Shopaholic to the Stars

TWENTY-THREE

They talk about rose-tinted spectacles. Well, I think I’ve had red-carpet-tinted spectacles. I mean, this red carpet is actually quite tatty, now it’s empty of celebrities. As Luke and I walk along, hand in hand, there are cameras still banked along the barriers, but we have the carpet to ourselves. It reminds me of strolling along the Walk of Fame, weeks ago, when we were new to LA and it was a big adventure ahead of us. I can’t believe how much has happened since then.

‘I need to build bridges with my mother,’ says Luke.

‘Yes, you do.’ I nod. ‘And you will. It’ll be wonderful. Luke, you should see your mum with Minnie. They’re amazing! They’re actually very similar.’

‘I can imagine.’ He shoots me a wry smile, and I have a sudden vision of sitting with Luke and Elinor and Minnie, a happy family around the tea table. It’ll happen, I tell myself. Soon. Everything will change.

‘Buy her a jigsaw,’ I suggest. ‘She loves jigsaws.’

‘OK.’ Luke smiles. ‘I’ll do that. Or maybe I should buy her a hundred. I have a lot to put right.’

‘Oh God, so do I.’ I wince, as all my troubles flood back into my brain. Suze … Tarquin … My dad … ‘I had this big row with Suze.’ I wring his hand. ‘It was awful. She’s really angry with me—’

‘Becky.’ He cuts me off gently. ‘Listen. I have to tell you something. Suze is here.’

‘What?’ I turn my head, puzzled. ‘What do you mean? Where?’

‘I left the car a few streets away. She’s parked there right now. She wants to drive into the desert after your father and she wants you to come too.’

‘What?’ I stare at him. ‘Are you serious?’

‘Absolutely. When I told her where I was going, she begged to come along with me. If I didn’t succeed, she was going to come and drag you out of the premiere herself.’

‘But …’ I can’t process this. ‘Into the desert?’

Luke sighs. ‘Suzie is in a real state. We think your father and Tarquin are heading to Las Vegas. Suze is worried about Tarquin, and, to be fair, I think she has good reason to be.’

‘Right.’ My head is spinning. ‘So … where are the children?’

‘Mitchell is babysitting right now. Obviously we’ll have to decide what the best plan is. We need to get home, work out what we know, put together a route … And you need to think hard, Becky. I mean, he’s your father. If anyone can figure out where he’s gone …’

‘I’ve got that old map of my dad’s.’ My mind starts to whir. ‘We might be able to work out something from that, maybe?’

‘Becky!’ A voice hails us, and I whip round to see Jeff a few yards away, leaning out of the driver’s window and waving. ‘I can’t get any closer!’

‘Jeff!’ I hurry towards his friendly face. Within a minute, both Luke and I are in the back seat of the SUV, and Luke is instructing him on where to go.

‘Movie finished early?’ says Jeff, as he manoeuvres the car out.

‘I just decided I’d had enough.’

‘Smart.’ Jeff nods.

‘I did everything I needed to. Except … wait.’ I turn to Luke, stricken. ‘The autographs! I never got any!’

‘Becky, it doesn’t matter—’

‘It does! I promised Dad I’d get him some autographs, and I haven’t got a single one.’ I stare at Luke miserably. ‘I’m so crap.’

‘Sweetheart, it’s not the priority right now—’

‘But I promised. And I let him down again.’ Remorse is pouring through me. ‘He wanted Dix Donahue’s autograph, and I never got it, and now I’ve forgotten again, and—’

‘You want some signatures? I’ll fill your dad’s book.’ Jeff’s voice comes from the front of the car, and I blink in astonishment.

‘You will?’ I say, stupidly.

‘You name a celebrity, I’ve worked for them. They all owe me one. I’ll get your autographs.’

‘Really?’ I say, agog. ‘Like who?’

‘Name a celebrity,’ repeats Jeff.

‘John Travolta.’

‘I couldn’t say.’

‘Brad Pitt!’

‘I couldn’t say.’

His face is blank but his eyes are twinkling in the rear-view mirror. I think I love Jeff.

‘That would be amazing. Thank you so much.’ I carefully take out Dad’s precious autograph book and put it on the front passenger seat. What seems like thirty seconds later, Jeff is pulling up in a side street and Luke is saying, ‘We’re parked just here. Thank you, Jeff.’

‘Bye, Jeff.’ I lean over and give him a hug. ‘You’ve been so wonderful.’

‘You’re a nice family,’ says Jeff gruffly. ‘I’ll see you again with those autographs.’

We get out of the SUV and a breeze ruffles my dress. I glance at my reflection in the car window, and my own eyes stare back at me, huge and over-made-up, and a bit wired. I suddenly feel really nervous at the idea of seeing Suze. I feel as if I’ve been in some other, alternate universe. But I can’t run. I can’t dodge this. The car door is opening and she’s getting out.

For a moment we just stand there, staring at each other through the evening air. I’ve known Suze for many years, and she hasn’t changed a bit. Same blonde hair; same endlessly long legs; same huge, irreverent laugh; same way of nibbling her thumb when she’s stressed. I can only imagine the state of her skin right now.

