The Mighty Storm (12 page)

I reach for the handle, just clicking open the door, when he says, “I
’
ll walk you to your door. Too many weirdo
’
s about in London. I want to make sure you get in okay.”

Pushing open the door, I smile to myself as I exit the car. Jake gets out at the same time. My front door is only thirty feet away, I hardly think anything is going to happen to me in thirty feet.

Jake walks me up my path, and I get that feeling of being a teenager again. Butterflies and giddiness. The way I would feel when I was crazy about him back then and, he would look at me and my insides would just go nuts.

I reach my door and fish my keys out of my bag.

Should I invite him in? I guess it would be rude not to. Even though Simone will die of heart failure when she sees him.

“
Do you want to come in for a coffee?” I gesture.

He looks at my door, then at my face. “I
’
ve got an early start tomorrow. I really should get back to the hotel.”

A no then.

“
Oh, okay, sure.” I try not to sound as disappointed as I feel.

Not very rock star sounding to need his sleep … Oh God … I was just blown out wasn
’
t I.

I
’
m so slow.

But it
’
s fine because I wasn
’
t inviting him in for anything other than coffee anyway. Obviously he doesn
’
t think I
’
m attractive at all. I mean he sleeps with anything with a pulse. But not me apparently. Not that I would have, but anyway, it doesn
’
t matter. He didn
’
t fancy me when we were younger, so why should it be any different now.

‘
Because I
’
m not fourteen anymore. And I
’
m a little prettier than I used to be back then,
’
shouts my inner self.

I suddenly feel like stamping my teenage foot and asking him just what
’
s wrong with me that I
’
m not good enough for him now, and why I wasn
’
t back then.

But I won
’
t obviously, because that would be way too weird and majorly embarrassing.

“
Well, it was really great seeing you again. Surreal, but great.”

Did I just say surreal? Oh God
.

He smiles at me, humour clear in his eyes. “Can I have your number? I don
’
t want to lose contact again.”

“
Yes, of course!” My voice has gone way squeaky, totally giving me away. Traitor voice. And my heart is pounding at my ribs, threatening a break very soon.

Jake pulls his phone out of his pocket and I recite my phone number to him, watching as he types it in.

Adele starts to sing in my bag. As I look down, he lifts his phone, gesturing. “And now you have mine.”

I have Jake
’
s number!

I
’
m tapping out a happy number inside my head myself right now.

He suddenly leans close to me, lifting his hand, tucking my hair behind my ear, fingers tipping my jaw, he kisses my cheek.

I close my eyes, absorbing the feel and smell of him. Cigarettes, beer and aftershave.

“
Seeing you again was way better than I ever thought it could be,” he murmurs.

What?

By the time my eyes are open, he
’
s already retreating down the path, heading to his car.

He stops near the bottom and turns back as if remembering something. “Oh, Tru, when I said earlier that you looked great, what I actually should have said was that you look beautiful,” he smiles. “I
’
ll call you soon.”

And then he
’
s back in his car, pulling away.

I let myself in my flat and fall back against the door, heart still pounding up a storm.

Then the very next thing I do is get my phone out and save Jake
’
s number to my contacts.

“
What did you do to that boy last night?”

Vicky is already advancing through the office toward me and I haven
’
t even sat down yet.

“
Because whatever it was, just keep on doing it please.” She grins.

“
Eh?”

I
’
m still trying to recover from last night. It took me hours to get to sleep after my night with Jake, so I overslept. This morning was a rush and the interrogation from Simone prevented me from even grabbing a coffee. I
’
m also still coming down off my Jake cloud and dealing with the probability of never seeing him again.

I
’
ll call you soon.

He won
’
t call. Why would he? And even though I have his number, I
’
m not calling him. Well not yet anyway.

“
I just got off the phone with him.”

“
Who?”

“
Jake Wethers!” She screams like a teenager. Not like the owner of the successful magazine.

“
Jake?” I
’
m confused. “Why’s he calling you? No offence,” I add when I see the disappointed look on her face.

“
Because you my darling are a skinful of magic, and delicious to boot!”

I hate it when she starts talking in riddles.

“
Vicky, I
’
m a little lost here
–
help me out will you?” I chuckle so not to offend her.

“
Did he not speak to you about it last night
–
no
–
wow, okay, well Jake Wethers just called me and has asked the magazine to host his official bio! Arrghhh!” she screams.

It
’
s way too early for Vicky
’
s hysterical screaming. But wow that is so totally cool.

“
He called you himself? Don
’
t they usually have their PA
’
s do this stuff?”

“
Yes!” She screams again. “I know I could not believe it!”

“
Wow. That is awesome Vicky! Really awesome! I
’
m so pleased for you
–
for us
–
for the magazine!”

