Excess All Areas (25 page)

‘
I can imagine,’ Nicholas responded.

‘
So now you know who I was and what I did and why I’m like I am. I’m this big, loud, larger than life person, who runs away when things get too much and who has been keeping this secret for what seems like forever,’ Freya concluded.

She smiled and then took off, rushing past Nicholas and heading for the front door of the villa.

‘
Where are you going?’ Nicholas asked as he hurried after her.

‘
I’m going back to the Calypso to pack. I’m going to go tomorrow. I’ve just done too much damage here one way or another. I was supposed to be anonymous forever, that isn’t going to be the case any more,’ Freya said as she pulled open the door.

‘
Freya don’t be stupid. It doesn’t matter, come back inside, we need to talk,’ Nicholas spoke, following her down the steps.

‘
I’ve said all I wanted to say, my throat’s dry and I’m all talked out,’ Freya stated, the rain soaking through her thin top as she made her way to the gate.

‘
Well I haven’t done my talking yet,’ Nicholas told her and he grabbed her arm and pulled her forcefully back towards him.

‘
I’m sorry if I’ve misled you. I think if there was anyone I would have confided in, without my hand being forced, I think it might have been you. I don’t know when I would have got the courage to tell you, but I think I would have, I
hope
I would have,’ Freya told him.

The rain was relentless, which was probably why the photographers were no longer in attendance. Without coats, the two of them were getting drenched. Neither of them noticed.

‘
Will you stop this? You’re not going anywhere. I’ve heard what you’ve said and I’m old enough to be able to make my own decisions about people based on the present, the here and now, because that’s what’s important. How many times have I said that to you since we met? God Freya, we all have a past. You know some of mine but not all of it. I’ve done some stupid things I’d like to erase. Granted I never got round to torching the family home, but I might have, given the right provocation,’ Nicholas spoke.

‘
This isn’t a joke you know,’ Freya retorted.

‘
I know it isn’t a joke and I can’t imagine how you’ve felt carrying this around for so long. But did you really think it would change my opinion of you?’ Nicholas asked her, holding her arms and forcing her to look at him.

‘
I don’t know. I didn’t think. All I know is how it might change things for me. It’s been eleven years and although I try to pretend it’s all behind me, there isn’t a day goes by when I don’t think about it. And I’m scared that everything I’ve made for myself and everyone who knows me as Freya will look at me differently because I lied to them - because I’m not who they thought,’ Freya spoke, the words choking in her throat.

‘
Listen to me Freya. When I met you it was like this whirlwind coming into my life. I’ve never met anyone like you before. You have an amazing spirit; you captivate everyone you come into contact with. I don’t care if you’re Freya or Jane or Peggy Sue or even Bill Clinton’s lovechild. You are you and everyone will realise that. And it’s
you
, the Freya I’ve only known for a few days, that I’m already falling in love with,’ Nicholas announced.

Freya looked at him, lost for words. The rain had soaked them both in a matter of minutes and both raindrops and teardrops were clouding her eyes.

‘
Say something,’ Nicholas begged, breathing deeply as he looked at her.

‘
I’m not Bill Clinton’s lovechild,’ Freya said before she could stop herself.

‘
Well thank God for that, because I have to tell you, although I said it would be OK I do have to draw the line somewhere,’ Nicholas responded with a smirk.

‘
I’m scared,’ Freya admitted with a shiver as the dampness of her clothes began to affect her.

‘
Come here - I’ve got you,’ Nicholas spoke and he drew her into his arms.

He held her close to him as the rain continued to fall on them. She closed her eyes and felt him stroke her wet hair and she clung to him, feeling truly protected for the first time in her life.

Twenty Five

Freya was woken by the sunlight. When she managed to open her eyes she could see it was filtering through the shutters at the end of the room. She immediately sat up and looked around. She didn’t recognise it but it was certainly a step up from her room at the Calypso Apartments.

