Then came a tap at the door and Nikki arrived with two mugs of tea. As Annie took them, she gave a smile of thanks but shut the door firmly in the curious assistant's face.
'OK,' Annie began gently, sitting back down, 'what did your friends think about you doing this programme? And what about your son?'
Cath clutched the mug and took a sip. 'Everyone was really excited for me,' she confided, 'I think they all wanted to see me dressed up and looking special. It's been a while since I've made a big effort. I don't really do dressing up . . . or parties . . .' Her voice tailed off.
'Well, that's what your friends and your boy are going to see,' Annie told her: 'their special friend and very special mum, looking gorgeous, just for them. Forget about everyone else and just do it for them, because they'll be so excited for you! Come on,' she encouraged her. 'Get that tea down you. I'd doctor it with something stronger, but that might get me thrown off the show.'
Cath looked up and gave just the slightest hint of a smile: 'I've never been on TV before,' she said timidly.
'Well, that makes two of us. But, as they say in showbiz, chin up – the show must go on!'
'So how bad is it in here?' Annie asked with a wink, as she walked towards Cath's wardrobe and opened the plain white double doors. Cath had obviously tidied up before the arrival of the cameras. Everything was neatly folded or hanging up. Annie was about to change all that. Grabbing two hefty handfuls of clothes, she pulled them out and flung them onto the bed.
It was as she'd expected: lots of well worn, comfortable, baggy clothes. Heavy on the beige, greige and pastel blue. There were a few unexpected outbursts of colour madness, but none had been very successful. Annie held up a pair of wide-legged, three-quarter-length trousers with some sort of graffiti print all over them. Terrible cut, terrible colours for Cath, but still, unexpectedly zany.
'These are just a little crazy,' Annie said, 'I think you have a hidden wild side we've just not seen yet.'
'Oh no!' Cath protested. 'They were just cheap, I bought them for a holiday.'
'They're very interesting.' Annie smiled and put the trousers down on the bed.
It didn't take her long to sort through the rest of Cath's wardrobe. Everything so worn out and saggy it couldn't even be given away went onto one pile. Things which Annie hoped she might be able to breathe new life into went into another. But so many cotton turtlenecks, she noticed dispiritedly. Why not scoop necks and lovely shirts to show off a little skin and a nice necklace?
There was still space on the bed for the gems that Annie was hoping to unearth in the back of the cupboard. Maybe she would find a dress or two, a special blouse or skirt . . . things which would just need a little alteration or a new accessory to turn them into new outfits. Although Annie looked hard and combed once again through the tangle of clothes, she could find only casual, functional, practical clothes.
The tea break was over and the camera crew began to shuffle back into the bedroom. Lights were moved, and Nikki freshened up Annie and Cath's face powder and lipgloss.
Finn discussed the angles he wanted to see, the direction of the dialogue between Annie and Cath, then finally declared: 'And action!'
Annie felt hot and slightly flustered now that the camera was pointing directly at her. But she tried to control the nerves. More than anything else, she just wanted to be herself. Unlike Miss Marlise she didn't want to create a whole larger than life TV personality. She'd understood long ago that it was best to just be fully yourself and if other people didn't like it, too bad.
'Right, my darlin',' she said as she bustled busily through Cath's clothes, scattered across the bed: 'I've seen the sweatshirts, the old T-shirts, the polo necks, the fleeces, the baggy trousers and the long, dark skirts. But what I'm asking myself is:
'OK,' Annie began gently, sitting back down, 'what did your friends think about you doing this programme? And what about your son?'
Cath clutched the mug and took a sip. 'Everyone was really excited for me,' she confided, 'I think they all wanted to see me dressed up and looking special. It's been a while since I've made a big effort. I don't really do dressing up . . . or parties . . .' Her voice tailed off.
'Well, that's what your friends and your boy are going to see,' Annie told her: 'their special friend and very special mum, looking gorgeous, just for them. Forget about everyone else and just do it for them, because they'll be so excited for you! Come on,' she encouraged her. 'Get that tea down you. I'd doctor it with something stronger, but that might get me thrown off the show.'
Cath looked up and gave just the slightest hint of a smile: 'I've never been on TV before,' she said timidly.
'Well, that makes two of us. But, as they say in showbiz, chin up – the show must go on!'
'So how bad is it in here?' Annie asked with a wink, as she walked towards Cath's wardrobe and opened the plain white double doors. Cath had obviously tidied up before the arrival of the cameras. Everything was neatly folded or hanging up. Annie was about to change all that. Grabbing two hefty handfuls of clothes, she pulled them out and flung them onto the bed.
It was as she'd expected: lots of well worn, comfortable, baggy clothes. Heavy on the beige, greige and pastel blue. There were a few unexpected outbursts of colour madness, but none had been very successful. Annie held up a pair of wide-legged, three-quarter-length trousers with some sort of graffiti print all over them. Terrible cut, terrible colours for Cath, but still, unexpectedly zany.
'These are just a little crazy,' Annie said, 'I think you have a hidden wild side we've just not seen yet.'
'Oh no!' Cath protested. 'They were just cheap, I bought them for a holiday.'
'They're very interesting.' Annie smiled and put the trousers down on the bed.
It didn't take her long to sort through the rest of Cath's wardrobe. Everything so worn out and saggy it couldn't even be given away went onto one pile. Things which Annie hoped she might be able to breathe new life into went into another. But so many cotton turtlenecks, she noticed dispiritedly. Why not scoop necks and lovely shirts to show off a little skin and a nice necklace?
There was still space on the bed for the gems that Annie was hoping to unearth in the back of the cupboard. Maybe she would find a dress or two, a special blouse or skirt . . . things which would just need a little alteration or a new accessory to turn them into new outfits. Although Annie looked hard and combed once again through the tangle of clothes, she could find only casual, functional, practical clothes.
The tea break was over and the camera crew began to shuffle back into the bedroom. Lights were moved, and Nikki freshened up Annie and Cath's face powder and lipgloss.
Finn discussed the angles he wanted to see, the direction of the dialogue between Annie and Cath, then finally declared: 'And action!'
Annie felt hot and slightly flustered now that the camera was pointing directly at her. But she tried to control the nerves. More than anything else, she just wanted to be herself. Unlike Miss Marlise she didn't want to create a whole larger than life TV personality. She'd understood long ago that it was best to just be fully yourself and if other people didn't like it, too bad.
'Right, my darlin',' she said as she bustled busily through Cath's clothes, scattered across the bed: 'I've seen the sweatshirts, the old T-shirts, the polo necks, the fleeces, the baggy trousers and the long, dark skirts. But what I'm asking myself is:
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