Everything to Nothing
Page 36
‘Thank you both for caring so much. I’ll see you later.’
With that, Sally closed her eyes and they both sat down in chairs to watch her for half an hour before they quietly left the room.
*
On the drive back to the yacht, neither of them said anything but Michelle could tell he was furious. ‘You okay Mr. Gallagher?’
‘Not really Michelle, no. To be honest, I’m far from okay.’
‘Sorry Mr. Gallagher, at least she’s going to be okay. Could have been a lot worse?’
She took his hand and stroked it and this simple act seemed to soothe and calm him a little. ‘Yes, I suppose you’re right. Thank you for being here Michelle, and I don’t just mean here in Monaco, but here in our lives as a whole. Although you may not realise it, you’re an inspiration to Sally. I could not believe before we met you at that performance what I had bred, how I had let her get so damned spoiled. After she met you and you became close friends, something changed. All Sally’s friends had been like her up to that point, daughters and sons of other well off families. You seemed to offer her a balance, a realisation that not everyone in the world is wealthy. Sorry, that sounds terrible. I know your parents have done well for themselves, but you know what I mean don’t you?’
‘Of course I do, it’s fine.’
‘It is like when she met you, and she went to your house for the first time, the first time by the way that she had been in a house with less than ten bedrooms!’ Michelle laughed. ‘When she met you it was like she had walked out of a cave and had her eyes opened a little bit to what the rest of the world is really like, a touch of realism in her life. I know, and I know bloody damned well that the fact that she was like that was entirely my fault. I know the affect you have on her, and that is why I allowed you both to become such good friends with each other. Note I did say allowed. If I didn’t think you were right for her to be her friend then you would not have gotten close to each other. You helped balance her out, and for that I’m eternally grateful to you.’
‘I’m grateful to you for allowing me into your lives. It is like I have second family, another caring loving family and I care and love you both as if you were family.’
‘That means a lot to me, thank you Michelle. I’m just so relieved that she is okay. The drive round the circuit to her was the longest couple of minutes of my life.’
‘Mine too Mr. Gallagher, mine too.’
She stroked his hand for a few more moments until they stopped as they had reached the entrance to the harbour. With a flourish of security passes they entered the harbour and Michelle did not see him again until a few hours later when he knocked on her cabin door holding a large bag. ‘I’m returning to the hospital to take some things for her. I presumed you’d want to come?’
‘Of course. Give me two seconds, I’ll just get changed.’
Michelle picked up some clothes and went into the bathroom to get out of her bikini and into jeans and T-shirt. While she was running a comb quickly through her hair she heard him speak to her. ‘You know something Michelle; I don’t think I’ve ever been in this cabin before. Well, I came in here on the viewing after it was finished being built, but I’ve never been in here since.’
Michelle came out of the bathroom. ‘Really? But I suppose why would you when you’ve got your own suite?’
‘But what’s the point of having a yacht this size when I don’t enter the rooms from one year to the next?’
‘For when you’ve got guests?’
‘I rarely have guests. Two, three times a year maybe?’
‘Maybe, but the same thing could be said for the mansion. When was the last time you saw some of the rooms at home?’
‘Michelle, there are rooms in that house that I’ve never been in!’
Michelle laughed. ‘In that case sell it, give the proceeds to charity and live in a smaller house!’
He laughed this time and said, ‘I think I’ll stick with the mansion thanks, even if I only see or use ten percent of the rooms! Ready?’
‘Yep, let’s go.’
Another car was waiting for them which took them back to the medical facility. As they entered it the doctor was just leaving Sally’s room.
‘Doctor, how is she?’
‘She’s fine Mr. Gallagher. She’s young, fit and tough. She’ll be fine to leave tomorrow morning.
‘Good. Thank you for tending to her. Is she awake?’
‘Is she awake? She’s watching television!’
‘Really? Sounds like she’s doing fine then?’
‘Yes, she is. I will assess her in the morning presuming nothing happens tonight. We’ll speak tomorrow morning.’
‘Thank you again doctor. We’ll speak tomorrow.’
The doctor stepped round them with a smile and Michelle knocked gently on the door.
‘Come in.’
Michelle opened the door and Sally’s face lit up as she saw Michelle and Mr. Gallagher behind her. ‘Come in, come in, please come in. I’m so bored!’ They both walked over to her bedside and gave her a hug and a peck on the cheek. ‘Trust me to end up in hospital on our special weekend away! Sorry dad, and sorry to you as well Michelle.’
‘Now, now. No need to apologise. What is most important is that you’re healthy and recovering well.’
‘I still can’t remember what happened. I remember coming out of the tunnel and being a bit dazzled, and then the next thing I can really remember is leaning on the wall really struggling to breathe. I don’t know who got me out of the car or anything. Have you heard anything daddy?’
‘The driver said you got yourself out of the car and then walked unsteadily over to the wall. He didn’t call the doctor at first because he thought you were okay. It was only when the Team Principle found out that he summoned the doctor to come and tend to you.’
