Chapter 12
I wake up exhausted and alone the following morning.
Matteo and I engaged in a mammoth love-making session last night, well into the early hours.
I think I just needed him to know that he’s the one.
The one for me. My whole body aches in the most delicious way.
I was barely aware of him leaving this morning.
Birdie has arranged a virtual breakfast briefing with their secret artist who is on a different time zone, to discuss the ‘project’, and Matteo will meet me later at the limo to go to the rollerblading disco.
I scan the room. Every surface is covered with flowers.
Housekeeping have put them all in vases for us.
Ged is right. Matteo has been more than understanding of the Luke situation.
I ring reception and croakily explain the bouquets have been put in the wrong room, and they are only too happy to help move them back to Cherry and Liberty’s. At least that might help.
After a quick shower, I squeeze into my Disco Barbie roller-skating costume.
It’s an amazing bright pink glitter hot pants onesie with neon-yellow leg warmers and wristbands.
When there is a knock on the door, I insist on helping the concierge carry some of the vases.
We walk down the endless corridors towards Liberty’s room and hammer on the door.
There’s no answer. The concierge gives me an apologetic shrug as though it’s his fault they aren’t in.
He knocks harder. It’s way too early for them to be out already.
‘Sorry, ma’am. It looks like they’re not in.’
‘Fine. We’ll just go in and drop these off.’
He hesitates, until I explain that we are the Cocktail Hour entertainment, and these flowers are from Hank Junior, one of our admirers.
The concierge gives me a bizarre nod of understanding and opens the door immediately.
He breezes in and arranges them beautifully all over the suite.
He even radios housekeeping to prioritise the room tidy.
Tash was right about Cherry’s knickers. There are what look like discarded croissants lying all over the room.
Costumes, tights, bras, Barbie dresses cover every conceivable surface.
What a mess! But there’s no sign of either of them. The bed hasn’t been slept in.
A prickle of concern crawls up my spine.
I say goodbye to the concierge and knock on Tash and Sister Kevin’s door.
No answer. I try Big Mand and Big Sue’s door.
The same. No answer. I can only assume they have gone down for an early breakfast before the roller disco.
I hurry back to my room to finish getting changed.
When I race down to the meeting point, I’m absolutely flabbergasted to see the whole gang sitting at the designated breakfast bar tucking into bulging breakfast burritos and deluxe milkshakes loaded with whipped cream, wedges of cake and chocolate bars poking out of the top.
Every single one of them is dressed in their Roller Ken and Roller Barbie outfits: eye-watering splashes of neon metallic hot pants, glitter crop tops, leg warmers, headbands, wristbands, wigs and huge knee pads.
They look unbelievably cool. We are attracting much attention from the public. I quickly take lots of photos.
‘Wow. I can’t believe you all got up so early,’ I say. ‘I’m impressed.’
‘We didn’t,’ says Cherry with a mouthful of burrito.
‘We haven’t been to bed yet,’ says Tash, giggling. ‘We’re giving it a miss. Because of the jet lag.’
Makes no sense.
‘And because we were all on such a winning streak, we couldn’t leave,’ says Big Sue. ‘Mandeep won enough to pay off her entire mortgage.’
Wow.
‘Yeah, but then I lost it all again,’ she is quick to tell me. ‘Easy come, easy go, as they say.’
I have no words. They are all wired.
‘Hi,’ says Birdie, appearing out of nowhere. ‘Matteo sends his apologies. He cannot come skating.’
I frown with frustration. ‘Why not this time?’
‘Work. Clients. Organising his business,’ she says abruptly. ‘He is a very busy music producer.’
As if I didn’t know.
She shrugs at my obvious disappointment. ‘I did try to persuade him not to work. That’s always the problem with him. He chooses work over everyone else. Every single time.’
Her words hang in the air. I know what she’s up to. Planting seeds of doubt.
‘I have a surprise for the boys.’
Liam and Ged try hard not to look excited. Their eyes keep flitting from me to Birdie.
‘I have invited my friend to say hi.’
Just then a huge entourage sweeps towards us.
‘Bonjour, ma cherie,’ says Birdie, kissing her on both cheeks. ‘I’d like you to meet some friends of mine. They are here celebrating their stag do.’
‘It’s a pre-moon,’ says Liam snippily, until he sees who he is talking to.
I can’t see who it is as I’m standing behind her, but watching my friends’ jaws hit the floor suggests the woman is famous.
‘We’re not usually this yellow!’ bellows Liam, his voice ten octaves higher than normal.
‘He means we’re huge fans,’ says Ged. ‘Huge, huge fans.’
The woman holds out both hands for them to grab. ‘Love the outfits,’ she tells the Dollz admiringly. ‘Roller skating? So retro. So cool.’
Birdie leans in to tell her something none of us can hear.
‘Say hi to Matteo for me,’ the famous celebrity replies with a laugh. ‘Catch you both later?’
The minders crowd round her and they scuttle away through the maze that is the casino floor.
‘Fuck me,’ says Big Sue. ‘That’s the way to do security detail. Did you see how many gadgets they had?’
‘Who? Who was it?’ I ask.
Liam, with sparkles in his eyes, carefully looks around before mouthing the name. ‘She’s even more gorgeous in real life. Thank you, Birdie,’ he gushes. ‘Do you want to come roller skating with us?’
What?
* * *
My big fear is that they’ll all suddenly crash and burn mid-roller skate and leave me with Birdie, but to be fair to them all, they are bang up for it.
