The Near & Far Series

by Serena Clarke

  “And two become one,” the voice exclaimed. “Great job. Now, everyone crouch down—we’re going to do a Mexican wave starting at the parking lot end, then back again. Are you crouching down? On three. One, two, three.”

  As the wave hit where she was crouching, Cady fell on her butt, then sprang back up, behind everyone else but laughing at the silliness of it. And when the wave passed back, she was ready, leaping up with her hands in the air like a crazed soccer fan.

  Next, the voice asked them to get out their water guns. To the accompaniment of tinkly-strange piano music, they all squirted water into the air, and more than a few people squirted their neighbors, the temptation irresistible. At the same time, water shot up from several points around the edge of the park, and a cheer erupted as the flash mobsters found themselves in an unexpected shower. Cady looked up at the droplets catching the sun and making rainbows against the clear blue sky, and was taken back to her childhood, when playing under the sprinkler in the back yard provided endless joy and entertainment on a summer day. Mesmerized by the glint and glimmer above her, she felt the cool droplets land on her face, and thought of her mother. Wherever she was now, this was probably exactly the kind of thing she’d meant when she urged Cady to get out and have some adventures.

  “Beautiful.” The voice interrupted the music, and her thoughts. “Okay everyone, high fives all round. Try and high-five as many people as you can, including someone not wearing earplugs. Go!”

  There was a triumphant atmosphere amongst the slightly soggy flash mobsters as everyone high-fived the people around them. Some did the whole double-high-five jump-in-the-air, but Cady settled for the regular version, even though by this point she’d lost pretty much all her reserve. She high-fived a few eager bystanders too, making them laugh. It struck her as remarkable how a few small things, done together, could create such a warm bond between strangers, if only for a while.

  “Now it’s time to finish our day’s experience. Look up, everyone, and wave and shout goodbye as loudly as you can. Thank you again for coming…and goodbye!”

  Earbuds stood no chance of blocking out the goodbyes bellowed out by everyone in the mob. Looking up, Cady could see the cameras panning across the crowd, and a teeny remote-controlled helicopter circled around, filming the joyful, swirling mass of waving flash mobsters.

  “Goodbye,” she shouted into the way-up-high. The blueness was nothing and everything, an endless somewhere that was the only place her mother seemed to fit now. They never had said a proper goodbye. She waved more urgently, straining her voice as she yelled louder and louder, along with everyone else. “Goodbye…goodbye…goodbye.” Goodbye.

  * * *

  As everyone milled about afterwards, Cady felt a sweet kind of melancholy. It had been as much fun as she’d imagined, and more moving than she expected. The lingering sweetness gave her a blissful feeling that any old-school California hippie would surely recognize.

  A reporter approached her with a smile, a cameraman behind him. “Hi, I’m from KPIW. That looked like fun.”

  “It was!” She ran her fingers through her damp hair, lifting it to cool herself down. “Such a brilliant day.”

  The reporter’s face registered surprise at her accent. “Oh, where are you from?”

  “London.”

  As she spoke, she spotted a familiar face in the crowd behind the reporter. Reid caught her eye and gave a teasing bow, a reference to their conversation the night before. Her heart jumped as he smiled at her. She took in his snug-fitting jeans, and the breadth of his shoulders in his black Alter Bridge t-shirt. Oh, my Lord. Danger, right there, of the most inviting kind. Second time around, his effect on her was no less. She itched to go over, but the reporter was asking her something.

  “I’m sorry, what did you say?”

  “I said, you’ve come a long way. Would you be happy to do a short interview?”

  “Oh! Yes, I suppose so.” She smoothed her hair as best she could and pushed her sunglasses up her nose, hyper-aware of Reid watching along with others in the crowd.

  The reporter held up his microphone. “You’ve come all the way from England for this. Why did you want to take part today?”

  “Well, I’ve been enjoying watching online for ages—I wanted to come and experience it for myself.”

  “But what’s the point of it, really?”

  She could see a challenge in the reporter’s eye, but she was unfazed. She’d had enough time to think about this, back in her little London bedroom. “The point? Look at these people.” She gestured around at the happy faces. “They came here just to do something together, something uplifting. Life’s so full of difficulty and complication. Don’t you think that the more we join together on the small things, the more connected we feel? And then maybe we’ll be better at working together on the big things too.”

