Steve had booked the restaurant, so that was all taken care of – now he needed to find a gift. He couldn’t buy something too flashy – one day he’d spoil Lydia – however he wanted something to show he was serious about their relationship.
He looked at earrings. Admittedly, they did range in price and he could pretend they weren’t real diamonds, but the box would give it away.
Steve rubbed his temple and adjusted his glasses. “I don’t know what to buy, and how much to spend.”
“Well, aren’t you going to tell her at Christmas? So the present could be less restricted.” Ruby had stopped outside another jewellers.
“Yes, but won’t that look bad if I lavish her with gifts, after telling her my true identity? She’ll think I’m posing. Or buying her love. I want something with thought and meaning. And although I hope she’s the one I will ask to marry me, isn’t it a bit soon? I could scare the woman off. We may both be head over heels, but we’re still learning about each other.”
“Well, for her birthday you could buy her some clothes. Or what about a sketchpad, or a picture? There’s a gallery along there.” Ruby pointed.
It was so difficult to buy a present for someone he felt strongly about, because he hadn’t been in the relationship long enough to truly know her. He worried the present might not be right. He wanted to find something that encompassed their relationship so far, and spoiled Lydia a little…
“Let’s keep walking, and maybe I’ll be inspired.” Steve huffed, pushing his hands into his pockets and hunching his shoulders. Slouching, so he looked self-doubting, like Clark. Start standing too tall, looking self-assured and people noticed him. Especially women.
Steve started to lose his patience as the shopping centre got busier and busier. Finally, he decided that for her birthday he’d buy her some underwear. He had had the sense to check her sizes in the week. There was a nice boutique, and the way Ruby was sighing at all the pretty lingerie, he knew it was a good choice.
“The Americans call them panties. After fifteen years I’m still not used to that word,” Steve said in a low voice, leaning into Ruby and pinging a pair of black lace knickers at her cheek.
“Panties sounds so kinky, don’t you think? They’re knickers,” Ruby said, snatching them off him and putting them back, giggling.
Normally, Steve wouldn’t go shopping with his sister for lingerie for his girlfriend, but he had little choice as Ruby was the only one who knew his secret. And she would be honest with him. Ruby helped him choose, giving her ‘too slutty’ or ‘too flowery’ comments. In the end, he’d gone with powder-pink satin, trimmed with lace, as he knew the colour would suit Lydia, and the underwear was practical, but sexy too. The way Steve felt about Lydia, she could be wearing a black bin liner and still make it look hot. The image of the mysterious Catwoman flashed up in his mind, and now he knew the owner of that beautiful body it made his heart quicken with even more excitement.
“Boyfriend treating you early?” said the assistant, smiling knowingly at Ruby, as she folded the garments and put them into a gift box, with tissue paper and scented beads.
“Oh, no! No! He’s my brother – these aren’t for me.” Ruby blushed, holding her hands up defensively, and Steve chuckled.
“I’ve got a new girlfriend. My sister here was giving me a helping hand, I’m no good with these things,” Steve said, adding a nervous tone to his voice, and pushing the glasses up his nose for effect. If the role of Clark Kent ever came up again, he really should audition.
Outside the shop, the Mall was now rammed with shoppers, Steve sighed. “I think I’ll come back and get Christmas presents another day. I’m all shopped out. Don’t know how you do it. Fancy a coffee?”
At least he had Lydia’s birthday present. He knew every girl liked sexy underwear, and he would benefit from it too. He couldn’t wait.
***
“Your phone’s ringing again!” Ruby called from upstairs. She was getting ready for work. “It’s the Bat Phone. Shall I get it?”
“No.” Steve groaned. He stopped hanging the picture Ruby had bought on their shopping spree earlier this morning and ran up the stairs – two at a time – to fetch the phone. He didn’t get to it in time, so listened to the message which just said, “Call me as soon as you get this, it’s urgent.” Karl sounded harassed. What did he want this close to Christmas?
“Hey, Karl, what’s up?”
