Off the Record

by Rose, Alison

  You don’t kiss a family friend the way he kissed me. No, there’s more to it than …

  She didn’t get a chance to finish the thought. As she reached it, the door crashed open, slamming into her with enough force to knock her back.

  She cried out as she felt herself fall, was aware of someone rushing past her down the stairs before her head hit something hard. There was an explosion of white-hot pain behind her eyes before everything went black.

  Chapter Twenty-two

  ‘Don’t fuss! I’m not going to hospital. I’ve got to finish my copy and email it by …’ she glanced at her watch, and wished she hadn’t as her head swam. She squeezed her eyes tight then opened them wide and looked again. ‘Oh great! Half an hour ago.’

  Three members of the JBB security team stood looking grim-faced, and a couple of the hotel staff hovered anxiously. She was laid out on her bed, her head throbbing and her dignity in tatters. If there was one thing Kate hated, it was being fussed over. The worse she felt, the greater her desire for solitude in which to lick her wounds. She felt tears pricking the back of her eyes, increasing her determination to get rid of the crowd.

  She hadn’t counted on Security Manager Jake’s sense of responsibility however.

  ‘Kate, if you won’t go to the emergency room, we’ll get a doc in here. I’m not prepared to leave you here alone without a medic checking you over.’

  ‘I’m all right!’

  ‘Yeah, sure. That eye’s gonna close right up any minute now,’ he responded. ‘If you won’t listen to me, I guess I’d better call the boss.’ He checked the time. ‘Should be able to catch him before he goes on stage.’

  ‘No!’ Kate sat bolt upright. ‘Ow!’ She grabbed her head in both hands. ‘That was below the belt, Jake. You can’t call him.’

  ‘It’s your call, lady. Johnson will want to know you’ve been checked over.’

  ‘Can’t I just have an aspirin? I don’t want to go.’

  ‘We have a doctor on call for the hotel, madam,’ supplied a nervous floor manager. ‘If you don’t want to be moved …’

  ‘Moving’s not the problem,’ she said between gritted teeth. She glared at Jake. ‘You’re not going to back down on this, are you?’

  ‘No, Ma’am.’

  ‘I hate hospitals.’

  ‘I can relate to that.’

  With a sigh she let her shoulders slump, and lay back against the cool pillows. ‘OK, the hotel doctor, if only to get you lot out of my room.’

  Jake signalled to everyone else to leave.

  She thought they’d all gone, but when she opened her eyes Jake was settling himself in the armchair by the window. ‘I don’t need a nursemaid, Jake,’ she snapped.

  ‘I know,’ he responded mildly. ‘But I need information.’

  ‘What information?’

  ‘Like who did this to you.’

  ‘I don’t know. I didn’t see.’

  ‘Do you remember what happened?’

  ‘I walked into a door.’

  ‘We found you half way down a flight of stairs.’

  She winced. ‘Mmm. I remember. I’d just reached the landing when the door opened and caught me in the face. I lost my balance.’

  ‘So there was someone else on the stairs?’

  She frowned. ‘Yes. A JBB fan. She came from the corridor, the door hit me, and she pushed past me.’

  ‘She? So you did see something.’

  ‘Not really.’ She closed her eyes, trying to see in her mind’s eye the person who had rushed past her. She shook her head. ‘She had one of those dark hoodies on – you know, the ones they’re selling on the tour. I didn’t see her face.’

  ‘So how do you know it was a woman?’

  She looked blank for a moment. Why on earth was she so sure? She took a deep breath. Why? Then it came to her. ‘She was wearing perfume. I recognised the scent.’

  Half an hour later she closed the door behind the doctor and Jake, and leant against it. She had had to battle against the doctor’s insistence that she needed an x-ray. They had compromised that she would attend the local casualty department the next day if she didn’t feel better. Despite her insistence to everyone that she was fine, she felt lousy. The sooner this tour was over the better as far as she was concerned. On shaky legs she walked into her bathroom and grimaced as she caught sight of her swollen and bruised face in the mirror. It seemed that her time with the JBB was leaving her physically as well as emotionally battered. At least she’d prevented Jake from calling Johnson before the band went on stage for tonight’s gig.

