by Lynda Renham
‘I wondered what happened to that…’
‘For Christ’s sake,’ snaps Toby.
‘Does anybody know what time Penny left?’ asks Jamie.
‘Perhaps I should phone her. I don’t imagine she will want to be seated near a pair of poofs,’ quips Toby as he pulls out his phone. He has Penelope’s phone number? What a sneaky bastard.
‘What about that ATO man? Is he on the same flight as us? I think it is important to have some security with us,’ says Jamie.
I couldn’t agree more. In fact no one could be more excited than me that he is coming. I never for one moment imagined he would, and I can’t help thinking this is the man Madam Zigana talked about. After all these are the most unusual circumstances ever. I wish Libs were here so I could tell her. Then again, it is because Libs isn’t here that I met him in the first place.
If checking-in for the flight was not bad enough the flight was even worse. Penelope insisted on being moved from her Business Class seat because she didn’t want to sit anywhere near the ‘traitor’s parents’. Although her confidence that Alex is okay and will be released shortly was reassuring for me and Lib’s parents. Toby, meanwhile, seemed to invent every excuse possible to pop through to Business Class and it wasn’t to see Fenella or Edmund.
‘He’s such a wanker,’ complains Jamie. ‘Why did he have to come?’
‘Apparently, because he wants to propose to Libby, because he really loves her don’t you know?’ I say sarcastically.
I so wish Libs had more confidence. Then she would see Toby for the arse that he is.
The ATO’s name is Jonathan and he really is a dream boat. I manage to swap seats so I can sit beside him. He is lovely and not married. At least he is not married any more having recently divorced. What a stroke of luck, or I should say fate. I wonder if Libs has met the man of her dreams as Madam Zigana predicted.
‘We’re so lucky to have you with us,’ I say, truly meaning it.
‘Indeed,’ he responds.
I’m learning he is a man of few words. Oh well, who wants a man who talks all the time anyway?
‘I do hope Libs is okay,’ I say voicing my inner fears.
‘If she’s not safe with Ace Bryant, she won’t be safe with anyone,’ he says tersely. I feel comforted in an odd way.
The twelve-hour flight to Bangkok is tedious to say the least, and the fact that Jonathan barely speaks the whole journey adds to the tedium. We arrive at Bangkok and catch our connecting flight to Siem Reap. I am feeling quite exhausted. Fenella and Edmund have booked us all into the Shadow Angkor Hotel, which is way out of my league. Penelope has booked herself into a suite. After much probing, I ascertain that Jonathan is staying at the Shadow Angkor too, which sends a little thrill through me. Toby is a complete and total shit. He spent the entire journey flirting with the luscious Penelope, who spent the whole time rolling her eyes at everyone who didn’t jump to her every whim. At one point, she got up to go to the loo during turbulence and when told to sit down, just swished her hair back in a manner that said ‘Sod off’ and headed to the loo anyway. What a prize bitch. What Alex Bryant sees in her I cannot imagine.
I got bloody cramp on the flight and do nothing but swallow bucket loads of quinine. I am sincerely hoping that the hotel is a decent one with proper loos and not bloody holes in the ground. I am all for adventure but not roughing it.
Finally, we land in Siem Reap and I try Lib’s mobile again but get the bloody voicemail. Fenella and Edmund hire a taxi while I take a tuk-tuk. When in Rome and all that, and it’s much more fun and Jonathan agrees and shares mine. Although it does mean we are somewhat cramped with our suitcases on our knees and our legs squashed. I swallow a couple more quinine tablets and attempt to enjoy the sights. The tuk-tuk driver spends a good ten minutes trying to talk us into visiting the temples the following day. We finally head off to the Shadow Angkor Hotel which he tells us he knows and which I fear he seriously does not. Toby, meanwhile, advises us all not to buy anything from a tuk-tuk driver.
‘He might try to sell you heroin or opium. You can’t be sure what these people have up their sleeves,’ he says earnestly. ‘And of course there is the white slave trade.’
It then emerges that the creep had hired a private investigator to try and find Libby and Alex.
‘I would seriously impress on you not to attempt anything on your own if your chap should find something. You’re not trained to deal with kidnappers,’ says Jonathan in that lovely upper-crust voice of his which makes me feel like I am in a period drama film.
