Uncovering Kaitlyn (17 page)

“I thought
that was just a rumour.”

“I wish it
was. So what did you have in mind?” I asked Helen.           

“We could
add a pin entry lock to the doors just outside. Nobody needs to come into this
part of the building unless they’re going into either this flat or your flat”
she motioned to the couple. “So as long as everyone agrees we can have that put
into place.”

Everyone
nodded and the building manager said something about us needing to keep the
hall clean if there wasn’t access for cleaners. The couple agreed and suggested
extra CCTV and an alarm in our hallway which everyone thought was a good idea.

“’I’ll get
this sorted at the weekend then.” I told Helen to give me any bills and thanked
the couple.

“One more
thing.” Jamie added as the others got ready to leave. “There’s a private
security firm.  Body guards and cars. I want to make an emergency account. It’s
like a number you ring which sends people to her location. I’ll set it up this
afternoon but I was wondering if you’d all keep the number and code on you.
That way if you think Kaitlyn needs it then you can just ring and they’ll come
running.”

“Sure, we
can do that. We’ll give you our numbers too.” The couple across the hall said
as they walked home.

I said
goodbye to the others and thanked them for their help.

“Do you really
think I need that?” I asked. Jamie probably knew better than most if and when I
needed security.

“It’ll be
helpful. If your album is a sell-out, which I think it will be, then people
will hassle you more and if there’s a front page story about you it will
definitely will helpful to have some back up.”

“You mean if
we’re found out.”

“I do. I’ve
been used to being harassed by everyone for minute details about my life, but
you’re a big part of my life Kaitlyn and your famous too. People will love us
and hate us, and I wouldn’t want you to be alone when it happens.”

“Don’t you
mean if that happens?”

“When it
happens. We can’t stay secret forever Kaitlyn. I saw that grin you had when I
said boyfriend. You want this just as much as I do.”

“So are we
official then?”

“Yes, I
think we are. Does that sound weird to you?”

“It really
does. I’m Jamie Stark’s girlfriend. I never thought I’d being saying that.”

“And I’m
Kaitlyn Fox’s boyfriend. I’d like to say the same but I’ve already told
people.” Jamie laughed. “Do you want to do anything about our families? Like
tell them or stay quiet. We’ve never had a proper where are we going
conversation before.”

“Can we
leave it a couple of weeks? There’s been so much going on recently and I want
it to be just us for a bit longer. Is that ok?”

“Whatever
you want. I need to speak to the security people and set that up. How about I
get us a takeaway on my way back? I’ll leave you to pretend to be working for a
bit.”

I stuck my
finger up at Jamie as he grabbed a jacket and he shook his head. I sat down at
the piano playing the same piece over and over again until I heard things fall
into place and then started to change the music slightly each time. When Jamie
walked back in three hours later I didn’t even look up at him, I carried on
working then gently started fitting the lyrics to the music. It was brilliant
to be able to get into my element like this, especially with piano music. I
hadn’t been truly comfortable with this since I was about nine years old.

“That’s
beautiful Kaitlyn.”

“Thanks.
It’s the last song on the album. I’m going to record it tomorrow and then the
finishing touches will be done to the whole thing next week. They rarely do
speedy albums but Wayne and Aaron doesn’t want me to be forgotten.”

“How’d you
manage to do this so quickly?”

“I already
had four songs including Daddy, don’t cry. So I just write every day.”

“Even in LA?
That’s what you were doing at three in the morning?”

“Yeah,
though partly I couldn’t sleep anyway. I can’t wait until I can share this with
the world. That’s what music is for.”

Jamie handed
me a plate of Chinese and put on a movie.

“Relax, just
for the night.”

I settled
down next to him on the sofa and watched the film with him. When the film
finished at gone eleven I headed to bed with Jamie not far behind me.

***

“Kaitlyn!
What the heck?” A voice shouted at me. I jumped out of bed grabbing the duvet
with me. Jamie grabbed me and we looked to the bedroom doorway to see Jake
looking at us.

“Jake! Get
out of here.” I throw a book at him and he went back out into the living room.

“You’ve got
three minutes. No funny business.” He called out.

I grabbed
some pyjamas and Jamie went and found some clean jeans from the wardrobe.

“Take a
shower and whatever. I’ll go check on Jake and see what he’s thinking.”

I nervously
went into the living room where Jake was drinking a cup of coffee looking
rather amused. He handed me a cup and looked at me expectantly.

“So where’s
he hiding?”

“He’s in the
shower. What time is it?”

“Seven
thirty.”

“And you’re
doing what here at seven thirty in the morning?”

“Apparently
embarrassing my little sister. I did wonder but then you never asked for him
the other week. I was expecting him to call you, but he never did.”

“He got
somebody to check on me then waited for me to call him. He didn’t come over
because he knew you and Dad wouldn’t let me out you’re sight.”

“Does he
know?”

“He knows
that I was mugged and you blamed yourself, if that’s what you mean.” Jake gave
me a look but didn’t say anything else.

“You seem
happy with him.”

“I am. He
gets me. He doesn’t question me just accepts it.”

“You told
him about the scars? I didn’t think you’d do that, not for anyone.”

“He threw me
into the sea. He kind of noticed after that.”

“He did
what?”

“Threw me in
the sea. He’s nice like that.”

“I’m happy
if you’re happy, but he’s not the type to do the long term thing Kaitlyn. I
don’t want you to get hurt.”

Jamie walked
in wearing fresh clothes and damp hair. He grabbed my cup of coffee and stood
across from Jake.

