‘Jean-Marc! You were wonderful!’ David sighed, cuddling up to his boyfriend.
Frank stepped up to Jean-Marc’s side, throwing one meaty arm over his shoulders.
‘Well done, buddy, ’ he said.
‘I feel so dizzy—’ Jean-Marc said, still looking white as a sheet. ‘That was so scary, I can’t believe I managed to do that—’
‘We’re gonna get you straight home to Cascabel, ’ Frank promised. He looked over at Niels. ‘Plane refuelled and everything, Mr van der Veer?’
Niels nodded.
‘OK then, say your goodbyes, ’ Frank instructed Jean-Marc. ‘Boy, are you gonna crash on the flight back!’
As Lola hugged Jean-Marc tightly, his body already felt limp as a rag doll, drained from the effort it had taken to say ‘No’ to Patricia for the first time in his life.
‘I love you, Lo, ’ he murmured in her ear.
‘I love you too, Jean-Marc. Be well, ’ she said, swallowing hard, as he was hugged by Suzanne, then India, and finally fell into David’s arms.
‘Time to break it up, ’ Frank said, and Jean-Marc and David reluctantly detached themselves.
Jean-Marc turned to face his brother.
‘Thank you, Niels, ’ he said. ‘For trusting me. For looking after me. For being my big brother.’
The hard lines of Niels’s face softened as he looked down at Jean-Marc.
‘I’ll always take care of you, Jean, ’ he promised.
‘No, as soon as I get all better, I’ll start taking care of you, ’ Jean-Marc insisted. ‘It’s about time.’
He reached up to whisper something in Niels’s ear, resting one hand on his brother’s wide shoulder. As Jean-Marc pulled away, Lola saw with astonishment that Niels’s face was bright red.
‘You know I’m right!’ Jean-Marc said, with a trace of his old jauntiness, as he looked over at Frank, standing right next to him. ‘Time to go, ’ he said. ‘I know. I love you all!’
And he made a grand exit down the flight of marble steps, Frank fielding off the reporters and photographers while Jean-Marc blew kisses at them right till the minute their limo pulled away.
Suzanne took a deep breath.
‘Niels, I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done for my daughter!’ she said gratefully. ‘Without you finding Mr Ranieri and working out poor Ben’s password, I’m sure Lola would be in prison by now. It’s so kind of you to have helped out. Especially since you only know Lola as darling Jean-Marc’s, um, ex-fiancée . . . well, best friend now, I suppose . . .’
‘Definitely best friend, ’ David chimed in, smiling at Lola.
‘So why don’t we grab Lola’s marvellous legal team and all go back to the Plaza and celebrate!’ Suzanne suggested.
‘I have other plans, I’m afraid, ’ Niels said rather curtly.
‘Oh, but that’s impossible!’ Suzanne cried, all the beauty and charm that had got her cast as the Sunsilk girl very much to the fore. ‘You can’t just sweep in here and save Lola from prison and leave again without so much as letting us raise a glass to how wonderful you’ve been!’
‘Yes, you have to come, ’ India chimed in, staring up at Niels worshipfully. ‘I mean, it wouldn’t be the same without you!’
Niels shook his head emphatically, like a lion impatiently dismissing some gadflies buzzing round him. His silver stare was fixed on Lola’s diminutive, black-clad figure, her smooth golden head, sparks of gold in the sunlight from the yellow diamond earrings glittering in her ears as she looked back at him, her dark eyes wide, her lips slightly parted.
‘I’ve got another plane waiting at Teterboro, scheduled to take off in about an hour and a half, ’ he said gruffly to her. ‘I’ve hired a private island, in Thailand. Very quiet, very luxurious.’ He cleared his throat noisily. ‘I thought you might want to come with me – get away from everything – just sunbathe and get some massages and swim in the ocean—’
‘You’re asking Lola?’ Suzanne exclaimed, completely bewildered. ‘But you don’t even know her!’ She looked at her daughter. ‘Do you?’
Not really, Lola thought. He’s never asked me one thing about myself. All he does is shout at me before we have meaningless animal sex.
Niels had folded his arms across his chest, staring straight at her. The breeze caught the stray lock of his hair, blowing it across his frowning forehead. The marble pillar behind him couldn’t have looked more solid and unyielding than he did, his shoulders set, his legs braced as he waited for Lola’s answer.