She saw her clothes, still looking damp, hanging up on the front of the wardrobe and she remembered then where she was. She had spent the night at Villa Kamia.

Wet from the awful storm she and Nicholas had gone back into the villa and talked. There had been few light moments as she detailed her relationship with her parents and Nicholas had told her exactly how difficult it had been coping with the loss of his parents and raising his brother.

They had drunk brandy and Coke; they had watched the lightening from the verandah and then - what had happened then? Freya wracked her brain, putting her hands to her head. She didn’t remember this bed; nothing about it was at all familiar.

She lifted up the duvet and saw that she was wearing a dark blue, long-sleeved shirt which she could only assume was Nicholas’. But how did she get it on? Did she take her own clothes off or did she have assistance?

Nicholas was in the lounge when she came downstairs, still wearing the shirt she had woken up in. He was dressed in linen trousers and a white shirt and he was sat on the sofa scribbling in a notepad. He looked up and stopped writing when he saw her.

‘
Hey you’re up. Come and sit down. Want some coffee?’

‘
I’m a tea person actually and normal tea, none of that fancy stuff,’ Freya told him as she crossed the room to join him.

‘
Very English,’ Nicholas said and he kissed her lightly on the lips.

‘
What are you writing?’ Freya asked as she sat down on the sofa.

‘
My speech for the party on Friday,’ Nicholas replied.

‘
You mean you don’t have someone to do that for you?’ Freya questioned.

‘
I do, but I decided this one’s going to be a bit different,’ Nicholas answered.

‘
I do hope it’s nothing controversial or Martha will never allow it,’ Freya spoke.

‘
That’s why Martha’s getting the uncontroversial one to look at and this one stays with me,’ Nicholas replied with a smile.

Nicholas made the tea and they sat outside on the patio to drink it. It was a glorious morning. The storm of the night before and the rainfall had made the air fresher and less humid. However, it was still Corfu in June and the sun was already up in a cloudless sky promising a warm day.

‘
I think I drank too much last night,’ Freya admitted as she took a sip of her tea.

‘
Yeah me too. I have a very dry throat,’ Nicholas agreed.

‘
I don’t really remember going to bed,’ Freya stated nervously.

‘
Oh,’ Nicholas answered disappointment in his voice.

‘
Oh God, we didn’t did we? I don’t remember, oh God how awful, I…’ Freya started, feeling very flustered.

‘
Hey, I’m kidding, nothing happened. I leant you a shirt because your clothes were wet, you got changed and then you fell asleep on the couch. I carried you up to the guest room and that’s it,’ Nicholas told her.

‘
Carried me! You carried me upstairs! You carried me upstairs and you’d been drinking! My God, are you OK?’ Freya asked him.

‘
It was fine. I work out remember, and I only dropped you twice,’ Nicholas joked.

‘
Well I’m sorry I crashed out. It was a difficult night and I was just so tired,’ Freya answered with a sigh.

‘
I know, it was quite an evening all in all. By the way, filming went awful last night, so now we’re even more behind. I should be annoyed about it but I’m not because it means we get to stay on Corfu a bit longer,’ Nicholas told her.

‘
How much longer? Freya enquired.

‘
Two weeks - maybe more - how about you?’ Nicholas asked.

‘
I don’t know. I spoke to my assistant yesterday morning, before we went out. He seems to be handling things, although he did say there had been a significant increase in bookings since my photograph was printed in the tabloids,’ Freya responded.

‘
Who said there was such a thing as bad publicity,’ Nicholas told her.

‘
Yeah well, wait until Russell tells everyone who I really am and that I went to prison. I don’t think that news is going to give your movie anything but bad publicity,’ Freya stated with a sigh.

‘
No one is going to hear anything from Russell,’ Nicholas spoke, taking a sip of his tea.

‘
What do you mean?’ Freya asked him.

‘
Do you really think I’m going to let him get away with threatening you?’ Nicholas asked her seriously.

