Chapter 23
‘What an absolute lowlife toad!’ Lily exclaims when I’ve finished telling them about New Year’s Eve. ‘I mean, I know he’s your brother, Dan, but that’s unforgiveable.’
‘He’s always had an eye for the ladies,’ Dan agrees. ‘But I never thought he’d actually stoop to cheating.’
‘I realise I’m hardly boyfriend of the year,’ Robert adds. ‘Fliss has made that perfectly clear, but I’d like to think I’d never do something like that. I want to cut off his balls and feed them to him.’
‘I’m sorry. I know we promised and everything, but I think Amy needs to know about this,’ Lily says firmly. ‘It’s not fair on her. If it were Dan, I’d want to know.’
‘I don’t disagree with you,’ I tell her.
‘Amy and I may not see eye to eye, but I feel a bit like I’m betraying the sisterhood by keeping it a secret.
However, Stuart is annoyingly right about one thing.
If she finds out while we’re on this holiday, the fallout is going to be Biblical, and it’s going to affect more than just the two of them. ’
‘How am I supposed to look her in the eye and lie though?’ Lily asks. ‘She’s my best friend.’
‘Technically, you’re not lying,’ Robert says carefully.
‘You’re withholding information which would be detrimental to her relationship and her mental wellbeing.
It only becomes a lie if she asks you directly whether Stuart has cheated on her, and why would she ask that?
I agree with Tori. Although Stuart’s behaviour has been despicable, the fallout from Amy finding out would be horrific. ’
‘So, what? I’m just supposed to sit there and watch them being all lovey-dovey without saying anything?’ Lily demands.
‘What’s the alternative?’ Robert counters.
‘Let’s say you tell her the truth. She’ll instantly dump Stuart, as she should, but she won’t be able escape him because they’re sharing a room and, not being funny, Tori and I are higher up the waiting list for a spare room than they are.
So, not only will the fact that darling Stewie has cheated on her make her incredibly angry, being unable to get away from him is going to intensify that rage to epic proportions. ’
‘He’s right,’ I agree. ‘And I think we can all agree that Amy is going to blame me just as much as him. From a purely selfish perspective, I could do without her hating me any more.’
‘She doesn’t hate you,’ Lily protests.
‘She totally does,’ Robert contradicts her with a smile. ‘I think there’s more chance of Fliss and I getting back together than Amy and Tori becoming pals.’
‘To be fair to her, I haven’t exactly shown her my best side,’ I add. ‘I don’t know what it is, but she just seems to bring out the worst in me.’
‘It’s a shame,’ Lily says sadly, ‘because I like both of you and can see both of your good points. However, I think Robert is right that things have gone too far to salvage, and she probably would blame you if she found out about you and Stuart. It doesn’t sit comfortably with me, because it feels deceitful but, on balance, I agree that it’s best not to say anything to Amy while we’re here.
I will tell her when we get back though. ’
‘If it’s any help,’ Robert offers, ‘Dan and I could have a word with Stuart.’
‘I’m not sure I want that either,’ I tell him. ‘Stuart will just come for me.’
‘I don’t think Stuart will be coming for anyone by the time I’m finished with him,’ Robert growls. ‘I’ve always known he had a wandering eye, but this is totally against any kind of bro code.’
‘I’ve just had a thought,’ Dan says quietly. ‘We’re all assuming this was a one-off.’
‘It’s definitely a one-off from my perspective,’ I tell him. ‘I’m never going near the creep again.’
‘No, I mean, what if there were others? What if he’s a serial cheat?’
Lily claps a hand over her mouth in horror.
‘One thing is for certain,’ Robert says grimly. ‘He’d better enjoy his couples massage class and whatever he and Amy decide to get up to afterwards, because he’s not going to have a pleasant evening.’
I’m feeling nervous as I make my way down to the bar shortly after five.
I’ve replayed Gabriel’s words over and over again in my mind, but I’m no closer to deciphering what he meant by them.
I have, however, upped the ante a little by replacing my usual shorts, T-shirt and flip-flops combo with a dress and some strappy sandals.
I’ve also applied a little bit of makeup.
‘If he doesn’t fancy you looking like that, he’s either blind or gay,’ Robert had said when I’d come out of the bathroom to show it to him. ‘In fact, I think even gay men would fancy you. You look amazing.’
‘Is it too much?’ I’d asked anxiously.
‘No. I’d say it’s just about perfect. Go forth and reel in your man.’
‘Thanks.’
‘I’ll try to stay out as late as I can. If you, umm, use the bed, perhaps we could agree a little signal so I know to sleep in the other one? I don’t really want to be in the same sheets you’ve been having sex in.’
‘I think you’re way ahead of yourself. I’m not going to sleep with him on the first date, assuming it even is a date.’
‘Not being funny, but you do have form in that department.’
‘Throbbert?’
‘Yes, Libby?’
‘Fuck off.’
He’d laughed uproariously at that, and I couldn’t stay cross with him.
If you’d have told me on the first day of this holiday that Robert and I would strike up what feels like a solid friendship, I’d have told you that you were mad.
But here we are and, surprising as it seems, I’m almost glad to be sharing a room with him rather than Fliss.
