Excess All Areas (15 page)

‘
You’ll be fine. Just hold on to me and head for the car,’ Nicholas told her.

With that said, he pushed open the door and stepped outside the restaurant.

Freya immediately had to put one hand to her face as she was almost blinded by flashbulbs going off. People were shouting and there seemed to be dozens of them, shadowy figures making lights go off in her eyes at close range. Freya felt herself being jostled and then before she could react, Roger was holding the arm that Nicholas didn’t have hold of, and he was almost frogmarching her towards the car. She felt like she was desperately trying to get away from an assailant but then, as abruptly as it began, the noise had gone, the door of the car was closed behind her and she was alone with Nicholas on the back seat.

‘
OK?’ he asked her.

‘
I don’t know,’ Freya replied truthfully.

‘
You look flustered. Do you want a drink?’ Nicholas offered.

‘
No, I don’t think so, maybe. I’m camera shy - much better on the other side of the lens,’ Freya replied, trying to think straight.

‘
Here,’ Nicholas said hurriedly pouring a brandy into a glass and handing it to her.

Freya took the glass and drank some of the warming liquid.

‘
Is it like that for you all the time?’ Freya wanted to know as the car pulled away from the restaurant.

‘
No. Usually it’s a lot worse,’ Nicholas admitted.

‘
How can you live like that?’ Freya wanted to know.

‘
You get used to dealing with it,’ Nicholas told her.

Freya finished her drink.

‘
Listen, I’ve got a rest day on Friday. Would you like to do something?’ Nicholas asked her.

‘
Like what?’ Freya questioned.

‘
Well I don’t know. Why don’t you have a think about it and decide, seeing as I hijacked tonight,’ Nicholas suggested.

‘
So you did. Completely ruined all my plans. Right now you should be sat on the toilet with chronic stomach ache,’ Freya told him.

‘
God I’ve heard enough. I can imagine you’re quite creative when it comes to revenge,’ Nicholas replied.

‘
Mmm, you’d better believe it.’

‘
Then I’ll do my best not to upset you,’ Nicholas answered.

The car pulled up outside the Calypso Apartments.

‘
This is my stop,’ Freya told him.

‘
It is,’ he responded.

‘
I would invite you up to my room for coffee but the couple above me will probably start having sex,’ Freya told him.

‘
Just for our benefit? How flattering,’ Nicholas joked.

‘
It’s a bit like having a novelty alarm clock waking you up in the morning,’ Freya explained.

Nicholas was looking at her and he took hold of one of her hands.

‘
I’m not going to kiss you,’ he stated simply.

‘
No? Oh, OK, that’s fine - unusual end to a date, but fine,’ Freya told him.

‘
I’m not going to kiss you because I think at the back of your mind you still think I’m not serious,’ Nicholas explained.

‘
It’s OK, honestly,’ Freya said, trying hard to hide her disappointment.

‘
I do want to kiss you. Believe me I’d like nothing more than to kiss you right now,’ he admitted with a deep breath.

Freya just looked at him, watching the rise and fall of his chest, looking at his lips and wanting them to kiss her. She inched forward, unable to stop herself; she wanted to feel his mouth on hers.

‘
No. I can be strong. I can do this. I’m not going to kiss you,’ he said with a satisfied nod as he straightened himself and moved slightly away from her.

‘
That’s OK, you don’t have to kiss me, because I was going to kiss you,’ Freya said.

Nicholas took hold of her other hand and held both of them together.

‘
If we kiss now I don’t think I’d be able to stop there and I don’t think it’s right - not yet,’ Nicholas spoke seriously.

‘
And here I was thinking all the gentlemen were extinct,’ Freya replied.

Nicholas smiled.

‘
So I guess I’ll be going back to my lonely room, to my single bed - alone,’ Freya commented, picking her handbag up from the floor of the car.

‘
And I guess I’ll be going for a cold shower. Listen, you’ve got my cell number. Call me tomorrow,’ Nicholas told her.

‘
You mean today,’ Freya said, looking at her watch.

‘
Yes I do,’ Nicholas whispered.

He kissed her hands.

‘
Call me,’ he repeated.

‘
I’ll see you,’ Freya responded.

She opened the car door, took one last look at him, taking in just how good he looked and then she shut the door behind her.

The car pulled away leaving her stood outside the Calypso Apartments and Freya watched it head off up the road in the direction of Villa Kamia. She took a deep breath, feeling slightly giddy. What had just happened to her life?

Sixteen

Beep Beep.

Freya opened one eye as her mobile phone started to vibrate on the bedside cabinet. God, she felt awful. Who was texting her? What time was it? She sat up and looked at her watch. It was 9.50am. It couldn’t be! Surely she couldn’t have slept through the bonking bunnies upstairs.

R u ok? Call me

It was a text from Emma. Freya had promised to call her first thing and tell her about last night. She was probably worried she hadn’t heard from her.

She called Emma’s number.

‘
Hello,’ Emma answered.

‘
It’s me. Are you at the office?’ Freya enquired.

‘
Yes I am.’

‘
Are you busy?’

‘
Not yet. In fact this morning I’ve had time to read the newspapers. Did you know Greece now gets the daily English papers almost before they get them in England? And today they’re quite a good read,’ Emma told her.

‘
Oh?’ Freya enquired.

‘
Yes, there’s a good photo too - of Nicholas Kaden,’ Emma said.

‘
Right, well shall I come round? I’ll just get showered and dressed and I’ll be there in twenty minutes.’

‘
It’s a photo of Nicholas Kaden and you outside Harry’s Place and you’re holding hands,’ Emma exclaimed.

‘
Mmm OK. Shall I make it fifteen minutes?’ Freya suggested, getting out of bed and holding the phone to her ear with her shoulder.

