CHAPTER 4

"Christian Lee?" Stevie squeaked in amazement, when Rachel told her about the "date" later that evening. "You were there with Christian Lee – and he recognised you?"

Rachel rolled her eyes and put her head in her hands miserably. "Yeh. From a fake picture online."

"But he still knew who you were."

"Did you not just listen to me?" Rachel groaned. She had told Stevie the whole horrible story and apparently Stevie had omitted to take any notice of the humiliating parts in it – or in other words, all of it except the bit about Christian Lee.

"Yes, I listened. That stupid story meant that Christian Lee knew who you were."

"No. He thinks I'm Luke Heartless' crazy girlfriend who screams at him in the middle of the street," Rachel complained. "That man is a living, breathing nightmare!"

"And you're definitely not doing it?"

"Of course I'm not!" Rachel exclaimed indignantly. "Would you?"

"For what he's offered, I'd certainly consider it. It involves money and a trip to France."

"He offered to turn me into an escort."

"Semantics! It's a free trip to Paris, and all expenses paid – are you not listening? He's a massively rich and famous super-megastar – it'll be five stars all the way and you'll be pampered like a Gucci pooch. You'll even get a few days off work thrown in. It sounds pretty damn good to me."

"Yeh, from a job I've only just started. How's that going to look?"

"I'm just saying you shouldn't dismiss it so out of hand." Stevie finally attacked the cake that had been taunting her in the fridge and shoved mouthfuls of it into her face. "Plus, you know, he's rich and famous. That can't hurt."

Rachel literally gaped at her friend.

"Since when were you that shallow?" she asked in surprise.

"I'm just saying that these things could make life slightly more interesting for five minutes. I mean, when are you going to get a chance like this again?"

"I don't really see why I need it in the first place. My life is trotting on quite all right at the moment." Rachel honestly tried to sound convincing and nonchalant about it, despite both of them knowing it was an outright lie. "I wasn't made to be impetuous and do weird things with the rich and famous. I'm quite happy being normal and every-day, blending in with everybody else."

"Personally, I think you're insane on passing up on an offer like that, especially since you'll never have to think about it again." Stevie clearly thought she actually had a valid opinion, even though Rachel was well-aware that all her friend really cared about was shovelling that cake into her mouth. "It's Paris, for God's sake! Five minutes of fun, and nothing to pay for it. And you make some poor little rich bloke's life slightly better, too – and even get to annoy a shallow stick insect. How many of little nobodies like us get chances like that?"

"I think you would annoy the hell out of a stick insect right now with that cake," Rachel retorted dryly, as Stevie happily stuffed more of it in. Just how Stevie managed to retain a size-ten wiry figure really was absolutely anybody's guess.

The loud intercom buzzer unexpectedly went off right then, startling them both. Rachel got herself up with a sigh to answer it, since Stevie couldn't talk comprehensively with her mouth full.

"Hello?" she said into the intercom speaker.

"It's me."

She rolled her eyes at Kirk's voice, and she reluctantly let him in, wondering what he wanted now. He must have just come back straight from the show, and he was annoyingly cheerful, since he had just been performing for the last two and a half hours and it always made him hyper.

"Oh lord. Why are you here?" Stevie said to him when he came in. Kirk shot her a look and sat down on the couch.

"Whatever it is, it's a good thing it wasn't for that chocolate cake you've just stuffed down your throat," he retorted. "It's all over your face."

Stevie immediately disappeared into the bathroom, Kirk's laughs filling the room after her.

"So what do you really want?" Rachel asked, sitting next to him. "It's a bit late for you to be bouncing around here."

"I, my dear Rachel, have a date with the gorgeous and great Holly Webb on Sunday evening," he told her happily. "I'm taking her to dinner to a nice little place that's by the theatre and I'm going to show her what a nice guy I am."

Rachel rose a dubious eyebrow. "You're not that good an actor, darling."

Kirk threw an unimpressed look, then just kept on going. "I won't be acting. I really like this girl."

"Jesus, I think Hell just froze over," Stevie mumbled, coming back into the room. "Have you actually realised there's something more to this girl than legs and a double-D chest?"

"What more could there possibly be?" Kirk grinned teasingly. Stevie shot him a cold look. "Of course I know there's more to her than that. She's funny, an amazing actress, knows almost everything about everything and just gets on great with everyone. See? I'm not always that shallow."

Stevie narrowed her eyes. "Just most of the time."

"Oh, so cynical, little girl. And when I want your opinions, my dear, I'll be sure to blackmail them out of you with more of that cake."

"What have you come here to bother us for, then?" Rachel queried, whilst Stevie tried to scowl the man right back out the door. "Just to gloat your good news?"

"Yes, pretty much," Kirk answered, smirking at Stevie and trying to rile her.

