Silent Treatment (17 page)

Carrie couldn’t help the laughter in her tone as she left her message to Daniel while on the bus later that night.

“Hey! I hear you have friends in high places! I just gave up my day job because of you! I hope you haven’t grown a head or arse as big as Milana’s! I love you Danny!”

Chapter Twelve

July 3
rd
2010

“Carrie! Over here!” Her mum was waving madly from behind the barrier.

They fought through the crowd and hugged
tightly as they reached each other at last.

Carrie kissed her mother’s soft cheek.

“Sorry I’m late. The train was delayed in Paris for over half an hour. Where’s dad?” Carrie asked craning her neck as she peered through the crowd for a glimpse of her father. They hadn’t left each other on the best of terms, and the atmosphere had been a little frosty at times over the Christmas break, but she was now desperate to see him.

“He’s bringing the car round to the front of the station. I asked him so we didn’t have to walk miles with your suitcase, and I wanted to have a quick private talk with you too.” Helen glanced up as the moved along the concourse.

“What’s the matter mum? Is there some kind of problem? Don’t tell me they have turned down my university place after all.” Carrie started to panic. Now that she had made the decision, she was looking forward to going.

Helen flapped her hands.

“No, silly, nothing like that. I just wanted to warn you so you didn’t get a shock if you see the adverts. Daniel is coming home.”

Carrie gasped and stopped dead in the corridor. A man bumped into her back and mumbled an apology as he stumbled past. She picked up the pace again.

“When? Come on mum, when?” She was desperate to know.

Helen pulled her over to the wall where they could speak without being trampled on.

“It was on the television. He’s giving his first interview just after he gets off the plane tomorrow. Apparently he’s travelling straight to the studio from the airport. It’s been advertised for days on the local news because that scheming ex-friend of yours is doing the interview. You remember, the one that was bullying you. She’s had a right makeover and made a bit of a name for herself. Calls herself Jenna now, but I’d know her anywhere after that article she wrote about you last year. Lying bitch!”

Carrie could barely breathe. She ignored her mum’s indignation. She couldn’t care less about Jennifer Crane. She needed to hear more about Daniel.

“Is he coming home really? I mean, did he say anything about coming home here?” Her mind was whirling with the information.

“Jenna didn’t say, but Lisa and Paul are definitely coming to see you. They’re bringing little Tommy. Won’t that be lovely! I
can’t wait to see our godson for real. I know that you both keep in touch normally, but since you’ve been sightseeing Lisa has been calling here. She rang last night to confirm that it was okay to drop in. They’re coming over straight after the interview, so I suspect Daniel’s coming too.” Helen was smiling widely.

Carrie suddenly bent forwards feeling slightly faint. She put her head between her knees and took some deep breaths, desperate to calm her pounding heart. It had been nearly three years since she had seen Daniel
Lewis and she had thought that by now she would be able to control her feelings. It was obvious that she couldn’t. She was suddenly more than relieved that she hadn’t agreed to a quick trip into Belgium with Jess before coming home. She might have missed him. She looked up at her mother and then gasped as she realized how little time she had to prepare.

“Tomorrow!
Oh God mum. I’ve spent the last few weeks sleeping practically rough while Jess and I were touring. We were on a tight budget and those hostels are very basic you know. I look a right state. Just look at my hair, and my nails!” She threw up her hands in despair. “Why is he coming so soon? Surely the football season hasn’t finished yet? I didn’t think I’d see him until September.”

Helen brushed her hand over her daughters flushed cheek.

“Calm down a minute. The football season may not have finished, but his visa has run out. He only went to the States as a student and the college term finished at the end of June. He has to come back here and reapply if he wants to stay longer. But don’t worry about how you look. I guessed that you’d be doing this sightseeing on less than nothing. I’ve booked us a session at the spa for this afternoon. Can’t have my daughter looking like something the cat’s dragged in, just as her boyfriend gets home. I wouldn’t like him to think that you hadn’t bothered. And I fancied a bit of a pamper myself. It’ll be a lovely way to spend the afternoon catching up together. I want to hear everything about all the countries you have been to.”

Carrie stood up straight again. She could feel the pulse in her throat throbbing deeply.

“Thanks mum. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

He
len tucked her arm through her daughter’s.

“No, I’m sure you wouldn’t, but please don’t mention the spa bit to your father. He’s st
ill prejudiced against Daniel, though not for the same reasons as before. I think now it’s more that he couldn’t prove that he was either a womaniser or gay. The most he’s come up with so far is that Daniel might be a bit boring because he likes to go fishing on the odd occasion.” Helen gave a small laugh. “I think he’s really disappointed that he can’t say, “I told you so.” And I don’t suppose he’d like it if he thought we were going to any special effort for Daniel.”

Carrie started walk
ing again. She could see her father standing outside the car waving at her. She quickened her step and soon he was hugging her madly.

“I’ve missed you so much. Carrie, I’m so sorry we fell out about that Daniel kid. Do you think
we can forget how stupid I was?” He sounded slightly choked.

Carrie nodded into his shoulder
as she squeezed her father tightly.

“Of course dad, but you have to remember that
if he wants to be, he will still be my friend when he comes home, no matter what.” Carrie pulled herself out of his grasp and looked up at his face.

Jim shrugged.

“Well, as your mum put it once before. Now you’re over eighteen, there’s not much I can do about who your friends are anyway, but it wasn’t that I didn’t like him Carrie. I just didn’t want him to mess you around.”

Carrie eyed her father
sceptically but then decided to give it up. I wasn’t worth the argument right now. Right now she wanted to get herself looking her best in the hope that Daniel still wanted something, anything to do with her.

