‘That’s going to need a heavy weight sticker,’ he scowls, now looking personally offended by my very much acceptably heavy suitcase.
‘Oh dear.’ I try to look contrite while he continues to eyeball me.
With a loud sigh, Alan finds an offensively bright sticker from somewhere behind his desk and slowly, deliberately, unpeels it. Then he looks at me pointedly as he attaches it to my suitcase. I catch a brief glimpse of instructions to the baggage handlers to bend their knees printed on it and feel sheepish.
‘Thank you so much!’ I say when my passport is finally returned to me.
‘Next,’ he barks.
Must be having a more traditional Monday, I decide. Poor Alan. We can’t all be jetting across the world on ridiculously exciting work trips, can we?
‘Have a nice day!’ I call as I leave, an attempt to cheer him up.
His glare hardens. Pretty sure he hates me.
Right, suitcase dumped and I am now feeling much lighter. Much more ready to browse the bejaysus out of all the shops. The security queue, however, has other ideas, I realize as I round a corner to be greeted by the world’s longest line of travellers waiting to have their carry-on bags scanned. I join the snaking file, overhearing someone further down suggesting we have at least a thirty-minute wait.
I could be miffed that this will significantly eat into my browsing-the-shops time but I refuse to be deflated on such an auspicious occasion. The possibility of delays like this is exactly why I left the flat pre dawn. There was no way I was missing this flight, and if that meant time spent loitering at the airport, then so be it.
Besides, I am nothing if not productive and efficient, so I can totally keep myself busy while I queue. I’ve been getting a fair few overnight emails from companies I’m using in Perth, so I decide to open up my inbox. Some spam, some borderline spam, someone from Latvia thinks I’d make a great husband? Ooh, an offer on the posh coffee I like to buy when I’m feeling bougie! I’m deleting everything but the coffee offer when an email from my boss pops up.
Odd.
It’s barely 6 a.m. which is early, even for Kat. The subject title reads ‘GO GET ’EM, TIGER.’ The queue surges forward so I slip my phone back into my bag as we move towards the scanners. She’s probably just sending some sweet words of encouragement, I decide, pulling out the clear plastic bag with all my liquids in.
I’ve been working at the eponymous Kat Moretti for over eight years now, joining the company as Kat’s PA before managing to bag a job as an event planner in my own right. I can remember the first event Kat let me organize by myself, launching a personalized marshmallow company, and I was absolutely terrified. Literally shaking! I prepped so hard I could still tell you the exact running order of that party, even now. But oh my days, I loved it. The buzz when everything went well! The feeling of elation when I saw how pleased the clients were! The fact that I was eating marshmallows with my face on for weeks after! It was like my own personal drug and I’ve been addicted ever since. Now I’m proud to say that I head up the events team at Kat’s office, but still, the butterflies are real ahead of this gig.
My clients Clio and Brody (code name Cody) are meeting me here at the airport. I haven’t spotted them yet but I’ll know when they get here because there will be screaming. Cody are former reality TV stars who have a huge following and wherever they go, madness ensues. When we first met for lunch to discuss initial plans for this party, a crowd of crying teenagers formed outside the restaurant and we had to leave via the fire exit, which was not nearly as glamorous as it sounds. Just a lot of side-stepping crates really. In the six months I’ve been working with them, I have learned that Cody do not arrive at places early. I just hope the security queue has gone down by the time they get here.
The shuffling line has come to a halt so I open up Kat’s email. She’s one of those women who voluntarily wakes up at 5 a.m. to get a workout in before getting her kids up, breakfasted and dropped off at school. Then she arrives in the office looking likeperfection incarnate, which is very much not how I’d look if my alarm regularly went off at that time in the morning.
Kat is super successful, wears a lot of animal print, and has the rattling cough of a reformed party girl. I adore her.
From: [email protected]
Subject: GO GET ’EM, TIGER
Darling Nina!
My superstar. Wanted to wish you all the luck in Australia. Not that you will need it, of course, I know how hard you’ve worked on this and am certain it’s going to be a roaring success.
A swell of pride fills my belly.
Quick last-minute change of plan on the job.
Scratch that. My stomach clenches. As a planner, I’m not a massive fan of ‘last-minute changes’. With trepidation, I read on.
I’ve decided to send Callum Bang along too. He’ll be joining you at Heathrow for the flight out.
And now everything is clenched. She cannot be serious? I carry on reading in the hope that this is a terrible prank from the Noughties and Ashton Kutcher will pop out at any moment.
As you know, Cody want to scope out possible venues for their wedding day itself while you’re there. Your schedule is tight as it is, and I’ve decided that a second pair of hands will be invaluable for you. Seems right to send our head of design along too.
Cal is designing the wedding invites, after all, and is excellent at drilling down into a client’s needs. So, please use him as much as you can. Send him on recces, bring him to meetings, etc. COLLABORATE.
I trust you two will work fabulously together.
