Chapter Sixty-One

“So do we knock, or what?” Rose asked Paul as they walked up Mark’s drive.

“I dunno, you know more about the household than I do – will there be anyone in?”

“Shall we knock anyway? I’ll think up some excuse about why I’m here with you and not Mark if anyone answers and asks questions.”

“Yeah, okay.” Paul said, standing back a bit as Rose knocked on the front door. “Shall I not come in? Would that look less or more odd?”

“No, you can come in. We’ll just say that Mark’s, um… busy, or something.”

“Ingenious.”

“Well are you gonna come up with something better?”

“No no, we’ll use yours.” Paul said.

“Well it doesn’t look like anyone’s in anyway.” Rose said, knocking on the door again just to make sure.

“Key time?”

Rose nodded. “I think so.”

Paul got a bunch of keys out of his pocket, found the right one, and put it in the lock. He turned it and pushed the door for Rose to step inside.

“After you.”

She smiled. “Thanks. Should it feel like I’m breaking in?” she asked, starting up the stairs with Paul close behind her.

“Ideally not, but you know, each to their own.”

“You know what, I bet you are so grateful to whoever made up that phrase.” Rose said, looking over her shoulder and grinning at Paul.

The whole way over to Mark’s house they’d had an ongoing thing in the car with Rose teasing Paul about his colourful sex life, and Paul teasing Rose about her non-existent one. It was great! Paul really was the coolest person ever. Rose almost wished that Chloe was going out with him and not Ben, coz then she’d have more of a reason to hang out with him. And Paul would be so much better for Chloe than evil horrible Ben! Rose didn’t want him - not that there was anything wrong with him, but she’d only ever had eyes for Mark – and so she was quite happy for Chloe to have him. Rose wanted Chloe to be happy more than anything, and she wanted Paul to settle down a bit and at least try to be a bit happy about something (if that was possible!), and they’d just be great for each other! Yeah, aww Chloe and Paul would be just perfect! And they’d look so good together too!

“If I got Chloe to break up with Ben, would you go out with her?” Rose asked Paul.

“What?” Paul asked.

Rose laughed. “Oh, don’t worry, nothing. I just think you and Chloe would make a far better couple than her and Ben.”

“Not you as well!” Paul said.

“What?”

“You sound like bloody Chris! He’s got himself all convinced that I’m “after” Chloe, and he won’t stop making little comments about it. He did it in front of Ben the other day, I could’ve killed him!”

“What did he say?” Rose asked with interest.

Sounded like her and Chris were on the same wavelength, even if she was a little belated in tuning in. However, she’d never fully been tuned into Ben FM. She’d always had her reservations…

“Ohh, can’t remember now. Something stupid about me liking girls with dark hair, like Chloe, or something.” Paul said.

“Well I think you two should get it together. Really do.” Rose said, going into Mark’s room and over to her bag.

“Don’t be stupid.” Paul said, looking around him.

“I’m not being!” Rose said, hurriedly rounding up her stuff she’d annoyingly managed to spread all over Mark’s room.

She’d leave something here, she knew she would. Then she’d have to come back. Not that she wasn’t going to anyway…

“Go on, steal her off Ben. Do us all a favour.”

“You really don’t like him, do you?” Paul asked in amusement.

“No.” Rose said. “He’s no good for Chloe.”

“Oh dear, this could get difficult. Coz I mean, you probably know more than me about their relationship, but seems to me like Chloe doesn’t exactly share your view on that.”

“Not yet.” Rose said, picking up her hairbrush and shoving it into her bag.

“Rose, I don’t know whether you should really be getting involved like that.” Paul warned.

“But he’s gonna hurt her!” Rose said. “And when he does it’s going to leave her emotionally scarred for life! He’s gonna break her heart!”

“He does love her.” Paul said.

“When it suits him.”

“Rose…”

“Don’t push it, you’re no better.” Rose said seriously.

“I know. But I just think you should maybe leave them to it.”

“I can’t! Not if Chloe’s going to come out of this badly. And she will, you just watch.” Rose looked at Paul. “Paul, I couldn’t live with myself if something went wrong and I didn’t try and stop it before.”

“Ben’s not a bad person.” Paul said. “He’s maybe a little thoughtless and immature, but he knows how to treat a girl. Why do you think they keep coming back? It’s certainly not his cooking they’re attracted to. Well it could be other things, but I won’t go into that right now.”