  A smattering of applause went around the listening crowd, and she saw Reid raise his hands to clap too. He gave her an affirming nod, and she smiled.

  “Okay, well said.” The reporter reached out and they shook hands. “Thanks very much.” He turned to the cameraman. “Let’s just do the outcue and get out of here.”

  Free to go, Cady looked back to where Reid had been standing a moment ago, but there was no sign of him. She scanned the crowd, walking back and forth a little, but finally had to admit defeat. He was nowhere to be seen, and she couldn’t put off meeting Shelby any longer.

  Flushed with enjoyment, the sun’s heat, and the buzz of seeing him again, she made her way across to the bus. It was surrounded with fans—mostly women, which didn’t surprise her—and she couldn’t see if Shelby was there or not. Eventually she walked back and stood up on a park bench, to get a better view. Straight away she could see Shelby standing by the door of the bus, striking almost the same supermodel pose she’d used for the photo. And she was listening intently to a smallish, scraggly-bearded man wearing a fur vest.

  Cady grinned. That was her sister all right—straight in there. Did Kyle Baxter stand a chance? Well, she might be a huge pain, but maybe Cady could take a leaf from her book. She jumped down from the bench. She hadn’t come this far…

  Elbowing her way through the gathered crowd, she made it to the bus and gave Shelby a poke in the back.

  “Ow!” Shelby jumped, but quickly regained her poise. “Kyle, this is my sister Cady. Cady, Kyle.”

  Kyle’s eyes widened as he took in the two of them standing together. “Holy shit,” he said. “There are two of you?”

  Sometimes Cady forgot what a novelty they were. And today, both with their hair loose and dressed in basically the same outfit of not-quite-short shorts, slim t-shirt, and sneakers, they looked exactly alike, just opposites on the color wheel.

  Fake it ’til you make it. Cady took a breath. “I’m the bonus.” She held out her hand and Kyle shook it, looking from one to the other. His quiff emerged from the front of a brown beanie, the fur was definitely faux, and the beard had seen better days. She supposed it was designed that way. All the same, there was something kind of compelling about him, she’d admit that. Maybe it was the baby blues. “Nice to meet you,” she added.

  “I think it’s nicer for me,” he said. “Thanks for coming.”

  “It was fun,” Cady said. She decided to go straight in, a la Shelby. “What are you all doing now?”

  “We usually help the hired hands with the cleanup. A few of the core team are still out on the field of play.” He looked at the crowd milling hopefully around the bus. “And I’d better do some schmoozing with all these ladies.” He took a step in their direction.

  Shelby threaded her arm through Cady’s, playing up their twin-ness, obviously hoping not to lose his interest. “Can we help with anything?” The jutting hip again.

  He paused. For a moment he looked them up and down, weighing them up. “You’re from England, right?”

  “London,” they replied in unison, making him laugh.

  “Very entertaining. Want to hang a
round a while? You can make yourselves at home on the bus while we finish up, all right?”

  Shelby looked like she would burst if she said anything, so Cady replied casually, “Thanks, that’d be great.”

  “Okay. Help yourselves to coffee, whatever.” He pushed a button on a little remote, like for a car, and the bus door opened smoothly, sliding out and to the side with a quiet hiss. Then a small flight of steps emerged and settled themselves on the tarmac. “Just close the door behind you. See you soon.”

  They watched him step away and immediately get swallowed into a mass of enthusiastic fans. Then they turned to the doorway.

  “I can’t believe it was so easy,” Shelby said.

  “I’m starting to think we might be able to do all sorts of things if we work together,” Cady replied.

  They both looked up into the bus as though it was a portal to some other, magical world. Maybe it would be, Cady thought.

  “Come on.” She stepped onto the stairs. “Let’s see what we’ve started.”

  They went up, and Shelby pushed a button just inside to close the door. It slid across and sealed them in with a gentle sigh, muffling the bustle and hum from the park. They were in.