‘Right, okay. I still don’t remember. Ah well, never mind. I’m sure it will come back to me.’
‘How are your ribs? Anywhere hurting that wasn’t before?’
‘No, honestly, I’m fine. A bit sore, but fine. I’m just happy I can breathe now. I never, ever want to feel like that again.’
‘Well, unless you decide to crash on the Nouvelle Chicane again you never will!’
‘Oh stop! Don’t make me laugh!’
They small talked their way through the next couple of hours until they were interrupted by a nurse who was surprised that they were still there and demanded they leave. With kisses and hugs goodbye, they both left and spent the night on their own in their respective cabins, both of them contemplating how lucky they had been that the accident had not been more serious and that they had both not lost someone they cared about greatly.
Chapter 35
The day of the Grand Prix dawned bright and sunny. To say Mr. Gallagher was surprised when he got to the pool for a refreshing swim and he saw Sally lounging by the pool would be an understatement. ‘And what the hell do you think you’re doing here?!’
‘And good morning to you too darling father!’
‘If you’ve checked yourself out of that hospital without the doctor giving you the all clear you’ll be in more trouble than you’ve ever, ever been in!’ He stood next to her, hands on hips, staring into her green eyes.
‘Dad, relax.’ She took one of his hands in hers and started to stroke it. ‘I saw him earlier this morning. He examined me thoroughly and gave me the all clear. He said to tell you to call him or you can go and see him. He will be at the medical centre all day now.’
‘Right, well, I think I’ll make that call.’
‘Why? Don’t you believe me?’
A quick look of surprise flashed on his face, but it was gone before it had really arrived. ‘Well, I suppose you’re sensible enough not to leave the centre after an accident like that without the doctor’s consent.’
‘You know I wouldn’t do that. I’m fine.’
‘Well your ribs don’t look fine.’ Sally was dressed in only her bikini and the bruising on the trunk of her bo
dy was clear to see.
‘Dad, thank you for being so caring, but honestly I’m fine. What time does the Grand Prix start?’
‘One o’clock. You sure you’re okay?’
‘Yes! Honestly I am. Thank you.’
‘Right, okay, well I’m going for a swim. Let me know if you need anything though.’
‘I will.’
He dove into the pool and spent the next hour or so doing lengths and in the meantime a surprised Michelle had joined Sally on the loungers which is where they stayed throughout that morning. At around ten they both left the pool area and went to freshen up before a car picked them up to take them round to the team’s garage where they would watch the build-up to the race.
For an hour or so they watched with interest from a discreet distance in the garage, watching the drivers receive their last minute briefings and watching the cars receive last minute tuning. The cars were ready to go out onto the grid forty-five minutes before the start of the race and in the confines of the garage the young women could not believe the noise of the engines as they were started and driven carefully out of the garage to form up on the grid.
At the suggestion of the Team Principle, he led them onto the crowded grid and talked them through the preparations that were happening to the cars at this time. After a short while he left them to return to the garage and they were free to wander amongst the cars.
Sally estimated that about eighty percent of the people on the grid that day had nothing to do with the racing teams; therefore she always considered what happened that day to be remote odds to say the least. That she would be picked out of all those people for an impromptu interview with the British broadcasters of the race.
‘Hello, may I have a quick word? We’re live going straight back to millions of people in England!’With a look of surprise, and before Sally could dodge past him, he had her boxed in between the cameraman and a group of people. ‘Who are you and who are you here with?’
‘Hi. My name is Sally and I’m with my father, who appears to have wandered off, and my friend Michelle.’
‘Great! And what team are you supporting today?’
‘It had better be the British team because my dad sponsors them!’
‘Really? Excellent! And have you ever thought of doing some modelling?
‘Erm no, not really.’
‘You should. By far you are the most beautiful woman here today, and there are plenty of Hollywood stars on the grid today!’
‘Thank you for saying that, but no, I haven’t.’
‘Thank you for taking the time to speak to us.’
Sally managed to quickly dodge past the cameraman and rejoined Michelle who had a look of surprise on her face. ‘Crikey Sally! You were just on television in England!’
‘Yes, I know. And I know one person who will be definitely watching the race who will be very, very surprised to see me pop-up on television...’
*
David had just taken mouthful of his orange juice as the commentator introduced the random person he had stopped to speak to. His orange juice was sprayed all over him and the sofa as he realised that his girlfriend was being interviewed on the grid of the Monaco Grand Prix.
*
Sally felt her phone vibrating in her pocket so she took it out and saw David’s name flashing on the screen. ‘Michelle, it’s him. What am I going to say?’ They had both returned back to the team’s garage after the interview, Sally’s face etched with worry and concern. ‘What the hell am I going to say to him?’
‘The truth.’
‘Right. Great help.’
‘I’ll leave you to it.’ Michelle wandered back into garage and started to chat to one of the engineers.
‘Hello David. You shouldn’t be calling me, it costs a fortune!’
‘Considering your dad has got enough money to sponsor a Formula One team you can pay me back!’
