Geli Voyante's Hot or Not (31 page)

‘Umm
,’ I mutter again.

‘That
makes me wonder,’ he says ominously, possibly in response to my inarticulation, but somehow I think otherwise. What
is
he talking about? He’s echoing what he said on the beach last week.

Now, I wish
I was sharing a car with just Tiggy – my worst nightmare – because Calvin is not quite with it, plus I really am the worst person for him to talk to if he needs Tiggy encouragement and advice... Where’s a stampede when you need one?

‘Let’s have some music on.
’

‘Music! Excellent ide
a!’ I enthuse a bit too quickly, giving away how awkward I am feeling after this mystifying conversation. If it continues like this, I’ll take my chances and hitchhike.

‘Sorry, Geli
. It’s just wedding nerves... probably.’

‘Probably.’

We both know it’s so much more, but leave it at that. My mind is racing with thoughts of Theo though. I thought I knew Theo when all we did was work pod-by-pod, but ever since we extended our knowledge beyond the sanctuary of the Gherkin, I’m finding out I don’t know Theo at all. I don’t know Calvin either because if I did he’d trust and confide in me, and then we wouldn’t be desperately trying to mask these weird pauses.

I can
’t do anything about Calvin but with Theo I have two choices: I either give up on him... OK, that’s my only option. I can’t believe how childish I’ve been. How this all started over a ring – everyone getting one but me – but I’m starting to realise that a ring is just a ring. Sure it may be classically elegant like Glinda’s Asprey piece, or under-stated like Claire’s Harry Winston ring – who knew Microsoft CompSci boys earnt so much? Snaps to his understated dress-sense keeping the gold-diggers away; bigger snaps to his fashion-savvy sister who helped him to pick Claire’s ring. It could even be OTT like Tiggy’s De Beers ring (no surprise there – Calvin let Tiggy choose her ring; Daddy provided the discount), but, still, they are only rings. Natural stones pushed into man-made bands. Hardly anything fantastic… And no, I’m not jealous.

I’m a grown-up now – I’m happy with my lot – the lot I make for myself. There’s no
more taking a job because Daddy knows one of the bosses, or agreeing to dates with men who think I’m a whizz at US Presidential campaigns when really I’m bluffing and pretending to be a marathon-expert. Just because I physically fancy someone, doesn’t mean we have anything in common. It’s time I stood on my own two feet and figured things out… whatever they happen to be.

I wonder what Calvin has concluded in our silence. As far as I’m aware he’s not planning on driving to the airport
to flee, but you never know what’s going on inside a man’s head, especially when they are humming along to a Rock Legends CD. Maybe he isn’t thinking anything – perhaps he is merely enjoying the music and the drive. Obviously, I need to shatter his enjoyment.

‘He’s nice,’ I volunteer.

‘Steve Tyler?’ Calvin asks. I can’t tell if he is teasing me.

‘
Theo,’ I correct. ‘I know he may seem like an arse, but he was nice.’

Note the past tense.

‘Nice?’

‘I know, I know.’ I throw
up my hands in mock protest. ‘I know it’s a horrible world to use, but he used to make me feel as if I was the only one he cared about.’

And again.

‘If he is with you, you
should
be the only person he cares about,’ Calvin remarks back.

I ignore that.
‘I guess he’
s
the sort of boyfriend you could spend a lifetime figuring out, but never really get to know. He was exciting.’

Was.

‘What about honesty? Trust? Being a better person because of the one you are with? How can you be that if you don’t know who you are with?’ Calvin rattles off at me.

‘
What about Tiggy?’ I shoot back, though I agree with what he’s saying. ‘Are you better because you’re with her? Why aren’t any of your friends here?
What does that say?
’

To my great shock, I only learnt
the other day that the wedding party will consist of us lot, some of the other Boodles who are flying in tomorrow and some of Ursula’s friends. There’s no Sav and Jackson – strange to say they introduced Tiggy and Calvin – or any of her other friends. I can’t understand why she was so adamant that Theo should come if it’s such a close-knit affair, yet she denied Claire her fiancé. The sooner I escape this fiasco, the better. Sometimes I wonder if it wouldn’t be more beneficial for my life quality if I just moved where I don’t know anyone and start afresh. Or maybe have another think about that pothole in the Dales.

‘It just seemed easier,’ Calvin remarks.

He looks so dejected. The roads around here aren’t the best specimens now we’re off the freeway – I should probably let him concentrate instead of asking him potentially life-altering questions.

‘You’re very confused, you know that,’ I state.

‘So are you,’ Calvin retorts, but without a hint of malice.

‘Maybe that’s why no one else wanted to share a car with us,’ I joke.

‘Maybe.’ He smiles but it’s a weak one. ‘Look, can we perhaps talk about something else? I think we both think too much and it’s possibly not the best combination when everything is so up in the air.’

Does he mean the weddin
g is up in the air? That
we’re
up in the air? OK, maybe I do read too much into things.

‘
Fine. Favourite animal?’ I throw at him.

