Chapter Eleven
Is it possible to register dismay and delight on your face at the same time?
My cheeks must have looked as if they were practising for rigor mortis.
Daniel was the last person I expected or, in my frazzled state, wanted to see.
There he was standing in our hotel room beside Emily, next to who I looked like a bag lady.
‘Daniel,’ I said in a strangled voice. ‘I didn’t expect to see you here!’
‘Chief chauffeur,’ he said, with a teasing raise of his brows.
‘There was a problem with the trains so I drove Sebastian up. Otherwise you’d be without his services this evening.
Thought I could nip out for a quick burger and catch some football on Sky somewhere while he was working and then take him home. ’
My heart did that annoying little lift, which my head slapped down quickly as Emily laid a proprietary hand on his arm.
‘Hope you won’t be bored, as we’ll all be at the premiere,’ she said, flirtatious as ever and then turning to me said officiously, ‘I’ve sent Sebastian up to see Miranda and introduce himself.’
‘Don’t you think you should have gone up with him?’ I asked, a little bit miffed. It was all very well for her to be entertaining Daniel in our hotel room, but she seemed to have forgotten that she was here to work and that I might want to get ready.
‘I’m on the way, bossy,’ said Emily, smiling at Daniel and adding, ‘She does fuss so.’
I gritted my teeth. The cow. She was making me look like some power-hungry bitch. I was fuming but didn’t want to lose it in front of Daniel. He really would think I was an old harpy.
Trying to sound sweet and reasonable, when I all wanted to do was scream at her, I managed, ‘Good luck, she was giving the stylist hell when I left. Make sure she’s on target for our departure time.
No last-minute panics or tantrums. We must leave at quarter to seven to allow for the traffic and be ready at the carpet point no later than seven ten. ’
‘Yeah, yeah. I know, if we miss our slot blah, blah, blah.’
I wasn’t being anal. Didn’t she realise these premieres were run with precision timing?
The schedule was everything. Air traffic control had nothing on this.
Arrival slots were allocated according to celebrity ranking — if you missed yours you could kiss goodbye to the red carpet.
You’d have to circle around the block for an hour before being allowed to arrive at the tradesman’s entrance alongside the set designer’s mother.
I glared at her. ‘Some of us need to get ready,’ I snarled, grabbing my make-up bag and pushing past Daniel into the bathroom, slamming the door behind me.
Inside I glared at myself in the mirror.
My hair was doing a Medusa impression and I was looking very hot and bothered.
I wanted to bash my head against the door.
Bugger, bugger, bugger. Just once it would have been nice for me to look glamorous.
There wasn’t even time to take a bath, so I stripped off and took a quick shower.
The minute I stepped out I realised I’d left my underwear in the room.
It never occurred to me that anyone would still be in there. Thank God I’d wrapped myself in a bath towel.
I let out a surprised shriek. Talk about heaven and hell. Daniel looked up. Lounging on the bed reading the paper, he’d made himself completely at home, discarded tie flung on the chair, shirt open at the neck and suit jacket hanging on the back of the door.
‘Want me to scrub your . . .’ His grin dimmed as he registered my half-dressed state.
‘What are you still doing here?’ I snapped.
‘My we’re a bit snitty this evening. Not what it’s cracked up to be, being the boss? Or are you expecting someone else?’ he asked, the smile had gone. What was it with him and his someone elses?
‘I just wasn’t expecting anyone to be here. And don’t call me “the boss”. I’m just doing my job.’
‘Not letting it go to your head?’ he asked, one eyebrow quirking. It wasn’t said in a joking tone, so I knew a little bird had been whispering in his ear.
‘No,’ I retorted just a bit too defensively. ‘Surely you know me well enough. Do you really think that running around after celebrities, sorting out designer dresses is my thing? There are days when I long for my wellies and hard hat. I even miss Jabba.’
‘Who?’
‘It’s a long story,’ I said, shaking my head.
‘I’m not going anywhere for a while,’ he looked sympathetic for a second.
‘Aren’t you?’ I said with dismay.
‘It’s all right, I’ll turn my back if you want. I told you I’m Sebastian’s chaperone. Emily said you’d got the room for the evening and that I could wait here until you leave and then I’ll snag a lift and go watch with the crowds.’
Did she now? Great — so now I had to get ready in a bathroom the size of a rabbit hutch and hide in there until I could take my rollers out. Not a look I wanted to parade in front of Daniel, although at the moment his eyes did seem quite fascinated by my legs.
I sidled past him, clutching the towel and rifled one handed in my overnight bag. A sensible person would have stopped and opened it properly instead of trying to retrieve everything through the half-fastened zip.
