had to be, but they all just accepted it and got into it the same as ever before. It was very different, but in oh so many good ways"

He put his scotch back on the bar and squeezed her with both arms.

"Thankyou. And when the final totals come in I'll work out what your share should be"

"No, Damon. I have to tell you. There was 35 000 out there yesterday and maybe twice that tonight. I don't know what the capacity was, but the place was rammed. The biggest crowd I've played to before that was 4000 at a football club in Berlin. So I have to thank you for inviting me. I can't believe you really thought of me when you started to look for a new singer"

"You're one of the best. But you're also not a Prima Donna. You're easy to work with and it was such a success because of it....."

But he'd noticed something else back at the table where they'd left Adam and Megan when they came up for a new glass. He nodded in their direction and Heather turned to look. Adam smiled weakly back and glanced down at Megan, totally fast asleep, her head on his shoulder

"Know how she feels!" whispered Heather as Damon lifted Megan up very gently to carry her to her room without waking her up.

Adam removed her shoes, Damon slipped her heavy leather dress off over her head and Heather rolled her in under the duvet.

"I'm through" said Adam out in the corridor and without another word had headed off.

"I guess this is goodbye "said Heather, yawning with her eyes closing "It just doesn't seem fitting after all that's happened this week. I’ve been on the circuit since I was 19 but I’ve never played a stadium before. I’ve loved every minute of it, even the scary ones where you rescued me on stage"

"We could go to bed together?" offered Damon

She sighed deeply with the vestiges of a smile

"Damon. You do know I'd love to. Especially if you gave me another gentle cuddle like you did on stage in Leeds. That made me melt so I nearly flowed off the stage. But right now I'm so whacked. As soon as I even see a bed I'll be asleep before I ever get into it"

"Ok. But we'd wake up together"

“Now, that sounds like a better idea” and along in Damons suite, she proved herself right. In hope, he helped her undress, but of responsiveness there was none.

Next it was the parting of the ways. Michelle left straight after breakfast to get the train back to the Studio. She'd seen two of the concerts and after Wembley she decided to forego the village hall event. Instead, she’d decided in favour of getting a handle on what chaos was reigning at the Studio before Damon got back knowing that he’d charge straight into the next phase now that the tour was over.

It was not a pretty sight despite her trying to keep the lid on it by missing the Leeds gig. Natalia had taken some messages and left them on her desk. There were other various notes and letters and documents, but all on top of each other in a rather unruly heap. But before she could start, she was interrupted by a continuous stream of assorted tradesmen looking for clarification or direction on this, that and everything else, interspersed with a myriad of phone calls. And the unruly heap laughed back at her unmolested as she adjourned to the bar that evening.

In London, Damon had taken a few minutes with Adams parents and Diane. Megan, Kim, Dawn and Mark all missed breakfast but he managed to spend some time with them over an interesting mid-morning coffee and cream cake.

Dawn's head was still spinning. Faced with the various challenges she'd simply got on and done it. Given no alternative, there was no choice, and that, in her mind, was a completely different side to her. She'd deliberately and noticeably sat down too close to Damon. She'd opened another button on her shirt and seemed to have misplaced another two inches of her hemline, and while Mark didn't seem too concerned about his daughter, Megan questioned it when Damon called a timeout on the discussion, while he went to the loo.

But Dawn had already decided that being 16 would be an advantage. There was no way she was going to let that get in the way. Its got nothing to do with morals, Meg. Its got everything to do with ambition. This reputation the business has got can work both ways. I know what they want, and I know what I want. It’s a straight swap.

Dawn’s ambition aside, Damon’s question was not simple. Were they interested in pursuing a career in music and if so did they want to wait until they'd finished school, leave school now, or try to combine both.

There was also the question of payment. And he didn’t want to appear miserly. Damon knew how much effort Megan had put in through rehearsals but didn’t want to set her expectations too high by giving her a huge amount. No doubt her contribution had enhanced rather than detracted from the new Chameleons reputation, and that might be a good enough excuse to give her a bit extra.

