It was Friday morning. Four days since Zac had met Kat in the lift, decided he wanted to ask her out, then found out she was going to be his bodyguard. Four days of not driving his own car. Of living in a hotel. Of being quizzed about his friends, his acquaintances. His sex life.
Four evenings spent stuck in his hotel room feeling frustrated because he couldn’t go for a run, or down to the bar for a drink. Not without disturbing Kat.
And he still didn’t know who was stalking him, so he still didn’t know how much danger he was really in.
‘I’m out tonight,’ he reminded Kat as they walked into the underground car park together.
‘Umm.’ Her eyes scanned the concrete underbelly of the hotel, and Zac belatedly realised it was the wrong time to ask her anything. He was slowly learning she could switch off and on at will, and anywhere in the open, like a car park, she was as focused as a laser beam. It was reassuring, though he’d be far more reassured when they told him who the stalker actually was.
Or would he? A cold shiver ran down his spine as his thoughts hurtled towards that worse-case scenario, before he yanked them back.
Once they were in the Jeep and heading down the road, Kat finally responded to his earlier comment. ‘It’ll be Mark on duty tonight.’
A surprising lump of disappointment settled in his gut. ‘Hot date?’
Her laughter vibrated around the Jeep; it was that facet of her that he was starting to appreciate. Her vibrancy, her zest for life. ‘Not unless you count going to the cinema with my fourteen-year-old niece as a date.’
‘Is this the same niece who lives with you?’
She flicked him a glance. ‘So you do listen to some of the stuff I say.’
He listened to everything, every word, because the banter with Kat, the repartee during their car journeys, was fast becoming the highlight of his day. ‘You must be going to the cinema with Debs then, she of the one-syllable answers.’
She pursed her lips and shrugged, clearly doing an impression of a typical teenager. ‘Sure.’
‘I can see why you chose the cinema.’
‘Exactly. The thing is, when she’s not being monosyllabic, she’s actually funny, sassy and off the scale smart. I know I’m biased, but she’s the most amazing young person, she really is.’ Pride and affection wound through her voice. ‘She just needs more confidence. Mandy, my sister, her mum, she’s tried hard but between work and battling her addictions, it’s been tough.’
‘And the dad?’
Kat snorted. ‘That waste of space didn’t hang around when he found out Mandy was pregnant. Oh no. He disappeared faster than a … damn it, I can’t think of anything witty.’
‘England’s chances of regaining the Ashes?’
She gave him a wide-eyed look. ‘Oh God, please don’t tell me you’re a cricket fan.’ Before he could reply, she was answering her own question. ‘Of course you are. The posh background.’ She waved down at his tailored trousers. ‘The natty dressing. The way you do everything slowly, patiently, never in a rush. You’re bound to love cricket.’
‘Fast isn’t always better.’
She rolled her eyes at his double entendre. ‘Only a cricket lover would say that. Fast is exciting, thrilling. Adrenalin pumping. Lewis Hamilton, sweeping through Maggots, into Becketts and then haring onto the Hangar Straight. That’s sport. Not five days of men standing around in a field wearing white trousers.’
‘You’ve made your point,’ he said dryly, trying not to feel too entertained. His journeys to the studio were going to be infinitely duller when he no longer needed a bodyguard. ‘Have you always lived with your sister?’
‘I’ve always shared a house with her, yes. When I was in the army I was away a lot so she and Debs would get used to me not being there, and then have to readjust.’ Her eyes flicked between the rear-view mirror and the road ahead. ‘It’s not always been plain sailing, but we’re a unit. Having shitty parents brought us closer together probably, so we have something to thank them for, at least. What about you? Have you any siblings?’
He forced himself not to react. Giving himself a moment, he picked up three Starburst wrappers and screwed them into a ball. ‘A brother and a sister, yes. We’re not close.’ Because he didn’t want to give her any chance to question him further, he changed the subject onto something he did want to talk about. ‘You laughed when I asked if you had a hot date. Are you dating anyone?’
For the first time since he’d known her, Kat didn’t reply straight away. She’d openly spoken about her family, her job, her life as a soldier. Not, it seems, about her love life. ‘Aren’t you supposed to be learning your lines?’