I so hope Libs is having a bit of an adventure with the lovely Ace. Jesus, she could be romping for England with him right this minute. I sincerely hope Toby’s investigator doesn’t barge in on that. I am finding it harder and harder to understand why Toby is even here. If he really cared for Libs then he would not flirt with every woman in sight. I just don’t think he can bear to think that Libby might prefer someone else.
The hotel is quite idyllic and does have a proper bathroom and air conditioning. I fall onto the bed and think about Libs. I am knackered from the flight and am thinking I will make it an early night when Toby calls on the room phone. He says his investigator has found where Libs and Alex are being held and do I want to be there when he rescues Libby. The answer obviously is, ‘of course’.
Chapter Twenty
I toss and turn for an hour. It is terribly humid and the fan doesn’t seem to be helping at all. It is twelve-thirty and I am wide awake. If I’m not reliving Alex’s kiss then I am thinking about Toby. So, he is here in Cambodia. If only I could turn my phone on and talk to him. I would at least have a better idea of what is going on in his head. Has he realised that he loves me after all? Is he truly sorry for what happened with Serena? How can I forgive him and do I really want to anyway? Then, of course, there was Alex’s kiss. It was so real and passionate. Surely Alex couldn’t have faked the warmness that emanated from him. What about the earrings? When had he bought those? What if he had bought them for Penelope? I quickly dismiss that idea. He isn’t the type to give another woman’s present to someone else. He is the strong and loyal type, someone you can trust. My stomach churns when I remember Penelope. I ask you, what is happening to me that I can forget Alex’s fiancée? Blonde Blancmange, with legs up to her chin. Let’s face it, he is an international celebrity while I am an international nobody. Alex, no doubt, is missing Penelope in more ways than one. It is unthinkable to imagine myself with Alex Bryant. The earrings were a nice gesture and I must see them for what they are. The poor man is most likely sex-starved. I suddenly feel very depressed. I have had an awful Christmas and in six days it will be New Year’s Eve. The man I thought I loved, I realise I don’t know that well at all. The man I think I could love doesn’t even see me in a romantic way. My mind is racing so much that I feel I am going crazy. I throw on my nightie and a shawl and make my way to the kitchen for a cup of camomile tea. Mr Navy is on guard duty and he waves lazily at me from the veranda where he is smoking a cigarette. I walk into the kitchen where a sleepy Alex greets me. He sits at the table wearing shorts and a crumpled tee shirt and sips from a cup. I pull my shawl around me and wonder what my hair looks like. Honestly, I can’t even get up for a cup of tea without him being there. Any hopes I had of appealing to him are now, well and truly dashed. He isn’t going to ravish me in my granny nightie.
‘You can’t sleep either,’ he says pulling out a chair for me. ‘I’ll make some tea.’
He points to the jug of palm-sap wine on the table.
‘Do you want me to lace yours? It’s the only way I am going to get some sleep.’
You can lace my drink anytime, I want to say, but of course I just nod and make a superhuman effort not to stare at his firm rippling thigh muscles. I feel myself flush and take some deep breaths.
‘It’s hot tonight,’ he comments, pouring water into the cup.
God, it sure is and it’s getting hotter. I feel my breasts suddenly tingle and fi
ght the blush that overwhelms me. I sip from the tea, grateful for the warmth of the palm wine.
‘I read your other article by the way and it’s really brilliant. Why haven’t you written more stuff?’
Because Toby always told me my writing was crap. I can’t really say that.
‘Toby always said my writing was rubbish.’ It seems I can say it and just did.
He scoffs.
‘What do you see in that loser anyway?’ he says, while looking at me over his cup, his eyes twinkling.
I feel myself tense. What is it with me? Every time Alex criticises Toby my back goes up.
‘He’s not a loser,’ I say defensively, and walk onto the veranda where it is cooler. I sit on one of the wicker chairs.
‘And why do you always feel the need to defend him?’ he asks, following me.
‘I don’t.’
The air is thick with the fragrant Jasmine that grows in the garden coupled with the aroma from Mr Navy’s cigarette. The truth is, I do defend Toby and I don’t have the foggiest idea why.
‘Anyway, I don’t know why you have such a bad opinion of him.’
