Giving Chase (A Racing Romance) (Aspen Valley Series #2) (30 page)

Frankie’s Girl Guides meeting midway through the week was usually a time for her to escape whatever problems she might have elsewhere in her life. This week, however, her problems continued to encroach on her. Tonight was the Chocolate Go For It, which had Frankie slavering at the mouth as the girls tasted all the different confectionery with little care to the amount of calories involved. But also the Golden Miller was also hosting the semi-final of their singing competition. She knew what was coming towards the end of the meeting when Cassa sidled up to her.

‘Frankie, can you give me a lift home tonight?’

Frankie regarded her with a sceptical eye.

‘You know you don’t have to ask me every time, Cassa. ’Course I can. I can have you home in twenty minutes.’

Cassa fiddled with the hem of her T-shirt and looked up at Frankie with doleful eyes.

‘There’s no rush to get home. I mean, it’d only mean I sit and watch TV all night.’

Frankie grinned at her as she stacked the last of the plastic chairs in the corner of the community hall.

‘Somewhere you’d rather be?’

‘Please, Frankie, it’s the semi-final tonight,’ Cassa begged, bouncing up and down on her knees. ‘The
semi-final
.’

Frankie gave an exaggerated sigh of defeat.

‘Which means if you get through tonight, I only have to do this once more?’

‘Wouldn’t it be amazing if I made the final?’ squeaked Cassa.

‘Your mum would kill me if she knew, you know that?’

‘She won’t find out, I promise. She’s always at work. She still doesn’t know anybody in Helensvale. All of the friends she’s made live near the hospital in Bristol.’

This small reassurance only partly settled the niggling concern in Frankie’s stomach.

‘But what if you win, Cassa? And I honestly believe you can. You realise what we’re doing is cheating, don’t you? You’re underage.’ The more she thought about it, the less sure she was about the whole thing. They’d both be in a muck heap of trouble if th
ey were found out.

Sh
e shook her head. This was a bad idea. On the other hand, seeing Cassa bloom with a confidence which had been absent prior to the singing competition, was just so satisfying. Was it worth losing her Girl Guiding job over?

‘Nobody has to know,’ Cassa pleaded.

‘But—’

‘What are you two scheming about?’ a voice interrupted them.

Cassa gasped and stood frozen to the spot. Mrs Preston walked across the room from the door. She laughed at Cassa’s shock. ‘Surprise! Matron had double-booked my shift so I thought I’d come surprise you. What does nobody have to know about?’

Judging by her cheery chatter, Frankie reckoned she hadn’t overheard any more of their conversation.

‘It was the Chocolate Go For It tonight,’ she said, her brain whirring. ‘Cassa was concerned you mightn’t approve of the amount of chocolate she ate.’

Cassa looked at her without con
fidence. Was that the best she could do? Mrs Preston gave a puzzled laugh.

‘Sweetie, you must learn to relax,’ she said, giving Cassa’s shoulder a squeeze. ‘I know I like you to eat healthily, but I don’t mind the occasional
pig out. We all do it, don’t we?’ She looked at Frankie expectantly.

Frankie’s food binges haunted her sleep, nevertheless she smiled in agreement.

‘Are you ready to go?’ Mrs Preston asked Cassa.

Cassa looked from her mother to Frankie in desperation.

‘But–but Frankie was going to give me a lift home.’

‘But I’m here now. I’m sure Frankie will be relieved to not chauffeur you home for once.’

Watching Cassa’s eyes fill with disappointment made Frankie’s heart ache. Even if they did manage to persuade Mrs Preston otherwise, they would then have to explain the hour in between leaving the community hall and getting home.

‘Sorry, Cassa,’ she said.

Cassa’s shoulders drooped and she turned away, dragging her feet. Frankie felt even worse.

‘I’ll see you next week, okay?’
she called after the departing pair.

‘Yeah, see you next week,’
came Cassa’s gloomy reply.

Frankie watched them exit the building before turning back to the plastic chairs. She
knew what it felt like to be thirteen and have something that felt so big cave in. It made her long for next week to arrive so she could reassure Cassa that pulling out of this singing contest wasn’t the end of the world. Before that though, she would have to go over to the Golden Miller and tell them their young superstar wouldn’t be performing anymore.

*

The pub was warm with the crush of customers. Frankie squeezed through to Tom’s Corner, and her housemate raised a hand in greeting.

‘I’m here
!’ she said, raising her voice above the babbles of conversation. ‘What are your other two wishes?’

‘You want a drink?’ he said.

Frankie shook her head.

‘I just popped in to tell Joey
that Cassa’s not singing tonight.’

‘Really?
Why?’

Frankie opened her mouth to explain then hesitated. Not even Tom knew of her and Cassa’s deception.

‘Long story.’

‘Well, good luck
with trying to get his attention. He’s been rushing around like a headless chicken all night. I’ve been waiting for a refill for ten minutes.’

Frankie squeezed between Tom and other b
ar-propping customers to try catch Joey’s eye. Pressed up against Tom’s thigh as she waited, she became more and more aware of their contact. She was practically sat on his lap. Tom wasn’t making any effort to move his leg. Oh dear, maybe her jokey pick-up line had been misconstrued. She glanced discreetly sideways at him as her mother’s theory of Tom’s singleton status came back to her. He was gazing across the bar into the void with a small smile on his face. Frankie stiffened. Was he enjoying this? She tried to edge away from him but only succeeded in jogging the man next to her. He glared at her while making a show of wiping the spillage from his hand.

‘Sorry,’ she said half-heartedly.
She turned to Tom again. ‘Busy in here tonight, isn’t it?’

