Wags To Riches (9 page)

“You look fantastic Adam!” I manage to say as he gives me a twirl.

“Do you think the shirt looks alright?” he asks, looking at himself in the mirror.

“Yes, it looks lovely.  You look really nice” I say.  He goes back in to get changed and then we go over to the cash desk.  The tailor wraps the suit up in tissue paper and puts it carefully into a glossy card box and then into a large paper bag.  He then wraps up the shirt, puts it into a box and puts that in the bag and then the shoes get wrapped, boxed and put in a separate bag.  He has wrapped everything so beautifully, it seems a shame to unwrap them to wear them.  The tailor tells Adam how much the bill comes to and Adam pays him whilst I’m trying to pick myself up off
the floor.  Good gracious me. Decent suits do not come cheap it seems, especially bespoke ones.

“All this spending money is making me hungry” Adam says as we leave the shop.  “Do you want to go and get some lunch now?”

“Yes lets” I say.

“That was delicious” I say to Adam as I finish my lunch, “I’ve never eaten sushi before but it is really nice”.  We are in a really industrial looking, trendy Japanese restaurant - full of white walls, glass bricks and chrome chairs.  I decide to ask Adam about him and Nicola, now I’m suitably armed with gorgeous dress and killer heels for the wedding.  “Can I ask Adam - why did you split up with Nicola?”

Adam considers for a moment before answering.  “We didn’t go out for a very long – just a few dates.  I just found her to be – well – boring – really”.

“Did you?” I ask intrigued.  “Why?  How did you mean?”  Come on Adam, you’ve got to dish the dirt now.  Anything that helps me feel better about meeting her at the wedding, lets hear it!

“Well – she’s really self obsessed and rather shallow” Adam says.  “You couldn’t have a conversation with her or have a laugh - it was all about being seen in the right places or spending money.  She seemed more interested in my wallet than me”.

“I hope I don’t seem like that,” I say quickly, glancing down at all the bags round my feet.  It was his choice to buy me all this stuff, not mine.

“No way!” Adam replies smiling, “You’re nothing like her.  Anyway, her and Michael seem to get on fine - he likes that sort of thing, going out and flashing loads of cash about.  That’s up to him – it’s his money.  They started going out a few months after I finished it with Nicola and shortly before he was transferred to Grandmere.  That’s it really”.

“Oh right.  I hope I’m not too much the other way though you know - I hope I don’t bore you to death moaning about work!”

“Not at all” Adam said.  “Actually it’s one of the things I really like about you Gail – you’re just so – so normal.”

“How do you mean?” Gail asked.  “No implants?”

Adam laughs.  “No!  You have your own life and you’re not just looking at me as some kind of free meal ticket” he said afterwards, almost apologetically.

“I would never do that!” I say outraged.  “I earn my own money.  You can take this stuff back for me” I say.  Although it will be a wrench giving up the gold shoes and I may cry.

“Gail, I know you’re not like that” Adam says quickly, “but there are lots of girls who are.  You see them in clubs all the time, trying to bag a footballer.  Most of us though, can spot a gold digger a mile off.  You certainly aren’t.  You are so much better than that”.

“Aw - thank you!” Gail said smiling at him.  “Although I have to confess, it is nice to be bought expensive dresses and shoes!” I add and Adam laughs.  Well it is.  And I defy anybody to say anything different.

“I hope you enjoy the wedding Gail” Adam says smiling at me and taking hold of my hand.  “There’s nothing to be nervous about you know.  Don’t worry about the photographers or Nicola or anything.  It’s going to be a really nice day”.

“I won’t” I say, lying through my teeth.  I’m already worrying about how I can lose half a stone and turn myself into a gorgeous goddess in just a few weeks.  Oh God.  I must have a magazine with an emergency diet plan in somewhere.

