Skinny Dipping (36 page)

Sophie’s logical side snapped into action and calmness flooded her body. She was ironically serene even as questions shouted angrily through her head. Why hadn’t Samantha been confirmed to attend? Why hadn’t she taken Bradley’s advice and not gone with someone so green? Why hadn’t she talked to Samantha herself, reassured her about her first commercial? There was no time for the negative questions and grabbing the shooting script, she marched up to Desmond. “What do you think about the girl in these photographs?”

“Gorgeous.”

“She is, isn’t she? Perfect-looking, would come out beautifully on camera.”

“I can’t say for sure because we haven’t done a screen test. Where’s the actress for this morning?”

“Well if I can take photographs like this, then you can definitely make her look good on camera,” Sophie said, ignoring his question. She rushed off, running out of the
Highbury Aquatic Centre
like a hurricane, not waiting to explain.

***

Early in the morning the London streets were practically empty. The street lamps lit the way for her to race home. Sophie arrived at the flat and opened the door frantically. She raced up the stairs and knocked furiously on Carol’s door. Without waiting for a response she burst into the room.

“Sophie?” Carol’s sleepy voice whispered in the darkness. “You scared the shit out of me.”

“It’s time for your big break. Now get up.”

“What?” Carol sat up, a hand on her chest. “I’m not a morning person.”

“You don’t have time to think, breathe or go to the toilet. Get dressed. It’s time for you to become a national star.”

“Fuck off, Sophie, are you drunk or something? I’m going back to sleep.”

Sophie frowned. Carol’s response was reasonable she supposed. She was acting like a neurotic madwomen.

She ran her hands through her hair, trying to calm herself. “Let’s start again. I’ll introduce myself. I’m Sophie Smart, and I’m not just your flatmate, I’m also a project manager from
Clarks, Clarks and Clarks Advertising Agency
. We’re doing a film shoot this morning at the
Highbury Aquatic Centre
, just down the road. I’m not sure if you remember – I’m sure you might – but you posed as the model in the shooting script which I helped prepare. Our actress has not turned up this morning. I’m here to give you an opportunity of a lifetime. You’ll be the face of the brand. The face of a national commercial which has the probability to rocket you into frame and possibly even fortune.”

“Oh Sophie,” Carol said, sitting up in her bed.

“You don’t have time to think about it. Every second I stand here, it’s costing me money, I need you to agree right now.”

“What if I’m no good?”

“Carol, stop this insanity. This is not the time to let nerves eat you. This is what you’re born to do. I’m here to wake you up, and show you just how you can do it.” Sophie threw a silk dressing gown at Carol. “Trust me. It’s time for you to be a star.”

***

Carol followed Sophie to the
Highbury Aquatic Centre
wearing a dressing gown over her pajamas. Like a true star, she turned up with her large sunglasses covering her eyes. “You could have at least let me get dressed,” Carol complained, looking around the pool in awe.

“Stop complaining, I’m giving you the opportunity of a lifetime. You need to get your hair and makeup done now.”

Desmond rushed over, a worried expression on his face, as he eyed Carol in her dressing gown.

“Sophie? Where’s the actress?”

“She’s here.”

Carol stood a little straighter, an air of confidence in her stance.

“But who is she?” Desmond asked, confused.

“I’m your actress, and at four in the morning, you better make me a star. Now send me to makeup,” Carol demanded, lowering her sunglasses to meet Desmond’s eye. Desmond practically fell over himself, caught in Carol’s bewitching smile.

“You? From the pictures?”

“Who else did you expect?” Carol demanded, a spoiled expression flashing across her face.

“Desmond, now’s your chance to trust
me
. I need you to run through the script with her and tell her what you want her to do while she’s getting her makeup and hair done. The pool opens in one and one-half hours. We must be finished before opening time.”

Desmond snapped into action. Who could blame him? He loved women and he loved Carol. He got her up to speed and didn’t mind doing it either.

Carol was absolutely perfect. When Sophie saw the edited version of the footage, it was brilliant. Carol was going to be a national success.

Chapter 27

Sophie found multiple excuses not to go back to the pool for any further swimming lessons. She feared an uncomfortable conversation with Matthew, the ‘friendship’ discussion.

