Silent Treatment (8 page)

Carrie laughed and caught hold of Daniel’s arm. She pulled him to her side.

“There’s no way you are letting my dad off the hook tonight. He’s going to have to pay big time for that intrusion and the filthy thoughts he had about what we were doing. I can’t believe he had the nerve to burst in like that. At least it will teach him not to listen at doors. No, you’re staying whether you like it or not, just to make him feel really uncomfortable if nothing else.”

Daniel laughed with her.

“Okay, but don’t say anything over the dinner table about it. I’m embarrassed too you know.”

Carrie looked up at him and arched her eyebrows.

“You don’t have anything to be embarrassed about.”

Daniel looked a little sheepish.

“Of course I do. Any normal eighteen year old would have been trying it on with you. He probably thinks I’m a right weirdo now.”

“Daniel!” Carrie exclaimed and blushed furiously again. “Now I’m embarrassed too. I think we’d better shut up on the subject.” She started down the stairs with Daniel just a step behind her, their conversation whirling around in her head.

She suddenly felt her heart sinking as she reached the bottom step. Dan
iel really hadn’t tried anything on with her at all.
Was he telling her that he wasn’t normal?

She thought through their day together. He
had shown her, on the internet, where his placement would be in America and they had listened to their favourite bands while talking about their futures. They had been alone together in her bedroom for nearly eight hours and he hadn’t done a thing to make her think he liked her any more than as a friend.

They had had a perfectly normal conversation and he had helped her with her exercises, once that morning and again just before her father had interrupted them. He had barely even massaged her shoulder. Even he had admitted himself that it wasn’t normal
behaviour for an eighteen year old.

The realiz
ation of what he was saying suddenly swept over her. It was so obvious now.

Daniel
really was gay! Her father had been right all along.

The little things
he’d said and done before leapt into her brain. It was his way of telling her he wasn’t interested in her, or other women for that matter. All that stuff he had said about missing her the day before and thinking that he was going to kiss her, was all just him being a sensitive gay bloke.

Carrie nearly cried out in frustration. How could the biggest, most handsome guy in the whole world, the only one she had e
ver loved, would ever love, be gay?

It just wasn’t fair.

She set her expression as she reached the hallway. Well, even if he was gay, she wasn’t going to not be with him. Not now they were getting on so well. Okay, so it wasn’t going to go anywhere, but she could still see him.

And then her heart sank again. Even though the summer holidays were coming up, she was going to be so busy she would hardly have a moment at home and then he would be going to
America for at least three years. She felt her face crumple and her throat constrict. There was a burning knot in her stomach that she couldn’t shift. She stopped dead in the hall and Daniel bumped into the back of her, nearly knocking her flying.

“You okay?” He asked over her shoulder, suddenly concerned.

“No,” she whispered as she shook her head. “I think I really do feel ill after all. I don’t think I can eat any dinner.” Her voice shook as she tried to hold back the nearly overpowering emotions that gripped her heart.

Dan
iel came round in front of her and bent to look in her eyes.

“Perhaps we overdid it with the exercises. It’s not an exact science. You’re not in any pain are you?” He was so close that she could feel his breath on her face.

She couldn’t trust her voice. It felt as though her throat was full of splinters. She shook her head.

And then a tear spilt down her cheek. She felt so desolat
e that for a moment she didn’t try to stop it, and after the first tear had escaped from the corner of her eye, a positive deluge seemed to follow. She wiped her face with the back of her hand and tried to stop them as she saw Daniel standing there staring at her, looking appalled.

He suddenly whipped out a tissue from his pocket and handed it to her. She sniffed into it and wiped some more tears.

“Carrie, what’s the matter?” He asked, his voice so gentle she almost cried some more.

She shrugged awkwardly and stammered for a few seconds as she gulped back the tears.

“I…I don’t know Dan. I just feel sort of odd, almost lonely. I keep on thinking about this tour. Maybe I’m just homesick already.” She covered herself as quickly as she could and then Daniel did the worst thing possible.

He stepped even closer to h
er, lifted his arms to her shoulders and pulled her into his chest. She could feel his heart thumping hard and hear his breath filling his lungs. His huge arms were so warm around her, his hands pressing into the small of her back. She sank against him, moulding her body to his, thinking that if this was all he could ever give her, she was going to take as much of it as she could. 

He rested his chin on top of her
head and they just stood there for a while, not speaking, not doing anything at all and then Daniel lifted his head again. He kept hold of her as he spoke softly.

