The hive, p.4
The Hive, page 4
‘Unless you want to drive me to Portsmouth and help me burn down my parents’ house with them still in it, then no. There’s nothing you can do, apart from getting me that gin.’
‘Wait, your parents took your children away? Why on earth would they do that?’
‘It’s a long, very messy story, Linc. One we shouldn’t be discussing here.’ I waved my hand, but Trix burst into tears right in front of Linc, who looked like a deer in the headlights with a weeping woman on his arm.
Goddammit, Trix! I felt the sharpness of eyes on us and started to panic. I didn’t want to make this another headline and embarrass Linc any more than I already had.
‘Trix, we should go to the bathroom and get you cleaned up. Linc, we’ll meet you at the table in a few minutes.’ I mouthed a quick sorry to him and whisked Trix away as quickly as I possibly could. But then we were stopped by Poppy, her blue eyes ablaze with rage.
‘Pops, what’s happened?’ I asked, taking a quick glance at Trix, who was drunkenly snivelling into the cuff of her turquoise blouse.
‘That bitch is here.’
‘Who?’
‘Sasha!’
‘What, where?’ I looked past Poppy’s blonde updo and spotted a freshly tanned Sasha in the corner and Zaheen on the approach.
‘Oh God. This isn’t gonna end well.’
‘Pops, you should give her a piece of your mind,’ Trix slurred, her mascara running down her cheeks.
‘What the fuck, Char? She’s a mess. I knew tonight wasn’t a good idea. She should be at home trying to think of a way to get Kera and Kyle back, not in some club. Jesus Christ!’
‘Yes, I can see now that tonight was a truly horrible idea so I’m going to get Zaheen so we can get the hell out of here before we make fools of ourselves, or, worse, Linc.’
‘Wait, he’s here?’ Poppy asked, as I transferred the weight of Trix’s intoxicated body from me to her.
‘Yeah, he is, and the last thing he needs is a bloody catfight. I’ll meet you and Trix at the front. And thanks, at least you’re behaving like the bigger person and avoiding trouble.’
‘Believe me it’s not without great strength.’
Poppy left with Trix and I watched them disappear into the crowd before focusing my attention on finding where Zaheen had gone. I spotted Linc in my peripheral vision, he was talking to some woman, but I had to get Zaheen out of the building before she did something she regretted. Zaheen hated injustice. And what Brad and Sasha had done to Poppy didn’t sit right with her. But it wasn’t the time or the place. I had to do everything I could to stop her. As I turned my head to the side, I realised it was too late.
‘Excuse me. Hi. Can I have everyone’s attention, please? I just want to give a round of applause to Sasha McLean, back-stabbing bitch to us all. Poppy has too much class to deal with you herself, but lucky for you I don’t have a classy bone in my body.’
‘Zee?’ I called out and made my way swiftly through the bemused crowd. Sasha looked both bewildered and upset as she sat there clutching her martini glass as Zaheen’s voice belted out over the music.
Everyone stared and then the music stopped.
‘They’d broken up. It was just a holiday. Not that this has anything to do with you,’ Sasha said in defence of Zaheen’s public defamation.
‘You slept with your friend’s leftovers. Have you no shame? You know I never liked you. Could smell a tramp from a mile off. It was just a matter of time before you showed your true colours.’
‘Zaheen, we need to leave.’ I grabbed her arm, but it was like I wasn’t there. She just shrugged me off and continued to rip Sasha to shreds in front of everyone.
‘And, another thing, you’re not that cute. Just because you’ve got a gazillion followers that wipe your ass with compliments doesn’t mean it’s true. You look like a dog in makeup. But hey, I’m just being honest, something you’ve never been a day in your life.’
‘Zee, please. We really need to go,’ I repeated, unable to take my eyes off what was taking place.
Sasha’s face changed as her lips twisted together.
‘Charlotte, get your criminal friend out of here before I call security and have them throw her out. Matter of fact, we should all check our belongings. She may have stolen something already.’
‘Come on, Sasha, you’re really not helping,’ I said, hoping she would be the one to back off and walk away.