Eve rang Sophie to confirm her swimming lessons yet Sophie made excuses, starting quite simply with work. Working late. Working early. Working on the weekend. Working out of town. Work. Work. Work.

Then her creativity kicked in. Not surprising really because Sophie did live and breathe the world of advertising. A high school friend who she’d reconnected with (most probably on Facebook) was in town for one night and she had to see them. She was talking to the Lost Dog’s Home about how they could possibly implement a rescue adoption program (she really did like animals). She was thinking about entering the London Marathon and needed to find the right shoes because her instep was quite painful lately. She ran into an old college professor and was speaking with her old university about a research project.

“I have an idea for you, Sophie,” Eve said during her latest call.

“What’s that?” Sophie questioned.

“You might just have to practise on your own,” Eve said carefully.

“Sure, I can do that. I have gone and practised on my own before” Sophie agreed. “Practising on my own isn’t completely out of the question. But I still just don’t know whether I can make it down to the pool.” There was always the awkwardness of running into Matthew. How would she act when she saw him?

“Matthew will be away for a few days; that won’t be a problem for your practise sessions, would it?”

“No, no, I don’t suppose it would.”

“And you wouldn’t have to make an excuse up not to come to the pool then,” Eve continued.

Sophie remained very silent. Was she that transparent? She shouldn’t be surprised or shocked. After all, Eve was Matthew’s personal assistant. She probably knew everything about him. What he ate for breakfast. How he liked to do his laundry. Who he had sex with. And who he didn’t get into bed…

“They’re not really excuses,” Sophie tried.

“That’s so good to hear, because you’ve come so far Sophie. You know I’m not just Matthew’s personal assistant, I’m also a swimming coach, and I wouldn’t want to see you stop. You’re at the point now where you’ve practically got it. Swimming is a life long skill. It can save you in the most dire of situations. You just need to get in. There are a few skills you haven’t yet learnt yet which would really help you. But why don’t you come in, practise and maybe you and I could work something out. I could talk to you about treading water and then jumping off the blocks.”

“I suppose.”

“So just come to the pool and practise. We don’t have to do anything further, but it would be such a shame to waste all the time you’ve invested. Think about it, okay?”

“Okay,” and she did think about it. She’d come so far.

Sophie took both Eve and Matthew’s words to heart and began practising on her own, coming several times per week, whenever she could confirm that Matthew was not going to be around. In the pool, she felt like she was trying to do some type of underwater dance where she didn’t know the moves. She needed to develop the coordination to somehow stroke through the water and kick at the same time. It was her persistence that kept her going, even though she seemed deaf to the swimming beat, her body unable to even recognise if she was in synch with the stroke. It was her persistence that pushed her forward even when she sure she’d been truly blessed with the misfortune of having two left feet in the pool.

Eventually her persistence cut through the water, and without any type of grace she got to the end. If she could have, she would have hugged the wall. She’d done it. One full lap. No stopping.

Her confidence in the water began to rise. Increase. Her one lap became two laps, without stopping. Then three. Then five.

She reached the pool edge on one practise session and saw Matthew sitting on the pool step. She was so flustered she practically ripped off her bathing cap, and hoped that her hair wasn’t sticking up in hideous directions. She removed her goggles, the need to avoid him intense.

“I haven’t managed to speak to you for about a month.”

Sophie nodded politely. “It’s been quite at busy start of the year.”

He looked incredible, as usual. His large blue eyes settled on her, making her feel quite uneasy. “Congratulations, Soph. I think you can safely say you can swim.”

She beamed, and then found her modesty. “Well thanks for teaching me. I can only do seven laps in a row, but thanks again.”

“It’s all just inertia, isn’t it?” he suggested kindly.

“What do you mean?”

“You’ll do seven laps today and ten tomorrow. You’re truly on your way to becoming completely comfortable in the water. Now that I’ve got you here, did you want to have any more lessons? I was hoping to teach you how to jump in from the blocks, face your fear of deep water.”

