Free One In A Billion by Anne-Marie Hart Page B

uncontrollably.
    'Maybe not everyone is as punctual as you are', Sophia reassured me.
    At ten past eight I was beginning to think it had all been either a dream or a joke. I checked my watch, the time on my mobile, the time on Sophia's phone, and the time officially according to the internet. At what was 8:15 according to google, I considered phoning the talking clock. When the buzzer went, I nearly shit myself.
    'Fuck, he's here', I said, going to the window. There was a black car parked downstairs, and a large looking man at the door.
    'No shit', Sophia said.
    The buzzer went again.
    'Aren't you going to answer it?' Sophia said.
    I picked up the intercom. 'Hello?' I said.
    'Alice', came the voice from the other side.
    'Yes', I said. 'On my way.'
    I put down the intercom and turned to Sophia. I was so nervous, my hands were shaking.
    'Do I look alright?' I said to her.
    'You look great', Sophia said, 'don't worry about a thing, you'll be amazing.'
    'I'm going', I said. 'Fuck it.'
    'Your book?' Sophia reminded me.
    I tapped my handbag and smiled. 'Already done.'
    Sophia gave me a good luck hug, and a moment later I was on my own, descending the stairs to the front door extremely slowly, careful not to trip up, break my shoes or even worse, break my ankle on the way down.
    The driver introduced himself as Jackson, opened the back door for me and held my hand as I climbed in. I didn't look up, but I knew Sophia would be watching me proudly from the living room window.
    'Are we picking up Devizes too?' I asked. I'd kind of expected him to be picking me up himself, or at least be in the same car.
    'He lives on the other side of London', Jackson said, 'so he's taking his own car, and he'll meet you at the restaurant.'
    'Where is it we're going?' I said.
    'Fuel, the restaurant's called', Jackson politely informed me. 
    'I've never heard of it', I said.
    'No, not many people have, it's pretty exclusive apparently. You're pretty lucky.'
    I could see Jackson giving me the once over in the rear view mirror, checking out my credentials, and no doubt trying to work out what it was about me exactly that Devizes had considered appealing enough to invite to an exclusive restaurant.
    We drove into central London, and I got lost for a while until we came out by Shaftesbury Avenue and carried on through into Soho. Jackson stopped the car at the bottom of what looked like a huge modern office tower in the heart of Soho, and I was still looking up at it when he opened the back door. Jackson took my hand and helped me out of the cab, even though I think I probably could have done it more gracefully without his help. He seemed insistent so I let him, not wanting to mess up his job.
    'The restaurant is at the very top of this building', Jackson said.
    I hadn't noticed it before, but the building had lifts on the outside, zooming up to the top like rockets.
    'I'll accompany you inside', Jackson said, and began to walk to the entrance.
    There was a red carpet and an illuminated arch, under which two people stood in suits ticking people off a checklist and inviting them inside. There were a few people in the queue in front of me, including a woman who turned around, looked me up and down and smiled sourly, as though she'd appreciated my effort but could see I wasn't part of her world. I felt immediately self-conscious and out of my comfort zone. This was like being on the other side for the first time in my life. I'd looked at it a number of times from the several award ceremonies and posh functions I'd worked at, but this was the first time I'd been on this side. The rich, consume as much as you can, fill your boots, don't worry about money side.
    Suddenly we were at the entrance.
    'Do you have a reservation?' a young Polish girl with perfect English asked us.
    'Yes', I said. 'I think so.'
    'This is Devizes Carter's date for the evening', Jackson informed her.
    'Ahh', the girl said breaking into a smile. 'We've been expecting you.' She took me by the