“I’m homesick already too. I’m going to miss everyone so much. At least you get to come back here after the summer. I’m going to be somewhere where I won’t know a soul except Paul, for at least three years, and if I don’t like it there or don’t do well, then I’m going to have to work
like crazy to get back home because I can only afford a one way flight.”

Carrie looked up at him, blinking her eyes dry.

“Oh Dan. Don’t sound so miserable please. You know it’s what you want to do. It’s a once in a lifetime chance, a fantastic opportunity, you have to take it. You would be completely mad not to. And then there’s Paul. How will he feel if you suddenly back out of it? You’ll make friends easily enough. Everyone loves you here, it’ll be no different there.”

Dan
iel let go of her suddenly and spoke bitterly.

“I don’t want everyone to love me, Carrie. I only
want…” He paused and took a deep breath.  “It’s okay, I’m not backing out of it. I just wish I had more time to think, to do the right thing. To tell you the truth, I didn’t really expect to get the placement but Simms wrote a brilliant reference for us both and filmed us at trials. I wasn’t really ready to make this kind of decision, especially not right now…” He tailed off, stepped back and looked down at her for a long moment, his ocean blue eyes wandering over her face, her hair, her body. Then he looked up again as he heard the sound of pots clattering coming from the kitchen. “Come on, I’m hungry and as you haven’t eaten since yesterday, you must be starving too. We mustn’t keep your parents waiting. I don’t want them thinking any worse of me.” He caught hold of Carrie’s hand and gave it a quick squeeze before he let it go again and turned towards the kitchen.

Chapter Five

September 1
st
2007

“Can’t we make it home tonight Antonio? Do we have to stay another night? I really need to get back as soon as possible. Can’t Lisa or Derek drive?” Carrie knew she was clutching at straws, but she was willing to try anything to spend an extra day with Daniel.

Antonio glared at her.

“No they can’t. It’s a hire bus and they do not have insurance, apart from the fact they are just as tired as I am. For goodness sake Carrie, we’ve been on the road all day today. I had no idea Scotland was so huge. I’m absolutely shattered. One more night in a hotel won’t kill you, which is something I may do if I don’t get some sleep soon. This tour has been harder work than I imagined. I hadn’t reckoned on all the extra publicity stuff. I assumed that it was just the concerts that we’d be doing. God! How wrong can you be! Serves me right for not checking the small print.” His voice was strained.

They had stopped in a Birmingham hotel and Carrie felt even more frustrated as she knew that
they could be in London in less than three hours.

She sent
Daniel a text and gave him the bad news. She expected him to text back, but she was surprised when a few seconds later her mobile rang displaying an unknown number. Lisa, lead dancer with the group, was looking over her shoulder. She nudged Carrie hard with her elbow and nodded her head vigorously.

Carrie pressed the receive button. It was Dan
iel.

“Hey, Carrie, I’m on Paul’s mobile. I’ve been an idiot and left mine at home. We guessed Antonio would be knackered.” There was a lot of background traffic noise and then he spoke again. “Paul called Lisa a while back and we set out more or less straight away. Paul said he couldn’t wait another day to see her. We’ll be with you in less than an hour. ”

Carrie nearly cried with happiness.

“Well thank goodness for that. I thought I was only going to get one day to see you.” She spoke softly, not really wanting the others to hear. Paul and Dan
iel had come to two of the concerts to watch them dance, during the summer and Paul and Lisa had been getting on very well together.

“I can’t wait to see you Carrie.” Dan
iel said suddenly.

“Me either.” She replied
quietly. Although Daniel had said nothing to get her hopes up during the summer months, she felt very close to him. Even though she suspected he was gay, she never spoke about it with him and she never spoke about their relationship either. She didn’t want to spoil what she had. “See you in an hour.”

Her phone clicked off and she sat back, smiling widely, in the lounge chair.

Antonio looked up at her.

“Happy now lover boy’s on his way?” He smiled at her indulgently. At sixteen she was the youngest in the group by a couple of years, but they had all become pretty close over the summer.

She nodded and then shook her head quickly.

“Of course I’m happy, but he’s not my lover, so don’t go mentioning that will you. He won’t like it.”

Antonio gave a great guffaw.

“Well, you could have fooled me. He looked like a dog in heat when he last came to see you. I thought it was in the bag.”

Carrie stuck her nose up in the air, slightly disgusted with his turn of phrase.

