Crystal (9 page)

Dallas laughed. ‘Yes, Belle, you’re free to see Max. Off you go.’

Crystal looked at her retreating figure and wondered about Dallas and Belle. He was so cool about Belle seeing Max. Could there really have been anything going on between them? It was true that Belle was his favourite, but while she flirted with him he never flirted back. Crystal sighed and took a large swig of champagne.

‘What about you two then?’ Dallas asked, signalling for the bill.

‘I’m just going to go back to Mum’s. I’m too tired to do anything else,’ Tahlia said.

Dallas raised his eyebrows at Crystal. ‘I can’t imagine
you’re
planning on an early night, are you?’

Crystal shrugged. ‘I’m knackered as well. I’ll probably just go back to the hotel.’

‘Well, I’ve got a party to go to.’ Dallas drained his glass and keyed his pin number into the chip and pin machine the waiter had brought over as he stood up. ‘So I’ll see you all on Monday.’ He pulled out a fifty pound note from his wallet. ‘Get yourselves a taxi home.’

‘Cheers, Dallas,’ Crystal and Tahlia answered together.

‘And cheer up, Crystal! You were fabulous tonight, you all were,’ Dallas said, slinging his tan leather coat over his shoulder and blowing the girls a kiss goodbye.

‘Come back to mine if you want, Crystal,’ Tahlia said as they made their way out of the hotel. ‘Mum and Leticia would love to see you and we can spend Sunday together, if you haven’t any other plans. We can stop off at the hotel to grab your things.’

Crystal hesitated, the prospect of going back to the hotel
on her own to spend the night obsessing over Max and Belle together was not an inviting one. She thanked Tahlia and agreed.

Tahlia’s mum, Rosie, lived off the Archway Road in north London in a three-bedroomed flat that was always spotless. She might not have much money but her floor was clean enough to eat your dinner off, something Crystal always teased her about. As soon as she and Tahlia walked through the front door Rosie and Leticia came running out of the living room, cheering and clapping. They’d wanted to be in the audience watching the show but Leticia had a high temperature and Rosie thought it best to keep her at home. Leticia was seven years old, a beautiful mixed-race little girl, with startling blue eyes and honey-coloured hair. Usually, Crystal didn’t particularly like small children but she made an exception for Leticia because she was so sweet and funny. Rosie was blonde-haired and blue-eyed, warm and feisty, and Crystal adored her. She was like a mum to her. She was in her late forties and Leticia had been a bit of an unexpected arrival. The result, Tahlia told Crystal, of a two-week fling with a Jamaican music promoter she had met at the Notting Hill Carnival. He had promised to keep in touch but when he left London he never made contact again and Rosie didn’t have an address or number for him. Tahlia had always tried to help her mum with Leticia as much as she could.

Crystal envied Tahlia’s family life; there might not be much money but there was always laughter in the house, and love – something that had been in very short supply in Crystal’s background.

‘I saw your mum on TV tonight, Crystal,’ Rosie said as they all sat down round the kitchen table.

She’d insisted on making the girls scrambled eggs after hearing that they’d only eaten caviar all day.

‘Yeah, I saw the film this afternoon. She sounded really false, I thought,’ Crystal answered. Dallas had, of course, got
his way and they had filmed a piece with her mum in Spain. To Crystal it was obvious that her mum had been told what to say. All about how proud she was of her baby and how she was sure she would do well. When, in reality, her mum had texted her a couple of times in the last three months to say well done for getting through the audition, but apart from that nothing. Her mum’s take was that she had a new life in Spain and it was up to Crystal and her brother to get on with theirs. Crystal always tried to make out that her mother’s lack of interest didn’t hurt, but of course it did.

‘She didn’t, Crystal!’ Rosie exclaimed, but Crystal knew that she was only trying to spare her feelings. ‘I’m sure she’s really proud of you.’

‘Yeah, right,’ Crystal muttered.

‘Will she fly back for the final, do you think?’

‘I doubt it, Rosie, you know what she’s like.’

Rosie sighed. ‘I’m sorry, Crystal, I don’t understand why she won’t. But I’ll be there and you might think this sounds really corny but I think of you as my other daughter.’

Crystal felt her eyes unexpectedly filling with tears. Rosie gave her a hug. ‘You look exhausted.’

‘We’ve been working flat out,’ Crystal replied, which was true, but the real reason was that she had spent the last two nights with Max and she was feeling emotionally and physically shattered.

‘Still no man in your life?’ Rosie asked.
Great, this was all she needed.

