Starstruck (27 page)

‘It’s
just not worth it. You really should take better care of your skin, Nicole.’

Looking
over at Emily, I give her my best please-deal-with-her face. You can always
count on your best friend to side with you in situations like this.

‘Maybe
we could do something else,’ Emily suggests.

Or
not.

‘What?’
I look over at Jake and, surprise surprise, he gives me his best
I’m-not-getting-involved face.

‘We
could watch scary DVDs at my place.’ There is a look of desperation in Emily’s
eyes as she says this, like she is willing me to agree. I am fighting a losing
battle here because if Vicky doesn’t want to go then Vicky won’t go, and Emily won’t
go if her new roommate doesn’t want to.

‘Yeah,
fine,’ I mutter, walking into my office and slamming the door behind me.

It
is 6pm and I’m still at work. Emily and Vicky have gone home and Jake has gone
to his place to get changed. I am here all alone finishing off this damn album
review. To be honest, I don’t have to do it right now but I’m a bit pissed off
and I don’t want to go over to Emily’s just yet. I just can’t face a whole
night of Vicky.

So
here I am, pretending to write a review. I don’t know if it’s because it is
Halloween or because I am here alone, but I feel really freaked out. It’s dark
out, nature’s little reminders that winter is nearly here, and the lights in
the main office are dimmed so I think I’ll stay here in my office until Jake
comes back to pick me up. I am cursing myself for telling him it would be at
least 7pm before I would be finished, but it seemed like a great idea at the
time when I just wanted everyone to piss off.

The
office has never seemed so creepy and I actually find myself fully opening the
blinds and looking out of my window, just to see people.  This settles my
nerves for a few minutes before I start feeling vulnerable again – in my well
lit office anyone in the dark street, or the dark rooms in the office across
the road, could be watching me... Oh God! I swiftly fiddle with the cord that
closes the blinds, letting out a bit of a whimper - pathetic.

Sitting
back down in my desk chair, I let out a sigh. It’s no use, I’m going to have to
call Jake and get him to come for me now because I’ll drive myself crazy
sitting here. I grab my mobile and begin to search for Jake’s name when I hear
a loud clatter in the main office. My eyes dart up from my phone and focus on
the door. I stay absolutely still and listen to the silence for a few seconds –
did I imagine that? I really do know how to freak myself out. I am snapped from
my reassuring thoughts by a second loud noise and it is definitely coming from
the office. Panic sets in. I can’t just sit here and wait for it to come and
get me. What am I thinking? It’s not an it, it’s a person. Was my first thought
really that it might be a ghost? No, it’s a person, and I’m going to go out
there and defend myself. I am far too cool to die like this! Just imagine what
people would say? “Oh, she died working late.” Oh no, if I’m going down, I’m
going down fighting.

I
laugh to myself (very quietly of course) at the idea of me going out there to
face whoever it is, because I am the girl who once spent a night at Emily’s
house just because there was a moth in my bathroom – a big, hairy moth with
designs on flying into my mouth, I'm sure of it.

Another
clatter. Right that’s it. I grab something from my desk to arm myself with and
walk slowly towards the door, gently placing my free hand on the door handle. I
look at my weapon of choice – a can of hair spray. What the fuck am I going to
do with that? Spray the person to death? Glancing back at my desk I spy a
heavy-duty hole punch (I’m not even sure why we have a hole punch because I
don’t think we’ve ever used it) why didn’t I grab that? I’ve come too far to go
back for it now. I can definitely hear someone moving around and they sound
much closer to the door this time. Flinging open my office door with such a
force I almost rip the handle off, I charge through with my hairspray in one
hand, frantically searching for the light switch that with other. Seeing the
dark shadowy figure of a man walking towards me, I close my eyes and scream as
I fumble for the switch. Finally clicking it on, I open my eyes and prepare to
spray my opponent.

‘Whoa,
whoa, don’t spray me!’ he cries out, shielding his eyes.

They
say that most victims know their attacker, well I certainly know mine -
although I’m not entirely sure he’s here to attack me.

