Chapter 24
As soon as I step through the door of Voices, it feels like home.
I survey the quiet bar. There are cleaners sweeping the wooden floors, wiping down tables and polishing glasses behind the long bar at the back.
There are huge posters advertising the tribute acts.
The family’s son, Jolly Murs, is performing tonight as our warm-up act.
Fond memories flood back of how sweet and talented he is.
I see posters for P!nk, Howz Trix, Ted Sheeran, by far the most popular – shame about his wired-up chin – and The Rolling Bones who are about a hundred years old but still very popular.
The bar is huge with small, round wooden tables and chairs surrounding a large circular stage in the centre.
Memories flood back of my first ever appalling performance.
I gawp at a life-size poster plastered across the back wall.
‘Cool, isn’t it?’ says a friendly voice. I swing round to see Jolly Murs, real name Dan, grinning as he makes his way through the tables towards me. ‘I only get a tiny poster while you and the Dollz get that massive one.’
‘Speaking of which, Mum left you the keys to the flat and said make yourself at home. It’s all made up, and she’s left some bits in the fridge as we weren’t sure what your plans were before the show tonight. Do you need help with anything?’
I point to the massive pile of suitcases that Jorge helped me heave to the bar entrance before he looked like he was about to collapse. Dan strides over and picks up two cases as though they weigh nothing at all.
‘Thank you,’ I gush. ‘I’m expecting a call any second now from… well, an important call and… OH MY GOD… my phone is about to die!’
‘No problem. You go up there now,’ he says, throwing me a set of keys, ‘and I’ll follow you up later with the rest of the bags.’
‘Lifesaver!’ I yell over my shoulder as I bolt up the stairs to the apartment, two at a time, carrying some of my luggage.
I fumble at the door with the keys because my bags are getting in the way.
I drop one of them to the floor and push the key into the lock.
It won’t open. I take it out and inspect the small bunch of keys.
It’s the wrong key. OH MY GOD, I’m going to miss Matteo’s call again!
Don’t panic. Do not panic.
I’m halfway down the stairs when I remember. It’s the other key. Of course. There’s the apartment key. The front door of the bar key. And there’s a cupboard to all the music equipment key.
The apartment is the middle key.
I hurry back up the stairs and burst through the door just as Matteo video-calls me.
I’m so out of breath and in a hurry to find my charger, I click accept and bellow, ‘I’m on 1 per cent!’
Matteo is visibly startled.
I prop the phone up on the sofa and drop to the floor to hurriedly unzip my bag.
Without looking at him, I remember my manners. ‘Sorry. I mean, hello. How are you? Great to see you.’ I flap wildly about, blowing hair from my face as I rummage roughly through my bag, searching for my charger, in an increasing panic. ‘It’s here somewhere.’
‘How was the end of the tour? Everything go okay?’
‘Got it!’ I say, yanking the charger out by the lead. ‘Shit! The adapter plug!’ I dive back in.
Matteo watches me fling things out of the holdall. ‘Connie. Wait. It’s fine,’ he says in that calm, soothing voice of his. ‘Look at me.’
I promptly stop what I’m doing and take a deep breath in.
I brace for the emotional tsunami as our eyes meet.
I blink slowly as his dark, kind gaze draws me in.
My heart swells at the sight of him. His slightly overgrown hair that he casually pushes back from his forehead makes my pelvis immediately twang.
I’ve missed him. I’ve missed him a lot. It’s a few seconds before either of us can speak.
‘If we don’t have much time, then I need to tell you something before I head back into the studio,’ he says.
I nod. ‘I really need to tell you something.’
We stare at each other. I’m feeling all the feels. Matteo’s face softens and I see him blush slightly. He opens his mouth to say something, then closes it again, no words forthcoming. I feel my own cheeks heat. Even on screen, from opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean, the chemistry is palpable.
I’m the first to start giggling. It’s ridiculous that we have this effect on one another. We continue smiling like love-struck idiots before he finds his words.
‘I can’t believe how much I’ve missed you,’ he says.
I nod. ‘Me too.’
‘I’m really looking forward to you coming over.
This project has been pretty full-on. Sorry I haven’t been able to keep in touch.
We’ve only been outside the studio once.
And unfortunately, we’ve got to quickly redo a whole section, so I doubt I’ll be able to talk much over the next couple of days either. ’
‘That’s okay. It’s been pretty full-on here too.’
‘What did you want to tell me?’ he asks. We are still grinning at each other. He fancies me so much. It’s written all over his face.
