“Hang on… Christy Trimble, Bethany Jameson, and C. J. Jackson were there? And you talked to all of them?” Anna stopped to pick up a strand of handmade beads, checking the price.
Liv had promised to spill all the juicy details of her previous night’s date if Anna would spend the day wandering around Portobello Road, Notting Hill’s outdoor shopping market, with her. Liv had only gotten as far as dishing the scoop on celebrity sightings from Meat, and already Anna was impressed.
“Yeah, they were all there. And it’s weird, because Christy is actually really nice. You know how the tabloids say she gets in catfights with people all the time? Well, she was totally friendly to me.”
Actually, Liv thought guiltily, maybe that isn’t exactly true. In reality, most of the other people at Josh Cameron’s table had been pretty self-absorbed and virtually ignored her. But Christy had kissed Liv on the cheek when she left and said how “absolutely stunning” Liv looked, which seemed totally unnecessary and had been a really sweet gesture for a stranger.
“Enough. Stop making me jealous with the guest list—get on to the good stuff.” They had made their way to a scarf vendor, and Anna poked her head around a rack to find Liv modeling a purple tiger-striped fur.
“Well, dah-ling, it was simply mah-vehlous.…” Liv strutted down the aisle with her huge fake fur. “Okay, so there I was, standing alone in the middle of this weird little room with half the models from Vogue staring at me. I seriously thought I was going to die. Thanks for the shirt, by the way. It was perfect.”
“No problem. You looked hot. Go on.…”
As Liv spilled the details of her date to Anna, she relived each second in her head. She could still smell Josh Cameron’s cologne, and she could feel his touch on her hand from when he had led her out of the club at the end of the night. He hadn’t kissed her, but she sort of suspected he probably would have if Christy Trimble hadn’t stumbled out of the club to throw up just as Liv’s taxi pulled around the corner.
Liv smiled as she thought about how Josh Cameron had handed her taxi driver a twenty-pound note and opened the door for her, saying, “I’m so glad you could join me, Olivia. I hope you’ll be willing to grace me with your presence again soon.” Okay, Liv thought, grinning. Maybe that line was a little cheesy. But it was really sweet.
“Here’s the thing,” Liv said, watching Anna wrap a long silk skirt around her jeans and model it in the mirror. “The things he said were almost… lame… sometimes.” She cringed. She didn’t really want to ruin her memory of the night with a confession that Josh Cameron was less than perfect—but she couldn’t withhold any details.
“Ooh,” Anna said, lifting her eyebrows. “Do tell.”
Liv quickly shared the “I hope you’ll be willing to grace me with your presence again soon” line, as well as some of their other conversations. She gritted her teeth after being forced to say it aloud.
Anna burst out laughing. “Are you serious? He actually said that?”
Liv nodded. She had sort of been hoping Anna would say it was sweet and romantic. But who was she kidding? Liv could only hope Josh Cameron would be a lot less scripted if they went out again. After all, she reasoned, he did have to live up to a certain pop star image, and she wondered if maybe his lame, over-the-top lines were partly because he was in London? Maybe his publicist forced him to say junk like “lovely time” and “grace me with your presence.” Maybe there was a book of etiquette that celebrities lived by that she just didn’t know about?
“I guess the good news is, it sounds like I’ll see him again sometime,” Liv flashed Anna a quick, coy smile. She leaned down and picked up a fringed lampshade. As she did, she blurted out, “I just don’t want to get my hopes up. Let’s be realistic. This is Josh Cameron. Isn’t it a lot more likely that he’ll never call?”
“He’ll call,” Anna said confidently. “If he’s feeding you lines like that, he’s obviously trying to be a gentleman. And it sounds like you had an amazing time. Why wouldn’t he call?”
“You’re right.” Liv nodded, though she definitely wasn’t so sure. But it couldn’t hurt to hope. Liv linked arms with Anna as they continued their path up Portobello Road. “So,” she asked. “What did you do last night? I feel like I’ve been hogging the last hour with my story. Dish.”
Anna began to speak, but was cut off as her cell phone started to ring. She answered, murmuring something in Swedish to whoever was on the other end of the line.