‘And here I was hoping that right at that moment you’d be making a cup of tea...’
‘Unfortunately not. You have mere moments to explain yourself before I hang up this phone and you’ll never hear from me again.’
Sally felt like a lead weight had landed in the bottom of her stomach when David said those words. She did not want to lose him. ‘David, I’m so sorry I lied to you, but this is neither the place nor the time for this conversation. Can we please, I beg you, speak tomorrow about this? I’ll come and see you as soon as I get back.’
‘If there’s one thing I cannot stand it’s being lied to and being made to look foolish.’
‘I lied to you yes, but I never intended to make you look foolish.’
‘Who are you?’ David’s voice was beseeching, straining for Sally to give him an honest answer.
‘You’ve got a computer right?’
‘Yes, of course I have.’
‘Google my dad.’
‘Your dad?’
‘Yes, you know his name, google him.’
‘There’ll be millions of Gallaghers with his name. Don’t be ridiculous.’
‘Trust me. Google his name and he’ll be the first one out, right at the top. You might even find my name near his.’
‘This is nuts! Right, I’m going to call you back in five.’
‘I won’t be able to answer.’
‘Why not?’
‘I’ll be with my dad, erm, watching the race.’
‘Right, of course you will. I’ll call you after the race. To say I’m disappointed is an understatement.’ Without waiting for a reply, David hung up the phone and ran upstairs for his laptop. He brought it back down with him and as instructed he googled Sally’s father.
The first link that he selected took him to a site he had never heard of before called Forbes. From what he could tell, it seemed to be a website of lists, the best this, the richest that. When he clicked the link it took him to a page entitled World’s Billionaires, and there, just off the top ten was her father’s name. ‘Holy… shit!’ David muttered to himself. He spent the next few moments reading the summary about his girlfriend’s father:-
“Born in 1952 in England, Gallagher made his fortune in electronic components and telecommunications. Son of a coal miner, Gallagher obtained his first patent for an electronic component in 1970 and that component went on to become an essential part of any circuitry. From then on he has not looked back, obtaining lucrative military contracts with governments around the globe. Often referred to as frighteningly ruthless in the boardroom, Gallagher contributes to many charitable organisations. If the ongoing increases in his companies share prices continue, it won’t be long before Gallagher breaks into the top ten of the World’s Billionaires.”
David had to read this twice more before it sunk in, after which he returned to Google and looked through other sites and his surprise and shock grew as these sites also placed Sally’s father firmly in the top twenty of the wealthiest men on the planet.
With his attention totally distracted, he missed the start of the Grand Prix and did not watch any of the race. He continued to plough through the websites and even started to google Sally’s name. Sites that mentioned her were scarcer, but they were there, stating her as the sole heiress to the Gallagher fortune. Noticing some pictures he clicked on images and pictures of his beautiful girlfriend appeared and even a few of her with her father.
As he looked at the images, from somewhere a memory scrambled to his conscious mind and he remembered where he had seen her father before, it was on one of their first dates, the night when the two men with their manic grins dressed in tuxedos approached them in the city.
He flicked through the images and some were clearly taken a few years ago, but one looked like it was recent, very recent. In the background of the photograph was a limousine, and Sally and her father were standing next to Michelle. Both of the young women looked stunning, and Sally was looking straight into the camera. To say she looked gorgeous was an understatement, and not for the first time since they had started dating David sl
owly shook his head and asked himself the question what on earth was she doing with him? He clicked the link which led him to a journalist’s blog and David read about the many attendees to the Prince of Monaco’s party. Half way down the page he found Sally’s picture, and he read about how the reclusive daughter of the billionaire shunned the limelight, how she was far removed from the typical young females from wealthy families, the so called ‘it-girls’, who embarrass themselves on a sometimes seemingly daily basis.
By the time he had exhausted all links and images about Sally and her father, the race had finished and indeed the program had changed. He looked on the BBC website to find out who had won and was happy to discover that the British driver had won in a pretty uneventful sounding race. For a few moments he paced around the living room trying to collect his thoughts before calling Sally.
*
While David was contemplating what to say to his girlfriend who he had just found was incredibly wealthy, Sarah was lying in a semi-comatose state in her bedroom, her head resting on the filthy mattress that was riddled with fleas and bed bugs. A needle was hanging out of her foot.
Chapter 36
‘Where are you?’
‘In my, erm, cabin.’
‘Cabin? Are you on a cruise now?’
‘Not exactly, but kind of.’
‘Not exactly but kind of? Please Sally, if you like me and respect me as much as you say you do then please, I beg you, start giving me straight answers!’
‘Right, okay. I came here after the race because I didn’t want to attend the after race party because I was in a car crash yesterday and I’m still feeling a bit tender.’
‘You were in a car crash?! What on Earth is going on?! Are you okay?’
‘It’s okay, I’m fine. Just a bit bruised and battered.’
‘Well, erm well, I’m glad to hear it. How did you crash and where is here?’