Svetlana, looked totally out of place in this room, as if they'd been beamed here by mistake direct from an outrageously expensive lunch in Knightsbridge.
The camera was rolling and Svetlana was clearly relishing every moment. Without even thinking about it, her crossed legs and devastating cleavage were pointing camerawards at the most flattering angle. Propped up on her elbow, she lay across the bed, flipping through a notebook. She began to ask Cath questions while she took notes with a little silver pen.
'No boyfriends since your divorce?'
Cath confirmed this with a shake of her head. Annie could see on the monitor that the camera was zooming in close on her worried face.
'Where could you go to meet some interesting men?' Svetlana wondered.
Cath shrugged her shoulders helplessly, then ventured, 'Through work? I mean, not that there's anyone at work that I'm interested in . . . I mean they're all lovely, charming . . . but really, I'm happy on my own.'
The roll of Svetlana's eyes made it clear that this wasn't a good enough answer.
'Vot are your interests? Vot hobbies?' she asked.
Cath looked back at Svetlana. 'I love to garden and visit other gardens . . . and I love to go out with my son.'
'Vhat you like to do before married, before have your boy?' Svetlana asked, with all the subtlety of a police interrogator.
'Ermmmm . . .' The camera zoomed in on Cath's face again. Annie saw how anxious the woman looked. She didn't need this; she should be treated gently, coaxed out of the beige and into the party. But Annie was going to have to wait her turn. The nervousness she'd thought she'd feel at facing her first moment on screen had evaporated, she just wanted to rush in right now and help Cath out.
Because Annie had been inside the wardrobes and most private confidences of people just like Cath so many times. It was all about breaking through the defences and rebuilding confidence, taking things one step at a time and making the customer feel good, rather than humiliated.
There was a hint of sweat on Cath's face. If she was pushed any further, she'd probably refuse to do the show altogether.
'I used to like drawing,' she squeezed out finally, then quickly added, 'but I wasn't very good at it.'
'Drawing,' Svetlana repeated and wrote it down in her notebook with a flourish, 'and?'
'I like to read—'
'Book group? I've heard of dis . . .' Svetlana broke in and wrote this idea down in her notebook too.
'Well . . .' Cath sounded very unsure.
'Anything else? Anything you vant to do? Something new?'
'Ermm . . . I'd like to get a bit fitter.'
'Excellent!' Svetlana's face brightened. 'You join gym and running club. Meet many, many fit men!'
Cath seemed to cross her arms even more tightly at the prospect.
'And cut!' Finn snapped the clapperboard in front of the camera, 'Tea break, everyone. Then it's on to Annie Valentine, mistress of the wardrobe.'
Taking another look at the slightly traumatized Cath, Annie had an idea. 'Why don't I take a quick look through Cath's wardrobe with her, before we film it?' she asked. 'I'll find some interesting things to talk about on camera. It might save us a bit of time.'
'Fine,' Finn agreed, as she'd suspected he might. Anything to save time, save money and come in under budget.
Turning to Nikki, Finn's assistant, with her most charming smile, Annie asked, 'Will you be a total love and bring us both a tea?'
As soon as the crew was out of the bedroom, Annie steered Cath to her bed and made her sit down. 'Good grief!' she exclaimed. 'Well, they were a bit rough on you, babes, weren't they?'
At those words, Cath threatened to crumple. She shook her head. 'I don't know if I can do this. People I know will watch it! The people I work with! I think everyone should just go away and leave me alone. I really don't think I want to go on.'
For a moment or two, Annie just patted her back soothingly.
The camera was rolling and Svetlana was clearly relishing every moment. Without even thinking about it, her crossed legs and devastating cleavage were pointing camerawards at the most flattering angle. Propped up on her elbow, she lay across the bed, flipping through a notebook. She began to ask Cath questions while she took notes with a little silver pen.
'No boyfriends since your divorce?'
Cath confirmed this with a shake of her head. Annie could see on the monitor that the camera was zooming in close on her worried face.
'Where could you go to meet some interesting men?' Svetlana wondered.
Cath shrugged her shoulders helplessly, then ventured, 'Through work? I mean, not that there's anyone at work that I'm interested in . . . I mean they're all lovely, charming . . . but really, I'm happy on my own.'
The roll of Svetlana's eyes made it clear that this wasn't a good enough answer.
'Vot are your interests? Vot hobbies?' she asked.
Cath looked back at Svetlana. 'I love to garden and visit other gardens . . . and I love to go out with my son.'
'Vhat you like to do before married, before have your boy?' Svetlana asked, with all the subtlety of a police interrogator.
'Ermmmm . . .' The camera zoomed in on Cath's face again. Annie saw how anxious the woman looked. She didn't need this; she should be treated gently, coaxed out of the beige and into the party. But Annie was going to have to wait her turn. The nervousness she'd thought she'd feel at facing her first moment on screen had evaporated, she just wanted to rush in right now and help Cath out.
Because Annie had been inside the wardrobes and most private confidences of people just like Cath so many times. It was all about breaking through the defences and rebuilding confidence, taking things one step at a time and making the customer feel good, rather than humiliated.
There was a hint of sweat on Cath's face. If she was pushed any further, she'd probably refuse to do the show altogether.
'I used to like drawing,' she squeezed out finally, then quickly added, 'but I wasn't very good at it.'
'Drawing,' Svetlana repeated and wrote it down in her notebook with a flourish, 'and?'
'I like to read—'
'Book group? I've heard of dis . . .' Svetlana broke in and wrote this idea down in her notebook too.
'Well . . .' Cath sounded very unsure.
'Anything else? Anything you vant to do? Something new?'
'Ermm . . . I'd like to get a bit fitter.'
'Excellent!' Svetlana's face brightened. 'You join gym and running club. Meet many, many fit men!'
Cath seemed to cross her arms even more tightly at the prospect.
'And cut!' Finn snapped the clapperboard in front of the camera, 'Tea break, everyone. Then it's on to Annie Valentine, mistress of the wardrobe.'
Taking another look at the slightly traumatized Cath, Annie had an idea. 'Why don't I take a quick look through Cath's wardrobe with her, before we film it?' she asked. 'I'll find some interesting things to talk about on camera. It might save us a bit of time.'
'Fine,' Finn agreed, as she'd suspected he might. Anything to save time, save money and come in under budget.
Turning to Nikki, Finn's assistant, with her most charming smile, Annie asked, 'Will you be a total love and bring us both a tea?'
As soon as the crew was out of the bedroom, Annie steered Cath to her bed and made her sit down. 'Good grief!' she exclaimed. 'Well, they were a bit rough on you, babes, weren't they?'
At those words, Cath threatened to crumple. She shook her head. 'I don't know if I can do this. People I know will watch it! The people I work with! I think everyone should just go away and leave me alone. I really don't think I want to go on.'
For a moment or two, Annie just patted her back soothingly.
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