‘Oh, this is ridiculous. You mean you’ve been sitting here thinking about the size of his bladder. Rachel, get a grip, you’re losing it.’
‘I’m not losing it. It’s okay for you, you’re always so confident around guys. Well I’m not; I like things to happen naturally.’
Rachel noticed their raised voices had started to attract attention.
‘This is not cool,’ she said in a quiet voice.
‘Definitely not cool,’ Cassie replied.
‘Sorry.’
‘Me too. Look, whatever you want to do is fine by me.’
‘I think we should show these posh birds how to dance properly.’
‘Let’s do it.’
Rachel took one last look at Lewis and then grabbed Cassie’s hand. They headed towards the increasing number of people writhing around to the music the DJs were spinning. It was good, and though Rachel had no idea who the two guys were, they were definitely not a couple of bedroom DJs.
At first, Rachel felt awkward, like everyone was watching her. She barely moved, swaying like someone’s dad at a wedding. Looking around she saw everyone else going for it and having fun. It was infectious and pretty soon Rachel had thrown off her bashful manner and was whipping her torso and arms around like she couldn’t care less. It was good to let go. She had gotten so introspective lately, she’d denied herself the simple pleasures, like going out and having fun.
As she swirled around Cassie, Rachel glanced over to where Lewis was. Damn it, he’d gone. Rachel’s movements went immediately stiff and jerky.
Just then, Rachel felt two hands cover her eyes. It’s Lewis, she thought and a thousand fireworks went off in her brain. She pulled the hands away from her eyes and spun around to see that it wasn’t Lewis, but that large bloke who’d been standing on the door when they arrived.
‘It’s me,’ Seth said, like a catchphrase from a bad comedian.
‘Oh, hi Seth,’ Rachel said.
‘Having a good time?’ He danced clumsily around them while holding his beer, as if it were a counter balance. ‘Good tunes, huh?’ he said to Cassie, breaking her from her trance.
‘Yeah,’ Cassie replied.
Seth’s moves got more ambitious, mostly in the direction of Cassie. His arms now started joining in with his body. He looked like a tree being blown around by a violent storm. He swayed backwards and forwards without any regard for the beat of the music. A few drops of beer escaped from his bottle and landed on Rachel’s face. Rachel didn’t mind, but she over-exaggerated the way she wiped them from her eye.
‘I’m so sorry. I’m such an idiot. Here let me get that for you.’ Seth’s well-meaning attempt to make amends involved using the edge of his sweaty T-shirt. Rachel backed away from Seth like he was the end of an opposing magnet.
‘It’s okay. Really, Seth. Don’t worry, I was going to go to the loo anyway.’
‘Me too,’ Cassie added rapidly.
They headed back to the house leaving Seth standing there bewildered in the middle of the dance floor.
‘That guy’s a dick,’ said Cassie.
‘No he’s not, he’s just a bit clumsy that’s all. You’ve only just met him so how do you know?’
‘Dunno, just first impressions. Anyway I wonder where the loo is.’
‘No idea but I bet they’ve got a lot of them.’
It turned out the house had a total of five bathrooms, not including en suites. They chose the one on the top floor because it had the smallest queue. They didn’t have to wait long for their turn.
‘Whoa, this is off the hook,’ Cassie said as they walked into the cavernous room. The floor was laid with grey flagstones and the walls were flanked with black shiny tiles. By contrast the sink, bath and toilet were a pristine white.
‘It looks like a trendy London night club,’ said Rachel. On each wall there were large black and white photographs of each member of Lewis’ family.
‘That is one good-looking family. I wonder if Lewis’ dad is happy in his marriage?’
‘Cassie!’
‘What? Look at him. He’s even better looking than Lewis.’
‘True.’
On the other wall was his wife, a glamorous blonde-haired woman with sharp clear blue eyes. Younger versions of Lewis and Olivia hung on the other two walls. They looked like a couple of angels.