Liv didn’t feel too guilty listening, since she couldn’t understand anything anyway. All she could tell was that Anna definitely wasn’t enjoying the conversation—whomever it was with. After a few more minutes Anna flipped her phone closed and exhaled.
“Who was that?” Liv asked nosily.
Anna look flustered. “My mom,” she said simply.
“Everything okay?”
“Fine,” Anna said, walking slightly ahead of Liv. Liv got the hint—Anna’s mom had called several times since they’d arrived in London, and every time Anna had refused to talk about it. Liv knew something was going on, but it obviously wasn’t any of her business. As usual, Anna quickly changed the subject. “To answer your question about last night—I did absolutely nothing. It was super-relaxing, since even Rebecca went out.”
“She did?!” Liv couldn’t hide her surprise. Who would date Crazy? “With who?”
“You’re not going to believe this, but… Colin!”
Liv’s stomach sank. “Are you serious?” she asked, hoping Anna was joking. There was still a little part of her that couldn’t stop thinking about the sweet, kind, funny Colin she had met on her first day in London. She hadn’t seen that guy resurface since that first evening in Leicester Square, but there was something about him that made her insides clench every time she saw him. But, she reasoned, if Colin was dating Rebecca, maybe she had gotten the wrong impression.
“Completely serious,” Anna said. “I have no idea how it happened, but I guess they’ve been hanging out. I’m trying to get the dirt from Francesco, but he claims there’s nothing going on.”
This just didn’t seem right. But maybe Rebecca was more normal around Colin than she was around her and Anna. She had mastered multiple personalities, so maybe there was a sweet, seductive side that Liv just hadn’t witnessed yet. “Well, this should be interesting to watch, if nothing else.”
Anna nodded. “Yes, indeed.”
“Oh, Li-uhv, why are you so pushy?”
Rebecca was not taking Liv’s anger about My Rover’s behavior very well. In fact, she had interpreted Liv’s request to move Hell Dog’s wee-wee pad out of Liv’s bedroom as a personal attack. Liv was still astonished that Rebecca hadn’t yet apologized for the whole curlicue poop incident from the previous evening, but as Rebecca angrily yammered on, Liv realized that there would be no apology forthcoming.
“Sometimes, Olivia,” Rebecca continued, “people need to compromise. You are living with three other people now—me, My Rover, and Anna—so maybe you should stop being so concerned about you, and think about other people’s feelings for once. Ah mean, how do you think My Rover feels about all of this?” Rebecca stopped chiding for one dramatic moment, then stormed on. “He’s devastated, Liv. Just devastated. He’s ashamed that his wee-wee pad is causing you problems. He’s been curled up in his little blanky in the corner of the couch all afternoon, pouting. Doesn’t that just break your heart?”
“Does what break my heart?” Liv blurted out, astounded. “The fact that your dog is currently curled up in my blanket on my bed? Yes, that does break my heart!” Liv took a deep breath and continued. “Rebecca, I am very sorry that your dog is devastated. But I think it’s reasonable for me to ask that you find a nice, cozy place for his potty mat in your room. Sound good?” Liv crossed her fingers, hoping for a break.
“Oh, Li-uhv.” Rebecca swept her see-through dog into her arms and sidled down the hall. “Ah pity you.” With that, she delicately closed her bedroom door and left Liv alone in her living room.
Liv rolled her eyes and fell back on the couch. Clearly, logic and rational discussion weren’t going to work. Liv leaned over the arm of the couch, gathered up Hell Dog’s wee-wee pad, and strolled down the hall. She plunked the mat right in front of Rebecca’s door and returned to the living room.
A few seconds later Anna poked her head out of her bedroom door. “Is it safe?” she mouthed, tiptoeing over to the couch. “Feel like going out tonight?” she whispered conspiratorially.
“Did you hear that conversation?” Liv grumbled. “I’d rather spend the evening at Simon Brown’s flat than deal with another second of Little Miss Don’t-Mess-with-Texas in there.”
