Chapter 29
Chapter Twenty-Nine
T he barman gives me my orders, which include making a second announcement and a payment up front for the drinks.
‘Consider it done.’ I give a resolute nod, then draft in Amber’s help and climb to my feet again, this time with no chance even to think about what I’m doing. The chanting is getting louder and louder, and a couple of ‘missiles’ have already been thrown at the bar, which means I need to fix this – fast .
The barman takes off to deal with the rest of the fallout from my idiocy, while Amber and Cameron get everyone’s attention again, though it takes a lot longer this time.
‘Erm, hi… again,’ I address the sea of impatient faces once they’ve settled down enough for me to speak. ‘It turns out there’s not enough Champagne to give to you all. Silly me…’
‘ Loser! ’ someone shouts, and I do my best to ignore them.
‘So, anyway…’ My pulse is racing, my awkwardness shining through like a beacon. ‘I still want to buy you all drinks… I’ve agreed with the bar staff that you can have any drink of your choice, except Champagne or shots – for the next hour. Oh, and… one drink at a time. No double measures. Anyone taking the piss, or giving the bar staff hassle, won’t be served again… and… neither will that guy who called me a loser.’ That gets a bit of a laugh, making me feel less like I’m going to have a heart attack. ‘So, I guess all that’s left to say is… enjoy your night! ’
There’s another roaring cheer. I even get a smattering of applause, before everyone turns back towards the bar, order seemingly restored.
After dashing across to make the agreed upfront payment, I flop down on my seat, take a swig from my Champagne and sigh heavily.
‘Well done, Emma!’ Trudy gives me a double thumbs up. ‘You totally nailed it – second time round.’ She giggles, and I return the gesture with a grimace.
‘Nice save, girlfriend.’ Sara high fives me. ‘You did good.’
‘Emma, I’m so proud of you.’ Cat pulls me into a squeezy hug. ‘That was really brave getting up there… and twice.’
‘It’s not like I had much choice.’ I eye Amber and Cameron, who feign innocence.
For the next hour, the atmosphere in the bar is electric. My friends are in top form and keep playing back my botched announcement, which has been the source of much hilarity. Other punters in the bar approach me to thank me and quickly get involved in the fun, causing our group to expand significantly. Thankfully, no one presses me to share my situation like Simon did. All they seem to care about is my apparent generosity. I’m so ecstatic at how it’s turned out that I can’t suppress the ridiculous grin that’s plastered across my face. It’s exactly how I imagined it, though perhaps without the stuttering and na?ve oversight on my part .
Excusing myself from a conversation with Jana, I sneak off to the ladies to touch up my makeup, and as I’m heading back through the short corridor towards the main bar, Simon emerges from the men’s loos.
‘Hello, again.’ I decide I’ll be a little less guarded this time.
‘There she is, the woman of the moment.’ He waves his arms in mock praise. ‘Nice touch, buying everyone drinks.’
‘Thanks.’ I make a point of laughing at his joke, noting that the slur in his voice has become more evident. ‘You look like you’ve been taking full advantage of it.’
‘I have.’ He sways slightly before me. ‘So… am I allowed to show my appreciation to the woman of the moment?’
‘Erm… yes, I… guess so.’ Bit of a weird question. Does he want to buy me a drink in return?
‘Nice one.’ He stumbles towards me, and I instinctively move back.
‘ Hey, what’s wrong? ’ He seems offended. ‘I was going to give you a thank you kiss.’
Oh hell. This is not good.
He approaches me once more, and unsure of what else to do, I put up a hand to stop him.
‘All right, you.’ I try to keep my tone light and jovial to avoid things escalating. ‘I don’t need a kiss. What would people think if I went around kissing everyone I bought drinks for? Maybe… you could buy me a drink as a thank you instead?’
Just like earlier, Simon’s mood seems to switch in an instant. ‘Think you’re too good for the likes of me, Emma?’
My irritation with him returns. ‘ What? No. That’s not it. I… need to get back to my friends.’
‘You’re a bit stuck up, aren’t you?’