Rachel sat on the side of the roll-top bath looking around at the images of perfection staring back at her.
‘I haven’t got a hope in hell, have I?’ Rachel said.
‘Don’t be daft. What makes you say that?’
‘Look at them. They’re all so bloody perfect, and I’m so … working class.’
‘Stop that right now. That’s got nothing to do with it. If he likes you then he likes you for who you are.’
‘Thanks Cass, but it doesn’t work like that, does it? Posh girls go out with posh boys; they don’t go out with girls who live in flats above shops.’
‘Listen, if he’s like that and into girls that are the same as him then he’s not right for you is he? Would you seriously be interested in someone as shallow as that? And from what I’ve seen, he’s different.’
‘I suppose.’
‘Come on, be confident.’
Cassie lifted Rachel up off the side of the bath and gave her a hug that would put a bear to shame.
‘Let’s go out there and relax, don’t think about it.’
Cassie unlocked the door and the two girls walked out past a couple who’d been waiting for the bathroom. She put her arm around Rachel to comfort her. Cassie felt Rachel’s shoulders tighten beneath her grasp. She instantly stopped walking like she had hit an invisible lamppost.
‘What’s the matter?’ Cassie asked.
Rachel didn’t reply but just stared straight ahead. Cassie followed her eyes across the landing. Sitting with his back to them on the first step of the stairs was Lewis. He was with the same two guys he had been with in the garden. There was no way past without bumping into him. Rachel had no choice but to make contact, even if it was to say excuse me.
‘Can we go back in the bathroom?’ asked Rachel.
‘Don’t be such a wuss.’
‘Can you talk to him for me?’
‘What are you, twelve or something? No I will not. You can do this. Just push past him and say excuse me, as if you don’t know him and then pretend to be surprised when you see it’s him.’
‘That sounds really complicated.’
‘Listen. Rachel Lyons, you are going to talk to that man if I have to push you, okay?’
‘Okay, hold on a second, hold on.’ Rachel’s breathing started getting heavier as she got more nervous. ‘I’m fine.’ But Rachel was not fine. Her breathing became strangulated and she panted like she’d just run up a flight of stairs. Instantly she reached for her inhaler and took three deep lungfuls of medicine. She felt better but her breathing was still hard.
‘Rachel, Rachel are you alright?’ asked Cassie.
‘Yeah, I just need to sit down.’ She slumped onto the floor and looked up in time to see the worried face of Lewis rushing up towards her.
Chapter 6
*
‘Rachel, are you okay?’ Lewis asked. ‘Can I get you anything?’ His voice was soft and caring.
Perfect, Rachel thought. Just perfect. Now there was no chance of looking cool and sexy, as she lay there panting like a fifty-a-day smoker. She looked away from his gaze.
‘Do you need some fresh air?’ he asked.
‘I think that would be a good idea,’ Cassie said.
Without asking, Lewis picked up Rachel in his arms and rushed down the stairs. Rachel felt elated, excited and totally ridiculous.
As Lewis entered the hallway he shouted at people to get out the way. Taking swift cautious steps he moved quickly through the parting crowd.
Be careful what you wish for, thought Rachel. This was exactly what she had wanted - to be swept off her feet. But being paraded in front of the Sandbanks’
elite as some sort of asthmatic invalid wasn’t quite what she had in mind. She felt like one of those stupid girls at boy band concerts who faint and have to be taken out by the security. She wouldn’t live this down for years to come.
However, another half of her was in rapture. She didn’t think she would be getting this close to Lewis so soon. Maybe being asthmatic had its uses after all. His arms held her solidly as he made his way past the many puzzled faces that stared at her. She could feel the well-toned muscles in his chest pressing against her body. He kept muttering words of reassurance, which weren’t really necessary. If she was honest, Rachel wasn’t really that bad. These types of attacks were pretty common and were over soon enough. Of course, she wasn’t going to tell him that. She planned to enjoy this ride for as long as it lasted, even if she did feel a bit freakish.