Crystal shook her head and avoided meeting Rosie’s eye.

‘I can’t believe a beautiful girl like you doesn’t have someone.’

‘
Mum!
’ exclaimed Tahlia.

‘Okay, okay,’ Rosie said, smiling. ‘You don’t mind me asking, do you Crystal?’

‘’Course not,’ Crystal managed to reply, ‘but it’s Tahlia’s love life you should be asking about.’

She wouldn’t usually have dropped Tahlia in it, but she couldn’t bear having to lie to Rosie. Tahlia blushed and was
forced to tell her mum about Hadley asking her out.

Rosie was delighted. ‘It’s about time!’ Crystal had to agree. For as long as she’d known her, Tahlia had hardly dated any lads and she’d never had a serious relationship. It was a total mystery to Crystal as Tahlia was a gorgeous girl and she always had plenty of men asking her out.

They spent the rest of the night on much safer territory – analysing their chances of winning the competition and bitching about the other contestants.

At midnight Rosie ordered both girls to bed. Crystal was on her last legs but she didn’t want to go to bed. She knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep. She looked at her watch, imagining where Belle and Max would be now or, more to the point, what they’d be getting up to.

‘I’ve not been sleeping very well lately. I’ll stay up a bit longer,’ Crystal replied, but Rosie was having none of it.

‘I’ll make you a hot chocolate and brandy; that should knock you out. You need to sleep!’

Ten minutes later Crystal was lying in bed convinced that she wouldn’t sleep a wink. She picked up her mobile, hoping for a text from Max, knowing that there wouldn’t be one. There was nothing. She finished her drink, switched off the light, and lay back. The next thing she knew it was morning.

CRYSTAL PULLED AN
old dressing gown of Tahlia’s on and, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, wandered into the kitchen where the others were having breakfast and Tahlia was listening to Leticia read. Rosie jumped up out of her seat to pour Crystal a cup of tea and insisted on making her a bowl of porridge.

Crystal pulled a face; she almost never had breakfast. But once Rosie had set her mind to doing something it was almost impossible to stop her, so she gave in. To her surprise when the bowl was placed in front of her, she realised she was starving and she ate the lot.

Rosie looked at her with satisfaction. ‘That’s better; you’ve got a bit of colour in your cheeks now, honey.’

‘I’m taking Leticia ice-skating if you fancy coming, Crystal,’ Tahlia said.

‘Sure,’ Crystal answered, not wild about the idea of falling over all day, but wanting to spend a day on her own brooding about Max even less. ‘I’ll just have a quick shower.’

She had a better day with Tahlia and Leticia than she’d had in a long time. It was great because she was enjoying herself and the enjoyment was guilt-free. They had such a laugh ice-skating and it was lovely being with Leticia who was so innocently excited and enthusiastic about everything they did. After they had all careered round the ice for a couple of hours they were ready for a drink. Crystal could have done with a vodka but knew Tahlia wouldn’t take her sister
anywhere near a pub so they ended up in a café drinking hot chocolate with marshmallows.

‘I wonder what Belle’s doing?’ Tahlia asked. Crystal pretended to be helping Leticia scoop out her marshmallows to avoid looking at her.

‘Probably having lunch somewhere flash, you know what Max is like.’

Tahlia didn’t sound impressed. ‘Um, what do you think of him, Crystal?’

Bloody hell
, she thought. Max was the last person she wanted to talk about.

‘I like him. Why? Do you think there’s a problem?’
It would be good if Tahlia thought there was something wrong with Belle and Max’s relationship. It would let her off the hook a little bit, wouldn’t it?

‘I’m not sure. I just sometimes think he’s a bit too smooth, a bit too much of a charmer. And once or twice . . .’ Tahlia hesitated, looking embarrassed.

‘Go on,’ Crystal urged her. ‘What is it?’

‘I don’t want you to think I’m being big-headed or anything’ – Crystal couldn’t help smiling. Tahlia wasn’t the slightest bit big-headed – ‘But I’ve sometimes felt as though Max is coming on to me.’

Crystal’s smile vanished. This was not so funny.

‘I know you think I’m being stupid, but it definitely felt like that.’

‘I don’t think you’re being stupid. I’m just surprised, that’s all.’

‘Oh, you mean he’s never done that with you?’

Crystal shook her head, but she still couldn’t look at Tahlia.

‘Maybe I did imagine it then,’ Tahlia said, looking puzzled. ‘I was sure it would have happened to you as well.’

