Part 26 (1/2)

Annie felt like a bunny in the headlights.

'Ummm ... the next few days are very hectic,' she stalled, 'we're preparing for this fas.h.i.+on show.'

Now Lana was leaning in, getting up to speed with the conversation.

'Are you going to ”Train with Gawain trademark”?' she asked, trying not to giggle. 'That is so cool, Mum. I can't believe you're going to do that. He's really, really good. He was just telling me about his special squats, guaranteed to lift your b.u.t.t by at least two inches ”trademark”.'

'I don't know. We'll be so busy with the show.'

'Squeeze it in, Mum,' Lana urged. 'C'mon, early one morning, maybe?'

'That would be perfect,' Gawain confirmed. 'I have a 5.30a.m. slot. The gym does get really busy after 6.30 with my trader clients who need to be at their desks by 8a.m.'

'5.30a.m.??'

Annie wasn't sure if she'd heard properly.

Yes, jet lag might have been working for her on the first few days in town, allowing for some outrageously early mornings, but now she stayed out late and lay in bed till 8.30.am. just like all the other fas.h.i.+onistas in her apartment.

'5.30a.m. on Friday?' Gawain asked, nail poised over his phone.

'Fine,' Annie replied, completely confident that something would come up and she would be able to back out of this torment.

Chapter Twenty-Three.

Tiffany's a.s.sistant: White s.h.i.+rt (Gap)

Black suit (Uniform)

Comfortable black trainers (Geox)

Diamond earring (Tiffany's with staff discount)

Watch (Tiffany's with discount)

Total est. cost: $620

' ... always very happy to talk ...'

It was 8.30p.m. and growing dark when Annie managed to extricate herself from the 'Connor comes to NYC' reunion party. Both Elena and Lana tried to persuade her to stay on, but Annie needed to get away from Gawain's critical gaze and dieting suggestions.

She'd been in New York for nearly three weeks and there were still so many places that she hadn't seen. With Ed, she'd chalked off a few museums, so she wasn't going to worry about that too much, but there were still so many unvisited shops!

She hadn't yet set foot inside a Coach handbag store, although Coach was the bag every second New Yorker she pa.s.sed was carrying. She still hadn't been into a typically US jeans warehouse, or to Century 21, Bergdorf Goodman, Dooney & Bourke, Brooks Brothers or to any of the famous New York names she'd promised herself she would at least browse around.

Hurrying towards the top of Fifth Avenue, she was delighted to see that she still had a good hour or so before the shops closed.

And here was Tiffany's the fabulously famous Fifth Avenue jewellers.

Right here.

She couldn't possibly walk past the windows, thinking of Audrey Hepburn, without going in to take a little look.

Inside the store, it was cool and glittery and much bigger than she had expected: a vast ground floor, then elevators at the back leading to even more dazzling goodies. Smart and sophisticated sales staff stood behind the gla.s.s cases where Tiffany's jewelled delights were beautifully displayed. Annie walked slowly past key-shaped pendants encrusted with diamonds.

'Good evening, ma'am and how are you today?' the salesman behind a counter began with a fresh and friendly smile, although he must have asked the question hundreds of times today.

'I'm great, thanks, but I think I'll keep on walking ... there are too many diamonds here for me.'

'I'm always very happy to talk, if you need me,' he added with direct eye contact and another smile. Whoa ... now that was service.

As she rounded a cabinet studded with some of the most graceful diamond necklaces she had ever seen, her phone began to ring. She was delighted to hear the deep and melodious tones of her favourite multimillionairess on the other end of the line.

'Annnnnaaaah,' Svetlana began, 'what is the news from New York?'

'Svetlana, h.e.l.lo!'

Eyes widening at the price tag on the diamond pendant she'd been admiring, Annie added: 'I'm in Tiffany's ... I was just thinking of you.'

'Tscha, Tiffany's for tourists, go to Harry Winston or Cartier, if you like to buy something nice.'

'I wasn't really buying. I was looking.'

'Buy!' Svetlana instructed, 'you have some money now and your jewellery is all ...'

Annie waited for the killer blow. How would Svetlana, usually dripping in hundreds of thousands of pounds' worth of jewels dismiss Annie's jewellery, which was usually an impulse buy from Accessorize?

'Unimpressive.'

Ouch! That was understated yet harsh.

Unimpressive.