‘Lady Gaga is a genius,’ Gabriel agrees. ‘And if you were trying to impress someone?’
‘Florence and the Machine, Royal Blood. If it was a boy I liked, I’d find out what he was into and then research the crap out of it so I could seduce him with my knowledge of his favourite bands.’
‘OK. Next question. How many times did your parents complain along the lines of “music used to have a tune in my day”?’
I laugh. ‘Lots.’
‘So what do they listen to?’
‘A mixture. My dad’s really into Gilbert and Sullivan, which doesn’t do anything for me, I’m afraid. But he also listens to Billy Joel, ELO, Genesis and David Bowie. The stuff he grew up with, I guess.’
‘And his father would doubtless have complained about that, and on and on back through the mists of time. That’s my point though. There’s no such thing as bad music, just different tastes. Well, I still maintain that singing along to a computer-generated backing track is lazy, but apart from that. And that’s another reason why spending time with you is so refreshing because, as well as treating me like a normal human being, you seem to be an open book where music is concerned.’
‘Apart from jazz.’
‘You liked the Gershwin. Tell me, what’s your favourite Lady Gaga song?’
‘I like lots of them,’ I say even as I’m frantically trying to digest what he’s just said and work out whether it means anything. ‘“Bad Romance”, “Born This Way”, “Poker Face”, but most of them really.’
‘OK. Are you up for a little musical mischief?’
I’m glad he clarified that. If he’d just have said ‘mischief’, my mind would have gone to some very dirty places. ‘What did you have in mind?’ I ask.
‘When you come to the hotel bar tomorrow, I’ll have one of those ready, or maybe all three. You’re going to record it on your phone and send it to Priya’s husband.’
‘I think he’d implode!’ I exclaim with a laugh. ‘He asked me to film you playing something else, actually. I’m trying to remember what it was. He said you’d made, like,therecording of it.’
‘Liszt. “La campanella”. I tell you what. We’ll start with that and, at some point before it ends, we’ll morph it into Lady Gaga, what do you think? Will he like that?’
‘Never mind him. I’m sure I’ll enjoy it.’
‘It’s a date then.’ He raises his eyebrows briefly, indicating that he’s fully aware of the dual meaning of that phrase. I’m surprised to find that it causes a physical reaction within me, and I find myself wondering what it would be like to kiss Gabriel. I study his mouth, which is still curved up in a smile. I suspect he would be very nice to kiss indeed. I can feel heat spreading through me as I contemplate it.
Come on, Tori, I tell myself firmly. Get a grip. He’s playing with you. There’s no intention behind it. He likes you, but that’s it.
Shame though, because I’m definitely getting into him.
22
‘Bloody hell, Robert!’ Stuart exclaims as we join the rest of the group for breakfast the next day. ‘Who died?’
‘Be gentle with him,’ I warn him. ‘He’s had another text mauling from Fliss.’
‘Well,’ Amy says archly. ‘I don’t blame her.’
Robert glares at her and even Stuart shoots her a warning look, but once again Amy is demonstrating her total inability to read the room, as she unwisely decides to continue.
‘I mean, if Stewie ever stole my dream holiday from me like you did, I’d finish with him too, but I know Stewie wouldn’t ever do something like that to me.’
‘Oh, yeah, he’s a fucking angel, that one,’ I murmur sarcastically, causing Stuart to look at me in alarm and Amy’s eyebrows to shoot up. I really must learn to keep these thoughts to myself.
‘I’m sorry, Tori, did you have something to say?’ Amy asks sharply.
‘Me? No. Nothing to say and no opinions on anything at all.’
‘Really? Because it sounded to me very much like you were expressing a negative opinion about my boyfriend. You seriouslyneed to get over him and move on. Anyway—’ she puts on a false sympathetic tone that makes me want to slap her, so goodness knows how Robert is feeling ‘—I’m afraid you’re only reaping what you sowed, Robert.’
‘Thank you for your words of encouragement,’ he says darkly before stalking off to help himself to the breakfast buffet.