Dawn couldn't believe that Damon was intending to pay her for her contribution as well as flying her round the country in a helicopter and arranging her five star accommodation, but all she was asking for was an extension on the loan of the Korg. Damon could simply have given her the Korg, but he didn’t want to. While it was still on loan she couldn’t sign with anyone else even if it occurred to her.

Time for them to leave. It was back to their previous reality.

Heather was altogether different. He'd left her in bed while he went to meet the others for breakfast and she didn't even surface until nearly afternoon. Damon was already packed and ready to go to Lesser Waterton. But he delayed to have lunch with her. She had no intention of venturing out to the remote Suffolk wilderness, and instead they agreed to meet the following afternoon back at the London hotel and she would simply recover in the pool until then and maybe think about the points for discussion - her share, the possibility of recording an album and whether he should drive her back to Sheffield so that they could spend the night together.

"I'm ok with all of that except the last bit. We don't need to go to Sheffield for anything. We can just stay right here till Tuesday. I’ll see you tomorrow when you get back"

Damon had thought they might all meet up back at the Studio to discuss what, if anything, they do next as a band. But Heather was more wiped out than Damon had expected and it made more sense for them all to meet in London on Monday after the Village Hall gig. It was on their way back anyway. Adam had a different reason for supporting the plan

“Ok, and if we’re staying up here, Gordon can show me some of the best places in Soho”

“Yeah, maybe we earned a couple of days off”
“Gordon. Doing the gigs was time off for you. Soho clubs is you going back to normal”

“Ok, maybe you’d like to come back to the Studio for a couple of days and see what we’re up to down there after that. And have a think about an album”

Lesser Waterton gig

Adam was surprised by Damon’s ‘sting in the tail’ gig. He knew how much Damon had been upset by his attempt at revenge on Rachael and was concerned that the same thing might happen again. Damon also was aware of that angle but he knew that Jason had tried to put the bite on Heather and that final straw was unforgivable.

He had already checked out, but then bumped into Evie who was waiting for Verity in the lobby. She seemed completely fascinated by the whole scene that Verity had dropped her into and Damon explained a bit more about the studio he was setting up and that it should provide opportunities for younger musician like Megan and Dawn.

“Project co-ordinator? Hmm. The job I need someone to do would more suit a project manager, and its way too far out in the woods for a city girl”

His next hurdle was to check in at the Royal Boatman Inn and amble along to that village hall that he’d booked.

He wandered in through the open door to a variety of laid back activities. Not the bustling hive of a major concert like yesterday, more the shuffling pace of setting up a local WI meeting. But a village hall was different. It wasn’t up to them to get the stage setup. That was up to whoever had booked it. It was up to them only to push all the stuff that wasn’t needed back into cupboards, recesses or under the stage so that it didn’t get in the way, trip people up, or get broken.

Damon’s equipment would be here any minute, and it occurred to him that there wasn’t even the first vestige of security. This kit was seriously expensive, but then again, not many people knew it would be here. And it wasn’t up to the venue to arrange security.

Crispin was first in. Damon had invited him as sound engineer for the evening just to keep an eye on the recording levels with the covert objective of releasing a bootleg album of the live show in competition to IMD’s official one. And he was looking forward to seeing Jason's reaction. Jason had been their controller at IMD and there was no love lost between them. Jason had been furious from day one that his only contribution would be in recording and distribution. Even that was non-exclusive and only for Europe, and Damon continually shifted some of that to a specialist Australian company if Jason even just threatened to increase his percentage. His income from the Chameleons had been paltry, even compared to much lesser bands where he had full management control and in turn, Damon had considered that to be far too much.

Damon had told him there would be four venues. One was Ibrox stadium in Glasgow, one in Sheffield, one at Wembley and the last was at Lesser Waterton. Where? The venue maxes at about 80, he'd said knowing full well that Jason would misinterpret this as 80 thousand in context with the other major venues, even though he would never have heard of it. But the contract was for one venue where the live recording would be made. It did not detail size, although the expectation was that it would be a stadium because Jason expected Damon to want to make as much as possible out of the gig.

