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  At last, he disappeared inside a huge building, the crowd eased back slightly and I was able to breathe again, but the respite was all too brief, as the same scenario was played out over and over again whenever a limousine appeared. After almost another hour, I was exhausted, both from clinging on to the barrier and trying to maintain my balance during each tsunami of screaming fans. Soon I no longer bothered to see who had arrived any more, I was purely focussed on not falling over, as I was convinced I would be trampled underfoot. As I revisited the idea of pretending to faint in a bid to escape this madness, another limousine drew up and I braced myself for the oncoming tide, which, as it turned out, was the most fearsome so far.

  The sheer volume of noise emanating from the crowd was ear-splitting, this was coupled by a massive push forward and I was slammed against the barrier and temporarily winded. As I gasped for air, I briefly looked up, only a matter of metres away, Frank Loomis emerged from the drivers side of a large, black car. He walked purposefully to a rear door, on the far side, opened it, only for Marcella to step elegantly out of the car, she whispered something in his ear, turned and waved to the crowds. Frank made his way round to the nearside, he opened the door and offered his hand to the occupant. I was transfixed, for that moment, all the noise seemed to evaporate into silence, I could barely breathe, a slim hand took Frank’s, Vanessa appeared, dressed in a long, black, close-fitting gown. Once out of the car, she waved to every corner in turn, before posing before the increasingly frantic press photographers.

  Despite being shoved and pushed, I did not feel or hear anything, it was as if the shock of seeing her had temporarily shut down all five senses, as if every brain cell was needed to absorb the fact she was actually there, in front of me. As she stood before the mob, I saw her tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear, a tiny gesture, but it caused every sense to switch back on immediately. She moved along the crowd on the opposite side of the road, staying just far enough away from the lusting hands. She smiled and signed autographs, exchanging a few words with people,

  “She’s incredible !” a man beside me sighed, he was clutching a poster, but seemed totally at a loss, when faced with the real person.

  “Do you think she’ll come this side ?” someone asked from some way behind us, I didn’t answer, the prospect of ever being face-to-face with her again had just never occurred to me.

  I looked over at Frank, he was standing by the car, his eyes shielded by sunglasses,as I watched, I saw him look over in my direction, then slip them off, as if to look more closely. I was unsure whether to wave or call out, while I agonised, he moved round the car to Marcella, she looked across in my direction, her expression was anxious and concerned. After a few moments, she moved over to Vanessa's side, spoke in her ear and returned to Frank, the pair chatted, still furtively glancing across the road. Vanessa signed one more autograph, waved to the waiting crowd a few more times and disappeared into the building, the crowd on my side of the road groaned loudly. When it was clear the event was over, the crowd started to disperse slowly, some stopped to try and find any souvenirs, but most drifted away into the nearby fast food outlets.

  Despite feeling both hungry and thirsty, I felt rooted to the spot, in the end, I was forced to move by several workmen who were starting to dismantle the barriers, before hurling them into the back of a waiting truck.

  “Come on love, move on,” one man said to me, his impatient command forced me back into consciousness. I wandered aimlessly to a bench under a tree, my head a mass of questions, had Frank seen me ? What had he said to Marcella ? Did Vanessa even know I was there ? The words swirled round my head so quickly, it was almost impossible to make any sense of them. I must have sat there for some time, in the end, it was the clanging of the Swiss clock chiming, which brought me back to my senses.

  I stood up, brushed myself down while I decided I was undoubtedly making far too much out of nothing, after all, there had been hundreds of people in that crowd, what possible reason did I have to think, they had seen me ? This statement made sense, there was no question, it had been amazing to see Vanessa again, even if it had been from a distance, but that was infinitely more than I had ever imagined possible, so it was time to stop agonising and get back to the hotel,I had barely taken a step, when a familiar voice spoke,

  “Hey Carrie...”