“That’s not
fair. You don’t know how long I’ve been with Kaitlyn, you don’t know how I feel
about her or other women and you definitely don’t know that I spent an entire
afternoon yesterday making plans to protect Kaitlyn.”

“So tell me
then.”

The two guys
had a bit of a stare down and I shifted uncomfortably in my seat.

“We’ve been seeing
each other for months. I care about Kaitlyn a lot and I don’t have affairs or
sleep around. Yesterday I spent an entire afternoon arranging emergency
security and body guards who’ll be with Kaitlyn with a moment’s notice no
matter what time or day it is, as long as she’s in the UK. Happy yet?”

“It’s a good
start, I suppose.”

I poured
myself another coffee and grabbed a croissant from the cupboard.

“That’s
enough of your big brother act. What are you doing here anyway?”

“I wanted to
know how far you’d gotten with the album. You said you were almost finished.”

“I finished
last night. I’ve got to head to the studio today. I text Wayne last night and
he’s clearing his schedule to spend the day with me. He’ll ring when he’s
free.”

“What about
lover boy?”

“Lover boy
has to spend the weekend with his parents.” Jamie answered looking through my
cupboards for some food. He frowned before deciding on a pack of digestives.

Jamie

I spent the
weekend with my parents and enjoyed being with them properly again. It was rare
to have a weekend with just the three of us, we usually had Ryan or someone
over with me on a flying visit or one of my parents was busy. They still worked
although for their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary, which was two weeks after
I turned eighteen, I gave them money to pay off their mortgage and all debts as
well as some left over. They’d always refused my money, so when I turned
eighteen I decided to do as much as I could for them. After a few years of
wasting money the party lifestyle started to bore me and I stopped spending
money on things that never really mattered. I made sure I gave a lot to charity
and I put a lot aside into a savings account for a ‘rainy day’. Though what
kind rainy day needed a nine-figure sum, I had no idea.

After the
initial shock and irritation of Jake finding out about Kaitlyn and me being
together, I was actually relieved. I’d been planning on surprising Kaitlyn for
the release of her album but I had no idea how to go about it. I wanted to
throw a small, intimate party for close friends of hers but I didn’t know how
to do it without being ousted as Kaitlyn’s boyfriend. I spent most of Saturday
listing ideas and getting my mum and dad to make some phone calls, in order to
get everything ready to speak to Jake. I wasn’t lazy or demanding, I just
learnt a while ago that things could get spoilt if somebody recognised your
voice on the phone. Mum looked amused but never asked anything about Kaitlyn.
She knew that I’d tell her when I wanted to. Dad made a few hints but I never
took the bait. Kaitlyn was too important to me to screw everything up by
letting slip to people that we were seeing each other. On Saturday evening I
gave Jake a call and almost froze when he answered. I quickly got over myself
and told him what I was planning and he gave me a guest list. About halfway
through the list he realised that I needed him to take the credit and he
agreed. He said he’d tell Kaitlyn when she walked in but he’d let everyone else
there know that he planned it. I handed over all the details I had and then my
bank details and he told me he’d call when it was sorted.

On Sunday I
flew back home, confident that Jake had everything under control. Kaitlyn’s
album was due to be released in two weeks on Monday, so we had planned a
private dinner at a hotel on that evening for around fifteen people. I text
Jake asking him to confirm the guest list and he replied with a list of names
and an explanation of who they were.

1.
     
Kaitlyn
–obviously

2.
     
Me and Dad

3.
     
You and
Ryan

4.
     
Wayne+
wife (producer/ record label boss)

5.
     
Aaron+
wife +daughter (manager)

6.
     
Bethany
(school friend)

7.
     
Three
band/ label people

I asked if
there was anyone else Kaitlyn would want there and Jake replied that Kaitlyn
didn’t have anyone else.

***

I hadn’t had much chance to speak with Kaitlyn since she was
busy giving interviews for her new album so on the Monday morning it was released
I called her at three am, hoping I’d worked out the time difference correctly
and she was awake. I figured it would be about ten in the morning but several
times I’d gotten it wrong and had had a rather grumpy Kaitlyn on the phone. She
was so excited on the phone; I barely heard her so I congratulated her and hung
up. Ryan and I were boarding a plane that would arrive in London two hours late
but it was the best we could do. Jake had had the common sense to text me and
Ryan an invite so Ryan had no idea that I’d arranged the whole night. Earlier
Ryan told me that as he went back to Lincoln university next week he was just
going to stay in England with his parents for the last week then head up to his
flat a day or two early.

“The airhostess is hot.” Ryan observed.

“Is she? I never noticed.”

“That’s because you’re losing your touch. I must be something
to do with living in the shadow of my stunning looks.”

“Really Ryan. You want to go there?”

“It’s an unfortunate fact. You’ll get used to it.”

“Three women threw their underwear at me on the way here. I
still have the touch.”

“I swear they were retired. You didn’t keep them did you? You
can’t trust them to be clean” he laughed.

“Of course I did. They’re in your luggage.”

“Airhostess is on her way over here. She’s got to be worth a
number.”

“Well she’s not worth an autograph. She doesn’t fit the
game.”

“Does she need to fit the game?”

“Stop playing dumb Ryan, you’re treating me like a man whore,
you know I’m in love with Kaitlyn.” As soon as it slipped out of my mouth I
froze. I’d never said to anyone that I was in love with Kaitlyn, and I never
meant for Ryan to be the first to hear.