Common Knowledge

Chapter 6

Here is Tuesday's update.

I had planned on posting this first thing in the morning, to make up for my late Saturday post. But found myself catching up on so many wonderful stories here on WhatsApp, time just flew by.

Hope you like it!

Six

Warmly and enthusiastic, that's the way Anne greeted Harry and me upon our arrival. No sooner had we climbed down from the car that the front door flew open and she ran, giving us the Styles type hug I was becoming used to by now as a way of hello.

"Come along, come along. I've just had new wallpaper installed in the bedrooms, would love your opinion." She invited us into the pretty massive house she lived in in the outside of Holmes Chapel. She took my arm and led me to a very comfortable bedroom situated on the second floor, that overlooked the garden.

"Why do you need somebody else's opinion when I have already given you mine?" Said a thin man with disheveled hair coming out of the house. I looked at him and immediately recognized Nicholas Grimshaw. "I've been conversing with your sexy mother, and waiting for you mate. And is this the writer you were telling me about?" he asked turning to me. Introductions were made, another round of hugs ensued (this time involving Grimmy) and finally, we made it inside the house. Grimmy said he needed Harry to go over some details of the BBC special that would begin taping the following morning, so I was left alone with Anne who showed me to the room in which I would be sleeping.

"I've put you in Gemma' room since she couldn't get time off from work and had to stay in London. It is bigger, it even has a table and sofas in a corner that might be of use. Harry did mention this is a work trip," Anne said as she opened the door to a beautiful and spacious second-floor bedroom that overlooked the garden. I was relieved to hear Gemma wouldn't be spending the week for us, I felt relay uneasy about meeting her. Gemma Styles is this amazingly smart journalist, who writes really serious articles about important world issues, while on the other hand, my writing credentials were on fluffy subjects. I feared Gemma would judge me as she would undoubtedly find me lacking and unworthy.

"If you need extra pillows, towels, or anything at all don't be afraid to ask, darling. Here let me give you my mobile number, sometimes is easier to text than walk around in this big house. I'm going to the kitchen to make tea, you're welcome to join me or you'd rather unpack? And one more thing, darling you're to call me Anne at all times, as all of Harry's friends do" Anne continued to say.

I was extremely grateful for the tea offer and accepted immediately, "You're being polite to your gracious host, who is also your new bosses mum." A little voice in my head was telling me. "No, you're just putting off unpacking. You're not being very responsible, those suitcases won't unpack themselves" A second not so little voice was arguing with the first one. I felt conflicted, I hated packing and unpacking. I could never fold things properly, let alone get a suitcase closed. I was always forgetting to pack important stuff (my forgetting to pack my bathing suit for a family beach vacation was now part of the Clarke family mythology. In years to come, I would hear generations of Clarke parents say to their offspring "Don't forget to pack your swimming suit like Bliss, did when they went to Barcelona"). Also, I had always found that getting everything out of the suitcases and storing it into tiny hotel wardrobes, only to pack everything back in a few days's always was utterly nonsensical.

Whilst Anne busied herself with the kettle, I offered to fetch the teacups she pointed to a cupboard. I opened it and found inside a tin of Malteasers, seeing it there made me feel like I found a long lost friend, so truly happy. "You opened the left cupboard, we keep the mugs in the right." A husky familiar voice said in my ear. Harry had entered the kitchen and was standing next to me he gave me a wink and opened the right door. "I'll get the cups, you get the spoons. They're in the drawer to the left." I proceeded as instructed, and took a seat at the kitchen table. Harry filled two cups and left saying "Grimmy asked for a cuppa, we still have a bit left to discuss. But I'm not done with you yet Bliss, I will be back shortly."