Lewis carried her past the DJs and down the steps that led to the beach. Rachel was aware of Cassie following along behind, trying to keep up with his striding steps. Even with Rachel in his arms he moved like an athlete.
‘Are you okay, Rachel?’ Cassie’s voice came from behind.
‘Don’t try to talk, Rachel. Just relax,’ Lewis said.
Rachel was anything but relaxed. Though her attack had subsided, her heart pumped away and she thought it might burst with excitement right there in his arms.
The three of them got halfway down the beach when Lewis laid Rachel gently on a mound of sand. He sat down and let her lean against his side.
‘Some fresh sea air will help,’ he said, ‘Cassie, could you go back to the house and get her some water?’
‘Sure,’ said Cassie. As she turned to go, Rachel discreetly winked at her to let her know she was okay.
A wicked smile split across Cassie face.
‘I’m feeling a lot better now,’ Rachel said in a fake croaky voice.
‘Don’t talk,’ Lewis replied.
‘Please, I’m fine. I just feel really embarrassed.’
‘Why are you embarrassed?’
‘Well, I hardly know you; then I turn up to your party and have an asthma attack.’
‘Rachel, I was really worried about you.’
Rachel didn’t know what to say. If he was worried about her then maybe he cared about her, and if he cared about her, perhaps that meant he really liked her.
‘Please don’t worry about me. I’m fine, honestly.’
‘You don’t sound fine.’
‘Listen, this thing happens all the time when I get nervous.’
‘Nervous? What are you nervous about?’
Rachel stuttered. She couldn’t say she was nervous about seeing him again, that was too much information. She was supposed to be playing hard to get. She thought fast.
‘Er, you know. I don’t go to these kinds of parties much. And, well, all the girls here are like models and they were staring at me when I first walked in, so I was feeling a bit insecure,’ Rachel said, which was partly the truth.
‘Are you kidding me?’
‘No.’
‘Come on, you’re winding me up.’
‘I’m not, honestly.’
‘Rachel, you’ve got nothing to feel insecure about. Have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately?’
‘Er, yeah.’
‘The reason they were staring at you was because they were jealous.’
‘Why?’
‘Because you’re better looking than them.’
Rachel’s mind froze. How was she supposed to take that? Was he saying it because he was attracted to her or was he merely stating a fact? She hoped it was the first one. There was a long silence as Rachel tossed this thought around in her mind. It made her go mute as she tried to think it all through. A silence as long as winter came between them.
*
Lewis couldn’t think of anything to say. Rachel had gone quiet. It was probably that last thing he had said - probably too forward. Why had he said that? He must have embarrassed her, which was why she wasn’t saying anything. He’d killed the conversation and now he was floundering around for something to say.
‘How are you feeling?’ he asked.
‘I’m okay, honestly. Don’t worry. Go back to the party if you want.’
‘No, I’ll stay.’
Lewis didn’t want to go back to the party, he wanted to sit with her all night on the sand and charm the pants off her like he normally did with girls, but his conversational skills had left him. What was happening? Usually the words just fell off his tongue like melting snow off a roof. The more he thought about what to say the more his brain just locked up. Rachel was having a strange effect on him, like she was made of kryptonite. So this was what it was like to be a nerd - a totally alien sensation. No matter how hard he tried to make conversation the words just wouldn’t come.
Maybe he wasn’t so charming after all. Maybe he had got by on looks, and all the girls he had met before were shallow enough to be satisfied with that. He thought about all the things he’d said and wondered if girls just laughed and smiled in all the right places, not because he was interesting or funny, but because he was handsome and rich. For all he knew he could be a complete geek who just happened to be born in the right body. Now he had met a real girl who actually had a brain, she had seen though him as nothing more than a face and a body.
‘Are you cold?’ he asked. It was a pointless question. The night was warm and balmy with no hint of a breeze. He had to say something no matter how dull it sounded.
‘No,’ she replied.