  She’d also persuaded Jake not to call the police. She couldn’t believe that whoever had been on the stairs had meant to hurt her. It was an accident, she was sure. Just bad luck that she had reached the door as it opened. Although it was pretty callous of her to run off like that rather than stay and see if Kate was all right. But then again, if she was a trespassing fan, she was probably frightened of being caught.

  Kate rinsed her face in cool water and took the painkillers the doctor had left her. She wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and sleep, but she still had to get her copy to the office. With a sigh she walked back into her room and fired up her laptop.

  It was gone midnight when she finally pressed the send button and shut down her computer. She doubted it was her best work, but it was done, and it was up to her editor to decide what to do with it.

  Her whole body ached. The combination of the fall down concrete steps and of hours sitting in front of a computer screen left her stiff and sore. A soak in a warm bath would loosen up her muscles, and a cup of hot chocolate would prepare her for sleep.

  She lay amongst the scented bubbles and relaxed, sipping the rich drink. Her right eye was swollen shut and her cheek throbbed. Kate had never been vain, but she dreaded the morning when everyone would see her battered face. The doctor had said it would be several days before the bruises faded. She wondered whether she should cut her losses and leave the tour. It would probably mean the end of her job at The Globe though, and despite her distaste for her editor’s tactics, she had worked long and hard to get there. If she failed to complete this assignment her chances of getting a job on another paper were pretty low. No, she would stay until the end of the tour, and then perhaps she would tell him where to stick his job!

  That decided, she pulled the plug and got out of the bath just as a knock sounded on her door. Wrapped in a fluffy bathrobe, her hair still pinned up, she hurried to answer it, only to stop, her hand on her swollen cheek.

  ‘Who is it?’ she asked.

  ‘Paul.’

  She took a step back. ‘It’s the middle of the night. What do you want?’

  ‘Open the door, Kate. I’m not leaving till I see you.’

  ‘Come back in the morning,’ she hissed.

  ‘No way. Open up.’

  ‘I’m tired.’

  ‘So open up. I’m not going away.’ His voice was getting louder.

  ‘I’ll call security.’

  ‘They already know I’m here.’

  ‘Ooh, Jake is going to suffer for that!’ she snapped as she flung open the door. She stood glaring at him from her good eye, her chin held high.

  ‘There! You’ve seen me. Now go away!’ She went to slam the door, but he was too quick. He pushed his way into the room and gently closed it behind him. Kate flounced over to the bed and sat down. ‘I’m tired. Go away.’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Suit yourself.’ She shrugged and lay down. ‘Good night.’ She closed her eyes, her body rigid with tension, waiting for him to leave.

  When he sat on the edge of the bed, she went to roll away from him, but a firm hand on her shoulder stopped her. ‘Don’t,’ he whispered, his breath warm on her face.

  She kept her eyes closed as he gently kissed her bruised, swollen face. ‘Poor baby.’

  ‘I’m not …’

  ‘Hush.’ He touched her lips with his own. ‘It’s OK now. I’m here.’

 
; She sighed. ‘He shouldn’t have told you. I’m all right.’

  ‘Yes, he should. He should have called the cops too.’

  ‘What was the point? She was long gone.’

  He was silent for a moment, stroking the undamaged side of her face. ‘What were you doing, going up the stairs? Was the elevator out of order?’

  ‘No, I …’ She remembered just why she was sneaking up the stairs – she’d been humiliated, having overheard his conversation with one of the crew. ‘I wanted the exercise.’

  ‘Well next time, stick to the hotel gym. It’s safer.’

  ‘Whatever.’

  ‘I mean it, Kate. You have to be careful. There are some crazy people out there.’

  ‘It was an accident.’

  ‘So why didn’t whoever caused this accident stick around?’

  ‘I’ve already had this conversation with Jake. I don’t know. They were probably scared out of their wits and ran.’

  ‘You could’ve been killed.’

  She opened her good eye and stared at him. He looked and sounded tortured. She frowned, and then winced when her battered face protested.

  ‘But I wasn’t. Everyone is making far too much of this.’

  ‘You don’t understand …’ Another firm knock on the door brought him to his feet. ‘Shit! Who the hell is that?’

