Max Highfield arrives at The Wilberforce, a private members' club in London, to meet Henk van Veen. At reception, a porter stops Max because the club does not allow trainers. Max tries celebrity, expense, and Henk's name to get past the rule, but the porter remains polite and firm.

Because Max still wants the meeting, he borrows a pair of size ten brown brogues from the porter, even though Max's feet are only size six and the shoes do not match his clothes. While changing, Max reflects that he is handling the irritation better than he once would have, which he credits to therapy. The exchange stays comic, but it also shows Max's vanity and his dependence on being recognized and indulged.

As he waits, Max thinks about why he has come. Jeff Nolan has stopped returning his calls, and Max has recently received a second death threat, including a note slipped under his dressing-room door saying that he will die. Because Jeff is unavailable, Max decides Henk is the next best option and assumes Henk will deal with him because Max can bring more business.

Max's thoughts drift to his therapist, Melanie, and to his personal rule of always moving forward and never looking back. He reassures himself that this attitude is healthy, even jokingly comparing life to film sequels and prequels. The reflections underline how Max avoids confronting danger directly even while seeking protection from it.

Finally, the porter stores Max's bright trainers behind the desk and leads him upstairs to the library. Max follows awkwardly in the oversized borrowed shoes, on his way to see Henk van Veen because he feels threatened and can no longer rely on Jeff Nolan.