“Please don’t.” Rose said. “Done.”

“You’ve got everything?”

“Think so.” Rose said, taking a final look around the room.

God knows when she’d see it again.

“Let’s get out of here.”

“Sure you don’t wanna slash a few of his best shirts, or anything?” Paul asked.

“Nah, I’m alright. Let’s just go before anyone gets back.”

Your wish is my command.” Paul said. “Apart from the Chloe thing, I’m not doing that. Want me to take your bag?”

Rose handed the bag to Paul and followed him out the room.

“Why not?”

“Because it’s going against a mate, and that’s something I don’t do.” Paul said vehemently.

“Loyalty’s overrated.” Rose said dismissively.

Paul laughed. “You wouldn’t be saying that if Chloe went behind your back and started sleeping with Mark, or something.”

Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.

“I’d rather she did that than slept with Ben.” Rose lied. “Just for the record, I think he pressured her into that.”

Paul stopped walking and turned around.

“Seriously?”

“Yes.” Rose said bolshily.

Truth was, the thought had only just crossed her mind, but now it had, it was sticking.

“So what, you think something happened with them like it did with you and Mark, but Chloe went through with it anyway?”

Yes, that’d do.

“Exactly.”

“Rose, are you sure? Coz you can’t just go round accusing people of things like that.”

“Can do what I like.” Rose said, walking past Paul towards the car.

“Yeah, but Rose, that’s kind of a serious thing to say.” Paul said, catching up with her.

“Do I need to have a tantrum and throw myself on the floor over the fact that I don’t want Chloe going out with Ben, or are you gonna steal her off him?”

“Rose, I’m not gonna do that. Chloe wouldn’t be interested, anyway.”

“So make her interested.”

“Stop it, or I’ll leave you here and you’ll have to walk to the station.” Paul said. “Just coz you and Mark are all screwed up at the moment doesn’t mean that Chloe can’t be happy with Ben.”

“She’s not happy!” Rose protested.

“Well last time I saw her I’d have said different.”

“Well you don’t know her.” Rose said in a tone that signified that that particular discussion was over.

“And you haven’t seen her?” Mark asked as he sat in the kitchen with Kate and Chris, glass of water in his hand, feeling very very ill.

“Not since last night.” Chris said, handing a piece of toast to Kate. “Why don’t you know where she is?”

“Oh, we had an argument and she ran off somewhere.”

“You had an argument? What about?”

“I don’t really wanna talk about it, okay? I feel bad enough as it is.”

“Alright.” Chris said. “Want some toast?”

Mark held his stomach. “Eurgh, no. Now I know why I don’t drink.” He said. “Never again.”

“Do you feel really awful?” Kate asked.

Mark nodded slowly so as not to disturb his angry head. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt quite this bad before.”

“You were hitting it pretty hard.” Chris said.

“And I’m feeling very sorry for myself today.” Mark said, taking another sip of water and making a face. “I’ve already been sick twice.”

“Nice.” Kate said, chewing her toast.

“Well, not really.”

“So Rose isn’t here?” Chris asked.

“No! I’ve looked everywhere! I don’t know where she could be!”

“Are you sure she’s not here?”

“Yes! I’ve looked in every single room, and outside, and she is definitely not here. Paul and Ben don’t seem to be around either.”

“Maybe they all went somewhere together?” Kate suggested.

“Rose, Paul and Ben? Nah, doubt it. Rose and Ben have fallen out, anyway.”

“Have they?” Chris asked.

“Yeah, Rose was in a right state after Ben spoke to her. He really upset her – I’ve gotta have a word with him when I’ve finished being hung over.” Mark groaned. “Actually, I think I’m gonna have to go and lie down again. I can’t be awake right now.”

“We’ve got interviews in three quarters of an hour.” Chris reminded him.

“Ohhhh, you’re joking.”

“Nope. Smash Hits, TV Hits and a really small one for Star, remember?”

“I can’t do them like this.” Mark moaned. “I’m barely alive!”

“Go back to sleep and I’ll come and get you in about 20 minutes.” Chris said. “You kinda gotta do them: you know what Tim’s like about stuff like that.”

“Yeah, I know.” Mark said. “Think I can get away with not saying anything?”

“Depends how chatty Ben’s feeling. I know Paul won’t be saying much.”

“He never does.” Mark said. “Right, I’m going, I’ll see you later.”

Mark left the room and Chris was about to say something to Kate when there was a shout from across the kitchen.