But this was Damon’s goodbye rude gesture. Wembley had gone down a storm. Glasgow was epic as Scotland always was, Leeds was brilliant, although Damon hadn’t updated Jason on the change from Sheffield. He’d only informed him in order to keep him from asking about Lesser Waterton. Jason’s share of the gig would be lost in his loose change, especially as Damon had priced the tickets really low because he was giving most of them away to friends and colleagues.

Gordon had suggested on more than one occasion that maybe some other dates might appear out of the ether. But this last venue was the smallest they’d played for at least ten years. There would be no huge stage to get used to, less dancing from one side to the other, and no rehearsals – not any.

He heard Adam arrive in his Lamborghini above the noise of Bruce setting up the amplifiers. Adam would want to check a few things out, but for the time being, Damon decided to retire to the pub. He pulled up a bar stool

“Are you here for the concert?” asked the tall barmaid by way of conversation.

“Yeah, But it's another two hours. Be just enough time for the crew to set up the sound. We should hear it when it's ready”

“You're in the band!”

“Yes”

“What kind of music is it?”

“Its kind of progressive rock, but more mellow”

She nodded and went to serve another customer

“I’m more into romantic ballads and a bit of classical. I like Rachmaninov”

“I love Rachmaninov. His music is one of my influences. But we play slower numbers as well as frenetic mayhem. The Colour Change album was all symphonic. And sometimes Gordon plays bass guitar instead of skins and that’s always a bit less frantic”

“Well, I’m due to work here anyway. Rosie did offer me a ticket. Actually, she said it was the Chameleons that were playing but everyone just told her she’d got that mixed up. They were at Wembley last night”

“But Rosie’s right. It was epic last night. Its at least five years since I played Wembley, and Elland Road in Leeds the night before. I’m Damon Lehrer. I’m lead guitar. I take it you're not a fan. Its ok. Its nice not to be recognised everywhere. I was with Druze Lazenby from the Druze Militia yesterday and I was nearly howling. Couldn’t move for fans jostling each other, pushy reporters and shoving cameramen. How he puts up with it everywhere he goes is beyond me. But at least I now appreciate why he lives off-shore on his yacht”

She went several shades paler

“Excuse me. I’ll be right back”

She returned with an album cover “Damon, you couldn’t possibly autograph this for me, please”

“Oh! So you like some of our music!. But sure. What do you want me to write”
“Anything!”

“What’s your name?”

She glanced several times between him and the album convincing herself it really was the same person and watched him ‘To Josephine, who gave up a ticket to the concert so that she could serve me beer in the Royal Boatman Inn. That’s how wonderful she is. Love Damon’

But this evening was different. This was the first time at such a small audience although he was looking forward to his conversation with Jason and his explanation to Jason when he eventually went open loop as he inevitably would, is that this was just a wind down as an experiment for maybe some future activity. He mulled through what tracks they'd play, but decided if hardly mattered. Mostly the favourites, as usual, but there were a couple of new ones that he wanted to slip in as well.

“Come on, everybody out now” some over officious character was demanding. “Everybody out. It's ticket holders only from now on”

“Oi, have you got a ticket, just ambling in here?”

“Me?” asked Damon blankly “Say, you know what, without exception, I’ve been to every single one of the Chameleons gigs all over the world, and I never bought a ticket for any of them”

“Well, you'll have to...”

Damon ignored her, turning instead to Bruce “have you run a system check yet?” just as Mrs Officious was chasing round on her demand to clear the building

“Come on Lisa, out. We're finished clearing up now. And don't you think you can get round it just by staying in here till it starts”

Damon looked around to find the object of this derision.

The tall target had long blonde hair tumbling over her shoulders, and a sad hollow expression. A bright top and faded size 8 jeans.

