Page 17 of Benidorm Again

What is going on here?

I’m reminded of the chorus girls wanting to ride him like a bike. It must be a constant struggle for her.

‘You’ve no worries with me, Dolly. I’m sure your husband won’t ever feel that way about me.’

‘Husband? Husband? As if!’ Dolly sounds appalled. ‘I’m not his wife. Who told you that?’

I’m slightly taken aback.

‘Erm. He did.’

Chapter 7

‘Aren’t you coming to the club?’ I ask Dolly as we make our way to the side entrance.

She shakes her head. ‘I need to be up early. Loads to do. You go ahead. You earned it.’

‘But I thought it was bad luck. Everyone in the ensemble has to toast the opening night. It’s a tradition.’

Dolly shrugs, confused. ‘Never heard of it. Anyway, remember what I said about –’ I follow her eyes to Luke, who is waiting at the taxi rank nearby, surrounded by girls. She has already warned me to take what Luke says with a pinch of salt - the whole ‘wife’ misunderstanding, as he is prone to charming everyone around him and saying things they want to hear.

‘You’ve no worries there, Dolly. I’m pretty sure we won’t get along off stage. We’re too different. He’s too…’

As though he has sensed we are talking about him, Luke suddenly turns in our direction. He smiles warmly at Dolly before being distracted.

‘Luke. Come with us in our taxi,’ shouts one of the chorus girls. They are dressed in skimpy outfits and towering stilettoes. I lose sight of them in the hustle and bustle, as more and more musicians pile out of the door and into the line of waiting taxis, which are rapidly disappearing.

I look pleadingly at Dolly. ‘Please come.’

Florrie suddenly appears beside me to tut loudly. ‘Who Dolly? She never comes. She hates dancing and having a good time. Hurry, Luke doesn’t like to be kept waiting.’

As she drags me away, Dolly smiles tightly. ‘Have a great night.’

We battle our way through the remaining crowd, Florrie darting ahead. I can’t see, but I can hear car doors slamming and engines roaring and quite a lot of beeping, as people spill out in front of the Opera House. Its huge stone pillars, packed with theatregoers and Sinfonia singers and musicians. I’m just about clearing the crowd when I’m knocked sideways by one of the musicians carrying a double bass over his back. I go careering into the people at my side, only to realise at the last second, that they part ways to let me fall right through them onto the road. I’m topplingbackwards into actual moving traffic when two things happen at once. A massive horn blows, which appears to be from the headlights hurtling towards me, and a strong hand swoops from nowhere to grab my arm, yanking me back from being mowed down by a passing double decker bus.

Loud gasps and screams from the crowd drown out my own choked attempt at a scream. My hand flies to my chest. I can barely catch my breath. My eyes travel up to meet those of my saviour, and in that instant, I know that things will never be the same between Luke and me ever again.

‘He’s lovebombing you,’ explains Ged later that evening. ‘Why else would he buy you the most expensive champagne and insist on a limo to take you back to the hotel? Now, tell me again how he’s suddenly gone from zero to hero in the space of a few hours.’

I put Ged on speakerphone as I sit and take off all my make-up. He’s playing Devil’s advocate because Liam has gone full-on mancrush crazy for Luke since he saved my life.

‘Well, he began by saving my life… so there is that, of course. He was quite the hero.’

‘I can’tbelieve he saved your life! It’s text book romcom,’ Liam yells excitedly into the phone. ‘You’ll have to bloody marry him now.’

‘I think you’ll find she’s wildly in love with Matteo, Liam. Don’t confuse her,’ Ged says, as though my head could be turned so easily.

‘And he also said that because of me, the Sinfonia had had the best opening night in recorded history,’ I can’t help gloating.

‘What if meeting him is fate? Destiny?’ asks Liam. He’s become very invested, very quickly.

‘Hmmm,’ Ged frowns. ‘Or… maybe it’s too much of a coincidence how he just happened to be in the exact right place at the exact right time.’

Liams gasps loudly. ‘What are you insinuating? That Luke is an unbelievably lucky have-a-go hero?’

‘Or… another option is that he’s a highly functioning sociopath,’ Ged says, throwing himself into the role.

What an exhausting night it has been. Euphoric in one way and completely overwhelming in others. ‘It felt heroic and by chance at the time, if that helps. I mean, it all happened so incredibly fast, I can hardly believe it either, but he was the perfect gentleman all night. I swear.’

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