I Knew You Were Trouble

Chapter Ten

‘Lex, have you gone insane?’ Duncan hisses at me in the corner of the suite, where Meredith stands beside me, verging on hyperventilation. Ziggy has disappeared off to bed; so have the remainder of the crew. On the sofas, the boys huddle together discussing questions for me, Aidan banished to sit by himself, but by the way he’s leaning over, I can see he’s desperate to contribute.

‘It’ll be fine. I’ve got a good memory.’

I try to sound assured. Duncan raises his brow, because I know he can see right through my invented confidence.

‘Mer,’ I say. ‘Remind me of all their birthdays.’

‘Uhhh… J.B. is March second. Miller, April twenty-third. Cal, July nineteenth. Aidan, August third. Ravi, September twenty-eighth.’

I go through them in my head. ‘Right. Don’t tell anyone from Silverpix I’m doing this, alright?’ I say.

‘What do we say to Vaughn if you don’t pass this test?’ Meredith asks, failing to keep the tremor from her voice.

I blow out my cheeks. ‘However much power they think they have to kill this documentary, the likelihood is, they don’t. But it might put to bed the idea that I know nothing about them.’

‘And if you crash and burn?’

‘I’ll think about that if it happens.’

‘Lex, we’re ready for ya!’ Miller calls over.

Duncan squeezes my arm. ‘They’re wee jokers. You can change your mind. This is not how things work, Lex. You can talk to Silverpix about getting their buy in.’

I squeeze his upper arm. ‘When we spoke to those migrants in Calais, what did we say? Do you remember?’

Duncan frowns, and I imagine he’s thinking back to a very wet night at a makeshift camp lined with tents, full of desperate people waiting to make the journey across the English Channel. ‘We said if we want their trust, we have to speak a language they understand.’

I give him a nod. ‘This is nothing in comparison.’

I walk calmly back over to the sofas. J.B. lays me out a chair to sit on, as though I’m about to have a panel interview. Aidan’s sitting to one side, still frowning. Cal grins at me, resting his crossed ankles on the surface of the table.

‘I have one more condition,’ I say, before I take my seat.

‘Oh yeah, what’s that?’ Ravi asks.

I look to Aidan. ‘If I get all these questions right, you have to be nice to me. Or civil, at least.’

The boys all make an oooooh sound. Aidan produces a thin-lipped, highly fake smile, specifically designed, I think, to throw me off guard.

I sit down.

‘You ready, Lex?’ Ravi asks.

‘I am.’

‘Can I just ask, Lexi,’ J.B. pipes up. ‘Are you serious about leaving? If you don’t get eight out of ten questions correct?’

‘Of course not,’ I say and I’m panicking underneath, because my mind’s emptied of anything Rebel Heat related. ‘I’m just letting you all think that.’

‘Good thing we’ll be holding you to your promise then,’ Aidan says tersely.

‘Right, Cal, you’re up,’ Ravi says.

A silence descends. ‘Who was Miller’s first kiss?’ Cal asks me.

It’s a good first question, and I relax a little, because I know the answer. ‘Her name was Eden. You kissed her in a treehouse when you were nine.’

‘She’s right,’ Miller says and I think I see Aidan grimace.

‘Question two,’ Ravi announces. ‘Cal was arrested in Sydney aged fifteen. But what was he arrested for?’

I bite my lip. I know this one too. ‘Public indecency. You dropped your trousers in front of a police officer. And you weren’t wearing any underwear.’

‘Two for two,’ Miller hums.

J.B. leans forward. ‘Three. My son Xavi. What is his middle name?’

I stare at him. I can’t give away that I have no idea, but Aidan is watching me. Heat warms the base of my neck.

I swallow. I’m going to have to guess. ‘Francois.’

J.B. leans back, a smirk on his face. ‘ Non . Henri. Francois is my father’s name.’

My eyes flit to Duncan. He sips his beer, and gives me a look that says I have brought this all on myself. And he’s right, I did.

‘Question four,’ Ravi says. ‘When is my birthday?’

‘Oh, for fuck’s sake, Rav,’ Aidan snaps. ‘You’re not supposed to make this easy on her.’

I ignore Aidan and look to Meredith. She gives me an encouraging nod.

‘Twenty-eighth of September.’

There isn’t even an acknowledgement that I’m right, Ravi just moves on.

‘And what are the names of my parents’ restaurants in Toronto?’

‘Rav!’ Aidan groans. ‘Seriously!’

‘The Mumbai Flyer and Bengal Dreams.’

‘Correct.’

‘That’s four outta five, Lex,’ Miller says.

It’s Cal’s turn again. ‘Question six, what’s Miller’s favourite dish? And you need to get all the elements right.’

