‘Thank you so much, ladies and gentlemen,’ he begins. ‘Before I play my encore, I’d like to tell you a little bit about it. During my annual break this year, I met someone, and I’m delighted to tell you that she’s here with us tonight. I won’t embarrass her by asking her to make herself known to you, but this encore is dedicated to Tori, with sincere apologies to Franz Liszt, who wrote the original.’
I’m aware of both Mrs Brown and Constance looking at me as he sets the microphone down and, after pausing for a moment, begins to play. I instantly recognise the hesitant opening notes of ‘La campanella’ and my heart goes into my mouth as I realise what he’s about to do. Sure enough, he launches into a version of the mashup he played me in the bar of the Elixir but, as well as the Lady Gaga themes I recognise from before, he’s added a section dominated by the riff from ‘Disturbia’.When he finishes, there’s a moment of total silence where I briefly start to wonder if he’s made a colossal mistake, before the audience goes absolutely nuts, on their feet once more, clapping and cheering. It seems like the adulation is never going to end as Gabriel bowsover and over but, eventually, it starts to die down and Gabriel leaves the stage.
‘I’ve never seen him do anything like that before,’ Constance says in a tone that could equally be amazement or horror.
‘So brave to improvise over such a well-loved work,’ Mrs Brown adds. ‘But total genius. Tell me, Tori, what were those parts he added? They sounded vaguely familiar but I couldn’t place them.’
I’m just about to tell her when we’re interrupted by the arrival of a runner holding an envelope. ‘I have a message for Tori,’ he announces. ‘Which one of you is that?’
‘That’s me,’ I tell him. He presses the envelope into my hand and disappears as quickly as he’d come. My name is written on the front in a spiky scrawl, and I’m aware of my heart quickening as I slit it open and remove a single sheet of paper. I scan it quickly with a mounting sense of disbelief, before letting my legs buckle as I sink back into the chair.
‘Are you OK, honey?’ Constance is standing right next to me, but her voice sounds distant. ‘You look a little pale all of a sudden.’
‘Nothing a glass of something at the after-concert party won’t fix, I’m sure,’ I hear Mrs Brown say, but I already know I’m not going to the after-show party. I can feel tears of bewilderment starting to fall as I slowly re-read the words in the letter.
Dear Tori,
I hope you enjoyed this evening, especially the champagne and strawberries. I have really valued your friendship and I wanted to give you this experience as a token of my gratitude. I wish we could have had longer together, but the time has come for me to focus once more on my work. From here I fly straight to the US for a concert tour and then I have a number of other engagements planned, soI think it’s best to say goodbye now. I’d invite you to join us at the after-concert party, but I’ll be busy pressing the flesh of the sponsors and keeping my supporters onside, so I’ve arranged for the car to take you straight back.
It really has been a pleasure knowing you, and I wish you every happiness in your future.
Love
Gabriel. xx
30
‘How dare he? And who dumps someone by letter anyway?’ Robert’s voice is full of outrage on my behalf. I’m sitting on the single bed in our room, numb with shock. After receiving Gabriel’s letter, I couldn’t get away from the concert venue fast enough. Thankfully, Berkley was waiting for me exactly where he’d said he would be and, although he didn’t say anything, part of me wondered whether he knew what had happened.
‘I think he’d have texted if he could,’ I reply flatly. ‘But he’d have remembered that my phone doesn’t work outside the hotel Wi-Fi so resorted to a letter to make sure I got the message before the after-concert party. Heaven forbid I should have pitched up and forced him to say it to my face.’
‘I think I would have done exactly that,’ Robert says, handing the piece of paper back to me. ‘This is pure cowardice. I’m kind of surprised you didn’t, actually. Where’s the feisty Tori we all know and love?’
‘I was tempted,’ I admit. ‘But thankfully reason kicked in. Can you imagine the scene? Him trying to let me down gently while his whole family looked on in pity. And that’s assuming that I even got in front of him without fucking Harveyintercepting me and telling me to run along like a good girl. Ugh. No, thank you. At least this way I get to keep my dignity intact. And I blocked and deleted his number on the way back, as a gesture of defiance.’
‘It just doesn’t add up,’ he continues, his tone softer now. ‘I mean, didn’t he say he wanted to carry on seeing you once you were back in the UK?’
‘He did,’ I agree. ‘And I was thinking about that in the car as well. I reckon there are two Gabriels. There’s the lovely guy I met and spent time with, and then there’s this one.’ I brandish the piece of paper to emphasise my point. ‘The one who’s totally in thrall to bloody Harvey and thinks of nothing except his work. I should have seen what was coming after the way he behaved at the airport.’
‘Well, for what it’s worth, I’m sorry. You deserved better.’
‘I did, and I do.’ A thought comes to me and I laugh bitterly. ‘Do you realise, it’s still only February, and so far this year I’ve slept with two men who’ve turned out to be total arseholes? Even by my usually low standards, that’s impressive.’
‘I still don’t get it,’ Robert says after a while. ‘I mean, you met his family and everything.’
‘Let it go,’ I tell him.
‘Is that what you’re going to do? Just like that?’
‘I don’t think I really have a choice,’ I explain. ‘He’s back in Harvey’s grasp, off to be a fabulous wanker on his concert tour, and driving myself round the bend trying to work out what was real and what he just told me to keep me sweet isn’t going to help me. It’s just giving him yet more headspace that he doesn’t deserve.’
There’s a long silence before Robert speaks.
‘I admire you,’ he says eventually.
‘What? Why?’
‘You’re right. You’ve been badly let down twice in quick succession. Firstly by Stuart, and now Gabriel. That’s enough to crush anyone’s spirits. But not only do you refuse to be crushed, you’ve stood up to Stuart, dealt with Amy, and helped me to stop being the arse during my own breakup.’