He looked down at his forgotten script. Funny how his rule of reading through ten times had slipped since she’d started driving him to the studio. ‘It’s a fair question,’ he reminded her. ‘You grilled me on my romantic history.’ Even now, he cringed at the memory of that conversation. He wasn’t a guy who usually went for the quick and easy. He preferred to do the choosing and the chasing, because that way he knew if he was successful, he was wanted for himself, and not the fame that came with him. He’d succumbed to the overtures of the bold, busty Hannah, though. And the embarrassment, the shame of that sleazy encounter had burned through him when he’d spoken to Kat about it. He’d not even dared to look at her, fearing what he’d see on her face. Womanising actor who deserved to be stalked.
‘No,’ Kat said heavily. ‘I’m not dating anyone.’
‘Why not?’
Suddenly the car swerved as Kat pulled out to overtake the slow van in front of them.
‘Whoa.’ He grabbed onto the handle above the door to steady himself.
She glanced sideways. ‘You’re looking a little pale over there.’
‘I’m trying to persuade my breakfast to remain in my stomach.’ When he was certain there were no more overtaking manoeuvres ahead, he began to breathe again. ‘Rather an extreme way to avoid the question.’
‘I’m not avoiding anything. Just making sure nobody is following us.’
‘And now we’ve ascertained there is no evil plot to kidnap me … Why aren’t you dating anyone?’
‘Because nobody has asked.’
He angled his head to look at her and found she was staring ahead, an amused expression on her face. ‘And if someone were to ask?’
‘It would depend on the someone.’
It was on the tip of his tongue to ask, If that someone was me, but it was too obvious. He’d already made his attraction clear, and she’d not taken the bait. Pushing any further would embarrass them both. Worse, if she knocked him back, it would make their current situation intolerable.
‘Well I hope, when you find the someone to say yes to, he shares your love of …’ he indicated towards the inevitable carnage in the centre console of the Jeep. ‘Mess.’
She laughed, as he’d hoped she would. ‘Being messy is right up there on my list of attributes for the perfect man.’
He decided not to ask what the other attributes were. No doubt they included loving motorsport, not being an uptight, cagey bastard, and not being in the public eye.
***
Kat glanced at her watch, and then at Debs who was sat on her bed, fingers flying over her phone.
‘You realise the film started five minutes ago.’
Her niece’s eyes didn’t stray from the screen. ‘You said that already.’
‘No, five minutes ago I said the film was about to start. You said to give you two minutes.’
‘Oh my God, just chill.’
Kat leant against the wall. ‘I don’t mind being late. It’s my default position. But I’m not going to pay full price to see half a film, so if you’d rather stay here messaging your friends, that’s cool with me. I’ll go and get myself a beer.’
Debs huffed but stood up, squeezing her phone into the pocket of a pair of jeans so tight, Kat wondered how she could breathe. ‘Whatever. Let’s go.’
Her niece was silent on the way there, which wasn’t especially unusual, though the edge of tension Kat could see around her mouth, was. ‘Are you okay, Munchkin?’ she asked once they’d parked and were walking towards the huge cinema complex.
‘Sure.’ Debs heaved in a shuddery breath. ‘And stop with the stupid name. I’m not six anymore.’
More’s the pity. Six-year-old Debs had been cute as a button. Teenage Debs was a stroppy, hormonal disaster. ‘Who were you messaging?’
‘Mind your own business.’
If Kat didn’t know her niece so well, hadn’t lived with her for all of her fourteen years, she might have left it there. ‘Was it your mum?’
Debs glared at her. ‘So what if it was? I’m allowed to message my own mum, aren’t I?’
Kat’s heart melted at the vulnerability behind Debs’s stubborn stance. ‘You are. And you’re also allowed to be angry with her. And to tell me about that anger, because much as I love your mum, I feel it too.’ Debs didn’t reply, just stared ahead with a sullen expression on her face. ‘But once you’ve got the anger out of your system, you also need to understand that your mum doesn’t want to be away from you. She loves you. The fact that she’s prepared to put herself through this shows you how much, because she wants to change. She wants to be the mum you deserve.’
‘You said this already.’
‘I know I did. I also said when she does come home, she’ll be fitter and stronger than she’s been for a long time so it will have been worth it. I figured it was a good time to remind you.’
‘Fine.’
A lump shot into the back of Kat’s throat as she saw a single tear creep down her niece’s cheek. ‘Hey, come here.’ Dragging Debs into her arms, she soothed a hand up and down her back. ‘It’s going to be okay.’
‘You said that last time,’ Debs mumbled into her neck. ‘And the time before that.’
Damn, so she had. ‘Okay, you’ve got me. Those times I was hoping she’d be okay. This time I know she will be.’
