Paradise (19 page)

Then Cal filled them in on how his two football academies were going – one was in Lewisham, one in Brighton, and they aimed to coach disadvantaged kids. This had long been a passion of his and Angel admired him for his dedication in seeing the project through. As he talked she reflected on what a good and decent man he was, in spite of letting her down so badly. He wanted to give something back to the community. In fact, the
whole evening was going much better than Angel could have anticipated. And then she caught sight of Simone. Oh my God! she thought as Simone waved at them and walked, or rather sashayed, towards their table. Surely Gemma hadn’t invited her? Even if she was Cal’s girlfriend.

But both Gemma and Cal looked as surprised as Angel by Simone’s appearance.

‘Happy Birthday!’ she exclaimed. She looked gorgeous in a violet Hervé Léger bandage dress – she must be doing okay financially, that dress cost over a thousand pounds. Angel knew as she had exactly the same one. ‘I’m meeting some friends here by coincidence and I brought this for you.’ She handed over a small parcel.

‘You didn’t have to get me anything!’ Gemma exclaimed, uncomfortable with the idea of Simone giving her a present.

‘No, I wanted to. You and everyone else . . .’ she paused here to look round the table, drawing on her acting skills, opening her eyes that little bit wider and looking vulnerable ‘. . . have been so good to me, I really don’t know what I would have done without your support.’ She left just the right amount of time to make her point, gazing longest at Cal, then said, ‘Anyway, I’ll leave you to your meal. It was lovely seeing you all.’ And turned to go.

‘Wait a minute, Simone,’ Gemma called after her. ‘Why don’t you have a drink with us while you wait for your friends to arrive?’

‘Are you sure?’ she asked. ‘That would be nice actually. I don’t like sitting at tables on my own in restaurants, I always feel like a right no mates!’

Angel tried to compose her features into a friendly expression as Simone sat down next to Rufus and opposite Cal. Gemma then opened the parcel to reveal
a small Tiffany box, inside which was a horseshoe charm made of diamonds and platinum. How the hell had Simone known to get that? Angel stared at her friend as Simone said, ‘I heard you mention to your mum that you’d asked Angel to get you a bracelet, and thought I’d get you a charm for your collection. In fact, I hope you don’t mind, but it’s second-hand – it’s one of mine. I hope it brings you more luck than it did me.’

Oh, bring out the violins! Angel thought bitterly while Gemma exclaimed, ‘Thank you so much!’ It took all Angel’s will power to smile instead of grimace. It felt to her as if Simone was trying to buy Gemma’s friendship, which was ironic seeing as when she was going out with Cal she wouldn’t give either Angel or Gemma the time of day and had totally looked down on them.

Rufus poured Simone a glass of champagne and she chatted to him about her plans to run the marathon, apparently she intended to run it for Scope, the charity supported by Rufus as his sister had cerebral palsy. Coincidence? Or yet another example of Simone trying to get in Rufus’ and Jez’s good books?

‘Have you ever run a marathon?’ Simone asked Angel.

She shook her head. ‘I don’t really have time for training at the moment. I’ve got so many work projects on, along with the reality show and Honey as well.’

‘You’re
so
lucky to have a daughter,’ Simone replied wistfully. ‘I always thought that I would have a baby by the time I was thirty. It was what I wanted most of all.’

‘Really?’ Angel couldn’t stop herself from sounding sceptical; she had always thought that the only thing Simone dreamt of was securing the attentions and wallet of a successful football player.

Cal shot her a warning look as if to say, Play nice,
which made Angel want to scream with frustration. Why was everyone else so blind to what Simone was up to? She finished her glass of champagne and Rufus poured her another. ‘So who are you meeting?’ Angel asked her. She had the strongest suspicion that Simone wasn’t meeting anyone; that most likely she had overheard Gemma talking about her birthday plans at the salon. ‘Two girlfriends,’ Simone replied. She looked at her elegant white gold and diamond Chanel watch, which Angel knew had been a gift from Cal when they were together. ‘I can’t believe they’re so late.’

I can’t believe they’re coming, Angel thought, watching as Simone pulled out her phone from a red Swarovski heart-shaped clutch bag. Another coincidence. Angel had one just like that as well.

‘What!’ she exclaimed as she read a text message. ‘They’ve blown me out! Nina is not well and Tori has gone on a surprise trip to Paris with her boyfriend!’ She reached for her jacket. ‘I’d better go then. Honestly, I can’t believe those girls . . . they’re so flakey.’

