‘Oscar, if I hear you say that you can’t be in a relationship one more time I’mgoing to carve the word “relationship” into a wooden plank and beat you over the head with it.’ Olive took another long sip of her drink.
‘Wow. You’rereallynot okay with it.’ Oscar didn’t know whether to laugh or apologise.
‘Who would be?’ She gestured to the people in the room, ‘You show me a girl who would be okay with a guy who treats her exactly like she’s his girlfriend butwon’t actually call her his girlfriend? It’s madness. It makes no sense.’
‘I know. I know it doesn’t and I’m sorry. I didn’t count on liking you so much but that doesn’t change the fact that I just can’t commit to anything right now and —’
‘AGH, AGH, AGH! Shush! I get it! I understand! But just because I understand, it doesn’t mean I’m okay with it and just because I’m not okay withit doesn’t mean I’m going to bail on it. This is too good for that.’
‘We’retoo good for that,’ he said.
‘And he finally gets the hang of it!’
‘I’m guessing kissing you right now would be out of the question?’ Oscar asked, fiddling with her fingers, and Olive’s heart almost leapt out of her mouth and into his.
‘Says the man who abandoned me when even the slightest hintof what was happening between us escaped onto the internet. There’s press at this party. It might happen again.’
‘Well, maybe I’ve learnt my lesson.’
‘And what lesson is that?’
‘That it doesn’t matter what other people think. If other people want to speculate, let them. That shouldn’t interfere with how we feel and how we act around each other and if I want to kiss you, then,damnit, I’m going to… as long as it’s okay with you?’
‘And what if it’s not?’
‘It’d suck. But I’d just have to deal with it and —’ Without warning Olive took his chin between her thumb and her curled fingers, turned his head to face her, and pressed her lips against his. The shock of it wore off quickly and Oscar wrapped his arms around her and noticed just how easily she fit there.Olive could feel him smiling against her lips and she enjoyed the taste of champagne on his tongue, but that was only a small part of the reason she kept leaning back in for more kisses.
‘I’ve missed you,’ he whispered.
‘I know,’ she laughed.
‘Haven’t you missed me?’ He squeezed her tight.
‘Oh, you’re so needy!’ She rolled her eyes but couldn’t keep the smile from herlips nor the sparkle from her eyes. ‘Please don’t screw me over, Oscar?’
‘I’m not a loser,’ he said, but she narrowed her eyes at him and he could see the cogs in her head turning. ‘I acted like a loser. But I’m not one. I’ve learned my lesson and I won’t be making the same mistakes twice. I promise.’ Olive nodded. ‘I choose you,’ he whispered, brushing his nose against hers, but a largecrash from somewhere inside the building made them reluctantly turn their attention away from each other.
‘What the hell was that?’ Michael ran up the few steps and flung open the double doors that led to the back of the auditorium. ‘Oh my God…!’ Michael shouted as he ran down the central aisle to the stage, followed by Howard and a couple of the show’s producers.
‘What’s going on?’Olive took Oscar’s hand and led him over to the doors.
‘Stay there, let me take a look first,’ Oscar said, putting his hands on her shoulders, but Olive caught a glimpse of something and her stomach turned.
‘Who is that on the stage?’ she asked.
‘Probably someone in the crew. I’ll go and have a check. You stay here.’
‘Someone call an ambulance!’ Howard’s voice soundedpanicked and Olive could see Jane scrambling to call the number on her phone while Tamara turned away from the group with her hands over her eyes.
‘Oz, where’s Doug?’ Olive scanned the bar for Doug’s face, but he was the only person she couldn’t see. ‘WHERE’S DOUG?!’ Olive shouted as she pushed her way out of Oscar’s hands and ran as best she could in her heels towards the stage. A smallcrowd had formed; glass and twisted bits of metal scattered at their feet and something inside Olive already knew what she was about to find.
‘Hello? Yes, I need an ambulance. It’s my friend… something’s happened.’ Jane fought through her tears to explain. The sound of Olive’s heartbeat filled her ears, drowning out Jane’s voice, as she stopped at the orchestra pit and gripped the velvet-coveredrail in her cold yet sweaty hands.
As she looked towards the stage, Olive could see Doug’s body lying at Howard’s feet. His face was twisted towards her, but she could barely make out his features under the veil of blood coating his face. Next to his head was a large light from the rigging above their heads, crushing his shoulder and his arm and pinning him to the stage. Oscar caught Oliveas her knees gave way underneath her.
‘He’s unconscious, Olive,’ Howard said, as he walked towards her. ‘He’s alive but his arm is trapped. We can’t move it because we don’t know how… how bad it is.’
‘Howard, what can I do?’ Oscar asked.
