Page 88 of Bad Influence


Font Size:

Jimi had decided to wait for me. He turned away from the rainbow and smiled at me, in the way that was guaranteed to make my heart flip.

At that exact moment my phone rang. I lifted it out of my pocket and looked at the screen. Rob. I paused before answering.

‘Someone’s calling you,’ Jimi prompted, looking over my shoulder. It was possible he saw Rob’s name on the screen. ‘Ignore it,’ he added.

‘I was picking up my kit, but I can do without it I guess,’ I replied.

‘Come on, you two.’ Julie-Ann was on a fast trajectory towards us. ‘The rainbow – we need that!’

Jimi peeled away from me. ‘Come on, Amber, let’s go!’

So, this is how we found ourselves watching Mandy atop a sand dune, being lashed by the wind, designer dress hugging her natural curves, cellulite on show, fake tan running down her leg, black mascara smudged, silicone baby bump discarded on the ground beside her. Her gaze was fixed out to sea where the celestial arch of a rainbow was fading before our eyes.

Jimi captured her from all angles using his phone on a tripod – her beautiful imperfection, every last flawed detail, the rawness of her reality mixed with the pride of being an expectant mother, although not in the traditional sense. The act of throwing down her fake bump was a symbol of female liberation akin to the concept of a bra-burning feminist, or a Victorian woman abandoning the corset to free herself from the constraint of societal expectations. It was bold, beautiful, crude. It was real. Becausethatwas exactly the point.

A second after Jimi pressed ‘post’ on Mandy’s favourite image, her surrogacy news was announced to the world on Insta, TikTok, Snap, and YouTube in tandem. Barely a minute had passed when Julie-Ann received a phone call from the editor-in-chief ofWonderlandmagazine. She burst into the Winnebago to deliver the message to Mandy, as I was packing up the excess clothing.

‘She wants to know if there are any unseen shots they could use as a front cover of the next edition. You’re invited back on page one, Mandy!’ she exclaimed excitedly. ‘She’s a big fan – said she wants to personally applaud your bravery in speaking out as a voice for all the people around the world on a surrogacy journey too.’

Mandy’s chest puffed up with pride.

‘I’ve also had calls from theDaily Mail,TheTelegraph, andThe Times, all delighted to be ahead of the curve because you announced the news here in Britain. Once America wakes up, they will go crazy too.’

I looked at Mandy with a big smile and breathed easy again. We had delivered the objective of giving something back to her UK fans, and in a really big way. Plus, the goal of achieving the financial bonus at the end of my stint in the Sykes household seemed back on track. But, more than any bonus, it was so rewarding to see Mandy find peace and grow in confidence right before my eyes.

‘Of course, we can give them more images!’ Mandy squealed, eyes shining. ‘But I think we could do one better. Natalia, our surrogate, will be visiting in a week, so I can talk to the baby and be present at the next scan – Ebony thinks it will be great for our cosmic bonding. Why don’t we offer anewshoot toWonderland, of the two of us together? You can make the styling work, can’t you, Amber?’

‘Absolutely,’ I replied, enthusiastically, ‘and I think I know how we can make it even more impactful.’

Chapter Twenty-Four

WEEK SEVEN

The next week was my most enjoyable working for Mandy. I’d go so far as to say I loved my job. There were busy days when we welcomed media and influencers to the house to view Mandy’s latest product launches, to days when I styled her for a premiere or party in London, and quieter times when I could get on top of paperwork, send back returns and call-in items by new designers or rental agencies. Mandy had also become involved with a charity set up to support women facing unexplained fertility issues, and seemed to be really invested in raising awareness about this aspect of her life, and the challenges other women were facing. She spent a couple of hours each day replying to the direct messages she received on the subject. She seemed to be flourishing in her new-found confidence in herself.

I spent the evenings on the phone to Rob or Vicky, or hanging out with Coco and Blair. Jimi had returned to Miami for a bit, continuing to facilitate Mandy’s social media requirements remotely, whilst launching his new DJ residency at a fashionable South Beach nightclub. I kept an eye on his movements through Instagram and he never seemed short of female company. I felt gladthat I had managed to protect my heart from getting hurt by him, yet felt a fondness for the brief time we had shared.

Anticipation in the house was growing for the arrival of Natalia, the surrogate carrying Mandy and Jose’s unborn child, and I was glad for a day off on the date she was due to arrive. It felt like such a personal moment for Mandy, and we were all granted leave to give them some space. Plans were in full swing for theWonderlandmagazine cover shoot which would take place the following week, when Jimi would be back to shoot the video content. The magazine had commissioned a top photographer who was flying in from New York especially.

I intended to make full use of my holiday and had been granted special permission to meet up with my sister and Mum for Lucy’s small hen do. Philippa had connected me with her contact at the Surrey Hills Spa, and within minutes of arriving, Mum, Lucy, and I were sipping mimosas and happily padding around in fluffy white dressing gowns and matching slippers. There was a strict no-plastic-willies, or masks with Rory’s head on them, directive from Lucy, and I heeded my sister’s wishes.

We were treading water in the outdoor pool, which was warmed to a pleasant twenty-nine degrees, looking out on a vista of the Surrey Hills, when Lucy dropped the bombshell. ‘There’s something I want to tell you both,’ she said seriously.

Mum looked immediately petrified. ‘Oh, Jesus. Do I need to be in my depth for this?’

‘It’s okay, no one is dying, but this isn’t really a hen do,’ Lucy announced.

There was a commotion as Mum started splashing, so we all swam over to cling on to the side to hear this.

‘I just wanted to see you both, and somewhere lovely – thank you, Amber – to share a bit of news.’ Lucy stared at us pensively. ‘Rory and I—’ Mum and I turned to each other with wide eyes, holding our breath as she continued slowly, ‘Rory and I have decided to postpone the wedding until after the baby arrives.’

For once, we were quiet as we took the news in.

‘Is everything okay between you both?’ Mum asked, concerned.

Lucy’s face relaxed. ‘Oh yeah, of course we are! I mean he pisses me off on a daily basis, especially when he leaves his plates beside the dishwasher, instead of in it, and sleeps like a starfish, but after fifteen years, I have learnt to accept his shortcomings.’

‘Oh, thank God for that.’ For someone who claimed to be an atheist, Mum was doing a great job of blaspheming today.