My lips twitch, but I’m scared I’ll miss something out. ‘Buttermilk pancakes, with bacon, strawberries, squirty cream and chocolate sauce on top. And he won’t eat it if it has maple syrup because he doesn’t like maple syrup.’

‘Because he’s a heathen,’ Ravi adds.

‘She’s good,’ Miller concedes. ‘Five outta six. You gotta get three more right to stay.’

Duncan crosses his arms, moving closer. Meredith follows.

‘Question seven,’ Ravi says. ‘Who is older, Aidan or his sister Paige, and how many minutes are between them?’

I inhale. I’ve read the answer. ‘To the nearest minute?’ I ask.

‘To the nearest minute,’ Ravi confirms.

I pause. If I get this wrong, I’m screwed. ‘Aidan is older than Paige by seventeen minutes.’

‘Aid?’ Ravi says, looking to his bandmate.

I look to my right. His eyes have darkened. He grits his teeth. ‘Correct,’ he mutters.

I lightly punch my fist. Aidan shakes his head in disgust.

‘Next question, question eight,’ Miller says. ‘Which French soccer team does J.B. support?’

‘Too easy,’ Aidan complains.

‘Marseille,’ I say.

‘ C’est vrais. ’ J.B. smirks and I notice Meredith is grinning from ear to ear. ‘Question nine,’ J.B. continues. ‘What is the name of the beach where Cal lost his virginity?’

I stare at them. The room goes silent. They’re giving nothing away. ‘That is not on the internet,’ I say.

‘Totally is, love,’ Cal replies. ‘Any true fan would know that.’

I grimace. I know he’s from Bondi, which probably has the most famous beach in the world. I don’t think that’s the answer, yet I don’t have any other suggestion.

I let out a dramatic sigh. ‘I don’t know,’ I say. ‘Bondi Beach?’

‘Wrong!’ Cal hoots. ‘It was Tamarama. Round the corner.’

‘And he only lasted thirty seconds,’ J.B. adds.

‘Nah, mate… I lasted at least a minute.’

‘I was never going to get that,’ I argue over the ensuing sniggering.

‘Means you gotta get this one right, Lexi,’ Miller says and there is another collective sucking of breath. ‘Or it’s adios .’

I glance across at Aidan, who looks vaguely pleased with himself.

‘You ready, Lex?’ Miller asks.

I nod once.

‘Question ten. What is Aidan McArthur’s favourite sexual position?’

I throw my hands up in the air. ‘Oh, fuck right off, there is no way that is on the internet!’ I exclaim.

‘I’m not done,’ Miller says. ‘Is it A. Cowgirl, B. Reverse Cowgirl, or C. Speed Bump?’

‘It’s an inadmissible question.’

‘The answer is online, love.’ Cal smirks. ‘You just have to know where to look.’

I scowl in Aidan’s direction. He’s revelling in the fact that he knows I don’t know the answer.

‘Choose carefully, Lex,’ Miller hums. ‘One false move, and…’ He kisses his fingers and gives me a mock wave goodbye.

‘I—’ I begin. I look at Aidan, suddenly picturing him in ways I haven’t imagined before and I’m flustered. I try not to blush. My gut instinct says the answer is A. Cowgirl. I can see how a man like that would like to watch a girl ride him. The thought makes my cheeks flush.

I glance to my left. Meredith has her phone out. Suddenly the boys are all shouting her way, stopping her from searching for the answer.

I glance back. Ravi’s eyes are fixed on mine. For a split second, he purposefully glances down. I notice that his right hand lies across his chest, two fingers splayed outwards, the other three tucked away. I look around to see none of the other boys have seen.

I balk. Either I’m blind, or Ravi’s literally handing me the answer.

‘If you need me to put in a call to Silverpix for you,’ Aidan drawls, ‘just let me know. I’d be happy to inform them that you decided you could no longer commit to filming our documentary.’

If I’m right, and Ravi is giving me a signal, then I have to stay. Continue with filming as planned and fulfill Vaughn Herrera’s wishes. But if I go with my gut, and I’m wrong, then my time here could be over, and I’ll have to deal with the consequences.

I look across at the four members of Rebel Heart, waiting with bated breath for my answer. Even after a two-hour concert, in which they sang, danced and back-flipped their way through about fifteen live songs, they still manage to look fresh-faced and handsome. After a couple of weeks, and apart from Aidan, I’ve grown quite fond of them all.

Am I prepared to leave that all behind? Or do I finish what I’ve started? My eyes dart across to Aidan again on my right. He’s looking smug, like he’s expecting me to get this next answer wrong, heralding my departure. He’s so desperate for me to quit this job that a little voice tells me it’s not worth sticking around.

He wishes.