  I immediately recognised that deep, gravelly tone,

  “Hello Frank,” I replied, turning round, that amazing, broad grin spread across his face, his deep brown eyes beaming,

  “It’s so good to see you, sweetheart,” he said warmly, he extended one huge had towards me, but this was not the time to observe pleasantries, I just pulled him towards me and hugged him tightly.

  “Guess you’re so happy to see me,” he chuckled, when we separated, I asked him how he had known I would still be there, he just smiled knowingly, then shrugged.

  “Let’s walk,” he suggested, offering me his arm, we started to stroll, arm-in-arm, towards Trafalgar Square, as people passed us, I noticed they frequently did a double-take, as if suspecting he was someone famous, but as Frank was such an imposing man, nobody dared to approach, instead opting to glance quickly before moving on. As we walked, he told me about the places they had visited, since we had last met, as he casually mentioned cities from across the world, my dull life seemed increasingly pale in comparison. When we reached the square, he glanced up at the column,

  “Have you ever wondered how they got that guy up there ?” he mused, I followed his gaze,

  “I’ve never really thought about it,” I confessed. For a moment, he seemed lost in thought, I was anxious to ask about Vanessa, but was reluctant to disturb him ,it was only when a flock of pigeons swooped closely over our heads he seemed to snap out of his thoughts,

  “So how have you been ?” he asked, I replied I was fine, but, before I could say anymore, we were suddenly surrounded by a group of Japanese students, all pointing wildly at Frank and taking numerous photographs. Frank seemed completely unfazed by their attention,

  “Who do they think you are ?” I whispered.

  “Normally some rapper from the States,” he answered, still smiling and shaking hands, at last, they all bowed, he returned the courtesy and we walked away, leaving the group comparing pictures while chattering excitedly. Once we were a safe distance away, I had to ask why he had not explained who he really was, he smiled broadly,

  “I don’t speak Japanese, sweetheart...”

  I laughed, obviously, he had found it easier just to smile and wave than attempt potentially complicated explanations. We reached the edge of the square, just as the chimes from Big Ben sounded the hour, Frank glanced at his watch,

  “I guess I should be getting back,” he said sadly, “Marcella will send out a search party if I’m too long.”

  I knew I couldn’t let him leave without asking about Vanessa, after all, this was the only chance I would ever have to make even indirect contact again.

  “How is she Frank ?”

  Frank’s shoulders seemed to drop, he looked down and gently took my hand,

  “She’s always going somewhere, you know, kinda restless, it’s always been hard to keep up with her..but these days..well..I never know where we’re gonna be.”

  It was obvious he was very concerned for her, he shrugged,

  “I guess she’ll find whatever it is one day.”

  I reassured him, as long as she had him to look after her, she would never come to any real harm, he smiled again and hugged me so tightly, I could barely breathe.

  “Thanks honey,” he said, when he finally released his grip, then with another quick glance at his watch, it was abundantly clear it was time for us to say goodbye, but I still had one more question, I knew with total certainty, I had to ask to avoid profound regret later,

  “Does she ever mention me ?” my voice was so quiet, it almost sounded like a small child. Frank looked away, clearly uncomfortable,

  “The truth, Frank ?” I
added, as I suspected his reluctance to answer, was possibly his wish not to hurt my feelings somehow.

  “What happened between you two that night...I don’t know, ain’t none of my business...all I can say, is she said you’re one of the few real people she’s ever met,” he answered slowly, his large eyes staring at me, waiting for my reaction, a single tear trickled down my cheek, as I struggled to find something to say, he carefully wiped it away,

  “Can I see her ?” I asked, not really being able to make sense of why I was crying. Frank turned away, he shook his head,

  “Marcella would go crazy,” he muttered, as if talking to himself, but , as I watched, he looked back at me,

  “What the hell ?” his tone determined, he took my hand and started to lead me purposefully across the square, he waved down a taxi and within moments we were on our way. My mind was racing, in a few minutes I would see her again and I had no idea what would happen. All kinds of questions bounced round my head uncontrollably, it was both frightening and exciting at the same time, like when one of those hand-gliders runs to the edge of the cliff, knowing they’re going to jump without really being sure whether or not they would land safely.