“Damon caught her eye as she moved despondently towards the exit”

“You can help me with the sound check, if you've got a spare five minutes”

Mrs O glowered at everyone, as Lisa looked over, brightening visibly.

“We'll be running 4 levels. Would you mind just walking back down to the square and then after the 4 is called, come back and tell us how clear it was. If you don't hear anything, come back in ten minutes and we’ll work out what went wrong”

Damon unlocked the door for her when she returned

“I'm not allowed in. I don't have a ticket, she said sadly refusing to cross the threshold

“Ok, but what the result?”

“1 is hardly there at all. 2 is ok a bit fuzzy. 3 is good, but 4 can be heard quite distinctly inside the bar”

“Bruce, sounds like we run 3. Otherwise we'll wake the residents this side of the square”

Lisa looked puzzled “there are no houses this side of the square!”

“No, Lisa, the cemetery. If we turn the wick up on this stuff we’ll wake that lot up – quite apart from blowing the main circuit to the village. Then again, if we ran 4, Josie would be able to listen to it in the pub. Now come in and stop messing about, we’re busy”

“But I haven't got a ticket. Sheryl will skin me”

“Tell her you got co-opted onto the stage crew. You can be the official bar runner, making sure we don’t run out of beer during the set. Look, there’s a tenner. That’ll get the first round including yours and we’ll get another in just before the first break. And can you run down to the pub and ask Josie if she wants me to wind it up loud enough for her to hear”

The hall soon filled up. They’d made extensive use of Heather on vocals and as backing keyboards at the big venues to give them the depth of sound. But here they were experimenting as a trio. Damon was getting used to being out in front and took up the mic. Ms Officious appeared from stage left to make a completely unnecessary introduction. She mentioned that they’d played to nearly eighty thousand people the previous night and that they were immensely privileged to have them play their humble village hall.

“Is that it?” asked Damon taking up the mic “What? No raffle announcements – or is that during the break. I thought village halls always had a raffle”

It broke the ice and the atmosphere ignited

“It may be a smaller venue, but its nice to see some of the regular faces. Audrey, so glad you could make it. For those that don’t know her, Audrey is the kind of girl that’s been keeping beer in my jug for at least a decade”

“That’s right” she called back from somewhere central “and I was at Wembley as well”

“That’s so cool, Audrey. I’m glad you were able to get a ticket. That was last night. I think it was packed out. The night before we played to 40,000 in Leeds and before that 50,000 in Ibrox Park in Glasgow. And tonight its Lesser Waterton. Four packed venues in a row”

He paused for laughter.

“And Patricia – where’s Patricia. Hi! good to see you again. Folks, if it wasn’t for her, none of this would be happening, which is why I flew her in by chopper”

The intimacy of the gig began to kick in.

“In the last two gigs we were joined by Heather Tinsley on vocals and that worked really well. Now you might think that Heather diluted the real Chameleons, or you might think that you’ve been short changed as there’s only three of us tonight without her. This is something of an experiment playing as a trio. Lets see if it works”.

Damon hammered a deafening chord and they charged through three tracks in quick succession.

He leant on a microphone stand “If anyone down there wants to take a punt at lead vocals, they should get up here right now. I’m wasted”

There was plenty of laughter, but no brave takers and they poured out track after track.

“Next up is Meridian Man. For anyone who was at Ibrox Park, this is the one that nearly tied Heather in knots. She was on keyboard and collapsed onto the stage at the end of it. Flat on her back in a very unladylike way! So watch out. If this isn’t guitar playing at its best, then I challenge you to come up here and show me what is”

Adam wound his mic up “To give Damon half a chance of surviving till the next track, I’m taking lead vocal. Hope you appreciate it”

Jeez! Thought Damon only half way through. What masochistic streak prompted you to write this? This is tough. But he was on autopilot. His brain simply wouldn’t think fast enough to catch the next sequence. And suddenly eight minutes later it was finished. A roar went up from the audience echoed by a few others standing outside.

