this is totally made up and so not true just a silly story
****************************
It was a reluctant Anneka who stirred from her warm comfortable sleep to answer the ringing of her phone beside her bed. It was hardly light outside, and on her precious free days when she did not have to work, the last thing she wanted was to be woken up early by anyone unless it was a dire emergency.
“Whoever this is, it better be important” she warned in a gruff sleepy tone not even attempting to open her eyes yet, hoping she could just fall back to sleep.
“Hmm, well it is, kindda” The voice at the other end replied and Anneka realised it was Bono, her eyes shot open. This was the first time she had heard from him, from first their meeting almost a week ago in Tiny’s Restaurant
“Hi Annie sorry for disturbing you, it’s just I am back in London again, and there is something I need to discuss with you, but I should have left it till a bit later, but I just couldn’t wait to phone you” he realised apologetically “I forgot you need your beauty sleep”
“It’s ok” Anneka quickly assured him, pulling herself up into a sitting position and attempting to rub the sleepiness away from her eyes with her free hand and pushing her long blonde hair away from her face
“You might as well tell me now I am awake, there is no way I will get back to sleep till I find out”
“In that case can you let me know if you are free this weekend to fly out to Brussels with me?”
“Brussels? Why would we be going there? Anneka enquired curious and wide awake now
“I have a meeting with some foreign ministers and ambassadors, thought it would be a good start for you to come along and get your case across, sometimes they look at me and think, ‘hmm rambling rock star, what does he know? Why should we listen to him’ They might be more impressed with your pretty face and actually listen to what we have to say”
Anneka couldn’t help smiling a little ironically, “Don’t bet on it, believe me, having a pretty face is not always helpful. I remember this particular politician who I will not name, whom I was talking to at a party about what was happening in Africa,” Anneka started to tell him,
“I thought he was genuinely interested in what I had to say and I was hoping he would help, because he seemed interested. That was until he squeezed my thigh under the table and suggested that we should perhaps go somewhere more private to discuss it further and get to know each other better. It was then I realised he had no interest in the Africans plight whatsoever, and had just took it as an opportunity to leer down the front of my dress” she finished in disgust.
“Poor Annie,” Bono clucked sympathetically, but she could imagine his smirking at the same time at the other end as he continued, “so how did you handle the guy?”
“I sortta accidentally spilt my drink over the front of his shirt” Anneka replied, “I think he got the message”
Bono chuckled “Good for you. Sounds like you can handle the old lechers fine to me”
“I really wanted to punch him in the face, but I don’t think it would generate the kind of publicity I was wanting” Anneka confessed with a sigh
“Well if you can come with me to Brussels I will protect you from the wandering hands,” Bono promised, “ Anyway I think there are a few women amongst the dignitaries so it should be alright” he added hoping that would sway her
“Great” Anneka sounded a little more enthusiastic, “That’s what we need, woman power”
“Yeah exactly” Bono agreed, “Which is why I want you with me, I might need you to protect me from them” he added cheekily making her laugh.
“Hmm, OK let me think..” Anneka absently scratched her head, screwing up her face as she forced her brain to work trying to recall exactly how her weekend was planned out, and if she could accommodate Bono. Early mornings where not her best time of the day.
“…I think I have to attend a fashion show in Paris Friday evening, and on Saturday meet up with Jan Hernandez the photographer for a photo shoot I am doing later in the week for a makeup company. Maybe I can reschedule that meeting on Saturday ” she said thoughtfully
“So I could get to Brussels from Paris early Saturday morning if things work out, I will have to talk to my PA and see if she can sort it out.. Then I will get back to you later if that is alright”
“Fine by me I will be in Brussels by Friday night, but the meeting isn’t till Saturday afternoon, so that would be great” Bono replied, then paused before adding “Y’know its just great being able to phone you up and hear your voice again, talking with you personally like this, I am glad I took the initiative to get in contact with you”
“I am kind of glad as well” Anneka admitted with a small smile, “I always toyed with the idea of us bumping accidentally into each other and making up again, but then I kept telling myself what was done was done, and we were all going our own separate ways now, and things could only get complicated. It was better left the way they were and just try and move on and get over it. But I am happy that it was our concern for others, rather than just for ourselves that brought us together again, it makes it more meaningful” she added
“True” Bono agreed, “I just hope you are able to make it with Brussels with me, We need all the reinforcement we can get”
“I will do my best” Anneka promised with sincerity
When Bono hung up Anneka found she could not go back to sleep. Her conversation with him left her restless enough to want to get in contact with Julie to find out if getting to the meeting with Bono in Brussels would be possible.
She wasn’t overly surprised when her PA informed her she would do everything possible to make it happen and get back to her.