“Kate!”

Kate and Chris looked over to see a girl with short pink hair coming over towards them.

“Natalie didn’t tell me she’d invited you!” the girl said, giving Kate a hug.

“Natalie didn’t tell me she’d invited you either!” Kate said. “I thought you two didn’t get on?”

“Oh, I think she’s over that now.”

“Really? I thought she said she’d never forgive you?”

“Well here I am!” the girl said. “Wicked party, huh? Natalie said there were celebrities here and stuff, but I didn’t see any. Probably coz I was blind drunk most of the night!”

Chris didn’t know whether to be insulted or relieved. He might just keep his head down anyway. He didn’t trust people with pink hair. He could do with putting his phone back on, actually. He’d turned it off last night when him and Kate had started talking coz he didn’t want anything to interrupt them, but he didn’t usually like having it turned off in case someone needed to get hold of him for some reason.

“Yeah, it was cool.” Kate said. “I didn’t know half the people here, though. Or even like, a fifth!”

“I don’t know any of Natalie’s friends; they’re all snobs anyway. Apart from you, of course.”

Kate smiled.

“Did you hear about that big fight?” Pink hair girl asked.

“There was a fight?” Kate asked. “What happened?”

“I don’t know, I heard it off Aidan, but apparently there was an ambulance and everything.”

“Really? I didn’t see anything.”

“No, me neither.”

“Was it anyone we know?”

“Erm… oh, I can’t remember their names. They’re something to do with Nat. Probably just had a bit too much to drink! Anyway, how have you been? I haven’t seen you for so long!”

“I know! It’s been ages! But, yeah, I’ve been fine.”

“And who is this very handsome man on your arm?” the as-yet unnamed girl asked, looking at Chris.

Kate went ever so slightly red. “Oh, erm, this is Chris. Chris, this is my friend Dara.”

Dara smiled at Chris. “Hi!”

“Hi.” Chris said.

Some of Kate’s friends were very weird.

“I have a new man too!” Dara announced looking very pleased with herself.

“Do you?” Kate asked. “Oooh, details!”

“Well, he’s called Jamil and he is so gorgeous I can hardly believe he’s not just a picture sometimes!”

“Aww, where did you meet him?”

“It was the strangest thing! I was in Taffy’s - you know Taffy’s, down on Denby Street - and I was waiting in line to order my usual, you know, hot chocolate with extra chocolate and a triple chocolate éclair, and he was standing in front of me, and he ordered like, a coffee, or something, and then he said, “And one hot chocolate with extra chocolate and a triple chocolate éclair”, turned round, gave them to me, and asked me if I’d like to join him! Said he’d seen me go in there every day and thought I was stunning, and did I think he sounded like too much of a stalker to go out for a drink with! It was sooo romantic! And he’s so lovely! Ooh! We should all go out on like, a double date!”

Kate smiled. “Erm, well, maybe.” She said.

“Excellent! We’ll have to meet up soon anyway! Have a good girly catch up!”

“Yeah, okay…”

Chris tried not to smile. Oh she really wasn’t keen, was she?

“Have you got my number? I don’t think I have yours, actually! That’s awful! Give it to me now, I’ll try not to lose it!” Dara picked a random pen up off the side. “Here, do it on my arm, then I can’t leave it somewhere. Well, hopefully not, anyway!”

Dara laughed and Chris nearly choked on his coffee. Was she a human or an animal?!

Kate attempted to laugh with her whilst cautiously scrawling her phone number on Dara’s arm with black marker pen.

“Thanks babe.” She said, admiring it when Kate had finished. “Anyway, I better go, late for work as it is!”

“Yeah, okay. I’ll, er, see you soon.” Kate said.

“Yeah! I’ll call you!” Dara said, giving Kate another hug and a kiss on the cheek, and leaving the room.

“Don’t let me go on a double date.” Kate said to Chris when she’d gone. “Be ill, or busy, or something, but if I accidentally agree coz I’m soft and I know I won’t say no, remember not to be able to make it, coz then I won’t be able to go either.”

Chris smiled. “You don’t like double dates?”

“Single dates are bad enough!”

“You don’t like dates?”

“I get so embarrassed!” Kate said. “I’m just all… argh!”

“I like you all “argh”.” Chris said. “It’s cute.”

Kate frowned at him. “No compliments!”

Chris smiled. “I can’t help it – you’re so complimentable!”

