Stop it. Don’t think about Didi. Watch the TV or download a film and concentrate on that instead.
A knock came at the door.
Chapter 26
Shay looked at the door; no, of course it wasn’t Didi, she hadn’t changed her mind about spending the weekend in London and come racing back to tell him—
‘Hey, it’s me, your neighbour. Tell me you haven’t gone to sleep.’
He opened the door and the empty wine bottle was thrust into his hand. ‘First, thank you for the wine. I’m very polite, so here’s your bottle back.’
‘Thanks.’ She’d changed out of her robe and into leggings and a thin cotton top.
‘Second, I don’t like the feeling of inviting someone over for a drink and being turned down.’
‘Sorry about that. You mustn’t take it personally.’
‘Except I do.’ Counting on her fingers, she said, ‘And thirdly, I came here to relax, be on my own and get my head straight, but I didn’t realise how quickly the novelty would wear off, which is why it’s half nine on day one and I’m so bored I could scream. Turns out I don’t like being on my own after all.’
‘Better if you don’t scream,’ said Shay.
‘Will you come over and keep me company? If I ask nicely?’
‘Let me just—’
‘How about if I beg?’ Caz blurted out. ‘Shamelessly.’
At least she’d take his mind off Didi. ‘Let me just grab a T-shirt,’ he said.
Their suites were similar in size and design – thick carpet, squashy grey velvet sofa, one feature stone wall behind the king-sized bed, antique furniture, with a dazzling chandelier suspended from the double-height beamed ceiling. Through the leaded windows, there was a view over the high street. The main difference was that whereas his own suite was pretty tidy, hers looked like a tornado had swept through an upmarket boutique and dumped its contents on every surface.
‘Here.’ She handed him a brimming glass of Cloudy Bay and clinked her own against it. ‘Thanks for humouring me. You don’t have to stay long, I promise.’
‘Don’t be daft. Thanks for the invitation. I’m Shay.’
‘I know.’
‘Oh?’
‘I saw that there were only two suites up here on the top floor. When the assistant manager showed me around, she told me your name and said I wouldn’t bother you. She also said you were here for a couple of months.’
‘True.’ Shay nodded. ‘And your name is . . .?’
‘Caz.’
He grinned. ‘Correct. Well done.’
She sat cross-legged in the centre of the bed and scooped up a handful of salted almonds, spilling a couple on the carpet, then took a glug of wine. ‘Let’s get started then, shall we? You go first. Tell me everything about you.’
And Shay found himself doing it. He didn’t tell her everything, obviously, but Caz got the story of his father wanting to come home, and his work renovating Hillcrest. Against all expectations, she was an avid listener, interested in every detail and asking endless questions. Finally he said, ‘That’s enough about me. Now it’s your turn.’
She pulled a comical face. ‘Oh God, what d’you want to hear, the PR company’s spin or the real version?’
‘We don’t have to talk about you at all if you don’t want to.’
‘Which is exactly the way to make me want to tell you the truth.’ Caz grinned and splashed more wine into her glass. ‘I split up from my boyfriend a few weeks ago. It was kind of our speciality – we’ve had so many break-ups in the last year it’s laughable – but this time we’re done for good. He’s sleeping with his manager and she’s ten years older than me. She’s not even that pretty.’
‘Are you devastated?’
‘Oh, I can cry on cue if you want me to pretend to be. But honestly, it had run its course. According to my nan, we were like a low-rent Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. Drinking too much, fighting non-stop, breaking up and making up practically every week. It was no fun, it was exhausting and I knew deep down he was only with me for the money and the publicity. I spend my time working my socks off and he does sod all. Story of my life,’ she concluded wryly. ‘Well, not my whole life, but it’s been pretty much the same for the last ten years, ever since I got famous.’
‘Not much fun.’
‘Tell me about it. Got a thing for bad boys, that’s my trouble. Time I sorted myself out.’ She shrugged. ‘This is why I came here, to have a break and get away from all the chaos.’
Shay glanced around the suite, at the clothes and shoes chucked on the floor, at the make-up scattered over the chest of drawers, the glossy magazines and packets of sweets spilling out of one of the expensive suitcases over by the window.
Caz followed his gaze. ‘I know, I know, but this is physical chaos and I’m allowed to be messy in my own hotel room. I’m hungry,’ she announced. ‘Are you hungry? I don’t want to go downstairs, though. Shall we order loads of food? Oh, don’t tell me you don’t want to.’ She lobbed an almond at him when he hesitated. ‘I can’t cope with rejection – I’m a diva, remember! Please say yes.’
It had been one of those endless evenings, the nightmare kind where you found yourself trapped in a situation from which there was no escape. The table of friends from Aaron’s apartment building were chatty and funny, and under any other circumstances Didi would have loved spending time with them. Finally, dinner was over and they prepared to leave the restaurant. The next moment, two people walked past the window, stopped abruptly and tapped loudly on the glass to attract their attention.
‘Hey, it’s Raj and Kev!’ Aaron’s face lit up. ‘They’re back from Ibiza!’
And that had been that. Raj and Kev had come bursting into the restaurant and Aaron had said, ‘Come on, let’s go back to my place. We need to hear all about your holiday!’
Oh please no, we really don’t. Didi attempted to mentally signal to Raj and Kev that this would be a terrible idea.
‘Yeah!’ Raj high-fived Aaron. ‘Got plenty of drink in?’
‘Loads,’ Aaron promised.
‘We’ll probably miss the last train home. OK to crash at yours?’ said Kev.
‘No problem at all.’
Didi silently exhaled; so much for telepathy.
‘Brilliant.’ Raj was jubilant. ‘What are we waiting for? Let’s go!’
It was one o’clock in the morning. Caz was singing along dreamily to a track from the new Lewis Capaldi album. She had an incredible voice, warm, husky and fantastically expressive. As she sang, she caught Shay’s eye and smiled. ‘Be an angel, pass us those tacos and that avocado dip.’
Tonight had been an interesting experience in more ways than one. Shay hadn’t planned on still being in her room this late, yet here he was. Caz had led an astonishing life and told great stories about and against herself, cheerfully admitting her flaws and failings. As a rule, whenever he met a new woman, within an hour or two Shay would inevitably find a reason to be disappointed in some aspect of her personality. It was ridiculous, he knew, and a really annoying character trait to have been landed with, but that was just how it went, and over the years he’d grown used to it.