“Beer time – back in 15” he turned to Lisa to see she had picked up his signal during the track and already had three pints lined up at the side of the stage “Can you get us all a new beer when we start the set. It’ll be too busy right now. And you need a drink too”

He passed her another tenner. “What do you think of it all so far?”

“Its awesome. I’ve never been to anything like this before. And that last riff! How do you do that!”

He made his way through to Audrey.

“No. No Michelle. We took her to Glasgow and London but now she’s holding the fort while we continue to enjoy ourselves”

The others were out in the crowd as well, just chatting and answering questions. This was so different from previous gigs. Ok, so there was no money in it, but, my goodness, was it fun!”

He found Patricia in the bar queue and it was kisses all round for him, Patricia, Abi and even Susie.

“Enjoying it?”

“Oh wow! Its unbelievable. And the helicopter was awesome too. Thankyou so much”

They kicked off the second part with a slower number

“This next track is new. Its not on any album. Adam and I wrote it about six months ago in the South of France. I think you’ll guess what its about”

Cue: Blue Moon with Heartache by Rosanne Cash

He bowed his head as he held the last note. The hall was silent, but on looking up he could see there was hardly a dry eye in the house.

“Excuse me just one second – Crispin, can you make a note to think about that as a single when we get back. And back to the gig. It wasn’t long before we all got our act back together. This next track is more upbeat, but we’ve never played this to an audience before, so I’ll be interested to see the reaction”

All too soon they wound up the evening. They answered the calls of en-core “Hey Gordon, there’s some dude here trying to kill me! He’s asking for a replay of Meridian Man”

Damon was elated as they shut down the amps and the audience dispersed

“That has got to be the most fun we’ve had on stage for I don’t know how long”

“Yeah. If there was any money in it, it would be perfect. But I’m heading back to London. Shouldn’t take long this time of night”
“Yeah, can I still catch that ride?” and Gordon and Adam pulled out in a cacophony of dust.

“You packing tonight, Bruce”

“No, Damon. I’m kippin’ in the truck. I’ll get it cleared tomorrow. But I guess this is the end of the road. That’s the last gig isn’t it?”

“Yes, we’ll be clear of IMD when I give then the recording tape. But I expect we’ll not be gone for long. Not now that we know we can run with the three of us, but Heather was a great success too”

“Well, I don’t know what tour I’m on next. I’ve got nothing else lined up”
“Funny you should mention it. Don’t get too booked. Bruce, how about you invoice me for a retainer for the next four weeks, take Brenda on holiday, and call me when you’re back. Should have something coming up by then. Keep in touch. But don’t tell IMD”

Lisa

Damon drifted down with the tail end of the crowd chatting idly and stopping to sign autographs. Josephine was still serving and had a pint for him on the bar when he got to the bar. The room was packed and noisy with everyone talking at once and many of them talking to him at the same time. The beer slipped down easily, and the next one. He managed to lose the crowd as he made it through the back door as if going to the loo, disappearing round to the back stairs feeling strangely empty. The last gig. No more contract. This was the end of the life he’d known for 12 years. Ok so there was a bright exciting dream just waiting to be made real. But right now it was almost depressing.

He turned the key in his lock, only to find the door was already open. Maybe he just forgot to lock up, or maybe…. “Hey Lisa! What you doing here”

“I had nowhere else to go. And you’ve been so kind to me, I thought maybe you wouldn’t mind me crashing out here. Oh, but I guess, maybe not?”

“Shouldn’t you be at home?”

“I wish”

Damon closed the door and checked out the mini bar “Do you drink wine?”

“No, not usually”

“Ok, you do now, because that’s all we’ve got” he said handing her a glass “So what’s up with going home?”

“You don’t want to know. All I wanted was that maybe I could crash here on the couch. But maybe that’ll cause more trouble than I’m worth”

“And maybe not. But surely you know loads of people round here”

“Some”

“Girl friends?”

“They’re all tied up with someone…. And if I went round, he’d want to have me as well, and she’d not be best pleased”

“Other guys?”

