Crystal (14 page)

‘So, Crystal, it’s all going well for you, isn’t it?’ Max said sarcastically.

Crystal avoided looking at Max and muttered, ‘Yeah I thought you’d be pleased for Belle’s sake.’

Max snorted with disgust. ‘Makes no difference to me. Did you know that her old man’s gone and drawn up a pre-nup? I’d get sweet FA if we ever got divorced. He’s even put in a clause protecting her assets while we are married.’

Crystal said nothing. She didn’t want to show how relieved she was that Belle’s dad was defending his daughter. She felt awful knowing what Max was like and she felt worse for not
being able to warn Belle. And even though Belle had turned into a full-blown diva lately, who could be a nightmare to work with, Crystal didn’t want her to be hurt by Max. She’d promised herself that when the group had finished promoting their first album she would tell Belle
everything
. In her heart she knew that, when she did, Lost Angels would be finished. Belle would never forgive her. Crystal wasn’t proud of herself for keeping the truth from her but she didn’t want the group to end just yet.
I just need a little more time
, she told herself,
more time for us all to become established, then it won’t matter so much when we split.

‘Anyway,’ she said abruptly, wanting to get away from Max as quickly as possible, ‘what do you want?’

Max smiled, leaning back. ‘Ah yes, I thought we could have a little chat about things. Still no boyfriend, Crystal? Are you holding out for me?’

‘Just get to the point,’ Crystal replied, trying to keep the emotion out of her voice.

Max got up and stood right in front of her. Crystal willed her face not to show the disgust she felt for him. He reached out and stroked her hair, and she couldn’t stop herself from flinching. He laughed. ‘Oh Crystal, I remember when you couldn’t wait for me to touch you, when you were gagging for it. But don’t worry, princess. I’ve got different needs. My plans to manage Lost Angels have eaten up quite a lot of capital and, to put it bluntly, I need more cash.’

‘How much?’ Crystal asked quietly. She should have seen this one coming.

‘Twenty should do it, then I reckon we’ll be quits.’

‘What? Do you seriously think I can just hand over twenty grand just like that?’ Crystal exclaimed.

Suddenly, Max wasn’t smiling any more. He narrowed his eyes. ‘Yes, I do. And I’m doing this for you, babe, and for the group, so don’t be so fucking difficult.’

‘And if I don’t give you the money?’ Crystal said quietly. Max sighed as if he was bored with the whole thing and pulled out his mobile phone. He held it up to show Crystal
one of the passionate text messages she’d sent to him during their short and ill-fated affair. How stupid she’d been.

‘And just in case that isn’t enough to convince you, take a look at this.’ Max held up his phone again and Crystal saw a picture of herself, lying naked on Max’s bed. He’d taken it when he’d bought her the diamond stud.

‘What if I said I don’t care, go ahead, show them to Belle? You’ve got just as much to lose as I have. Belle would leave you for sure,’ Crystal said, trying to call his bluff.

‘Well, you could, but that would probably be the end of your music career. The tabloids would have a field day with you. Whereas I could say that I’d been feeling suicidal about the end of my racing career and you threw yourself at me. I tried to resist at first, but because I felt so low, I gave in . . . Of course, Belle would be furious at first, but eventually I’d win her round.’

Crystal felt cornered. Max was probably right about her music career and she was damned if she was going to let him take it all away from her. And when Belle finally got to know the truth, Crystal wanted to make sure she was the one to tell her.

‘I’ll get you the money by next week,’ she said in a flat voice.

‘Good girl,’ Max answered and kissed her on the cheek as if they were still friends. ‘You can go now.’

Crystal wanted to shout that he had no right to tell her what to do, that he could fuck off. But she knew she was powerless. Instead, she got up and, even though her legs felt wobbly from the shock of seeing Max again, she forced herself to run home, turning round every now and then to check he wasn’t following her. Back at her flat, she took a long shower, not caring she was already late for filming.

When she walked into the dressing room Belle and Tahlia were already made up and in costume.

‘You’re late!’ Belle exclaimed.

‘Is everything okay, Crystal?’ Tahlia asked more sympathetically.

‘Yeah, sorry, I had a migraine last night and it wiped me out.’

‘D’you feel okay now?’ Tahlia asked. ‘You look a bit pale.’

‘I’m fine,’ Crystal lied.

‘God, if I’d have known how late you were going to be, I’d have had a lie-in,’ Belle said, studying her reflection in the mirror.

