5. Katie #3
Katie began cutting Melanie’s hair. She’d been doing it since they’d first met in a pub over ten years ago.
Melanie was married and the twins were four or five.
Jamie said he wanted to introduce Katie to his brother and his wife, so they agreed to meet up for a drink.
Katie was a bit nervous about meeting Melanie because Jamie talked about her a lot – how amazing she was at her job and how much his mum, who sounded like a right tyrant to Katie, respected Melanie as an agent.
Katie had found Melanie a bit cool and distant the first time they’d met.
Frank was instantly warm, open and welcoming, but Melanie had stood back a bit, sussing Katie out and constantly answering work calls.
Jamie had kept the drinks coming fast and furious, so after an hour or two everyone had loosened up.
Once the alcohol hit her, Katie forgot about being nervous and told funny stories about her clients that made them all laugh.
Towards the end of the night, Melanie had leant over to Katie and said, ‘I’m so glad Jamie met you.
Amanda, Ross’s wife, is hard work, but you’re lovely. ’
Katie had thrown her arms around her and Melanie had given her one of her infamous half-hugs.
Katie had thought they’d be besties, but soon realized that was not going to happen.
Melanie didn’t have time for friends. She had her authors, her work colleagues, Frank and her kids.
Friends, and that included her three sisters, came last. Melanie didn’t have the time or inclination to invest in deep friendships.
Unlike Katie, she didn’t enjoy spilling her guts over a bottle of wine.
She was incredibly self-sufficient and self-contained.
Melanie’s job seemed to give her all the fulfilment she needed.
She loved being an agent and was utterly devoted to her authors, which was why she was so successful.
While Melanie had not become the bestie Katie thought she was going to be, she had always been really supportive of Katie’s job and sent all of her authors, fellow agents and publishing colleagues to get their hair done at the salon, which Katie had really appreciated.
She had learnt that Melanie was not someone who showed affection physically: she showed it by supporting you.
Katie knew something important had happened to Melanie, that there was some big news. What was it? Her brain was fried from the bloody wine. What had Jamie told her? She gasped. ‘OMG, I should have said it earlier, HUGE congratulations on the Goldstine Award nomination!’
Melanie’s face lit up. ‘Goldstone, and thank you. I’m so happy for Sloane and it’s really good for the agency’s profile.’
‘And you, her amazing agent.’
Melanie grinned. ‘I know. I’m trying to be nonchalant and cool about it, but inside I’m jumping up and down.’
Katie laughed. ‘You’re hiding it well. I’d be running around telling everyone. I’d probably have T-shirts made up and all.’
Melanie burst out laughing.
‘How are things in the office, though? Jamie said Ross is all over things and trying to take over a bit.’
Melanie frowned. ‘A bit? He’s a nightmare.
He’s all up in everyone’s business and telling us what we need to do better.
He came into my office demanding to talk to Sloane about the award.
I think he wants to own her, to be able to say she’s his author.
Well, he can back the hell away. She is my author. I found her and nurtured her.’
‘Too right you did, and Jamie says she adores you. He says you’re the only one in the agency she truly trusts. Don’t worry, Ross has no chance.’
Melanie’s phone beeped and buzzed. She typed into it as Katie continued to cut her hair.
When Melanie finally looked up, Katie asked, ‘If they’d really planned to move home and Nancy’s fall just made it happen a little earlier, why does Amanda seem so unhappy?’
‘Because she’s living with Nancy,’ Melanie stated bluntly.
‘I know she’s a grumpy old cow and you’d be miserable living with her but, like, why would you take Theo out of school at the beginning of his final year and not wait until he’d finished his exams?
They didn’t have to come back to look after Nancy.
We could have got a nurse in. A big, strong, scary nurse who’d slap her into shape, like that mad one in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. ’ Katie giggled.
‘Oh, I wish we had.’ Melanie smiled. ‘But you’re right, it does seem strange. There has to be more to it than we know. I thought there was a lot of tension between Amanda and Ross at the lunch.’
‘Me too. Even Lucy noticed and said she thought Amanda was going to cry.’
‘Maybe they’re breaking up,’ Melanie said.
‘Maybe he was sticking it where it shouldn’t have been stuck.’
‘Maybe she’s the one who had the affair, with that duke she used to go on about.’
‘Oh, God, yes! She was obsessed with the Duke and Duchess of Blah-di-blah. Mind you, if she did have an affair, minding Nancy is the worst punishment she could have got. You wouldn’t stray again, that’s for sure.’