Sophie looked up at him, his incredible body, his gorgeous smile and realised how close she’d come to falling for him. “It’s okay,” she said, practically shaking herself back to reality. She wouldn’t ever again be that sappy girl, so foolish to fall, and think he liked her. She’d already done that, and the more distance between them, the better. It wouldn’t happen again. Thank God she hadn’t slept with him.

“Are you sure?” he asked.

“I’ve spoken to Eve, and she’s given me a few tips for treading water and jumping off the blocks. It’s probably best if Eve takes on my fear of deep water.”

A hurt look flashed across Matthew’s face. Without saying another word, he stood up and walked away.

Chapter 28

“I saw the edited version of the pool shoot,” Matthew said standing in the reception at
Clarks
, his hands in his pockets. He’d come to the office unannounced, and insisted upon seeing her. He was a client after all. She couldn’t pretend to be in.

“We’ve only got the Brighton shoot to go,” Sophie answered. She noticed the effort he’d made, wearing a navy suit, and even a loose tie. By the way he kept pulling at his neck, he seemed to hate it. The tie reminded her of the very first time she’d seen him jump out of his Porsche. How handsome he looked that night.

“That’s scheduled for next week, isn’t it?” Matthew confirmed.

“All booked,” she nodded, wondering why he was there. “We’ve got the permits and everyone’s ready to go. Did Jessica not tell you all this?”

“Yes, she did. But it seemed rather difficult to actually speak to you lately. I thought I would come in myself.”

“Oh?” she said and her hands came through her hair. She felt flustered, pretending she didn’t know what he was talking about. Yes, she’d had Jessica take on quite a lot of the communication with the Silver Account, but not all of it. “Of course you can still talk to me,” she smiled.

“Great.” He looked at her square in the eye. “I wanted to thank you.”

“What for, the campaign isn’t over yet?”

“For all your hard work.”

“Oh. That’s very kind of you.”

“Maybe you and I, we could somehow, celebrate?”

“Didn’t Jessica tell you?” Sophie knitted her eyebrows together, suddenly feeling a surge of anger. The wrap party was for the client and Matthew was the pivotal person to be invited. “The team’s organising a fabulous wrap party. She did mention this to you and get your availability? The party can’t go on without you.”

“Yes, of course Jessica got my availability. I’m going. She seems very keen to do the right thing,” he said quickly. Matthew looked like he was struggling to find the right words. “But I wanted to thank you, as my consultant, personally. What would you say?”

“You’re welcome,” Sophie responded, a bit too quickly. Matthew roared with laughter. “I’m in the office until very, very late...,” she stammered. “I’m quite busy you know. A workaholic.” Although that wasn’t quite true, not over the last few weeks.

“I see. So you’ll be working late tonight? I’d better let you get back to it.”

“Yes, I better do that,” Sophie said quickly.

“Finish up around nine?” he asked.

Sophie nodded in agreement. “Yes, nine o’clock, about then.”

“You’ll be absolutely starving by then. So will I. Since the centre shuts at nine, I propose that you catch a taxi from here straight to the pool after work. I’d estimate that you’ll be there around nine-fifteen. I’ll have finished locking up by the time you arrive, and we can to go straight for dinner. I want to take you out, Sophie. How about it?”

“Well….” she started, and a dramatic sigh escaped from her lips. Her mind whirled as she looked for some type of excuse. “I haven’t gone to the pool lately. Not since Eve showed me how to tread water.”

“Yes, Eve mentioned you can tread water for about three minutes.”

“That’s right,” she said with a slight lift of her chin.

“So you do remember where it is. The pool, I mean. I can send you a car if you like, rather than you catching a taxi.”

“Of course I remember where it is,” she said with indignation.

“Are you just stalling, thinking of an excuse just so you can blow me off?”

She grinned. She had thought about telling him that she was attending a charity function, but it wouldn’t fly. “I was thinking about it,” she admitted with a guilty shrug.

He howled with laughter, his dimples as he smiled. Sophie found herself doubled up, tears in her eyes. They made such a scene, in fits of giggles, that her colleagues walking through the foyer hallway stopped to glare at them. Sophie noticed Bradley watching her intently while he talked to a client. With some difficulty, she shifted her shoulders back and forced her face to compose itself into a more professional expression.