‘How do you think I look?’ she demanded.

‘Great,’ Crystal answered, trying to summon up enthusiasm that she didn’t really feel.

Crystal had come up with the concept for the video. The girls were going to be dressed as style icons from five different decades, starting with the sixties and Twiggy. So Belle was wearing a white mini dress with white patent-leather boots, Tahlia was wearing a similar outfit in pink and Crystal’s was in black.

Danni, the group’s make-up artist, and Jez, their hairdresser, appeared in the doorway of the dressing room. They’d been working with the girls for the last six months. Crystal adored them and they’d become close friends.

‘Thank God you’re here, Crystal. The director’s been going ape shit!’ Jez exclaimed dramatically.

‘Sorry,’ Crystal said. Usually it was Belle who kept everyone waiting.

‘No worries, Crystal, it won’t take me long to do your face and, as you’re wearing a wig, Jez will be quick,’ Danni told her. Crystal smiled. Danni and Jez were like chalk and cheese. Aussie Danni was always so calm and laid back, whereas Jez was much more temperamental and flighty. And even though Danni was a make-up artist, she was the least vain person Crystal had ever met. She hardly ever wore make-up herself and jeans and a T-shirt was her usual uniform. Jez, on the other hand, was altogether more high maintenance; he changed his hair colour and hairstyle practically ever other week and at the moment his hair was
ash-blond and spiky. He also spent a fortune on fake tan and designer clothes. He rolled his eyes, and muttered, ‘Just because it’s a wig, there’s still a lot of skill involved. I haven’t seen it on yet. I might have to trim it.’

‘I know, darling, you’re an artist,’ Crystal soothed him. A slightly calmer Jez offered to go for coffees and Crystal gratefully accepted; she felt emotionally battered from her meeting with Max and in need of a caffeine fix.

She sat down in front of the mirror, and groaned at her reflection, ‘Do something, Danni!’ she said. ‘I look like shit!’

‘No, you don’t,’ Danni reassured her, getting to work. She started with foundation, keeping Crystal’s skin pale, with just a hint of blusher. Then she turned her attention to her eyes, giving her huge false lashes, silver eye shadow and dramatic black eyeliner. Finally, she applied pale pink lipstick. Then Jez was let loose on Crystal’s hair. He scraped it all back into a tight bun and pinned it into a hair net.

‘That’s
so
not a good look,’ Crystal exclaimed. ‘Please hurry up and put the wig on before anyone sees me!’

‘Don’t worry, sweetie, I’m on the case.’ And Jez picked up a jet-black wig styled in a short bob with a long fringe and carefully put in on Crystal’s head.

‘That looks fantastic!’ Tahlia exclaimed. She’d been given a similar wig but in caramel which perfectly complimented her skin. Crystal smiled for the first time all day.

She was just being zipped into a black PVC mini dress, which she was wearing with black patent-leather boots, when an angry male voice called into the dressing room, ‘Is she here yet?’

Crystal turned round to see a tall, handsome man with short, dark blond hair, and the most intensely blue eyes she had ever seen. He looked extremely pissed off.

‘Yes,’ Tahlia called back. ‘Crystal, this is Jake Fox, the director.’

Crystal was about to apologise, but she didn’t get a chance before Jake muttered, ‘You’re fucking late’, and walked off.

‘Great, just what I need, a stuck-up director with an attitude problem,’ Crystal said, riled by his comment.

Tahlia smiled at her. ‘Forget about it, he’s supposed to be brilliant.’

‘He’d better be; I’m not putting up with that for the next week,’ Crystal muttered sourly, making one final check of her appearance in the mirror.

‘And this is Gavin, Jake’s assistant.’ Tahlia introduced the cute twenty-something lad who had been hovering behind his boss.

‘Hiya, we’re ready for you on set now.’

In contrast to Jake, he was smiling. Crystal smiled back and she, Tahlia and Belle followed him to the studio.

‘It’s so cool to be working with you guys,’ Gavin chattered away in his Liverpudlian accent, pushing his long blond hair out of his eyes. ‘We’ve just done back-to-back shoots with indie bands, who all wanted to look gritty, which gets monotonous after a while.’

‘Let’s hope your boss feels the same way as you do,’ Crystal said wryly, still smarting from Jake’s comment.

Gavin laughed. ‘Oh, yeah, he hates anyone being late, but he’s cool really and I know I’m biased, but he’s one of the best in the business.’

