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8. Cunning, Conniving and Chaos



YANI


This could not be happening.
This just could not be happening, not today of all days.
Not today when I'd spent three hours at the local hospital watching over a tiny orphan who'd broken her arm.
The poor girl fell of her bike and had landed awkwardly, and had been near inconsolable in the cramped emergency room.

All I wanted was to rest.
I didn't want to see Diego who was acting awkwardly around me.
I didn't want to play with my little brother, who had taken to playing a "kick Yani's leg and run" game with another cousin.
And I definitely did NOT want to see my ex-boyfriend sitting in my family's living room, surrounded by curious relatives.

'Matt?'
Surely I was just delusional.
It had been a long day.

'Yani,' he got up and kissed me on the cheek.
The older ladies brows went up with delight, they thought it cute.
I thought it sickening.
Here was the guy who I had broken up with-who I didn't have any intention of seeing again for the rest of the summer at least-what the hell was he doing here.
Only politeness caused me to refrain voicing my question.

'Are you happy to see me?'
No.
'Ah... what are you doing here?'
'I've come to spend the next two weeks with you-your family has kindly offered for me to stay.'
'But why?'

'Dyani-manners,' my father snapped.
'Sorry,' I said hastily, more sorry that I was overheard rather than for my rudeness, 'ah... can we talk?'
I felt the appreciative female gazes follow us out into the patio.
Matt was definitely good looking-and had always been admired by strangers.
Not the most private of areas, but better by a smidgen.

'Matt-why are you here?'
'I did ask permission in an email I sent you-I assumed your non-replies were a way of saying yes.'
'Ah... I didn't get time to check my mail,' I said, lying through my teeth, kicking myself for not checking them.
'Well no worries, I'm here now-' he took an alarming step closer, 'and I was hoping we could try again. Us I mean.'

I hesitated.
I was thunderstruck.
And then a familiar sounding car pulled up-and Diego immediately looked over.
He saw Matt's large form and was not happy.
But who could blame him? I wasn't either.



RACH


Poppo had not talked to me for four days.
Not even when the entire team had gotten together for a party to mark the halfway mark of the trip.
To everyone else he was cordial and friendly-but to me...
It hurt.
But I couldn't blame him.

'Hey Rachael, what's going on?' Bishop asked.
I made room for her in the log I was sitting on, in front of the fire.
It may have been hot in the daytime, but it was freezing at nights as a result of the non-existent clouds.
'What's up Bishop?'

'I think that was almost an avoidance,' she said with a smile.
I smiled back, 'nothing going on-just enjoying a bit of peace and quiet.'
'I'd go away and let you enjoy it, but I can't, not when you look miserable.'
I struggled to keep from blurting everything out to her.
But everything would mean the kiss included.
And I didn't want to lose another friend.

'Not miserable, just suffering for my mistake.'
'Poppo?'
One look at her face showed that it had been a lucky guess-she could possibly know-could she?
'Yeah, I said some things to him... that maybe I shouldn't have.'

'Why don't you just say sorry?'
'I can't, it's complicated.'
'Is it... is it because you think I like him?'

I stared at Bishop who looked suddenly younger than she was.
'No it's not-,' here I was lying again, 'yes.'
'I don't, you know,' she said, matter-of-factly, 'the moment he called you Red, such a nickname for someone you hardly know-it's a big thing, I knew he was hooked on you.'

'He's not,' I insisted, turning red.
'He is-but I'm not playing that game with you,' she said impatiently, 'the point is-I have a boy back home. One that I can't give up even for a guy with such a unique name like Poppo.'
It was an attempt at a joke.
I was thankful for it, I was awkward enough as it is.

'Just think about it will you-now that you know I'm not an obstacle.'
She sounded so tickled pink at the thought of appearance as an obstacle.
But even as she walked away and I found myself gazing at Poppo's laughing face, I knew that it wouldn't work out the way she wanted.
The way I wanted.
He couldn't even meet my eyes...
I'd burned bridges unknowingly, unthinkingly-the fire blurred in front of me.



EMI


'Oh Armaud!' I threw myself into his arms.
He caught me in his almost lanky form-which was suspiciously bulkier than first thought.
There were definitely well defined muscles for biceps-not at all businessman-like.
Good God Emily, I thought to myself, you've lost it-you've really lost it.

'You okay? We should get you something to eat,' he said as he pulled away from me and looked down into my haggard face.
I was so glad to breathe fresh clean air, but also knowing that I smelt funny.
'Yes, and then can I please, please get a shower?'
'You do smell quite a bit,' he agreed.

I stared at him.
This was unlike Armaud to be so direct.
He usually tiptoed around me to make sure that I wasn't upset in any way.
It was part of his gentlemanly charm.

The shock must have been on my face because he laughed, a rich laugh that tickled my sense.
'I figure that you're not as innocent and naïve as you first seemed Miss Emily, after all-you're a jailbird. I reckon I can get away with saying anything to you now.'
I stared at him some more.
'Come on then, food and then a shower,' he said, throwing a reckless arm around me.