Cal raised his eyebrows at Gemma, who got the hint. ‘Stay and have dinner with us, Simone.’

‘Oh, I don’t want to crash your birthday party!’ she exclaimed.

‘You wouldn’t be. It would be nice if you joined us,’ Gemma managed to say.

Well, that just about took the fucking biscuit! Angel thought. Her friends might be falling for the poor-little-me act, but they obviously had short memories. Simone was the most calculating woman Angel had ever met.

‘You don’t mind, do you, Angel?’ Simone asked, obviously detecting that Angel was less than thrilled by her presence.

‘Not at all,’ Angel replied as politely as she could; then had to take a very large sip of champagne to compensate.

‘That’s a beautiful ring. Can I see it more closely?’ Simone commented,

Angel reluctantly lifted her hand so that she could inspect the engagement ring.

‘Did Ethan have it made for you?’

‘It was his grandmother’s.’

‘How lovely that it’s vintage! So much history there. And when do you think you’ll get married?’

Angel could almost feel Cal tensing next to her, and talking about her marriage in front of her not-even-ex-husband was hardly what she wanted to do. Trust Simone to bring it up.

‘Oh, we’ve not thought that far ahead.’ Angel tried to say breezily, then shot a look over at Gemma as if to say, Rescue me. Luckily Gemma was so tuned in to her friend she obliged by asking Simone if she had any acting work coming up.

Angel felt so awkward and uncomfortable in Simone’s presence that she ended up drinking far too much. She had hoped that Simone would leave after dinner but somehow she managed to get herself invited to the club. Such a bloody cling on! Angel felt the early happiness of the evening ebb away, and bitterly resented Simone for spoiling this precious night with her friends. By the time they came to leave the restaurant she was feeling decidedly unsteady on her legs.

‘Don’t you think you should go back to your hotel?’ Cal asked her as they were about to pile into the car to take them to Movida.

‘No way!’ Angel shot back. ‘I haven’t been out clubbing in London for ages, and I can’t wait! Bring it on!’ She waved her arms in the air, stumbling slightly as she did so. Cal had to put his arm round her to steady her. Angel smiled at him gratefully, but he shook his head as if to say, What are you like?

‘Careful, Angel, you don’t want the paps to get a shot of you looking caned.’ Simone said it sweetly enough but Angel was sure she was taking the piss. There had been many times in the past when Simone had revelled in the unfortunate encounters Angel had with the paps, going out of her way to comment on them. Angel chose to ignore her. Once in the club she insisted on Gemma and Jez hitting the dance floor with her. Cal and Rufus rarely danced and headed for the VIP area with Simone. A couple of vodka and Cokes ensured that Angel’s inhibitions about people looking at her went out of the window as she strutted her stuff. This was so much better than sitting with the poisonous Simone. She loved the way the beat of the music got inside her head. After twenty minutes Gemma and Jez pleaded exhaustion and went back to sit with the group but Angel carried on. She was so in her own little bubble that she hadn’t noticed that she had attracted the attention of a number of men, including Daryl Webster, an R&B singer with a truly terrible reputation as a womaniser.

Angel had met him a couple of times with Cal. He was an extremely good-looking black guy with gorgeous brown eyes and the most suggestive smile. He had always seemed like a laugh and Angel had enjoyed his company. He caught her eye across the dance floor. He might be a tart but he was a good dancer. Angel found herself watching his moves with some admiration as he danced closer to her.

‘Long time no see, Angel,’ he shouted in her ear. ‘Fancy a drink?’

She looked towards her party; all of them were deep in conversation. It maybe wouldn’t hurt to have one drink with Daryl, then she’d carry on dancing.

He led her towards the bar. ‘What can I get you?’

‘Diet Coke.’

‘Nothing stronger?’

Angel shook her head. ‘I know my limits.’

‘Diet Coke coming up.’

Daryl was an outrageous flirt. Within seconds of handing over her drink he had told her that she looked even more beautiful than when he last saw her, and that he followed what she was up to in the press.

‘You’ve always intrigued me, Angel,’ he told her, giving her his melting chocolate-eyed, brooding look, which no doubt knocked the knickers off most other women but wasn’t getting him anywhere with Angel. ‘I think you’re a bit like me, a free spirit who can’t be tamed, but maybe that’s because you haven’t met the right man yet.’ He had made his voice go extra low and husky, she thought.