“I know that dad, but you should trust people a l
ittle more. Daniel would never mess me around. He’s not that type of man.” She picked up her case and threw it into the boot of the car.

Jim opened the
car door for her.

“Huh, trouble is, now
that he’s been away for so long, none of us know what kind of man he’s grown into. He’s doing some kind of interview thing tomorrow and even if he does stay here after that, I don’t suppose he’ll have time to be friends with the likes of us anymore. He’s a multi-millionaire now Carrie. Not only a famous footballer but into all the modelling and advertising, way above our league.”

Carrie rolled her eyes at her mum. This was going to be harder than she had thought. She climbed into the car as her mum spoke again.

“I don’t know why you would think that Jim, after all, Lisa and Paul are coming to see Carrie tomorrow to introduce Tommy. I’m so excited! He’s only just over two. I bought some toys for him to play with.”

Jim snorted indignantly.

“You should have just filled the fridge with food. If that Paul is going to be here, he’s going to eat us out of house and home. I bet that’s one thing that won’t have changed about that Daniel, if he bothers to come over at all. I bet he can still eat mountains of food. I’m going to move some of the furniture tonight so we can fit them all in.”

Carrie laughed at her father
and sat back in the car. She was so glad to be home. The train journey from Paris had been quick, but she still felt exhausted. She wondered how she and her mother were going to keep the trip to the spa a secret. It would be obvious if one moment she looked like a wet dishrag and the next some kind of glamour model. She watched the familiar sights of London pass by and then as they neared Harrow, Jim veered off the usual route.

“Hey, which way are we going? Have they put in a new road while I’ve been away?” Carrie sat forward in her seat and stared out of the window as they turned towards the M4.

Jim grinned and put his hand on Helen’s knee. He gave it a little squeeze.

“No, I’m just taking you straight to the spa.
Can’t have either of you talking to a millionaire while looking like a dog’s dinner. Wouldn’t like you to let the side down, even if it doesn’t mean anything.”

Carrie slumped back in her seat again and giggled as her mum pulled in a breath.

Jim carried on.

“Well, you can’t keep a secret like that Helen. The spa phoned you yesterday evening to confirm your appointment. They are obviously very keen on getting you both there. They rang three times. Because you hadn’t bothered telling me about it, the first couple of times I didn’t understand a word of what they going on about. There was something
wrong with the line. It was all distorted and echoing, but I thought they said ‘Thirteen thirty, at five.’ Then some kind of reference number and a hope that you wouldn’t be delayed. Sounded like something out of ‘Mission Impossible.’ It was just as well some other young woman rang again about five minutes later and explained properly. ‘One thirty until five o’clock’ and you’ve been booked in for three or four treatments depending on how soon you get there. They hoped you weren’t going to be late.”

He pulled the car off the motorway and a f
ew minutes later they turned into a private drive. A huge house stood at the end of the avenue of trees that lined the driveway and several ladies in short white jackets came out to greet them. Carrie and Helen climbed out of the car and Jim waved merrily.

“See you at five when you’re both even more beau
tiful than you are already.” He grinned as he drove away leaving both Carrie and Helen speechless.

Later that night, after she arrived home with glossy hair and perfect nails, Carrie wondered if she should bother to leave Daniel a message. She didn’t know if there was any point. In the end, after several moments’ hesitation she picked up her mobile and keyed in his number. She spoke firmly into the phone, leaving what she hoped would be her last message to him.

Chapter Thirteen

July 4
th
Heathrow Airport

“Are you sure you gave her the right flight number?” Daniel was looking over the top of his bodyguard’s head, scanning the waiting crowd.

Paul slapped his friend on his shoulder with one hand and tucked Tommy closer into his side with the other. To
mmy turned his chubby face into his father’s shoulder, away from the flashing cameras.

“Course I did. I spoke to her father and I rang t
wice to check he’d got it all down right. We’re right on time. Don’t worry, she’ll be here.” Paul spoke as confidently as possible. He had wondered if Mr. Denton had written the message down at the time and now that he couldn’t see Carrie immediately he was a little worried himself. “Mind you, I wasn’t expecting this amount of people to turn up.
It’s a regular 4
th
of July
.” He added in a horrible impersonation of an American accent.

Lisa clutched at Paul’s arm.

“What a crush! I hope there’s a car waiting for us. I don’t think I could stand to be left in a taxi queue.”

Paul nodded as Daniel scanned the crowd
again.

“I would have
hired us a car but the television company said they are sending a limo. I think that woman who arranged the television show is going to be with it just to make sure we don’t run off before you give your interview Dan.” Paul gave a small chuckle.

Dan
iel scowled over at his friend.

“Can’t imagine why I agreed to an interview now
anyway. I can be such an idiot at times. And it’s not like we can’t afford a car of our own. We could have hired one each.” There was a small break in the crowd and a short, heavily made up young woman hustled through the crowd pushing people out of her path as she made her way towards them.

She stuck out her hand and a microphone at the same time. Daniel looked down at her and shook her hand briefly, pulling his fingers away from hers when she didn’t let go immediately.

“Hi Daniel. I hope you remember me.” She breathed up at him in a sickly voice. She didn’t wait for a response, but carried on immediately. “Jenna Crane. West London Television. We were at school together. Harrow High? I was a couple of years younger than you.” She looked up at Daniel hopefully. Daniel stared back down at her and frowned as though trying to remember.

“No, I don’t remember you.” He said quite bluntly and looked away from her, his eyes scanning
the crowd once again.

Paul looked at his friend in surprise. He knew Daniel was on edge but it was unlike him to be rude to anyone.

Jenna Crane obviously didn’t notice, she didn’t bat an eyelid and carried on smiling widely.