  “Wow.” Cady looked around. The decor was like something from an interior design magazine, a cross between a luxury yacht and a private jet. They were standing in a sort of lounge, with cream leather seating along the windows and a wall of crystal-cut glass behind a very full drinks cabinet. Chrome fittings glinted in the light coming softly through the Persian blinds, and the plush carpet under their feet added to the hushed effect. It exuded class and glamour, an elegant cocoon to hide away in. She tried to picture Kyle in there, but it just didn’t fit. “I wasn’t expecting it to be like this.”

  “This smells like serious money.” Shelby looked like a kid in a candy store. “It’s beautiful.” She sat gingerly on a leather armchair and swung it around a little, testing.

  “And it’s like the Tardis,” Cady said. “I can’t believe it’s this big inside.”

  Beyond the lounge was a kitchen, with a dining table bigger than the one in their little kitchen at home. This was closer to a castle than their house would ever be. She peeked into the hallway further down, lined with cabin beds on both sides. They were curtained off, but one was slightly open, and she could see a TV screen above the bed. At the very back of the bus was what looked like a bathroom on each side.

  “Look.” She nudged Shelby, and pointed to where a stairwell rose up in the corner of the living area, leading to who knew what. “I’m dying to look up there.”

  They both peered up, but propriety stopped them from going any further.

  “We’re too British by half,” Cady said. “We’ll have to work on that.”

  “Yes, definitely,” Shelby agreed. But neither of them went up.

  Instead, they found the coffee machine and made themselves a cup each, lingering over their choice of Nespresso capsules. Shelby chose blue, while Cady chose a gold one for herself, and sighed as the aroma filled the air. They took their little cups back to the lounge, and sat down to enjoy, and wait.

  “I saw him again,” Cady said, as Shelby raised her cup to her lips.

  She lowered it again without taking a sip, instantly curious. “Who? Chris Hemsworth?”

  “Yes,” she said, her tone making it clear she’d seen no such thing. “Yes, Chris Hemsworth.”

  “Okay, no need to be snarky.” Shelby stuck out her tongue. “You mean Reid.”

  Lying in bed the night before, they’d talked and giggled in the dark, like when they were little girls sharing a bedroom. Shelby had been full of sighs and admiration for Gavin, and was satisfied when Cady said no, she liked Reid better.

  “Where did you see him?” Shelby asked now. “Did you talk to him?”

  “It was after everything finished. A TV reporter was asking me some questions and I could see him in the crowd, but then he disappeared.” She smiled to herself, recalling the bow. “I don’t know where he went.”

  But she’d left Shelby a step back in the conversation. “Wait. A TV reporter? You’re going to be on TV?”

  “I suppose so. Crazy, right?”

  “Welcome to America, baby.”

  Cady laughed. “Everyone’s on TV here, don’t you know.”

  Then the door sighed open, and voices floated in from the parking lot. They looked at each other, the look on Shelby’s face matching Cady’s anticipation, and both stood up.

  And found themselves looking at two golden California girls.

  “Oh. My. God,” the taller one said, crinkling her oddly small nose. Surgically enhanced, Cady guessed. “Look who’s here.” She put a hand on her hip, where it rested against smoothly burnished brown skin above her very short shorts.

  “Oh my God,” echoed the other.

  “So matchy-matchy,” sniffed the first.

  Shelby stood up, her face pink. “I beg your freaking pardon?”

  Cady was tempted to let her rip—Shelby at her raging best would give these two a run for their money. But they were here to make the most of it, not get in a cat-fight with the first girls they met. So she stepped forward, keeping it friendly.

  “Hi. We’re just visiting—on holiday—and Kyle invited us to hang out for a while.”

  It was immediately obvious that this was the wrong thing to say, as their expressions darkened even more. For a moment all four of them stood in silence, two sets of two looking at each other from their own sides.

  Then the sound of footsteps came from the bus stairs, and as all four of them turned to see who it was, the California girls instantly put on their best faces.

  “Hi guys,” cooed the tall one.

  Cady’s face suddenly felt as hot as if she was back out in the high sun. Gavin was coming up the stairs, a different pair of glasses on today. And behind him, of course…was Reid.

