The Funny Thing About Love

55. Nell

55

NELL

‘Nell, this is Molly, my agent. Molly, this is Nell!’

Kay has to shout over the throbbing music as she pulls me across to meet the woman in the dark-blue suit at the bar. ‘Nell’s the one I told you about, Moll – she did that interview with me, and she wrote the opener tonight, the Facebook Mums thing!’

Molly’s eyes widen and she leans into me. ‘Oh, that sketch was fantastic.’ She hands me a card. ‘Why don’t you drop me an email next week, Nell? I’d love to read more of your stuff.’

‘I . . . erm . . . yeah . . . OK!’ I pocket the card, and Kay grins at me. Not a single drop of alcohol has even passed my lips yet at this aftershow party, but already I feel giddy.

Two hours have passed since this week’s episode of Punching Up was recorded. And in spite of how generally batshit the past four weeks have been, this final furlong has been by far the batshittest.

After Nick and Nate left the studio, Bishi and Talia put my Facebook sketch straight back to the top of the running order. I didn’t even see Nate again for the rest of the evening. No one did. I think he skipped the ‘chat’ with Nick and just went straight home.

We watched the dress rehearsal, did some final line tweaks and before I knew it, the audience were filing in and I was settling down behind the cameras with the rest of the writers to watch the show unfold. With everything that had gone on, I almost forgot to be nervous. But as the lights went down, my anxiety made up for lost time, drilling right into my chest. The whole country was about to watch something I’d written, performed live. What if they didn’t like it? What if they didn’t laugh?

As the stage lights came up and Kay DeBlue walked out to raucous applause, my heart was thundering. But then, in the darkness next to me, I felt Charlie take my hand. He was right there beside me, and he leaned in and whispered, ‘Nell, this is going to be amazing.’ Just like that, the anxiety disappeared.

Kay absolutely nailed her performance, and as the laughs started to rain down all around us, my face burned and my heart sang, and Charlie squeezed my hand more tightly. It was beyond incredible.

And then suddenly I thought of Dad. I imagined how he’d feel if he knew one of my sketches had opened our favourite show. How blown away he would have been. How proud. I wished so much that he was still here to see it.

By the time the lights came back up and the show was over, my phone was jammed with messages. Not just from Chloe and Mica and various other friends, but my family WhatsApp group too, which was full of selfies of Mum and Will cheering in front of the TV as my name flashed up in the end credits.

I didn’t really even have time to process that it had happened. We’d all been bundled straight to a bar around the corner for the aftershow drinks, and I haven’t been able to move for people congratulating me, or handing me their business card, ever since. It’s just too wild.

But after nearly an hour of it, all I really want right now is to be alone with Charlie.

I glance around the packed room. Where is he?

I head to the bar to order a drink, and see Talia and Bishi making their way towards me through the crowd. Talia wraps an arm around my shoulder. ‘There she is. Hero of the hour.’

I laugh. Bishi smiles and says, ‘I think Charlie should probably share that honour this week, actually. I don’t think Nick would have given us the reins tonight if Charlie hadn’t stepped in.’

‘It’s true.’ Talia nods. ‘I’ve got to hand it to Francombe Junior. He did all right there.’

I smile. He did more than all right. I honestly can’t believe he stood up to Nick like that. I know how weird – how strained – his relationship with his dad is, so to see him go to bat for me like that . . . Well, it just further cemented what I already knew.

I look around for him again as Talia leans in to speak over the music. ‘Nell, I just wanted to say again, I’m so sorry about what happened with you and Nate. I’d always wondered about that Clara girl, but I never said anything. And I knew how toxic Nate had been to me when I’d turned him down. I should have told you. I should have warned you. I really fucked up.’

I squeeze her arm. ‘Talia, you do not need to apologise. You’ve been amazing to me the whole time I’ve been here. And it’s Nate that fucked up, not you.’

Bishi waves her phone at us. ‘Speaking of which, I’ve just had an email from Nick. Nate never showed for their “chat” this afternoon, so he’s officially been suspended from the show, pending further investigation.’

Talia closes her eyes and smiles. ‘Ah, the sweet, sweet consequences of that man’s actions. Finally.’

I laugh. ‘Who’s the new head writer then?’ I ask Bishi.

She shrugs. ‘No idea yet. But Nick gave me hiring power on the junior positions, so I do know who the new writers’ assistant is.’ She clinks her glass against mine. ‘Congratulations, Nell.’

Talia whoops and hugs me again. ‘Oh my God, Nell . . . are you crying?’

I laugh snottily and hold my hand to my face. ‘I’m sorry! I can’t help it. You don’t know what this means to me.’

‘We do,’ Talia whispers, squeezing me more tightly. ‘And that’s exactly why you’ve got the job.’

‘You’ll be fantastic, Nell,’ Bishi says.

‘Whoa – what’s going on here?’

Charlie has materialised at my side, his brow wrinkled at my tear-stained face.

‘We just gave Nell a bit of good news.’ Bishi beams.

‘Very good news,’ I sputter.

‘Ah, right.’ Charlie’s frown flips into a wide grin to show me he understands. ‘I had a feeling. Congratulations.’

‘Thanks.’ I wipe my eyes and try to get a hold of myself. ‘Where’ve you been?’ I ask him.

‘Talking to my mum,’ Charlie says. ‘Told her about the teaching course. She’s honestly going nuts. She’s so happy I’ve finally decided to “get my foot on a ladder”.’

‘That’s amazing.’ His dimples appear and make my stomach flip, just like it did on that day we first met. I want to get out of here right now so I can have him to myself.

‘Charlie, that’s awesome,’ Talia says. ‘I wanted to say sorry too,’ she adds. ‘If I was a bit . . . snooty towards you at the start.’ Charlie tries to brush this away, but she keeps going: ‘No, really – I was wrong about you, Charlie Francombe. You’ve turned out to be a thoroughly good egg. One of the best eggs, in fact. I’m sorry.’

She reaches her fist out and Charlie bumps it, grinning from ear to ear. I can see how much it means to him. ‘Thanks, Talia.’

‘Well, it sounds like we’ve all got something to celebrate tonight.’ Talia slaps Bishi on the back. ‘So come on, Bish – you’re in charge of the company credit card now, surely? Get the shots in, mate.’

Bishi gives an anxious laugh. ‘Erm . . .’

‘Actually,’ I say. ‘I was thinking maybe I’d head off now. Get something to eat, maybe?’

I lean into Charlie, and he puts his arm around me. ‘Sounds good.’

Bishi makes a little ‘o’ with her mouth, and Talia’s eyebrows shoot up into her hair.

‘Oh. OK . . . so this is a thing, is it?’ she says, gesturing at the two of us.

Charlie and I grin at each other. ‘I think it might be a thing, yeah,’ I say.

‘I sincerely hope it’s a thing,’ Charlie says.

‘OK. Off you go then.’ She thumps my shoulder and smiles. ‘Don’t go too wild though. We need you back in bright and early on Monday.’