You Know I Do (Curtain Call Book 2) Page 5

  “They will love you, Hayley.” He closed the gap between us and brushed a finger gently down my cheek. “Why won’t you believe that?” I chewed my lip again, not quite knowing what to say to him. We stood there staring at each other, his calm eyes soothing me as the feelings warred within me.

  “Just…” I started, but didn’t actually know what I wanted to say, especially when all I could really focus on was the way he was watching me.

  “Hayley…”

  “Say you love me?” I half whined at him, hating myself for sounding so needy, but knowing that I needed it. This insecurity was one of the reasons I hadn’t really been in any particularly serious relationships since school, and considering Derrick had turned out to be gay, that really didn’t say much.

  “You know I do.” He kissed me gently, but pulled away before I could deepen it. “You mean the world to me, Hayley. Please don’t let this come between us.” It was all too much and I broke away from him, turning away so that I didn’t look into his pleading eyes and break. I leaned on my desk, breathing in and out slowly.

  “I want to make this work,” the words left me before I fully realised what I was saying, but they were true. I loved David, I really did, but some things just weren’t easy for me. He stepped closer, and I could feel the heat of his body at my back. He ran his hands down my arms sending shivers down my spine, and I leaned back into him.

  “I want to make this work, too.” He spoke low and in my ear, an intimate gesture that I wouldn’t have been comfortable with a month ago. “But, I also want you to meet my parents. It’s nothing major, Hayley, they’ll love you. Just like Belle said.” I gulped, nervous about what he was saying.

  “I don’t know…”

  “Hayley, they have tickets for opening night, and that’s not far away. Surely it would be better to meet them before the most stressful night of the whole production.” Butterflies started going crazy in my stomach, though whether they were over meeting his family, or the prospect of opening night, I didn’t know. But now I had to worry about his parents seeing my work on stage as well, because that wasn’t going to eat me up.

  “I’ll think about it,” I admitted begrudgingly; I’d at least talk to Belle about it, and she’d probably talk me around to his way of thinking.

  “That’s all I ask.” He sounded disappointed, but he gently turned me around and gave me a kiss that almost turned my knees to jelly. It made me think that maybe meeting his parents wouldn’t be such a bad thing, at least not if I could keep having moments like this.

  Chapter 10

  “Do we really have to use it?” Belle whined, and while I completely agreed on her feelings about the recently delivered, and hideous, gargoyle, along with its suspicious note, I wasn’t about to voice them out loud. Actually, it was very out of character for her to be this whiny about anything, especially outside the privacy of our flat.

  “Yes, it’s been given as a gift,” John replied, his face not giving away any of his true feelings, as per usual.

  “But it’s ugly,” Belle whined. Wait, what? It was true, the thing was vile, but I couldn’t believe that she’d actually said as much. “Could we at least change it?”

  “No, we’re using it, Belle. Work around it.” He turned and walked off, leaving my best friend with a look of indecision on her face, which I suspected had something to do with the urge to flip him off. I was feeling it too.

  “Let’s guess; Toby?” I asked after checking that the coast was clear and no one would overhear.

  “I assume so, I can’t imagine anyone else would send it anonymously with just a note.” She thought for a moment. “Nor anyone who wouldn’t just make a donation if they wanted to contribute.” I frowned, she was most likely right, but part of me hoped that she wasn’t, and that Toby would just leave her alone.

  “But why did he send it?” She shrugged.

  “Because he’s a twisted individual who wants to mess with my head?” She was so nonchalant about it, that it was kind of scary.

  “Ah yes. That.”

  “Mmm.”

  “What the hell is that?” David’s surprised voice came from the workshop door, and we both turned to him. I smiled, and he returned it with a private one that was meant just for me.

  “That, is a gift from a mysterious benefactor,” I said it with mock elation, mostly due to the portable camera that David was carrying. I didn’t know if it was switched on, and I knew that he’d edit out anything we didn’t want people to see, but it was better to be safe rather than sorry.