‘Is
that pepper spray?’ he asks with a relieved yet still slightly cautious look on
his face, walking towards me but still holding his hands up in the air.

‘Extra-hold.’
I hold up the hairspray can for him to see and we both laugh before hugging one
another.

‘Dylan,
what are you doing here?’

His
smile drops as I ask this. I sit down on the sofa, ready to listen.

‘It’s
just everything,’ he says as he sits next to me. ‘I’m sick of everything.
Married life is shit, people tell you it’s going to be shit and you think
they’re just having you on but it’s shit, Nicole. A huge pile of shit.’

As
he drops his head into his hands I place a comforting arm around him.

‘And
do you know what the worst part is?’ he asks. ‘You tried to tell me this was a
dick thing to do, and I didn’t listen. I was so caught up in doing the right
thing.’

He
says the “the right thing” in a silly voice.

‘No
one can tell you what the right thing is, Dill.’ I rub his shoulder
sympathetically.

‘I
spoke to Charles today, he told me about you two.’

‘I
was hoping to tell you myself, but you haven’t been answering my calls.’

‘It’s
her.’

Oh,
I know it’s her alright. I’m just hoping it’s hormones that are making her a
total bitch.

Standing
up, Dylan puts his hands behind his head and stares at the ceiling, exhaling
loudly.

‘I
don’t want this, Nic. I don’t want any of it. I don’t want her, I don’t want
kids. How did I get into this mess?’

‘Look,
calm down. Things might seem bad now, but once the babies are born-’

‘No!’
he cuts me off. ‘This isn’t me, and you know it. You know it, Nicole.’

‘Have
you been drinking?’ I ask.

‘No.’

‘Would
you like one?’ I rummage around in the little office fridge, trying to find
something to mix with the vodka that I keep in my office – for emergencies, and
this is most definitely an emergency.

‘There
we are.’ I push the glass into his hand and he takes a big drink without giving
the contents a second glace.

‘What’s
this crap in my vodka?’ he asks, his face scrunched up in disgust.

‘It’s
orange juice,’ I tell him with a giggle. ‘It’s a fruit.’

‘Give
me the bottle.’ He knocks back the rest of his drink reluctantly and pours
himself a large vodka.

‘What
are you doing in Leeds?’ I ask, cutting to the chase.

 ‘I
ran away.’ He laughs like a maniac.

‘You
ran away? How old are you again?’

‘I
couldn’t take another second of her, Nic.’

‘You
mean your wife?’

‘Don’t
rub it in, please.’ He pours himself another drink, and tops up what I have
left with even more vodka. I sip it politely.

‘I
was supposed to be going out tonight. Mikey was throwing a big Halloween party,
but Crystal said she couldn’t go, so I couldn’t go.’

‘Well
it is Halloween, she probably has to work. Actually, she’s on maternity leave
isn’t she?’

‘Oi,
that’s my wife you’re talking about.’ He laughs. ‘Anyway, what are you still
doing at work, loser?’

‘My
plans were ruined too. I’m going over to Emily’s to watch scary movies,
probably nothing scarier than Hocus Pocus. Want to come?’ Imagine Vicky’s face
if I turn up with Dylan, a proper celebrity.

‘You
make it sound so appealing,’ he says sarcastically. ‘But I think I’ll pass, not
really my scene.’

‘Well
let’s go to the party I was supposed to go to then,’ I suggest, because that is
definitely his scene.

‘Can
you imagine the headlines if I am papped on a night out in Leeds with another
girl, while my cow of a wife is stuck at home, pregnant and alone? Man, I wanna
quit the business so bad right now.’

‘You
can’t do that, just think of all the fans you would be letting down.’

‘Think
about it, if I wasn’t famous there’s no way Crystal would have wanted to sleep
with me. I wouldn’t even be in this mess. When I stormed out I thought I might
go to a club, but I couldn’t risk having my picture taken. I’d look like a
total dick.’

