I swallow down a jealous urge. ‘Oh.’
‘About work.’
‘Oh.’
‘About her threatening to pull the plug on the deal. If she walks, the singer walks. If the singer walks, the deal with the record company falls through. It’s that simple.’
‘Ah. And is she okay with you now?’
‘No.’
‘Oh.’
I’m discovering I’m not what you call a natural conversationalist under pressure.
Just then, his phone pings. He reads the message. ‘It’s her. She wants to meet me.’
* * *
‘Matteo just needs to sort things with Birdie,’ Ged says soothingly as we walk a groggy Luke back to my room. ‘She’s threatened to quit in the heat of the moment. When she calms down, she’ll be okay. You know what the French are like.’
All ooh-la-la and sex appeal?
We plonk Luke on the chaise longue. None of this has properly sunk in. Liam fixes him a double brandy from the minibar but ends up drinking it himself.
How could such a beautiful day end so badly?
I recap the events of today in my mind. The search party came up with nothing. It’s as though Hank Junior has disappeared. He doesn’t want to be found. Matteo looked so disappointed to leave but he didn’t exactly put up a fight against Birdie. He never even gave me a chance to ask him to stay. He just pivoted and walked out. Walked out to where? Her room? My body shivers at the thought of him in her room. She’ll do anything to get the two of them together. This might be just the catalyst she’s been after. I don’t trust her one bit.
How, on my wedding night, did I manage to end up sharing a room with Luke while Matteo is in a room with Birdie? How?
It pinches at my heart. I reach for my phone. No message from him.
* * *
‘I wonder what time Matteo will come back.’ Liam yawns, a few hours into them helping me babysit Luke. They are clearly getting bored, and all the miniatures have been drunk. ‘It’s just the butler… He might… need us.’
Ged is snoring, slumped face down: half on, half off the sofa. Liam shakes him awake.
‘Just go,’ I say, waving them towards the door. ‘We’ll be okay.’
Luke has not moved a muscle since we arrived. He is staring glumly into space.
‘Are you sure?’ checks Ged. ‘We can wait.’
‘I’ll be fine. He’ll be back any minute.’ I’m not in the slightest bit sure what time he’ll be back, but I really don’t want to spoil Ged and Luke’s pre-moon any more than is necessary. ‘I’ll phone Big Sue if anything happens.’
‘What do you think might happen?’ Luke shrieks, suddenly wide awake.
‘Nothing,’ I say. ‘Nothing will happen.’Please God.
‘Okay. Well, we’ll leave you to it. If you’re sure.’ Liam is discreetly nodding towards Luke, who is slumped on the chaise longue. His face is haunted and thoroughly miserable.
‘I’ll be fine,’ I assure them as they leave.
‘I’m having a shower,’ says Luke, getting up and walking over to the bathroom. ‘I might as well stay in there. It’ll be easier for housekeeping to mop up the blood.’
I roll my eyes. ‘Whatever.’
