Kisses for Lula (13 page)

In the instant of his grin I knew I had to have him. Nooo – not in the rampant
I’ve got to lose my virginity
game, rather in the
hi this is my boyfriend Ben whom I kiss all the time constantly mine mine mine
kind of game.

I blinked.

Ben was saying something. He stopped, waiting for a reply.

‘Pardon?’ I said.

He looked at me closely. ‘You didn’t hear me?’

‘Sorry. A million miles away.’ I tore my gaze from his face and reached for the jug of water in the middle of the table. It was too heavy to show the trembling of my
hands. I hefted it towards Ben’s glass. ‘Water?’

Arnold’s voice spluttered into my consciousness. ‘Sorry, Tallulah. I should have got that.’ He lifted the jug out of my grasp and filled all our glasses, then lifted his in a toast.

‘To Boodle the Poodle.’

Mona and I laughed. We knew what he meant, and it was sweet. Mona kissed him on the cheek and they sat staring at each other. Wow! Had she just, like,
made the first move
? I mean, sure, it’s only a kiss on the cheek, but
still
! I didn’t know where to look until Ben cleared his throat and said, ‘Boodle?’

I glanced up into his face and I suddenly felt with a thudding heart that this – Ben Latter with Tallulah Bird, a childish dream – was
real
. This incredible boy and me, sitting side by side, candlelight dancing over our faces . . . And not only was it real, but I felt like I
belonged
in it. He really and truly seemed interested in
me
.

‘Boodle,’ I said slowly, ‘is my very big and hairy bodyguard.’

Ben’s eyes widened. ‘Wow, your dad must be bigger news tha– Oh –’ He stopped. ‘Ha ha, very funny. You don’t have a bodyguard.’

‘I like the fact you thought I did. Even if it was just for a millisecond.’ I smiled sweetly.

He smiled back. ‘Couldn’t help it. You look like a famous person.’

‘As in, here she is checking into the Priory?’

‘As in, here she is checking out of the Priory.’

‘Oh, ha ha to you too, mister.’ I laughed.

‘You talking rehab already, Ben?’ asked Mona with a teasing grin. She looked at me and rolled her eyes. ‘Ben is a chemical freak,’ she continued. I glanced at Ben. His eyebrows had drawn together and he shifted uneasily. ‘Always talking about what this or that compound can do for a person. He’s been banging on about how he’s going to wow everyone with his big paper at the opener to the Science Fair on Monday.’

My eyes were fixed on Ben. His beautiful mouth had pulled into a strange line that I didn’t like, even though I wanted to. Mona’s voice droned on – ‘. . . latest thing is . . . addiction . . . always out . . . Fort Norland like the back of his hand . . .’ I wished I could look back at her, but I was transfixed by the marring of the lips, how very red Ben’s face had become. He was furious.

‘But I think that’s great,’ I said desperately. ‘Scientific research – must be so exciting. Helping addicts.’

‘It
is
great,’ said Mona. ‘Don’t be cross with me, Ben. Someone’s got to tell Tallulah how fantastic you are.’

Ben smiled uncomfortably.

‘So . . .’ said Arns. ‘Everything ready for your big exposé next Monday, then?’

‘Just about,’ said Ben shortly.

We sat in silence. Arns coughed.

‘Just going to the bathroom,’ said Mona, and she slid out of the booth and disappeared.

‘Well, you obviously don’t want to talk about it,’ I said brightly, turning to Ben, ‘but I think it is amazing that you’re doing something so relevant.’ Ben looked at me blankly. ‘Did Mona say you do work at Fort Norland? Community projects with drug addiction.’ I waved my arms enthusiastically. ‘That’s what you’re involved in, right? Drugs?’

Ben pursed his lips. The scary line was gone. ‘Absolutely,’ he said, his skin colour returning to normal. ‘It
is
important. Narcotics ruin too many people’s lives.’ He lifted his glass for a few gulps. ‘I don’t like talking about it – all very confidential. Sorry if I sound like some kind of boring dogooder. Most people would rather I was an interesting bad guy, but that’s just not who I am.’ He fiddled with his fork self-consciously. I had a strong urge to kiss him sweetly on the cheek and pat his shoulder. Okay, that’s a lie. I wanted to jump his bones.

