Track 35
‘WINGS’ (BIRDY)
Adam was in a huff again about Lily’s latest trip to the United States. ‘Are you the only bloody reporter they’ve got, Lil?’
‘Obviously not, you numpty, but they think I’m good at what I do. And believe it or not I actually like the travelling.’
‘You hate flying though.’
She rolled her eyes. ‘Yeah, but it’s a bit tricky to get to the States on a train, dufus.’
The pair sat on his sofa eating pizza and drinking a nice bottle of Shiraz while Monty waited for the crusts.
They’d been having an eighties movie marathon, which had lasted from Friday night through to lunchtime Saturday.
Lunchtime drinking was never a good idea, and Lily had said she felt sure she would regret it when she had to get to the airport later that night.
Luckily a car was being sent for her and so the alcohol didn’t worry her too much.
‘You’re never here,’ he grumbled.
She nudged his shoulder. ‘Oh, stop your bloody moaning. You should be relieved I’m going. At least when I’m away I’m not trying to set you up on dates.’
He grinned. ‘Yeah, you’ve got a point.’ He munched on his slice of pepperoni pizza thoughtfully. ‘So where are they sending you this time? And what’s it about?’
‘I’m heading off for sunny Vero Beach in Florida to do a piece on beachfront businesses.’
He huffed. ‘Do they just make stuff up to send you on holiday?’
She laughed. ‘Don’t care if they do. I’ll go and do my job and bloody well enjoy myself. Might even catch some rays on Daytona Beach.’
‘Yeah, well, no more tattoos, okay?’
‘Ha! You haven’t even seen my tattoo! So you can’t judge. You’re just too chicken to get one.’
‘Ahh, that’s where you’re wrong!’ he slurred, sloshing his drink as he pointed his finger at her.
‘I have seen it… a few times in fact, when you’ve been crouching!
I haven’t a clue what it says though, and anyway, the word you’re looking for is sensible, Lil.
’ He pursed his lips at her. ‘I don’t like needles, so why would I want someone sticking one in me repeatedly for hours at a time? ’
‘Yeah… true… you’d probably just pee your pants anyway.’ She burst into fits of laughter while he sat open-mouthed, no doubt searching his alcohol-addled brain for a witty retort, but none came.
‘Oh, sod off, cheese head.’
His response made her laugh harder until tears were streaming down her face. ‘Sorry… but… you’re so immature… I can’t… breathe.’ Her voice came out as a strangled squeak.
He gaped at her incredulously. ‘I’m immature?’
The heat was intense as Lily sat on the terrace of the hotel eating breakfast. She had chosen a spot under a large umbrella and was watching the waves rolling onto the sand.
She had been at the hotel for two days by herself as the film crew had been delayed but would be arriving later that afternoon and she was keen to get started.
It was always fun working with Mack and Kyle.
Mack was the best camera operative she’d had the pleasure of working with.
He was Glaswegian with a wicked sense of humour and was known for filling them in on his latest practical joke or drunken weekend exploits.
Kyle, the only American on the team, and Mack’s best friend in spite of the distance that often sat between them, was in charge of sound.
He would control the boom and mix at the same time, which was awe-inspiring in itself.
He was incredibly handsome for an older guy.
Lily guessed he was in his late forties but had never asked his actual age.
Usually unshaven, with shaggy, sandy brown hair, he had a look of Kevin Bacon and sounded a little like him, too.
She was hoping to maybe get a little time for sightseeing once they had finished the piece and maybe a little shopping too.
Mack and Kyle arrived mid-afternoon and she met them in the lounge area. As they chatted about the piece they were about to start on, one of the staff turned the volume up on the TV that hung on the wall by the bar.
‘Reports are coming in at that Storm Erin has unexpectedly changed course and is now expected to make landfall later today…’ the news reporter was saying with a concerned crumple to his brow.
‘Well, damn, that’s not good,’ Mack said. He wasn’t his usual jovial self; today he was seriousness personified, which set Lily on edge.
Kyle tapped on his phone, looking at various news and weather sites. ‘Shit, it looks like it’s gonna get pretty bad, guys,’ he said, chewing his lip.
‘But surely it can’t be that bad if people are still travelling in?’ Lily said.
‘I’ll go and grab us a couple drinks. We may not be starting today,’ Kyle said as he stood from the table.
‘Aye, I’m gonna go and call the missus quickly. She’ll panic if she sees the news,’ Mack said. He stood and wandered over to a quieter area of the bar.
