In Another Life

‘R u here yet?’

I smile as I read over my text message. I’d just stepped off the train not 5 minutes ago and already my mobile is buzzing with SMS messages that I’d received while underground.

‘10 mins away.’ I hit send and then set off to my right, slipping into the busy Saturday evening crowd seamlessly.

I’ve always loved London on the weekends. I think that says a lot, especially coming from an Essex girl such as myself. But there’s something about the way the city comes to life and moves around me that puts me in such an amazing mood.

There’s really no place in the world like London, I reflect happily as I hurry across the street and step up onto the sidewalk. The little corner store lights up the way brilliantly and I sidestep a couple busily making out against a car.

And then I come upon a tall, narrow red building, otherwise known as Raina Taylor’s apartment. It looks a bit grim on the outside, but I know that the inside is decorated cozily with candles and cushions everywhere.

Rather than ringing the bell, I pull out my phone and send out a quick text message. ‘Outside ur place- come on!’ I replace the phone back in my bag and cross my arms over my chest comfortably as I start to wait.

As if she were hovering just inside the doorway, Raina comes tripping out presently, her clutch in one hand and the other tugging at the hem of her shirt. “Hello,” She greets me with a wide smile, catching me in a one-armed hug. “How’re you?”

“Even though I just saw you a few hours ago at work, I’m fine,” I laugh, returning her hug happily. “And I trust you’re doing well?”

Through my blatant teasing, Raina manages a serene smile. “I am well, thank you. I’m actually starving,” She admits, laughing a bit. “I nearly started off on my own just so I could have our table and drinks ready.”

“Hush,” I order, elbowing her in the ribs. “I was not that late!”

Raina rolls her eyes at me. “Oh, 20 minutes is not that late.”

“It isn’t,” I protest as we hurry down the side street quickly. “You know the stations are an absolute nightmare on the weekends. And besides, I seem to remember you being nearly an hour late a few weeks back.”

“I got off at the wrong stop, that is completely not the same situation,” She insists as we round a corner and empty out onto a main road. We’re near a popular shopping area, so the crowd is thick and busy, tonight especially. “I got there eventually, didn’t I?”

“Oh, eventually,” I tease her again, looping my arm through her own as we get swept away in the river of people. “Are Amanda and Jeanette going to be there?” I have to lean in close to Raina in order for her to hear me.

She nods, the barrette in her hair glistening orange and red in the city lights. “Jeanette is going to be a few moments late as she just got off work, but she said to order her a drink.”

“Do you know what—” I begin but stop as a car door is flung open next to me and I have to come to an abrupt halt in order to avoid running into it. In my haste to stop, I grab at Raina’s hand and cling on to her, gracefully stumbling to the side.

I watch in amazement as a pair of knobby tanned knees appear, followed by toned thighs and finally, a gold sequined skirt. A slender girl steps out of the car and straightens out her dress before she leans back and says something to her driver.

And then she turns around and stares at me blankly. “Can I help you?” She says slowly, raising one perfectly manicured eyebrow up at me.

“No,” I reply with a frosty bite to my words. “You just nearly hit with your door—I wanted to see who—”

“Bryn?” She interrupts me and peers into my face intently. “You’re Bryn, aren’t you?”

I pause, completely thrown off by this turn of events. How does she know my name? I glance back at Raina, who shrugs and shakes her head, before I look back at the girl in front of me. “Who’re you?”

“I’m Heather,” She points at herself, the bangles at her wrists clinking loudly. “Heather Jacobs!” When my face shows no recognition, she elaborates with a bit of a laugh. “We met at the polo match a few weeks back.”

And then it all comes back to me. I’d gone for a drink with Olivia at the bar and we’d overheard Heather speaking with some of her friends in loud, patronizing tones about something that had happened at a previous event. Olivia had explained who Heather was to me in a soft whisper and we’d made eye-contact for a split second before Heather turned back to her group of friends.

I’d never even spoken with the girl before, and here she is acting like we’re the best of friends and we hit it off at the polo match. I have no idea how she even knows my name. But I guess when your job is to see and be seen, it’s all in a day’s work.

“Hi,” I offer her a small smile, before Mum’s strict upbringing rears its head in my conscience. “How are you?”

