Chapter 21 #2
I get to the end of the first row and press my face to the door as it opens, sending me toppling to the ground.
I am cringing with embarrassment as I struggle to get up, the bodysuit reluctant to allow even an inch of movement.
This is so not going to work. I put out an urgent message to the WhatsApp group explaining our predicament.
I stand staring at my phone as decades pass without so much as a ping.
I have no way of knowing if any of them has picked it up and will help.
I take out my map of the site. The only thing I can do is suck it up and go to the management tent.
I jostle through the crowds and approach the security guards at the entrance who block my way, check my lanyard and point me towards the hospitality tent.
‘No,’ I yell crossly, putting a hand on my hip. ‘I’m not after free drink. I’m after Matteo. The boss man. El jefe .’
The guard indicates that he can’t hear or understand me.
‘ Quiero Matteo ! ’ I yell. Time is very much of the essence.
The guards burst out laughing. ‘ Te quieres Matteo ? ’
‘ Sì ,’ I shout past them into the tent, hoping he can hear me calling. This is so frustrating. We now have only thirty minutes to find the phone, find the stage and do the set.
‘You’re in love with Matteo, are you?’
I spin round to see Alex marching towards me with a startled expression on her face.
‘What? No. I was telling them I want him, as in I want to see him.’
‘Well,’ she says, putting her hands on her hips to mirror my actions, ‘you’re screaming at the top of your lungs to the entire management team inside that you want my business partner both emotionally and sexually, as in you love him.
L.O.V.E. Love. Now, if you could stop making a fool of yourself for five minutes,’ Alex continues in a cruel tone, ‘you need to get yourself on fucking stage right now. He doesn’t need another groupie. He has plenty of those already.’
My jaw drops at her stinging accusation.
I take in her cold, hard expression and feel my face burn with embarrassment.
The only thing that could make this moment worse would be to run into Matteo.
So naturally, when I see him emerge from the tent to stand right in front of me, his eyes swivelling between Alex and me, I panic.
‘That’s enough,’ he says to her sharply in Spanish.
He has replaced the bandage covering the corner of his eyebrow, and his black eye now matches mine. It simply makes him even more rugged. He’s wearing shorts and a T-shirt as though he’s stepped out of a Hugo Boss photo shoot. I feel stunned at the mere sight of him.
I’ve just hollered to everyone around that I love him. And at that moment, I think it might be true.
‘I’ve got this,’ he says over his shoulder to Alex, waiting for her to leave before he turns back to me.
‘It’s not what it sounded like!’ I squeak, finally finding my voice.
‘Oh?’ he says, stepping towards me with a frown. ‘So, you’re not in love with me?’
He’s playing with me. I feel my eyes mushroom out of their sockets. His face is a mere foot from mine. His eyes roam casually over my body. He probably thinks I’m mad or drunk or both. He’s so mesmerising I can barely look him in the eye.
‘Listen,’ I say, lowering my voice. ‘Can we talk?’
He leads me into the tent.
‘What’s gone wrong now? I specifically remember you promising me’ – he checks his phone – ‘three hours ago that there was to be an evening of no drama.’
Cheek. He can be a little too presumptuous, can’t he?
‘There’s no drama. I just need you to help me with a few technical issues,’ I say in a whatever-do-you-mean type of voice, not waiting for him to respond.
‘First, I need to find Tash’s phone. It’s got all the Dollz’ backing tracks for the gig on it.
I also need you to help me find the Dollz.
They’ve gone AWOL all over the bloody place.
And finally, the stage. None of us has a clue which one we’re supposed to be on or when. ’
There is a short silence before Matteo answers. His eyes are glinting. He is enjoying this. ‘Phew, for a moment there I thought something had gone horribly awry.’
‘Fine. You’re right. It’s another shambles. Please,’ I beg. ‘I can’t afford for this to go wrong. Nancy will sack us all and I’ll be jobless, homeless, and my life will basically be over.’
Matteo looks at me in surprise. It’s probably best to keep my volatile emotional and financial state under wraps. He hasn’t exactly seen the best of me since I stepped foot on that plane.
‘I’m just panicking,’ I say. ‘Can you help me?’
‘Of course.’
Relief floods through me as I gaze gratefully up at him. He surprises me by reaching over to bring me into one of his reassuring hugs.
‘It’s okay. We’ll get it sorted.’
It’s just what I need. I melt against him, giving myself over to the moment, allowing myself to feel safe in his arms, as though the cares and worries have all just faded away for a second. Unfortunately, it has the feel of a ‘take care then’ type of hug.
‘Stay here,’ he says. He signals one of the security men over. They speak in rapid Spanish. ‘Where does Tash think the phone is?’ he asks me.
‘One of the Portaloos.’ I shrug apologetically. ‘And I don’t know which one. It’s an iPhone with a pink glittery cover with a unicorn on but instead of a horn it’s a… man’s thingy.’
Christ.
Matteo is not fazed in the slightest. Almost as though he’d expect nothing less.
‘So, that’s the phone and set list sorted. Next on the list is the stage. I can show you that myself and then there’s just the Dollz to round up.’
He’s so masterful and unflappable. I can’t tear my eyes away from him.