“Well stop it! It makes me all uncomfortable!”

“Which makes you even more cute.”

Kate smiled. “Stop iiiit!”

Chris was about to retaliate with like, the most perfect line ever that would ultimately result in lots of kissing, when his phone rang. He knew he should have left it turned off.

He sighed. “Sorry.” He said to Kate, getting up and taking the phone to a corner of the kitchen before answering it. “Hello?”

“Where’s Ben?” came Del’s slightly raised voice.

“Morning to you too.” Chris said.

“Not in the mood, Chris. Where is Ben?”

“I don’t know. Why?”

“Because he left a message on my phone saying he wouldn’t be coming to the interviews because he had better things to do! And I am going to kill him! Where is he?”

“I honestly don’t know.”

“Where are you?”

“At the party I told you about. Me and Mark are gonna leave in about half an hour.”

“Is Ben with you?”

“Well he’s supposed to be here, but I haven’t seen his since last night, so…”

“Where’s Paul.”

“Again, he should be around here somewhere.”

“Chris, Tim is going to absolutely flip if Ben doesn’t turn up to these interviews! He’s in enough trouble as it is!”

“Have you tried his mobile?” Chris suggested.

“It’s turned off.”

“I dunno then.”

Del let out an exasperated sigh. “Just make sure you get there on time.” He said, hanging up.

Chris put his phone in his pocket and went back over to Kate and their toast.

“Ben’s in so much trouble.” He said.

“Why?”

“Well that was Del, and he said that this morning, Ben left a message on his phone saying he had better things to do than interviews so he wouldn’t be coming.”

Kate gasped. “Oh my God! Did he really say that?”

“Apparently.”

“Can he really do that?”

“Not without getting absolutely killed by Tim.”

“Who’s Tim?” Kate asked.

“Oh, sorry! Tim’s our manager. Tim and Vicky.”

“You have two?”

“Yeah, but Vicky takes more of a back seat in the more day-to-day things.” Chris smiled. “Hang around me for long enough and you’ll soon get used to the a1 lingo!”

“So, what are you going to do about Ben?” Kate asked.

“I don’t know where he is! If Mark is right, and he’s really not here, then…” Chris trailed off.

“What?”

“I do know where he is.” Chris said.

“Where?”

“Do you remember when we bumped into him before we went upstairs last night?”

“Um…”

“And I thought he said he was going to see Chloe, but I thought that couldn’t be where he was going because she lives miles away.”

“And you think…”

“I think he really did go and see her.” Chris said.

“Where does she live?”

“I think it’s near Wales, or something.”

“Wow, that is miles away! You really think he’s there?”

“I don’t know what else could be so important that Ben would blow off work for. He loves his job, and he must know how much trouble he could get into for doing this. In fact, I’m not entirely sure what happens if he doesn’t turn up. I don’t know if we can really do the interviews without him. I know they’re written and everything, but if one of us isn’t there, you know what people will say!”

“I don’t, actually.” Kate said.

“Well there’ll be splitting up rumours, and people will wonder why Ben wasn’t there, and it’ll probably just get really unnecessary.”

“Oh.”

“But there’s nothing I can do, except get me and Mark there on time.”

“What about Paul?”

“I dunno, I’ll give him a ring in a minute, find out where he is.”

Kate nodded. “Okay. Well I should, um, probably get going now. I mean, if you’re going to be going soon, I’ll get out your way.”

“Oh. You don’t have to.”

“No, I should. I’ve got books to write, anyway!”

“I had a really good time last night.” Chris said.

“Yeah, me too.”

“And we’ll go out to dinner, yes?”

Kate smiled. “Yes, definitely.”

“Okay, well, I have your number, and I will call you, okay?”

“Yeah, okay. Well, erm…”

They both stood there looking awkwardly at each other before Chris took the plunge and leant forward to kiss her. He’d never known kissing to be initiated so hesitantly before, but then, Kate was unlike any girl he’d ever met. It was like she had a bubble around her and lived in this world that was totally hers, that she didn’t compromise for anyone. He’d love to be part of that bubble, maybe even let into it. Well, he’d work on it. He had a feeling that Kate was going to be a difficult one to crack, but once he did… well, he’d probably rather be with her than do anything else, just like Ben with Chloe.

Kate smiled as they broke apart. “Um, bye.” She said, turning and leaving Chris alone in the kitchen with just his toast for company.

Right, time to sort Mark out.