She didn’t say a word: she just started running towards him. He unfolded his arms wide and scooped her off the ground just as she reached him, tossing her high in the air so she squealed in delight and shock before he caught her, settling her high on his chest, her head nuzzled into his shoulder.
‘I’ll bring her back in a few weeks, ’ he said over his shoulder. ‘Oh, and, um – nice to meet you, Mrs Fitzgerald.’
‘It seemed rude to say no after you saved me from prison . . . A fate worse than death!’ Lola said breathlessly into his ear as he carried her down the stairs.
‘It was purely selfish, ’ Niels said carelessly. ‘It would be a waste to send a girl as pretty as you to jail for the rest of her life.’
‘Oh, Niels, admit it. You wanted to fuck me again, ’ Lola said, throwing caution to the winds.
She looked up at him.
‘You’ve gone red!’ she crowed happily.
‘I’ll make you pay for that—’ Niels said malevolently, as a myriad camera flashes and TV lights hit them both full in their blushing faces, the paparazzi literally screaming in ecstasy at the sight of Lola Fitzgerald, society It girl, only just absolved of the murder of her father, swept off her feet by the fantastically sexy brother of her ex-fiancé.
‘Lola! Niels! Are you guys a couple now? Please, say something!’ yodelled a reporter for E! News, hyperventilating so much with excitement that she was reaching for her inhaler even as she yelled the question.
‘Miss Fitzgerald is much too busy to talk. And so am I, ’ Niels said, reaching one big hand up Lola’s back, to her head, and pulling it up so that he could reach her mouth with his own.
When he came up for air, Lola was too dizzy to do anything but cling to him, her head buried in the silk and wool fabric of his suit, as he ducked down to place her inside the stretch limo, sliding in after her. The door closed, and the car took off, leaving the journalists running behind, still screeching questions.
‘Well!’ Suzanne said, staring in amazement as Niels’s limo pulled away. ‘I suppose it’s always true that a mother’s the last to know about what’s going on in her daughter’s love life, but still—’
She looked at India and Evie.
‘Did anyone have any idea that this was going on?’ she asked.
India and Evie shook their heads.
‘Well, that’s a relief, ’ Suzanne commented. ‘I mean, at least I’m not the only one to be completely in the dark.’
‘Oh Suzanne, please, ’ David said. ‘Lola used to blush bright red every time Jean-Marc mentioned Niels’s name. You never picked up on that?
Suzanne shook her head.
‘Jean and I had our suspicions all along, ’ David said smugly.
‘I must be a terrible mother, ’ Suzanne sighed.
‘He’s so gorgeous, ’ India sighed. ‘Lola’s really, really lucky . . .’
Evie and David nodded fervently in agreement.
‘And Jean-Marc did amazingly, ’ India added to David. ‘You must be really proud of him.’
‘I know, ’ David said, patting her hand. ‘I miss him so, but he was wonderful today. And he’ll be back here before I know it.’
He kissed Evie on the cheek.
‘You were a good friend to Lola, ’ he said. ‘We’re all so grateful. And you know she meant it. She’ll take care of you too. You’ve got your penthouse back, honey. And a glittering career ahead of you. I see real diamonds in your act now, not Swarovski. Very exciting
!’
Evie smiled at him. ‘I can’t wait to be famous, ’ she confided.
‘We can’t wait for you to be famous!’ David said happily. ‘How I’m going to boast when you’re the most famous burlesque star in the world!’
‘Evie?’ Suzanne said to her.‘Would you like to join us for our celebration?’
Evie smiled back at her.
‘Thanks, Suzanne. That’s really sweet of you. Maybe I’ll come along later.’
Suzanne, Ranieri, David and India descended the courthouse steps to collect Lola’s legal team. And then it was just Evie and Lawrence, standing on the marble terrace, blue sky and sunlight behind the heavy marble pillars, a fresh wind from the Hudson river lifting Evie’s hair, Lawrence’s clear grey eyes looking directly into Evie’s.
