Page 36 of Under Your Spell

‘Gosh, thanks,’ I mutter.

‘And you’re a bit croaky.’ Her voice is accusatory.

‘I think I might be coming down with a bit of a bug,’ I admit, shivering a little and pulling the duvet up and over my head, clasping it under my chin despite the warmth of the day. I can see myself in the corner of my screen and I look like a clammy little caterpillar. This is what comes of making small talk with people.

‘Don’t you dare get ill,’ Serena warns. ‘You know you’re useless when you’re ill. It’s because you pasty academics don’t get any vitamin D. Have you been using that spray I sent you?’

‘What is it with you lot and your supplements?’ I grumble. ‘Theo’s on about seven hundred a day. And what is ashwagandha anyway? I thought that was what Lil drank in that tent when she had a vision of a giant version of herself eating a tiny version of herself and then everyone shit their pants?’

‘That’s ayahuasca, you idiot,’ Serena says. ‘Ashwagandha is to help with stress.’

‘Don’t know what he’s got to be stressed about,’ I reply sulkily, because I’m not feeling very charitable towards Theo at the moment. ‘I’m pretty sure David brushes his teeth for him. Spoilt little rock star.’

‘Well, that spoilt little rock star is your problem now, Clemmie, yours and mine. Just do what you can, will you?’

‘Of course,’ I agree instantly, because for Serena to even ask me to do something for her again tells me how stressed she is. ‘I’ll get you a full report, I promise.’

‘Thanks, Clem.’ Serena’s voice softens. ‘And I’m sending you some echinacea tablets right now. HARRIET!’ I hear her call to her own poor, maligned assistant. ‘WE NEED TO SEND CLEMMIE ECHINACEA ASAP.’

Just as I’m feeling a wave of affection towards my sister, she ruins it by adding, ‘SHE’S A LITTLE BITCH WHEN SHE’S SICK!’, and then she cackles, blows me a kiss and hangs up.

With a sigh I drag myself off the bed. Actually, my whole body is feeling a bit achy. Maybe it’s just all the sad, lonely walking I’ve been doing.

I head down to the kitchen and pour myself a glass of orange juice because I might as well get in on these vitamins everyone is raving about, and then, as if my conversation with Serena has summoned him, Theo appears too.

‘Hi!’ I say, wiping the juice from my top lip with the back of my hand.

‘Hey.’ Theo’s eyes flick towards me from under his lashes. He doesn’t exactly sound thrilled to see me.

‘Can I get you anything?’

‘No.’ He sounds frustrated, almost angry. ‘I was just going to get a bottle of water and go for a walk. Got to get out of that room for a bit.’

‘Sure you don’t want some orange juice?’ I pick up the carton and hold it out towards him.

He actually takes a step back, away from my hand, as if he’s afraid I’ll touch him. That now familiar muscle in his jaw ticks. ‘No,’ he says again.

‘Okay,’ I reply, trying not to sound bothered. I can’t work out why he’s being so rude. I’m doing everything David asks me to do. I don’t think I’ve committed any major errors apart from not having everything perfectly ready for him that first day, but he still seems vaguely pissed off by my presence.

I know what I promised Serena and I don’t want to give myself time to chicken out so I blurt, ‘I just got off the phone with my sister. She wanted to know how it’s all going.’

Theo’s back is to me as he reaches in the fridge, but I see his shoulders tense. ‘It’s going fine,’ he says tightly.

‘So, writing is happening?’ I ask, wanting to confirm.

‘Sure.’ Theo closes the fridge door with an unnecessary amount of force. ‘What do you think I’ve been doing all week?’

‘I just wanted to check. Serena seemed… a bit anxious.’

Theo snorts. ‘The studio will get their pound of flesh; you can tell them not to worry. After all, that’s why you’re here, to keep an eye on me, isn’t it? Report back to the label. That’s why it had to be you here instead of David, so they could send in a spy?’

‘I’m not your mum nagging you about doing your homework,’ I snap, stung. ‘You owe them an album and you’re making other people’s lives difficult. I’m just here trying to do a job.’

‘So am I,’ Theo snaps right back.

‘Good.’

‘Good.’