‘I left some of the Dollz in the drinks zone,’ I explain as I back away from him and his terribly kissable lips.
‘I’ll start my search there.’ I feel an invisible force pulling me towards him again even though he has basically friend-zoned me and we are in this tent where he conducts his important music-mogul business, and his scary business partner is hovering nearby throwing us daggers.
I feel her beady eyes boring holes into my back.
I’d hate to put his reputation in jeopardy.
Aware of the attention we seem to be drawing to ourselves from Alex and the crew, Matteo and I wait to see if the phone has been located in a strained silence until a woman – who would be drop-dead gorgeous, wouldn’t she?
– comes over and hands me Tash’s phone. Matteo thanks her and she takes an age dragging her eyes away from him.
‘Well, she seems nice,’ I say jovially, trying to disguise the fact that I am embarrassed beyond belief to be caught yet again so unprepared. ‘That was quick.’
‘It had been handed in to lost property already,’ he says, pointing to a table laden with boxes piled high with phones, wallets, shoes and bags.
‘Oh,’ I say. ‘Good, good.’ Why had I not thought of that? ‘I’ll let the others know we’ve found it.’ My phone pings in reply.
‘Are they on their way over?’
I show him the photo I’ve just received of Tash riding a camel with Sister Kevin. ‘Not exactly.’
Matteo shakes his head, laughing. ‘I know where that is. It’s the drinks zone.’ He turns, distracted as Alex approaches him and yanks his arm. She glares rudely at me before dragging him away.
‘Come on, Matteo, honey. Leave her. We don’t want to be late for the main stage, do we?’
He glances back at me over his shoulder.
I’m sure he wanted to say something but is denied the chance.
They hurry away and while I can’t hear them, they look like they are arguing because she is waving her hands angrily about.
My mood instantly plummets. Liberty must have been right.
This is all so excruciatingly humiliating.
I feel a wave of disappointment flood over me.
Matteo obviously has enough drama to deal with.
No wonder he wasn’t interested in me throwing myself at him.
I slip away from the tent and hurry back to the drinks zone. I spot the line of camels up ahead. The rest of the Dollz have also decided to prepare for their set by riding camels. I race over to Tash, who is busy snogging the face off Sister Kevin, and yell up to them.
‘Tash! I found your phone!’
Tash totally ignores me and my triumphant return and carries on licking Sister Kevin’s beard. The Dollz are giggling away and I feel an instant pang of envy at their carefree attitudes and ability to enjoy life. I hear my name being called and see Matteo approaching.
‘Sorry about that earlier, with Alex. She can be a bit rude,’ he says, looking at me with those concerned, kind eyes. ‘Are you ready to go on stage?’
I bite my lip nervously. ‘Yeah. I just need the Dollz to stop dicking about on the camels.’ I fan at my face. ‘We’re going to be late if we don’t make a move.’
While it’s so hot I could fry an egg on my stomach, it’s Matteo that has me all flustered. I don’t want him to see me as some lovesick puppy. One of those groupies that Alex accused me of being.
‘Are you okay?’ he asks, lowering his voice.
‘No,’ I say, wiping a film of sweat from my brow. How can I explain that he is so insanely gorgeous that he is making me physically sweat? ‘It’s just so hot in this suit.’
His eyes travel the length of my body.
Less material went into making this suit than there is in a baby’s sock.
He promptly sets about giving instructions to the guys leading the camels.
They immediately turn them around and lead them to the stage where we are performing.
When I shout up the new plan to the Dollz, they begin fluffing their hair ecstatically and batting heavy eyelashes while simultaneously live-streaming their arrival on a procession of camels.
It does look impressive. Nancy should at least be pleased.
‘Won’t your girlfriend mind you coming with us?’ I say as Matteo and I set off behind them. I try not to show how disappointed I am. ‘Alex is your girlfriend as well as your business partner, isn’t she?’
When he half-smiles back and stares at me for a second too long, I know for certain that he’s a taken man. ‘Not my girlfriend,’ he says, ‘but it’s complicated.’
No, I think. It really isn’t.
A few minutes later, we arrive, the Dollz slide easily down from their camels as though they are abseiling down a mountain, and we are quickly ushered backstage to set up. Within seconds they have magically sobered up and are ready to go out and give the performance of their lives.
Matteo and I stand at the side of the stage to help them set up and to fix microphones to the back of their costumes, but before either of us know what’s happening, the Dollz ambush us into a group hug.
‘Luvoo, Connie. Luvoo, Matteo. Thanks for getting us here, babes.’ Tash kisses me on the cheek.
‘We owe you one,’ says Cherry. ‘Love you.’
‘Pretty fucking brilliant, the pair of you. We owe you one.’ Big Sue pats me on the back.
‘I literally just said that,’ Cherry says, turning to Big Sue.
‘Love you,’ says Liberty, doing a heart shape with her hands.
‘And that.’ Cherry gives her a disbelieving look.
‘Fuck off, Cherry,’ says Liberty.
‘Fuck off yourself, pet.’
‘Come on, bitches. Keep it professional,’ Tash barks, winking at me.
It isn’t until they break free and run onto the stage that I realise they have handcuffed me and Matteo together.
What did I say about false imprisonment and kidnapping charges?