Page 30 of Three's a Crowd
‘You are ridiculous!’ she said through her giggles, pushing him away. Getting up, she walked towards the fridge to get the milk out for a cup of tea.
‘So Zach just called for a catch-up chat, did he? He’s left it an awfully long time to remember his old friends,’ she said, with her back to Adam so he wouldn’t see how hard she was finding it to talk about Zach without it showing on her face.
She knew she wasn’t being altogether fair; they hadn’t tried to contact him either. For good reason on her part.
‘Well, he didn’t just call to say hi,’ Adam said. He paused for effect before saying, ‘He’s invited us to his film’s premiere at the Cannes film festival next month. Apparently, his studio will put us up for free in a hotel for the week and pay for the flights.’
Daisy’s stomach lurched. ‘Do you think we should go?’ she asked hesitantly, willing him to say no.
‘Well, he did act like a massive prick the last time we saw him, but if he’s willing to make it up to us with a free holiday…?’ He shrugged. ‘We probably wouldn’t see much of him anyway. He’ll be with his “acting buddies” most of the time.’ He looked at her, seeming to be gauging her reaction.
Adam had to be the one to lead this, she realised. It would look strange if she pushed too hard to either go, or not go, so she just nodded and smiled.
‘I guess we’d be crazy to turn it down when we can’t afford a holiday like that ourselves right now,’ he said, still sounding a bit unsure and looking at her intently. ‘What do you think?’
She took a breath while she thought about it.
It would be a good opportunity to see Zach again and maybe clear the air, once and for all, so she could stop thinking about him and what happened the last time they saw each other. If that’s what she wanted.
But did she?
And at the Cannes film festival of all places. She’d always wanted to go to that and soak up the atmosphere and now she was being given the chance. With someone on the inside too, which most people never had the opportunity to experience. Perhaps she could use it to get interviews with some famous people for the radio station, if she played it right.
But could she do that?
Or should she tell Adam he had to go on his own and let things rest with Zach?
But she knew, even as she thought this, that of course she would go. She couldn’t not see him, despite how it might make her feel. Anyway, he was drunk last time they clashed and in the throes of a break up with Lola, so can’t have been thinking straight. It would be very different this time.
Plus, she was a whole year older and wiser and felt she could handle herself better.
‘Yeah… okay. I’ll have to see if I can get the time off work first, but it could be fun. I’ve always wanted to go to Cannes with you,’ she said, cringing a little at twisting the truth.
Adam didn’t seem to notice though and nodded. ‘Okay, then. I’ll let him know it’s a yes.’
He walked over and kissed her on the forehead before going over to fill the kettle for the tea she was about to make. She smiled at him, her mind racing.
She could do this. No problem. She was just going to have to be really strict with herself this time and let Zach know from the off that there was to be no more funny business.
A month later, Daisy and Adam blinked in the bright French sunshine as they stepped out of the plane and onto the stepswhich would lead them down to the landing strip, then onto a bus that was waiting to take them to the airport terminal.
Flying into Nice airport had been eye-opening. Daisy had gasped in excitement as the plane had banked and flown low over the brilliant azure sea and golden sand of the Nice coastline. The strip where they’d begun to make their descent had seemed awfully narrow and for a moment, Daisy had held her breath in anticipation of something going wrong. It hadn’t though; they’d had a good landing, if a touch bumpy, and coasted to a stop a little way from the hangar.
Adam had slept for the entire journey, falling into a slumber before the plane had even begun to taxi down the runway. Daisy was always jealous of how easily he fell asleep. She found it almost impossible to nap unless she was cosy and warm and lying down flat.
After making it down the rather shaky feeling steps from the plane, Adam stretched out his arms and yawned, catching Daisy across the ear.
‘Ouch, you klutz!’ she muttered.
‘Sorry, sweetheart,’ Adam replied, not sounding sorry at all.
Daisy bristled at the affectionate term. She hated being called sweetheart, or darling or any other simpering term of endearment. Or maybe it was just the way that Adam said it that got her back up.
Breathe, she told herself,you’re on holiday.
Ever since she’d learned they would be going to Cannes – and more to the point, that they’d be seeing Zach again – she’d been in a state of constant nervous agitation.
In fact, in the last few days before they left, she’d been so wound up, she’d started making mistakes at work, which was a real no-no in her book.