  “What’s it for?” He looked genuinely repulsed by the thing, and a pang of envy went through me as I realised he was able to show his true feelings right now. His eyes softened as he looked at me, though, filling me with a warm fuzzy feeling that overrode both the repulsion and the envy.

  “It’s for use in All I Ask of You, according to the note that came with it.” Belle’s attempt at a smile came across like more of a grimace.

  “But, Belle, haven’t you already staged that scene?” David asked. He’d slipped back into producer mode, but Belle didn’t look so sure.

  “We have, but it is one of the simpler scenes, so it’ll be easy enough to get the piece in.” Well, she was right. But I wasn’t crazy about the idea of it being next to my beautiful costumes. I stuffed down my ridiculous pride, knowing that there were bigger issues here. I moved so that I was next to David, placing a gentle hand on his arm in an attempt to stop him going any further with his questioning.

  “She hates it, right?” He asked me and I nodded, knowing that I was off camera and safe from being caught out. Just so long as I didn’t say anything aloud.

  “I assume you two are out tonight?” Belle asked, breaking the moment between me and David. We glanced between each other, before nodding at her. David was cooking for me tonight as far as I knew. “Good. I have a good impression to make, can’t have you two messing all that up.”

  “I don’t know how anyone could dislike you after eating your food.” Belle looked at him oddly, and I could relate; I hadn’t noticed how easily the two of them interacted until this moment, but it was clear that, somewhere along the line, they seemed to have become friends.

  “You’re lucky I haven’t grown fat, David. You’ve never tried her desserts,” I joked. And it was true, they were delicious. Plus, I knew what she was making for Jack’s family tonight, and it was safe to say that I was very much looking forward to the leftovers.

  “Only because you eat all the leftovers before David gets a look in,” Belle teased, surprising us both, and making a fierce blush rise in my cheeks. She may have a point there, but I wasn’t too sure that I wanted my boyfriend to know that about me. At least, not yet. “I’ll try and save you some,” she told him conspiratorially.

  “Thanks, Belle.” He beamed and a small smile played on my own lips. Here were two people that I cared about immensely, it was good to see them getting along. Plus, if Belle hadn’t liked David then no matter how much I did, he’d be a goner. She said her goodbyes, leaving the two of us alone in the workroom with the hideous gargoyle. “So, what time can I expect you tonight?” David asked, pulling me into his arms.

  “I was thinking we could go back to yours now.” I played with his shirt and looked up at him through my eyelashes, trying to give him the most seductive look I could muster.

  “I still have a couple of hours of work left to do,” he looked disappointed, but I brushed kisses across his jaw.

  “I suppose I could find something to do with that time.” It wasn’t quite what I wanted, but I could find something at least. Thankfully, we found a good compromise.

  Chapter 11

  “You ready?” David asked from where he paced up and down in the living room.

  “I guess.” I gave myself the once over, criticising everything about myself due to nerves. I knew the dress looked good; I’d made it. And that wasn’t just me being big headed, this dress had actually won me an award at college. It was a classic
skater style, in a soft baby blue that matched my eyes. I knew that on the surface it didn’t sound like that impressive of a dress, particularly from someone who designed intricate costumes for the shows, but the button detail down the front, and the pattern around the hem, were quite possibly some of my best work.

  “You’ve nothing to worry about.” He stopped pacing and strode towards me. I put my arms around his waist and hugged him to me. Tonight, I was doing what I’d put off for months[TS1]; I was meeting his parents. And to say I was nervous was a bit of an understatement. The whole thing had me petrified. Belle had been reassuring me all week, but that was easy for her. She’d met Jack’s family [TS2]and they’d loved her; because everybody loved Belle, she was soft and kind, and impossible to hate[TS3]. Me on the other hand, well I had a habit of speaking without thinking, and if I was in a bad mood, then everybody knew about it. “You really don’t[TS4],” he leaned down to kiss me, which had the desired effect and I melted into his arms.