'Who are you?' I asked in disbelief.
He laughed again, Armaud never told me he had an evil twin-or if not evil-at least crazy.
'I am still me, my sweet, except that I just cant get over you getting thrown in jail.'
'Can we please let that go?' I asked, wincingly.

We pulled up at a food stop next to the highway, where Armaud said no one would care that I smelt.
I thanked him for making me more self-conscious, but he was nice enough to chose a booth away from everyone else.
I nearly salivated as I waited for the meal to cook.
Pancakes and hash browns-the breakfast special-immediately devoured.
'That was good.'

'You want more?' he asked.
He'd spent the entire time watching me eat, insisting the dawn flight he caught fed him sufficiently.
Any other time I would have not been able to eat with someone watching me, but I'd been damn hungry.
'No I'm fine, I think I could use that shower now.'

'As you wish,' he said escorting me back to the hire-car.
Which didn't start-
'It's Sunday today, you wont get anyone to help you out from the hire agency, you'll have to spend the night up at the motel down the road, would you like a lift?' a truck driver asked.

Now why did I think that the nightmare wasn't over?



CAMIE


Still reeling from what John had told me, I told him that I needed another three days.
It was childish to put it off-to keep him waiting-but I had to.
There was no way that I could see him again without saying something I would live to regret.
And God only knew how many of such statements I already regretted.

The initial plan was to just hibernate in January's flat.
But alas, a certain Serie B football player had other plans.

'You can't just stay there all day,' Emilio said invitingly.
I smiled at him and was about to say no, but he wouldn't let me.
Usually I hated pushy guys, but one look at my less than inviting bedroom and I knew I had to go out.
You know something is wrong when you start reading trashy romance novels which Kei reads.
I got up and got dressed and allowed Emily to take me out.

He didn't try and impress me.
He was seriously content in playing tourist guide.
Although his hand did once or twice rest at my waist, and by the time we went for lunch my hand was firmly held in his.

'Are you alright?' he asked me,' you look distracted.'
'I'm sorry, I am.'
'You want to tell me about it?'
I was tempted, 'what's the Italian thought on talking to one man about another man?'
He laughed, 'it's generally frowned upon-we Italian men are very possessive and are easily jealous.'
In that one look and sentence I saw why it was his picture that was being held by many football fans at the training sessions.
If I'd been here in any other circumstances I would have been patting myself on the back for catching him.

'Then that's settled.'
'Ah, but I'm not like most Italian men-I am more than willing to lend an ear... given that it's returned. For dinner tonight, perhaps?'
'Aren't you tired of hanging out with me?' I asked with wide eyes.
'Can one get tired of hanging out with a desirable woman?'

'You are one smooth talker,' I said with a reluctant laugh, 'are you sure you can handle this?'
This meaning whatever I was going to tell him.
'I can handle the truth,' he smiled, oh my God, I felt the lack of oxygen in my head at the sigh of his dimple.
Telling him the truth would probably give me a bit of armour against his charms.
And so I began to speak.



KEI


When plans bite you in the butt, you just have to hide out.

I was angry with someone.
I don't know who it was-Past!Kei for attempting to fool me into believing that I could get over Jed.
Avery for making us walk home through a shortcut and thus seeing what we were seeing.
Jed for being making loud carnal noises with some random girl, or said Random Girl for letting Jed get into her pants.

'Kei are you okay?' Duncan was the one who asked.
Who would have expected it to be Duncan?
Avery, yes I expected, but not Duncan.
'Yes thanks, I'm good-just wanting to watch the stars.'

He sat next to me-thankfully with a shirt on, even though I had no romantic designs on him, Duncan was still a distracting figure when topless-and I didn't fancy falling off the roof we were sitting on.
We just sat there for awhile.
I liked his quiet company, it didn't make me nervous.
Probably because I knew how into Jen he was.

'So can I start now?' he asked.
'Yes,' I said with a smile, 'first of all-who sent you?'
'No one, I see the way you look at Jed.'
'Oh.'

'I heard from Avery that you saw Jed with some girl /en flagrante/.'
'If by that you mean we caught him in bed with some girl... then yes.'
'Does it hurt?'
'Not really-I mean, it would hurt more if I was his girlfriend, but since there's no chance of that,' I snorted, 'I'm fine.'
'You lie badly.'

'Oh come on, didn't you hear? I got a supporting role in the local summer play.'
'Congratulations-doesn't stop anything from hurting.'

I turned to him.
'Thanks for worrying about me, but I'm a big girl now-this isn't the first time someone doesn't reciprocate my feelings. And more than likely-it won't be the last. It's a bumpy learning curve, but I'll be fine.'
'You're at least strong; you'll need it to cope with a guy like Jed.'

'You say that like you know something I don't.'
'Let's just say my money is on you in the end,' he leant over and kissed me on the cheek.
I wondered why it lingered.

But then I saw Jed frozen having come up from towards the beach.
Duncan was a sneaky bugger.


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Author's Note: Two updates to mark my respect for the dear Doctor, who was the inspiration for me WANTING to write these updates. There is something hilariously indearing about a non-human with an equally non-human sense of humour!