“Just a reminder that Monday you need to go to London. It’s been in the schedule to do some of the ADR for Nothing Happened.”
“What? London? Not Monday. Please.” Lydia’s birthday.
He’d forgotten all about being required for recording dialogue. The background noise whilst filming on location meant the dialogue didn’t get picked up and they had to go into a studio to put the voices back over on some of the scenes.
“I tried telling them you’re on an extended vacation, and could they rearrange it for January, it’s Christmas and all, but they’re insisting. The studio is in London, and was scheduled months ago, so at least you don’t need to fly anywhere. It was in your diary, Steve.” Yes, it probably was, he just hadn’t been checking this cell phone regularly, or checking in with Marie, who held his diary. “They want you for two days, three max. Everything else is scheduled for after Christmas.”
Steve ran his hands through his hair, his face screwed up as he tried to work his way out of this one. What was he going to tell Lydia? He had to go – he was under contract.
Damn it!
“Okay, I’ll be there. I’ll call Marie to sort out travel, etc. Thanks, Karl.”
Steve threw the phone onto his bed, and went downstairs.
“Your agent, right? Your voice went all American while speaking to him,” Ruby said, slipping her handbag over her shoulder, then her expression sobered. “Has someone died? You look white as a ghost.”
“I’ve got to go to London for a few days.”
“Okay.”
“It means missing Lydia’s birthday.”
“Ooohhh.” Ruby winced. “That’s not so good.”
“What am I going to tell her, Ruby?”
“You could come down with a virus? Flu? That can drag itself out. Man-flu especially.”
“I’m serious. What if she wants to come see how I am?” he said.
“You’re highly contagious and the doctors recommend no visitors?”
Steve palmed his forehead, as if hitting himself would help. “Shit, I’m not ready to tell her the truth. I only have tomorrow. I have to leave Monday morning – early.”
“Could you tell her the partial truth; you’ve got to go to London and can’t get out of it?”
“Why would I need to go to London for something I can’t rearrange?”
Ruby drummed the table with her fingertips, thinking. Steve imagined the cogs turning inside her brain. He too was thinking of a decent excuse.
“What about a job interview?”
“But I haven’t told her I was looking for a job.”
“You could say you’d been keeping it a secret because you didn’t want to jinx it.”
“But what job? I’ve portrayed myself as some sort of hippy with the travel bug. A high flying job in London, really?”
“Don’t have a go at me! I’m just trying to think of something.”
“It was your damn idea to hide behind this disguise!” Steve clenched his fists, banging the table.
“And it worked didn’t it? Do you think you’d have had these opportunities to meet Lydia otherwise?” Ruby’s voice had raised, her hands on her hips. Her expression was stern, all made up and dressed for work in her suit.
Steve took a deep breath to calm himself. There was no point arguing with Ruby. He was angry with himself. Couldn’t his real life leave him alone until after Christmas? He loved his life and career, but at the moment he was enjoying this normality with Ruby and Lydia. The little things in life that he now took for granted. Everything was going so well with Lydia, an
d now he was going to miss her birthday. Which was his reality, with his life and commitments – he’d been missing special occasions for the last fifteen years.
“Look, I’ve got to get to the hotel. I’m running late now.” Her car keys jingled as she fetched them out of her bag. “I’ll have a think and we’ll discuss it more tonight.”
Steve nodded. Ruby kissed his cheek, leaving a sticky lipstick mark, and closed the front door, leaving Steve to stew over London and what he would tell Lydia.
The job interview sounded like the best idea. He wouldn’t be lying about going to London, and he wouldn’t be lying that he couldn’t rearrange it. The fewer lies he told Lydia the better. But what sort of job would he be going for?
He’d call Marie, get a train booked. He couldn’t take Ruby’s car. Then, he’d work out what he was going to tell Lydia. Maybe Marie might have some inspiration.
London. He needed to be discreet there too. He really didn’t want the press getting wind he was in the UK. He’d have to have Marie plan something so it looked like he was heading back to the States for Christmas.
