Connor’s gym kit:
Black running tights (Adidas)
Green vest top (Nike)
Black and green trainers (Saucony)
White socks (Nike)
Total est. cost: £180
‘Move your sad and saggy ass.’
‘This is very, very exciting, baby. I am loving it. Ohhhhh, yeees. Yes! Give me more … Harder. Punish me. Make. Me. CRY!’
‘Do you always shout at the cross trainer like this?’ Annie asked Connor, who wasn’t just shouting, he was panting, sweating, suffering on the machine beside hers.
‘Work, Annie, work!’ he urged her, ‘what would Gawain say? He would tell you to smell victory, baby, to close your eyes and reach for the gold.’
‘Gawain, ha, this is all Gawain’s fault!’ Annie puffed. ‘If I’d never met Gawain, I would not be here right now.’
‘Gawain is going to be here in London in just four days’ time,’ Connor reminded her, ‘so you better move your sad and saggy ass or you are going to be in supersized trouble.’
Annie nudged her treadmill up from 1 (i.e. barely moving) to 2. ‘You’re right. I’m going to be a totally, totally different woman when he is here.’
Over the last few days there had been some very interesting developments. Connor had begun his time on Strictly Come Dancing and been all over breakfast TV like a rash, flirting, showing off his buns and abs of steel and boasting about his ‘unbelievable’ New York personal trainer.
Connor had also happened to mention that said personal trainer was in talks with a well-known British TV producer about a celebrity fitness show.
Well … then the phones had started to burn red hot.
Connor’s agent was talking to Gawain’s agent who was talking to Tamsin who was talking to Annie’s agent.
Would Connor consider appearing on the celebrity fitness show? Would Annie consider hosting the celebrity fitness show? And how on earth would everyone get the money together to make it worth Gawain’s while to appear on British TV?
‘Baby, as soon as they said unfit celebrity guinea pig …’ Connor began.
‘You thought of me. Sweet,’ came Annie’s reply.
‘And you have other news, don’t you?’ Connor asked, ‘I can tell … you look smug.’
‘Ah well, nothing definite yet …’ Annie began.
No sooner did the four special episodes of the Celeb Fit Show look as if they were really going to happen than Tamsin had been on the phone with more news.
‘Please tell me someone’s going to buy the How Not To Shop format?’ Annie had just about pleaded.
‘No. But I’m not giving up on it,’ Tamsin had assured her, ‘it’s a great show with a very loyal audience. But Annie, for now, I’ve been talking to a Guy Kettner, I believe you know him?’
‘Oh … the night of the crème brûlée.’
‘Well, he loves you. He may have mentioned to you that he’s got plans for a personal finance programme. Well, he’s very keen on you and I think he’s getting keen on me too. We’re meeting tomorrow.’
‘That is interesting, babes, very interesting.’
‘But meantime, you’re signed up with Connor and his new fitness phenomenon. So that is brilliant. That keeps you on screen and right in our minds and hot, hot, hot. Plus, you’ll get into shape too, which never hurt anyone. Not that I’m a body fascist.’
‘I thought you liked the “real” me.’
‘Real yes. You don’t need to go size zero on me …’
‘As if.’
‘But supersized, no,’ had been the brutal reply.
So that was why, right now, Annie was in the gym with Connor, who kept leaning over and nudging up the speed on her machine.
‘Stop it!’ she warned, ‘or I’ll be a dead celebrity guinea pig and no use to you at all.’
When the mobile in her back pocket began to ring, Connor protested, ‘A mobile! In the gym? You can’t have a mobile in the gym, it’s against the rules. How can you feel the pain with Gawain if you stop and chat on the phone?’
Annie wasn’t listening. She’d already jumped off the machine with relief. Anyone could be calling, she didn’t care, as long as she had an excuse to get off the treadmill.
‘Annah!’
There was no mistaking the voice at the other end of the line.
‘Svetlana, how are you?’
‘Vonderrrrful. Dresses sell out all over New York, everybody want one. Now we are worrrking very hard to get new range in place. New fabrics, new colours, playing a little with the styles. Is all so good and so fascinating, no? I go over again next week to make sure everything going well.’
Annie felt the pang of jealousy in the pit of her stomach. Back to Manhattan. Back to the fashion business …
‘So I phone you to talk again about our plan.’
‘Yes …’
‘I think it is a very, very good plan. I think it will be amazing. I already organize a bigger apartment.’
‘In the same area?’
‘Almost. Very nice, very safe. But Manhattan much safer than London. No?’
‘So you really think this will be OK?’
‘Yes, I already organize work permit with the consulate.’
‘Really? And it wasn’t a problem?’
‘No problem. All organized. So you need to book ticket.’
‘Really?’ Annie gripped the phone tightly. She could feel her heart thud with the heady mix of excitement and fear. ‘I can’t quite believe it,’ she said. ‘Thank you so much. It’s amazing. It’s a really amazing opportunity.’
‘I know. But good for us too. And the weather is still warmer than London, but winter is coming and maybe there will be lots of snow. When are you going to come?’