Below them, halfway down the wide staircase, Joshua Greene had finished his press conference and Simon Poluck was taking his place in front of the massed bank of microphones, ready to give a statement of triumph on Lola’s behalf: the journalists were a mob of baying excitement, determined to get the full scoop on what was by far the most exciting celebrity gossip of the year, if not the decade. Disinherited heiress accused of murder! Attacks pole-dancing mermaid onstage at burlesque club! Her ex-fiancé overdoses with a transvestite, comes out as gay and goes back into rehab! Her stepmother caught on film committing the murder! And then, the heiress runs off with her ex’s brother, an international tycoon!
No wonder grown men and women were shoving microphones at Simon Poluck and pleading, with tears in their eyes, for the full story.
‘Evie—’
‘Lawrence—’
They both started at the same time, and then broke off, laughing nervously.
Evie looked up at Lawrence, her heart in her eyes.
‘I’ve been spending so much time trying to find a way to say this, ’ Lawrence said, ‘and then I realised the simplest way is always the best. You must know I’m in love with you.’
‘Lawrence!’ Evie squealed, sounding exactly like the kind of fluffy, silly girl she had always despised.
Colour touched Lawrence’s high pale cheekbones.
‘You must have known, Evie, ’
‘You never said it!’
‘I knew you wouldn’t want to hear it, ’ he said soberly. ‘You weren’t exactly in the right place for a declaration of love.’ He swallowed. ‘I’m not even sure you’re in the right place now.’
The next second, he found himself staggering back as Evie jumped up and threw herself onto him, her legs wrapping round his waist, her arms round his neck, kissing him with abandon.
‘I am! I’m exactly in the right place!’ she cried happily. ‘I am, Lawrence! I love you too!’
Lawrence’s mouth on hers, Lawrence’s strong lean body holding her so easily, was like rain in the desert. Evie hadn’t realised how much she’d missed him till this moment. She could have screamed from sheer relief; it was as if, ever since breaking up with Lawrence, she’d been holding her breath, and now she could finally let it out.
‘I never want to leave you again, ’ she said, locking her calves round his waist so tightly he’d have needed a pry bar to get her off him. ‘I never want to be sleeping downstairs and know you’re up there with that stupid bitch crushing on you and being snotty to me – God, I hated her so bad!’
‘Evie—’
‘Fuck it, Lawrence, you’re moving out of that shithole tomorrow, we’ll be back in my lovely penthouse and live there together and train together and it’ll be just the most amazing life ever, I’m so fucking happy—’
‘Evie.’
Lawrence’s tone, quiet, controlled, yet carrying absolute authority, cut through Evie’s joyous babble like a warm Sabatier knife through butter. She stopped dead, her eyes widening nervously, pulling back so she could see his face.
‘What?’ Her heart was pounding; she was freaking out.
‘There’s something very important I need to get straight, ’ Lawrence said.
‘The apartment? You don’t want to live there because of Benny?’ Evie said in panic, realising how much Lawrence meant to her. ‘OK! OK, if that’s what it takes! I’ll sell it!’
God, I love that apartment so much, I’ll hate to leave it! she thought miserably. But Lawrence is worth it – Lawrence is worth more than an apartment, goddamnit—
‘Or do you not want me to strip any more?’ she said desperately, sensing that wasn’t enough. ‘I won’t, then! I won’t, if you don’t want me to! If that’s what it takes to get you back!’
‘Evie, ’ Lawrence said, lowering her gently to the ground, her legs unwrapping from their lock on him, as weak as a newborn colt’s with fear. She clung to him as he said:
‘Of course you can keep the apartment, and of course I’ll live there if you want. You know material surroundings don’t matter to me. I’ll go wherever you want, and live wherever you choose. That’s not an issue.’
‘Then is it stripping?’
‘Evie, you know I believe that everyone has an absolute right to do as they choose with their own body—’ he started.
And then he sighed, and shook his head, his handsome face frowning, his eyes dark.
‘I’m a hypocrite, ’ he admitted sadly. ‘I must be a hypocrite. Because I say those words, and I mean them. But Evie—’
‘Yes?’ she said breathlessly, gripping onto the front of his sweater with both hands.
‘Dance all you want, with your clothes on or off or flying round your head for all I care, ’ Lawrence said very seriously. ‘But I want us to be exclusive. From the moment you and I first made love, as long as we were together, I’ve never so much as laid a finger on another woman in that way. I fought the feeling that I wanted you to be the same. I knew you were in a relationship with Benny—’
Evie snorted sarcastically.