  Kate groaned and turned over. ‘I don’t care. Tell them to go away.’

  ‘Kate, you in there?’ It was Johnson. Paul opened the door.

  ‘She’s OK, Dad.’

  If he was surprised to see his son there, he didn’t show it. He walked over the bed and looked grim-faced at her injuries. ‘Kate, I’m so sorry about this.’

  ‘What have you got to be sorry about?’ she asked impatiently. ‘You weren’t there.’

  ‘But you’re part of the team. I’m responsible for everyone on the tour. And I need to tell your mom …’

  She struggled to sit up, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. The towelling parted, revealing a good expanse of bare leg. She rocked from side to side to release the material so that she could cover herself. Neither man noticed. Their focus was on her swollen face.

  ‘No way, Johnson! Leave Mum out of this. I’m all right! I’ve got a few bruises. End of story. I’ll call her myself tomorrow. I won’t have you ringing her in the middle of the night, frightening the life out of her. Now, will you please both go and let me get some sleep?’

  ‘Dad, I don’t think she should be left alone. She might have a concussion.’

  ‘I don’t …’

  ‘You’re right, son. Should we get a nurse?’

  ‘That’s not …’

  ‘No, I’ll stay with her.’

  ‘No!’

  Johnson didn’t seem to hear her protests. Or perhaps he recognised the determination in his son’s voice. ‘Good call. Keep watch, and if she shows any sign of trauma, call emergency.’

  Kate got up and headed to the bathroom.

  ‘Where are you going?’

  ‘I need a wee. Is that traumatic enough for you?’ she demanded as she slammed the door behind her and pushed the bolt home.

  When she opened the door a few minutes later, her robe was firmly tied at the waist. Johnson had gone. Paul lay on her bed, his shoes off and hands behind his head.

  ‘Will you get off my bed, please?’

  ‘Sorry. Boss’s orders. You need a keeper.’

  ‘Not you.’

  ‘I’m the best you’ll get.’

  ‘Oh yeah, I forgot. The rest of the crew have been warned off.’

  He was suddenly still, watchful. Kate could see his quick mind adding things up and making the connections.

  ‘You were in the lobby.’ He rolled over onto his side and propped his head on his hand.

  ‘That’s right. There I was minding my own business, and there were you, interfering in mine.’

  ‘Kate, you need to rest.’ He stood up and began walking towards her.

  ‘No, I need to understand,’ she replied, backing up.

  ‘It’s complicated,’ he shrugged, crowding her against the wall. ‘I’m not sure I understand myself.’

  Kate stood with her back glued to the wall. She refused to be intimidated. Just because he was big and broad and made her feel completely trapped as his arms came up to rest on her shoulders, she was damned if she would let him know how much his nearness affected her. ‘Try.’ She was relieved that her voice sounded firm, because she could feel her backbone turning to jelly.

  He slid one arm around her shoulders and guided her towards the bed. ‘You need to rest.’

  She squirmed, trying to escape his grip. ‘Don’t you dare patronise me, Brand! I need to know what the hell you’re playing at! You blow hot and cold, one minute all over me, the next acting like I don’t exist. Then you tell someone else they can’t ask me out, and now you’re …’

  He pulled her close, refusing to let her create any space between them. ‘I’m what? Acting like a crazy man because someone nearly broke your neck today?’

  ‘It’s not just today though, is it? You went funny on me over that bloody text message. Did you think I did it? Is that it? Are you so paranoid that you’d believe I’d do that to my own mother?’

  ‘Kate, stop it.’

  ‘No! Let me g …’ Her words were lost as his mouth covered hers. She went rigid, then melted. This is where she wanted to be. In his arms. Matching his passion with her own. Not fighting, but loving.

  He took her face in his hands and she yelped. They had both forgotten her injuries. Paul let her go instantly and she staggered over to the bed.

  ‘Oh God, Kate, I’m so sorry. Are you OK?’

  She ignored him as she tipped a dose of painkillers out of the bottle the doctor had left and took them with the glass of water on the bedside table. When she sat down on the edge of the bed, he came to kneel before her, his hands gently stroking her knees. As the urgent pain in her head slowly subsided to a more manageable ache, Kate began to realise that her robe had parted again and he was touching her bare skin. She sat there, at the same time soothed and excited by his caress.