After showering Anneka found herself surveying her reflection in her bedroom mirror.
Her naturally blonde hair was all mussed up from its quick towel drying, her cheeks a little red after the shower, she had been told she was a natural beauty, with her wide blue eyes, fine cheek structure and delicate mouth, even as a child she was greatly admired, something her ambitious mother Inga pounced on.
A woman who had high ambitions for becoming a famous Hollywood actress, but whose biggest roll ended up in a daytime soap opera, until it was cancelled after two years, Then she fell in love and married an English business man Maurice Weston and moved to London to live with him.
Anneka was their only daughter, and Inga decided to live her dreams through her daughter who she insisted got her good looks from Inga‘s Swedish side of the family. From she was five years old Anneka found herself posing in front of studio cameras doing Television commercials and posing in children’s clothes for various catalogues.
As she grew into her teenage years it seemed the most natural thing was to become a model, maybe one day following in her mothers footsteps to become an actress.
Most of her life she had depended on her looks to get her where she was. She been totally wrapped up in her own ambition of becoming recognised and rich, enjoying the glamour and the attention.
And although she always felt she had done her bit for charity by attending certain functions and making donations it wasn’t until she actually visited Africa with a female actress friend who had invited her along, did she realised how awful some people in the world had to live, her eyes were well and truly opened.
When she returned to England, the effect on her was profound. She never considered herself a shallow person, yet she felt full of guilt of her own privileged lifestyle she had led pretty easily up until now. Suddenly being a pretty face who appeared in various magazines and getting paid well for it, seemed such a waste, and she realised she could do something more meaningful. So she had turned it around, using her celebrity status and pretty face to promote the awful poverty in Africa, instead of just the latest makeup.
But the drawbacks of having a pretty face, was that everyone assumed she was just a dumb blonde, and did not know what she was talking about. She discovered she was rarely taken seriously much to her frustration.
But at least with Bono to back her up, they would realise how serious she really intended to be. It helped that he, being a celebrity like her, understood that sometimes it was harder pushing for something to be done and calling for changes in policy and thinking when you are a famous face, than just your ordinary Joe public
But that wasn’t going to stop them, despite the ridicule, she believed in what she was doing with great conviction, and with Bono’s help she felt sure they could achieve something.
Pulling a face and sticking out her tongue at her reflection she told herself it was good to discover looks were not everything as she had been brought up to believe.
****************************
It was a reluctant Anneka who stirred from her warm comfortable sleep to answer the ringing of her phone beside her bed. It was hardly light outside, and on her precious free days when she did not have to work, the last thing she wanted was to be woken up early by anyone unless it was a dire emergency.
“Whoever this is, it better be important” she warned in a gruff sleepy tone not even attempting to open her eyes yet, hoping she could just fall back to sleep.
“Hmm, well it is, kindda” The voice at the other end replied and Anneka realised it was Bono, her eyes shot open. This was the first time she had heard from him, from first their meeting almost a week ago in Tiny’s Restaurant
“Hi Annie sorry for disturbing you, it’s just I am back in London again, and there is something I need to discuss with you, but I should have left it till a bit later, but I just couldn’t wait to phone you” he realised apologetically “I forgot you need your beauty sleep”
“It’s ok” Anneka quickly assured him, pulling herself up into a sitting position and attempting to rub the sleepiness away from her eyes with her free hand and pushing her long blonde hair away from her face
“You might as well tell me now I am awake, there is no way I will get back to sleep till I find out”
“In that case can you let me know if you are free this weekend to fly out to Brussels with me?”
“Brussels? Why would we be going there? Anneka enquired curious and wide awake now
“I have a meeting with some foreign ministers and ambassadors, thought it would be a good start for you to come along and get your case across, sometimes they look at me and think, ‘hmm rambling rock star, what does he know? Why should we listen to him’ They might be more impressed with your pretty face and actually listen to what we have to say”
Anneka couldn’t help smiling a little ironically, “Don’t bet on it, believe me, having a pretty face is not always helpful. I remember this particular politician who I will not name, whom I was talking to at a party about what was happening in Africa,” Anneka started to tell him,
“I thought he was genuinely interested in what I had to say and I was hoping he would help, because he seemed interested. That was until he squeezed my thigh under the table and suggested that we should perhaps go somewhere more private to discuss it further and get to know each other better. It was then I realised he had no interest in the Africans plight whatsoever, and had just took it as an opportunity to leer down the front of my dress” she finished in disgust.
“Poor Annie,” Bono clucked sympathetically, but she could imagine his smirking at the same time at the other end as he continued, “so how did you handle the guy?”