They chuckled. Then Melanie’s phone beeped once more.
Katie continued cutting her hair. She was used to Melanie’s work obsession.
She was devoted, and kind of addicted, to her authors.
They could contact her any time, day and night, and she would respond straight away.
Katie thought Melanie needed to put in some boundaries on her personal time.
But she wasn’t going to say that to her sister-in-law.
Funnily enough, Melanie was very good at boundaries with everyone except her authors.
Melanie finished typing an email and sat up again.
‘Is Frank looking forward to the Isla Overtone gig next week?’ Katie asked.
Melanie raised her right eyebrow. ‘Does Frank ever not look forward to a gig?’
‘I know, but this one is special. Isla Overtone is a legend.’
Melanie smiled. ‘Sorry, but I don’t even know who she is.’
Katie faked horror. ‘Melanie! She’s the queen of seventies rock.’
‘Okay, okay, sorry.’ She raised her hand in submission. ‘I’m rubbish about music.’
‘So is Jamie. He thinks Coldplay are edgy.’
‘Are they not?’
‘No! Thank God I have Frank to go with. He appreciates the genius of Isla.’
‘Any chance she’d write a memoir?’ Melanie asked.
Katie marvelled at her sister-in-law’s ability always to look for an opportunity. When she thought about it, Melanie was more like Nancy than any of her sons. ‘Don’t think so. She wrote one a few years ago.’
Melanie sighed. ‘Frank needs to find an author. With Ross home and on the prowl, I’m worried that he’s going to start raising questions about Frank’s worth to the agency. He hasn’t landed a publishing deal for any of his music “geniuses” in years.’
‘He’ll find one soon.’
‘It’s been eight years since Toto Lane’s book, and it tanked.’
‘Well, there’s no way Ross can get rid of him. Jamie won’t have it and neither will Nancy. They love Frank, and Nancy has the added guilt of the accident and that whole thing too.’
‘I know, Katie, but if Ross takes over when Nancy retires, he could well fire Frank.’
‘Nancy’s going nowhere. She’ll live till a hundred and twenty, I reckon. Like a well-groomed vampire.’
Melanie shook her head. ‘The fall has definitely aged her and knocked her confidence a bit.’
‘She hides it well.’
‘I think Nancy may take a step back and hand over the reins of the agency sooner than we think.’
Katie clicked off her hairdryer. ‘Why does Ross get to swan back from London and presume he’s going to take over? Why can’t Jamie and you run the agency?’
‘I’m not family.’
‘You are too.’
‘Not blood family. We’ll always be just in-laws.’
She had a point there. But why did Ross get the agency, not Jamie and Frank?
Okay, Frank was a bit useless, but Jamie was brilliant.
The only thing was, Jamie liked to do his work and come home.
He was good at his job but he worked to live, not like Melanie who lived to work.
She was the obvious person to run the agency.
Katie wondered how Jamie would feel about that.
‘There’s no way Ross would fire his brother,’ she said.
‘Half-brother, and don’t forget there’s a lot of resentment there.’
‘Because Ross was sent to boarding school when Nancy divorced his dad?’
‘Yes. Frank always said that Ross felt left out. Nancy should never have sent him away like that while she got remarried and had more kids.’
‘Nancy has a heart of ice,’ Katie said, shaking her head. ‘Who sends a devastated nine-year-old kid to boarding school? At least my dad kept me at home.’
‘I know. It must have been hell for him to visit in the holidays and see two new sons playing happy families and taking his place.’ Melanie turned her head from side to side, admiring her hair.
‘I think Nancy still feels a bit guilty about it all, which is why she’s so “Hail, Ross the King” now that he’s back. ’
‘Why should our husbands be sidelined because of a bad decision Nancy made?’
Melanie shrugged. ‘Families are complicated. Blood is thicker than water, as they say.’
‘Well, no one is firing Frank and that’s final. I’ll talk to him and see if we can think of a cool musician who hasn’t written a memoir yet.’
‘That would be great. Honestly, you know Frank. He never worries about anything. He’s so bloody zen it drives me nuts. I think he overdoses on meditation and therapy.’
Katie roared laughing. ‘I don’t think you can overdose on either and, let’s face it, there’s a lot worse things he could be addicted to. I wish I was more zen. I think Frank’s amazing. He’s so wise and calm.’
‘Calm is overrated,’ Melanie muttered, as her phone beeped again and she buried her head in another email.