‘Me ? Poppy couldn’t do her own dirty work, so she sends her pit bull in to do the job for her. And I’m the one in the wrong? It’s pathetic.’
‘No, what’s pathetic is your moral sense of sisterhood. When your so-called looks fade, and trust me they will, there’ll be nothing left but that black heart of yours, you stupid bitch. I see you, Sasha. I see you,’ Zaheen cried.
‘Stop it, please,’ I begged Zaheen. ‘Linc’s here. We need to go.’
‘Jackson ? Lincoln Jackson is here?’ Sasha sounded shocked, then rearranged her features, the anger dissipating right in front of me into a beguiling smile.
‘Yes, he is. And I would rather he not see my friends fight. So, please, can we go?’
‘Yeah, we can go. But not before I do this.’ Zaheen upended the silver ice bucket over Sasha’s head, water and ice spraying everywhere. ‘Now we can leave.’
Zaheen turned, dropped the bucket and walked away while Sasha stared blankly at her. I wanted to stay and help Sasha clean up, but the longer I was in the club the worst my night would get. I trailed behind Zaheen as we met Trix and Poppy at the exit. But there was another person standing with them.
‘Linc, I was gonna say goodbye. Was just getting Zee. Sorry, this isn’t the best time. This is my friend Zaheen Shah by the way.’
‘Charmed,’ Zaheen hissed, sparking a cigarette as soon as her foot hit the concrete pavement.
‘No, it’s OK. From what I’ve seen you ladies have had a rough night. Let me make it up to you. How about I take you girls to get something to eat. Duck and Waffle perhaps?’
‘Sound’s good to me. They have a great wine list.’
‘Actually I think water’s a better choice, Trix,’ Poppy answered, as Linc planted a soft kiss on my cheek, making me suddenly grateful he was there for me and my girls.
CHAPTER FIVE
W
HEN I TOLD LINC ON our first date I’d do anything for my girls, I didn’t expect he’d see an example of it play out so soon. Truth was, we’d been through some things together. More than most, more than we should have had to. With perfect recollection I recalled the day Trix broke through a hole in the fence of Rushford secondary school and got into a fight with another student. Some of the other Year Eleven boys had originally made the hole the spring before so they could go out for lunch instead of stay and eat the rancid cafeteria food. But Trix being Trix decided she wanted to spend one lunch break with the three of us at our school. I protested, recoiled by the idea she wanted to spend the day in a school Ofsted recommended be closed.
But Trix insisted.
‘You don’t get it, Char, I hate my school. I have no friends. It’ll only be for an hour and no one will even notice. It’ll be like I wasn’t even there. No one will know. Please!’ she begged, sitting in the crooked wooden chair at the far end of my grubby kitchen.
‘I have no idea why you’re so obsessed with being like the rest of us. You have a good life, parents that do everything for you. I haven’t seen my mum in two months. I’d give anything to have your life. Believe me,’ I responded, closing the rusting empty fridge and searching the cupboard for a forty-nine pence pack of noodles I would have to split into two if I wanted dinner tomorrow evening.
‘Be careful what you wish for,’ Trix retorted, seemingly oblivious to the yellowing sheet blinds fixed to the window and the faint smell of damp bonded to the carpet like glue.
‘By the way, Dad gave me my pocket money early so we can go shopping after school tomorrow if you like? Get the essentials.’
Ever since Mum left, Trix had been splitting her money with me so I could buy food and keep the electricity on.
‘Thanks.’ Sheepishly, I turned my back so she wouldn’t see my embarrassment.
‘In fact, how about you put the noodles away and we get a real Chinese instead, we can plan out my break-in? You know you love planning things.’
She was right, I did.
‘You’re not going to let this go, are you?’
‘Come on, Char, you know me better than that.’
It wasn’t just that Trix was helping me survive while my own mother couldn’t be bothered, but it was that she never once let me feel bad or self-conscious about it. She was my friend without reservation. So, two days later, Poppy, Zaheen and I broke Trix into Rushford secondary school and were caught by Patricia Liam, a short girl with a pudgy face and horrible cropped chestnut hair. If teacher’s pet was a person, it’d be Patricia Liam. She promptly informed the head teacher there was a trespasser on school grounds. Course that was after Trix gave her a backhand to the mouth, and Zaheen took her phone because she threatened to call the police. Poppy and I tried to de-escalate the situation, but it was too late and before we could say ‘boo’ the four of us were whisked away to the head teacher’s office, and Jennifer Nolan was called to collect her daughter.
