‘No, it wasn’t, but there are some pretty cool people.’
‘Even so, it’s hard. Then you get mixed up with that horrid thing with that girl Isabelle, then your dad … well, who wouldn’t be knocked by that? I would have ended up in a loony bin if I was you. And then on top of all that, you get attacked by a maniac. Twice! Honestly, April, I don’t know how you coped.’
‘Like I say, people have been really nice. Davina’s been great.’
Chessy smiled wickedly and lowered her voice, glancing over to where Davina and Ling were gabbling about some club in Mayfair. ‘’Vina’s brilliant, of course. But don’t you think she’s a bit, well, full of herself?’
April put a hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle.
‘Well, sometimes perhaps.’
‘Most of the time, you mean,’ smiled Chessy. ‘Always bossing people around like she knows everything. And she’s always doing these makeovers on people. She wants to get a bit of advice herself.’
April had to pinch herself to stop from laughing out loud.
‘Personally I think she’s a bit jealous of you.’
‘Of me? Why would she be jealous of me?’
‘Because you’re so in control. You take everything in your stride.’
‘Me? No! Besides, I never thought Davina had any problems with self-confidence.’
‘Ah, but arrogance usually masks insecurity.’
April blinked at her, then Chessy smiled. ‘I read about
it in
Glamour
,’ she giggled. ‘But still, it’s true, isn’t it? She’s sophisticated and beautiful and everything, but cool she is not. Uptight is more like it.’
This time April couldn’t hold it in and burst out laughing.
‘What are you two gossiping about?’ asked Davina.
‘Those two out there,’ said Chessy promptly, pointing to two girls walking past on the opposite side of the street. Their clothes were a mish-mash of high fashion and vintage edginess. They had ridiculous Geisha-style make-up and back-combed hair, tottering along in mini-skirts and platforms.
‘April was just saying how it looked like the circus was in town.’
Davina laughed.
‘Art students, it’s the only explanation,’ said Davina.
‘Maybe a Japanese mime troupe,’ said April. Everyone laughed and April felt something wonderful: belonging. She felt accepted and wanted. No one was asking her to be some great superhero or spend every waking moment searching for the answers to conspiracies. She could just relax and have fun. She realised she hadn’t really done that since she had left Scotland.
‘What do you think Marcus had against you?’
April shrugged. ‘Maybe he didn’t like my talking to Benjamin so much.’
‘Yes, I’ve noticed Baby Ben’s been following you around a lot,’ smiled Chessy. ‘And there was I thinking you were a one-man woman.’
‘Not any more,’ said April, ‘if I ever was. I mean, I suppose Gabriel was only trying to protect me and I hate that he’s in prison because of that, but …’
Chessy nodded sympathetically.
‘Well you could do a lot worse than Ben, but I think we can show you a lot better.’
‘What do you mean?’
Chessy’s nails were finished and she turned around to Davina and Ling. ‘I think we need to show our friend from Scotland what London’s all about, don’t you?’
‘The Saturn?’ said Davina with a wicked smile.
‘Yes! The Saturn!’ said Ling, clapping her hands together. ‘Oh do come, April, it will be so much fun!’
‘What’s The Saturn?’ asked April.
‘The Saturn Club,’ said Davina. ‘It’s only the celeb hangout du jour.’
Chessy smirked and mouthed ‘Du jour’ to April.
‘Say you’ll come, April,’ said Ling. ‘It’s always filled with gorgeous men.’
‘How can I refuse an offer like that?’
April felt a buzzing in her bag and scrabbled her phone out. A text from Caro. She clicked the button.
Sorry, me and my big mouth again. And I’m sorry I didn’t tell you
.
Forgive me over ice cream? CJxx
No, not tonight
, thought April, snapping her phone closed.
I think I’ve got somewhere better to be
.
The club was like a spaceship; high-tech and dangerous at the same time. As they descended down a long silver staircase lit by red neon bars it felt like the whole building was about to take off. It was furnace hot and April was feeling the bass from the music pounding in her ribcage.
