Chapter 27
I watch as the Dollz struggle to keep formation.
They are furious with Liberty, who is not only trying to outsing everyone, but she’s also routinely repositioning herself at the front so that Luke can get a good view of her.
I slide my eyes over to him. He casually picks up the menu, perusing it with increasing abject terror.
He’s eyeing his surroundings warily then with bemusement.
The waiter is bringing him a bottle of wine and, after a double glance, Luke is politely handing it back and laughingly waving him away.
Why would Luke be here?
My whole being sinks at the thought of going on stage and singing in front of him, which is ridiculous because we’ve spent the last week performing an inch from each other’s noses. I take a few deep breaths as the Dollz wrap up their set.
The last hour has been a bit much, what with Matteo ringing and Birdie practically hanging off him while I did my less-than-impressive leg wafting thing.
What an epic fail. Ged and Liam have turned up as a pair of Oompa-Loompas, and now Luke, the last man on earth that I would want to see, is sitting waiting for me to entertain him with my eighties and nineties cheap covers.
I bitterly regret telling him I was coming to Benidorm.
‘He’d better not be stalking you,’ barks Big Sue, snapping me from my thoughts, as the Dollz run off stage. ‘Did you see him sitting there, clicking his fingers for the waiters to come running? Posh bastard.’
The Dollz rally round.
‘Babes. Ignore him. Don’t give him the effing time of day,’ Tash says. ‘It’s the attention he’s after.’ She turns to give Liberty a sharp look. ‘Much like someone else we know.’
‘He must be after Connie because I doubt he’s here for the magic show, the warm wine or the frozen calamari.’ Cherry strokes my arm as she is speaking. ‘He’s obviously been following you.’
‘They always do that before a kill,’ says Big Mand, chewing a worried lip. ‘Stalking. First, they abduct cats, then they move on to humans.’
Oh my word.
‘I’ll note the day and time,’ says Cherry, our resident paralegal. ‘For the inquiry.’
There is no need for this level of escalation.
‘I’ll cover the rear if you can do surveillance on the stage area while she’s on,’ barks Big Sue to Big Mand, who has already snapped into SWAT team mode.
‘I’m sure he’s not here to stalk me. He’s probably here to…’ I say, running out of reasons why Luke might be here. Is he stalking me?
‘For God’s sake, calm down, everyone. It’s not The Bodyguard. He’s not even here for Connie!’ shouts Liberty.
‘Explain yourself. And make it good because we specifically told you to back off,’ Big Mand reasons.
‘I invited him here. And he kindly said he’d come and watch me perform. From a professional point of view. He has connections.’
FFS.
‘What?’ says Big Mand, stepping right up to her. ‘Sisters before misters, remember?’
Liberty rises to her full height. ‘I haven’t broken the code.’
I am speechless at the audacity of her.
‘You are bang out of order, Libs. Bang out of order.’ Tash stomps away from her.
‘Professional point of view, my fat, hairy backside,’ snaps Big Mand. ‘What utter bollocks.’
‘This will all backfire,’ says Cherry, flicking her flaming-red hair over her shoulder and following after them.
I can’t even look Liberty in the eye. I push past and make my way to the stage. How could she do this? Of all the selfish… stupid… idiotic… Gah!
As soon as I walk out on stage, I’m on the back foot.
I have the Dollz squawking to Ged and Liam at the front.
They are constantly turning around with gaping mouths and yelling things to me while I’m trying to introduce myself to the throng of people in the audience.
The most distracting is Liberty, who is marching towards Luke.
I can see her indicating they leave and Luke staying firmly where he is with his eyes trained on me.
Liberty doesn’t appear to be taking it well and has plonked herself huffily down next to him.
I have no option but to get on with it. I sweep my gaze around the crowded two-thousand-seater venue.
The lights dim, causing a hush to fall. A spotlight blinks and shines down.
All eyes are on me. They are waiting for me to deliver the goods.
As I put the microphone to my lips, a surge of anticipation fills me.
This is what I do.
When I sing, I have the ability to whisk people off to places they haven’t been for decades.
I unlock memories, feelings and passion.
I inspire people to want to sing along, to dance, to move in time with me.
There is no other buzz like it. It doesn’t matter what I’m singing or where, it’s all about connecting with my audience, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do.
‘Hello, everyone. Are you having a good time?’ The crowd responds immediately.
There’s an excited buzz in the air from the Dollz, making my job so much easier.
