She walked into the kitchen and all eyes swivelled in her direction. ‘Right, where do you want me?’ she asked clapping her hands together.
‘Out,’ said Fraser.
‘What, in the dining room already?’
She sensed something was wrong. Fraser stared her down. ‘No, I want you to pack your stuff and leave.’
Stunned didn’t quite cover how Liv felt in that moment. It was like Ginger had sat on her as all the air seemed to have been punched from her lungs. ‘Why? What have I done?’
Fraser shook his head. ‘You know what you’ve done and I canna deal with this right now, so I’m politely asking you to leave.’
The kitchen door opened and an ominous-looking Robbie stood in the doorway and beckoned Liv out. ‘Is this about Effie because—’
‘See you do know,’ said Fraser. ‘Don’t make this worse. Please just go.’ The way he looked at her hurt her more than she cared to admit. But above all, the unfairness of it all overwhelmed her. After everything that had gone on she was gutted that he could dismiss her so easily. The last few days had been intense and certainly they’d had their ups and downs, but to be so blunt and final without giving her any opportunity to defend herself was too much.
There were so many things she wanted to say but emotions were bubbling too close to the surface and she feared as soon as she tried to explain she’d turn into a snotty, gibbering mess – why did that always happen? She would not give these people the satisfaction of seeing her cry. Instead she lifted her chin, turned around and stormed past Robbie. She fled upstairs and threw her things into her bag. Where the hell were all her socks? She knew she’d upset Effie but what Fraser obviously wasn’t aware of was that she was trying to help Effie, yet she couldn’t explain without breaking Effie’s confidence. The injustice of it burned her gut. As she came out of the bedroom still fuelled by anger she almost sent Robbie flying.
‘Can I help?’ asked Robbie, stretching out a hand to take her bag. He froze as his radio crackled into life. All she could make out was something about graffiti, but Robbie seemed to understand every word. Perhaps it was like mums and toddlers where they were so used to hearing the incoherent babble that only they could decipher it. She lifted her bag higher onto her shoulder and marched past him. This was not how she wanted things to end. Poor Effie, she was about to get her heart broken and most likely her bank account wiped clean, and Liv was powerless to stop it. Halfway down the staircase Robbie overtook her. ‘Emergency,’ he said as he raced by.
At the bottom of the stairs she turned to follow him. The front door slammed behind Robbie and the loud noise made Liv jolt. She was Olivia Bingham. She’d done nothing wrong so why was she skulking about? This wasn’t how the new Liv would behave.
She pulled back her shoulders ready to face the opposition but there was nobody about; everyone was busy. Her shoulders slumped down. The front door opened and as she assumed it was Robbie coming back to make sure she was leaving she dashed behind the reception desk and bobbed down. She would leave when she was ready and not when Robbie and the Bonnie Scott’s clan decided. She wasn’t entirely sure why she was hiding. Did that make her look more guilty? She heard footsteps. It definitely wasn’t Robbie, unless he’d popped out to put on a pair of heels. The heels click-clacked over the parts of the hallway that were uncarpeted and then nothing. Was the mystery woman walking on the carpet or had they stopped?
Liv was about to peep over the top of the reception desk when someone repeatedly and incredibly annoyingly tapped the reception bell in quick succession. Liv jumped up and was pleased that her sudden appearance made the woman gasp and flinch.
‘Hello, welcome to Lochy House Hotel. How can I help?’ asked Liv.
The woman in front of her was very well made up with long golden blow-dried hair and sharp eyes. ‘Who are you?’
That was an odd question to ask someone on a reception desk. ‘I’m Liv and I’m here to help.’Probably only for about another minute before someone forcibly evicts me,she added in her head.
‘I need to see Fraser. It’s important.’ Her voice had a hard edge to it and her eyes conveyed her instant disdain for Liv.
Liv heard the kitchen door open and as she glanced in that direction she saw Effie looking wide-eyed at the new visitor. ‘I’m afraid he’s rather busy this evening. If you tell me who you are I’m sure I can help you?’ said Liv.
The woman scanned Liv up and down. ‘I doubt that very much. You have ten seconds to get Fraser or I will find him myself.’ She had even more of a resting cow face than Ginger. She turned away from Liv and the kitchen door swung too and fro rapidly, as Effie made a hasty retreat.
‘I’m happy to ask Fraser but I’m going to need some information from you, otherwise he’s not coming out because like I said he’s very busy this evening with—’
The kitchen door swung open with force and Fraser came storming out. His face was stern but he looked impressive as he strode towards them. His eyes were fixed on the woman but there was a moment where his gazed flicked to Liv and he looked surprised to see her manning the reception desk, which she had to concede was probably understandable. Liv began to hum ‘Emotions’ by Mariah Carey, which made Fraser do a double take before turning his attention back to the other woman.
‘What are you doing here, Lizzie? Have you not done enough?’ asked Fraser.
Lizzie! This was the famous ex-girlfriend. Liv was enthralled. She would not have put those two together in a million years.
‘Fraser darling, I am here to put things right between us,’ said Lizzie, her voice now lacking the hard edge of earlier. ‘Perhaps I could have a quiet word?’
‘And what would Callum have to say about that?’
Lizzie contorted her pretty features and put on mock-sad eyes. ‘I’m afraid we’ve split up.’
Fraser snorted and shook his head. ‘You just screw people up and throw them away, don’t you? It’s like a hobby for you.’
‘Sometimes things just don’t work out. But it’s important to recognise your mistakes, which is why I’m here. Come on, Fraser, this is me waving the white flag.’
‘I don’t have time for whatever your latest game is. I’m busy with the showcase dinner.’
‘It’s going ahead?’ She seemed surprised.