Debs sniffed, finally pulling away. ‘How?’
Kat gazed directly into her niece’s dark-brown eyes. Eyes like hers, and like Mandy’s. ‘Before, she went because we asked her to. This time she asked to go. She wants to get better.’
The sad look Debs gave her tore at her heart. ‘I can’t stand it, the way she gets when she drinks.’
Kat squeezed her hand. ‘I know. She doesn’t mean to upset you. When she’s sober, she’s mortified that she has. But she was unlucky enough to get our father’s genes and it’s hard for her. Really hard, Debs. You have to remember that. She’s going to need all our support to get through it.’
‘Yeah, I know.’ Debs sucked in a breath, wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her jumper, and looked around her.
‘It’s okay, nobody’s looking.’
‘You don’t know that.’
Kat smiled. ‘’Course I do. It’s my job to assess the surroundings.’ She linked arms with Debs as they picked up the pace towards the cinema. ‘Come on. At this rate, we really are going to only see half a film.’
‘It’s alright. It’s Thomas Sangster. He’s not like my favourite actor.’
‘Who is then?’
‘Dylan O’Brien. Zac Edwards is fit, but a bit old.’
Kat ground to a halt just before the cinema entrance. ‘Zac Edwards?’
‘Duh, yes. He’s fit.’
‘You mean he works out a lot.’
Debs rolled her eyes. ‘Fit as in hot. Good looking.’
Well, what do you know. Smiling to herself, Kat ushered Debs into the lobby and handed over her debit card. ‘Be a sweetie and collect the tickets from the machine. I just need to message someone about work.’
As Debs flounced off, Kat sent off a quick text to Zac.
Guess what? My niece thinks you’re fit.
She knew he was out having drinks with the crew, so she was shocked when she received an instant reply.
Guess what? I am fit.
Laughing, she fired another back at him.
Does your fit self, fancy doing me a favour?
Once again the reply was immediate.
Name it.
She’d only known him five days, yet he was offering to help before he even knew what she wanted. Was he for real? Because she didn’t want to think about how much that meant to her, she deflected.
Lend me the Aston to go rally cross racing?
His reply had her shaking her head in amusement.
Do I have to be in it too?
He was kind, she realised. Beneath the glossy layers of celebrity was a funny, kind man.
That was a joke. The favour I really want is for you to phone my niece and say hello.
She pinged him the phone number just as Debs walked back to her with the tickets.
‘Here.’ As she thrust the tickets at Kat, miraculously, her niece’s mobile started to buzz.
‘You’d better get that.’
Debs frowned, digging out her phone. ‘It’s an unknown number.’
‘It’s okay, I’m here. Put it onto me if you think it’s dodgy.’
Debs pressed answer. ‘Hello.’
Kat couldn’t hear the voice on the other end. She could only watch the changing expressions on her niece’s face – confusion, disbelief, wonder – and hear her responses. ‘No way?’ Pause. ‘Is this a joke?’ Debs, eyes wide, stared over at Kat. ‘She never said.’ Pause. ‘I’ll tell her. My mates will go mental. And my drama teacher. She’s always banging on about taking us there but never has.’ Pause. ‘For real? Gucci.’ Laughter. ‘Yeah. Bye.’
Kat smiled to herself as saw her niece’s hands tremble as she pushed her phone back in her pocket. ‘Everything okay?’
‘OMG, Kat. Why didn’t you tell me? Zac fucking Edwards.’
‘Language.’
Debs giggled, jumping up and down like a big kid. ‘I mean, I’ve just been talking to Zac Edwards.’
‘What did you have to tell me?’
‘What? Oh, he said you have to bring me down to the studio one day. He’ll show me around. And I can bring my school mates, if I want.’ She put a hand to her head, clearly still in shock. ‘I mean, I can’t believe this, he said he’s looking forward to meeting me.’
Kat could just imagine it. The smooth language. Those impeccable manners. ‘Did he know what Gucci meant?’
Debs snorted, her whole face looking so much more alive than it had five minutes ago. ‘He said something like “Can I presume that’s a positive?”’ She giggled. ‘He’s dead posh, isn’t he?’
‘He certainly is.’ Kat glanced at her watch in horror. ‘And we’re dead late for this blasted film now.’
Debs shrugged. ‘It’s Gucci.’
And then she laughed, and while Kat knew this wasn’t over, that Debs would have some difficult times ahead, at least now, tonight, she was reassured to see her niece with a smile on her face.