It was wild to think of this life co-existing with her others in the multiverse, like just another note in a chord.
Nora found it almost impossible to believe that while in one life she was struggling to pay the rent, in another she was causing such excitement among people all over the world.
๎ขe handful of fans who had ๏ฌlmed the tour bus arrive at the hotel were now waiting for autographs.ย ๎ขey didnโt seem too bothered about the other band members but they did seem desperate to interact with Nora.
She looked at one, as she crunched over the gravel towards them.ย ๎ขe girl had tattoos and was wearing an out๏ฌt that made her look like a ๏ฌapper girl who had somehow got caught up in a cyberpunk version of a post-apocalyptic war. Her hair was styled exactly like Noraโs, complete with matching white stripe.
โNora! Noraaaah! Hi! We love you, queen!ย ๎ขank you for coming to Brazil! You rock!โ And then a chant started: โNora! Nora! Nora!โ
While she was signing autographs in an illegible scribble, a man in his early twenties took o๏ฌย his T-shirt and asked her to sign his shoulder.
โItโs for a tattoo,โ he said.
โReally?โ she asked, writing her name onto the manโs body.
โ๎ขis is the highlight of my life,โ he gushed. โMy name is Francisco.โ
Nora wondered how her writing on his skin with a Sharpie could be a highlight of his existence.
โYou saved my life. โBeautiful Skyโ saved my life.ย ๎ขat song. Itโs so powerful.โ
โOh. Oh wow. โBeautiful Skyโ? You know โBeautiful Skyโ?โ
๎ขe fan burst into hysterics. โYouโre so funny!ย ๎ขis is why you are my idol!
I love you so much! Do I know โBeautiful Skyโ?ย ๎ขatโs brilliant!โ
Nora didnโt know what to say.ย ๎ขat little song she had written when she was nineteen years old at university in Bristol had changed the life of a person in Brazil. It was overwhelming.
๎ขis, clearly, was the life she was destined for. She doubted that she would ever have to go back to the library. She could cope with being adored. It was better than being in Bedford, sitting on the number 77 bus, humming sad tunes to the window.
She posed for sel๏ฌes.
One young woman looked close to tears. She had a large photo of Nora kissing Ryan Bailey.
โI was so sad when you broke up with him!โ
โI know, yeah, it was sad. But, you know, things happen. Itโs a . . . learning curve.โ
Joanna appeared at her arm and gently guided her away, towards the hotel.
When she reached the elegant, jasmine-scented lobby (marble, chandeliers, ๏ฌoral displays) she saw that the rest of the band were already in the bar. But where was her brother? Maybe heโd been schmoozing the press somewhere else.
As she started to move towards the bar, she realised that everyone โconcierge, receptionists, guests โ was looking at her.
Nora was about to ๏ฌnally seize the opportunity to ask about her brotherโs whereabouts when Joanna beckoned over a man who was wearing a T-shirt with THE LABYRINTHS printed on it in a retro sci-๏ฌ movie font.ย ๎ขe guy was probably in his forties, with a greying beard and thinning hair, but he seemed intimidated by Noraโs presence. He did a tiny bow when he shook Noraโs hand.
โIโm Marcelo,โ he said. โ๎ขanks for agreeing to the interview.โ
Nora noticed another man behind Marcelo โ younger, with piercings, tattoos and a big smile โ holding recording equipment.
โWeโd reserved a quiet space in the bar,โ Joanna said. โBut thereโs . . . people.
I think we had better do this in Noraโs suite.โ โGreat,โ said Marcelo. โGreat, great.โ
As they walked over to the li๎, Nora glanced back at the bar and saw the other band members. โYou know, maybe youโd like to speak to the others too?โ she said to Marcelo. โ๎ขey remember things I donโt. A lot of things.โ
Marcelo smiled and shook his head and delicately said, โIt works better this way, I feel . . .โ
โOh, okay,โ she said.
Every eye was on them as they waited for the li๎ย to arrive. Joanna leaned into Nora.
โAre you okay?โ
โOf course. Yeah. Why?โ
โI donโt know. Itโs just, you seem di๏ฌerent tonight.โ โDi๏ฌerent how?โ
โJust . . . di๏ฌerent.โ
As they got in the li๎ย Joanna asked another woman, one Nora recognised from the coach, to bring some drinks from the bar โ two beers for the podcasters, a sparkling mineral water for Nora and a caipirinha for herself.
โAnd bring them up to the suite, Maya.โ
Maybe I am teetotal in this life, thought Nora, as she walked out of the li๎ย and along the plush salmon-pink carpet to her suite.
And then, as she entered it, she tried to act like this was all perfectly normal.ย ๎ขis gigantic room, leading to another gigantic room, leading to a gigantic bathroom.ย ๎ขere was a vast bouquet of ๏ฌowers for her, with a note signed by the hotelโs manager.
Wow, she resisted saying, as she gazed around at the lavish furnishings, the sweeping ๏ฌoor-to-ceiling curtains, the pristine white bed the size of an acre, the TV the size of a small cinema, the champagne on ice, the silver tray full of โBrazilian honey cakesโ as the card informed them.
โDonโt suppose youโll be having any of these,โ said Joanna, taking one of the little delicacies from the tray. โNow youโre on that new plan. Harley said I had to keep an eye on you.โ
Nora watched Joanna bite into one of the cakes and wondered how good any plan could be if it didnโt involve eating something so clearly delicious as a Brazilian honey cake. She had no idea who Harley was, but she knew she didnโt like them.
โAlso . . . just so you know, the ๏ฌres are still going on in LA and theyโre evacuating half of Calabasas now, but hopefully it wonโt get as high as your
place . . .โ
Nora didnโt know whether to be pleased at the idea of having a house in LA, or worried that it was about to go on ๏ฌre.
๎ขe two Brazilian podcast guys took a few moments to set up their equipment. And Nora sunk herself into the vast sofa in the living area as Joanna โ attending to a few rogue crumbs around her mouth with a heavily manicured ๏ฌnger โ explained that their music podcast,ย O Som, was the most popular in Brazil.
โGreat demographics,โ Joanna enthused. โAnd the numbers are stratospheric. Itโs totally worth doing.โ
And she stayed there, watching like a hawk mother, as the podcast began.
