A screaming mob of women start harassing the security team to get to whoever they are protecting. Birdie makes a frustrated gargling sound.
‘Sorry I can’t stay. Send me the video. Who knew my kisses fizz like champagne?’ He leans over to place a light kiss on my lips. ‘You’re right. They do.’
Glittery tingles race through my veins.
‘By the way,’ he says over his shoulder as he follows Birdie back out of the bar, ‘the sweater looks great on you.’
24
The next morning brings a whole new challenge. Matteo kept texting me all night but failed to make it back, which was very disappointing. Whoever he and Birdie are working with is sure working them hard. Must be a right perfectionist. I have heard nothing from the Dollz since they all dropped out of today’s gig. Nothing from Luke so fingers crossed he must have made it on to the plane. I race down to the breakfast meet point. Ged and Liam seem very smug. There’s something fresh and wholesome about them. They look like they have been in a spa for the last three years.
‘OMG,’ I say, flabbergasted. ‘You’re not yellow. It finally faded.’
Liam smiles at me. ‘Thanks to Matteo.’ Liam launches into this whole story of how Matteo organised a beauty therapist to come and paint them purple last night. Apparently, it has neutralised the yellow tone and turned them back to their normal colour. ‘Then we had the whole works.’
‘The full VIP Detox, Deflate and Diminish package,’ Ged gushes. ‘I’ve never felt so energised.’
‘I thought you’d cast Matteo out of the family into the dark abyss?’ I remind them. ‘On account of him having to save his company from ruin to secure the jobs of his poor staff whose livelihoods were hanging in the balance?’
‘We were only defending your honour,’ says Liam sheepishly. ‘But when we stopped to think about it, Matteo was really stuck between a rock and a hard place, wasn’t he?’
I nod.
‘He’s very thoughtful. I’ll give him that,’ says Ged. ‘When I asked about Luke, he told me he’d taken care of everything to see him safely on the plane, so unless Hank Junior has contacts in the UK, he’ll survive this ordeal.’
‘He told you that? When?’
Ged makes a big deal of searching his memory. So much must have happened since yesterday evening. ‘Yesterday. Right after we got back. He came to see us. He was gutted we were so upset with him.’
‘He was very manly about it all. Wanted to assure us his intentions were honourable and that the legal side of the wedding was a genuine administrative error.’
‘Did he give any indication as to what he thought might happen? Annulment-wise?’ I ask, trying to sound casual.
Liam shakes his head. ‘No, love. But can you imagine waking up to that face every morning?’ he says, a dreamy glimmer in his eye.
Ged coughs loudly. ‘Meanwhile, back on planet Earth, Connie, you can’t seriously want to stay married to a man you’ve only just met. You’ve barely been on a date with him, never mind agreeing to spend the rest of your lives together. How could you possibly know he’s the one for you? I mean, just look at the way Luke turned your head in the beginning. Are you sure you want to commit to Matteo? What do you really know about him? What toothpaste does he use, for Christ’s sake? What’s his go-to Netflix binge-watch?’
He’s right. Ged always manages to get right to the nub of things. But all I have to go on is my gut feeling. ‘I love him. And he loves me. He just told me.’
Ged and Liam beam at me for a few moments before swooping me into a big hug. ‘Well, that’s good enough for us,’ says Liam. ‘Now, what’s on the pre-moon agenda today?’
I step out of the hug to swipe my phone. ‘This morning is supposed to be a visit to the weird and whimsical, immersive, psychedelic art exhibit at Omega Mart, followed by Eddie from Talent Star’s birthday bash. It’s up at the pool, where you have your private cabana. At least you’ll get a great view of all the entertainment.’
‘Apparently, he has a famous DJ flying in,’ says Ged, ever one to keep his ear to the ground. ‘Our concierge told me yesterday.’
Just then my phone pings. I hope it’s Matteo and not the Dollz confirming they are dropping out of today’s activities.
Shite.
‘Why have you gone pale?’ asks Liam. ‘Oh, God. Is it an update on the killer?’
‘Worse. It’s Nancy. She’s reminding me that we need to give a top-notch performance for Eddie, because she owes him big time and has promised him the works.’ I gulp.
‘What’s the problem?’
‘I’m missing a few Dollz, is the problem,’ I say, explaining the situation. ‘And so, I might need you guys as backup if they don’t show this afternoon.’
Ged and Liam are usually very keen to join me on stage.
