Didi

I find Zac in the kitchen helping Dodds make pigs in blankets.

There’s a gaggle of kitchen staff around him, all female, and all of them giggling. One of them is trying to show him how to fold the sausage into the pastry and he’s joking around with her, flustering her so much that she drops a sausage on the floor. Another girl is filming the whole thing on her phone and in her excitement shoves Dodds out of the way in his wheelchair, her elbow connecting with his head. She doesn’t even apologize.

I see Dodds’ face darken as he wheels himself out of the way and into a quiet corner of the kitchen. I go over and join him there.

‘Hey,’ I say.

He grunts a greeting at me, his gaze fixed on Zac, who’s putting his arm around yet another girl while she snaps a selfie of them together. I watch for a moment, my gaze settling on Zac’s hand, which falls from the girl’s shoulder and comes to rest on her hip. I feel a pang of something sharp and unsettling and have to tell myself sternly not to get jealous. It’s just part of his job. He’s only being friendly.

‘Must be nice,’ Dodds mutters.

‘What must be?’ I ask, dragging my eyes away from the ongoing selfie snapping.

‘Having girls throwing themselves at you all the time.’

I don’t say anything.

‘You think if he was in a wheelchair for real they’d be acting the same way towards him?’

I put my hand on Dodds’ shoulder and squeeze. What is there to say to that? We both know the answer is that they’d be ignoring him as much as they ignore Dodds.

Zac turns and sees me and his face lights up. He waves, excuses himself and comes towards me and then, in front of everyone, he kisses me on the lips.

I’m so taken aback that I forget to close my eyes, so I can see all the girls over Zac’s shoulder as their jaws hit the ground. Someone raises their phone and takes a photograph and I pull away, but Zac takes my hand and smiles at me, not even appearing to notice that we are now the focus of everyone in the room and that even Dodds is gawping up at us in astonishment.

‘Were you looking for me?’ Zac asks.

I nod, though the truth is I’d actually been looking for Walker. Ever since the conversation with my dad I’ve been both avoiding him and unable to stop thinking about him. Even now I’m with Zac my mind keeps flitting to Walker.

‘Do you want to come and see the rest of the centre?’ I ask, wanting suddenly to get away from the glare of the spotlight. ‘I could show you the physio room if you like?’

Zac nods. ‘Yeah, maybe we could find somewhere private,’ he suggests.

I lead the way out of the kitchen, aware of the gossip machine roaring to life behind us, and I have to admit to myself that there’s a certain thrill to being with Zac, though the therapist side of me asks why that should be the case. Would I be as excited to be with him if he wasn’t famous? Dodds’ words linger in my mind. As we leave the kitchen, I notice that Dodds is staring after me with a scowl on his face. Is it disappointment? I glance quickly away and let the door fall shut behind us.