‘OK, I knew you had an arrangement with Benny, ’ Lawrence corrected himself, ‘and I had to respect that for your sake. But Evie, I can’t do it again. If we’re together from now on—’
‘We are!’ Evie insisted furiously. ‘We are!’
‘—then I need us to be exclusive, ’ Lawrence concluded. ‘No other men. No other women for me. No one else for either of us.’
‘That’s it?’ Evie burst out laughing. ‘That’s what you wanted to say?’
He nodded, his grey eyes searching her face.
‘Lawrence, you moron!’ she said through her laughter. ‘As if I could look at another man when I’ve got you! I want you to travel with me – when this burlesque thing takes off, I’m going to be travelling everywhere, all over the world – they book you all over the place, you travel to parties and clubs in London and Paris and Sydney and Tokyo and Dubai, where they pay so much money – anyway, will you come with me? Will you be my personal trainer and travel with me everywhere? Think of all the different yoga classes you could take – all the other teachers you could meet—’
‘Evie!’ Lawrence was laughing too. ‘You don’t need to sell this like crazy! Of course I’ll come with you! I’d love to travel the world!’
‘Oh, Lawrence—’
‘But Evie—’ Lawrence unpeeled her hands from his sweater and took them in his – ‘you know I’ll never be rich, don’t you?’
He brought her hands to his lips and kissed them.
‘I’ll never be a millionaire, ’ he said seriously. ‘I’ll never make any money, by the standards that you want. I’ll never be anything but a yoga teacher and personal trainer. I don’t want my own exercise DVDs or TV show or anything but what I have now. All I want is you.’
‘Are you kidding?’ Evie said happily. ‘I’ll make enough money for both of us! Look!’
She reached into her jeans pocket and pulled out a shining diamond pastie, flashing it triumphantly before Lawrence’s amazed face.
‘Isn’t that—’
‘Yes! That bitch stole it from me, but I got them back!’
‘Them?’
‘Both of them!’
/>
She pulled out the other pastie, dangling them together, watching the sunlight refract off the stones.
‘Rico – that’s Carin’s bodyguard, the hulking one who was arrested with her – he helped her throw me out of the apartment – God, he’s a pig. He cornered me in the hallway this afternoon and said that if I’d – uh, go into the men’s room with him, he’d give me one of them back, and then if I partied with him later, he’d give me the other—’
Lawrence’s face was a picture of horror.
‘Lawrence! It’s OK! I know you’re saying to yourself, well, it’s Evie’s body, she can do what she wants with it, and we weren’t exclusive then—’ Evie said happily. ‘But I didn’t do it! I did go into the john with him, ’ she admitted. ‘I thought I could go through with it. But at the last minute, I couldn’t.’
She shuddered.
‘It was so gross. So disgusting. I really did feel like a whore. And Lawrence – I promise this is true – I thought of you. I thought of you, waiting in the courtroom, and I knew I couldn’t go back and sit down next to you and have you smile at me, with Rico’s—’
With the taste of Rico’s come in my mouth, she thought, but didn’t say.
‘I couldn’t do it, ’ she said instead. ‘I jumped up and ran out of there with him bellowing all kinds of shit after me.’
Well, now Rico was under arrest and out of her life. Evie would never have to see him again, never have to hear him calling her foul names or leering at her. She grinned in triumph.
‘So how did you get those?’ Lawrence asked, hugely relieved, but now bewildered.
‘When they were arresting him, it was such a clusterfuck in there, I sneaked up to him and pulled them out of his trouser pockets!’ Evie crowed in triumph. ‘The cops were hauling him around, they were so furious with him they didn’t even notice me, and he didn’t either – he’ll probably blame them and get into even worse shit as a result! I could have made a good pickpocket, eh?’ She smiled demurely. ‘Lucky I’ve gone so respectable now – with a steady boyfriend and a proper career—’
‘You stole them from him?’
‘Lawrence, they stole them from me! I was just taking back my own property!’ Evie pointed out, pulling his head down to kiss him, the pasties still twined between her fingers. ‘We’re rich! I have my apartment and my diamonds back! And you! Oh my God, this is the happiest day of my life!’
Divas Page 45