‘Bex, I know you’re really busy.’ Her voice is husky. ‘I know you’ve got all these big chances and everything. But I need you. Please. I need you.’

I’m so taken aback that she isn’t shouting at me, tears spring to my eyes again.

‘I need you too.’ I skitter to her on my heels, and envelop her in a huge hug. When’s the last time I hugged Suze? Ages ago.

She’s crying too, I realize. She’s really sobbing on my shoulder. She’s been totally wiped out by all the worry, and I wasn’t there for her. I feel a horrible gnawing in the pit of my stomach. I was a bad friend. A bad, bad friend.

Well, I’m going to make up for it now.

‘I missed you,’ she mumbles into my hair.

‘I missed you too.’ I squeeze her tight. ‘The red carpet wasn’t the same without you. I didn’t have the time of my life at all; in fact, it was awful.’

‘Oh, Bex. I’m sorry.’

And I can tell she truly is. Even though I’ve been so crap to her, she still wishes I’d had a nice time. That’s how lovely Suze is.

‘They’ve gone to Las Vegas,’ she adds.

‘I heard.’

She lifts her face and wipes her nose with her sleeve.

‘I thought we could follow them?’

‘OK.’ I squeeze her hands tight. ‘Let’s do it. Whatever you want to do, Suze, I’m right behind you.’

I have no idea what I’ve just signed myself up for, but I don’t care. This is Suze and she needs me, so I’m in.

‘I’ve been texting Danny,’ she adds, her voice a bit snuffly. ‘He’s coming, too.’

‘Danny is?’ I say in astonishment.

She turns her phone to show me the screen.

Suze, my darling, do you even need to ASK??? I will be there in a nanosecond and we will find that husband of yours. Danny xxxxx

Danny is such a star. Although how we’re going to keep tabs on him in Las Vegas, I have no idea.

‘Well, there we are then.’ I give her another hug. ‘We’re sorted. We have a team. We’ll do it, Suze. We’ll find them.’

How? I can’t help thinking. How are we going to find them? This whole idea feels a bit nutty to me. But Suze wants me to do it, so that’s all that matters.

I’m about to suggest that we all go home, order take-out and pool our ideas when the other passenger door opens. I feel a massive shock as another blonde head appears. Alicia? Seriously? Alicia?

‘Alicia’s going to come too.’ Suze wipes her eyes. ‘She’s been so lovely. She was the one who found out about Las Vegas. Bryce told one of his friends at Golden Peace that’s where he was going. Alicia had every single member of staff interviewed until she got some information … Honestly, Bex, she’s been amazing.’

‘Great!’ I say after a pause. ‘How … fabulous of her.’

‘You two will be friends, won’t you?’ Suze looks anxious. ‘You have put all that stuff in the past behind you?’

What can I say? I can’t add to Suze’s stress.

‘Of course,’ I say at last. ‘Of course we have. We’ll be great friends, won’t we, Alicia?’

‘Becky.’ Alicia comes forward, her footsteps silent in her trendy soft-leather yoga flip-flop things; her face in that composed, serene expression she puts on. ‘Welcome.’

Instantly my hackles rise. She doesn’t get to say welcome. I say welcome.

‘And welcome back.’ I smile sweetly at her. ‘Welcome to you.’

‘This is a challenge we have.’ She looks at me seriously. ‘But I’m sure if we all work together, we can find Tarquin, your father and Bryce before—’ She breaks off. ‘Well. We’re worried that Bryce is … predatory. That’s our concern.’

‘I get it.’ I nod. ‘Well, let’s get back to the Batcave and make a plan. Don’t worry, Suze.’ I give her another squeeze. ‘We’re on the case.’

‘You get in.’ Suze is tapping at her phone. ‘I’ll just be a second.’

I climb into the car, followed by Alicia, and we sit in silence for a moment. Then, just as Alicia is drawing breath to speak, I turn to her.

‘I know you haven’t changed,’ I say in swift, low, furious tones. ‘I know underneath all that sweetness and honey you have some agenda of your own. But just know, if you hurt Suze one tiny bit, I will burn you.’ I’m glaring at her so hard, I think my eyes might pop out. ‘I will burn. You.’

The car door opens and Suze climbs into the front passenger seat. ‘Everything OK?’ she asks breathlessly.

‘Fine!’ I say brightly, and after a moment, Alicia echoes, ‘Fine.’ She looks a bit shell-shocked. Well, good. I don’t care about me, she’s already hurt me enough. But I’m not having her hurt Suze.

Luke gets into the driver’s seat, slams the door and turns to make a comical face at me. ‘Ready, Betty?’

‘Ha ha.’ I make a face back at him. ‘Funny. Let’s head home.’

He starts the engine, and as we move off I look back through the rear window, craning my neck, slightly blinded by the streetlamps. We’re driving away from the TV cameras, the bright lights, the celebrities. We’re driving away from everything I was so excited about. I may never get to walk on a red carpet again, it hits me. That could have been my last chance. Maybe this is farewell to Hollywood.

But I don’t care. I’m heading the right way. And I’ve never felt better in my life.