DOVETAIL DIARIES ✔

Chapter Thirty Five

Dear Diary,

I. Am. In. Love. Woah. I didn’t really ever think I would be, well, I guess I never really thought about it before but it’s official. We made it so right there in the back of that comic shop. Ha! It sends shivers right down my spine. He’s the most beautiful, gentle, gorgeous creature in the world. Aaaah.

It was literally all I could think about as I headed off in the middle of the night to Brooklyn to meet Leo and the rest of the guys. I sat back in the taxi (which Farley had once again expertly hailed for me!) and watched as the lights of New York whizzed by. I couldn’t help but smile and practically laugh out loud with happiness as the taxi made it’s way across Brooklyn Bridge. Wow. New York sure is wonderful. I kept my eyes on the flickering skyline.

After a little while we reached the other side of the bridge right into Brooklyn. The first thing I noticed is how the buildings were much lower and less lit up. There was still plenty going on but it was not so frantic as where I had come from – Manhattan.

I liked Brooklyn straight away and felt somehow at home, weird as it sounds when I compare Brooklyn to Ellwood. There’s definitely no sheep or green hills in Brooklyn but somehow, it’s hard to describe, the two places seem to be similar in some way.

All I had was the name of the pub where Leo and I had arranged to meet, written on a bit of scrap paper – O’Donnell’s. The taxi driver knew where it was and took me straight there. I gave him a few dollars and jumped out onto the pavement (or ‘sidewalk’ as these Americans call it – I’m getting used to them now!)

I looked up at the pub and thought how it wouldn’t look too out of place in Manchester. The front was all dark wood with the name written in gold coloured Celtic writing. There was an area just outside full of people. I took a deep breath and headed inside.

I was met with a wall of bustling noise and a room jam-packed full of bodies. I detected a voice calling out my name. It was Cheryl. I would recognize that voice anywhere. It took a while to see her but eventually my eyes picked up on a waving hand from a booth in the far corner.

‘Over here!’ she shouted.

I smiled and headed over. There they all were. Cheryl, Lambert, Jez, Tony, Marilyn and Leo. Cheryl grabbed me by the waist and hugged me as Lambert and Jez patted me on the back. Tony gave a wide grin as Marilyn nodded and smiled. Leo was on the end, looking particularly disheveled but lovely.

I reached down to kiss him on the cheek and he gave a one sided smile and patted the hair at the back of my head. I had almost forgotten about the earlier meeting between Leo and Farley but somehow, it was clear to me that he had not.

He remained quiet as the rest of the group threw questions at me and talked excitedly about the gig. I sat down next to Cheryl as she told me all about her love of all things New York. Her curls bounced up and down as she explained to me all the adventures they had been having. I have never seen Cheryl this happy before. Maybe we should all move to New York. Now that would be something. I think some of my ancestors did that, you know, got on a boat and came over here decades ago. I can imagine how it must’ve felt.

‘Oh my God, by the way!’ said Cheryl.

‘Look over there! You’re on a poster,’ she said, pointing to the doorway.

Just next to it was quite a big poster with me slap bang in the middle of it. I laughed.

‘It’s you! So exciting, no?’ said Cheryl.

‘Yeah, I suppose so,’ I said, feeling a bit strange to see myself in that way.

It didn't quite look like me.