Page 22 of Under Your Spell

My stomach swoops. Granny Mac’s house. High up on the Northumberland coast, it was the place we spent all our long summers while growing up, running wild, living half-feral. We loved it. It was also the site of some of my most painful memories, the place where we cast the final breakup spell. I haven’t been there since, but it seems as though that part of my life won’t leave me alone at the moment.

‘Oh yeah, Mum mentioned that,’ Lil says. ‘Such a good idea. That space will be, like, a creative haven.’

‘I know.’ Serena looks pleased. ‘It works out perfectly with the timing. Petty doesn’t have anyone renting it right now because she’s just finished the renovations, and it’s in the middle of nowhere with zero distractions and no one who will freak out over him being there. There’s literally nothing for him to do but work.’

‘Serena, I’m very confused about how any of this is leading towards a job for me,’ I say.

‘Is that Henry?’ Lil suddenly shrieks, clambering all over me. ‘Henry! Henry!’ She breaks off. ‘Oh, no, wait. That’s not him.’ She slumps back in the seat, not moved by my complaint that I have now lost the hearing in my left ear.

‘Right, so the label want to send someone to Northumberland to keep an eye on things, and act as a sort of housekeeper, but one who reports to us. Not his friend or his assistant, someone who we employ. That’s part of the deal,’ Serena says, completely ignoring Lil’s outburst. ‘And I suggested you. You practically grew up in the house after all, and you know the area really well.’

‘You want me to babysit a musician in Northumberland?’ I ask, vaguely horrified by the whole idea. And not just the musician part. There’s a reason I haven’t been back there.

She nods and holds up a hand. ‘Before you say no, hear me out. The job is a piece of cake; you’ll probably hardly even see him. It’s for six weeks starting the week after next and the pay is incredible.’ She drops a figure that has the blood draining from my face, and then starts ticking things off on her fingers. ‘You wouldn’t have to move in with the mums; you could work on that dreary book you’ve been writing for years, and apply for jobs – all while getting paid and building up some savings. It’s a no-brainer, Clemmie.’

When she puts it that way it does sound pretty perfect. Like the answer to many, many of my problems in fact. But surely this was all too easy? And I haven’t exactly had the best experience when it comes to rock stars.

‘Who is it?’ I ask.

‘Theo Eliott,’ Serena says, and Lil gives up looking for Henry long enough to turn and face Serena, her mouth hanging open.

‘Holy shit, Serena! Theo Eliott?’ Lil’s voice is breathy. ‘You’re going to pay Clemmie to shack up with Theo Eliott for six weeks?’ She grabs a bar menu off the table and starts fanning herself. ‘You lucky duck. That man is gorgeous.’

‘Who’s Theo Eliott?’ I ask.

Serena rolls her eyes and Lil lets out a groan. ‘This is why you’re perfect for the job,’ Serena says. ‘You’re way too much of a grandma to be starstruck by him. He’s only one of the biggest musicians on the planet, Clemmie. Used to be in The Daze before they split up, then had a massive solo career? Fourteen number-one singles? Sell-out world tours? Eight Grammys? Theo Eliott!’

‘Oh yeah,’ I say. ‘Actually, the name does sound familiar. And The Daze, I remember them. Didn’t they have that one song about the girl who worked at the Post Office?’

‘Coffee shop,’ Serena sighs. ‘But yes, anyway, this is another reason you’d be good for the job. Theo’s great, but he has a bit of a reputation and we need someone who won’t be too charmed by him, to keep things on track.’

‘What do you mean a bit of a reputation?’ I ask, instantly on guard.

‘Oh, no, no, nothing bad,’ Serena rushes in. ‘I’d never ask you to do the job if I thought he wasn’t a good guy. I just mean he sort of… dazzles people into doing what he wants. But we need him focussed, and you won’t let him slack off.’

‘Hmmm. I suppose I’m not easily dazzled. And certainly not by a famous musician.’ I shudder.

‘See!’ Serena grins. ‘It’s your daddy issues that make you the perfect candidate!’

‘That’s not funny,’ I grumble.

‘He’s coming along tonight,’ Serena says, her tone wheedling. ‘Just meet him and then decide.’

‘I don’t know…’ I say, still hesitant.

‘I think it could be really good for you to get away,’ Serena says, and anxiety threads through her voice. ‘And you’d be doing me a huge favour. Getting this record done is a big deal. There’s a lot of pressure on me from my bosses, and I have to make sure Theo delivers. I’ve worked really hard to sell them on this plan so I need things to go without a hitch. Please, I need you.’

I exchange a look of concern with Lil. This is deeply unusual. As the oldest – even if it is only by a matter of months – Serena has always been the problem-solver of our trio, and if history is anything to go by, she has to be pretty desperate to ask me for a favour. ‘Of course I want to help you,’ I say, biting my lip, ‘but I don’t know the first thing about making an album – I can’t possibly be the best person for the job. You shouldn’t be worrying about me and my employment status; you should do what’s best for you.’

‘This is what’s best for me. You’re smart, organized, and used to dealing with anxious undergrads on a deadline,’ Serena points out. ‘I don’t need a musician; I need someone who I know and trust to handle this. Whatever happens I know you’ll do what you can to keep him focussed, and that you’ll tell me the truth about how he’s getting on. Anyone working for him would be worried about him, but you won’t. Getting good information that I can feed back to my bosses is the whole point.’

‘You should meet him, at least,’ Lil pipes up. ‘I know him a bit and he seems really nice. What do you have to lose? Remember, Clemmie… you’re moving on.’

I gnaw on my lip. ‘You’re right. Sure, I’ll meet him.’

‘Perfect,’ Serena exhales, some of the tension leaving her body. ‘I’ll go and see if he’s arrived yet.’

‘And I’ll go and get a drink,’ I say. ‘I think meeting my potential new super-famous roommate calls for a cocktail.’