“Well
, you thought wrong then Antonio. You must have got him mixed up with Paul. He’s obviously fallen for Lisa big time.” She ignored her friend’s mad giggling at her side. “Daniel’s not like that. We’re just really good friends. In fact I would say he is my best friend.”

Antonio shook his head as the corner of his mouth twitched upwards.

“Okay, if that’s how you want to play it, that’s fine by me. I’m just glad he’s got you off my back that’s all. Now come on, we can sort out the rooms.” The rest of the group crowded round as he paired them off. “You and Lisa can go in together, but I don’t want those two blokes of yours trying to bunk in with you. They’ll either have to book themselves another room or go home.” Antonio looked straight at Lisa with a meaningful stare.

She stuck her tongue out at him and then spoke up quickly.

“They’re leaving late on. Paul wants to spend as much time as possible with his little sister. She’s only twelve and she’s really cut up about him going off to America, so he’s trying to fit everything in. They’re going to leave around midnight.”

Antonio nodded and then yawned so widely Carrie thought he might dislocate his jaw.

“Well, you lot may want to stay up until then, but I can tell you that I’m going to have something to eat and then hit the sack. Don’t forget to bring me bills if you want your dinner refunded out of expenses and please stick within our budget. Just remember that it doesn’t cover any alcohol.” He rolled his eyes at a grinning Callum and Toby, then started giving out the room cards. The others all went to find their rooms but Carrie and Lisa ordered some drinks and sat in the lounge. They had struck up a firm friendship over the last six weeks. Carrie had even confided to her new friend that she was in love with Daniel, even though she knew it was hopeless.

“He’s never even tried to kiss me. A while
back, when I hurt my arm, I thought he was going to, but I must have been mistaken.” Carrie had also confessed to Lisa about her shoulder injury. “We spent five days in my bedroom at the beginning of the summer doing this exercise regime he’s thought up and he never once did anything to make me think he fancied me. He’s just really nice all the time. It’s hopeless really, but if he wants to be my friend, then that’s okay with me. I’d rather see him just sometimes than not at all.”

Carrie looked out into the car park to see if she could see Paul’s car arriving.

Lisa caught her friend’s hand.

“Are you sure he’s gay though
? He doesn’t seem like it to me. I swear that Paul would have known and said something to me if he suspected anything like that and Antonio would have been all over him. If you hadn’t told me, I’d never have believed it for a moment.”

Carrie shrugged.

“He just isn’t out of the closet yet. Maybe he thinks it’ll damage his chances in America. But it’s not just that. I’ve never seen him go out with any girl, or if he has he’s kept it very quiet. I mean, I’ve seen him nearly every day since I was six. You’d think I’d notice if he had a girlfriend hanging on his arm.” She felt the familiar knot of misery in her stomach and then suddenly Lisa was bouncing up out of her chair.

“They’re here! Look, they’re parking over there. God
, he must have been driving like the devil to get here that fast. I bet the idiot has a speeding ticket coming in the post.” She giggled madly.

Carrie grinned as she stood
up.

“Just as well he’s going to America then. They might not catch up with him there…Aren’t you going to miss Paul terribly when he’s gone?” Carrie hadn’t dared to ask before, but now seeing her friend
’s delighted expression as she could see Paul climbing from the car, Carrie felt able to wonder out loud.

Lisa waved to Paul through the window. His face lit up as he saw her and he and Dan
iel began to jog towards the hotel entrance. They looked like two giants as their huge feet ate up the gravel and one or two other guests quickly stepped out of their way. Knowing how soft the two of them were, Carrie couldn’t help smiling as one lady appeared to shudder as they ran past her.

Lisa was still chattering excitedly.

“He says he’s going to send for me as soon as he’s settled. He’s going to get a job so that we can live together. I can’t wait.”

Carrie gasped, shocked to the core.

“But what about the dancing and what about our contract? You’re only nineteen Lisa. You can’t mean you’re going to give it all up yet. What about money? What will you do out there?”

Lisa was looking dewy eyed at Paul as he strode through the foyer and into the lounge.

“I’ve been dancing for as long as I can remember. I love it still, but this touring is awful. I’ve been with a couple of other bands and it’s always the same. Damned hard work and the money is rubbish. We all only do it because we love it so much. I tell you Carrie, if you want to get rich, then don’t ever be a dancer, go be a lawyer. Anyway, that scarcely matters, as much as I love dancing I’d give it up in an instant if it meant being with Paul for the rest of my life…but as it happens, I don’t think it’ll come to that. I’m sure I can get a job out there, what with this tour on my C.V. At the very least I’ll be able to teach in a dance school.”