‘This way,’ shouted Davina as they pushed into the main room. ‘You’re gonna love it!’ She led the way through the dancing crowd to an elevated booth where a burly security guy immediately lifted the red-velvet rope to let the girls pass through. The VIP area was more intimate than the main room, with booths finished in white padded leather and modernist perspex chairs.
A hostess showed the girls to a booth and April huddled up next to Ling, admiring her long legs and impeccable make-up as the waitress handed them champagne.
‘I have to say you’ve changed since we first met,’ said April.
‘I know. ’Vina’s changed my life. When I think of the boring geek I was before, it’s so embarrassing.’
‘Don’t say that. Just because you weren’t up to the Faces standard of …’
‘Oh no, they’re not like that at all. I know everyone thinks they’re a bunch of bitchy cows who spend all their time putting everyone else down, but they’re actually great when you get to know them. I think they’re misunderstood.’
‘Well, I have to admit you’ve all been very nice to me today. Davina’s been especially nice.’
‘She’s wonderful, isn’t she?’ said Ling, looking across at her with shining eyes. ‘I love her so much. I’d do anything for her.’
‘Anything?’
‘Pretty much. I mean, I’ve always found it quite hard to make friends. I’ll be honest, I’ve never really had a best friend. But Davina’s done everything for me. She did my hair, make-up, showed me how to dress, she’s completely restored my confidence. I feel like a new woman.’
April thought about her day with a sinking sense of worry. Wasn’t that exactly what Davina had done for her today? Given her a makeover then brought her into her circle of friends, made her feel wanted and lovely?
Is this just the recruitment process? Is this how she draws people in?
As the cocktails and champagne flowed, April realised with a twinge of guilt that she hadn’t thought about Gabriel once. She was actually having real fun.
‘Come on girls,’ said Davina, ‘I want to introduce you to someone.’ She pulled them over to a handsome, tanned boy.
‘Is that Jamie George?’ whispered April. ‘I love him.’
The actor was tanned and fit, having just finished filming a romantic comedy where he’d played a lifeguard. The gossip magazines were full of pictures of him strutting about in his trunks.
‘I saw him first!’ said Chessy with a flirtatious smile.
‘Do you really know him?’ April asked Davina, her eyes wide.
Chessy rolled her eyes. ‘’Vina knows everyone,’ she said, just a hint of mockery in her voice.
‘Not everyone,’ said Davina. ‘Just the people who matter.’
She walked over and bent down to air-kiss the actor.
‘Hey, Vee,’ he drawled. ‘I haven’t seen you since that party at Alix’s. Mad scenes, eh? Shame about the big guy.’
April looked at her. Davina had known Alix Graves? This was huge news.
But he can’t be a vampire, can he?
she wondered.
God, April, stop being so paranoid, of course he isn’t
. Vampires couldn’t have their photographs taken, she knew that much. A man who spent all day in front of cameras wouldn’t be much use if he just came out as black smudge.
‘This is our new friend, April,’ said Davina. ‘Say hello.’
‘Hi April,’ said Jamie, offering her a hand to shake. ‘You’re as pretty as your friends.’
‘You’re such a sleaze,’ said Davina. She was talking to a Hollywood star as if he was an old friend. No wonder Ling looked at her with such hero-worship.
‘No one’s going to believe I’ve met him,’ April whispered to Ling. With her phone in her hand, making sure she turned the flash off, she clicked off a shot. But immediately someone grabbed her arm.
‘Don’t do that.’
She turned. ‘Benjamin!’ she said, surprising herself by hugging him, ‘What are you doing here?’
‘Oh, the party usually ends up here at some point, so it’s always worth popping by. Plus I need to keep an eye on Davina. She can get herself into trouble.’
She looked at him, squinting slightly. Ben really was very good-looking. She felt bad thinking that way, but then remembered why she was so angry with Gabriel. And why shouldn’t she find other men attractive, especially when they were as nice as Benjamin Osbourne? He looked at her phone.