***
Ruby hurried into work, thoughts of Steve having to leave for London tumbling around her head. Would he get photographed in London? Would that trigger further suspicion for Terry? At the time, this had all seemed such a good idea, but she hadn’t contemplated the levels of stress it would cause. If Ruby didn’t have a few grey hairs after all this, she’d be surprised.
How depressing – grey before she was thirty.
Ruby craved coffee. She might be able to focus better with some caffeine inside her. Making her way to the staff kitchen, Alice walked towards her, immaculate in true beautician style, as usual. Alice would fit instantly into Steve’s high profile life, Ruby immediately thought. She imagined them photographed together, photo shoots for Hello and OK. They would be the perfect couple – on paper.
“Hey, Ruby, I’m glad I’ve bumped into you,” Alice said, nervously, blocking her path. Ruby frowned. She’d been avoiding Alice where possible, which was absurd as she was the boss. It felt easier to put her head in the sand, and hope that the less she saw of Alice, the more the truth about Steve would be forgotten. Maybe Alice didn’t really know the truth…
“Look, I’ve been doing some thinking, and I don’t know what Stuart,” Alice emphasised his name – she knows, “is hiding from—”
“Alice, I’d prefer we didn’t talk about this in the middle of a corridor.” A couple more members of staff passed them to start work. Ruby didn’t need this broadcast to the whole hotel. “Can we go some place quieter?”
“I’m just saying, I know how it feels – a bit. I have to be always made-up otherwise people think I look ill. If I don’t look good, they presume I’m a crap beautician…”
“Alice, not here.” Ruby walked, guiding Alice to her office. Coming from reception, Lydia headed towards them carrying a large bouquet, an array of pink flowers. Ruby had only ever received flowers at work once before in her life. Could that same person be pulling the same trick twice?
“Is that for the spa?” Alice said, frowning. “Larger than usual aren’t they?”
“No silly, they’re for you.” Lydia giggled.
“Me?”
Ruby scowled. Alice took the flowers, cradling them in her arm like a baby, searching for the card. Alice blushed. Her make-up hid her face, but Ruby noticed the flush of red in her neck. “Let me guess, they’re from Terry?”
Alice nodded sheepishly.
“Terry?” Lydia said, turning to Ruby. “Isn’t that your ex?” The expression on Lydia’s face said it all. Awkward. It’s certainly what Ruby would be thinking. However, Ruby wouldn’t give a shit if Alice wanted to date Terry if Steve wasn’t around. But he was, and Lydia couldn’t find out the truth this way. It had to come from Steve.
And however much Alice was an attractive woman, Terry only wanted information.
“Lydia, I think there is someone waiting for you,” Ruby said as jovially as she could muster. Luckily, there was a resident stood at reception. Ruby pulled Alice into her office and closed the door.
“This has to stop. He’ll use you, Alice. Ignore his calls,” Ruby hissed, as soon as she’d shut her office door.
“I will. I promise.”
“And don’t even thank him for the flowers.”
“What shall I do with them?”
“Usually, when it comes to Terry, I would say burn them, but then it’s such a waste.” They were beautiful flowers. “Leave them in the spa, so every time you look at them, you can remember Terence Smythe is an arsehole.”
Alice nodded sombrely still cradling the bouquet.
“Oh and Alice?”
“Yes?”
“Whatever you’ve learnt about my brother, please, please, please keep it to yourself – at least until after Christmas. You have to understand that no one would act the same around him if they knew who he really was.”
“I understand. Really, I do.”
***
Sunday 15th December
“Hey, Lydie.”
“Hey,” Lydia replied sleepily down the phone.
Damn, he hadn’t realised she’d still be in bed. He loathed that he had to do this over the phone, but Marie had booked him on an early train for Monday morning, to get him into London for a prompt start.
“I’m sorry to call you so early in the morning, but I know you’re busy today.” She was visiting her sister to celebrate her birthday with her family, Steve remembered, but at the time, thinking they’d be seeing each other on Monday, it hadn’t mattered not being together over the weekend. “But I’m going to miss your birthday tomorrow.”