And I might get a chance to see Jake again, maybe.

I feel a little frisson of excitement buzz inside me at the thought.

“
So who is his biographer?” I ask taking my jacket off and hanging it on the back of my chair. I wonder if it
’
s anyone I know. I
’
m going to probably have to work with them for the spreads … that is if Vicky is putting me on it. God, I hope she is.

She cocks her eyebrow at me in confusion. “Jake really hasn
’
t spoken with you about any of this? He never mentioned anything at dinner?”

“
No. Mentioned what?”

“
Well, my darling girl, I
’
m happy to tell you that Jake
’
s official biographer is … well
–
you.”

What? What?!

All I can do is stare at her dumbfounded. And then my mobile starts to ring on my desk.

But I can
’
t move. I
’
m frozen to the spot.

He
’
s hired me? Jake
’
s hired me to write his bio without even asking me. Is that even legal?

Vicky walks over to my desk, peering over at my phone, she picks it up and holds it out to me.

“
You might want to take this call. It
’
s Jake.”

All I can do is stare down at it like it
’
s a bomb about to go off.

Why would he do this?

I mean of course it
’
s awesome and very flattering that he thinks I could do it, but I
’
ve never written a book before. I write articles. Little ones that fit on the page of a magazine.

I don
’
t think I can write a book.

Oh God.

I just don
’
t understand why he
’
s done this and why he never talked to me about it. He had ample opportunity last night.

All the air has been sucked out of the room. I think I
’
m having a panic attack or something. I
’
m going to pass out.

“
Take the call,” Vicky urges pushing the phone closer to me. “You can
’
t pass up this opportunity. The magazine can
’
t pass up this opportunity, Tru.” She looks at me wistfully.

But I just can
’
t move my hand to take the phone.

“
An opportunity Jake didn
’
t even offer me himself.” My voice comes out croaky.

My phone stops ringing.

We both look down at it.

Vicky retreats her hand containing my bomb of a phone with it.

“
Maybe Jake just wanted to speak to me first. You know with me being your employer. He probably wanted to check it wouldn
’
t cause any problems with your permanent job here first before offering you the job.”

“
Did he say that to you?” I look at her suspiciously.

“
Yes, of course he did,” she answers brightly.

She
’
s so lying. He never asked her. I can
’
t imagine Jake ever asking anyone for anything.

All he
’
s done by calling Vicky first, is put me in a position where I can
’
t say no.

Did he know that would be the case? And if so, then why would he do that?

“
Call him back,” Vicky urges.

I shake my head, swallowing down my dry throat. “I don
’
t think I can. I don
’
t think I can do this. I can
’
t write a book, Vicky. I
’
m a journalist. A music journalist, not a novelist.”

“
You can. You are a wonderful writer, my darling.”

I look up at her, mild panic in my eyes. I know what she
’
s worried about. She
’
s worried Jake will pull the bio from the magazine if I don
’
t write it.

But he wouldn
’
t do that.

“
Jake will still have the magazine do the feature, even if I don
’
t take the job, Vicky. He wouldn
’
t pull it. I know him.”

She shrugs. “I don
’
t know, honey, I did sort of get the distinct impression you are part of the deal.”

“
Did he say that?”

“
Not exactly.”

Yes he did.

Crap.

“
Why would he do this?” I say my thoughts out loud.

She smiles. “Maybe he just doesn
’
t want to let you go this time.”

“
So he forces me to write his bio? No, that doesn
’
t make any sense. I
’
m his friend. You don
’
t force people to be your friend. I
’
d be his friend without this.”

I
’
m so confused. I need to sit down. I slump back into my chair.

Vicky moves round and leans against my desk. “Maybe he doesn
’
t just want to be your friend,” she says softly. “And if that is the case, then this way he gets to ensure he sees a lot more of you, for a long while.”

My eyes flash up to hers. “No.” I shake my head. “It
’
s not that.”

He had the chance to make a move on me last night, and if I
’
m being truthful, I probably would have kissed him back if he had kissed me, but he didn
’
t. And that
’
s how I know that
’
s not the reason.

I just have no clue what his motive is.

Maybe it
’
s a genuine one. Maybe he thinks I
’
m a really good writer.

I scoff at the very thought in my own mind.

“
Well for whatever reason he is doing it,” Vicky says. “This is a huge opportunity for you and the magazine as a whole. It can only be a good thing, Tru. And maybe Jake recognises that. He
’
ll know what this will do for your career. Maybe he just wants to help you. He did say to me that he
’
s been considering doing a bio for a long while now, and with this tour it
’
s the right time. It was obviously just good fortune that you met back up with him, or it could be someone else getting to hop on that tour bus.”