  Five

  Kyle came up the bus stairs after Gavin and Reid, followed by a huge muscle-bound guy with a face that looked like it was thrown together with spare parts.

  “Okay, all the team’s here,” Kyle said. “Looks like I need to do introductions.”

  “Some of us have already met,” said Gavin, giving Shelby a wink.

  Cady had quickly regrouped, and now looked across at Reid, teasing-accusing, an unspoken why hadn’t he said? He grinned and shrugged, his expression mischievous, and gave a Gallic shrug that said, just for the hell of it. She shook her head in a silent mock rebuke, but while her outside was cool, her mind raced. He was one of them. They were on the bus together. He was so completely not the kind of guy who’d usually make her so swoony, and yet her body was buzzing, super-charged. She smoothed her hair, half expecting that it would be lifting and floating in his direction, the attraction irresistible.

  “All right, just a round-up then,” Kyle said. “Lovely Londoners, you know Gavin and Reid?” When they nodded, he slapped the arm of the colossus next to him. “But not Tino? He’s our driver, and our lift-anything guy.”

  Tino gave a nod and a shy smile, his face lighting up into such sweetness that the girls were instantly won over.

  “And this, of course, is Jennifer and Alison,” Kyle finished. “Team, this is Shelby and Cady, visiting from across the pond.”

  While he looked pleased, Jennifer and Alison were transparently not. But when he turned to them, they both put on their good girl faces again. Alison’s sweetest smile was for Kyle.

  “Shelby and Cady,” she repeated. “I’m waiting for you to break into a country and western number.” She looked at Jennifer, and they both laughed.

  If they’d known what a direct hit that was, they would have laughed even harder. Shelby had always complained about their names, saying she felt like they were some cheesy country music duo. It was just one of the many reasons she’d found to be mad at their mum. Now, of course, Cady knew where the names had come from, and it explained why they were so American. For all she knew, their aunts might actuall
y be country singers. There was a lot she didn’t know…yet.

  Now Shelby looked from Gavin to Kyle, obviously weighing up. Cady knew that look. She was clearly going for getting even, not mad. It only took a second before her decision was made—Cady could see the moment when the determined light came on in her eyes, and she stepped toward Kyle. At the very same moment, Alison stepped forward too. The game was on.

  Shelby laughed, purposefully taking the high ground. “You wouldn’t want to hear my singing! But I do have other talents.” She lay her fingertips on Kyle’s arm, ever so briefly, and he laughed too. Round one, and Shelby had a point on the board.

  “I bet you do,” he said. “Well, great that you girls have been getting to know each other. I have to finish up here, and do an interview with a blogger. Let’s meet at Sanctuary later, all right?”

  “Sounds great,” Alison said, taking the chance to tuck her arm through his. “It was lovely to meet you, Shelby-and-Cady. Have a great holiday.” The fake-sweet tone made Cady want to slap her, but Shelby just smiled.

  “No, all of us,” Kyle clarified, tapping Alison’s hand pointedly. “It’s easy to find, just on 16th, at the back of a bar called Diorama,” he added, for the twins’ benefit. “Eight o’clock.”

  Everyone nodded, some looking happier than others. “Don’t forget we’re hitting the road tomorrow night,” he called back, as he and Tino went out.

  “I think you have a fan,” Gavin said to Shelby when he was gone.

  She gave another tinkling laugh. “He’s a bit of a star, isn’t he? Good that he’s got such a great team around him.” She waved generously around, making sure to include Alison and Jennifer in her approval. They looked less than appreciative.

  “Yeah, okay.” Alison flicked her blonde hair back over her shoulder. “Come on Jen, let’s go get a coffee at Tartine. We’ll come back later.”

  “Okay, see you later then!” Shelby said brightly as they left.

  On the way out, they stopped to give Gavin and Reid goodbye kisses on the cheek. Was it Cady’s imagination, or was there a particular intensity to the kiss Jennifer gave Reid as she trailed out? He smiled at her, the same smile that Cady had seen the night before. Watching, she felt a little twist in her guts. They were walking into the middle of these people’s lives, and she had no idea what was going on behind the scenes. The show was already underway, and she was only destined to be a bit player, so she’d better suck it up and make the most of it.