“Oh, no.”
“I’m really sorry. Really sorry. You don’t know how I hate doing this to you. But something’s come up and I’ve got to go to London…”
“London? Why London?” Steve hated that she sounded alert, much more awake. She spoke with genuine intrigue, “Stuart, you can tell me, please…why are you going to London?”
He regretted he had to fabricate so many lies. This wasn’t who he was. He paused, taking a breath. “I was keeping it a secret, but I applied for a job, and well, I’ve got an interview – but it’s at their headquarters in London.”
Marie hadn’t been much help at all; she’d simply agreed a job interview would be the best reason for going to London.
“What company?”
“Er…I’ll tell you about it all when I get back, okay?”
“Oh, right, well that’s fabulous. Really. I understand.”
“Really? You’re not mad?” This woman truly was a keeper. “I’m so sorry…”
“Hey, no, why would I be mad? I understand you’ve got to do this – you can’t work with Ruby for the rest of your life. I have a birthday every year,” she said, lightly. “And it’s not like it’s a special one.”
“I promise, honey,” Steve coughed, clearing his throat, realising his accent had slipped into a more American tone, “I’ll call you as soon as I’m back and I’ll take you out. I’ll get Ruby to drop your present off.”
“You bought me a present?”
“Yes, of course…”
“Oh, I want you to give it to me. I’ll wait till you get back – there is no rush, honestly. How long are you away?”
Steve winced. God, would she believe this? “Might be three days,” he said hesitantly.
“Three days. Some job! Oh, you really will miss my birthday,” she said sadly.
“I’m really sorry. It’s sod’s law.”
“Yes it is. But I understand you’ve got to do it. Really, I do,” Lydia said, more positively. But Steve had heard the disappointment in her voice. “You must tell me about it when you get back. Gosh, Stuart, why didn’t you say something?”
“I wanted it to be a surprise.” He grimaced, glad she couldn’t see his expression. I’m such an asshole.
“Good luck. Miss you already.”
“I’ll miss you
too.”
Steve put the phone down and felt sick. Physically sick. His stomach was heavy. His mouth felt dry, his tongue could sand walls. Lying to Lydia left him riddled with guilt. The more he dug himself in this huge hole of lies, he found it harder and harder to get himself out. He had to tell Lydia the truth, and soon. He prayed she would forgive him and understand why he’d done it. Because he wanted her in his life more than anything now.
Chapter 25
Monday 16th December
Steve rubbed his pounding head, catching his reflection in the elevator. It had been a gruelling first day, trying to get back into character, remembering the scenes. He’d worked his butt off, determined to get the recordings right. Tucked away in the studio had meant more privacy. He’d managed to avoid any press so far. From Paddington, a car had been waiting which had taken him straight to the studio. He didn’t know if it had been raining or sunny all day, until seven o’clock that evening he’d stepped foot on the wet pavement, and jumped into another car to take him to his hotel. He had to hand it to Marie, she was a damn good PA.
He opened his hotel door, slotting the key card into the wall to switch on some lights. He dropped his bag on the stand and as he loosened his tie, he checked his mobile. The phone Lydia would send a message to.
He smiled. She’d replied to his brief text this morning that had wished her happy birthday and announced he’d arrived safely in London. Lydia had made him promise to do that. He became sombre when he read her reply:
‘GOOD LUCK!’
If this worked out between him and Lydia, he promised himself, and her, although she didn’t know it yet, that he’d never lie to her again. Only white lies for surprises, of course. But nothing like this.
He slipped off his shoes and made himself comfortable on the bed, propping up the pillows then hit the call button for Lydia. It didn’t ring for long.
“Hello, you!” she answered.
“How is my birthday girl?” he said, the warmth in her voice remedying the stress of his day, and a little of his guilt.
“You’ll be pleased to know I have been thoroughly spoilt by my family.”
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