‘I
know things seem shitty right now,’ I down my drink for confidence, because I’m
not entirely sure that I truly believe what I am about to say. ‘You’re just
panicking because it’s all different. You just need to chill out, have a night
off, and everything will seem better in the morning.’

‘You’re
probably right,’ he reluctantly admits. I know I’m probably wrong, but what
choice does he have now? Trying to divorce a pregnant woman a couple of weeks
after your rushed wedding is bad enough, but for a celebrity like Dylan, it
would ruin his profile completely, he’d be hated.

 I
grin at him. ‘I’m always right.’

‘I’m
being a selfish shit head, aren’t I?’

‘You’re
not being selfish, love. You’re just not used to this stuff.’

‘I’ll
go back early tomorrow and beg for forgiveness, I guess.’

‘Good
idea. Do you need a place to stay?’

‘I
booked into The Chater – something.’

‘The
Châtaigne?’ I ask, excitedly.

‘That’s
the one.’

‘Oh,
flashy!’ I say this to tease him, but it is a really nice hotel. All of the
really big stars stay there when they come to town.

‘Don’t
take the piss or I’ll get you with that hairspray. We could go back there and
get drunk?’ he suggests with a sigh.

‘Way
to make a girl feel welcome!’

‘Well
we can’t go anywhere else, can we?’

‘Perhaps...’
I skip towards my office excitedly. ‘I’ll be back.’

I
grab my phone to make a quick call.

‘Emily,
hello,’ I say breathlessly as soon as she answers. ‘Listen, something has come
up and I can’t come over tonight, can you let Jake know not to pick me up
please?’

‘Yeah,
course. What’s going on?’

‘I’ll
tell you, but it’s top secret. Don’t even tell Jake.’

She
promises, but it goes without saying that I can trust her.

‘Dylan
is here! He needed to get away so he’s come here, but he’s going back in the
morning.’

‘Oh
my God!’ Emily squeals. ‘Is he staying at yours?’

‘No,
no, he’s staying at The Châtaigne.’

‘Oh,
flashy!’

‘That’s
what I said!’ I said over-enthusiastically, quickly lowering the volume of my
voice again in case Dylan hears me. ‘I’m going to take him to the foam party,
cheer him up a bit.’

‘That’s
nice but it won’t look very good if anyone sees him out partying, will it?’

‘Don’t
worry, I’ve got it covered.’

‘How?’
she ask curiously.

‘A
disguise!’ I announce proudly.

‘Won’t
that look a bit weird?’

‘Emily,
it’s Halloween.’

‘So?’

I
laugh. ‘So everyone is dressing up tonight, you ditzy cow!’

‘Oh,’
she replies, sounding slightly offended. ‘Well I’ll let Jake know, have fun.’

The
call ends abruptly, but she knows I’m busy.

Skipping
back out into the main office I grab the big box from underneath Jake’s desk
and plonk it down in front of Dylan. ‘We’re going to a party! A foam party!’

‘We’ve
been over this, I –‘

‘Look
inside the box,’ I insist.

‘Halloween
costumes? Nicole Wilde, you beauty!’ he rubs his hands together and begins
searching the box for something suitable.

‘We
had them leftover from a photo shoot, I knew they would come in handy for
something.’

Dylan
pulls out a rubber Frankenstein’s monster mask and puts it on. It covers his
head, eyes and nose and he is instantly unrecognisable. I grab the witch’s hat
that Vicky wore during our Halloween photo shoot with Chillz. As far as witches
hats go, it’s really pretty. It’s black, with a big black glittery bow and a
black lace trim. This will do nicely.

I
hand Dylan my compact and he checks out his disguise.

‘I
think we might actually get away with this you know.’  He grabs the bottle of
vodka and fills our glasses. ‘We may as well finish this and then we’ll head
over to the club. It’s a long time since I’ve been anonymous, I’m excited.’

He
looks excited - well the bottom half of his face does at least. I’m going to
make sure we have a really good time, because as soon as the babies are born he
won’t be able to do this anymore, the poor bastard.