Okay I’m
really
nervous now.  We’ve just arrived at the hotel and Adam is turning into the underground car park.  I was fine on the way here – talking to Adam and listening to the CD I’d bought him for Valentine’s Day - it’s some R&B thing that he said he would like.  It’s not what I would normally listen to - me being a bit of an indie chick and all that, but it’s not bad actually.  Now we’ve got here though and I can see all these posh cars in the car park, I’m feeling nervous and totally inadequate.  I have singularly failed to lose any weight as well.  It didn’t help Adam sending me a huge box of chocolates and a dozen red roses for Valentine’s Day.  I couldn’t see him as he was playing that night, so I stayed in, watched
Love Actually
and ate nearly all the chocolates.  I’m such a pig.  At least I couldn’t eat the flowers.

Adam parks the car and turns to me.  “You alright?” he asks.  “You’ve gone awfully quiet”.

“I’m alright” I say, “I’m just feeling a bit nervous”.

“Why?”

“Well I don’t know anybody and they’ll all look down on me” I say, looking away.  I feel so stupid admitting that.

“Gail - look at me” Adam says and I turn back to face him.  He takes hold of my hands.  “Nobody is going to look down on you.  They’re just people at the end of the day.  They are all nice and dead easy to get along with.”

“I’m sure they are” I mumble.

  “You’ll be fine!” Adam says.  “And you’ll look gorgeous in your new outfits!”

“Well that’s true” I concede and laugh.  I’m so modest.  And I do have the fabbest shoes in the universe to wear as well.

“So come on – let’s go and check in and have some lunch.  I’m starving!” Adam says.

“Okay” I say feeling a teensy bit reassured and we get out of the car.

“I do like your bag” Adam says as he lifts my battered red adidas holdall out of the boot.  “It’s really retro!  Where did you get it from?”

“I’ve had it for ages” I say.  “Gosh - it must be ten years old at least!”

“You’re ahead of your time!” Adam says smiling.

“Not really” I reply, fastening my jacket, “I think if you keep something long enough, eventually it will come back into fashion”.  Apart from ra-ra skirts and pinstripe denim.  Let us hope that
they
never come back into fashion.  Bleurgh!

We go up the stairs to the hotel and walk into a beautiful foyer with plush carpets and large vases of flowers everywhere.  Wow.  We approach the huge, highly polished mahogany reception desk and the three staff behind the counter beam at us.

“Hello Mr Finchley” one of them says.  “Welcome to the Dalton hotel!”

“Thanks” Adam replies, “I’ve booked two suites?”

The receptionist runs his finger down a typed list on the desk.  “Ah yes – the Balmoral for yourself and the Princess suite for Miss Auden.  If you’ll just fill these forms in, I will get your keys and get someone to take your bags up to your rooms”.  He gives us the forms and I can’t help but smile at Adam delightedly.  The Princess Suite!  That sounds fantastic!  I hope it’s as nice as its name implies.  We complete the checking in forms and the receptionist gives us our keys

“Is the restaurant open for lunch?” Adam asks and the receptionist nods.  “That’s great because I am starving!” Adam says.

“I am as well!” I say, “Breakfast seems an awfully long time ago”.  Several days actually.

“I hope you enjoy your stay and of course the wedding tomorrow,” the receptionist says smiling.

“Thank you” we reply and walk towards the lift.  We step inside and Adam presses the button for the top floor.

“All the suites are up there,” he explains as I reach for his hand and squeeze it tightly.

“Thank you Adam for this!  I can’t believe I’m in the
Princess
suite,” I say, beaming at him.

“Apparently it is one of the best – if not the best - suite in the hotel,” Adam says casually.

“Gosh!  I’m impressed already and I haven’t even seen it yet!” I say jokingly as the lift comes to a stop and the doors open.  We step out into a corridor lined with plush creamy coloured carpet, walking down it for a few moments until we come to a solid oak door with a brass label on the outside that reads ‘Princess Suite’.  “This is me!” I say and tentatively open the door.

What a fantastic room!