‘I’m going with B. Reverse Cowgirl,’ I say quickly, before I change my mind.

From next to me, I hear Aidan groan, his head going back as both hands slide into his hair.

‘Lexi wins!’ Ravi announces. ‘Looks like you get to stay!’

‘Really?’ I say out of disbelief, producing a wild grin. Duncan rolls his eyes but I catch his smile. My gamble has paid off.

‘Congrats, Lex,’ Cal says, getting to his feet and stretching his arms up to the ceiling. ‘You can interview me tomorrow if you like.’

‘Thank you, Cal,’ I respond, then turn towards Aidan to ensure he hears me. ‘I appreciate your support.’

Aidan hauls himself to his feet. It’s almost one a.m. ‘Now I’m definitely going to bed,’ he mumbles.

I watch him go. When he reaches the door to the suite, I get up and follow.

‘Aidan—’ I say, in all seriousness. He turns and I hold out my hand. ‘A truce?’

He looks down at me. His expression looks drained, yet I’m struck by his eyes. I would have expected them to look steely, except in his defeat, they have softened. A moment passes before he shakes my hand. His skin feels warm to the touch, but I sense there is likely zero warmth in his feelings towards me.

‘You win,’ he concedes and behind me, Ravi gives a little whoop. ‘Truce,’ he adds and I watch him walk away down the corridor.

I’m on my way back to my hotel when I bump into Ravi in the lift. Duncan and Meredith are waiting for me downstairs in the lobby of the Four Seasons. For a moment, Ravi and I simply smile at one another.

‘Okay, I have to know…’ I say. ‘Was that you helping me out back there?’

‘I got zero clue what you’re talking about,’ is his response. There’s a pause. ‘But you were gonna go with reverse cowgirl all along, right?’

‘Yes, of course,’ I say, looking to the carpet and trying not to laugh. ‘Of course I was, yes.’

Ravi smiles bashfully, his dimples fully on show. ‘For the record, I’m happy that you’re staying,’ he says. ‘It’s nice having someone like you around.’

We reach his floor.

‘Thank you, Ravi,’ I say.

Ravi reaches out his hand, stopping the doors once they’ve opened.

‘You know, he’s not as confident as people think he is,’ he says.

‘Who do you mean?’

‘I think you know,’ he replies. ‘Goodnight, Lexi.’

Back at our hotel, I collapse onto my bed.

Today did not go as planned. I did not expect to have to prove my worth to all five members of Rebel Heart. Yet I came out triumphant. Just.

I flip over onto my front. On my phone, I go back and search ‘ Aidan McArthur girlfriends ’. I select the images tab and there are pictures of Aidan with Samara Al-Noori. She’s tall and slender, with beautiful skin, glossy dark hair, a straight nose with a ring piercing one nostril and several other piercings in her ears. He looks happy, calm and relaxed with his arm around her.

I scroll down through the images. There’s a black-and-white one where he’s wearing nothing but a pair of underwear, and I’m treated to a filtered view of his near-naked body, all rippling abs and toned legs. The look on his face is the same scowl that I’ve had to deal with for more than the past week, only there’s something carnal about it. Lustful.

I let out a sigh then roll onto my back again. Lying there, for the first time, I allow myself to picture it: sex with Aidan McArthur. The image sets off a chain reaction inside me, and without warning, at the apex of my thighs, I’m throbbing with need.

I close my eyes, exploring him in the thoughts that I can’t seem to push from my mind: our bodies writhing and naked, having all of him move inside me, my legs wrapped around his waist whilst he edges me closer towards an explosive climax.

I can feel myself growing plump and wet at the idea of him, until the need becomes too great for me to ignore. I wriggle free of my clothes so that I’m naked on my bed. Slowly, I touch two fingers to my lips, sucking on them. Moving them down, I part my knees wider. I slide a single fingertip over my folds, finding the point that gives me the greatest pleasure and teasing it in concentric circles, an involuntary moan escaping my lips, picturing Aidan’s swollen erection easing inside of me, and wrapping my legs around his waist. Well-versed in the art of self-pleasure, I sigh, reducing the speed of my fingertip, grinding my hips down into the mattress, imagining that he’s inside me. I’m surprised at how wet I am, how quickly I’ve brought myself to the brink of orgasm. Knowing I’m about to come, I slow my fingertip further, holding myself back, prolonging the blissful sensations curling up my legs from my toes, threatening to explode in wave after wave of pleasure. I imagine the noises he would make. I gasp. When I come, his name escapes my lips, completing my fantasy, my climax so powerful it lifts my hips off the mattress, pulsating through me until I’m spent.

Then I lie there in the dim light, alone and out of breath, my chest rising and falling, and a smile crawls onto my lips.

It’s a shame it would never happen in real life.