Chapter Four #2
‘Chill, OK? I’ve said I’ll sort it.’ Leo tried to smooth his ruffled feathers as I snapped the elastic band around my wrist and took a swig of Rescue Remedy.
‘You do that,’ Zach huffed. ‘I’ll be on the top bunk if you need me.’
‘Listen.’ Leo stood in our doorway, his arms holding up the frame and I tried not to look at them flex. ‘We’re all in this together, right? We stand strong as a four and she’ll have to listen.’
Heidi nodded. ‘Agreed. I thought we’d be getting the full VIP treatment – how can we appreciate the guest experience from inside a staff bunk bed? I’ll speak to Brooke though, Leo – it’s kind of you to offer but we don’t need you to be our spokesperson. She’s our client.’
‘Understood. In which case, I’m happy for you to represent us too, so we’re not both on her case at the same time.’ Was he being genuine, or just cleverly outsourcing a sticky client conversation? ‘We’re in competition, but there’s no reason we can’t be pleasant about it.’
‘No reason at all.’ Heidi looked at him deadpan.
‘Why don’t you both go?’ I suggested. ‘Then she can’t play you off against each other.
’ And you can’t play her off against us, I thought silently, taking in Leo’s relaxed pose and cashmere clothes.
He had some serious laughter lines, in contrast to my ever-deepening elevens, so he must still have some sense of humour.
We’d had so many laughs when we’d worked together at Engelman, however hard I’d tried to keep it professional.
We’d been work besties from day one and gone everywhere together.
Six months of being a mini-team, working on the same briefs, helping each other work out problems, sharing lunch and trying to fit in.
‘Good idea. Let’s go,’ Leo said, jumping as Heidi marched past him.
Fingers crossed they could sort it. Brooke was likely already in her Jacuzzi with a glass of champagne, or face-down on a massage table covered in hot oil.
Hopefully, she’d take pity on us and get us upgraded somehow.
There was no point unpacking until they got back, so I pulled out my phone to check my emails.
The team would be in the office by now and there was always some drama going on.
HIIT Girls Group Chat:
Abi: Hey girls, I miss your faces. Come back and see me soon!
Sara: I’ll come to LA anytime. I love your condo, your man and your little dog toooo mwahahaha #couplegoals
Abi: You’ve got a hot man and double dog combo yourself if I remember right.
Me: I’ll take the double man and hot dog combo instead please, if we’re putting our orders in.
Sara: Lolz. Are you on your cruise yet? Another one living it up!
Me: Cruising, yes – living it up, no.
I sent them a photo of the cabin to prove it and could just imagine their faces when they opened it. If I was running an anti-PR campaign, this would work as the hero shot.
Abi: Woah. You don’t get paid enough for that.
Sara: I heard they have prisons on those big ships. Are you in solitary confinement?
Kat: I wish – I’m sharing with Heidi! Don’t get me started.
I heard footsteps stropping down the corridor and poked my head out.
‘Back already! How did it…?’ I trailed off as Leo shook his head.
‘Apparently, we have no choice,’ Heidi said, with a face like thunder, as Thiago announced our imminent departure over the Tannoy. ‘We just have to suck it up.’
‘Oh well, first-world problems, amiright?’ Leo winced. ‘Poor us, having to cope with a single bed on this seven-star cruise. Millions of people would trade places with us in a snip.’
Heidi’s eyes looked like they were about to pop out of her head as she ignored him and barged past me into our room.
Leo disappeared next door with a wave and there was a lot of disgruntled grumbling from Zach as he calmly explained the situation.
I was sure that if I put my ear to the wall, I’d be able to hear every single word. So much for avoiding the pair of them.
‘This was such a bad idea,’ Heidi said. ‘We haven’t even set off yet and I’m already regretting coming. We should have booked our own cabin and billed it back – at least then we’d be getting the full customer experience from start to finish.’
‘Well, we’re here now so let’s make the best of it. I’m happy with either bunk, so you choose,’ I said, eyeing up the mini curtains on the lower bunk that were presumably there to give the staff an inch of privacy. It was ridiculously cramped.
‘I know it’ll be difficult, but let’s stay as far away from those guys next door as we can,’ Heidi said, folding herself in half and posting her body into the bottom bunk.
‘Hmm-mm.’ I found a packet of Haribo in my bag and offered her one. She needed some sugar and coffee and then maybe a wine. ‘We won’t be in here much, anyway – let’s just use it for sleeping.’
‘That was Brooke’s suggestion too, when we were eventually allowed in to speak to her.
Seeing the size of her suite makes this even harder to tolerate,’ she said, looking around in despair.
‘She’s got a wrap-around ocean view and a rotating bed, lounging around like Lady Muck while we’re packed in here like pickled eggs.
We need space to get ready and do our hair and paint our nails.
And to relax. And breathe for fuck’s sake. ’
She kicked the mattress above her in fury. It was my turn to calm her down.
‘We’ll be OK, Heidi, don’t worry,’ I said, but even I didn’t believe it. ‘We can book daily appointments in the spa and hairdresser’s and charge it back. I’ll make friends with Barbie Queue and maybe she’ll lend us her dressing room to get ready in.’
She stopped for a second at that. ‘Do you think she would?’
‘Sure, why not? Let’s leave our bags for now and go and find the bar. We’ll feel much better after a decent Bloody Mary and a bacon sandwich.’
Heidi nodded quietly and picked up her purse. She was well-known to have the occasional strop, but hers weren’t panic attacks; they were impatience and entitlement. It was hard to accept a clear no when you always got your own way.