‘He’s an idiot that’s why.’ He stands in front of me and leans against the metal railing of the veranda. I so wish he wouldn’t do that.
‘The way he treats you for a start…’ He breaks off and looks uncomfortable.
I stand up and my shawl slips from my shoulders, revealing my thin granny nightie and even worse, my breasts. I see his eyes move down to them and hastily retrieve the shawl.
‘Toby loves me,’ I say shakily, wrapping the shawl tighter around me. ‘That’s why he has come all the way here. He wants to make sure I am all right. He must have known you would have put me in danger.’
‘Are you saying you don’t feel safe with me?’
Why does he always have to twist everything I say? And why can’t I take my eyes off his shorts. I stand and turn to walk away but his hand on my arm stops me.
‘Don’t go,’ he says softly and my whole body seems to tremble at his touch. I turn and find him standing very close to me. My hands grasp the shawl and I shiver involuntarily.
‘Are you cold?’ he asks, smiling.
‘Freezing,’ I whisper. My mind is screaming, ‘take me take me before I change my mind.’
‘It’s thirty degrees tonight,’ he says, his voice barely audible. His lips are close to my ears and his hand lightly touching my hip where he gently guides me back to my chair. I exhale and close my eyes. When I open them he is sitting opposite me.
‘So, how long have you known Toby?’ he asks. His voice now back to normal.
‘How long have you known Penelope?’
He smiles and shrugs.
‘I’ve known Penelope for what seems like forever.’
Oh Christ, what does that mean? I’ve known Penelope like forever and it feels like long enough, or I’ve known Penelope forever and we are so close that we are like one person. I am about to speak but hear shouting from outside at the front of the house. I can hear voices and they sound familiar.
‘What the hell?’ mumbles Alex as he rises from his chair.
Oh Jesus. Please don’t tell me that Toby has come to rescue me? Couldn’t he have waited until Alex had, so-called, sexually interfered with me? Alex pulls me into the house and locks the door.
‘Don’t be too concerned,’ he says in a matter of fact voice to Mr Navy. Don’t be too concerned? What does that mean? I watch wide-eyed as the veranda door is smashed and Toby and another man burst in brandishing baseball bats. I mean, seriously, what is he doing? I stare at them open-mouthed. Toby looks at me and then at Alex. He lifts the baseball bat higher.
‘Libs, are you okay? Has there been any ill treatment? Has he or anyone else molested you?’
I stare at him. What the hell is he talking about? Molested me? Let’s face it, Toby has put paid to that now. Well and truly. Don’t you just hate do-gooders? Toby shakes his baseball bat as Mr Navy steps towards him.
‘Don’t even try it mate. My friend here knows karate and he’ll take you apart.’
‘Leave it, Mr Navy. He really isn’t worth the effort,’ says Alex with a smirk and sits back in his chair.
I look to the friend who is even weedier than Toby but I don’t say anything.
‘I do believe I had the pleasure of meeting your friend earlier this evening. I see you reported back very quickly,’ grins Alex.
At that moment a sleepy Lucky comes into the room.
‘Then you should have been expecting us,’ quips Toby and swaggers towards me.
‘Most civilised people knock you know, and wait to be invited in,’ Alex says mockingly.
‘What the hell are you doing Toby?’ I ask quietly. Someone needs to be calm. It just isn’t normally me.
‘Charlie is an investigator. He found you. I don’t know who the fuck is supposed to have been kidnapped here, you can explain it all later Libby. I’m going to report this and they will put him,’ he points angrily to Alex, ‘back on a bloody plane.’
‘Charlie, huh,’ says Alex mockingly.
I ignore him.
‘Don’t be stupid, Toby,’ I say. I suppose I should be pleased that Toby seems to care so much.
This is terrible though. I am about to be rescued and Alex has not even made a pass at me, let alone sexually interfered with me. Issy steps through the broken door and I feel an overwhelming rush to hug her. She waves tentatively at me, looking a little uncomfortable.
‘Libby, get your stuff, we’re taking you home,’ Toby orders.
I move forward but Alex gently pulls me back.
‘She isn’t going anywhere,’ he says firmly, ‘Most certainly not because you say so.’
‘Libby, come on,’ snaps Toby. ‘And for Christ’s sake put some clothes on.’
‘Stay where you are,’ orders Alex firmly.