“I’m doing so great! I’m actually off to Fabric at the moment and I’m meeting up with Rose and a few others,” Heather’s mouth is moving quickly and I’m mesmerized by the way her lips flash and sparkle. “You know you should totally join us; we were all just saying how much fun you are and how we all need to get together.”

“Oh right,” I say faintly, a bit taken aback at how forward this woman is being towards me. “Well actually, I have plans with a few friends tonight,” I motion towards Raina, who’s hovering awkwardly at the edge of our conversation. “But perhaps another time,” I finish with a triumphant smile, since I know very well that she won’t take my offer up anytime soon.

“Pleased to meet you,” Raina says kindly, nodding at the socialite.

Heather smiles and then turns back to me. “That’s too bad. If your evening ends early, you must meet up with us!”

“Sure,” I say, looking back at Raina and giving her a look that plainly says ‘yeah, right’. But Heather pays no notice as she rummages through her matching sequined clutch. “Here,” She motions with her free hand for my own mobile. “Let’s exchange numbers and you can call me.”

I’m well aware of myself pulling out my phone and handing it to this virtual stranger in front of me as I type my own cell number into her calling log. I even type in my name, because I feel sure that she has no idea what my last name is since we barely know each other, before I hand it back to her.

“Actually, there’s another polo match coming up this week,” Heather tucks her phone away safely. “You and Olivia should come! It’ll be such fun.”

A clock chimes quarter ‘til somewhere behind me and I nod, well aware of the fact that my conversation with this girl is making us even later and that Amanda is waiting at the restaurant for us already. “Sure, that sounds like loads of fun. I’m sure Liv’d love to come; it’ll be a blast.”

Heather claps her hands excitedly and beams happily. “Yes! I’ll give you a call with the particulars. It’s this Tuesday—it’s going to be such fun!”

“Yes,” I agree absentmindedly. “Well, it was a pleasure bumping into you. We really must be going—we have reservations at the top of the hour and I don’t want to be late.”

“Of course,” Heather leans forward and hugs me tightly before she drops a kiss on my cheek. “See you Tuesday!” And then she disappears into the throng of people and all that’s left of her is the remaining smell of her expensive perfume.

“Well that was awkward,” Raina remarks dryly as we start to walk again.

I look up at her and I’m relieved to see an amused smile dancing on her lips. “I know! I don’t even know who this girl is and she just kept coming at me like we were the best of friends. God, I’m thankful that’s over. Maybe she’ll forget to call me,” I add on thoughtfully as we weave our way through the Saturday evening crowd.

Raina snorts attractively as we hurry across the street. “Not a chance. She was dead-set on getting you to come out with her. So you met her at a polo match?”

I nod, “Yeah, Olivia forced me to go to a polo match with her a few weeks ago because Phil, her husband, had to work unexpectedly and she didn’t want to go by herself. So I went and saw Heather from across the room. I’ve never even spoken with her and now apparently, we’re best friends.”

“That’s weird,” She replies as the restaurant comes into view. “But I guess it’s all about networking or something.”

“I don’t know why; I don’t know anyone cool enough that would be useful to her,” I mutter as Raina holds open the door for me. “Thanks,” I call back over my shoulder before I start to scan the tables for Amanda’s familiar face.

She’s seated at a corner booth, her blonde curls pinned back as she looks down at her mobile. I start to make my way across the sticky wooden floor, weaving around the tables expertly.

Gilbert’s is a tiny hole-in-the-wall pub that looks absolutely awful, but it’s been our hangout since we met our first year of university. There’s always a thick cloud of smoke hanging about the room and awful music playing over the sound system, but the food’s amazing and we’ve been coming for so long that we’re familiar with every member of the staff.

“Amanda!” I call out once I’m within hearing range and her head comes up at the sound of her name.

Her face lights up and she sets her phone down. “There you are! I was half about to call you. Didn’t we say eight o’clock?”

I glance guiltily up at Raina as I slide in opposite Amanda. “Yes, but we got waylaid on our way here.”

Raina starts to laugh as she drops her clutch onto the table and slips next to me on the peeling vinyl bench. “Apparently our little Bryn is the best of friends with Heather Jacobs, London’s most popular socialite.”