“Great!” Anna squealed, before quickly covering her mouth. “I just got off the phone with Francesco,” she continued, whispering. “Apparently Colin got tickets to a show from Andrew Stone earlier this week. It’s some hot new band that’s playing at a club in Shoreditch. I’ve already laid out a shirt for you on my bed. Throw on your cute jeans, and let’s get moving.”
“You… and I. Were meant… to be. But you… took the low road, baby…”
This is absolutely awful. Liv quickly glanced around the club to see the reaction on other people’s faces. Nodding heads and swaying hips surrounded her. Apparently, I just don’t get it.
Liv had been feeling that way for the past two hours—basically, since she and Anna had met up with Colin and Francesco outside Presence. Presence was a dimly lit, Asian-inspired club that reminded Liv of a China Buffet restaurant. Slightly tacky and oddly fragrant, it gave her the willies.
Anna had seemed completely at ease walking into the club, but Liv felt her stomach clenching much like it had when she’d arrived at Meat the night before. The scene was very much not Michigan. Tiki lamps dotted the walls, and people lounged on the floor around a battered stage.
As the foursome had moved farther into the club in their quest for a table, Liv’s eye was drawn to an enormous fish tank decorating the center of the room. After looking more closely, Liv could see human faces peering back at her from inside the fish tank. She had stared at the faces until Colin leaned over and explained with a grin, “Men’s room.”
“Of course,” Liv had responded, horrified. She found it disconcerting that everyone else was acting so normally. Were they oblivious to the fact that there was an enormous see-through toilet slicing through the center of the room?
Now, several hours later, Liv was stuffed between Anna and a large bearded man, listening to—quite possibly—the worst music she had ever heard. As Liv’s eyes wandered around the club for anyone else who shared her pain, she felt a hand brush her arm. Tensing, she turned. Colin was leaning forward, a smile teasing the corners of his mouth.
Liv felt her chest tighten as his mouth moved toward her ear. “This really is astoundingly awful, yeah?” His lilting English accent made the criticism sound almost dignified. Liv nodded, then started to laugh. “Shall we head out, then?” he asked. Giggling uncontrollably now, Liv nodded again. She grabbed Anna’s arm while Colin pulled Francesco toward the door. Outside, Liv burst into laughter.
“What’s so funny?” Anna asked. “Why did we leave?” Laughing, she continued, “Is it because of the song about pancakes?”
“Hmm, I sort of liked that one,” Francesco mused, then chuckled. “I think the song that really got to me was the one about getting stuck in a scuba suit. It was very romantic, but also odd.”
“Okay, so I wasn’t the only one who didn’t get that?” Liv asked, still laughing. “Colin, you got those tickets from Andrew Stone?”
Colin nodded. “I’m starting to think my boss may have been playing a joke on me.…”
“Hey, Liv.” Anna was grinning in Liv’s direction. “Maybe you should suggest a few of those lyrics to Josh Cameron. After last night I’m sure he would be happy to get your creative input.”
Liv shot her roommate a faux-angry look. “Very funny,” she said. Blushing, she quickly gave the group a shortened recap of her date while they walked toward a fish and chips shop for a late-night snack.
“So you are… dating Josh Cameron?” Francesco asked in his soft Italian accent. Though he was asking Liv the question, he looked at Colin as he waited for the answer.
Liv shrugged. “No. I don’t think you could call it that. But I guess I’ll see what happens.” Francesco was still looking at Colin, and Liv sensed there was some weird unspoken thing going on, but she couldn’t figure it out.
You hardly even know Colin, Liv thought, rationalizing the awkwardness. He’s obviously not interested—he’s hanging out with Rebecca! Besides… Josh Cameron, Colin, Josh Cameron, Colin… Do you really have a choice if there’s even a chance with Josh Cameron?
Liv linked arms with Anna, still perplexed by the exchange she had just witnessed between Colin and Francesco. Am I missing something? she wondered. Am I making a huge mistake? She studied Colin’s form strolling down the sidewalk in front of her. He stopped and turned, holding the door to the fish and chips shop open. As a smile spread across his face, Liv desperately tried to unravel the knot that had formed in her stomach. Uh-oh, she thought, recognizing the crush feeling all too well. What am I going to do?