The screaming suddenly intensified, and camera flashes started to fire off, lighting up the crazed faces of the crowd whose heads were snapping back and forward trying to see what was happening.
‘This is it Natalie. That’s Ryan’s car!’ shouted Nicky over the mayhem.
A black people carrier was waved through the barrier, which had been erected halfway along Raven Street. Four police officers flanked it, moving fans out of the way as it crept through the crowd. It stopped at the crash barrier and, holding the fans back, the police officers made a small opening near the rear door. A few seconds passed and then it slid open.
Ryan Harrison emerged to an epilepsy-inducing strobe of camera flashes. He posed for a moment on the pavement outside the theatre, pouting in his Ray Bans and looking fashionably dishevelled. He was gorgeous dressed in simple blue jeans and a tight white t-shirt, but as with most famous male heart-throbs, he was tiny.
Ryan’s ‘people’ emerged behind him from the aptly named people carrier; a huge woman with jet-black hair pulled back from her pale face, and two serious-looking younger women in dark blue trouser suits. The huge woman moved quickly to the theatre entrance and vanished inside. One of the younger women approached me, whilst the other shadowed Ryan as he made his way along the barriers, posing for pictures and selfies with the press and fans.
‘Who is Natalie Love?’ shouted the woman above the noise from the crowd.
‘Hello that’s me,’ I said.
‘Wait here,’ she snapped, pointing at the piece of pavement where we stood. She went back to Ryan and guided him to the end of the line, speeding things along.
‘Who are all those women?’ I said bristling a little from her attitude.
‘The big dark-haired woman is Terri, Ryan’s manager, the other two are her assistants,’ explained Nicky. After about ten minutes, they decided Ryan had been paraded long enough. He posed for a final group photo with the ‘MARRY US WE’RE MORMONS’ ladies, then bade them farewell, gliding past us and into the foyer. We hurried in after them.
The theatre foyer was packed. Five of our beefy security men milled about, Terri stood in the corner, still wearing the grim scowl. Her two assistants were leaning in, whispering to her intently. The doorway leading to the rest of the theatre was blocked by a huge trolley piled high with goody bags, which were being unloaded by Xander and a couple of girls we’d hired. Ryan stood in the middle of the box office, still wearing his Ray Bans. As we approached him, I could see our faces reflected in them, like staring at the back of a teaspoon. Nicky and I introduced ourselves with manic smiles. He didn’t remove his Ray Bans, and just nodded politely. One of Terri’s assistants came over.
‘Nadia… We need to move Ryan out of here,’ she said indicating the cameras still flashing outside, illuminating the foyer.
‘It’s Natalie,’ I said. ‘And of course, we’ll show you up to the dressing room we’ve had put aside.’
We got Xander to move the goody bag trolley. We went through and I pressed the button for the lifts.
There was a silence as we rode up. Terri and her assistants stared straight ahead with the same grim concentration you see from secret service agents. Ryan remained behind his shades.
‘How was your flight?’ I said to Ryan.
‘Loooong,’ he said. There was another silence.
‘We were worried something had happened to you… I was wringing my hands a little like Lady Macbeth!’ I said.
‘Who?’ asked Ryan. I went to say something but the lift pinged. We all piled out onto the third floor.
‘As requested, we’ve set up our number one dressing room for your exclusive use,’ said Nicky.
‘Hey! Hello America,’ said Ryan perking up at the sound of Nicky’s voice. He pulled off his shades to reveal dark circles around his piercing green eyes. He gave us a cute smile revealing perfect white teeth.
‘Yeah. I’m from Dallas, Texas,’ said Nicky.
‘Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio,’ he said.
‘Sowerton, Devon!’ I quipped. There was a crashing silence. Thankfully we arrived at the dressing room.
‘Okay, make yourselves comfortable,’ said Nicky opening the door.
‘Thanks,’ said Ryan. He went in followed by the two assistants. I went to file in after Terri’s enormous bottom, but she reached behind her and closed the door in our faces.
‘Charming,’ I said.
‘Your terrible jokes didn’t help Nat…’
‘Didn’t it worry you he didn’t know who Lady Macbeth was?’ I hissed as we made our way back down the corridor.
‘They’ve all just come off a sixteen hour flight,’ said Nicky diplomatically.