‘I think you’ve got his best side. But it’s better not to take photos in the VIP section.’
‘What? Why not? He has his photo taken all the time.’
‘Exactly. But not here. There’s a lot of people here who don’t want to have their photo taken.’
‘Why not?’
‘Because there are a lot of people here doing things they shouldn’t,’ said Ben with a wink.
God, he’s nice
, thought April. She felt bad for even thinking it, but then she thought of Gabriel, his hand tenderly stroking Jessica’s cheek, and her guilt faded. She took another swig of her cocktail and sat down on the banquette next to Ben.
‘So how’s it feel to be the girl everyone’s talking about?’
‘Am I?’
He laughed: throaty and suggestive.
‘You can’t go getting yourself attacked by a maniac twice in a month, April, and expect to slip under the radar.’
‘Ah. I suppose not,’ she said, aware that she was slurring a little, but not really caring. ‘I think it’s getting to be a habit.’
‘Perhaps,’ nodded Ben, his bright blue eyes on her. ‘I can see what made Marcus go crazy for you though.’
April blushed, covering her embarrassment by sucking on her straw and looking out at the crowd. She could feel Ben’s eyes on her, but she was determined not to wilt under the power of his gaze.
‘Do I make you uncomfortable, April?’ he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.
‘No, not at all. It’s just after all that’s happened …’
Ben shook his head. ‘Nah, I don’t think so. I think you’re the sort of girl who can take anything in her stride.’
She shrugged and looked at him sideways. He was interesting, that was for sure. Oh, and handsome. And nice. But there was something about him she just couldn’t put her finger on.
‘You look quizzical, April,’ said Ben. ‘Like you’re trying to work out a difficult problem. Is it me?’
‘No, you’re easy to work out. You’re a predator.’
Ben laughed.
‘How have you come to this shocking conclusion?’
‘It’s like watching one of those nature programmes. Sitting in your cave, waiting for the prey to come to you. Let them get close and
snap
! You’ve got them.’
Ben looked down to where April’s leg was pushed right up against his.
‘Aren’t you sitting dangerously close, then?’
‘I probably am,’ said April. ‘But I’ll take the risk.’
Slowly, wonderfully slowly, Ben turned to her and kissed her on her neck.
‘Oh,’ she said as his warm lips trailed down over her bare shoulder. His hands circled her waist and stroked down her thigh.
Oh, yes
, she thought, instinctively moving her own lips down towards his.
You can’t kiss him
, said a voice inside her head,
he’s a vampire
.
But it was a quiet voice and she was enjoying the moment too much to listen too hard. Then suddenly, Ben stopped and pulled back.
‘Hey! What’s the matter?’ she protested. ‘Don’t you want to kiss me?’
‘Of course. It’s just … I don’t want to take advantage of you. Not while you’re confused about Gabriel. I’d feel bad.’
‘I don’t mind things which are bad for me,’ she said, raising one eyebrow. Ben laughed.
‘Okay, here’s the deal. You get home tomorrow. If you decide you still want nothing to do with Gabriel Swift – and you’re still interested in me when you’re sober – then give me a call. I will be there in three minutes flat, okay?’
‘Three minutes?’
‘Two minutes then. But do call me, okay?’
‘Oh I’ll do that all right,’ said April. ‘Just you wait.’
It wasn’t until the moment she put the key in her front door that April remembered she’d played truant all day. She’d been so swept up in her perfect day that she’d forgotten all about her mundane, everyday life. She knew it was past midnight, and she’d been out since morning. Surely her mother would be passed out, star-shaped by now? She winced at the clunk-click as the door closed, then tiptoed into the hall, hanging up her coat as quietly as she could. She paused, cocking her head. The house was silent and there were no lights coming from the kitchen. Maybe she’d got lucky. She gingerly pulled off Davina’s borrowed heels and put a bare foot on the first step, bracing herself for a creak.