Starcrossed (5 page)

The crowd started to break up quickly, then.  There would be no re-appearances by TJ or Saxon and the fans wanted to get home in time to see the live performance on television. 

Georgia didn’t know what to do next, but she wasn’t ready to leave, not yet. She hovered around the barricades with a few stragglers, trying to think what her next move should be.  When she was the last one left the security guard came out of his booth again and folded his arms across his chest.

“You’ll see more at home on the television,” he said.

But Tom was so close, she couldn’t leave, not now.  The guard glared, but as Georgia took a couple of slow, stumbling steps backwards, the studio’s side door burst open, and Tom came running.

“Oh my God!”  Georgia gasped as he tore across the car park towards her. “Tom!”

She watched in disbelief as he dodged a reversing mini-van, side-stepped the shouting security guard, and vaulted over the barricades to get to her.  He skidded to a stop, giving Georgia no time for words, or thought, before he pulled her into his arms, bent his body over hers and kissed her with a heart-shattering urgency that left her breathless and shivery.

“Oh my God…Georgia,” he whispered, breathless too, as he pulled back slowly and gently nudged her nose with his.  “You found me.”

They sat together on the couch in his dressing room, holding hands, staring at each other in quiet disbelief.  To Georgia, it almost felt like they’d never been apart. A tear spilled down her cheek and Tom swept it away with his thumb.

“You’re really here,” he said and then his words tumbled fast from his lips, just as Georgia’s fell from hers.  “I looked for you, after the storm, I came back to the hotel…”

“My parents said we had to go, they wouldn’t wait, they wouldn’t listen...I left a note at Reception…”

“I asked at Reception, they never mentioned a note.”

“I’m not surprised…”

“And they wouldn’t tell me anything else…I didn’t know who to ask for…”

“I went to the Academy in September and you weren’t there and I asked the people in the office if you were listed, but I didn’t know your...”

“Hang on, you went to the Academy?  On the sixteenth?”  Tom looked aghast.  “I went looking for you at Langdon!”

“You…you what?”

“I went to Langdon,” he said.  “On enrolment day.  You weren’t there.  And no-one could tell me anything.  I finally gave up when the enrolments closed off at four.”

“Oh no…”  Georgia didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “I got there at four thirty.”

Tom groaned. “So close,” he murmured.  “We were so bloody close.”

“So you didn’t get in at the Academy?” Georgia asked.

“No,” he shook his head.  “I’m going to try again next year.  What about you?  Please tell me you didn’t miss out because of me?”  He groaned again when she shrugged. “Georgia, I’m so sorry…”

“It’s okay.  I’m doing arts at the local uni right now, but I’m going to re-apply to Langdon next year.”  She bit her lip as tears welled in her eyes.  “I thought I’d never see you again, and right now, I can’t believe I found you.”

“Ah, Georgia.”  He pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her, tucking her head against his shoulder. “But you did find me.”

“You’re a bit hard to miss these days.”  She blinked up at him.  “I don’t understand…the show, the hair…”

His fingers gently touched her cheek, like he still couldn’t believe she was real.  Then he shook his head and pulled his hand through his hair.  “I know it’s crazy, but it was the only thing I could think of.  I had no idea how to find you and I thought if I got into the competition maybe you’d see me and make contact.  I honestly never expected to get this far.  I didn’t want to get this far, that wasn’t my plan.  I just wanted to find you, and every Sunday I hoped it would be the week.  I told the publicity department, and the show’s producers and the reception desk, if a girl called Georgia called, or came in, they had to tell me.”  He shook his head again.  “I was starting to think you didn’t have a television.”

“Oh!”  Georgia’s hand flew to her mouth.  “I did call,” she said.  “I did come in, I even left a note, but I never gave them my name.”

Tom swore quietly, beneath his breath, but loud enough for Georgia to hear.  Then he flopped back on the couch, bringing her with him, holding her close as they lay together, side by side. She closed her eyes, and savoured.

“Lets forget all the near misses, and focus on now,” Tom said.  “You and me, here.  I don’t want to think about anything else.” 

