Tails of the City Vol. 01 - London - Assisting Anna
It's like stepping out of a time machine. You come up in a small lift and the doors open and the exit gates are right there. You're stuck in a mob of tourists and they're all excited and jabbering in Italian or Spanish or whatever. They push and shove and suddenly everyone is spat out into Covent Garden, just like into a film set, and you imagine Stanley Holloway in his top hat and tails prancing around the Piazza singing "
Get me to the Church on Time
".
Yes, there's drinks and girls all over London, but the last time I got out at Covent Garden station there was only one girl on my mind. Anna. Her mother contacted me and said what a coincidence, Anna was in London for a few days too, would I mind meeting her, maybe show her around, keep her company? Of course, I said, and I acted all cool even though my heart nearly jumped out of my chest. I called Anna and arranged to meet her and she told me the real reason her mother had called. She was too embarrassed to call me first, and scared, I guess. I was scared too, because I wanted to help and this was an opportunity that I didn't want to fuck up. And now here I was in Covent Garden, and I'd see her in less than ten minutes.
I walked down to the market and strolled around the stalls. I spotted a necklace with a thin silver chain and a small glass pendant with rainbow stripes. Not too expensive, not too tacky. I bought it and put it in my inside jacket pocket. I checked the money was still there too.
Then it was a straight line through the Piazza, down Southampton Street to the Strand, across the road and into
The Coal Hole
. I walked the length of the bar. Not too many people around for early Saturday evening. I ordered a pint of Spitfire and sat at a table facing the door. I looked at my watch. She'd be here any minute if she was punctual. And she was.
A guy came in and he held the door for someone behind him. It was Anna. She said thanks, so they weren't together. Good. She wore an emerald green cocktail dress, just like I'd asked her to, and an unbuttoned long coat. Then she stood just inside the door and put a hand through her long straight red hair, suddenly unsure and nervous compared to how confident she'd looked just seconds before. God, she was beautiful. I felt my heartbeat thump and I took a quick drink. She saw me and I stood up as she walked towards me.
"Anna-"
"Jim," she said.
Oh, that quiver in her voice, the same as when we spoke the day before. The poor darling girl was terrified. I moved forward and kissed her cheek and hugged her and inhaled a wonderful perfume as I put my nose against her hair.
"You look gorgeous Anna. Here, sit down."
"Thanks. You look good too."
"Oh, I don't know. I guess I've been to the gym a lot. Let me get you a drink. What will you have?"
"White wine. Please."
I returned with the drink and sat next to her.
"Well Anna, look at you, all grown up since the last time I saw you dressed like that. How old were you, twelve?"
"Yes, I guess."
"Sorry if it's a bit weird."
"What do you mean?"
"You know, asking you to wear a green dress like the last time I saw you at that birthday party. I just thought, how will I recognise that gorgeous girl now she's a grown-up young lady of twenty? Then I thought if I got you to wear similar clothes, I'd know it was you. Just how I always remember you."
Anna looked down at her hands and blushed. "That's okay."
"I have something for you."
"Oh god Jim I'm so sorry, I just-"
"No, wait. We'll get to that. I mean I got you a gift."
She took the box and unwrapped it. "Oh Jim, thank you!"
"Not a problem. Here, let me help you. Put your hair up."
Anna lifted her hair and exposed her pale neck, all delectable and elegant, just like Audrey Hepburn. Damn, how good would it be to nibble her ear and bite that neck? The aroma of her perfume and hair made my head spin. I reached forward and the pendant fell into that delicious little crease between her small perfect boobs. My fingers traced along the freckled white skin of her neck with the barest touch as I reached back to hook the clasp. I think she even shivered. "There."
"You didn't have to do that Jim."
"It's no problem. Really. And here, I have the money. Ten thousand cash." I handed her the envelope.
Anna put the money in her lap and held her hands to her face. "Oh god Jim, I'm so embarrassed."
I thought she was going to cry. I leaned forward and put my arms around her and kissed the top of her head.
"Please Anna, take the money. I know you need it. I don't want to know what for. Your mother said you need help and that's enough for me. What good is your old Uncle Jim if he can't help you out, eh?"
I'm not her real uncle, but she looked at me then and smiled and she had tears in her eyes. "Thank you so much. I don't know how I can ever repay you."
"You don't have to. That's a gift too." I lifted my pint. "Cheers."
"Cheers." She looked at me more sad than embarrassed, it seemed.
"Hey," I said, "how about we get something to eat?"
She looked at me all sad again. "Sure."
"You really sure? You don't look sure."
She looked away. Then I realised.
"It's not enough, is it?"
She looked down at the floor. She was crying now.
"Oh baby." I took her hand. "Anna, look at me."
She stared. Her eyes glistened.
"Listen to me. Let me do something. Let me give you forty thousand more."
"No."
I put a finger to her delicious red lips. "Shush. That's fifty thousand all up, and I want to give it to you and I hope it's more than enough." She closed her eyes briefly and nodded. "Good. And don't worry, you don't have to pay it back." I reached into my pocket and took out the electronic key. "Look, I'm at The Savoy hotel. It's nearby. One of the best hotels in London. I can afford it."
Anna smiled. "It's better than a two-star hotel in Notting Hill."
"Exactly. Now, gorgeous young lady, all I ask in return is that you also let me treat you to dinner. How about you come back to the hotel and we order food up to my suite? Yes, suite. Bottle of Champagne, the best of food, and celebrate how we've become acquainted again. And that your financial worries are over, thanks to Uncle Jim."
I entwined my fingers in hers. "Whatcha say, kiddo?"
Anna lifted her glass and finished the wine in one gulp. "Sure. Let's get out of here."
"Excellent." I stood up and offered her my arm.
*
Anna strolled to the window. "You must have done well for yourself. To be able to afford this room and view."
"Just got lucky," I said. "I sold my company to Microsoft. I just happened to have the right product and client base."
I walked over beside her and we surveyed the view over the Embankment and the Thames.
"You know, my first ever technology job was in a building near here, on The Strand. Some days I'd walk over Hungerford Bridge with Nicola Lombardi to the Royal Festival Hall and we'd have lunch there. Hungerford is the railway bridge over there to the right."
"Oh, was she your girlfriend?"
"No. I was only a young man and I had this foolish romantic idea that my future wife had to have long dark hair like that American actress Jennifer Connelly, and be as beautiful and sexy as her. All I needed to do was wait until she came along. Then we'd take one look at each other and that would be it. And Nicola wasn't Jennifer, though she seemed to like me. God, what a fool I was."
"Yes. Poor Nicola."
"Indeed."
There was a knock on the door. "Well, great, that's the food. I'm starving."
After dinner I topped up our Champagne glasses and went to get my laptop. I imagined Anna was hopeful I would produce the extra forty grand I'd promised her. I sat down at the desk and logged into personal banking.
"Tell me the account number you want this money deposited in to."