‘Oh, you know Max, he is such a charmer. What with working in the club and everything, he probably doesn’t realise he’s doing it,’ Crystal said breezily, desperate to change the subject, and fast.

‘Hey, Leticia, do you want some of my marshmallows?’ The little girl nodded and Crystal handed them to her.

‘Don’t say anything to Belle, will you?’ Tahlia whispered.

‘Of course not! And just forget about it, Tahlia.’

Later, as they caught the bus back to Tahlia’s, Crystal found herself obsessing about the situation again. There was sweet Tahlia worrying because Max might have flirted with her, and yet Crystal was sleeping with him. It was not a good comparison.

‘Thank God you’re back!’ Rosie exclaimed as the three of them walked through the door. She looked shaken and pale.

‘What’s happened?’ Tahlia asked, looking alarmed at the state her mum was in.

‘Come into the lounge and I’ll tell you. But please, Tahlia, promise me you’ll stay calm. Crystal, can you take Leticia into the kitchen?’

‘Sure,’ Crystal answered, wondering what was going on. ‘Come on Leticia why don’t we draw a picture of some ice-skaters?’ As she got out paper and felt pens for Leticia she could hear Tahlia sobbing in the other room. Worried that Leticia would hear as well, she put on the radio. While Leticia concentrated on her drawing, Crystal tried to imagine what on earth had upset Rosie and Tahlia so much. Some twenty minutes later, Rosie came into the kitchen, and seeing that Leticia was still busy with her picture she whispered, ‘Crystal, can I have a word?’ Silently Crystal got up and followed her into the living room. Tahlia was curled up on the sofa, clutching a cushion. She’d stopped crying but looked as if she might start again at any second. She looked up at Crystal.

‘Sorry, Crystal, I’ve ruined everything. I know we’re not going to win now and it’s all my fault.’

‘What’s going on?’ Crystal asked, more confused than ever, as she sat down next to Tahlia and put an arm round her.

‘I never wanted it to come out like this, nor did Tahlia,’ Rosie said quietly, looking at her daughter.

‘Never wanted what to come out?’ Crystal asked, adding anxiously, ‘you’re not ill, are you?’

Rosie shook her head, and said, ‘Leticia isn’t my daughter; she’s Tahlia’s.’

‘Oh.’ Crystal was taken aback. She was so close to Tahlia yet she’d had no idea – although she had always been slightly surprised by how much time Tahlia spent with her sister.

‘I’m so sorry, Crystal,’ Tahlia said tearfully. ‘I always meant to tell you and now it’s come out in the worst possible way.’ She dissolved into tears again and Rosie had to take over.

‘What Tahlia’s trying to say is that we’ve not seen or heard from Leticia’s dad for seven years but he has just sold his story to the papers. He must have seen Tahlia on the show and thought he’d make some money. He’s in prison at the moment for drug dealing.’

Crystal was about to say that didn’t make Tahlia a bad person but she was interrupted by the phone. Rosie answered and Crystal could hear Dallas shouting, demanding to speak to her daughter. Tahlia shook her head. ‘There’s no way I can talk to him! Please don’t make me.’

Crystal held out her hand to take the phone from Rosie.

She didn’t even have time to say hello before Dallas was shouting, ‘Is it true, then? I can’t believe you didn’t tell me. You’ve ruined the group’s chances now. Didn’t I say that the group couldn’t afford any more scandals?’

Crystal cut in. ‘Dallas, it’s Crystal.’

‘Put Tahlia on right now!’ Dallas shouted back.

Crystal looked over at Tahlia who was still sobbing. ‘He wants to talk to you.’

‘I really can’t, Crystal,
please
.’

Crystal sighed and spoke once more to Dallas, ‘She’s in no fit state to talk to anyone.’

She could just imagine Dallas pacing furiously up and down his luxurious Knightsbridge house. He hated not being in control, but evidently he realised he wasn’t going to
get his way this time because he said, ‘Did
you
know she had a daughter?’

’No,’ Crystal answered, ‘I’ve only just found out, but it doesn’t matter, does it?’

‘What!’ Dallas sounded as if he was about to explode. Crystal resisted the temptation to tell him to calm down. ‘Tahlia was only just fifteen when she had the baby. Don’t you get it? The show is watched by millions of children, whose parents aren’t going to be too happy about having Tahlia as a role model. Plus the child’s father is in prison for drug dealing. It’s a double whammy. No one is going to vote for you. She’s totally blown it.’