Cold Comfort

by Isobel Hart

  “Thank you so much,” the girl said excitedly as Cat handed her phone back. She never once asked for a photo of him.

  I laughed. “Thank you for being the first person to know my name.”

  “I’m your first fan!” she gushed, clearly delighted. “I’ll send you the photos. What’s your Twitter handle?”

  “Um, I don’t have one. Sorry.”

  “Send them to mine,” Cat interrupted. “@coldcomfortcat. I’ll see she gets them. I’ll see she gets a Twitter account too, and then you can be her first follower.”

  “I will,” the girl promised. “Thank you so much,” she said to me, as if I had done something incredible. It was all slightly disconcerting.

  We said our goodbyes and Cat finally led me over to the car, ignoring all his own fans. I collapsed into the back seat and started to laugh. “That was surreal. I can’t believe she’d come all that way just to stand there and wait to see me.”

  “Get used to it,” Cat said with a smile. “She’s the first of many.”

  “I doubt it, but that was fun anyway. What are you doing?” I asked, as he fiddled about with his phone.

  “Making you a Twitter account. Here, put in a password and email address,” he said, handing his phone to me. I put my details in and handed it back to him. “What do you want your handle to be?” he asked.

  “My name?”

  “Oh, that’s boring. We need something clever. I know…” He tapped away.

  “What are you doing?”

  He held his phone up and snapped a photo. “There you go. That can be your profile picture for now.”

  “What’s my Twitter name, Cat?”

  “@mymymydelilah.” He snorted with laughter at his own joke.

  “Seriously?”

  “Seriously. I think it’s perfect. Right, she’s already sent them to me. I’ll reply to her and tag you in it too…” He paused while he fiddled with his phone. “Great, you have your first follower… Oh, now you’ve got ten,” he said with a laugh, delighted with himself. “Let’s see how many you have by tomorrow after this.” He tapped something into his phone again.

  “Let me see,” I demanded.

  “No, you can look when we get home.” He pulled his phone out of my reach and tucked it into his inside pocket. “Now, where were we?” he asked, pulling me onto his lap. I willingly clambered onto him, enjoying the return to our bubble of solitude, even though I knew it would not last long.

  That night, when we got back to Matt’s, with the cocaine faded from his system, he made gentle love to me. The intensity of his gaze as he pushed inside deeper than ever made my throat thicken with emotion. He cried my name as he came, a raw, almost desperate sound, before collapsing on top of me. My own body, replete with the pleasure he’d already given me, pulsed around him as we remained tight within each other’s arms, unwilling to move any further apart.

  I woke to a crushing sensation in my leg. Cat was still on top of me, at least his lower half was. I pulled away, feeling a wet, sticky substance on my legs, gasping when I realised what it was. He’d fallen asleep inside me and must have pulled out in his sleep, leaving the condom where it was. I reached down, relieved to find it relatively easily. From the position it seemed unlikely to have spilled inside me, but it was a close call. I needed to get some more reliable contraception fast. I tried to slide out of the bed but Cat instantly woke and caught me, blinking at me with bleary eyes.

  “Where are you going?” He looked at his watch. “It’s still early. We don’t have to get up yet.”

  “Shower. I’m sticky. You fell asleep with the condom on last night. I think it’s okay, but I want to wash the stickiness away.”

  His eyes widened and then flared with something else. He rolled me onto my back, reaching to feel between my legs. He groaned. “Fuck, that’s the fucking hottest thing ever feeling that all over you.” His fingers played with me gently before easing inside me. “I want to come inside you. I want to mark you as mine.” I could feel his erection like steel beside me.

  “It’s too risky. I need to sort some contraception out first.”

  “I’d take care of you, baby,” he said, moving over me, kissing my nipples and then teasing them with his teeth. I moaned, unable to stop myself responding to him. I could feel him nudging against my entrance. My body was so wet for him he slipped a centimetre or two inside, and the sensation was exquisite. I longed to push him inside me, to feel him fully seated within me. Another centimetre in – he was moving so slowly, almost sex by stealth. Then my brain realised what I was doing, what we were risking.