“At a price. But they’ve all got an infection of one sort or another and I’ve only just recovered from the last one. Damon, I still want to have kids some day”

“So what happened to your house?”

“I’m locked out”

“That’s a bit harsh”

“No, its kinda expected. But I thought if I could come here instead it wouldn’t matter. Y’see, my mum, well, she has a different fella every night – if you get my meaning. And sometimes they come wandering around and into my room as well”

“But that’s no reason for a lock-out”

“No, but my brother tends to operate on the wrong side of the law. He locks the door when he comes in and doesn’t answer it for no-on. Just in case”

She shuffled slightly closer to him as he poured another glass and looked at her gently enough to encourage her to continue

“I think about running away nearly every day. Like taking a bus to somewhere else. But there’d just be a bus station at the other end, and no-where to go, and guys hanging round just waiting for lost hope’s like me to show up. Sometimes I think of just jumping. But its really unfair on the train driver. He hasn’t done anything wrong except being in the wrong place at the wrong time. But there must be more to life than this. Its just a matter of figuring out where”

“Ok. Listen Lisa. Please don’t take this the wrong way, but I’ve just played a four hour set, and it would be handy if I got some sleep. And I have neither the time nor the inclination to catch anything, so maybe you’re clear right now, but I’m not taking the chance. Its not that you're not attractive cos you are. Its just there are other considerations. But you’re welcome to creep into this bed here and I’ll crash on that settee. If that helps you out”

“It certainly does. Damon, that’s not what I was expecting. I guess you’re just not like any of the other guys I know”

“Sounds good to me”

Damon was up late the next day. It was nearly eight when he started packing his case

“Stay away! Don’t come near me! I’ll scream!”

“Hey, Lisa. Quieten down a bit. Its ok. You’re ok. No-ones’ gonna hurt you”

He moved slowly towards her as she sat up

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t know where I was. I forgot” she sank back down onto the pillow “Another day comes round, and I guess I’ll go round with it”

“Why don’t you run a brush through your hair and we’ll go and find some breakfast”

“No, I can’t do that. I can’t just go down with you. There are enough comments about me as it is - even if they’re all lies”

“Ok, you go down the back stairs and come in through the front door. Tell them we missed having dinner but I suggested I’d rather have breakfast with you anyway”

“That’s not quite what that means”

“No, but just pretend that one or other of us doesn’t know that”

“So what’s in your diary for today?”

“Trying to keep out of trouble. And that means staying away from everyone I know. If I could just check in to a cheap hotel somewhere the other end of the country, maybe I could get a job in a bar or an office or anywhere. Just to get out of here and start again”

“You’re getting upset again. Come on, lets see if Bruce has got that truck loaded yet”

But Bruce was struggling

“I’m worried I’ve lost some kit. So I’m unloading some stuff. I’ve had so many interruptions, I’ve lost track of what I’ve shifted”

“What if Lisa gave you a hand in checking it off on the list while you shift it”

Eventually the truck was loaded properly and back in the inn Bruce sank a large coke before taking to the road

“Helpful?” asked Damon

“Yeah, She’s good. Well useful. Thanks for that I’m a whole load more confident that I won’t be drivin’ back here to find an amplifier just sitting in the car park or something”

And with Bruce gone it was back to just the two of them again.

“So I guess it's goodbye and that’s sad. But at least you’ve given me hope. And what was the last line of your song? You know the sad one about Alex. 'save the pain for tomorrow, because tomorrow never comes’ I think everyone in the hall could relate to that”

She wanted to lean over and hug him, but it was somehow impossibly inappropriate

“That's not so good” replied Damon seriously “I'm not a great fan of hope. Hope is an irrational belief that things will improve despite there being no perceptible changes to the underlying causes. But listen Lisa. There's someone I know who needs some admin assistance. I don't know exactly what, but its probably girl Friday rather than just secretary. It's at the other side of the country.... “

“Oh wow! That's exactly what I need. It's not here. And I can do admin, like, I don't have many qualifications but I know I can organise stuff and answer the phone and do filing. It would be a whole new start. No one would know me or anything”

“Do you want to give her a call? No promises, just a telephone call – you and her”

“Oh yes please. Now that is hope isn't it?”

