Chapter 8 #3
Cai stands between us, head pivoting left and right like me and Lucy are rallying at a tennis game. ‘Yeah, let’s do it.’ Oh, he’s the umpire now? ‘A quick buzz around won’t hurt.’
It might if some crazy person’s hanging about. It’s growing darker outside by the second, which’ll make it a lot harder for me to spot any risks.
‘Please, Rhys.’ He uses those stupid puppy dog eyes, all wide and bottle green and like I’m depriving him of everything ever, and like a sucker, I fall for it. The trick has worked for twenty-odd years, why would it all of a sudden lose its magic?
I get thirty seconds to come up with a plan. Iestyn lingers at the top of the escalators. ‘Are your guys still on shift?’ I ask him.
‘Yeah.’
‘And the barriers?’
‘Don’t usually take them down until the star’s gone.’
I run my hand over my beard. Fine. I’ll allow it but only because it’s what Cai wants, not Lucy.
Keeping him happy’s what he pays me for, even if I have to pull out the impossible to make it work.
I’m fucking mental doing this without Richie.
I need eyes everywhere this out in the open.
‘Fine, but we make it quick, yeah? Selfies only and no long stops or taking a million photos to get the right angle.’
‘Yes!’ Cai grabs me in the biggest hug, and I try my damn hardest not to melt into it. I’m such a fucking fool for him. ‘We can do this. Quick dash along the queue. Just like a red carpet, innit.’
Nothing like a red carpet. Those are controlled and there are usually a million other guards about.
On a red carpet, the barriers protect us on both sides from the fans and he drags his heels to get to everyone.
We have a safe walkway, an ounce of protection from the crazed hordes.
The barricades at the shop will only give us half of the protection, although at least most of it shields us from his dedicated fans.
It’s not closing time for the rest of the high street, though.
Shoppers are out and about out there. Most people aren’t concerned about celebrities until they hear the fuss.
They’ll stop for a nose once they realise who it is and then they start asking for photographs too.
Anyone could get to Cai in all the hubbub.
I pass Iestyn the guitar and my keys. At least with the engine running, we can make a quick getaway. ‘Tell your guards to form a half circle around Cai. Get the car and park it right at the end so we can make a quick escape.’
He salutes me and hurries off. The spotty teen takes his place, his phone already poised to film. At least they’re good at what they do and use their common sense. Makes a change from having to spoon feed everyone.
I turn to Cai and Lucy. ‘Stay close to me. Both of you.’
The fans go wild when Cai’s Welsh flag-painted high-tops appear from the top floor.
Hundreds of them squeeze into the barriered space outside the shop – more than there were this morning.
There was no hope of them getting in, yet they hung around, risking the rain and whatever else to get a glimpse of their favourite star.
I guess they’re loyal, and I can kind of see why Lucy would want to reward them.
Doesn’t stop it from being fucking dangerous.
‘You can go with Iestyn to the car, if you want,’ I say to her once we hit the bottom of the escalators. One less person to keep an eye on would be great. Not that she’s my responsibility.
‘Let me help.’ She pockets her phone in her tailored trousers and hands her bag to the teen following us. ‘It’s easier with both of us, right?’
Could she tackle someone hellbent on getting to Cai? Probably. She’s sturdy, got a quiet aggression about her. Though she’s way too prim and uptight for fighting.
The door’s been locked since the show started, but the assistant assigned to making sure the audience gets out quickly turns a key and the doors slide open with a woosh, unleashing the full power of the waiting fans.
Their screams press in on us, forcing Cai to take a step back.
Cai enthusiasts are stronger than any gale-force winds.
But nothing else looks out of place for a Wednesday evening on Queen’s street.
Only the fans and the shoppers and the shop’s security wrapping around us.
My gaze catches Lucy’s, and she nods. Ready.
It’s kind of weird she knows what I’m looking for without me saying.
All her experience with Topaz helps, I guess. Margaret didn’t have a fucking clue.
We move forward as a group, and the cheers crescendo, rattling the glass in its frame. She steps closer, covering the side of Cai closest to the crowd. The more we can work together, the easier and safer it is for him.
‘Can you take the presents?’ I ask her. Fans wave cards and flowers in the air.
She’s already on the case, keeping my hands free to do my job.
A mob gathers on the other side of the pavement, lured in by the racket.
With a quick hand signal, one of the store’s guards shifts to shield Cai from them.
Nobody gets a photo with him unless they’re already in the queue.
The barriers groan under the weight of the group. Most of the throng are teens, slight little things and the only people with enough spare time to stand and wait in the rain all day, but the sheer number of them strains the metal.