Then Arns said, ‘Don’t worry, Lula’s one of the good guys.’ He winked at me as he took a drink from his glass and I thought,
Noo, Arns! Me being one of the guys is not helpful right now
.

‘Good, maybe,’ said Ben. His smile made my heart jump out of my chest. (Seriously. My entire left breast moved.)
‘But absolutely not one of the guys.’ His eyes ran the length of my body and my whole self blushed.

Ben put his hand on my forearm as he lifted the water jug and my heart did its little samba dance again.

‘Another drink?’ he asked, leaning closer.

Chapter Twelve

‘Absolutely delicious,’ said Ben, between mouthfuls.

I wondered if he’d say that after his lips had met mine.
Stop it!
I told myself.
Focus!

Smiling at him, I pushed a crouton to the side. (No way I was going to risk trying to spear one of those little bullets. There’d be an incident and Dr McCabe would be involved for sure.)

‘Tell me what it’s like having a famous father. I bet you have to study his poems in English class.’

‘It’s not like that. He’s not a big celebrity. But I’m really proud of him,’ I said defensively.

Putting his hands up, palms facing out, Ben leaned back and said, ‘Absolutely! Absolutely! But, you know, creative temperaments . . .’ He took another drink. ‘Is your mum the calming influence?’

‘Mum’s very organised,’ I said. ‘But she’s creative too.’

His eyes crinkled in a smile again and I wondered suddenly if he could see how much I liked him just from looking at me. I shot a look over at Arns and Mona, who were talking quietly together.

‘So you’re the eye of the storm?’ asked Ben. He looked at
me intently and I began to talk, not about anything really serious – I couldn’t even tell my closest friends about Dad’s drinking – but even just nattering on about how my family all rubbed along together felt like deep revelations. I’d just got to Blue and her eccentricities when:

‘Absolutely,’ murmured Ben. He checked his watch, fiddled around inside his jacket pocket and said, ‘Listen, I’ve got to run – I’ll get this – unless you guys want coffee or dessert or anything?’

Huh? He was leaving?

Arnold and Mona tore their eyes from each other and blinked at us.

‘I thought we were going to see a movie,’ said Arns, looking over at me.

‘I’d love that. Soon?’ said Ben, looking at me. I nodded dumbly. ‘Can I call you?’

And suddenly, instead of feeling outraged that he was leaving me to gooseberry the lovebirds
on our first date
, I felt flattered that he wanted to see me again.
Omigoodness, second date! On our own!

‘Sure,’ I said, forgetting to blink seductively.

‘Thank you,’ he said softly, close to my ear, and then he kissed me on the cheek and left, stopping at the door to settle the bill.

The restaurant rattled on even though its most beautiful,
most
incredible customer had just left.

‘Well,’ said Arnold. ‘Anything you said, Lula?’

‘What?’ I asked, a big smile on my face.

Mona punched lover boy in the arm. ‘I thought that went really well!’ she enthused. ‘Ben’s never interested in any of the PSG girls, but he was really wrapped up in you, Tallulah!’ I glowed. ‘Hm?’ she said, turning to Arns, with a question on her face.

‘Yep,’ said Arns. ‘Ben is
wonderful
. Let’s get dessert.’

‘No time before the film,’ said Mona crisply. ‘I bet Ben had –’

‘Yes,’ said Arns abruptly. He seemed cross. ‘Selfless community project work to do, right?’

Mona checked her watch. ‘I think his little group meet around about now.’

‘Very diligent,’ I said, still grinning like a crazy person.

The grin lasted all the way to His Majesty’s Theatre, Hambledon’s prehistoric cinema, until Mona, facing the billboards, said, ‘Ooh. Keira Knightly. Orlando Bloom. I feel like a romcom.’

‘What about Matt Damon?’ I asked desperately.

Mona and Arnold turned to look at me at exactly the same moment with exactly the same expression on their faces:
hey, little sister, are you nuts
? kind of thing.

‘How many times,’ said Arnold patiently, ‘can Mr Bourne find a new identity?’

‘Same old,’ agreed Mona, at one with her man.

‘You go,’ I said. ‘I’ll head home.’

‘Nooo!’ said Mona. ‘Come on. This’ll be fun. You can do Matt Damon with Ben on your next date. He’ll be so incredibly impressed you’re not into chickflicks, unlike us PSGers.’

I hesitated.

