Chapter 13
THIRTEEN
Olly
Our hotel room’s still dim with morning darkness when I wake up.
It takes a moment to remember how Tarun ended up curled next to me in bed, his light snores reminding me of a newborn puppy. My heart somersaults. We kissed! Tarun likes me!
He turns over in his sleep to fully face me, and not reaching over to stroke his adorable face takes all my strength. I shouldn’t wake him, but we were so close with each other last night I’m craving his touch.
There was the same agony when we got back to the hotel last night, having to keep our distance as we heard about everyone’s days – Zeb and Nate especially keen to tell us all the practical applications for LED bulbs they’d seen at the museum, surprisingly two peas from a very similar pod.
Then once we got back to the room, we had to sit and wait, not wanting Sabrina catching us in the throes of passion.
My eyes constantly staring at his lips that only a few hours before I’d been kissing without fear. 214
To distract us from our state of perpetual anticipation, I convinced Tarun to play his guitar without me having to turn the other way.
I see now why rock band frontmen are the platonic ideal of ‘sexy’.
I’ve never had someone look in my eyes and play a song, but it was the unique blend of impressive and hot that makes me weak at the knees.
He plays the guitar with a comfortable ease that is so rarely present on his face, which is usually painted with his doubts and worries.
It was a good way to pass the time while waiting to kiss him again.
Luckily Sabrina did her nighttime check with our end of the corridor not long after ten, at which point we were free to sit on the edge of my bed and make out to our heart’s content.
He surprised me by being the one to take things to the next level, lifting up my t-shirt to undress me.
I let him, despite my instinctive fear of being shirtless.
He put his hands on my hips, making me flinch when he touched my love handles, but he didn’t shudder away, or say I’m disgusting.
He came in closer and kissed me softly. He really seems to find me attractive.
‘What do you want to happen tonight?’ I asked him in a hushed whisper, close to his ear.
His breath was nervous and heavy. ‘I don’t think I’m ready for…’
He gesticulated with his hands, expressing ‘stuff’, and I understood.215
‘No, I don’t think I am either. But I want to be close to you.’
‘That’d be good.’
I ended up pulling off his t-shirt, and we kissed and kissed and put our hands over each other’s bodies more, figuring out the size and shape of each other.
We eventually pulled off our trousers and snuggled under the covers of the king-size bed.
He clung onto me, gazing up into my eyes.
It was perfect. I can’t be sure of when I fell asleep, but Tarun was by my side.
I envy how peacefully he’s sleeping. Now I’m up, my body is pulsing and aching to get ready for this evening’s performance. I’m going to do whatever it takes to impress everyone in the audience, but especially the judges. I can’t fall now at the final hurdle.
I stretch over to the bedside table to grab my phone, hoping not to disturb Tarun. But as I come back to the middle of the bed, he slowly stirs, looking confused as anything.
‘Morning,’ I say as his eyes adjust.
He turns his head, seeming to need to confirm that he is not in his usual bed by the wall. ‘Hey…’
‘Sleep okay?’ I ask, scooting in closer.
He rests his head on my chest. ‘Not bad, thanks.’
‘Ready for competition day?’
‘Dunno,’ he says with a goofy smile. ‘Do you not just want to stay in bed all day, cuddling?’216
I laugh. ‘Would be a lot less stressful, that’s for sure!’
‘I’m feeling weirdly okay. I’m excited. How about you?’
‘Yeah. Just want to do my best now.’
He shifts himself up, teasing me by coming close to my face. ‘You better.’
I take the chance and kiss him quickly; morning breath be damned. It feels different this morning, already familiar, but never predictable. Tarun, to prove my point, lifts his leg over my lap and straddles me, our near-naked bodies pressed tight together as we kiss.
I’m going to have to use this as my ecstatic emotion memory if I get to perform in the final six. Because right now, I definitely feel, ‘Lucky to be Me’.
Tarun
It took me a moment when I woke up to figure out why the curtains that normally brush against my shoulder in bed weren’t there, but as soon as I saw Olly next to me, it all came flooding back.
We kissed. We shared a bed. It wasn’t just a dream.
I let my lips linger on his, until a sound pulls us apart.
Knock knock knock.
We look at each other, stopping dead in our tracks.
Knock knock knock.217
‘Who is it?’ Olly calls out.
‘Zeb! Are you coming down to breakfast?’ he shouts through the door.
‘I’m still getting ready! I’ll meet you down there,’ Olly says, while I hover on his lap, breathless.
‘Okay! Don’t be long!’