He thought about asking her how she was, but he’d already asked that a minute ago. Lewis tried to desperately think of something else to say, and therein lay the problem: he had to think. Normally talking to girls was instinctive, it was part of his DNA. But now the gene responsible for chatting up girls had been switched off.
Lewis stared out to sea. She must think he was an idiot - better that than to open his mouth and confirm it.
He watched the horizon in the hope that something would appear to make the words flow, or just something to start the conversation. But the horizon was as empty as his mind. He began rehearsing little lines in his head but they all sounded naff and cheesy. So instead he looked straight ahead and played with the sand. Every second he sat there not saying anything seemed to last a year.
The horrendous deadlock was broken when he heard a patter of footsteps in the sand. Lewis was relieved to see his friend Matt running towards him with a worried look on his face, followed by Cassie cradling a bottle of water in her arms.
‘Matt, what’s wrong?’ Lewis asked.
‘There’s something happening at the house,’ said Matt. ‘Two guys are looking for you and they look really pissed off.’
Lewis didn’t care who it was. He was happy for the distraction and ran towards the house with his friend. He turned back to Rachel and Cassie.
‘I’ll be back in a second,’ he said.
*
Rachel didn’t want him to go. She liked sitting there, just the two of them. Even if they hadn’t been speaking. But she was no closer to knowing whether he liked her or not. Maybe he didn’t, seeing as how he’d disappeared so quickly.
‘Is everything okay?’ Rachel asked.
‘Yeah,’ replied Cassie handing Rachel a bottle of water. ‘A party wouldn’t be a party without a couple of knobs spoiling it.’
Rachel took a swig of water and Cassie flopped down on the sand beside her, eyebrows raised.
‘Well I’m waiting,’ she said.
‘Waiting for what?’
‘Rachel, I swear I’ll throw you in the sea unless you give me the gossip.’
‘Nothing happened.’
‘Don’t give me that.’
‘Honestly. Nothing happened.’
‘No snogging?’
‘No.’
‘You’re lying.’
‘Nope, he just sat there staring out to sea.’
‘What in a kind of romantic way?’
‘No, not in an anyth
ing way.’
‘You’re kidding me. He didn’t even make a pass at you?’
‘No, nothing.’
‘He must have said something. You should have laid on the asthma attack a bit thicker, you know, to get more sympathy.’
‘What so he’d call an ambulance and see me taken away with an oxygen mask strapped round my head, no thanks.’
‘That’s weird. He seemed to be all charming and super smooth.’
‘I know, but it just stopped when we got to the beach.’
The two girls sat on the sand trying to figure out what just happened.
‘Well, he did say one thing,’ said Rachel.
‘Yes?’
‘I told him I had an attack because I felt nervous, and he asked why. So I made up something about feeling intimidated by all the good-looking girls here.’
‘Yeah, go on.’
‘He said something about me not worrying because I was just as attractive as they were.’
‘Rachel, you idiot. Why didn’t you say this before? That’s immense.’
‘Is it?’
‘Hell, yeah.’
‘Then why did he go all quiet?’
‘Maybe he’s shy.’
‘Cassie, he doesn’t strike me as the shy type.’
‘Come on, we better get back up to the house otherwise he’ll think you’ve gone off him.’
‘You really think he’s interested in me?’
‘Rachel, you are one of the smartest girls I know but sometimes you can be really thick. Of course he is.’
Cassie and Rachel made their way back up to the house, arm in arm. As they walked into the garden it was strangely empty. The music was still playing but only a handful of people hung around. They walked towards the house and saw that everyone was crammed inside. Cassie and Rachel pushed their way into the lounge. Everyone was standing around in a circle watching Lewis explaining something to two very large men who looked very serious and very angry.
At first, Rachel thought they were plain clothes policeman telling him to keep the noise down. But when the men started raising their voices, she realised that keeping the peace was the last thing on their minds.
Faye Meredith - Becoming Edward Page 5