TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23
Time to prep for Chloe’s daring adventure into the world of open calls at modelling agencies. A list of to-dos. First– brows. Task completed just down the street. Check.
Second –to Nottinghill to peruse the upscale, secondhand clothing stores. Nope. Third (but not really) — lunch. After lunch we got lost, a little, but found our way back on track, walking through Kensington Gardens.
IS THAT A PRINCE?
People were gathered under a smattering of trees by fenced off, open field. A helicopter purred on the expansive lawn behind Kensington palace. Curious, we walked up to the gathering. Men with machine guns stood near the chopper.
“Is that Prince WILLIAM?” asked Chloe, a huge grin spreading across her face as a thin, tall, athletic man, escorted by guards, bolted to the open door. Well, I wouldn’t really know, but it must have been. He looked better than in the magazines.
How strange, we thought, to be looked at by people as if you were a zoo animal.
RUSHING TO THE MEETING POINT
Behind us was a sunken garden and a lake with elegant, royal swans. The water was so blue it looked like it had been dyed. A royal blue?
We hurried across the Serpentine River, passed the gleaming gold of Albert’s memorial and exited onto Knightsbridge where Royal Albert Hall presented its glory. Because we were meeting our friend Patrick’s sister, L. at 4:00 and running out of time, we jumped on a bus to Brompton Street. It would have been nearly as fast to walk, we were so close. We rushed past Harrods, Gucci and other ritzy stores in route to Zara, both where we hoped to shop and our meeting point.
L.
A busker was playing as we leaned on a railing outside Zara scanning the crowd for L. She was tall with some green and purple in her nearly black hair. A bright green scarf was tucked inside her black, leather motorcycle jacket. Her black jeans were tight. A hippie biker look. Not at all what we expected. And clearly our looks surprised her as well. You can tell in that first look or recognition, or disorientation, upon meeting.
We loved her. Absolutely loved her. Straightforward, funny, smart, and kind. From the coffee onward, for seven hours, we ate, talked, laughed and learned. She’s a keeper.
