Popping the Cherry (21 page)

‘You might actually be scaring me now.’

‘You’re having me on, right? How about Chris Pine? Zachary Quinto?’

‘Mmmmh, nice, but what about them?’

‘They played Kirk and Spock in the
new
films.’

‘Oh, right, I guess now isn’t the time to admit I didn’t know there were
old
films.’

Jake shook his head with disgust. ‘You and I need a
Star Trek
marathon, Tink. It’s a disgrace you’ve never heard of them. You don’t know what you’re missing.’

‘Yeah, whatever,’ I said coolly, when inside I wanted to sing, and skip, and shout. Calm as you like, I put the car into first gear, did my mirror-signal-manoeuvre move, then pulled away.

We made it home without any further dramas, and Jake walked me to the door. Dad opened it before we got there, my arm still outstretched ready to put my key in the lock.

‘Subtle, Dad,’ I said, dropping my arm back to my side. ‘How long have you been hiding there?’

‘I just happened to be passing, and I heard you coming,’ Dad blustered, but his left eyelid twitched.

‘Oh really?’ The big question was whether he’d been lurking, waiting, to grill Jake about my driving, or whether he’d hoped to catch us out, despite my protests of there being nothing ‘romantic’ going on between us.

Dad looked from me, then up to Jake. ‘So how’s she doing?’

‘Jeez, Dad,’ I said, butting in. ‘Is he not even allowed to get through the front door first?’

‘You’re right. Please excuse my manners.’

Dad opened the door wide and Jake waved his arm, signalling for me to go first. ‘After you,’ he said. Maybe chivalry wasn’t dead, after all.

I strutted past Dad and into the house, closely followed by Jake. Dad closed the door behind us and, as I strode the length of the hallway, I could already hear Jake singing my praises. Cheeks blazing, I set about making drinks and automatically took out four mugs. It was only once I’d started to fill them with boiling water that I realised Mum hadn’t come through.

‘Where’s Mum?’ I asked, interrupting Jake and Dad’s cringeworthy, shared-appreciation-of-me conversation.

‘She’s popped out,’ Dad said, twisting to face me. ‘Maggie called her, in a state about something or other. Don’t ask me what—you know what she’s like. But I shouldn’t imagine your mum will be much longer, especially as she’s bringing dinner back with her. Which reminds me …’ Dad directed his attention back to Jake. ‘What would you like from the Chinese?’

‘Me?’ Jake’s eyebrows shot up, the highest I’d ever seen them, which was saying something.

‘Sure. You will join us for dinner, won’t you?’ Dad went for the jugular, using his best persuasive tone. I’d heard him use it a million times at work to good effect. Polite yet forceful. There weren’t many who would stand up to him.

Managing a much better example of subtlety than Dad, Jake darted his gaze to meet mine and quirked his right eyebrow ever so slightly. I replied with a half-smile and a minuscule shrug, chuffed that he’d actually thought to check with me first.

‘Thank you, I’d like that,’ Jake said tactfully.

Dad took Jake’s order and texted it—painfully slowly—through to Mum. I almost snatched Dad’s phone off him to do it myself, but he’d reminded me I hadn’t checked my phone for a while. I had a message from Flick, checking I’d got home from swimming OK, so I shot back a quick reply: ‘Not exactly, but I’ll fill you in tmrw. I don’t suppose you fancy picking me up? x.’

‘Sounds whack. Are you OK? And no problemo with the lift x.’

‘Yeah, I’m fine. Now anyway. Just take care out and about, OK? x.’

‘Lena, you’re scaring me. Has something happened? x.’

‘Not really, I promise I’ll explain when I see you.’ The sound of the front door being unlocked snagged my attention and I watch as Mum walked through the door carrying a huge brown-paper bag. ‘Gotta go, Mum’s back with Chinese x.’

‘Ooh yum. Enjoy, lucky cow. See you in the AM x.’

I slipped my phone into my back pocket, then quickly grabbed the plates I’d been warming out of the oven and carried them to the table. Usual chaos ensued and it turned into a bit of a free-for-all, foil cartons ripped opened and passed around, but eventually the four of us were seated and ready to tuck into our feast. Considering Jake hadn’t had cause to come to my house in all the time I’d been friends with Gemma, he fitted in as though he’d always been there.

Relaxed and at ease with my parents, he gave off a chilled vibe that rubbed off on me, calming my nerves, jangling from his unexpected inclusion for dinner and the fact that he’d checked with me first. It’s a wonder I didn’t wind up covered in noodles and spouting utter nonsense, opting to keep my trap shut instead.