There’s a lovely four poster bed - all white, with white bedcovers and white voile curtains round it and at the far end of the room three sweeping steps lead up to a white leather sofa that curves round like a letter ‘C’ and looks like it could seat at least six people.  A large plasma TV screen stands at the side of the sofa and there’s a glass coffee table in front.  There’s also a sparklingly clean bathroom, which is as big as my living room at home through a door on the right and also an archway on the left, through which there is a dining table and four chairs.  “Oh wow!” I exclaim, walking through to the dining area, “There’s even a mini Smeg fridge!  How cute is that?”  I’d so like to take that home!  I open the fridge to find it full of champagne, wine, fizzy water, orange juice, Maltesers, Minstrels and bars of Toberlone.  That’s me set up for tonight!  Who needs a posh dinner?  Near the dining table is also a small writing desk and on it a small wicker basket stuffed full of packets of nuts, different flavour crisps, Twiglets and Japanese rice crackers.  “Yum!” I say to Adam as I look through the basket, “All my favourites!  This room is great!”

“You haven’t seen the view properly yet” Adam says, walking back into the main room.  We walk up to the sofa, the wall behind which is all glass and I can see for miles and miles across London.  It’s amazing.  “Look at that view!” I say to Adam.  “I’m going to go out on the balcony and have a better look” and I open the door that leads out there.  Adam follows me and we stand for a moment looking around.

“Gosh Adam - this is fantastic!” I say and go to hug him.  “Thank you so much for booking this for me!”

“I’m glad you like it” Adam says smiling.  “I hope mine’s as nice.  I’ll go and find it while you unpack if you like and then call back for you?”

“Oh no – I want to come and see what your room is like” I say hastily, “I want to make sure my suite is nicest.  Otherwise we’ll have to swop” I add as we go back into the corridor and Adam laughs. 

“I am
not
staying somewhere called the Princess suite” Adam says firmly.  “If the lads found out, I’d never hear the end of it” and I laugh.

“I’m really looking forward to the spa treatments this afternoon” I say.  “What are you going to do while I’m in there?”

“I’m going in the gym for a bit, then I’ll have a quick drink with the lads before I get ready for dinner” he replies.  “Shall I come and call for you about 6.30?”

“That would be great” I say.  That gives me plenty of time to get ready and sample some of the delights of the mini Smeg fridge before dinner.  I mustn’t eat all the Maltesers though otherwise I won’t be able to fasten my dress.

Must save some for later.

****

After admiring Adam’s hotel room, unpacking and having a very nice seafood salad and glass of wine for lunch, I head for the spa while Adam goes to the gym.  I pause just to text my Mum and Alex to let them know we’ve arrived safely and also send them some pictures of the hotel suite and the view from the balcony.  Alex texts me back immediately, saying it looks amazing.  I can’t quite believe that that is my room myself even though there’s my stuff everywhere! 

I arrive at the entrance to the spa and take a deep breath before opening the door.  I’ll be fine.  I’m sure the people will be very nice.  Gosh - it’s like I’ve stepped into another world!  The reception area seems to be made out of grey stone, it’s dappled with gentle light and the sound of plinky-plonky New Age music can be heard faintly in the air.  There is a girl sat behind a desk and it looks like there are miniature waterfalls running down the wall on either side of her!  The effect is mesmerising and I can’t help but look at it in wonder.

“Can I help you?” she asks in this strange, almost ethereal voice.  She looks me up and down and it’s obvious she thinks I’m in the wrong place.  “Did you want an application form for the cleaner’s post?” she asks.

I’m so taken aback I can’t think what to say.  God - how embarrassing.  “Er – no” I say blushing.  “My name is Gail Auden – I’ve booked a couple of treatments for this afternoon?”

“Oh right.  Sorry” she replies airily.  “Are you staying here?” she asks in a tone of pure disbelief.  Excuse me?! Yes I’m casually dressed in skinny jeans and jumper, but I don’t look that scruffy!  She’s annoyed me now. 

“Princess Suite” I say loudly.  “The treatments were booked by Adam Finchley?  We’re attending the wedding here tomorrow?”

She blinks and then writes my name and the suite name down.  What I’ve said seems to have registered at last!
  “Oh yes – you’ve got the luxury facial booked, a manicure and the aromatherapy massage.  Do go through!” she says in a much more friendly voice.  “Here is your locker key to put your things in and here are your complimentary dressing gown and slippers,” she adds, handing me a large hessian bag.  I open it and inside, exquisitely wrapped in tissue paper are a very soft and fluffy white dressing gown and matching slippers.