  “No,” I yelped. “I’m not ready to have a baby. We’re not ready to have a baby.” In one swift movement I pulled away from him, regretting the feel of him slipping out as I pushed him off me. I slid in an uncoordinated move from the bed and ran into the bathroom, locking the door behind me. I slid to the floor, breathing heavily, with my back against the door. I couldn’t believe what I’d almost let him do.

  “Delilah,” I heard him call through the door. I couldn’t speak to him yet. “Delilah, I’m so sorry. That was stupid of me. I shouldn’t have pushed you. You just make me crazy horny, and the thought of being bare inside you was irresistible.” I could imagine him sweeping his hands through his hair. “I know we’re not ready to make a baby. I just loved the thought of being that close to you. Being the first to… And one day…. One day we will do that together. When you’re ready, not before.” He sounded so sincere that my panic subsided slightly. I was putty in his hands. “Have your shower, baby. I’ll make you some breakfast and bring it back up.” I heard him move away from the door, and then the sound of the bedroom door opening and closing. I breathed out heavily, relieved to have avoided potential disaster. I still needed to see a doctor and get on some reliable contraception soon, though. I didn’t think I’d be able to refuse him again.

  *

  “Hey!” Eddy said, when I finally emerged from the bedroom, having been fed beyond comfort by Cat. We’d had sex again, using a condom this time, and it had been wonderful as usual, but I knew he still wanted more. “You made the papers. You look freaking amazing,” he said, laughing. “They’re all trying to find out more about you, though. You need to do that article this weekend if you want to keep them off your back. I was thinking about it – what about one of the Saturday glossy newspaper magazines? That might work, don’t you think?”

  “Yeah, maybe,” I said, peering down at the open pages in front of him. The pictures were surprisingly nice. There were a couple of me walking in with Matt and Eddy, then one of me dancing, with my head thrown back and a massive smile on my face – I hadn’t even noticed anyone taking photos then – then finally one of me leaving with Cat. “What are they saying?”

  “That you’re his love interest,” he said, nodding towards Cat. Cat smiled, clearly pleased at the news. “That you are a singer with an album expected to be released soon…”

  I raised an eyebrow at that. “News to me.”

  “And that you’re freaking gorgeous. They even did a piece on how to get your look.” That made me snort with laughter.

  “What, the ‘no other clean clothes’ look? What a joke. Speaking of which, anyone know what I’m going to wear for the T.V. thing tonight? I seriously have nothing left. And I know when girls normally say that they have a wardrobe full of clothes, but in this instance it’s absolutely true. I brought one dress and my shorts with me, plus the jeans I’m wearing now, all of which I’ve worn already. I thought we were going to be back in Cambridge before now. All my stuff is there.”

  “I’ll buy you something,” Cat instantly offered.

  “I can buy my own clothes,” I insisted. “I just need someone to take me to the shops.”

  “I’ll take you, of course,” he said, clearly irritated by my stubbornness. The thought of trying to navigate the shops with the sort of attention Cat would draw was not appealing. Eddy saw my panicked look and immediately interceded.

  �
��Cat, if you go it will be chaos. Let me take her. I’ve barely had a moment with my best friend since you realised how awesome she is. I can take her in, help her buy something gorgeous to wear later and get to spend some time with my bestie too. What time will you need us to be back?”

  Cat looked annoyed but couldn’t argue with the sense in what Eddy had suggested. If he went out with me, it would be mayhem wherever we went. “Maybe you and I can go out at the weekend?” I said, trying to placate him. “I’d like that.”

  Cat’s face softened as he looked at me. “Yeah, I’d like that too.” He smiled, and it lit up his face. “Have a think about what you want to do.”

  “Punting in Cambridge,” I said immediately.

  “Punting? Really?”

  “Yeah, I’ve always wanted to have a go in a punt but never got the chance. Then maybe a pub lunch?”

  “It sounds good. It’s a date.”