But I wasn’t thinking straight. Of course I managed to knock the bag on the floor, which meant struggling to hang on to my towel as I bent down demurely so as not to flash my bottom at Daniel. Sneaking a peep at him, I caught him trying to hide his amusement.
‘Want a hand?’ he asked, raising his eyebrows.
I was going to have to admit defeat otherwise my towel would be joining my belongings on the floor.
‘Thank you,’ I muttered, avoiding his eye.
‘How is your arm?’ He nodded at the white dressing on the arm I had clenched to my side, holding the towel in place.
‘OK,’ I said stiffly. ‘Just a bit awkward, now and then.’
‘I can see that?’ He nodded gravely, his lips twitching. ‘Let’s see, what are you after?’
I blushed scarlet. He was enjoying this.
‘Knickers and bra,’ I said red-faced, trying to keep my cool. This was Daniel. We were old friends, I could handle this.
He slid off the bed, right beside me. We were thigh to thigh. He bent down, righting the bag and opening it up properly. If I’d done that in the first place I wouldn’t be in this predicament. From the bag he withdrew my bra and went back for a second rummage to produce a matching satin thong.
‘Nice,’ he said, handing them to me.
‘Thank you,’ I said firmly, feeling my cheeks fire up as I snatched them from him and dived back in the bathroom. From the other side of the door, I heard a suppressed snort.
‘I’m glad you think it’s funny,’ I yelled, peering round the door glaring at him. ‘Why don’t you bugger off so that I can get ready in peace?’
‘Sorry, Olivia,’ he said, his eyes twinkling. ‘I was just teasing you. We’re mates, remember. You go ahead. Pretend I’m not here. I’ll just read my paper until you’re ready. And then . . . I . . .’ His face went serious as if he were about to say something.
He could forget it. Mates eh? Huh! I slammed the door.
Pretend he’s not there — in a room that size when he’s just been fondling my underwear.
I’d almost dissolved into a puddle of lust as those warm fingers had brushed my bare shoulders when he leant down to get to my bag.
He hadn’t as much as twitched. Obviously totally unmoved.
Couldn’t he see my pulse about to jump out of my neck? I could have died when he smoothed out my satin bra, stroking the tiny blue bow, before he handed it to me.
I pulled a face at my reflection as I unscrewed the top of my foundation and winced as my elbow bashed the towel rail.
Dropping the lid, I then bashed my head on the sink while bending down to pick it up.
This bathroom really was too small. Bugger.
I’d left my dress in the room. It just wasn’t my day.
Something flipped. Bloody Daniel. Hogging the room and reading his paper. Completely oblivious to me. Good old Olivia, she doesn’t mind. Why didn’t he just go away instead of sitting there in comfort while I had to get ready in a room the size of a bloody broom cupboard?
Catching sight of myself in the mirror — hair cascading in artfully dishevelled curls and in my best underwear, an inner imp urged me on. Mates, eh? Not anymore!
Sucking in my tummy, I strolled out of the bathroom as if I didn’t have a care in the world.
I smiled sweetly at Daniel as I crossed to the wardrobe wearing nothing but scraps of pale blue satin and lace.
Turning sideways onto him, I picked up my dress, held it up for a second and out of the corner of my eye took a quick look.
Gotcha! Daniel’s face was a picture. He did a discreet but unmistakable double take.
Nonchalantly, I slid the pale blue dress off its hanger and stepped into it. In the mirror I could see Daniel watching as I shimmied into the fitted sheath. I think something in my body had short circuited, my hormones were simmering.
‘Daniel, as you’re still hanging around, would you mind doing my zip? It’s a bit tricky with my arm at the moment.’ I turned my back to him, inviting him to do me up.
He gave a strangled, ‘Yes’ and came over.
His fingers brushed my back as he drew the sides of the dress together to draw up the fastener before slipping under my hair to push it out of the way.
As his palm grazed my neck, my insides shimmered with tiny electrical charges, a thousand volts fizzing down my spine.
Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all.
But that little imp had taken hold. No sooner had he let go of my hair, I stepped away to slip my feet into very high-heeled shoes and turned, cocking my head up at him. ‘How do I look?’ I asked, giving him a knowing smile.
Seeing him swallow nervously was worth every bit of frustration sizzling through my veins. That would teach him. Unfortunately I’d learnt a lesson too. You got burnt playing with fire.
We both jumped when the phone rang. Thank God for divine intervention because I didn’t have a clue what to say next.
It was Emily telling me the car had arrived.