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"This city," he says, shaking his head "It’s a dee of a precipice If you make one mistake -- that’s it You fall"

"But if you don’t make any mistakes?"

"You win," says Luke "You win it all"

"You’re going to win," I say confidently "You’re going tothe tothem at your screen test," says Luke, as a waiter appears at our table with our first course -- thesculptures onal plates He pours our wine, and Luke lifts his glass in a toast

"To you, Becky You’re going to be a huge success"

"No, you’re going to be a huge success," I reply, feeling a glow of pleasure all around e successes!"

Maybe it’s the Bellini, going to ain exactly as I did in Barneys I’ Surreptitiously I glance at ht I roo a thousands-of-dollars dress, with my wonderful, successful boyfriend -- and a screen test tomorrow for American television!

I feel colossy world is where I’ve been heading all along Liner clothes from Barneys; a purse stuffed with business cards of TV executives These are my people; this is where I’m meant to be My old life seems a million, zillion miles away, like a tiny dot on the horizon Mum and Dad and Suze… my untidy room in Fulham… EastEnders with a pizza… I mean, let’s face it That was never reallyout for hours We dance to the jazz band, eat passion fruit sorbet, and talk about everything in the world but work Luke asks the band to play "These Foolish Things," which is a song I co as we dance (very out of tune, but I don’t say anything) When we get back to the hotel we’re both laughing, and tripping slightly as alk, and Luke’s hand isits way deftly inside e as we pass the desk "There’s a e for you to call a Susan Cleath-Stuart, in London Whatever tient"

"Oh God," I say, rollingto lecture me about how much I spent on my new dress ‘How much? Oh Bex, you shouldn’t have…’ "

"It’s a fantastic dress," says Luke, running his hands appreciatively up and down it "Although there’s far too much of it You could lose this bit here… and this bit…"

"Would you like the nu out a piece of paper

"No, thanks," I say, waving my hand "I’ll call her tomorrow"

"And please," adds Luke, "hold all calls to our rooe with a twinkle "Good night, sir Good night,stupidly at each other in the mirrors -- and as we arrive at our roo quite drunk My only consolation is, Luke looks completely plastered, too

"That," I say, as the door closes behind us, "was the best night of my life The very best"

"It isn’t over yet," says Luke, coleahtful coht All work and no play…" He starts to pull ently down off ainstdown onto the bed together, and hiswith alcohol and delight As he’s pulling off his shirt, I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror I stare at my intoxicated, happy self for an instant, and hear a voice inside saying: remember this ht now, life is perfect

The rest is a haze of drunken, blurry pleasure, drifting into oblivion The last thing I re

And then, like a car crash, it happens

Twelve

AT FIRST, I don’t realize anything is wrong I wake up feeling extre le" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true">