  As the crowded streets flashed passed the window, I tried to regain a little composure, not wanting to meet her again while gabbling incoherently. I looked across at Frank, he was clearly totally lost in thought, probably agonising about the wisdom of his decision. Suddenly he looked back at me, his face was so etched with worry, a pang of conscience crossed my mind,

  “Look, Frank, if this is going to cause you any problems, let me out right now,” I said firmly. He shook his head,

  “I just don’t know, Carrie, if I could just be sure....” his voice trailed away. I knew what I had to do, I asked the driver to stop the car, reached into my bag and turned back to Frank,

  “Look, this is where I’m staying, I’ll be there for the next few days....I’ll leave it to you, I know you’ll do the right thing...I trust you..” I smiled, pushed the card into his hand, kissed his cheek then quickly leapt out of the car, before I had a chance to change my mind. The taxi sped off down the street and quickly disappeared amongst the bustling traffic, I was left on the kerb, as I walked back to my hotel, I wondered if I would regret what I had done, although in my heart, I already knew the answer. I had been given one chance to see Vanessa again and I had let it go, by the time I reached the doors, tears streamed down my face, I just grabbed my key and fled up to my room, the only relief being no-one else would be there.

  I lay there in the darkness for what seemed like hours, the same question going round and round in my head, had I really got out of that taxi to save Frank from possibly getting into trouble ? Or was the truth I was simply too scared to face Vanessa, in case, that night had meant nothing to her, after all, chances were, she had many nights like that one, what had ever made me think, I was any different. I rolled over and stared blankly up at the ceiling, I had come so far, to allow this to derail everything now would be such a waste, with this sudden burst of good sense, I sat bolt upright, decided to shower and get a good night’s sleep, after all, I still had a few days left in London.

  Chapter 11

  An hour or so later, I was wrapped in a huge towel, propped up in bed watching a truly awful film, the main character was a really irritating teenager who was trying to set her single mum up with some gorgeous hunk,

  “No chance of mine doing that for me,” I laughed.

  When it became obvious this girl was about to burst into song, I scrabbled for the remote control, when there was a knock at the door,

  “Room Service.”

  Despite knowing they were probably at the wrong door, I stumbled across the room,

  “Wrong number,” I called, then waited, as soon as I started to walk back to the bed, there was another, more insistent knock, I sighed, it was obvious, I would have to speak to whoever this was, so after quickly checking my towel was secure, I opened the door, someone barged past me with a cleaning trolley, pausing only to slam the door shut behind her.

  “Excuse me....” I began, somewhat shocked ,the woman stopped in the middle of the room, she pulled off her cap, shook her head, long, brown hair tumbled free, then she turned round,

  “So, Carrie, how the hell are you ?”

  It was Vanessa, when she saw my total disbelief, she laughed and proceeded to throw off the unflattering apron, to reveal her own clothes. She kicked off the flat shoes, slumped on my bed and looked steadily at me,

  “Are you going to stand there all night ?” she asked. I shook my head slowly, then sank down on to one of the chairs by the window.

  “What are you doing here ?” I spluttered.

  Vanessa explained Frank had told her about our meeting, also about my jumping out of the taxi, when I heard this, I blushed,

  “Hey, don’t be embarrassed...you didn’t want to land Frank in the crap, I understand,” she assured me, she stretched out on the bed,

  “You should have seen the guys in the kitchen downstairs, I raced through so quick, they had no way of recognising me, that was Imelda’s idea.....” she smiled at the memory.

  “Who’s Imelda ?” I asked feebly, still struggling with the reality in front of me.

  “Great girl, Imelda, she’s a maid...” Suddenly Vanessa sat up , she had obviously remembered something, she jumped up and pushed the trolley to the door, as I watched, she peered out, when it was clear no-one was around, she edged it into the corridor, put the cap and uniform carefully on the top, then closed the door and flipped the lock.