“Why does that name sound familiar?” Amanda takes a sip of her drink, a frown wrinkling her forehead adorably.

“Why Amanda,” Raina gasps dramatically. “She’s only the heir to the Jacobs fortune—Daddy owns nearly all of the hotels in the UK.”

“Oh!” Amanda’s face lights up in recognition. “Wow, I’m impressed. How do you know her?”

I sigh, rolling my eyes, even though I’m just as amused as they are by my sudden acquaintanceship with an “It” girl. “I attended a polo match with Olivia a few weeks back and Heather happened to be there. I never even spoke with the girl and she nearly hit me tonight with her car door. And suddenly, she knows my name and we’re the best of friends.”

“Friends are good to have,” Tasha announces, setting a rum and Coke in front of me and some pink cocktail in front of Raina. “The usual tonight, girls?” When we nod, she smiles, revealing crooked, gapped teeth. “Where’s Red?” She stabs her pencil at the last empty seat.

“I’m here!” Jeanette calls out, grabbing Tasha’s plump face and dropping a moist kiss on her wrinkled cheek. “You’ve missed me, haven’t you, Tash?”

“Like I miss the flu,” Tasha replies, shaking her head as she pushes her order pad into her worn, dirty apron. “I’ll have your drink in a moment and I’ll bring out your chips.”

Jeanette collapses into the spot next to Amanda and sighs dramatically. “Work nearly killed me today, guys. People are so bloody stupid; I can’t believe how thick some people are,” She runs her hands through her unruly red hair.

Raina laughs as Tasha returns with Jeanette’s drink and our appetizer. “Jeanette, you work in a bookstore.”

“I know,” Jeanette smiles, leaning forward and grabbing a thick, steaming fry. “But still, people are so stupid. I’ve no idea how they get on in life.”

“Speaking of books,” Amanda pipes up. “Have you heard of Professor Harris’ internship, Bry? You should totally go out for it.”

I shake my head, sipping at my drink slowly. “No, what is it?”

“I didn’t read over the flyer too closely,” She admits, a frown pulling at her lips. “I should have grabbed it for you, but I was in a rush.”

“It’s fine,” I wave her concern away easily. Amanda’s so sweet, always looking out for all of us. “What do you remember it saying?”

Her forehead puckers up as she struggles to remember. “I think I remember it saying something about working at The National Gallery and to drop your resume off with Professor Harris if interested.”

“That would be perfect for you!” Raina exclaims as Tasha brings Amanda another drink, plus another cup of dipping sauce, since she knows very well that I use an abnormally large amount on my chips. “You should go out for it, Bry. You’re always talking about how amazing Professor Harris is—think of how fantastic a letter of recommendation would be from him.”

“Do you think I should?” I ask slowly, a hint of a smile pulling at my lips. “I’m probably not even qualified for the position.”

“Bry, you have top marks,” Jeanette interrupts me, licking a bit of sauce off her thumb. “You’re top five in our program and you said yourself that Professor Harris complimented you the other day.”

“I know,” I say, fidgeting with my napkin as I think. “But what if he wasn’t serious?”

Raina elbows me lightly. “Well you’ll never know until you try. What’s the worst that could happen? You don’t get the internship, big deal. There’ll be others to try out for, so I say go for this one. You’re always gallivanting off to the museum every other weekend anyway.”

“You might as well get paid to wander around,” Amanda finishes up with a sweet smile. Her baby blue eyes sparkle happily. “Just go out for it, Bry.”

“Or I’ll put your application in for you,” Jeanette winks saucily and tips her glass at me. “And don’t think I won’t.”

I laugh as Tasha and another waiter starts to bring out our food. “I do not have a hard time believing you’d do something like that to me, Jeanette.”



“Liv, give me a call when you get a chance. I’ve somehow managed to get us invited to another polo match… it’s a long story, so just call me. Love you,” I press end and toss my mobile on a cushion next to me before I look back at the television.

It’s a lazy Sunday afternoon for me. After dinner last night, we’d caught a late movie screening and then collected at my flat since I was the only one without a roommate and gorged ourselves on alcohol and ice cream. It was such a relaxing and much-needed weekend release for me and I know that my friends all needed it too.