The girls had made a video before but this one was far more ambitious, with lots of set and costume changes, nearly twenty extras to work with and intricate dance routines to memorise. For the sixties section the set had been transformed into a sixties-style party. The extras were already in place. Crystal nudged Tahlia and said ‘Groovy baby! This looks just like a set from an Austin Powers film!’

The three of them got into position and waited for the music to start up. As she stood, hand on hip, Crystal looked over at the film crew. Jake was staring right at her; he still looked pissed off. Crystal quickly looked away.
Wanker.
Then the music began and she focused on what she was doing instead. They weren’t singing live, but miming, which was fortunate because the dance moves were so energetic. She
and Tahlia were perfect first time but Belle was struggling and they had to rehearse several times before she got it right – she hadn’t been as conscientious lately. She seemed to think that hard graft was beneath her now she had made it, Crystal thought.

Afterwards Danni and Jez came on set to check their make-up and hair. It was extremely hot under the lights and Crystal asked Danni if she could have some water.

She heard Jake tut, and saw him look at his watch. She ignored him and gratefully drank the glass of water Danni brought for her.

‘I had an idea as I was watching you just now.’ Jake had walked on set and was standing in front of her.

‘Oh?’ Crystal asked, not wanting Jake to interfere with her concept for the film. She was usually open to new ideas but Jake had got her back up.

‘Yeah, you’re wearing the wrong colours. I think you should be in pink, Belle in black and Tahlia in white.’

‘I never wear pink,’ Crystal said quietly, annoyed that he was suggesting the change. ‘I always wear black.
Always.
’

‘The black dress is lost on you because of the wig. Pink would be more of a contrast.’

‘Well, maybe I could change wigs then,’ Crystal replied, hating the thought of not wearing her favourite colour.

Belle shook her head. ‘No way am I wearing that wig! Let’s change dresses. I wouldn’t mind wearing black.’

‘I’ll swap so long as you don’t mind, Crystal,’ Tahlia said quietly.

‘Look, come over here, I’ll show you what I mean,’ Jake said and Crystal reluctantly followed him to one of the cameras. He pressed one of the many buttons and told her to look at the small screen which played back the rehearsal. He was right: black was not showing her to an advantage for once.

‘Okay,’ she muttered grudgingly, avoiding looking at him, ‘I’ll change.’

It wasn’t as simple as just a change of outfit, though. Danni
had to alter their make-up and that took another hour. When she’d finished Crystal nipped outside for a sneaky cigarette. She was just enjoying the feel of the May sunshine on her skin when Jake appeared and said abruptly, ‘We’ve been looking all over for you; we’re ready to start. Do you think you might be able to join us?’

God he sounded so arrogant
. Crystal was sorely tempted to tell him to fuck off. Instead she ignored him, threw her cigarette on the ground, crushed it with her heel and marched back to the set.

The filming was so much slower than Crystal had imagined. Every two minutes it seemed Jake was shouting cut, telling them to do it again. They didn’t call it a day until eight o’clock that night. By then Crystal was exhausted, but she had no desire to go home and spend the night worrying about Max, so when Gavin said that a group of them were going to get something to eat she decided to tag along. She asked Tahlia and Belle but they both had other plans.

Crystal couldn’t be bothered to remove her make-up, but it was bliss to take off the wig. Her hair had been completely flattened, so she simply brushed it out and tied it back in a sleek ponytail, and swapped her pink mini dress and boots for a tiny combat print skirt, a black vest, cropped black jacket and black cowboy boots, spraying on her favourite Agent Provocateur perfume.

‘Do I look shit?’ she asked Jez and Danni as the three of them shared a taxi to the restaurant.

Danni laughed. ‘No, you look great.’

‘So what did you think of the director?’ Jez asked. ‘Gorgeous, isn’t he?’

Crystal frowned. ‘Is he? He was so arsey with me, I didn’t notice.’

‘Oh, he’s delicious!’ Jez replied. ‘Those stunning blue eyes – passionate one minute, icy the next, that face, that short blond hair that’s just begging you to run your fingers through it, that body; I don’t know where to begin. Didn’t you see those pecs and biceps? And when he reached up to
get something I saw his abs and they were perfect,’ he sighed heavily. ‘But, alas, not gay.’

‘He was so arrogant!’ Crystal exclaimed. ‘I can’t believe you think he’s attractive.’