London Has Your Eyes

Chapter 57. Daniel

"I'm spending the night at Anton's. It's too scary at home," Alex wrote, and the message literally burns my eyes out. I'm nervous enough about what happened while I was gone, and then there's this asshole. Just waiting for the moment to stick to my girlfriend.

I knock loudly on Julie's door. I don't care if it's after midnight. Judging by the voices at the door, she's clearly awake.

- Julie, open up, I need to talk to you! - I yell. - It's urgent!

The voices fade, and then Julie's flushed face appears in the doorway.

- Do you even know what time it is? Have you lost your mind, Daniel? - She frowns, smoothing the nest on the head.

- I have an urgent matter for you, - I say, squeezing into her room.

There are clothes scattered on the floor of the room: a brightly colored dress, a bra, a pair of colorful panties, some kind of T-shirt. I slowly look Julie over from head to toe. A pink blush covers her cheeks and a flame rages in her eyes. She tightens the belt of her robe and looks at me angrily. Pretending not to notice, I look at the bed. A tornado had clearly swept across the bed. It looks like I showed up right in the middle of a date.

- I'm sorry to interrupt your party, but I need your help. And it's urgent, - I say again, as I settle into the chair.

- You're such a jerk, Pierce. If you don't get what you want, you're gonna ruin everybody else's fun too, aren't you? Didn't the closed door tell you I was busy? Probably very busy. I don't feel like talking to you in the middle of the night. It's not summer camp with marshmallows by the fire, - she hisses, standing over my head.

- Don't overreact. And I'm sorry. But I'd be a bigger jerk if I didn't come to warn you. I'm leaving, - I tell her.

- What?- Julie recoils.

- What? - Repeats the voice outside the bathroom door. From behind the door comes out, of course, Alicia, the makeup girl I've known for a long time.

- Oh, you're here, too. I should have known by the sound of you keeping Julie awake, - I grin.

- What do you mean you're leaving? - Julie throws herself at me. - We have three more interviews and what am I supposed to tell Sophie? Why on earth did you decide to leave at all?

- I need to be in London as soon as possible, - I say, heading for the exit.

- Daniel Pierce, you're not getting out of this goddamn room until you tell me what's going on, - Julie declares firmly. Now that's a winning bid, I appreciate that. I turn around and look at her and suddenly decide to tell her everything.

- It's about my girlfriend. She's in danger. Apparently, it's my fault. She thinks she's being stalked by my groupie, - I blurt out.

Silence. The girls look at each other in silence. Finally, Alicia's mouth stretches into a snide smile:

- You got a girlfriend? Seriously? I told you the caravan of broads to his room stopped for a reason, - she tells her partner.

- Your mouth is shining, maybe it's time to go wash up? - I snapped back. I'm already all on edge, so remarks of Alicia, which I don't notice, only inflame my rage.

- Daniel, if you need my help, change your tone. Alicia's not the cause of your problems. So, your girlfriend... - Julie says.

- She's being threatened. Not just words or notes with dumb fonts, like in the movies. Look, - I show them a picture of my car. - This was taken today. In front of her house. I just can't leave her there.

- But you have a contract! - Julie protests.

- Tell Soph, that I'm ready to do the interview through the zoom, whatever, but only from London. I fly out in three hours. When she finds out I'm gone, there'll be a scandal. And since I'll be on the plane, I need you to explain the situation to her. You can add some color and a little more fear in your eyes. You can do it, I know you can.

- You're so interesting. Why does Julie even have to cover for you? Sorry, babe, but you can't take the fire forever, - Alicia objects in her nasty, squeaky voice.

- Dany and I have our own arrangements, I'll handle it, don't worry, - Julie replies. - Okay, but you owe me.

- Deal, - I sigh in relief. - Then I flew, in every sense. Bye.

Alicia hurries after me to close the door. I turn around at the exit and whisper softly:

- I'd mind my own business if I were you. Don't forget, I squeeze Julie in front of the cameras regularly. And I can do it with even more dedication. And trust me, she'll love it.

- Get out, asshole, - she gets furious and slams the door. This creepy joke relieves the tension growing inside me a little. All I do is calculate in my head the number of hours until I meet Alex. Will Anton be able to get to her? Will she be able to resist? And how do we find this strange girl?

I quickly pack my bag and call a car. I'm not flying on a tour schedule, so there should be no fuss at the airport. The main thing is to get to the business lounge.

While I'm drinking coffee waiting for the plane, I dial Alex. I need to hear her voice and make sure everything is okay. It's five hours apart, which means it's morning at Alex's. I squeeze the phone with force, listening to every beep.

Alex answers almost immediately:

- Dany? What's wrong? - She asks, confused.

- Everything's fine. I just wanted to hear you and make sure nothing bad happened anymore. How are you? How are you doing?

- I'm better now. Especially when I hear your voice. It's the middle of the night, why aren't you asleep? - She asks a new question. - Doesn't sound like a guy returning from a party.

- I'm at the airport, Alex. I'm on my way to you. Do you hear that? I'm on my way! I have to be there for you. No one else, me!

- Daniel, - she sighs languidly, - I am still yours. Do you hear that? - Alex repeats my intonation, - your jealousy is driving me crazy.

- There's no jealousy, are you kidding me? I'm just worried about my girlfriend.

To tell you the truth, I'm worried sick. After Liam's call, I can't think about anything else. This is new to me. I never felt responsible for anyone before. There wasn't a girl around that I wanted to protect. There was Kaitlin, of course, but that was different. We hung out with her all the time, we fucked and drank a lot and didn't think about the future. It was an everyday celebration. And it was more than enough for me at the time. I genuinely wanted to marry her and keep partying until my balls turn gray. Who knew she would sell me out and then I would meet a Russian blonde who would turn my world inside out.

- I really need you, come quickly, - she says.

They announce that my flight is boarding and I interrupt the call. A funny thing came out: threats, danger very quickly erased our quarrels with Alex. It's like they never happened at all. She needs me so much that the walls she put up between us last time are cracking at the seams. She's coming back to me, and I can feel it. I can hear it in her voice and mentally open my arms. Okay, I'm lying. I am mentally spreading her legs, but you get the idea about the hug too.

The plane picks up speed and pushes off the ground, the lights of the city at night drawing patterns on the sleeping ground. Almost eight hours separate us from each other. Almost eight hours this Anton can quietly cast his net around her and play comforter. Almost eight hours I have to drive away obsessive thoughts and not think about what awaits me in London and what kind of hurricane in the person of Soph will hit me tomorrow and, possibly, my reputation.