‘Sorry?’

‘Favourite animal? You want trivial, favourite animal?’ I demand.

Please don’t say a Tiggy-cat
…

‘Hmmm
. A meerkat, I guess. I like the way they stand up with their paws out.’
How ridiculously cute.
‘How about you?’

‘Oh, easy
, a giraffe. Favourite drink?’

‘Alcoholic or non-alcoholic?’

‘Both.’

And so i
t continues all the way to the manor where this wedding is taking place. It’s a colonial manor, set on a one-hundred-acre estate, that has the cutest stone chapel surrounded by lush flora and fauna. There’s a gorgeous hand-crafted white twisted archway by the lake which is breath-taking at sunset and therefore the perfect photo opportunity to capture a deliriously happy newly married couple. This level of beauty is wasted on Tiggy but I need to stop thinking about that. Right, what can I ask him? Favourite... sexual position? Of course not.

‘Favourite season?’

‘Summer. You?’

T
his easy, meaningless chat continues. It’s building up quite the picture of Calvin Murphy-Lee and
that
is making
me
think…

‘No,’ I shriek. ‘You didn’t?’

‘Oh, we did.
’

Calvin grins wickedly.
It’s the happiest he’s looked all day. Claire let spill that they’d had another argument last night.

‘Good old
Todger,’ he remarks.

‘I don’t even want to know
where that nickname comes from.’ I mock-shudder but, unlike with Theo’s friends and their ridiculous nicknames, I can take this in its good humour.

We’re
sat in the bar and he’s telling me about his dodgy days at boarding school to cheer me up after I confessed my silly error when I thought that Theo was talking about a marathon and not the US Presidential race. Calvin thought that was
hilarious
. Now I can laugh about it – I’m not sure I would be laughing if I shared that truth with Theo.

I’m seeing Calvin
in a whole new light since the car journey. Unfortunately, although they may have argued yesterday, he has been super-duper lovely to Tiggy today. Despite that, it’s nice to talk to him. I can’t recall the last time Theo and I had a conversation delving into our histories. He’s quite secretive about his past, about his present too when I come to think about it.

‘Well,’ Calvin begins, but he’s interrupted by the arrival of Theo.

Theo
decided to stay in Durban last night. I should be grateful that I escaped another night with him – what can my excuse for no sex be tonight? – but his reasoning was odd.

‘Baby, here you are,
’ he booms, causing Tiggy to look up. She’s sat with Claire flicking through magazines. Calvin may be acting super nice towards her, but she’s barely speaking to him. ‘Come and help me unwind. I’ve had the most awful drive. Call these
roads
?’

He doesn’t even mask his leery look
. Thank goodness my dad and Ursula are off inspecting everything for the ceremony. I don’t think I can face any more disappointed looks from them.

‘Why
don’t you have a drink with us?’ I suggest.

I can’t hide the note of disappointment in my voice. Calvin’s tales of boarding school have confirmed my stereotypes of English schoolboys for the past hour
– I don’t want him to stop on Theo’s account, and I especially don’t want to help Theo unwind. Theo pulls me up to my feet in response, roughly kissing me on my mouth. I feel like his rag doll.

‘Babe,
’ he says as if that is an adequate response. ‘I’ll see you in a few. Calvin.’ He nods at Calvin and with that waltzes out of the bar like he’s just bagged some game on safari. I’m surprised he didn’t sling me over his shoulder.

‘Does he always treat you like that?’ Calvin asks
. I detect a tone.

‘Like what?’
I sigh.

But he’s too distracted to answer
. He’s looking at Tiggy who is watching Theo saunter out. She has that weird expression on her face. Again.

‘Why does she look at him
like that?’

‘You don’t like my boyfriend, do you?’ I archly
ask though my anger is, of course, misdirected.

‘Not really.’

How I wish I could get away with telling him I really don’t like his wife-to-be.

‘But Antigone seems to,’ he adds.

‘Doubtful,’ I reply. ‘She’s done nothing but warn Dad against him. You should think yourself fortunate that you’re so well-received.’

It’s probably best if I don’t tell Calvin about Tiggy’s former crush on Theo.

‘Oh she does,’ Calvin replies. ‘You can tell by the way she looks at him, but he seems to ignore her.’

‘I don’t think the
y have much in common.’

‘Yet that applies to Theo and Ursula
and I’ve seen him talk to her,’ he coolly points out.

I think I preferred Calvin’s disgusting tales of teenage boarding school
to his rationality. If he’s trying to make a point, he should just come out with it.

‘Theo’s just that way,’ I lamely offer. ‘Anyway, I
’d better go and help him unpack.’ A look of displeasure flickers across Calvin’s face. ‘I’ll see you at dinner.’

I know Calvin’s reaction is because he doesn’t agree with me ru
nning to Theo’s side when he clicks his fingers, but my curiosity is now piqued as to why Tiggy looks at Theo in that way. I thought I’d been imagining those looks, but it looks like I’m not the only one to notice them.