It isn’t until twenty minutes in, and we are all merrily roller skating and rollerblading away to a selection of nineties bangers, that the true reason for Birdie wanting to tag along with us is revealed.
I’m just building up speed on the way round when I suddenly hit something and go flying to the ground.
‘Oops,’ says a catty voice. ‘Sorry.’
Birdie hovers over me, hand on hip. I growl as she skates off.
I won’t make a big deal out of it. I’d hate to make things awkward for Ged and Liam.
They invited her, they can entertain her.
I’ll take myself off for a skate on the far side, away from them all.
But while I’m rolling backwards, practising some basic drills, I’m knocked sideways and thrown back down to the wooden floor.
‘What the hell?’ I say.
A hand reaches down to help me up. ‘Sorry,’ says a guy sheepishly. ‘Some girl barged into me.’
He points a thumb behind him, and I spot Birdie waving slyly over her shoulder. Mean cow. I skate over to the benches at the side of the rink and take out my phone. There’s a message from Matteo.
Why didn’t you wait for me?
I immediately text back.
Because Birdie said you always put business before pleasure. Honestly, she’s been a right pain. How quick can you get here?
Matteo arrives within half an hour. I spot him at the far corner gingerly stepping out onto the wooden rink.
He holds on to the rail as I skate backwards towards him and do a semicircle around him before a full spin, criss-crossing my legs as I come out of it into a shuffle.
I am fully showing off for his attention.
‘Who knew?’ he says, admiration blooming from his eyes. ‘I’m impressed.’
I take his hand. ‘Want a lesson?’
‘Not really,’ he says, laughing, jerkily trying to keep his balance. ‘Happy to watch.’
I’m not taking ‘no’ for an answer and within a few minutes I have him rolling bubbles alongside me.
‘I’ve never skated before,’ he says. ‘And now I know why.’
‘I’ve never taught anyone to skate before.’
We have so much in common.
Soon, all the stress has left him. His face transforms when he’s not thinking about work or organising events on both sides of the Atlantic with a thousand people vying for his attention.
After one pop tune after another, the DJ switches the tempo and plays a real thumping romantic ballad.
Suddenly all the lights dim, replaced by sparkling strobes.
I take the opportunity to do a little roller-flirting, switching positions, all while holding his hand.
Because he’s such a skilled Latino, and moving his body to the beat is second nature, he is a complete natural, moving with me, like we’re slow dancing but on skates.
I bite my lip while I stare alluringly at him.
I pull out all the stops and give him my best moves.
Some of which haven’t been used for over twelve years, but it’s all coming back to me.
We swish past Ged and Liam, who haven’t sat down once.
They are loving this. Big Sue and Big Mand have copied our lead and are dancing together.
We fly round the rink and out of the corner of my eye I can see Sister Kevin with tissue sticking out of his nose.
It’s covered in blood. He gives us a wave as we pass by.
Up ahead, Cherry and Tash are wobbling forward, holding on to the side of the roller rink.
Liberty is in front of us. If I thought I was good, she is Olympic standard.
Poor Hank Junior doesn’t stand a chance.
He’s gawping at her as though she’s his Venus sent from above.
She eases from a vertical split into a backwards spin.
Her outfit is amazing. Her crop top is sparkly pink, and her cheerleading skirt of green sequins catch the disco lights as she moves.
Her tiny skirt flaps up as she glides around the rink, revealing matching glittery knickers that are a mix of the two colours.
It’s a gold medal all round from me. She looks amazing.
‘Are you okay?’ she asks me as she circles around us.
‘Yeah. Thanks,’ I say, keen not to make a deal out of Birdie’s bullying behaviour. ‘Just a few bruises.’
‘Birdie is such a bitch,’ she says, before skating back to Hank Junior.
Matteo tilts his head quizzically at me.
‘It’s nothing,’ I assure him. ‘Nothing I can’t handle.’
Just as I lean in to pretend-kiss Matteo as part of an elaborately sexy move that I’ve just invented in the heat of the moment, because he’s looking so incredibly handsome, Birdie barges into me and Matteo like an angry bat out of hell and karate chops our hands apart.
‘Mind if I cut in?’ she yells, yanking at Matteo’s hand as she flies past us. Birdie winks over her shoulder at me with a cruel smirk.
Matteo hardly has time to register what’s happening because Cherry, who has obviously witnessed Birdie’s antics, sticks her foot out to trip her up. Birdie and her cruel smirk go flying to the ground.
‘Oops,’ says Cherry. ‘Not as fun when you’re on the receiving end, is it?’
Matteo helps Birdie up and over to the side. I let out a small groan. Now she’ll have every excuse to hog his attention. I see them deep in conversation. Once he helps her to a seat, he skates back over to me. He looks furious.
I gulp. I suppose it was sly of Cherry, and perhaps I shouldn’t have laughed out loud, but Birdie did have it coming.
Matteo takes my hand. ‘That’s it. I’ve had enough.’
‘I’m so sorry. I guess we took it a bit—’
‘I’ve had enough of Birdie. The sooner we get married the better,’ he says in a low voice.
I search his eyes, dark and determined. He rakes a hand through his hair, and I watch it fall back onto his face. He looks harassed. Sexy, flustered and very, very hot and bothered. Matteo has finally snapped. And it suits him.
‘Yes. Sure,’ I say, trying to keep from leaping with joy. ‘The sooner the better.’