"So, why don't you tell Mr Ego here about your night out, Rach," Stevie said to her, with a sly smirk. "See what he makes of it."

"Ah-hah. What's this?" Kirk turned to Rachel in interest. "A date?"

"Not exactly," Rachel answered, cursing Stevie silently. "I just went to the Bête Noire with Luke Heartlett."

"What, that singer bloke that tried to run you over, and now keep seeing pictures of everywhere? And pictures with you I might add?" Kirk looked at her in surprise. "Why?"

Once again, Rachel found herself explaining the whole sordid story, this time to Kirk, with Stevie making the odd completely unwanted comment here and there. When she had finished, Kirk just laughed

"Free food, free five-star hotel, a trip to Paris, time off work, and extra cash? Yeh, I can't imagine why you're saying no, either."

Well. Hell had just frozen over, then, because Kirk and Stevie had agreed on something and Kirk himself was wondering why she didn't take him up on his offer, citing free was free and time off was time off, after all.

Christ, if her own Mother Hen – the man who wouldn't let her breathe without his approval of her safety – thought it was a good idea, then perhaps there was something wrong with her… On the other hand, they also hadn't actually met the insufferably annoying and infuriating Luke Heartlett, either.

"Because I have some sense and dignity," Rachel answered Kirk hotly, deliberately avoiding voicing what she was thinking. "And there are plenty of services online for people who want to pay for a date."

"You're just not doing it because you're being stubborn," Kirk remarked, giving her a knowing look.

"He's an idiot."

"Just like that poor Holly is," Stevie couldn't help smirking at Kirk. He narrowed his eyes and gave her a glare.

"Give it a rest, Black Witch of Calcutta," Kirk grumbled at her. "I know you might find it hard to believe, but some people do actually like me sometimes."

"It's more than slightly hard to believe."

"One day, you'll come round and join my fan club," he said to her with complete assurance.

"And join the vast numbers of three on your sad-fan website?"

"Have you ever actually been on there?"

"Why on earth should I waste my time such a thing?"

"Because you might find something interesting on there."

"It's your website, right?" She looked at him dubiously as Kirk nodded, looking at her as if she was an utter crackpot for asking. "Then obviously there isn't going to be."

Kirk opened his mouth to answer, but decided not to and turned back to Rachel, who was looking between them like it was a tennis mach.

"So, anyway," he said, ignoring Stevie and looking intently at Rachel instead. "What are you going to do?"

"About Luke? I told you. I'm not doing to do anything. If I wanted to be a paid escort I'd join an agency. What are you going to do about Holly?"

"I'm going to be nice and I'll completely win her over," Kirk grinned confidently.

"Then you'll crawl your way to yet another notch on your bedpost that you can boast to your friends about?"

"No!" he answered immediately. "Wash your disgusting mouth out, girl. Can't I for once actually like someone without having an ulterior motive?"

"No, not really," Rachel remarked in bewilderment. "I don't think you've ever done that before."

"Well, I suppose she's something else," he said with a look in his eyes she had never seen before. It was slightly creepy to see sincerity on Kirk. "She's not exactly like other women I've met."

"Wow. I think Hell just froze over."

"Thanks a lot."

"Come on, it's you! You don't do relationships. You hardly ever spend money, or go to fancy restaurants – you certainly don't think of any girl as 'special'. You can't expect me not to be surprise you've actually found someone you think is more than just a pair of legs."

"At this rate, Kirk, you're going to be telling us you're in love" Stevie interjected.

"Hah! One step at a time ladies," he quickly answered. "I doubt that's going to happen soon." He gave a shrug. "She's got something about her though that doesn't make that thought so nauseating, though."

Both girls stared at him in shock and Stevie laughed loudly.

"Oh my God!" she cried in surprise. "Who are you and what have you done with Kirk Branson?"

"Give him a break," Rachel defended him. "It had to happen sometime. I just didn't expect it to be so soon."

"Hey, hang on – it hasn't happened yet," Kirk said forcibly. "Don't have me married off with six kids. I've only known her for a few months."

"And now you're going to have a date. How cute!" Stevie teased.

"Oh, just get a life of your own and stop picking on mine." Kirk got up and walked towards the door. "Anyway, got to go, got a long day tomorrow. They're dragging us in early for some reason I can't remember. Probably just for the hell of it. The director's insane."

He gave Rachel a hug before he went through the door.

"Think about what that bloke's offering you," he said quietly to her. "Just get out, do something different. I thought girls loved the idea of going to Paris."

"Yes, for a romantic weekend, not to act as a famous egomaniac's crazy girlfriend to make some stick insect with hair jealous." She looked up at him defiantly. "I'm not going, Kirk."

"OK, suit yourself," he said. "I'll just have a date and you won't."

He gave her a superior smirk and closed the door on his way out, the annoying smile still on his face as he left. But she was adamant – she absolutely wasn't going to do it.