I’m getting quite dizzy.
‘Arrest that man,’ declares Toby to the man named Charlie.
‘For Christ’s sake Toby this is not a bloody military operation. Don’t get carried away,’ yells Issy, pushing herself forward.
‘Stay out of this Issy,’ hisses Toby.
‘Libby, get dressed, I’m taking you out of here. This guy is trouble. I read the article he leaked onto the web. He is supporting an uprising Libby and accusing the government of corruption. He’s a warmonger. By the way Bryant, your article stinks.’
Hang on a minute. What article is he talking about?
‘I’m calling Jonathan, this is getting ridiculous,’ cries Issy.
Who the hell is Jonathan?
‘Jonathan,’ I mutter.
‘Oh, he’s lovely Libs, wait till you meet him,’ she gushes.
‘Toby, I think perhaps you and I should discuss this outside,’ challenges Alex and at that moment I could have gladly killed him. Just what is he trying to prove? Issy looks horrified and shakes her head madly.
‘Fine by me,’ retorts Toby but I feel sure I hear a slight tremble in his voice.
‘Don’t you think you should put that baseball bat down before you injure yourself? Of course, if you feel you need it, I’d be happy to take you both on.’
Oh, this is just ridiculous.
‘Libs you can’t let them fight over you, someone may get hurt,’ Issy pleads.
Of course, what she means is Toby may get hurt. We both know that Toby is unlikely to do much harm to Alex.
‘After you,’ Alex says, pointing to the broken door.
Toby walks outside and reluctantly puts the baseball bat down. Oh my God, this is terrible. I grab Alex by the arm. My hand on his warm naked flesh sends volts rushing through me.
‘Alex, please don’t hurt him,’ I whisper.
He looks down at my hand and then into my eyes.
‘Why aren’t you pleading with him not to hurt me? Or don’t you care if he hurts me?’
Why is he being so damn childish? I feel perspiration running down my back.
‘We bo
th know he won’t hurt you. He doesn’t know what he’s doing…’
‘He’s an adult isn’t he?’ he snaps and walks outside.
Issy and I dash outside through the broken door with Issy talking madly on her mobile. Toby and Alex face each other like a couple of boxers and I wonder if I can bear to watch them. Lucky stands behind Alex while the investigator, who apparently knows karate, stands behind Toby.
‘Your choice of weapon?’ asks Alex.
‘Don’t be so ridiculous, Alex,’ I shout.
‘I can handle a fist fight,’ replies Toby in a confident tone.
‘Whose side are you on?’ asks Issy excitedly.
‘No one’s of course. We have to try and stop this.’
‘Yes, of course,’ she says meekly. ‘Jonathan is on his way. He knows Ace. I just hope he is not too late.’
Hearing Issy call him Ace takes my mind back to when I had first met Alex and how attractive I thought he was. Looking at him now I realise nothing has changed. The men circle each other and I wonder if I should close my eyes and ask Issy to tell me when it is all over.
Toby throws the first punch and Alex ducks to avoid it. Both men are sweating and I feel myself perspiring with them. Toby wobbles and before he can regain his balance Alex swings his arm towards him. Toby attempts to duck but is not fast enough and Alex’s fist pounds his jaw. I hear a crack and wince. Toby sways but manages to stay upright and lunges at Alex. Alex puts his foot out and Toby stumbles but not before he lands a punch at Alex’s groin. Alex moans and doubles over for a second. Issy gasps and I let out a small moan.
‘Oh that was so out of order. Come on Alex,’ Issy screams and I stare at her open-mouthed.
We watch with bated breath as Alex steadies himself. Toby throws himself at Alex but he sidesteps and Toby falls flat on his face. This is terrible. Toby grabs Alex’s ankle and they both fall to the ground heaving and pummelling like wrestlers. I sense Alex is being gentle with Toby and thank God for that, but it still seems like he is beating the shit out of him. They finally part and I breathe a sigh of relief. Toby’s left eyelid is beginning to swell and his lip is cut. Alex doesn’t have a mark on him. Toby, what are you doing? Alex is so out of your league. Toby must really love me to do all this for me. I feel so wretched. Toby is panting heavily and I can’t help wondering why Alex doesn’t stop. Toby turns and grabs the baseball bat from the floor.