  Vanessa stretched a hand towards me, after a moment, I took it, she pulled me over to the bed, gently pulling me to sit down next to her, so we were facing each other, it was only then it became real for me.

  “You’re really here,” I said quietly, I reached across to tuck that loose strand of hair behind her ear, Vanessa smiled shyly.

  “So, I guess that means you’re happy to see me...I was starting to wonder,” she replied softly, I leaned forward and kissed her gently, her lips parted slightly, I felt her enter my willing mouth , then she withdrew slightly, which allowed her to slide her tongue slowly along my lips, before slipping back inside. When we finally separated, I touched her cheek, almost distractedly, as if that simple act would finally confirm she was really in front of me,

  “I never thought, even in my wildest dreams, we would ever be here....again....like this,” I said slowly, Vanessa smiled,

  “Neither did I, just goes to show, you never really know anything.”

  Suddenly I realised I should be asking her about her life, where she had been, but as the words started tumbling out of my mouth, she put her fingers to my lips,

  “Later,” she whispered, she leant forward and kissed my bare shoulders, a tingling sensation shivered down my spine, but I couldn’t give in, not just yet, it seemed there were things I should say, I jerked back which made Vanessa sit back, obviously confused,

  “You OK ?” she asked, I looked down, trying to assemble incoherent words into an understandable sentence, she took my hands in hers,

  “Just tell me.”

  “It’s just...” I began, “ how you make me feel....no-one else even comes close...and I’ve tried, but........” my voice trailed away.

  I felt Vanessa sigh heavily,

  “Do you want me to leave ?” she asked sadly. I looked up, as soon as our eyes met, any doubts or fears I had just melted away, I shook my head,

  “No, I just want you to....let me see you,” echoing her words from that first night, a worried expression broke into a wide smile,

  “Oh really ?”

  I took her face in my hands, pulled her towards me, I licked her lips, her tongue met mine, as the tips caressed, I felt her hands clasp behind my head and she gently eased me even closer to her so our mouths almost melded into one. As we eased back on to the bed, she slid on top of me, her hair tumbled over one side of her face, I pushed it back, then pulled her closer, plunging my
eager tongue further into her mouth.

  I ran my hands inside her top, her smooth skin seemed to yield to the touch of my fingers, I caressing her shoulder blades, trying to stay in some kind of control, I knew I wanted to bury myself into her breasts, but I didn’t want to rush, I wanted savour every last moment, but when I felt her cool hand slide up my still-damp thigh, the burning ripple of anticipation made it impossible to hold back, I didn’t care anymore.

  She sat up, still straddling me, with a slight smile, she slowly opened my towel, then sank down between my thighs, I felt her warm breath as she lightly kissed me, with only a few flicks of her tongue , she was inside me. The overwhelming surge of pleasure made it almost impossible to breathe, the tide of rippling heat through my whole body was impossible to hold back as she fed hungrily on me. I reached down for her head, took a handful of her hair and pulled her up to my face, her lips were still moist with my come, but I didn’t care, I kissed her deeply as I rolled her on to her back.

  I unbuttoned her jeans, slipped them down, throwing them carelessly on the floor, I glanced up at her, she smiled, at first I stroked her thighs gently, when I felt the muscles quiver slightly, I moved my fingertips away so my tongue could explore inside her.

  “Deeper,” she whispered hoarsely

  I adjusted my position on the bed, then buried myself in her, my hands widening her thighs to leave no part of her untouched by my searching tongue. She moaned gently, I felt her hand on the back of my head, pushing me further and further in, her thighs tensed and suddenly , her back arched, I felt her shudder, within moments a familiar warm stickiness covered my face. Her muscles relaxed, causing her to flop back on to the bed, I didn’t move, I traced the tiny lines of sweat trickling down her flat stomach. We were both breathing so heavily, for several moments, it was impossible for either of us to speak, then Vanessa reached down to me,