Page 21 of From Notting Hill with Love…Actually
“Er…no. But probably not too far away.”
“Well, make sure it’s far enough. Because I want you to come back in a month, Scarlett, able to prove you’ve made some sensible decisions about how you want your life to be in the future. That’s the only way David will agree to you going: if he thinks it will make your relationship stronger.”
“Yes, I know,” I said, thinking about David for a moment. “And don’t worry, Dad,” I promised. “I’ll return in a month with loads of proof that I’ve done plenty of thinking about my life.”
And more importantly, I’m going to come back with lots of proof for you and David, and Maddie for that matter, that I’m not just spending my life daydreaming. Life can be just like a movie, and it doesn’t just happen occasionally by accident; it happens every day, over and over again.
***
I didn’t know what my father had said to David that weekend about me going away on my own for a while (maybe he’d agreed to help him with his wallpapering or something?) but David didn’t lodge a single complaint. It was most unlike him. I suppose the fact that I was going to house-sit for a month, and wasn’t going to spend any money on a fancy hotel or a cottage in the country, softened the blow quite a bit.
Six
As I set out that night for Oscar’s dinner party, it was on my third attempt to leave the house that I was finally able to step outside into the cold night air.
I’d had a few “minor” altercations with the house’s alarm system before we’d reached a compromise: the alarm would behave, accept the code I was pushing into it, and obediently set itself, ready to bravely protect the contents of Belinda and Harry’s home from intruders. And in exchange, I wouldn’t rip it down from the wall and stomp on it until all its insides would be good for were the inner workings of a toaster.
Eventually, happy that we were each sticking to our side of the agreement, I pulled the door firmly shut behind me and set off down the steps to the pavement below. As I did so, I heard the front door next to me open and close.
Ohno, I thought, trying not to look up. This was all I needed.
“Evening,” he called.
“Hello again,” I called back, forced to turn around. “I’m just off out.”
“I can see that,” he said, nonchalantly descending his own steps.
Cleversod.
“Which way are you headed?” he asked as he reached my side.
Pleasedon’t let it be your way. “Er, this way,” I said, pointing in the direction of Oscar’s house.
“Me too—should we walk together?”
Dowehaveto?“Sure,” I said, forcing a smile to appear on my face.
As we set off side by side along Lansdowne Road, I was glad Oscar’s house was just around the corner; at least I knew I wouldn’t have to be in this idiot’s company for too long. I felt quite self-conscious walking alongside him. While he was still dressed in his casual attire from earlier of a light jacket and T-shirt, I was wrapped up against the cold February evening like something from an upmarket ski-wear catalogue, in my warm winter coat, hat, and scarf.
“I guess if we’re going to be neighbors, we should introduce ourselves properly,” he said after a few paces. “I’m Sean.” He held out his hand.
“Scarlett,” I said, briefly shaking it with my gloved hand as we walked.
“That’s an unusual name.”
“Yes,” I said through gritted teeth.Waitforit, here comes the next question…The next question usually depended on the person’s age. Looking at Sean I guessed he’d go for the obvious—and he did.
“Is it fromGonewiththeWind?”
Bingo! If only I had a pound for every time someone had asked me that.
“Yes, it was my mother’s favorite film.” At least I was able to answer that truthfully now.
If Sean had been a few years younger or trying to chat meup he’d have probably gone for “Oh, like Scarlett Johansson—the actress?”
Sean smiled knowingly.
“What?” I asked.