“Sounds good.”  Georgia couldn’t believe how her life had gone from zero to sixty so quickly.  And if lying here like this, bodies pressed together, legs entwined, was too much too soon, it sure didn’t feel that way to her.  Through her disbelief, she managed a laugh. 

“Hey, hang on…”  She lifted her head.  “If you came on this show to find me, then you’re saying you sang crap songs you hate…just for me?”

Tom smiled, his eyes shining as he looked into hers.  “I sang crap songs I hate just for you, yes.”

“That’s the craziest, most romantic thing…”

“Don’t tell anyone.  It’ll ruin my tough guy image.”  He winked and she laughed again.

“And you dyed your hair.”  She sat up a little and touched the blonde spikes that were heavily gelled.  “It’s so blond.”

“The publicists insisted on that.  Too many male contestants with dark hair in this years show. It’ll grow out.”

“And your name.  TJ?”

“Publicists again.  Apparently Tom wasn’t cool enough.” He rolled his eyes and Georgia laughed softly.  “Come here,” he said, smiling.  “You’re too far away.”  He pulled her down with him again.  Beneath the fabric of his hoodie she felt Pegasus press against her cheek. 

“I’d given up,” she said.  “Then Emily saw this...”  She touched the pendant through his clothes, feeling its outline against his chest with her fingers.  “You went back to find it?”

“The next day, after I found out you’d gone.  It was hooked on some scrub sticking out of the cliff and I put it around my neck. I haven’t taken it off since and I promised myself that I’d return it to you in person one day.  When I was on the show I was hoping you’d see it. I kept trying to drop other hints, too.  One week I wore a University of Georgia sweatshirt.” 

“I saw that in the magazine!”

Tom laughed.  “I had a fight with the stylist over that, but I won.”  Then he became serious.  “I thought of saying something during one of Mandy’s chat’s during the Sunday shows.”

“Like what?”

He laughed a dark laugh.  “Like, ‘Georgia if you’re out there…’” he paused and bit his lip.  “But I wasn’t sure if you still felt like I did, and I didn’t want to embarrass you.  Or myself.”  He sat up then, reached behind his neck and unclasped the necklace.  Georgia sat up too.  “Here,” he said.  He took her hand, but as he placed the little pewter horse in her palm, he frowned.  “What are those?” He carefully touched the scratches on her skin.  Georgia rolled her eyes.

“It’s me being stupid,” she said.  “I work in a florist shop on Saturdays.  I have to de-thorn the roses, sometimes they fight back.”

Tom slowly lowered his face and gently kissed her palm.  “Better?” he asked.

“Much,” she smiled back. Then Tom clasped the  necklace in place around her neck.

“There. More than a year late, but back where it belongs.”  He sighed softly.  "I have thought about you every single day,” he whispered.

“I tried not to think about you.”

“I tried that too.  It didn’t work.”

They stretched out on the sofa again held each other like they’d never let go.

“Please tell me your last name,” he murmured.

“Evans.”

“Georgia Evans,” he sighed.  “I’m going to kiss you again now, Georgia Evans.  Unless you have any objections?”

She didn’t.

It was a slow kiss.  A kiss of tenderness and sweet reunion with promises of so much more.  She slid her hands beneath his hoodie, feeling the hard muscle of his torso.  His breathing hitched as she touched him, and his own hands wandered beneath her sweater, his thumbs stroking the bare skin of her lower back as the kiss deepened and his lips moved urgently now with hers.

The kiss only ended when they rolled off the sofa onto the floor.

“Shit! Are you okay?”  Tom sat up quickly and pulled her with him.

“I’m great,” Georgia giggled, rubbing her elbow.  “You?”

“Fantastic.”  He grinned and helped her to her feet.  “But I think, before I kiss you again I’m going to get your phone number, and address...and…and…your shoe size!”  He lifted her up and spun her around as they both laughed. 

“Get me a piece of paper,” she said.  “And I’ll write it all down.  Everything.”

“Everything.”  Tom frowned and stopped spinning.  “I was just thinking…a florist shop?  That’s no good, what will I give you on Valentines Days? And birthdays?  You’ll be sick of flowers, I’ll have to think of something else.”  He lowered his face, barely brushing his lips over hers, just as the dressing room door opened.