‘Of cou
rse, it’s the semi-final. We’d all come to hear your Girl Guide singing sensation.’

Frankie felt a ripple of guilt. It seemed Cassa wasn’t the only one to be disappointe
d tonight. She caught Joey’s attention and he strode over to her. Beneath the heat of the bar lights, his forehead shone with perspiration.

‘Hey, Frankie!
Where’s our star?’

‘She couldn’t make it, I’m afraid.’

‘You’re joking! No? Now, that’s a shame. Everyone’s turned out to watch her. This is the busiest night I’ve had since we opened. What’s up with her?’

‘Laryngitis or something,’ she lied, surprised at the ease with which it rolled off her tongue.
Probably because of the relief that she was ending their treachery. What harm could one more lie do?

Joey pulled a sympathetic face.

‘Poor love. I had her marked down to win. Never mind. C’est la vie, right? I’ll go tell the judges.’

‘Hey, what do I have to do to get served around here?’ Tom said, holding up his empty beer glass.

Joey winked at him.

‘You like yours with a bit of head, don’t you?’

Tom snorted and waved him away. Joey laughed and ducked under the bar flap without serving him.

A couple of minutes later the piercing whine of a microphone being switched on silenced the pub. Joey
stepped up onto the stage.

‘Sorry to interrupt, folks. I’ve just been informed that Cassa won’t be taking
part in the semi-final tonight—’

A wave of disgruntled mutterings rumbled through the crowd accompanied by a couple of boos.

‘I know, I know,’ Joey tried to placate them. ‘Unfortunately, she’s ill so is out of the competition. That means tonight won’t be a double elimination. But before we come to all that, please give it up for Russell!’

A few cheers went up from a corner, obviously the Russell camp, as Joey handed the mic over to the first contestant and jumped off the stage.

‘Well, I’m going to head off home,’ Frankie told Tom. ‘I’ll see you later.’

‘Actually, I don’t fancy sticking around. Cassa’s not singing and I can’t get a drink. Mind if I catch a lift with you?’

‘Sure. No problem.’

‘Great. I’ll just say goodbye to Joey.’

*

The car journey home was barely five minutes, yet Frankie
felt she could almost make sand art with the tension in the small confines of the Mini. She searched for a neutral but interesting subject, but could only think of Rhys and giving him the ride on Peace Offering. If Tom did have a crush on her, she didn’t want to rub it in.

‘So, have you had any luck with your search for Adelaide Mann yet?’ she asked instead.

Tom shook his head.

‘I’m just about ready to give up. I’ve put my name down on al
l the forums and registers. There’s not much else I can do.’

‘Pity.
You must be disappointed.’

He shrugged.

‘Like Joey always says,
c’est la vie
.’

‘Does Joey know?’
she asked in surprise.

Tom hesitated.

‘Kinda. You know how it is when you’ve had too much to drink.’

‘Gosh.’ Frankie blinked at the dark road in front of them.
‘I didn’t realise you and Joey were such good mates.’

Tom gave a wry chuckle.

‘Well, I don’t have you around so often these days. Since you’ve been dating Rhys, you’re hardly ever at the house.’

‘Oh, sorry.’

‘Forget it. It’s no big deal.’

The resignation in his voice caused a surge of compassion inside her.

‘Don’t say that. Of course it’s a big deal if you need someone to talk to.’

‘I have someone to talk to. Joey.’

‘Yes, but that’s not the same as having a friend to talk to.’

‘Frankie, being a barman doesn’t stop him from being a friend.’

‘I’m sorry. I–I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just that you and I have been friends for so long. You’ve been having such a rough time lately, and I haven’t helped matters by going out with Rhys…’ The words died on her lips.

Pulling up at
a Give Way, she saw Tom looking confused.

‘I know it can’t be easy,’ she went on. ‘And I’m really sorry, Tom.
I never knew you felt that way and when it finally dawned on me—well, it was too late. I’d never hurt you on purpose.’

‘What are you talking about? When did you find out?’ Tom’s tone shook with panic. Frankie decided it best not to tell him that her parents also knew about his crush.

‘A few weeks ago when you started spending so much time down at the pub. It’d never occurred to me that you never went out on dates or anything.’

‘Frankie, no one must know, you hear me!’

Surprised by his vehemence, she nodded profusely.

‘Of course, of course.
If that’s what you want. There’s no shame in it though. Friends fall for each other all the time.’

Tom groaned and leant back in his seat.

‘I didn’t mean for it to happen. I didn’t even realise it
was
happening until Joey practically spelt it out to me.’

‘Wow, you do tell Joey an awful
lot,’ Frankie said with a strangled laugh.

Tom shifted in his seat so he was facing her. With the glow of passing street lights, his face was lit with fear.

‘Frankie,’ he said breathlessly, ‘if you love me then you won’t tell anyone. I could lose my job.’

Frankie balked. Tom was being a bit over-
dramatic, even by her standards.

‘I
do
love you, Tom,’ she said gently. ‘But I love you like a brother. And I know that it must feel pretty serious, but even if people did find out you had a crush on me, you wouldn’t lose your job. Rhys isn’t that revered in the weighing room.’

‘
What
?’

‘What?’

‘You think I’ve got a crush on you?’

Frankie shrugged, embarrassed.

‘Or in love with me, whichever you think you feel.’

Tom gave a harsh laugh of disbelief. Frankie pulled up in a parking space
and switched off the engine. She looked at him properly for the first time. Something in his expression told her that hadn’t been the right thing to say.

‘You think I’m in love with you?’ Tom spluttered.

Doubt loomed.

‘Aren’t you?’

‘No, Frankie!’ he cried. ‘I’m gay!’

This time it was Frankie’s turn to be gobsmacked.