While she sat there alone, Lily’s mobile phone vibrated, notifying her of a WhatsApp message.
Adam.
Lil, just seen on news that a hurricane is heading for Florida. You shd come home.
She sighed and hit reply.
S’ok Adders, they’re used to this kind of thing here. Stop worrying!
Ten seconds later:
Lil, it sounds bad. Please come home.
She didn’t respond. She had learned that the more she pandered to Adam, the more he worried. It was best to ignore him when he got scared. Eventually, he would calm down when he realised she was on her plane journey home.
Kyle returned and placed a tray of drinks on the table before her.
He rubbed his tattooed hand over his face.
‘I was just talking to the guy behind the bar. He says they’re starting to board up windows and remove any freestanding heavy items from the beachfront. It’s looking pretty serious out there.’
Lily gave a nervous laugh. ‘But… I was sitting out on the terrace eating breakfast just this morning in bright sunshine. I mean, people are here on holiday. There are kids all over the place.’
Kyle turned and gave her a warm smile. ‘Yeah, and that’s why the precautions are being taken, honey. Nature doesn’t tend to discriminate by age. As long as we do what we’re asked to do, we’ll be fine.’ Kyle patted her arm in a patronising way that made her blood boil.
She clenched her jaw. ‘We need to get on a plane. There’s no point in staying here when we’re not going to get what we came to film,’ she snapped.
‘Airports are now closed with flights currently en route being diverted and all outward-bound flights are now grounded,’ the TV reporter said. ‘People are being advised not to travel and to secure windows and prepare.’
‘Ah,’ Lily said as a cold shiver travelled her spine.
Mack returned, pale-faced. He sat and took a long drag of his beer but didn’t speak.
Kyle shook his head. ‘The weather front is moving in pretty damn fast. No one expected this. Not even the experts.’ He glanced over to the window. She followed his gaze and saw that the palm trees outside were swaying dramatically, almost doubling over in the increasingly strong tempest.
The previously blue sky was now a dark, ominous shade of grey. A stray piece of newspaper flew towards the window and stuck there for a few seconds before flying off and continuing its frantic journey to an unknown destination.
She gulped and let out a nervous laugh. ‘But they’re used to this kind of thing, aren’t they? I mean… it happens a lot, right?’
The men looked at each other before Kyle cleared his throat. ‘Oh… yeah… sure, sure. We’ll be fine… fine… totally fine.’ His brow was scrunched.
It was not a convincing performance.
The crew agreed to stay put in the resort hotel – not that they had any choice in the matter.
Lily went to her room, closed the drapes, and switched on the TV.
Every channel in the local area was reporting the devastating effect Hurricane Erin was having on the east coast of the United States.
Lives had already been lost. Trees had been ripped up and homes destroyed.
Lily stared, open-mouthed, and suddenly felt very, very homesick.
Her phone vibrated in her bag. It was Adam again.
Lil, please tell me you’re okay. This hurricane is doing a major number on the part of USA where you are. I’m terrified for you.
Lily took a calming breath and hit reply.
All’s fine here, Adders. Not as bad as it sounds on the news.
(This was a lie.)
Don’t think we will get footage we need so prob comin home early xx
No reply came. Lily wondered if her message had even gone.
There was a good chance that networks were down locally.
She went to the window, pulled back the drapes and gasped, her hands reaching for her face.
The scene below was one of utter devastation.
In a very short period of time since she had closed the drapes, the palm trees she had been watching earlier were now bent double and staying there.
Some looked on the verge of being torn from the ground at any second.
Garbage swirled a rhythmless, chaotic dance around the parking lot of the hotel.
Several cars were already damaged, and the rain hammered down relentlessly.
The wind whirred eerily through the invisible gaps in the windows, creating a creepy whistling sound, and she swore she could see the glass bowing inward.
She stepped away, just in case. There was a hammering on her door, and she dashed over to open it.
A young bellhop stood there. ‘Miss Macrae, you must come down to the hotel restaurant immediately, please. We need to clear every floor above ground level.’ His face was pale and his tone urgent.
She nodded nervously, the weight of the situation finally sinking in. ‘Yes, yes, sure. Let me just grab a few of my belongings.’
His eyes widened and he held up his hands to her. ‘Miss, there isn’t time, please.’ But she was already inside the room grabbing her phone and handbag. Everything else would have to wait.
Once on the ground floor, she gave her name and room number to a gaunt-looking woman who wore the hotel’s uniform. Her name badge read:
Sindy Mason, Head Receptionist