  “Well it’s too late now,” I attempted a joke, but it fell flat, even to my ears.

  “That it is.” David tweaked my nose slightly and I gave him a weak smile. “We need to go anyway.” His arms loosened, and I hated the bereft feeling I had without him close. But he handed me one of the helmets he’d placed on our cluttered dining table, and excitement replaced that feeling. It’d been a while since I’d been on his bike, and I’d secretly missed it. Unfortunately, it was no good for transporting costumes, so I’d been relying on Belle and her car to get me to and from the theatre.

  “You going to tell me where we’re going yet?” I asked as I locked the door.

  “That tapas place near the theatre.” That perked me up. I love tapas, and I’ve been wanting to go to that place for ages. We got on his bike, and even though I didn’t really need to have an excuse anymore, I used it as one to press myself close to him and enjoy the warmth of his body. Even so, I was glad that I’d put on thick tights, and a faux-leather jacket over my dress. Not that I liked the faux-leather look so much, but it was all I could really afford, and it being February, there was no chance of me going outside without a jacket[TS5].

  The thrill of the ride distracted me from my nerves. Or at least it did, until he pulled up around the corner from the restaurant and stowed our helmets while I stood by, nibbling on my lip.

  “I’m not ready,” I half-whispered, not really wanting him to hear.

  “You’ll be fine, they already love you.” I gave him a pointed look, which he just returned with a smile and a reassuring hand on my lower back. He drew me down the street and into the restaurant without any fuss; not that I could really make any. [TS6]As nervous as I was, I’d already said I’d meet his parents, and more than that, I knew that I needed to meet them. Especially if my relationship with David went as far as I hoped it would. Cause let’s face it; there’d be no avoiding it then.

  He steered me towards a table with an older couple already seated on it. His Dad looked like an older version of David, but not quite as physically fit. I suspected that it was in part down to age, but also in part down to his lifestyle. His Mum looked just like what I’d expected from what he’d told me. She was attractive, with dark hair and startling blue eyes. I imagined that she was the kind of women who’d been called a heartbreaker when she was younger.

  “David!” His Mum jumped to her feet and pulled David into a hug, leaving me standing there and feeling a little awkward about the situation. “And you must be Hayley.” She turned to me as she pulled away from David and I could almost sense her taking me in. She must have liked what she saw, because she pulled me into a hug, too.

  “Dad,” he nodded at him, and his Dad nodded back. That was odd, I’d have to ask him about that later.

  “It’s nice to finally meet you. David’s told us so much about you,” his Mum sounded excited as we all sat at the table, and she’d poured me a glass of wine before I could turn it down. It wasn’t that I didn’t drink, me and Belle enjoyed cocktails with our girls’ nights after all, it was more that there wasn’t long left until opening night, and I still had costumes to finish. Early mornings had become a necessity, as much as I hated them.

  “I hope nothing too bad,” I said with a weak smile. Seriously hoping that my nerves weren’t showing as much as I thought they were.

  “I shouldn’t think so,” his Mum replied, somewhat cryptically. I picked up my wine glass, taking a slow drink to try and steady my nerves, before hastily putting it back down; didn’t want to risk getting tipsy and making a fool of myself. That wouldn’t be a way to make a good impression.

  “David says you’re a design student, is that right?” His Mum asked once our order had been taken. As excited as I’d been to come for tapas, I was too nervous to actually remember what we’d ordered.

  “Yes, fashion.”

  “Are there even any jobs in that?” His Dad interrupted, sounding completely unimpressed. I fiddled with the hem of my dress, worried that this might make or break their opinion of me. I knew that some people didn’t see jobs in the arts as actual careers.

  “Dad!” David looked horrified, so I placed a hand on his arm gently, letting him know that it was fine. It wasn’t like I hadn’t had this response from my careers advisers in school anyway.

  “There’s plenty. Some are more competitive than others, but I plan on going into costume design for film and theatre. It’s why I volunteer at the theatre.” I smiled at him, but his expression didn’t soften.

