My body zings with nerves and emotions and feelings, every hair on my body stands on end. I can’t control it. Not one little bit. And right at this moment, that’s absolutely finebyme.
OceanofPDF.com
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Text from Colin:How was your flight back? Are you glad to be back in Manchester? I’m looking forward to coming home. It’s a little hot out here! And I’m really looking forward to our date!Areyou?
Text from Alex:If you need to stay longer, you need to stay longer! Fine by me. It sounds like a real adventure. I’m proud of you. Don’t stay too long though, haha. I miss you! It’s… different in the house without you here. Lots of lovesisx
Text from Donna:Hi Olive! Hope all well! Make sure you give Alex plenty of notice when you want collecting from the airport so he can make plans accordingly. He was in the car about to set off to pick you up when he got your text. Just thought you should know! Allbestx
After a make-out sessionthat lasts the duration of the lift ride up to the twenty-fifth floor of the Rockefeller Center (apart from between floors fifteen and twenty when some other people got on and we had to try to keep our hands off each other), we reach theSunday Night Livefloor. I step out into the carpeted corridor and wait for the icky sense of panic I would ordinarily get from being on such a high floor. And while it’s definitely there, a little fizz of unease in my belly, it’s nowhere near as bad as it was. After being on the roof this morning, and experiencing such a peaceful, gorgeous moment up there, it doesn’t feel quite so scary to be thishighup.
Moreover, any panic I do feel is overtaken by a massive sense of excitement. Is it possible for creativity to be airborne? It feels almost buzzy with expectation, just in the corridor. The walls are lines with framed pictures of movie stars, huge name comedians and musicians who have appeared ontheshow.
‘Oh my god, it’s Steve Martin!’ I say, pointing at one of the pictures. ‘And there’s Goldie Hawn! Ooh, look it’s Britney Spears! Argh Chris Rock, Ilovehim!’
Seth laughs. I bet everyone he’s ever brought up here does the exact same thing. I don’t care if I look uncool though. This is wellexciting!
We turn a corner and walk into an office. It’s a tiny office but with an incredible view of the Empire StateBuilding.Woah.
Seth invites me to sit in the office chair. He perches on the end ofhisdesk.
‘Oh, hey, did you hear about your audition yet?’ I say. ‘I can’t believe I haven’t asked. How diditgo?’
Seth grins. ‘It went really well. They loved the whole John Malkovich bit you wrote. Itkilled.’
I feel a pleasant warmth in my cheeks. I like being referred to as someone who ‘wrote’ a joke. It sounds so cool and crazy andbadass!
‘I should hear this week actually,’ Seth continues, picking up a guitar pleck from the desk and turning it over in his hands. ‘I don’t know… there were a lotta people going up for itthisyear.’
Standing up from his desk, he heads over to a mini fridge in the corner. He opens it up and pulls out a huge takeaway container. He carries it back to the desk, opening a drawer and taking out two plastic forks from a packet full of plasticcutlery.
‘I hope cold chicken avocado pasta is okay?’ he asks. ‘It’s from this amazing deli down the road. I’maddicted.’
‘It smells dreamy,’ I say, grabbing a fork and helping myself to amouthful.
‘So, what can I help you with?’ Seth asks, alsotuckingin.
I explain about how me and two friendly randos I have met in New York are trying to get the word out about Chuck in an effort to find him before I go back for Birdie’s surgery. I ask Seth about the TV studio PR people and if they’d be willing to give us some tips for getting thewordout.
‘Absolutely!’ Seth says. ‘And I’ll help all I can. I’ll be working most days and some nights, but anything I can do.’ He puts on a weird ET voice. ‘I’ll be…right…here.’
I hold my finger up and he presses his fingeragainstit.
Then Seth leans forward, our noses almost touching and just smiles at me for a longmoment.
Holy cow, he is sexy. He’s so confident in his skin and laid-backand…sexy.
Seth’s phone beeps with an alarm. ‘Shit. Time flies like an arrow. I’ve gotta get backtowork.’
‘You set an alarm?’ I ask incredulously. ‘You laid into me for doing that atTrickys!’
Seth’s face pinkens a tad. ‘Everyone here gets mad at me for being so late all the time. I… decided to take a leaf out ofyourbook.’
‘Next stop, a five-year plan,’ Itease.
‘Never utter those words in my presenceagain.’