I let out a sigh of relief once the sound of footsteps has gotten far enough away, and Olly grins. ‘That was a bit close…’
I nod. We haven’t discussed keeping whatever’s happening between us a secret, but it seems a bit early to be shouting it from the rooftops.
‘Guess that’s our cue to get out of bed…’
Olly kisses the top of my head. ‘I guess it is. Get the competition day started.’
We get out of bed and shower separately. When he comes out in his towel, even after a night of being as close (and about as undressed) as two people can be, I still look away before remembering I’m allowed to enjoy the view.
‘Do you have everything? All your costumes and stuff?’ he asks once we’re both dressed and I’m crouched down, checking my backpack.
‘Aye. I have my formal stuff and my Marius costume, my snacks, my water, and my phone charger. Don’t need anything else, do I?’218
‘Nope, sounds like you’re all prepped. Shall we head down?’ he asks, offering me his hand to help me up.
I take it, and get brought up to standing, having to gawp up at the handsome giant when I’m this close to him. ‘I’m right in thinking we should keep us … liking each other on the down low?’
‘Probably. I’m anything but ashamed, but I should focus on doing my best, and I imagine you’ve enough on today without coming out to everyone?’
‘Aye… I’d appreciate that.’
‘I made you a promise on Monday night, didn’t I?’
‘What was that?’ I ask, as he grins like a cat.
‘I think it was, “What happens in Room 709 stays in Room 709”. I didn’t think this would be the kind of thing we’d ever be keeping secret though!’
‘This is a nicer thing to keep between us than my panic attacks.’
He leans down and gives me a peck on the cheek.
‘Indeed it is,’ he says, brushing my hand before picking up his own bag.
‘If I don’t get to say it later, I’m rooting for you to win the whole competition. Show everyone how amazing you are.’
‘I’m rooting for you, too. I hope you can see now how much you belong here? You’re brilliant.’
I turn away, going to touch the neck of my guitar in 219its case to soothe any worries. ‘This is your day, okay? Remember that.’
But he follows me to the corner and takes both my hands in his. ‘No,’ he asserts, quickly planting a kiss on my lips. ‘This is our day.’
Olly
Nate looks intimidating with his arms folded, guarding the door to the wings of the theatre, blocking the entire lingering cast from heading to the stage.
‘What’s with the bodyguard act?’ Zeb asks, jabbing at his roommate’s arm. ‘Why can’t we go in?’
Nate smirks, putting his fingers to press the cans he’s wearing closer to his ears for stage management to communicate through the radio to each other. ‘That’s clearance! Contestants can head to the stage now.’
He steps aside and, as we head through the door into the wings and can see who’s on stage, it all makes sense.
‘Oh my God. Ohmygodohmygodohmygod,’ I squeal, bashing Zeb with my arm. ‘He must be the host!’
‘What? Who is it?’ Zeb asks, eyes straining past all the taller contestants to try and see the middle-aged man with a thick head of curly brown hair chatting to Elaine.220
I wrap my arm around his shoulder and hoist him up so he can see. ‘No fucking way! Rob Harrison?’
The mention of the Olivier Award-winning (and Eurovision-losing) actor sends chaos through the crowd, everyone peering to see if it’s really him. Spotting the commotion, he gives us a dazzling smile and a wave as we all crowd around him on stage.
‘Morning, everyone,’ he says in a deep, melodic voice that I know from countless cast recordings I grew up listening to. ‘Guess the secret’s out? I’m going to be your host!’
I wish I could say I’m strong willed enough to resist joining in with the screams of excitement that spread around me, but this is literally Rob Harrison!
The original David Copperfield! Singer of the number two hit single ‘The Words I Write’!
A two-time winner of ‘Rear of the Year’ and the heartthrob for every woman in the noughties who then shocked the world by coming out on the cover of Attitude magazine five years ago.
‘Settle down, everyone…’ Elaine says, business as usual. ‘We’re all very excited to have Rob joining us today, but we can’t lose focus. We have a final to prepare for.’
Rob, behind her shoulder, nods his head with the grin of a naughty schoolboy.
‘Yes! This is such an amazing opportunity for you all. There was nothing like the Larrys when I started performing. I’ll be happy to answer any 221questions in breaks, but when Elaine or one of the stage managers are running the stage, we all keep our focus on them, okay? ’
We all nod, because how could anyone say no to Rob Harrison?
‘Thank you, Rob,’ Elaine says. ‘We’ll start with a warm-up. I don’t want any of you pushing too hard – you have a long day of rehearsals before the performance. The priority is that you’re all on top form this evening.’