  “Good,” I said with a big grin. I was looking forward to it.

  “So, when do you need us back?” Eddy asked again, eager to be off.

  “Cars are picking us up at three from here,” Cat said, scanning an email from Wayne.

  “Three?” I said, surprised. “I thought it was an evening show.”

  “It is, but they pre-record it a couple of hours before it’s shown, and we need to rehearse before we record it.” It was all so alien to me. I nodded and let Eddy herd me towards the door.

  “Look after her,” Cat said sternly to Eddy. “Get cabs to and from the shops, and don’t hang about too long. Her picture is out there now, so she may get some hassle.” He turned to me. “Any problems, come straight home and we’ll get a dress brought to you.”

  “A dress brought to me,” I said with a laugh. “Who do you think I am?”

  “My girl,” he said simply, kissing me softly. My heart melted again. He really was very sweet sometimes.

  Chapter 22

  We’d been shopping for about twenty minutes when I began to notice people staring at me. There was a girl and a couple of guys who I’d now seen three times. It seemed wherever I went in the shop they followed. When the girl got her phone out to film me, I was shocked. When she picked up the same dress I had looked at, I was even more astonished. Unfortunately Eddy’s poor sight meant he didn’t notice a thing going on around us and was busily discussing the dresses he thought would suit me and would also look good on camera.

  “Eddy,” I hissed, when they moved closer to listen to our conversation, “we’re being followed.”

  “Are we?” he said, looking surprised. He peered through his glasses at the group I pointed at, who were now trying to look inconspicuous by a rail of coats. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, I’m sure. They’ve been following us round the shop for the last twenty minutes, looking at all the same things and trying to listen to our conversation.”

  “Ooh, you’ll probably get into Heat at this rate,” he said, laughing.

  “It’s a bit weird, though, don’t you think?”

  “Um, people have been staring at famous people since Jesus’ time. If you’re going to date a rock star, I think it comes with the territory.”

  “But I’m not famous.”

  “Not yet, but you have the smell of fame about you. People want a bit of your magic. Anyway, you’re going to be on T.V. tonight, and in a magazine probably at the weekend.”

  “This is crazy. The whole world has gone crazy.”

  “No, what would be crazy is not buying a dress and getting the hell out of here before the crowd of onlookers gets any bigger.” I looked over – another couple had joined the first few. I nodded at him, and we began rifling through the rails with increased fervour. “Eureka!” Eddy finally cried. He held out a pair of skinny leather trousers and a metallic silver sleeveless top. I loved it, although the thought of trying to get into the trousers frightened me.

  “I love the look,” I admitted. “Are you sure it won’t be a bit much? The trousers won’t forgive anything.”

  “Delilah, with you there is nothing to forgive. You have legs to die for. Now get into the changing room and try it on,” he said, pushing me towards the doorway.

  It took me about five minutes to pull the trousers on. At least the top was easy. I slid the curtain open and called Eddy. He looked at me critically before letting a big smile take over. “With a pair of heels and a black bra, I reckon you’ll be a rock chick knockout tonight. Cat will die when he sees it.”

  “Die in a good way?” I worried out loud.

  “Yeah, kind of. Sort of. Well, he might not let you speak to anyone else while you’re wearing it. Anyone male, that is.” He snorted at the prospect of a jealous Cat.

  “I think you’re being silly. Cat has beautiful women hanging off him all the time. This is nothing,” I said, looking at myself in the mirror. “Everything is covered up. It’s quite decent, really.”

  “You have no idea what you look like,” Eddy sniggered. “With that smoky eye look we did before…” He trailed off as he caught sight of a couple of the people that had been following me earlier. They had their phones out and were trying to film me. “Really?” Eddy said, turning to face them fully now. “You think filming someone you don’t know in a changing room is cool? I think you’ll find the police think otherwise.” Eddy was shouting now, making more people look over to see what was happening. Staff scurried towards us. I slid back into the changing room while Eddy explained what was going on and who I was. I could hear the excited murmuring when I finally emerged in my own clothes.