I find his attraction to me so utterly overwhelming that my mind is a complete blank. ‘What did you want to tell me?’
I’m basically just copying whatever he says because I am so entranced by his gorgeous face that I have lost the power to articulate. Plus, I just can’t bear to disappoint him with the news that everyone I know will be invading Las Vegas alongside me.
Matteo clears his throat. ‘It’s not great, which is why I didn’t want to just leave a message.’
‘Sorry?’ Maybe I misheard.
He’s just about to tell me when my phone dies.
‘Shit!’ I yell at my dead phone. What does he mean ‘it’s not great’?
I pick up the holdall and empty everything out onto the floor.
I spot the adapter immediately and race over to the plug socket with my phone and charger, ramming it into the wall.
I see the circle tell me that I’m good to go with 1 per cent.
Now 2 per cent. ‘COME ON!’ I yell, my pulse racing.
At 4 per cent, I make the swift decision to ring Matteo back.
His phone instantly clicks to his voicemail.
‘The person you have reached cannot take your call right now. Please hang up and try again later.’
* * *
I manage to unpack a few things, go for a run and get changed for the evening performance, all in a bit of a muddle. Matteo’s words have really thrown me. I sit with Ged and Liam and the Dollz at a table downstairs in Voices and tell them my worries.
‘It could be anything. I wouldn’t worry, babes,’ Tash says, just before the Dollz are about to perform. We are all enjoying Jolly Murs prancing around on stage. He has the crowd totally warmed up and in the mood for some excellent entertainment.
‘This Prosecco tastes off to me,’ says Cherry, putting her glass down. ‘You know I’m better at dancing when I’ve had my two Prosecco chasers.’
It takes nothing for them to stray off-topic.
‘And you don’t think the something “not great” was Vegas- or me-related?’ I press, watching them all limber up.
‘He probably just wanted to tell you that he couldn’t get us all tix to see Kylie backstage,’ says Big Sue, dropping into a lunge. ‘Me and Mandeep have first dibs if he could only get two.’
‘Imagine being that close to her,’ Big Mand says, lighting up. ‘We’re her biggest fans.’
Oh, Christ. They are going to be so disappointed when I break the news that these fake memories of promises being made by me aren’t going to be kept. I haven’t even warned Matteo that I am best woman, never mind asked him to line up a load of celebrities for them all to meet.
‘No!’ cries Liam. ‘I’ll be devastated if we can’t all get tickets. We’re her biggest fans. We love Kylie. You don’t think that’s it, Connie, do you?’
‘We’ll be gutted,’ says Ged. ‘So gutted. Any celebrity will do at this point.’
Any celebrity will most certainly not do.
I’ve seen their list of acceptable celebrity selfies.
As I’ve said, Ged is a famous micromanager.
I need to lower their expectations immediately.
‘We’ll still have a great time even if we don’t get invited to any VIP parties or front row seats.
It’s Vegas. There are endless ways to have a great time.
There’s kayaking on the… the what’s-it-called river.
And zip-lining through the, erm, shopping mall at the…
you know, the, erm, famous place that everyone knows… ’
They listen to my voice trailing off in a frosty, unimpressed silence.
‘Anyway, we’ll be working for most of it. By the time we’ve performed at night and gambled all day, chances are we won’t get time to meet any celebrities,’ Cherry drops casually into the conversation.
The expression of horror on my best friends’ faces tells me to pivot. ‘And in between performing and gambling, we’ll have lots of time to do exciting pre-moon stuff.’
‘And birthday stuff,’ adds Tash, squinting up from squatting as she swishes her knees open and closed.
‘If he hasn’t bothered to get us VIP tix to any shows, maybe Matteo’s not that into you,’ says Liberty meanly. ‘“Not that great” could mean he’s calling to lay the groundwork for a split.’
‘Surely he’d just tell her not to fly over,’ says Tash.
‘Not if she’s already paid for the flight,’ Liberty is surmising. ‘Or he wants to do it face to face. He did say he didn’t want to leave a message.’
‘True,’ concedes Tash, straightening up.
Oh, my God. Why are they even going down that road?
‘It’s definitely not that,’ I say forcefully. ‘He’s very much still into me. I guess I’ll find out when I go over.’
‘Ahem. When we go over,’ says Ged. ‘Don’t forget the whole reason we’re going is for our pre-moon spree. Don’t get distracted.’
‘And for Sister Kevin’s BIG birthday,’ adds Tash, causing Liam and Ged to yet again exchange pinched looks.
‘And for my recovery and well-being,’ says Liberty.
This is news to us. We all regard her suspiciously.