Seb turns to include me, a wry eyebrow rising. “Oh, did he?”And there it is.That’s the look I was expecting to see, and a low satisfaction squirms in my gut.That’s right. She’s mine now. Not yours. “Now I feel bad,” Seb says to Diana, pressing a hand to his heart with a flourish. “I didn’t get you anything.”
She laughs, her smile all comfort and ease. “That’s okay. It’s not like we’re getting married or anything.”
Seb’s laughter joins hers, and although he’s perfectly pleasant, I want to smack him in the face.
“Diana,” Melanie calls, striding towards us with purpose, snapping her fingers and pointing further into the venue. “Quick. You need to be backstage. The cast are here.”
“Thoughtful gift,” Seb says when she’s gone, one side of his mouth curling into a smirk. A single dimple appears on one cheek, and begrudgingly, I have to admit he’s a very good-looking man. If I’d encountered him up close before, the idea of him nearly marrying Diana would have driven me to distraction.
“I can’t believe you didn’t want to marry her,” I say.
His eyes widen, and the hint of a smile, which seems to be an ever-present feature on his face, is all too evident as it breaks free to let me know he understandseverythingand is very amused. “Ah, there’s only ever been one woman for me. But Diana’s a catch, that’s for sure. Be good to her.” He slaps his hand on my upper arm and draws in close, lowering his voice to add, “Or I will make you regret it.”
I’m nervous, sitting in the front row watching Diana. I’m nervousfor her.I know she’s done this so many times, but I’ve never seen it. I’ve never been in the audience to witness her demeanour in front of hundreds of people. The tiered seats are packed, and the venue is full.
It quickly becomes apparent that my nerves are redundant. Diana oozes confidence when she takes the stage, smiling as she’s greeted by applause and squeals as loud as any that greet the cast members of the upcoming movie and the author herself.
Diana graciously introduces them all, interspersing serious discussion with banter and jokes that have me laughing and swelling with pride. She’s so professional, so engaging, that I couldn’t care less that she’s surrounded by A-list celebrities who are so good-looking they look like they’ve dropped in from another planet, because in my eyes, Diana outshines them all. I barely even glance at Erica Lefroy or her co-stars.
Diana questions them sensitively, encouraging the author, a white-haired woman who looks to be in her sixties and at first seemed rather shy, to talk enthusiastically about her book. Dianahas the entire audience, including me, in stitches, whilst also maintaining a level of respect, bordering on adoration, for the author and her creation. On her lap, Diana holds the special edition book I gave her, stroking the cover and proudly showing it to the cast, the author, and the audience.
“A very special present, from a very special man,” she says suggestively, and everyone laughs. Beside me, Lizzie grins and elbows me, and a pang of guilt interrupts the moment. Lizzie thinks the joke is merely that; a joke for the benefit of the audience. If she knew there had ever been more to it, she’d probably never forgive me.
But I soon forget my worries, entranced by Diana. So much so that I don’t notice the disturbance behind me or the audience response that ripples down the tiered seating until Lizzie grabs my arm, her fingers digging in, directing my attention to a grey-haired man making his way towards the stage.Shit. It’s Mr Marchetti. Diana’s father.
What the hell is he doing here?
Behind him is a blonde haired girl so similar in appearance to Diana that I have to look twice just to check it’s not her. It must be her sister.
It’s not until Mr Marchetti approaches the first block that forms the steps that rise to the stage that I understand he intends to ruin the whole thing.
The discussion has stopped, all attention turned towards him. Melanie, off to one side of the stage, is gesturing wildly with her arms, probably summoning security from somewhere out of sight. But it’s going to be too late.
Lizzie gasps at my side, and I stand, closing the distance between me and Mr Marchetti in a couple of strides.
I grab his arm, shunting my body between him and the stage. “You need to leave.” I keep my voice low so no one else can hear, despite the fact that all eyes are on us.
“It would be you, wouldn’t it?” he hisses, yanking his arm free, calling over my shoulder to Diana. “You think you’re so bloody important up there. Is this what independence looks like to you?” His whole body shakes as he yells the words, shoving me back with both hands. “Is this why you don’t need me?”
On his other side, the Diana lookalike tugs on his arm. “Dad, stop. Stop it. Stop. You’re ruining this for her.”
He shunts her away with unnecessary force.
“Ruining what?” he spits at the blonde, who stumbles back while he diverts his attention once more to Diana, screaming up at her as she stands on stage. “This isn’t a career! This is nothing but a vacuous fifteen-minutes of fame!”
Security make their way towards us, but they’re too slow. I grab hold of Diana’s father, pinning his arms in place, aware that both Julian and Henry are beside me. Together, we wrestle him away from the stage as he curses his daughter. Diana’s on her feet, a look of horror on her face, and I know I have to get this fucking man out of the room as quickly as possible.
“Nothing you do means anything without me!” he calls.
With a final shove, we push him into a corridor backstage. He huffs and pants, looking like a furious bull.
“Who is this chump?” Henry says, tugging his jacket sleeves down and smoothing them out.
“Diana’s dad,” Julian replies.
“Did you know he’s sleeping with my daughter? Did you know?” Mr Marchetti yells, and before he can say another word, I shove him hard against the wall.
42