  The crowd had now swollen to ten. Staff ushered me towards the till, and Eddy grabbed some killer heels in my size as we passed the stand. All the while the manager beside me was apologising loudly for the fuss – worsening the situation she was apologising for by announcing my presence to the remaining shoppers who hadn’t yet noticed me. More than fifteen people were staring by the time I’d finally paid for everything. I could hear Cat’s name being whispered a lot.

  Eddy and I hurried towards the exit, heads down, scanning the road for a taxi when we hit the pavement. The flash of a camera startled me. It seemed someone had told the press I was here. For the life of me I couldn’t fathom why they were even interested.

  “Can you see a taxi?” I asked Eddy.

  “No, I can’t see past these people,” he said. He tried to escort me through the crowd, but they just seemed to move with us. I was beginning to feel a bit overwhelmed. I felt cornered.

  “Do you want me to call someone for you, love?” a voice called from behind. Judging by the beautiful arrangements on display in the window and the buckets of cut flowers, it was a florist’s. The lady who had spoken was wearing an apron with the name of the shop emblazoned on the top.

  “Oh god, yes, please,” I said as she held the door open for us. We gratefully followed her inside, doubly relieved when she locked the door as soon as we were both through. “I’m so sorry about all this. I have no idea why they’re all here.”

  She looked at me more closely. “You were in the paper, weren’t you? With that rock star?” I nodded. “Well, I’d say that’s the reason, wouldn’t you? You’re living the dream in their eyes.” She nodded towards the people peering through the window. “Most of them probably don’t even know who they’re meant to be looking at. They’re just afraid in case they miss something,” she said with a laugh. “Anyway, who can I call?”

  “A taxi?” I said, looking at Eddy for confirmation.

  “I think we’re past the taxi stage. We need some security for you. I’ll call Cat and he’ll get a car here,” Eddy promised. I listened as he made the call, noting how he winced after explaining the situation to Cat. I had a feeling Cat had torn a strip off him. “He wants to speak to you,” Eddy said, handing me the phone. “Car’s on the way,” he told the florist.

  “Hi,” I whispered down the phone to Cat.

  “You okay, babe?” he asked. “Did anyone hurt you?”

  “No. It just got silly.
There were a few people in the shop, and then the crowd just grew. I think they thought you might be with me,” I said with a small laugh.

  “Did you get what you needed?”

  “Yeah, we got some trousers and a top.” I heard Eddy snigger at my description.

  “That’s good. I’m sorry your time with Eddy got spoiled, but I think you need to come back now. I need you here safe before I lose it.”

  “I’m safe now,” I promised him. “This lovely lady in Amber’s Florists helped us….” I looked helplessly at her, not knowing her name.

  “Amber,” she mouthed at me, her eyes twinkling.

  “Amber,” I told him, blushing at my stupidity. “She closed her shop for us and everything. I feel so bad.”

  “I’ll make it up to her,” he reassured me.

  “Thank you. That would be good. Oh, I think the car might be here already,” I said, looking up as a big black Mercedes pulled up. “Was it a Mercedes they sent?” I heard Cat asking the same question to someone in the room with him.

  “No, an Audi SUV. That’s not our car, so stay where you are.”

  The crowd were diverted by the appearance of the expensive-looking car, turning to look at it and trying to peer through the darkened windows. They were clearly hoping Cat was about to make an appearance.

  “Is that for us?” Eddy asked, squinting towards it.

  “No, Cat said they sent an Audi.”

  “Well, who is it, then?”

  “There’s the Audi,” I said, to both Cat and Eddy at the same time as it swept in behind the Mercedes. Its doors opened immediately and I recognised one of Cat’s security men as he walked swiftly towards us.

  “Alright, Delilah?” he asked as soon as Amber let him in. “Eddy?” We both nodded. A second man had the car door open and ready for us. The whole scene seemed completely ludicrous.

  “Thank you so much for everything. I really appreciate it,” I told Amber. “I’m so sorry for causing all this fuss.”