‘I’m gonna need you all on your feet dancing for this one,’ I encourage, walking up and down the stage while I begin to sing, belting out the lyrics and making eye contact with groups of people who, fortunately, look keen to take me up on my offer.
Within seconds, the whole place is up and joining in.
I wave my arms in the air, and they copy my moves as two thousand lively patrons become my personal backing singers.
‘Benidorm Palace, you are on fire tonight!’
* * *
‘Connie, that was electrifying,’ gushes Ged. ‘What a performance. Well done, babe.’
‘Thanks,’ I say. I’m still breathless. Nancy has already been on the phone to say the management have rebooked me and the Dollz for next season because they were so impressed.
But the Dollz are in a state of flux over Liberty as we ready ourselves to leave.
‘I can’t believe she’s disappeared off with him,’ Cherry is saying to Tash.
‘I can. Liberty by name, liberty by nature. Don’t I always say that?’ she replies.
‘She’s always been a slave to that runaway libido of hers. Always. Remember Turkish Brad? And his brother Greek Alan?’ Big Mand says, shaking her head. ‘There’s no boundary she won’t cross.’
‘Well, she hasn’t got a set of keys to get in, so I hope she doesn’t come back too late. I’m going straight to bed,’ says Big Sue.
‘Me too,’ says Cherry, yawning. I contemplate the dark circles under her eyes.
She’s doing well for being pregnant, but something is niggling at the back of my mind.
‘I still have the last-minute adjustments to do. Has everyone tried on their costumes? We’re travelling in them, so tomorrow is your last chance. ’
Las Vegas! Matteo! The pre-moon! The work gigs!
‘I need my beauty sleep too,’ agrees Tash. She has bounced back from her unconfirmed-sickness-bug-slash-phantom-pregnancy extremely well. ‘Sister Kevin flies in to meet us tomorrow. I need to look glowing. So, FYI, I am staying in bed all day. Do not disturb.’
I’m surprised to see Ged and Liam not rolling their eyes. I suppose they have bigger fish to fry, what with them being the colour of ripe pumpkins.
‘We’ve only got one day left to get sorted,’ says Liam, lighting up. ‘It’s Voices tomorrow night, and then we’re all off to Vegas, baby!’
There’s a sudden shift in mood as we all realise that, in a day’s time, we’ll be flying to the party capital of the world. Tash leads with an almighty squeal as we group hug and leap up and down excitedly.
* * *
The following day, I rise early to go for a jog along the beach.
Just before I leave, I catch my reflection in the mirror.
I look surprisingly vibrant. My skin and hair are sun-kissed.
My body is firm and healthy. I put my hand to the locket that houses the image of my mother and trace its delicate engraving.
My mind flashes back to last week. It feels like months ago.
Almost like it’s an alternate life. Luke’s sudden appearance has me rattled though.
My two worlds are colliding. On the one hand, we are work colleagues.
He and I will tour with the Sinfonia together in future.
We must retain a polite, professional relationship.
But on the other, there are so many questions left unanswered from the last tour.
Dolly told me that the Maestro is Luke’s godfather.
This locket is a precious heirloom that must be returned to his family; surely he has no right to give it away so carelessly?
And the rumours in the press about us, what do I do about them?
How much of what Luke told me about his imminent arranged marriage is true?
None of it? And his behaviour at the hotel, which he’d switched us to without my consent.
Expecting to sleep with me just because he was high on drugs and proposing a fake marriage to lure me in.
He’s not shown himself in any great light.
No wonder the Maestro seems fed up with him.
A sudden pang to call Dolly comes over me. She picks up immediately.
‘Hello, love,’ she says. ‘How’s it going in sunny Benidorm? It’s hoicking it down here. It’s rained non-stop since you left.’
After a few minutes of weather-related chat, I tell her about Luke turning up.
‘He what?’ she bellows down the phone. ‘That is too far. He’s crossing a major line there. What’s he playing at?’
‘I was hoping you could tell me,’ I say. My hand is still on the locket round my neck. ‘Why do you think Luke wanted me to have this locket?’
Dolly remains quiet for a few seconds before I hear her sigh. ‘It wasn’t just Luke’s idea.’
‘What do you mean?’ I ask.
‘It actually belonged to Krzystzof. He is Luke’s father’s cousin. Their grandmother gave him it because Luke’s parents had a royal marriage of convenience. Or so I believe the tradition goes.’
‘What tradition?’