"Hey!  What’s this?”  The voice was angry and Tom moved quickly, shielding Georgia from the man with the greying pony tail and the tight leather pants who stood glaring in the doorway.   "What did I tell you about the fans, Tommy-boy?"

"She isn't a fan, Dad.  This is Georgia. I told you about her, she’s the reason I came on the show.”

Dave Dark narrowed his eyes and Georgia didn’t like the way the mood in the small dressing room had suddenly changed.  “Yeah, well, things are different now.  It’s very likely you’ll win tonight and every girl has to think she has a chance with you.  You can't single anyone out."  He frowned at Georgia who was peeking out from behind Tom’s back. "Sorry darlin’, but it's part of the deal.  No girlfriends.” He stood back and pointed to the door.  “Now out you go.”

“Like hell!” Tom snapped.

A flicker of surprise crossed Dave Dark’s haggard face.  “What did you say?”

“I said, like hell.  She’s not leaving.” Tom turned to face Georgia, taking her hands in his.  “Sorry about this.  Just ignore him,” he said gently.  “He has no authority here.”

“Is that so?” Dave laughed.  “You’re my son, remember?”

Tom grimaced, almost flinching, like the declaration had caused him pain.  He threw a sharp glance over his shoulder.  “Funny how you only remembered that when you saw me on the television.”  Then he faced Georgia again. “He turned up here in week three of the competition, and it’s the only time he’s ever shown any interest in me.” Georgia didn’t miss the bitterness in his voice.  “The last time I saw him I was six.”

If Tom’s words had any effect on his father, it didn’t show.  Dave ignored his son now and spoke directly to Georgia.  "Listen, he has an opportunity here that most lads would kill for.  I'm sure you wouldn't want him to screw it up.”  Then he stabbed a finger at Tom.  “And what do you think will happen to her if she sticks around?  You’ll be a star and she’ll get hate mail.  She’ll be in the tabloids, they’ll tear her apart, make things up about her, you know how it goes.  You wanna put her through that?”

“It won’t get that far,” Tom snapped.  “I’m quitting.  Saxon can have the recording deal.  I never wanted it.”

Dave shook his head.  “You signed an agreement when you got into the final five, remember?  Even if you don’t win, you’re supposed to make personal appearances round the country with the other losers.  And if you do win tonight, and I think you will...”  He winked and Georgia got the feeling that somehow he already knew the outcome.  “Then you’ll be off to sunny Los Angeles next week.”  His mouth curved in an ugly smile when he saw how his news shocked them both.  “That’s right. Special surprise. Two-year recording contract in LA. There might even be a chance for me to record a few tracks I’ve been working on – I’ve been talking to some people over there.  We could do an album together, you and me. This could be my comeback and you’re not going to stuff it up for me.”  There was a cold gleam in his eye that made Georgia shiver.  Tom tightened his hold around her as Dave shot them another dark look. “You’re locked in tight.  You didn’t really think this through, did you, son?”

Tom floundered for a response.  “I don’t…they can’t force me…”

“Oh, they can.”  Dave cut him off.  “And anyway, how d’you know she isn’t just after you for your fame?”

“No!”  Georgia tried to step forward but Tom pulled her back sharply, tucking her into his side.

“She took her time coming to see you, didn’t she?” Dave spoke as if Georgia wasn’t even in the room.  “How many weeks you been on this show, and in the papers?  And you
seriously
think she didn’t know?  But she waited til now, waited until the prize was in your grasp, before she showed up.  You can bet your spotty arse if you’d been eliminated earlier on she wouldn’t have bothered finding you.”

“It’s not true,” Georgia clutched Tom’s shoulders, staring hard into his eyes, because she knew how Dave could make this seem.  “It’s not true.  You know it’s not!”

“I know,” Tom said, touching her cheek.  “I know.”

“All these weeks she’s waited,” Dave went on.  “Biding her time, watching to see if you…”

Tom turned on his father.  “Get out!  Just shut up and get out!”