The recollection made me smile as the butter melted into a pool of liquid gold then sizzled in the pan creating little foamy bubbles. I whipped air into four eggs and added freshly cracked black pepper and rock salt to taste. Linc had an extensive palate and I wanted to surprise him with breakfast and fruit for helping me with the girls the night before.
It wasn’t easy, but somehow Linc and I had managed to get Poppy, Trix and Zaheen watered, fed and home safely in their beds without any further incident. Or photos. He had been the perfect gentleman and I was grateful he had been there for me when I needed him. Even if that did mean he experienced a labyrinth of females unravelling all in one night.
My stomach did a tiny involuntary somersault. Was I in love? Did I even know what love was?
Linc had been in my life less than a week and already my world felt like it had been tilted on its axis. After he took me back to his house, which was an impressive contemporary new-build with floor-to-ceiling windows and a colossal rose-gold outdoor water feature, we stayed up all night talking. When we finally did fall asleep, Linc was wrapped around me like a vine. His head buried in my neck, his upper thigh lost between my legs and his arms coiled around my torso. If anyone could have seen us in that moment, they would have said that it was a visual representation of happiness. It was our happiness. Our bubble. It was so simple, so primitive, but it brought me so much unexpected joy.
‘Penny for your thoughts, Beautiful?’ All six foot plus of Linc walked in sporting fuchsia pink boxer shorts complete with Hermès insignia and matching sliders. Nothing else.
‘What’s on your mind?’
‘Butter,’ I responded, impishly hiding what I was really thinking.
‘Butter?’ He stared at me, amused, if not slightly confused. I felt a little abashed to be feeling the way I felt so early on, but I couldn’t help it. Linc had swept me away.
‘Uh-huh, butter, baby. I don’t want to burn your omelette. It’s the first time I’m cooking for you so I need to concentrate,’ I lied. At this point I had all but named the three children we would have and picked out a holiday home in the Bahamas.
‘Great, I gotta have some fat in my diet. Although the best part of this breakfast is the view so far. You look amazing.’
‘Stop it, I look awful. We were up all night. I have panda eyes.’
‘You look beautiful, panda eyes and all. Have you spoken to the girls? Are they OK? They had a tough night. Especially Trix, although the fact she threw up and kept on drinking was pretty impressive. I thought she was going to pass out at one point.’
‘That’s our Trix. We’ve thought about entering her in competitions, but she won’t go for it.’
He laughed as I filled a chilled glass with orange juice and presented it to him with a wink.
‘Trix will be OK. She’s a good mother . . . her mother’s just a heartless cow who can’t stand losing. She has mediation on Tuesday. Worst-case scenario she gets supervised visitation. Either way, me, Poppy and Zee will be there for her. No matter what happens we always stick together.’
‘You really care about them, huh?’
‘I do. We’ve known each other a long time. Since we were kids. Although Trix met us at the end of Year Ten, we all became best friends – that was probably the first disappointment in a long list of disappointments for Jennifer Nolan.’
‘I’m guessing that’s Trix’s mum?’
‘You’re catching on. Although Trix prefers to call her the devil.’
‘To her face?’
The omelette wafted an aroma of cheese and sweet peppers as I set it in front of Linc and sprinkled chopped curly parsley over the top with flare.
‘On occasion. Sometimes she calls her worse. They have a very strained relationship. It’s complicated, but Trix is not an incompetent mother. I’ve watched her with those children. She loves them. Of that I’m certain.’
‘So, what’s the deal with Sasha and Zaheen? This omelette smells amazing by the way. It’s perfect.’
I’d messaged Sasha last night at Duck and Waffle, apologising for Zaheen’s behaviour, but she didn’t answer and had since uploaded a meme about loyalty on her Instagram story.