And now, instead of studying for the exam that’s coming up this week or perfecting my resume for submission to Professor Harris, I’d opted to spend my free day in front of my television, catching up on my Sky Plus recordings and generally rotting my mind with trashy reality shows.

Just as my mind starts to go over the different types of snack foods I had stored away in my cupboards, my mobile begins to chirp noisily from the opposite end of the sofa. I lean over and grab the phone while I point the remote at the television and hit the ‘mute’ button.

“Hello?” I tuck my cell up on my shoulder and rest my feet on my coffee table, mindful of the mug that held the dregs of my tea.

There’s a bit of a silence before the person on the other end starts to speak. “Bryn, it’s Liv.”

“Oh, hey,” I wriggle about on the cushions and slip into a comfortable position. “What’s up?”

“Nothing, I’m more interested in how you accidentally got us invited to another polo match,” Olivia’s voice is full of laughter and I can nearly see the mischievous sparkle in her eyes. “Especially when you did nothing but complain the last time I took you to a polo match.”

“It wasn’t my fault,” I argue, laughing a bit as I stand up from the sofa. “I was on my way to dinner with Raina and we were walking down the street and then somebody flung open their car door and nearly hit me. So naturally I stop to see what idiot didn't look before opening their door and out steps Heather Jacobs.”

“No!” Olivia inhales sharply. “Are you serious?”

I nod, though she can’t see me, and continue on my way into the kitchen, my empty mug in hand. “Yeah, and she acted like we were the best of friends the entire time she spoke to me.”

“That’s how Heather works,” She replies knowledgably. “I honestly doubt she has the capability to do anything else.”

I set my mug in the sink and run the cold water over it before I speak again. “She knew my name and everything—I was actually really surprised and kindof creeped out, but I figured she spoke to Rose or something and found it out.”

“Probably,” Olivia agrees, sighing a bit. “I’m afraid they do nothing but gossip horridly when they’re alone together.”

“Yeah, well anyway, Heather invites me to go to Fabric with her, but since I’m on my way to dinner with my friends, I say no. And not to mention, I really have no interest in hanging out with her and her friends,” I add on, as if Olivia doubted my intentions. “So she says we simply must exchange numbers and we must hang out soon and I agreed to get her to be quiet. I was late for dinner already as it were, and she was just holding me back. And before I know it, she’s invited me to a polo match and told me to bring you along.”

“And let me guess,” Olivia laughs loudly on her end. “You said yes just to get her away from you.”

Here I have to smile, because my cousin knows me so incredibly well. “Well yes, I did. So now we’re invited to another polo match and I really don’t want to go.”

“Poor Bry,” Liv coos down the line. “When is it?”

“Tuesday,” I answer absentmindedly as I start to rummage through my pantry for something to snack on. “As in two days from now.”

“Oh Bryn,” Olivia says slowly. “You’re in for it now.”

I perk up at her words. “What? What do you mean?”

“I’ll be in Essex on Tuesday; I can’t go with you to the polo match. You’re on your own,” Olivia says uneasily, as if she knew how upset I was going to be at her revelation. “Mum wants me home for Uncle Tom’s 60th birthday dinner.”

“No,” I frown, leaning against the counter heavily. “No, you cannot be serious, Olivia. I can’t go to this polo match on my own.”

Even though I can’t see her, I know she’s shrugging her thin shoulders. “Bring a friend then. You’ve already said yes to Heather, Bry. There’s no way she’ll let you wriggle out of the invitation now.”

I exhale heavily and stamp my bare foot lightly on my floor. “Olivia! Can’t you just call her and tell her we’re busy that night or something? I really don’t want to go on my own—you know I’m out of my element at these things and I don’t know anyone.”

“Well,” Olivia clicks her tongue thoughtfully against her teeth. “I’ll give Heather a call and tell her we’re busy.”

“Yes!” I shout, hopping up and down. “Please, Liv. I owe you a hundred million times now.”

She laughs and in the background, I can hear someone speaking to her. “I know you do, Bry. But I have to go—Phil’s wanting me for something. I’m not making any promises,” She adds on quickly. “But I’ll try my best to get you off of Heather’s guest list.”