“Josie, can I borrow your phone once again. Please?”

He beckoned Lisa to come over to the bar “Her name is Michelle, and she's under pressure, so be careful”

Damon finally got round to putting his case in his car and returned to find Lisa still on the phone, laughing and giggling interspersed with some serious answers.

“And?” asked Damon

“She's great fun. Sounds manic down at her end. Like she’s running round in circles”

“So...?”

“She's given me her number and asked me to think about it. She says it's a long way from home, and that's not what every 17 year old wants, or can handle. But if I'm still interested, I should go on down there to meet her. Like you, she says, no promises. She says there’s always a chance it will be hate at first sight” she laughed “but I've got to go. I've got to try. If it doesn’t work, I'll be back here following in my mother’s footsteps”

“Well, if you do decide to go for the interview, take a case. It's a long way. You won't get there and back in a day. And take a dress for dinner in the restaurant”

“I do want to go. There's just a few things I need to figure out first, like the cost. Have to smash open the piggy bank”

Damon fixed her with a steely stare which made her feel twitchy again

“What’s up. What’ve I done?”

He handed her fifty pounds. That’ll cover the train. Its for your help as beer monitor yesterday, and for helping Bruce today. If you decide not to go, just buy more beer.

This time she did lean over the table and hug him. He got up to leave. “Oh, and if you decide not to go, make sure you phone Michelle and tell her. Promise? She may have other candidates on hold while she talks to you. It's only polite.”

He walked to the door “So long, Lisa. Maybe I'll see you around” he said with a hint of underlying certainty.

She walked home slowly, thinking about all this. Yes it was a big step, but this is what she’d been dreaming of. This is what she thought was impossible when she considered jumping in front of a train. Back home she found that brother Joe was just getting up. Maybe he’d been out late - or maybe early. He agreed, mystified, that she could borrow his bike, and it took her till just after lunchtime before she got back. But now she had checked out the train times, the whole thing was looking like it might even be feasible and the excitement was taking over.

“Michelle? Hi, its Lisa…”

Michelle was short on words but sounded pleased that she was coming over

“My train won’t be in till 3.30 at Upper Elfinvale Halt, although it took the guy in the ticket office a fair time just to find it”

“Yes, we are a bit out of the way. I’ll see you tomorrow. Looking forward to meeting you”

“Who was that, Lisa?” asked her mum. But Lisa just suspiciously bit her bottom lip. She took the few steps over towards her

“Mum. I’ve been offered an interview for a job”

“That’s good, dear”

“No, mum. Its not all good”

“Its not a job like, well, like mine, is it?”

“No, mum. Its like secretarial. But its in Somerset”

“Somerset!”

Mum sat down with a bump, “Oh dear. And its just an interview?”
“I’ve already spoken to the girl, and that went well. She said to think about it and get back to her if I was really interested”
“But you just phoned her?”
“Yes. I said I’d be there tomorrow”

“But. But that means you won’t be here anymore!”

She nodded with tears forming in the corners of her eyes

“But you’ve been wanting to leave”

“Mum, I need to. For me. I can’t sleep at night. If its not your visitor coming into my room, there’s always Joe looking to do something disgraceful. I need to prove to me that there’s more to life. And, And if there isn’t, then I’ll just have to come back and take whatever comes”

Mum folded her arms around her like she used to when she was seven years old

“I know. Its not the life you want. I will miss you. But you have to try”.

End of Chapter 2 Loose Ends

End of The Studio Chapter 2

Loose Ends

Next Chapter is Chapter 3

Who Else

< The Studio by Dave

The Studio - A Short Story by Dave

The band was successful - Maybe that was all Alex had needed from life - But not Damon

To contact dave please email - davemcalder@icloud.com