His speech didn’t get quite the reaction Daryl would have hoped for as Angel burst out laughing. She was absolutely nothing like Daryl, who if the celeb mags were to be believed had shagged practically everyone who was anyone, including some mother/daughter combinations. She held up her hand so he could see her engagement ring and he reciprocated with a pained expression, and put his hand over his heart, flashing a bling-bling skull-and-crossbones ring. He really wasn’t her type but she was enjoying watching him try it on with her and, because she was immune to his attempts to charm her, found it very entertaining.

‘So who are you seeing?’ she asked him, certain that he would be seeing someone.

‘I’m single at the moment, just need some time to sort my head out.’ He paused. Cue smouldering gaze. ‘But if you were to be free, I reckon my head would be sorted out in no time.’

Angel laughed, and pointed at her ring again. He was so blatant! ‘So, who dumped you?’

He frowned. ‘Why do you say that?’

‘Well, it’s just not like you to be single, and I’m guessing you were dumped and haven’t had chance to line up the next girl. So how long have you been single?’

Now the wounded frown was replaced with a smile. ‘Fuck, you’ve got me! I was dumped this morning. And, Angel, I have to tell you that
never
usually happens to me. I think it might have had something to do with her catching me out flirting with her best friend. But, like I said, I just need the love of the right woman to keep me faithful.’

They both laughed at this, and then, because he realised he’d been rumbled, Daryl stopped trying it on and they actually had a conversation about his work and about how her life was in LA. In fact, they were getting on so well that Angel lost track of the time. It was only when she saw Cal walking towards her that she realised she must have been talking to Daryl for ages. He gave Daryl the briefest of greetings before saying, ‘We’re all heading off now. D’you want a lift back to the hotel or are you staying?’

He sounded like her dad! And looked really stern and judgemental. Half of Angel wanted to stay on at the club just to make the point that she could do what the fuck she liked and it had fuck all to do with him, but she figured that she had better go back, otherwise she would be totally wasted in the morning.

‘I’ll come, I just need to go to the bathroom.’

She waited until Cal had walked away and then turned to Daryl. ‘See you then. Nice talking to you.’

‘Can I get your number? I’m due in LA in a month or so and it would be good to see you.’

‘And Ethan,’ Angel prompted.

‘Yeah, and Ethan, but you most of all,’ Daryl said cheekily as Angel reached for her mobile and they both exchanged numbers. She was still smiling to herself as
she went to the bathroom; to her the encounter with Daryl had been a friendly bit of banter, you couldn’t even call it flirtation.

‘Had fun with Daryl Webster? You seemed to be getting on very well together.’

Simone had joined her in the bathroom, standing next to her as Angel checked her make-up in the mirror. No way was she was going to be photographed looking a mess by the waiting paps outside.

‘He’s a laugh,’ Angel replied, rubbing away the smudged mascara under her eyes.

‘Very good-looking,’ Simone continued.

‘Very.’

‘So are you going to see him again?’

Angel really didn’t like the way Simone was interrogating her. What business was it of hers?

‘Maybe,’ she said casually. ‘He might be over in LA so we could hook up . . . with Ethan, of course.’

‘Of course,’ Simone said sweetly.

But her interrogation was continued by Angel’s friends on the journey back to her hotel. Jez was dying to know all the details of what Daryl was like; Gemma was green with jealousy that Angel had spoken to one of her music crushes; even Tony was impressed. Only Cal was silent, looking out of the window and radiating disapproval. He barely said good night to Angel when she was dropped off at the Mayfair.

As Angel made her way up to her suite some of the euphoria of the evening started to wear off as she registered how sad it had felt, spending time with Cal. It’s just the alcohol, she tried to tell herself, thinking that she’d feel okay once she had spoken to Ethan. It was after 3 a.m. and 7 in the evening in LA. Ethan would be chilling out in his games room.

‘Hey, what are you doing still up?’ he exclaimed playfully.

Angel tried to shrug off the sadness as she said, ‘Wishing you were here with me! I’m drunk and feeling very, very naughty. And I wanted to tell you that I love, love, love you!’

Ethan laughed, ‘Well, save it for when you get back. Now go get yourself a large glass of water and take some painkillers, otherwise you’re going to feel like hell in the morning. You know you can’t take your drink.’