‘Look, Simon— ’
‘Bit of a princess, eh?’ He’s now so close that I can smell the alcohol on his breath. ‘I bet Mummy and Daddy bought you a pony and a castle, and now you’ve decided to pity the commoners by throwing scraps to them…’
I can’t believe what I’m hearing. How dare he judge me like this! My irritation shifts up a gear.
‘It’s not my fault you can’t take rejection,’ I throw back without thinking. ‘If I’m so up myself, then why won’t you leave me alone?’
At first, Simon regards me with derision, then his demeanour becomes darker and more threatening.
‘Shut it, you little slut …’ His voice drips with contempt. I take yet another step back and make contact with the wall. ‘You’re nothing but a basic bitch who throws her money around to make herself look good.’
He’s not actually touching me, but his broad frame towering over me is as menacing as his words. The anxiety I’ve been wrestling to keep under control this last couple of weeks bubbles up, and I start to panic. I want to scream at him that he’s got me all wrong and to leave me alone, but I can’t get the words out. And there’s no one around to help me. Frightened tears spill down my cheeks.
‘And here come the waterworks, right on cue,’ Simon continues to berate me. ‘You’re all the same, you rich bitches. All money and show, and no fucking substance . Nothing but a sad little tease .’
‘ Get away from her, ’ a male voice suddenly thunders out of nowhere.
‘This is none of your business, mate,’ Simon growls back at the man. ‘This is between me and my girl.’
‘You’ve just made it my business, mate .’ The man’s tone is harsh and commanding. ‘I don’t care if she is your girl. Get away the fuck away from her, before I make you. ’
I can’t see the man behind Simon, but it’s clear he’s not going to let this go.
Simon holds his position for a few seconds longer, then obviously decides that this isn’t a fight worth having. Shooting me one last filthy look, he stumbles down the corridor towards the bar, while I slide down the wall, head in my hands, gasping for breath.
‘Are you OK?’ The man approaches me. ‘I know it’s none of my business, but that looked pretty bad. He has no right to treat you like that.’
With the threat of the situation having passed, I’m finally able to process my surroundings, and I release that I know that voice. Lifting my head, I find myself looking at James.
‘ Emma? What the… I didn’t recognise you there. Are you OK?’ He bends down, gently cupping my face with his hands.
My tortured eyes meet his and as he holds my gaze, a feeling of deep humiliation takes over me. I know how this must have looked: like Simon and I were together, and quite possibly like I was being an almighty tease. I look away quickly, my senses locked in overdrive, self-preservation being the overriding instinct. This fuels a sense of illogical defensiveness, ultimately propelling me to bat his hands away from my face.
‘ What is it about you, James? You seem to turn up everywhere, playing the god damn hero.’
‘Huh? No, Emma, I was just—’
‘What? Concerned? Worried about me? Why? ’ I swipe at my eyes with my sleeve, as if to erase my vulnerability. ‘I don’t even know you. Is this what you do with women? Pull shit like this so you can get them into bed?’
‘Emma, that’s not it at all.’ James rubs his jaw, brows tightly knitted. ‘You’ve had a shock and you’re misreading this. Let me…’
‘I don’t need to let you do anything,’ I bite back. ‘Can you not get the message? It’s weird, you suddenly turning up like this. Please, leave me alone. ’
I defiantly get to my feet. James studies me for a moment, hurt seeming to cloud his face, but I’m so done. Right now, no man deserves even an ounce of my trust.
‘This isn’t what you think, Emma. But I hear you, and I’m gone.’ Turning away, he strides back down the corridor and disappears through the door to the bar.
Moments later, Cat, Sara and Amber burst through it, take one look at my wobbly bottom lip, and bundle me into the toilets.
I fill them in what happened with Simon and how James intervened, but I leave out the fact that I snapped at him because I know I’ll get a hard time for that – and it’s not something I can cope with right now. Once I’ve had a good cry and deterred Amber from going after Simon, they clean me up and I reapply my eye makeup. We head back into the bar to join the others, and try to keep the fun of the evening alive, but it’s not the same. Eventually, Cat senses that I’ve had enough and we take a taxi home, my head resting miserably on her shoulder. It’s the worst possible end to what had been a phenomenal evening-slash-grand finale to my big week.