Burberry campaign.’
That meant nothing to me, but I could tell I was supposed to be impressed. I raised my eyebrows and smiled insincerely.
‘Are you heading off home now?’ Max asked. ‘I can call you a cab or you could get a lift back with us.’
‘No need, my friend.’ Nate appeared by my side, grinning widely. ‘I’ve had a word with the happy couple and they’re happy for us to interview them. In fact they insist on it.’
Max’s face fell and his jaw tightened. His dislike for Nate was written all over his face.
‘Oh yeah and how did you swing that?’ A bitter note ran through his voice, like he resented his very presence in the room.
Nate tapped the side of his nose and winked at him, seemingly unaware of how much trouble he was causing.
‘It was pretty hard work, let’s just say! Not only did I have to break out the old charm and persuasion, I had to get Paddy on the phone to authorise a new deal for exclusivity on the photos and story. He wasn’t too chuffed to find out
Mirage
had it first and told me to do whatever I had to do to secure the deal. I might’ve brought
Mirage
’s questionable information gathering techniques to their attention: phone hacking, raking in people’s bins and the like.’
My eyes widened. ‘But that’s not true!’
‘What they don’t know can’t hurt them. Who’s this lovely creature?’ His eyes widened with pleasure as they met Amira’s. ‘Nice to meet you, I’m Nate Walton.’
He bent low and picked up Amira’s slender, manicured hand. After holding her gaze just a fraction too long, he gently kissed her hand then released it. She giggled coquettishly and fluttered her eyelashes.
‘Amira Sharma,’ she replied with a cat-like grin.
I heard Max’s knuckles crack ominously. He looked absolutely furious. I put my hand on his arm and his features immediately softened. I recognised the anger boiling up inside him; I’d seen it before when men approached Amira on a night out. He’d confided in me one night that he was sure she was going to go off with one of them someday.
‘I’m fine,’ he said quietly. He looked up and turned his attention to Nate. ‘So what brings you to Manchester anyway? You don’t sound like you’re from round here.’
‘You’re right there Maxie-boy. I lived in Paris, LA, Sydney then New York, but I’m back on home soil now. I did freelance work for an international photo agency and ended up visiting places like Vanuatu, Fiji and Antigua. It was brilliant.’
‘This must be a bit of a comedown for you then?’ Max shot back.
My heart was in my mouth as the tension rose between them. If they made a scene, it’d be splashed all over the front pages of the national newspapers tomorrow. I’d probably lose my job for not keeping a lid on the situation and no magazine would ever hire me again.
‘Why don’t you and Amira head off to have a bite to eat or something and I can do the interview?’ I suggested.
Before anyone could protest, I grabbed Nate’s arm and dragged him in the happy couple’s direction.
Giselle and Aaron were a down-to-earth couple who spoke at ease of their love for one another, despite them having once moved in very different circles. Giselle, it seemed, hadn’t always mingled with soap stars and footballers. I listened with fascination as they talked about the night they met; she’d been a barmaid at her local pub and he’d come in one night after training. After spotting her serving some regulars, he had fallen in love with her instantly. He’d stayed on at the pub until the end of her shift, flirted relentlessly with her until she’d agreed to go out with him and the rest was history.
‘He can’t cook to save his life and he leaves his dirty underpants everywhere, but I love him anyway!’
‘Says the woman who dyed my away kit pink!’
The love and affection between them was plain for all to see. You could see it in the way their eyes shone around one another, the smiles
That meant nothing to me, but I could tell I was supposed to be impressed. I raised my eyebrows and smiled insincerely.
‘Are you heading off home now?’ Max asked. ‘I can call you a cab or you could get a lift back with us.’
‘No need, my friend.’ Nate appeared by my side, grinning widely. ‘I’ve had a word with the happy couple and they’re happy for us to interview them. In fact they insist on it.’
Max’s face fell and his jaw tightened. His dislike for Nate was written all over his face.
‘Oh yeah and how did you swing that?’ A bitter note ran through his voice, like he resented his very presence in the room.
Nate tapped the side of his nose and winked at him, seemingly unaware of how much trouble he was causing.
‘It was pretty hard work, let’s just say! Not only did I have to break out the old charm and persuasion, I had to get Paddy on the phone to authorise a new deal for exclusivity on the photos and story. He wasn’t too chuffed to find out
Mirage
had it first and told me to do whatever I had to do to secure the deal. I might’ve brought
Mirage
’s questionable information gathering techniques to their attention: phone hacking, raking in people’s bins and the like.’
My eyes widened. ‘But that’s not true!’
‘What they don’t know can’t hurt them. Who’s this lovely creature?’ His eyes widened with pleasure as they met Amira’s. ‘Nice to meet you, I’m Nate Walton.’
He bent low and picked up Amira’s slender, manicured hand. After holding her gaze just a fraction too long, he gently kissed her hand then released it. She giggled coquettishly and fluttered her eyelashes.
‘Amira Sharma,’ she replied with a cat-like grin.
I heard Max’s knuckles crack ominously. He looked absolutely furious. I put my hand on his arm and his features immediately softened. I recognised the anger boiling up inside him; I’d seen it before when men approached Amira on a night out. He’d confided in me one night that he was sure she was going to go off with one of them someday.
‘I’m fine,’ he said quietly. He looked up and turned his attention to Nate. ‘So what brings you to Manchester anyway? You don’t sound like you’re from round here.’
‘You’re right there Maxie-boy. I lived in Paris, LA, Sydney then New York, but I’m back on home soil now. I did freelance work for an international photo agency and ended up visiting places like Vanuatu, Fiji and Antigua. It was brilliant.’
‘This must be a bit of a comedown for you then?’ Max shot back.
My heart was in my mouth as the tension rose between them. If they made a scene, it’d be splashed all over the front pages of the national newspapers tomorrow. I’d probably lose my job for not keeping a lid on the situation and no magazine would ever hire me again.
‘Why don’t you and Amira head off to have a bite to eat or something and I can do the interview?’ I suggested.
Before anyone could protest, I grabbed Nate’s arm and dragged him in the happy couple’s direction.
Giselle and Aaron were a down-to-earth couple who spoke at ease of their love for one another, despite them having once moved in very different circles. Giselle, it seemed, hadn’t always mingled with soap stars and footballers. I listened with fascination as they talked about the night they met; she’d been a barmaid at her local pub and he’d come in one night after training. After spotting her serving some regulars, he had fallen in love with her instantly. He’d stayed on at the pub until the end of her shift, flirted relentlessly with her until she’d agreed to go out with him and the rest was history.
‘He can’t cook to save his life and he leaves his dirty underpants everywhere, but I love him anyway!’
‘Says the woman who dyed my away kit pink!’
The love and affection between them was plain for all to see. You could see it in the way their eyes shone around one another, the smiles
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