I liked her, but he’s been a great supporter and co-conspirator in the constant battle against Amy, and I’m not sure she’d have been an ally in the same way.
Gabriel is in his customary position at the piano as I go up to the bar to order a virgin mojito.
I don’t mind them any more, particularly as I know I’ll get a proper drink at Raphael’s a little later.
As I take my glass over to sit at my usual table next to the piano, Gabriel stops playing to look at me, and I swear I see his eyes widen as he takes in my outfit.
‘You look very nice this evening,’ he remarks.
‘Thank you. I thought I’d better make an effort for this amazing pianist I know who’s throwing me a personal recital.’
He laughs, and once again I can feel myself reacting to him physically.
‘I’m not sure it’s a personal recital for you.
It’s a recital inspired by you though, which is better.
So, remember the deal. As promised, I’ve prepared what I think is quite a good mashup of Liszt and the Lady Gaga songs you mentioned, but I need you to record it on your phone and then send it to Priya’s husband. What’s his name, by the way?’
‘Martin.’
‘OK. Ready?’
I get out my phone and hold it so he’s clearly in shot. ‘Tell me when to press record,’ I say.
He studies me for a moment before shaking his head. ‘No. Change of plan. We’re going to need to rest it on something. Hang on.’
He gets up from the piano and goes over to the bar, returning with a selection of empty glasses in different styles. After some experimentation, he manages to wedge the phone in between a couple of them without compromising the view the lens has.
‘Right,’ he says as he sits back down on the piano stool. ‘Hit record whenever you’re ready and give me a thumbs up so I know I can start.’
I do as he says but, instead of starting to play, he looks directly at the lens and begins to speak.
‘Hello, Martin,’ he says. ‘This is Gabriel Campbell, coming to you from the Elixir Hotel and Spa in Montego Bay, Jamaica. I believe you know my friend Tori. Tori, why don’t you come into the shot and say hello.’
He grins as I frantically make slashing movements across my throat to indicate that I don’t want to do that, before beckoning me, pointing at the piano stool to indicate that I should sit next to him. Reluctantly, I get to my feet and join him.
‘Say hello,’ he repeats.
‘Hi, Martin,’ I say into the camera.
‘Tori told me that you liked “La campanella”, so I thought I’d give you a personal rendition. As you’ll see, I’ve taken the liberty of customising it a little. I hope you don’t mind.’
I start to get up from the stool to return to my seat, but he says, ‘No, bring the chair over here.’
‘I’ll be in the way of the camera,’ I protest.
‘OK, then put it the other side of me. You inspired this, so you should be part of it.’
I get up and bring the chair over, positioning it as he directs.
Gabriel flexes his long fingers a couple of times before starting to play.
The piece is quiet, almost hesitant to begin with, but it’s only a matter of moments before his hands are dancing across the keys and his right hand in particular is almost a blur as it picks out the complex melody.
I’m so completely entranced that it takes me a moment to realise that, although the style is identical and his fingers are still moving at breakneck speed, the tune has changed and we’re now listening to a heavily enhanced version of Lady Gaga’s ‘Poker Face’.
Almost as soon as I’ve clocked that, we return to the original melody for a while, before it changes again into ‘Bad Romance’.
It’s utterly seamless and I’m blown away.
If there was ever any doubt that Gabriel was indeed a world-class pianist, this would be enough to dispel it.
Once again we return to the original melody, which is getting more dramatic now, followed by a brief diversion into ‘Born This Way’ before returning to the original for the thunderous conclusion.
By the end, both his hands are moving so fast and pounding the keys with such intensity that he seems almost superhuman and I’m vaguely surprised the piano doesn’t break.
‘I hope you enjoyed that, Martin,’ he says into the camera once he’s finished.
‘It was all inspired by this incredible lady sitting next to me, so I just want to take this moment to say thank you to Tori.’ He leans over to me and whispers so quietly there’s no way the phone microphone will pick it up. ‘Are you OK if I kiss you?’
The request renders me briefly speechless, so I just give a quick, almost imperceptible nod.
The kiss itself is over in a moment, but my lips feel like they’re on fire from the contact with his.
You know the competition where you have to try to eat a jam doughnut without licking the sugar off your lips?
It’s almost impossible because of the way the sugar makes them tingle.
That’s how mine feel right now, only the feel of Gabriel’s lips against mine is sweeter than any sugar.
One thing is for sure. I want a lot more of it, and soon.
‘You might want to stop the recording now,’ Gabriel says softly, bringing me back to earth from wherever it is that I’ve just been.
‘Oh, umm, yes. Good point,’ I stammer, getting shakily to my feet and pressing the button on my phone. ‘That was incredible,’ I tell him, not actually sure now whether I’m talking about the music or the kiss.
‘I’m glad you liked it. I’ve been working on it all day.
I wanted it to be just right for you.’ He closes the lid of the piano gently, and my eyes are fixed on his hands as he does so.
If his lips merely brushing mine for a moment can have the effect they did, imagine what his hands on my skin would do.
The thought of it is almost too much to bear as I realise that I’m hopelessly turned on.
The physical proximity to him as he played, the intensity of the music and then that kiss at the end have all combined like some kind of drug to completely overpower the rational thoughts that would normally keep me in check.
I’ve never wanted anyone this badly before.