Arnold threw me a pleading glance. Why, I didn’t know. I mean, he had this infatuation all wrapped up – he really didn’t need me.

‘Okay,’ I said reluctantly, then kicked myself as Arns’s face fell. Ohhhh. He’d been pleading for me to go. Duh! ‘But I’m not sitting with you lovebirds,’ I added hastily.

Arnold looked instantly cheerier and splashed out on treating ‘his two ladies’ (puke) to tickets, and Mona got the chocolates, so the film experience would be a pamper-me session. I should be grateful.

We had plenty of time before the movie started. Mona’s schedules were clearly a good thing. I had a feeling she was super-efficient. Arns would like that.

The theatre was just that, a theatre. Of the oldest-fashioned sort. The seats were red leather-effect vinyl, and stretched away down and up again to a wide stage and red crushed-velvet curtains that soared to an incredibly high ornate ceiling. Wall lights shaded in dusty velvet lined the red and gold papered walls, and dimmed promptly at the
start of the film. They were at full wattage now, and Mona startled Arns and I with a little shout: ‘JACK!’

She giggled at the fright we’d got. ‘My brother,’ she explained. ‘Over there.’

‘Your cousin Alex is always going on about Jack,’ said Arnold quickly, shooting me a look. ‘She’s one of Tallulah’s best friends.’

‘Freaky! We’re all connected, and we didn’t even know each other earlier today!’ said Mona. ‘I’ll have to waylay Jack after the movie and introduce you. JACK!’

The faraway figure turned and waved before settling into a seat in the midst of a group of what looked like university students – all of them girls. I got a glimpse of dark floppy hair falling over an eye, a tall rangy frame, a flash of white teeth. Even from here I could see that Jack was tall, dark and fffff! handsome. No wonder Alex wanted him for her glam-mag empire; he’d add serious gloss to any enterprise.

‘Right,’ I said. ‘I’m going to bag a seat over there.’ I pointed to the distance. ‘Thanks for the chocolates,’ I said, and headed down the aisle.

‘Sure you don’t want to sit with us?’ called Mona.

I shook my head and waved a farewell, choosing a row halfway between Mona and her brother, an acre of space in either direction. I ripped open my bag of Maltesers with relish and got crunching. Sooo good. All was right with the world.

*

The movie was sweet, though Keira’s long black hair and porcelain complexion had me hating myself. Perhaps if I grew mine . . . I gave myself a mental headshake. Like, hello? I had the patience of a flea. All that upkeep would have me on Prozac in no time. And me with dark hair? Nope. As the credits rolled up I sighed and stretched. A teary episode had made my eyes bloodshot and I could feel my nose had geared up to twice its normal size, with nostrils swelling closed so I couldn’t breathe.

‘Tallulah? You okay?’ Mona had appeared at the end of my row looking concerned.

‘Hab I got bascara od by face?’ I mumbled, shuffling, embarrassed, to my feet. ‘So glad I didn’t see this with Bed.’

Mona handed me an aloe-vera facial wipe without comment, and began wittering. ‘It was quite sad when Keira . . .’

Facial wipes. Geez. She
was
organised. I swiped the panda-look away from around my eyes, checked I had everything on me and started moving towards the aisle.

‘Jack!’ Arns and I both jumped out of our skins and Mona laughed. Again. ‘You guys are quite wound up,’ she noted, as the group of students neared.

I saw that most of them were very Keira-looking. Loads of hair. Miles of perfect skin. Gorgeous bodies, gorgeous clothes. I gritted my teeth. ‘I’b goi’g to head hobe,’ I said,
with a blocked nose. ‘Thanks for the boovie.’

‘Oh, er, I’ll, um, if it’s okay with you, Mona . . .’ started Arns.

‘Absolutely bot,’ I said firmly. ‘I’b fibe to walk hobe ob by own.’

‘Sure, but your mum is scary, Lula.’ He paused as a chivalrous thought occurred to him. ‘And I’d never take the chance anyway. You know, of something happening to you.’

The student group had arrived. Jack was taller, darker and handsomer than I’d thought. He reminded me a little of the guy Carrie had taken to that year-eight dance with me and Stan Pavorovich. While I’d wound up at the hospital with Stan, Carrie had ended up crying in the girls’ bathroom because her partner had danced with every girl except her. What spiked that memory? The self-confident air he had? The way the girls’ voices went up a notch around him? Ugh.