“I sortta accidentally spilt my drink over the front of his shirt” Anneka replied, “I think he got the message”
Bono chuckled “Good for you. Sounds like you can handle the old lechers fine to me”
“I really wanted to punch him in the face, but I don’t think it would generate the kind of publicity I was wanting” Anneka confessed with a sigh
“Well if you can come with me to Brussels I will protect you from the wandering hands,” Bono promised, “ Anyway I think there are a few women amongst the dignitaries so it should be alright” he added hoping that would sway her
“Great” Anneka sounded a little more enthusiastic, “That’s what we need, woman power”
“Yeah exactly” Bono agreed, “Which is why I want you with me, I might need you to protect me from them” he added cheekily making her laugh.
“Hmm, OK let me think..” Anneka absently scratched her head, screwing up her face as she forced her brain to work trying to recall exactly how her weekend was planned out, and if she could accommodate Bono. Early mornings where not her best time of the day.
“…I think I have to attend a fashion show in Paris Friday evening, and on Saturday meet up with Jan Hernandez the photographer for a photo shoot I am doing later in the week for a makeup company. Maybe I can reschedule that meeting on Saturday ” she said thoughtfully
“So I could get to Brussels from Paris early Saturday morning if things work out, I will have to talk to my PA and see if she can sort it out.. Then I will get back to you later if that is alright”
“Fine by me I will be in Brussels by Friday night, but the meeting isn’t till Saturday afternoon, so that would be great” Bono replied, then paused before adding “Y’know its just great being able to phone you up and hear your voice again, talking with you personally like this, I am glad I took the initiative to get in contact with you”
“I am kind of glad as well” Anneka admitted with a small smile, “I always toyed with the idea of us bumping accidentally into each other and making up again, but then I kept telling myself what was done was done, and we were all going our own separate ways now, and things could only get complicated. It was better left the way they were and just try and move on and get over it. But I am happy that it was our concern for others, rather than just for ourselves that brought us together again, it makes it more meaningful” she added
“True” Bono agreed, “I just hope you are able to make it with Brussels with me, We need all the reinforcement we can get”
“I will do my best” Anneka promised with sincerity
When Bono hung up Anneka found she could not go back to sleep. Her conversation with him left her restless enough to want to get in contact with Julie to find out if getting to the meeting with Bono in Brussels would be possible.
She wasn’t overly surprised when her PA informed her she would do everything possible to make it happen and get back to her.
After showering Anneka found herself surveying her reflection in her bedroom mirror.
Her naturally blonde hair was all mussed up from its quick towel drying, her cheeks a little red after the shower, she had been told she was a natural beauty, with her wide blue eyes, fine cheek structure and delicate mouth, even as a child she was greatly admired, something her ambitious mother Inga pounced on.
A woman who had high ambitions for becoming a famous Hollywood actress, but whose biggest roll ended up in a daytime soap opera, until it was cancelled after two years, Then she fell in love and married an English business man Maurice Weston and moved to London to live with him.
Anneka was their only daughter, and Inga decided to live her dreams through her daughter who she insisted got her good looks from Inga‘s Swedish side of the family. From she was five years old Anneka found herself posing in front of studio cameras doing Television commercials and posing in children’s clothes for various catalogues.
As she grew into her teenage years it seemed the most natural thing was to become a model, maybe one day following in her mothers footsteps to become an actress.
Most of her life she had depended on her looks to get her where she was. She been totally wrapped up in her own ambition of becoming recognised and rich, enjoying the glamour and the attention.
And although she always felt she had done her bit for charity by attending certain functions and making donations it wasn’t until she actually visited Africa with a female actress friend who had invited her along, did she realised how awful some people in the world had to live, her eyes were well and truly opened.
When she returned to England, the effect on her was profound. She never considered herself a shallow person, yet she felt full of guilt of her own privileged lifestyle she had led pretty easily up until now. Suddenly being a pretty face who appeared in various magazines and getting paid well for it, seemed such a waste, and she realised she could do something more meaningful. So she had turned it around, using her celebrity status and pretty face to promote the awful poverty in Africa, instead of just the latest makeup.
But the drawbacks of having a pretty face, was that everyone assumed she was just a dumb blonde, and did not know what she was talking about. She discovered she was rarely taken seriously much to her frustration.
But at least with Bono to back her up, they would realise how serious she really intended to be. It helped that he, being a celebrity like her, understood that sometimes it was harder pushing for something to be done and calling for changes in policy and thinking when you are a famous face, than just your ordinary Joe public
But that wasn’t going to stop them, despite the ridicule, she believed in what she was doing with great conviction, and with Bono’s help she felt sure they could achieve something.
Pulling a face and sticking out her tongue at her reflection she told herself it was good to discover looks were not everything as she had been brought up to believe.
