You Saw Me

54

Gayle came down a couple of days later. She had arranged to get my things packed and shipped to LA for me. She would spend a couple of days with us before we were heading off to England.

I picked her up at LAX. I made a sign that said "BFF" that I held up for her as she came out the doors from the baggage claim. She burst out laughing and hugged me with such force. Obviously she had missed me a lot too. We stood and hugged for a little while before leaving the airport. I was driving one of Henry's cars until I could buy my own at some point. 

"Wow, that's a real statement of trust him letting you drive his vintage car around LA", Gayle chuckled, insinuating that I wasn't a good driver. 

"Hey!" I exclaimed much to her amusement. 

We drove through LA and she took in all the sights, pointed out things that impressed her and made a lot of realtor comments about houses and architecture. I loved listening to her. 

When we came to Hollywood Hills she became extra excited, talking about who lived where and what she reckoned the places might be worth. It was a gated community, so we stopped at the gate and I had a little talk with Morgan, one of the security guards. He made sure no one came into our neighborhood, who wasn't authorised to do so. Gayle asked him questions about the real estate market, which he unfortunately didn't know much about. I smiled at him and thanked him for his time. 

We parked in the driveway and Gayle was at a loss for words. She immediately started walking around the house, taking it all in. I carried her weekend bag into the hall and was met by Henry, who kissed me and asked after Gayle. 

"Outside valuing your house", I pointed towards the door. He chuckled and went outside to greet her. I heard them laugh outside and was hit with a feeling of happiness. It meant the world to me that they got along, and unlike with my parents, it really mattered to me what Gayle thought of him.

***

Henry and I had arranged a dinner at the house, inviting a bunch of Henry's friends. Glenne, Jeff, Julia and James were coming. Henry had invited Thomas and Lloyd as well and a couple of his band mates, Mitch and Sarah were in town, so they were going to come around too. Gayle was beyond excited to meet people and get to know some LA types, as she called them. Where I was introverted and quiet, she was extroverted and loved being the center of attention. 

We had arranged for a chef to come and cook dinner, which was very LA of us, as Gayle pointed out. I agreed, but appreciated I didn't have to cook or serve anything. Henry was spending time in his home studio, recording and producing, so getting a chef to come in seemed like a good solution. It also meant that Gayle and I had plenty of time to get ready, so we went to a salon to get our nails and hair done and pamper ourselves. The salon was one that Glenne had recommended, because they were discreet and it wasn't a place where you'd be overwhelmed by photographers. Gayle wasn't too bothered if we got papped, she believed it would be good publicity for her business. I laughed and suggested she bring business cards along with her to pass out to the paparazzi. 

I still wasn't used to being someone people recognised. A lot of people would say hi and occasionally someone would ask for a selfie and in most cases I tried to be open to it. I was also trying to interact with Henry's fans when it seemed sensible. The girl who did my nails at the salon had a tattoo on her arm that said "We'll be alright", which was a lyric from one of Henry's songs. The tattoo was in his handwriting as well. I'd seen quite a few of those around. She smiled at me when she noticed I was looking at her tattoo. I smiled back and complimented it. 

"Thank you. I guess it must be weird seeing your boyfriend's handwriting on others, huh?", she said jokingly. 

I laughed and nodded. "It makes me very proud that he means so much to people", I said. 

"His music has created a space for a lot of us to meet and find friends for life. I met my girlfriend at an event for Henries", she smiled. 

"That's beautiful", I said. "He is magic, I think". I blushed a little saying it. She nodded and agreed, smiling at me. 

"We're so happy he finally found you", she said as she added the last layer of nail polish finishing a beautiful manicure. 

"Thank you", I said and squeezed her hand.

Gayle was sitting under a hood hair dryer, looking through a magazine, which she didn't seem particularly interested in. I was placed next to her so we could chat while I got my hair done. 

"What would you like me to do?" The hairdresser asked while lifting my hair and running her fingers through it. 

"I'm not sure. What do you think?" I was open to most things, as long as it was easy for me to style on my own. 

"Hmm, I think it would look really nice if we cut a bit off the length and then added some layers. Your hair is naturally wavy and would look good hitting your shoulders about here", she lifted my hair a little to show me the length she was aiming for. "I think it would look great with some highlights as well", she added. 

I looked at Gayle, who was smiling at me in the mirror in front of us. "I'm loving the idea", she said and gave me the thumbs up. 

"Let's do it", I said and smiled at the hairdresser in the mirror.