Lisa ran towards Paul and melted into his outstretched arms as he reached for her. The next second she was enveloped in his huge chest, held tightly to his body while he kissed her passionately.

Daniel rolled his eyes at Carrie and she smiled back at him as he came over and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. She closed her eyes for just a second and breathed in his delicious scent. He caught hold of her hand as he moved towards the bar.

“All right Carrie? I told you we wouldn’t be long. What are you two drinking?” His voice was as deep and as soft as normal and Carrie fought back the urge to launch herself at him and kiss him as enthusiastically as Lisa was kissing Paul.

“Just mineral water thanks, and the same for Lisa. She looks like she’s going to be thirsty. Paul must have been desperate to see her if he’s driven all this way, just to go back again tonight.” She nodded over her shoulder at the still kissing pair. Paul looked as though he was eating Lisa and Carrie had to put her hand over her mouth to stop herself laughing out loud.

Dan
iel looked down at her. He didn’t answer her until he had ordered two coffees and two mineral waters.

“Yeah, he’s got it bad and he just can’t keep it under control. He’s going to be sorry if he can’t afford to bring her out to the States or if she decides she doesn’t want to come.”

He picked up the tray of drinks and walked towards a table while Carrie trailed behind him.

“Not much chance of that. She’s desperate to get out there with him. She’d go right now if he gave her the chance. She even said she’d give up dancing.” Carrie sat facing away from the still kissing couple.

Daniel looked across at her, his deep blue eyes searching her grey ones. Then they flicked up and glanced over her shoulder to the amorous pair once more.

“Would you give up your dancing to go? If it was someone you really loved who asked you, I mean?” He asked suddenly, his eyes burning into
hers.

Carrie gulped at their intensity and her heart soared. She didn’t need to think.

“Yes of course, if the right person asked me, I’d do anything for them.” She stared back at Daniel, willing him to ask her, but he just glanced over at Paul and Lisa again and then picked up his coffee cup and blew on the hot liquid before speaking.

“You’re only sixteen Carrie. You’d be mad to go and ruin your chances of a decent career if you don’t take your A levels. You would
be much better off working hard to get your qualifications. You should wait until whoever it was came back and had enough money to support both of you, just in case anything goes wrong. I mean, look at my mum and dad. They hate each other’s guts, but they can’t afford to do a thing about it. I think you need to have a good education and plenty of money so you both have the best chances in life before you do anything permanent…Hey Paul, your coffee is going cold!” He yelled towards his friend, then sat back in his chair and scowled furiously as Paul came up for air at last and dragged Lisa over to the table.

Paul grinned unashamedly.

“Sorry about that, just making up for lost time.” He sat down and pulled Lisa onto his lap. She squealed delightedly, but then shifted herself to sit on the seat beside him as two elderly ladies at the next table gasped in horror, scandalized by their outrageous behaviour.

“Paul, you idiot, we’re in a hotel, not a holiday camp. Sh
ow a little decorum please.” Spoke quickly but she was still giggling as she said it. She picked up her mineral water and put a straw in the glass. “Thanks Daniel. Not long before you’re off now. You all packed and ready to go?” She took a long suck of the water through the straw, fluttering her eyelashes at Paul as she did so. Paul watched her lips avidly, then flung himself back in his seat and groaned loudly.

Dan
iel shot him another glare, then turned to Lisa.

“Just about.
I didn’t realize how little twenty kilo’s is. I’ve cut everything to the bare minimum, but I’m still over the baggage limit. It’s not fair, we’re both going to have to pay a huge supplement. I think allowances should be made for people as big as Paul and me, all our clothes are so much bigger and weigh more than average. I’m not taking any jumpers or heavy trousers, only two pairs of trainers and I shall be wearing one of them. I’ve just about enough money to pay for our kit so I’m hoping to get a job fairly soon so I can buy some more everyday clothes. After all, if we’re going to be there nearly three years, I’m going to need more than a suitcase full.”

Paul sipped his coffee, pulled a face at the bitter taste and then heaped in three spoons of sugar.
He stirred vigorously.

“We won’t need to worry Dan. I’m sure we’re both going to get picked for the Atlanta Raiders and we’re
both going to make our fortunes.” He squeezed Lisa to his side. “We’ve already arranged tryouts, but Dan likes to take the worst possible view of any situation.”