‘It’s not really Zee and Sasha with the problem. It’s Poppy and Sasha. Sasha slept with Brad . . . Poppy’s ex. Then they went to Dubai together.’ I didn’t feel the need to add Poppy was going through an abortion at the time. I trusted Linc completely but Poppy getting rid of her baby wasn’t my secret to tell.
‘Sasha seems devious. A woman like that. You should be careful.’
‘To be honest, I don’t know what Sasha was thinking. She’s beautiful. She can have anyone. Plus, Brad’s a jackass. I can’t see why anyone would want him. I don’t know why she did what she did.’
‘Well, she’s definitely beautiful. Maybe she’s a hard woman to refuse. Maybe poor Brad was seduced.’
His compliment stung, but I let it go. Sasha wasn’t the one making him breakfast, I was. I poured myself some juice, swallowing the lump in my throat before I continued.
‘I’m afraid girl groups come with lots and lots of unexpected drama.’
‘Well, let’s try and stand clear of any drama. Lincoln Jackson does not need any more drama. Trust me.’
‘Any news on when your fight will be postponed to?’
‘Not yet, but Twitter’s been calling me a quitter. They think I don’t want the fight to happen. Which isn’t true. I want to fight. I want to hear the crowd roar. It’s what I live for. It’s all I know.’
‘Well, I believe in you, champ.’ I rounded the island and planted a kiss on his lips. He stroked my hair which had puffed into loose curls. ‘I gotta leave soon. I have work tomorrow unfortunately and I need to get ready.’
‘No, stay. Please? Come on.’
‘I can’t. And even if I wanted to, I have nothing to wear.’
‘How about I take you shopping, then for food, then I’ll take you home? What’d you say?’
‘Look, that’s really generous of you, Linc, but I can’t let you take me shopping.’
‘Why not, Charlotte? I want to spoil you. And I will. So go upstairs and get ready.’
‘Linc?’ I challenged.
‘Charlotte!’ He stared me down.
‘I can’t. We’ve only been seeing each other a few days and – this is crazy.’
‘No, your friends are crazy. But even that won’t stop me from being with you. Just means I’ve adopted some crazy friends too. I feel like I know you better than anyone. Please? Don’t make me beg, I’m over six foot, it’s embarrassing.’
‘I wouldn’t want to embarrass you. I’ll get dressed.’
‘Good girl. Now let me finish my omelette before it gets cold. It really is delicious. I might have to fire the chef.’
I guess Trix was right about the private chef after all.
‘The secret is paprika but don’t tell anyone my secrets.’
‘You keep making these and all your secrets will be safe with me. I promise.’
I scurried out through the long corridor, my head in the clouds as my bare feet moved over the oak floors.
This was insane. I was in Lincoln Jackson’s house, about to take a shower in his actual shower. My life felt like a film, and Linc was the leading man. I didn’t want to think ‘why me’, but it was a thought that crept into my mind more than I would have liked.
Linc could have had any woman, yet he chose me. He plucked me from Instagram obscurity and changed my life in a matter of days. I glanced at my phone lying idly on the bedside table and was stunned by the amount of new notifications. I had dozens of requests to become an ambassador for brands I had never heard of, and DMs from women I’d never met praising my dress sense. I wanted to ignore my sudden surge to fame, but it was alluring. For the first time I had an inkling of what I wanted to do with my life. And it was possible. I already had the audience. All I needed was a concept, but I couldn’t get ahead of myself. I wanted Linc and our relationship to remain private. What we had wasn’t for the cameras, it was real. And the public would have to respect that if we had any chance of surviving.
‘I figured you probably won’t know how to work the shower,’ Linc said, startling me. ‘It’s pretty high tech.’ He grinned.
‘You’re absolutely right. I don’t. And I’ll need a towel. If you don’t mind.’
He stared at me.
The temperature charged with the little distance between us.
‘I don’t mind at all. But first—’
His arms wrapped around my waist as my small body pressed up against the hardness of his.
‘First, I’m going to kiss you.’
‘Well, then, what are you waiting for?’
His lips found mine as we locked in an embrace, lost in each other. Linc was fast becoming everything I needed.