Throughout the meal, I couldn’t help watching him, though, listening intently as he joined in the conversations yet trying to disguise my fascination and not make doe eyes at him. When Jake relayed some of the antics from projects he’d worked on, he made us all laugh—Dad even launched into his full-on belly laugh—and then, once we’d all finished, Jake leaped to his feet to help Mum clear the plates.

Mum and Dad exchanged a loaded look and my super Spidey senses went wild, triggering a freaky buzzing sensation at the base of my spine that screamed, ‘
Uh-oh!
‘ Since when was the world suddenly full of matchmakers? My own parents, for crying out loud! If I didn’t watch out, they’d be either throwing me at Jake or trying to bribe him to take me off their hands. Sure, it could be worse: they could hate him, and then I’d really be buggered if I ever did get anywhere with him.

Jake was in the processes of saying his thanks and goodbyes when the doorbell chimed. Standing nearest, Mum headed down the hall to see who it was. Fascinated, we all watched, curious as to who it could be at such a late hour. After a quick peep through side window, Mum yanked the front door open to reveal two police officers.

‘Good evening, ma’am. Sorry to disturb you. I’m WPC Flood, and this is my colleague PC Bonner.’ They both flashed their ID. ‘May we come inside?’

‘Yes, of course,’ Mum said, putting on her posh work voice. She moved out of the doorway to admit them, then closed the door with an ominous clunk. ‘What can we do for you, officers?’

They’d come for me, though. I just knew it. And then WPC Flood’s gaze found mine.

‘We hoped we could speak to Valentina,’ WPC Flood said, nodding in my direction.

Mum immediately said, ‘Of course, go on through.’

She extended her arm, then tailed the officers along the hallway. My knees trembled and threatened to give out on me altogether, but Jake had my back. Yet again. He took my weight and guided me over to the table, where I could sit down before I fell. The two officers joined us in the kitchen and took up the seats opposite me.

‘I heard him. I heard his voice,’ I blurted. ‘They did it again, didn’t they?’

‘Yes …’ WPC Flood shared a brief look with PC Bonner, their names already imprinted in my brain for eternity. Her calm tone and relaxed manner were the complete opposite of what my body was doing, dragging me closer and closer to hysteria. ‘There’s been another incident.’

Adrenaline surged through my limbs and I leaped to my feet, sending my chair clattering to the floor with a crash. Acid churned in my stomach. The noodles I’d eaten clawed up through my throat and prepared to escape, so I ran. My feet pounded the stairs, climbing them two at a time. I kicked the bathroom door open and slammed it shut behind me. It took me two goes to slide the bolt across and I barely made it to the toilet in time before I heaved, my stomach emptying itself with or without my help.

After the third time, there was nothing left, so I sank to the floor and rested my burning forehead on the cool tiles. There was a gentle knock at the door, as if the person had been there a while, waiting for me to finish.

‘Tink, can you let me in?’ Mum sounded worried but I didn’t want to face her. I needed to be alone.

‘I’ll be down in a minute, Mum,’ I said, my voice hoarse.

‘Are you sure, love? I’ve brought you some water,’ she said hopefully, as if that would make me change my mind.

‘Yeah.’ It was all I could manage, and even then it sounded more like a croak.

‘OK, but if you’re not down in five minutes, I’ll be back.’ Her footsteps told me she’d gone downstairs again, but her concerned voice carried through the floorboards, so I easily heard her say, ‘She wouldn’t let me in. Maybe you could try.’

Who?

Heavier footsteps told me it had to me a man, but which man? Who would Mum send, when she had failed? Surely not Dad? Another gentle rap on the door came just moments later.

‘Tink, it’s me.’
No way!
‘You don’t have to let me in, just let me know you’re OK.’

Mum had actually gone and sent Jake.

And she’d been right: his voice gave me the strength to rise to my hands and knees. I crawled to the door and pulled back the bolt, then scurried far enough away to avoid being hit. The handle turned and Jake’s fingers appeared as he cautiously eased the door open. He poked his head through the gap, then opened the door fully once he saw I was out of the way. Closing the door gently behind him, he slid the bolt back into place. Without saying a word, he joined me on the floor, took me in his arms and held me.

‘It’s my fault,’ I mumbled, once the vicious beating inside my ribs had calmed down.

‘What?’ Jake drew away far enough to be able to see my face. ‘How the hell can it be your fault?’