‘
What happened? Why is he holding your hand? The amount of chilli and laxatives Lorraine was going to put in his food should have had him doubled up and incapacitated. What were you doing at Harry’s Place,’ Emma continued.

‘
It’s a long story. Look just give me ten minutes or so and I’ll be there,’ Freya said.

‘
They’re asking people to contact the newspaper to name you. They’re describing you as his new love interest,’ Emma carried on.

‘
God no, I’ve heard enough. Ten minutes OK and I’ll tell you everything,’ Freya insisted.

‘
I’ll put the coffee machine on,’ Emma replied.

Freya showered and dressed as quickly as she could while still trying to figure out in her head exactly what had happened the night before. She had dated Nicholas Kaden. It had been good and he had held her hand. Had she imagined it? The inside pages of English tabloid
The Daily News
told her not.

‘
I look awful,’ Freya announced as she stared at the photograph in Emma’s paper.

She had arrived at Emma’s office a few minutes before and now had the English paper in front of her, together with a hot cup of coffee.

‘
I agree it isn’t the best photo of you, but you’re sort of smiling,’ Emma remarked, looking at the paper over Freya’s shoulder.

‘
Grimacing more like. It was horrendous, it felt like there were a thousand cameras,’ Freya announced.

‘
So what happened? When I spoke to you last night everything was arranged. You were going to give him the date from Hell and teach him a lesson for taking up a bet to go out with you,’ Emma reminded her.

‘
I know, but it all went wrong right from the start. He got besieged by fans at the apartments and then he’d organised a car to take us to Harry’s Place for dinner. It was fantastic. There was a big table set up in the courtyard with candles and flowers and he’d ordered every dish from the menu and there was a mandolin player,’ Freya explained as she recalled the previous night.

‘
Very flash. So that made you forgive him for taking bets on you did it?’ Emma questioned.

‘
No of course it didn’t, but he was being really nice to me and being interested in me and he was telling me about his life and then we almost had a fight. I told him I knew about the bet,’ Freya spoke.

‘
Go on. I can’t wait to hear what he had to say for himself,’ Emma urged.

‘
Well, the upshot of it all is that it wasn’t a fake date. There was no bet, well there was, but he didn’t accept it. He asked me out for real, because he actually likes me,’ Freya informed her excitedly.

‘
Let me get this straight in my pregnant head. It was a real date and he likes you. Well what about what Gene and Bob said?’ Emma asked her.

‘
He said they had made the bet, but he’d told them he wasn’t interested because he’d already decided he wanted to ask me out,’ Freya concluded with a smile.

‘
And you believe him?’ Emma queried.

‘
I know what you’re thinking. That he’s charmed me and taken me for a mug. That’s what I would be thinking if you were telling me all this, but you weren’t there. He was genuine, he was nervous about things, he wanted everything to be perfect, like you would on a first date - and he’s asked me out again tomorrow,’ Freya told her.

‘
You didn’t sleep with him did you?’ Emma questioned.

‘
No! Em, are you OK? Did you get out of bed the wrong side or are those hormones causing problems again?’ Freya asked her.

‘
I’m sorry. I’m tired that’s all,’ Emma answered with a sigh.

‘
Can you not take some time off work? I really don’t think you should be working night and day in your condition,’ Freya told her.

‘
I don’t have a choice. We need cover at the restaurant, I’m working again tonight,’ Emma informed her.

‘
You can’t! Look at yourself. You’re washed out. I’ll do a shift tonight instead,’ Freya told her.

‘
Don’t be silly, you’re on holiday,’ Emma replied.

‘
So? You need a break. I can remember how to waitress. It is just waitressing isn’t it? I mean I wouldn’t have to cook would I?’ Freya checked.

‘
No just waitress and clear tables but it’s OK, I can manage,’ Emma insisted.

‘
I’m not going to take no for an answer. Clear it with Mr and Mrs P and I’ll be there whatever time they want me. God knows what I’m going to wear though, nothing of yours will fit me,’ Freya told her.

‘
I am sure Mrs P will have something,’ Emma assured her.

‘
It’s going to be a traditional costume isn’t it?’ Freya remarked.

‘
I don’t think she has those anymore, staff kept complaining. Look are you sure you don’t mind?’ Emma spoke.

‘
I’m sure I don’t mind. It might be fun,’ Freya said and she took a swig of her coffee.

‘
Do you think your parents might call you? You know, if they see you in the paper,’ Emma asked her.

‘
If they do it will be because they’re unhappy about it. Thank God they didn’t name me,’ Freya announced.

‘
But what if they find out who you are? I mean they’re bound to find out, that’s what newspapers do,’ Emma reminded her.

‘
Who’s going to tell them? No one knows, only you. I have changed quite considerably since I was eighteen. I have to admit, stupid as it may sound, having all those photographers outside the restaurant shocked me. I didn’t think it would be like that. I was static like a traffic cone,’ Freya told her.

‘
What d’you think Russell will think of the picture?’ Emma asked.

‘
I think he’ll wonder what Nicholas Kaden is doing with someone so large and plain,’ Freya responded.

‘
So how was it left with you and Nick?’ Emma questioned.

‘
He told me to call him today. Do you know, he wasn’t at all like I thought he would be - what I assumed he would be. He was funny and interesting and down to earth,’ Freya spoke.

‘
And what happened at the end of the night?’ Emma asked her.

‘
Nothing. He dropped me off at the apartments and we said goodnight,’ Freya stated.

‘
With tongues?’ Emma asked.

‘
No. He didn’t kiss me,’ Freya told her.

‘
What?’

‘
He said he thought I still believed the bet thing so he said he wouldn’t kiss me to prove he was genuine. Either that or I ate too much garlic sauce and he was just being polite,’ Freya remarked.