  “Wait until you see her costumes, Mum. The ones for the Masquerade scene are just beautiful.” David tried to defuse the tension, and gave my hand a reassuring squeeze when I looked down, embarrassed by the attention.

  “Oh, that sounds wonderful,” his Mum answered, and then swiftly changed the subject onto less controversial topics.

  The night seemed to go surprisingly well. I thought I got on well with David’s Mum, and I certainly enjoyed the attention that David was paying me. He was constantly making sure that I was included in conversation, and that I had what I wanted to drink. Really, he was being no different from normal, but I think I was just more aware of it because we were with his parents, and that this meal was a bigger deal than most of the ones we shared[TS7].

  “Good night, Hayley.” He kissed me deeply as we stood in the doorway of mine and Belle’s flat. We broke apart and stared at one another, neither of us really wanting to say goodbye. But I had a lot of work to do, and we’d decided before we’d left for dinner that it was probably better if we didn’t spend the night together.

  Behind the door, I could hear the low murmur of the TV, but no voices. Not that that told me anything. There was a good chance that Jack was in there too. Saying that, it would probably help if he was in there; Belle was likely to quiz me about my evening if she was on her own. Jack distracting her would be a bonus as far as I was concerned.

  “I don’t want you to go,” I whispered, not needing to speak any louder because of how close we stood.

  “You need me to, though.” He smiled slightly, a sappy look crossing his face. Just a matter of months ago, I’d have hated that look, now I was basking in it. Funny how that works. I pouted at him, not sure who’s resolve I was trying to break, “Hayley…” he warned.

  “Sorry, just getting up early to finish off masks isn’t all that fun.” I hated making masks. And yes, I realised how ridiculous that was, especially considering we were closing in on the opening night for The Phantom of the Opera, but it was true. I liked making clothes, not masks. Plus, making twenty-five individual masks for Masquerade, plus the other masks that Henry needed, was time consuming to the extreme, and part of the reason why I’d put it off for this long. [TS8]

  “Do you really need to finish them[TS9] tomorrow?” His hands traced patterns on my back, where they’d been resting. I nodded.

  “You know we have that stupid live performance coming up this week.” He grimaced, and I instantly felt guilty. It was easy to forget that David wasn’t a part
of the troupe and was actually part of the team at The Show Must Go On. It was his own fault we forgot, he just had an easy demeanour that had him making friends with many of our cast and crew. “Sorry. But if John picks Masquerade then I can hardly send them on stage without masks.” Unfortunately, I knew what John was like, and he probably would pick Masquerade. I also knew that that was the last scene that Belle wanted to show case, so it could be a complete disaster.

  “I don’t imagine it would work as well without them, but I bet you guys could pull it off,” there was a sparkle in his eye that let me know he was simultaneously joking, and proud of what we could achieve as a group.

  “Better if we don’t have to.” I went up on my tip toes and gave him a swift kiss. “Good night, David.”

  “Night, Hayley,” and this time he actually left, leaving me trying to plan masks, and trying not to freak out about what would happen if John did pick Masquerade. There was so much going on in that scene, that there was a lot of room for errors. I just hoped we could get through it without any.

  Chapter 12

  I glanced at the time on my phone and cursed inwardly; I was going to be late and either John, Belle, or both, were going to kill me. It was the day that we’d perform on live TV for the first time, and I wasn’t even at the theatre yet. Depending on what scene John chose, I’d have between two and twenty-five people to dress. Not to mention overseeing the hair and makeup, which included wigs, and helping Belle make sure everyone was in position.

  “I’m here, panic not,” I called out as I entered the main room of the theatre, finding Belle in director mode, and everyone on stage in their own clothes. Having run most of the way after my lecture [TS10]ran over, I imagined that I was looking a bit worse for wear and red-faced; not an attractive look.

  “It’s not you we’re waiting for,” Belle grumbled under her breath, clearly unhappy with someone; probably John given that he was nowhere in sight. “René, can we go from the beginning?”