‘
Nick this isn’t
The Sopranos
, you don’t have to arrange for someone to bump him off. This is Russell we’re talking about not some gangster,’ Freya reminded him.

‘
He tried to blackmail you and he hurt Emma, nearly causing her to lose her baby. You want me to let that go?’ Nicholas queried.

‘
It isn’t your decision to make, it’s mine and I will deal with it,’ Freya told him.

‘
I was going to give him the money,’ Nicholas stated simply.

‘
What?!’ Freya exclaimed in horror.

‘
Well what’s twenty five grand if it means he’ll shut up and leave us alone?’ Nicholas stated.

Freya just looked at him, a shocked expression on her face. She put her tea down on the table and stood up.

‘
Did you not listen to a word I said last night? Using your money like that, to make people go away, is exactly what my parents did,’ Freya stated and she turned away from him and began to walk back towards the villa.

‘
Freya, wait,’ Nicholas called and he hurriedly got up from the table and followed her.

‘
I don’t believe you said you’re going to give him the money, like by doing that it’s all going to disappear. Don’t you understand? Now that Russell knows it isn’t ever going to go away, because the cat’s out of the bag and things will only snowball,’ Freya shouted, tears springing to her eyes.

‘
Freya, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like it came out. You know the money isn’t important to me,’ Nicholas said as he attempted to defend himself.

‘
There’s a vast difference to it not mattering and it not being important. You can’t say you don’t care about it and then use it to get what you want,’ Freya told him as she climbed the stairs to the bedroom.

‘
No, you’re right,’ Nicholas agreed, following her.

‘
I’m going back to the Calypso,’ Freya said as she took her clothes down from the wardrobe door.

‘
Don’t go like this. I’m sorry, it was a stupid idea. Perhaps offing Russell might have been a better plan,’ Nicholas said, watching her as she shook her clothes out to ascertain if they were dry enough to wear.

‘
Maybe,’ Freya agreed, stopping what she was doing and looking at him.

‘
I don’t want to fight and you’re right about the money. I can’t change the fact I have it, but perhaps I can start to use it differently,’ Nicholas spoke.

‘
If I had twenty five thousand pounds to throw around I would give it to Emma to pay for her wedding. After all she’s done for me over the years she deserves to have the perfect day,’ Freya announced with a sigh.

‘
Well maybe I can help there,’ Nicholas suggested.

‘
I don’t want a handout from you,’ Freya responded.

‘
I wasn’t offering you one. I thought we could agree a fee for you to take some photographs of me,’ Nicholas told her.

‘
Why d’you want me to take photos of you? You have people snapping you all the time,’ Freya reminded him.

‘
Not photos like this. I want you to take pictures of me no one has seen before, real photos - intimate photos,’ Nicholas told her.

‘
You want to pay me to take kinky photos of you in the buff,’ Freya spoke.

‘
Just like I would pay anyone else. Except of course I wouldn’t normally take all my clothes off,’ Nicholas replied.

‘
What if I’m not that sort of photographer?’ Freya asked him.

‘
It would mean a lot to me if you did it and it would pay for Emma’s wedding. It wouldn’t be me flashing my money around, you would have earned it,’ Nicholas said.

‘
Twenty five thousand is too much,’ Freya stated.

‘
Then name your price.’

‘
Fifteen and I’m only inflating my fee because it isn’t my usual line of work and it is for Emma,’ Freya agreed.

‘
Then we have a deal? How about this afternoon?’ Nicholas suggested.

‘
Fine,’ Freya answered.

There was an awkward silence.

‘
Look, I know how important it is that you distance yourself from the life you had with your parents, but you can’t keep thinking that everyone who has wealth is like them. I was only thinking of paying Russell to protect you and maybe that’s the wrong thing in your eyes, but the gesture was made with the best intentions. He hurt you Freya and he wants to broadcast private details about your life. I don’t think I would be normal if I didn’t feel anger at that,’ Nicholas told her sincerely.