  ‘Are you OK?’ he asked. ‘Does it still hurt?’

  She looked into his beautiful blue eyes and took his face in her hands. ‘What hurts me,’ she whispered, ‘is thinking something special’s happening between us, but that you keep changing your bloody mind.’

  He sat back on his heels, his blues eyes dark with emotion. ‘It’s not as simple as that. You don’t understand.’

  ‘Then help me to. Who are you, Paul Brand? Do you ever let anyone close enough to find out?’

  ‘No.’

  Kate caught her breath. That one little word sounded so final. So far away.

  ‘I tried. When I was a kid I wanted to be everyone’s friend, but I learned pretty quick that half the kids didn’t want to know me because they resented my dad’s fame and money, and the other half wanted to know me because of it. People I trusted sold pictures and lies to the press. They didn’t give a shit about the consequences. Later, I wanted to find a woman I could love, settle down, have a whole bunch of kids …’ He paused, unaware that his hands still rested on her knees, his caress soft in contrast to the harsh, dry tone of his voice. ‘But when you can’t trust a woman to love you for who you are, but who your dad is and how big his bank balance is … When you open up to a gal who goes straight to the press with her story …’

  He shrugged and looked up at the ceiling. Kate could feel him getting further away from her, even as she began to see what it must have been like for him. She raised a hand, reaching for him, but he flinched back, breaking contact and standing up. She let her hand drop to her side as he walked to the dressing table and began to touch her hairbrush, phone, laptop … anything to avoid looking at her.

  ‘I’ve known women who come on to me, then try their luck with Dad, figuring he’s a better bet.’

  Kate felt rage growing inside her, building up ready to burst. ‘
What sort of sluts have you been mixing with, Brand?’ she asked, keeping her voice light.

  He shook his head. ‘Not so many. I’m not stupid. I learned fast. But they weren’t the worst.’

  Kate couldn’t bring herself to ask, but he told her anyway.

  ‘Stalkers and journos. Each feeding off the other, sharing information, lies, and sick, stupid stunts. They nearly destroyed my mom. Dad was such a star by the time they divorced, everyone loved him. The press crucified her, even though they knew nothing about what had happened. My parents stayed friends, even after they’d acknowledged the marriage was a mistake, but the press went into a feeding frenzy, creating all sorts of lies. That brought the crazies out, and we’ve been hiding from them ever since.’

  ‘Your father has a good relationship with the press,’ she protested.

  ‘He’s learned to play the game, and he’s taught me along the way. But don’t for one minute think we enjoy it. Would you? Having your every move reported? Not being able to walk down a street without being mobbed? My mom remarried a few years back and moved to Canada. She lives in fear of her neighbours finding out who she is in case they alert the press. She doesn’t deserve that.’

  ‘None of you do.’

  ‘And neither do you. But it’s starting. Your mom has been targeted, and now you.’

  Kate shook her head in denial. ‘No.’

  ‘Yes, Kate. None of this would have happened if you hadn’t been with us.’

  ‘How many times do I have to tell you none of this is your fault before you believe me?’

  He shook his head. ‘We didn’t make it happen, but it happened because of who we are.’

  Kate sighed. ‘Do you think I’m like them? The reporters who hound you and tell lies about you?’

  Paul turned around to look at her. He shook his head, a half-smile on his handsome face. ‘No.’

  ‘Thank you.’ She was touched by his faith, which she was sure hadn’t come easily to him.

  ‘I do have an inkling of what it was like for you growing up, y’know,’ she said. ‘No, don’t scoff, I mean it. Do you have any idea what it’s like being a vicar’s daughter? And when both parents are priests …’ she shook her head and instantly regretted it. Putting a hand to her throbbing cheek, she went on. ‘I was teased or shunned by the kids at school, and the teachers expected me to set an example to my peers by being the best-behaved student. And as a teenager, boys would either ask me out assuming I was desperate to be a wild child, or they didn’t bother asking me at all because they assumed I was going to be a nun or something. I felt like a total freak. When I got to university I avoided telling people what my parents did. It was the first time I felt able to be myself.’