‘I should have called the police when I heard him at the pool,’ I said.

‘And told them what?’

‘I dunno. Warned them he was around, or something.’

‘I doubt very much he ever left, Tink. It was only a matter of time—’

‘Way to make a girl feel better, Jake,’ I snapped, shrugging him off so I could get back to my feet. Keeping my back to him, I turned the cold tap on and waited until the water ran ice-cold before stooping over the basin and cupping my hands beneath the flow. I caught the water and lifted it to my face, the chill attacking my skin as if I held a nest full of hedgehogs instead of liquid. Not caring that Jake was watching, I dipped my head and drank greedily in an effort to cool my poor, abused throat.

‘Better?’ Jake asked, as I dried myself off on the towel he held out to me.

‘Not really,’ I huffed.

‘Tink, it is not your fault,’ he repeated firmly.

I spun to glare at him. ‘Whose is it, then?’

‘Nobody’s.’

‘So what am I supposed to do?’ I said, launching into a rant. ‘Stand here and wait for it to happen again? What if it’s Flick next time, or Gemma?’

‘No.’ Jake’s eyes flashed and he practically snarled. ‘You’re supposed to get your arse back down those stairs and talk to the police. Listen to what they’ve got to say. Help them hunt down the bastards that did this before they can strike again.’

‘Fine!’ I made short work of the bolt and wrenched open the door. With fire in my belly, I stormed from the bathroom and stomped down the stairs, only realising once I’d reached the bottom that Jake had done it again.

‘Ah, here she is,’ Dad said as I approached the kitchen with Jake hot on my heels.

‘Valentina, I’m sorry for startling you,’ WPC Flood said the moment I entered. She offered me a smile and signalled for me to sit down. ‘Please … We think you may be able to help.’

‘Really?’ I slipped into the seat Jake was holding out for me, then instinctively reached for his hand. ‘How?’

‘We think you can help identify them, especially after what you said about hearing them today.’

‘You told me there was another incident?’

‘Yes, a girl a similar age to you was walking home alone and got chased by two men,’ WPC Flood said.

My grip tightened on Jake’s hand. ‘And?’

‘It would appear we have a pair of practical jokers on our hands, two guys who get a kick out of scaring young girls for their own amusement.’

‘Huh?’

‘When they caught her, they just laughed and let her go again.’

‘That’s sick!’ I blurted, but my own memory backed it up. I hadn’t imagined the laughter outside the takeaway. ‘Who would do such a thing?’

‘That’s what we want to know, so we can put a stop to it.’ WPC Flood sat back in her chair and reached for her notebook. ‘You said you heard him at the pool. Can you tell me about that?’

The nervous tension in my stomach dissipated, swiftly replaced by the urge to hit something—preferably the pranksters who had given me countless nightmares and made me afraid of my own shadow.

‘Definitely,’ I said, dropping Jake’s hand and sitting up taller in my chair. I filled WPC Flood and PC Bonner in on my near-drowning, and gave them Zac’s name to verify the details and act as a witness. ‘And, if I’m right, it’s not just two of them: another one acts as their driver.’

Everything I told them was good news as far as the police were concerned, especially as I’d been at a members-only swim session. All the police had to do was get a record of who was swiped it at the time and use it narrow down their list of suspects, then bring them in for questioning. My statement, combined with the detailed physical description the other girl had given, meant there was a strong chance of a positive identification. The clock was ticking for the sick, twisted creeps.

Unfortunately, my excuse for putting off Operation: Popping the Cherry was also now null and void, my grace period over, but who to go after next? Unbidden, my gaze lifted to seek out Jake. He immediately turned his head as if I’d called him and gave me a smile. My stomach did a loop-the-loop and a flush threatened to colour my cheeks.

Nuh-uh, not going there
.

Too dangerous. Impossible even, no matter how tempting it was to add him to the list anyway to see if Gemma really would go mental. It would serve her right for being so damned pushy, and probably the only thing that would get her to back off. Either that or she’d never speak to me again. No, there was no point even going there.

Zac could be fair game, though.

First-year exams put paid to any social plans for the next few weeks: I was either at college, at home studying, or at work. Throughout the exams I’d managed to go swimming every week, hoping to catch Zac on duty, which was fine until Flick joined me after exams had finished. Little Miss Intuitive called me on it within minutes of arriving, so I had to give her to details. It made no sense not to tell the rest of the girls after that, and it got them off my back about Operation: Popping the Cherry at least.