***
Lottie’s Recordings. Clip nine
Anthony and I met for a drink. He told me he’s seeing someone: a girl called Oli. I don’t see much of him. I miss his company and I don’t think Oli likes that we meet alone.
***
I was in an exhibition when I saw a beautiful girl dressed in a black dress striding by, flicking her long black hair. I watched her for a while before building up the courage to approach her. She was admiring one of my sculptures. I walked over to her and asked her if she knew the artist. Oli had a round face with high cheekbones, full lips and cornflour blue eyes. She told me she was studying art and was doing a project on sculptures. It was love at first sight, for me at least. It would have lasted longer if Davian hadn’t swept in and shit all over it with his big mouth. Lottie got it all wrong; Oli didn’t mind me meeting her alone. We’re adults, not kids.
***
‘How is Abdel?’ Anthony asked when we sat across from each other in a lounge bar.
‘Good, he’s doing a shoot in Paris,’ I said. ‘How is Oli?’
‘Studying.’
I picked up the menu. ‘Should you be helping her?’
‘If she needed my help, she’d ask for it.’
‘Uhhh... Mr Sharp.’
‘I offered. She said she’s fine.’
I close the menu. ‘I miss us.’
He glanced at me. ‘Whatever happens, we will always be friends,’ he said, reaching out for my hand.
I took his hand. ‘No, that’s not what I meant.’
I wanted him to understand: I missed how we used to be, where we could meet up regularly. It was my way to tell him I love him. A figure approached our table.
***
Davian happened to be in the same bar accompanied by Melissa who was in town; this was the first time she and Lottie were introduced. Lottie kept staring up at Davian until Melissa appeared behind him and Lottie turned her focus to her. Studying the competition, I think.
***
Anthony stood to greet him and Melissa. I didn’t stand up. I was curious to look at the woman who’d conquered Davian’s cold heart.
She was pretty, with sleek black hair cut in a bob, flawless complexion and dark eyes.
‘Lottie,’ he said.
‘Davian.’
‘Melissa, my girlfriend,’ he said.
He sounded such a douche when he said girlfriend, as if I wasn’t aware and needed to be reminded. It was a silent message on his part; I know you like me, but I can never be yours, never have been, and never will be. I shook her hand. It was freezing cold. She smiled at me. Anthony watched me closely, as if I was about to do something dangerous.
‘So, what you guys up to?’ Anthony asked Davian.
‘We just came in this,’ he gestured at the bar with its wooden table and chairs and vintage pictures on the grey walls, ‘glamourous establishment for a drink.’
His voice reeked with sarcasm.
‘You work with us, correct?’ Melissa said to me. ‘I’ve seen you about, but we never had time to be properly introduced.’
‘Yes, I do,’ I said, giving Anthony a sideways glance.
‘Of course, I spend most of the time hopping on and off planes,’ she went on.
Unlike Davian, she seemed more approachable and warmer, but then again, we were keeping up appearances here. It’s not like we would become best friends.
‘Why don’t you join us?’ Anthony said.
I hated him for inviting them. I thought we were supposed to catch up.
Davian hesitated. ‘What do you think?’ he asked Melissa.
‘I would love to,’ she said.
Anthony moved beside me so Melissa and Davian could sit beside each other. I ordered another glass of red wine from the waiter. From under the table, I found Anthony’s hand and grabbed it.
Davian and Melissa ordered a bottle of Perrier and two glasses of wine. Davian was a mystery. A novelty, and I didn’t know anything about him. Anthony hardly talked about him. It was strange. Their whole friendship was strange to me. All I know about him is that he’s my age and a respected photographer. That night, I learned he didn't like to drink, ate very little, Perrier is his water of choice, and he’s the middle child; he had a sister two years older than him and a brother a year younger than him. His brother is also involved in the art world but didn’t do any work for Giselle.
***
What was it with her and Davian, anyway? It annoyed me, the fixation she had grown over him. Davian wasn’t accessible to her, but he became a curiosity.
Chapter Fourteen
I’m wondering if Lottie played us all for fools and led us to believe she was innocent as a prom queen, but in reality, she wasn’t. I’m about to discover everything and I didn’t know what to do with this explosive secret. The question is killing me: why she lent me her laptop knowing what it contains. Why Lottie? What was Lottie going through that she couldn’t tell me in person? Have I failed her? What if I never knew her at all and there is more to her than I was led to believe?
Lilia is sitting by the window when I walk into the café. I approach her table; Lilia greets me with a hug
Lilia takes my hand. ‘How can I help?’
‘Lottie was seeing someone in secret. Did she ever mention or make any indication that she was... you know... seeing someone in secret?’
Lilia lifts the coffee cup to her lips. ‘If the police are suspecting that Lottie was seeing someone, they must have evidence to support it, right?’ She pauses. ‘I’m going to tell you what I have told the police.’ She pauses again, for effect this time. ‘I suspected there might have been someone.’
A waitress comes to take my order and after she leaves, Lilia looks at me wide eyed.
‘Lottie wouldn’t tell me,’ she continues, ‘I don’t know why she didn’t. I mean we were friends. I respected her wishes; if she didn’t want to tell me, fine, but if she told me, I could have helped her more.’
I raise an eyebrow. ‘What do you mean help her?’
‘I told the police,’ she says, looking across the room as if someone can overhear our conversation, ‘everyone has secrets, you and I. Something we are ashamed of, a past, or something we’ve done something we don’t want anyone to find out about. It’s what makes us human after all, but with her, not only did she have secrets, which was fine by me, but she was sneaky.’
My shoulders go tight. ‘Sneaky?’
‘Yeah, I think she was fooling around with a married man; if he wasn’t married, he must have been in a relationship.’
The waitress arrived with my tea and a chicken salad for Lilia.
I reach for the milk and pour three sugars in my tea. ‘How did you find this out?’
Lilia lifts her fork and tosses her salad with it. ‘She wasn’t secretive before, but she changed. It was sudden... unexpected.’
‘When was this?’ I ask, stirring my tea, ‘I mean... was this when she was with Abdel or after?’
‘After,’ she pauses, thinking. ‘Yes, after she broke up with him.’
The tea was still hot. ‘So, it was after the party?’
‘Yes.’