great,’ I said. ‘I love this song.’
She stuck out her hand. ‘I’m Camelia.’
‘Daniel. Where are you from?’
She grinned and said, ‘Belsize Park. I like your name, Daniel. Makes me think of someone escaping the lion’s den.’
‘Yeah, that’s my job. I’m a lion tamer. I ran away to join the circus when I was ten and I’ve got two pet lions in my shed.’
She smiled generously and laid her hand on my arm.
I swallowed. ‘So where are you from really?’
‘Romania. But don’t worry, I’m not a vampire.’
‘Oh.’
She tilted her head. ‘You want me to be a vampire?’
‘No. Sorry, I was just . . . It doesn’t matter.’ I paused. Her being from Romania had flustered me. It was stupid. London was full of people of every nationality and Romania was part of the European Union so its citizens could come work here whenever they liked. I could hardly go into a meltdown every time I met someone from the country where my life had changed. ‘Your English is excellent. Oh, sorry. Did that sound condescending?’
‘No, it was a compliment. So thank you. I’ve lived here for ages. Ah, I love this one.’
She turned towards the stage, nodded her head and swayed her hip s to the music. Her eyes were half-closed, a little smile on her pretty face. I noticed other men in the crowd watching her greedily and felt strangely protective towards her, and flattered that she had chosen to talk to me.
I lifted my beer to my lips and found that the bottle was empty. ‘Do you want a drink, Camelia?’
‘Sure. I’ll have what you’re having.’
I struggled through the crowd to the bar, Jake’s voice loud in my ears, a small pocket of the audience singing along. My blood was thrumming. After a long wait, I bought our drinks and headed back to where Camelia had been standing.
She wasn’t there. I looked around, craning my neck, but there was no sign of her. Great. I told myself it was stupid to feel so disappointed, but I couldn’t help it. There was something about her: not just her looks, but her playful tone, the energy she gave off . . . .
Oh God. Laura. I was hit by a wave of guilt, but then remembered how Laura had been that morning, the tone of her voice as she told me it was over.
‘Hey.’
I turned, flooded with relief, at the same time chiding myself for feeling so relieved.
‘Sorry, I had to use the bathroom and the line was un believable. I think there was a couple having sex in one of the stalls.’ She rolled her eyes. ‘So tacky. Though I guess I understand people getting carried away.’
I definitely wasn’t imagining the way she looked at me then. I was momentarily speechless.
‘It’s so hot, isn’t it?’ she said, shrugging off her jacket. Something fell out of her jacket pocket and she stooped to pick it up. It was her phone. She slipped it back into the pocket.
From the stage, Jake said, ‘Thank you. See you soon.’
‘I’d better get backstage,’ I said.
‘You know him?’
Damn. ‘Yes. We’re old friends.’
‘Wow. That’s . . . interesting.’
I wasn’t sure what she meant, but before I could ask, she said, ‘So are you going to introduce me?’
I sighed inwardly. When Jake introduced me to Laura I assumed she was one of his former conquests, but she found this idea hilarious . She said he simply wasn’t her type. ‘Yeah, he’s good-looking and charismatic and cool. But I’m not interested in those things . . .’
‘Thanks!’ I’d laughed.
Why was I thinking about competing with Jake? I wasn’t looking for a new girlfriend. I didn’t even want a one-night stand. My ego felt sore, though. Camelia had lifted my spirits, and now she was about to shift her attention to my best friend.
‘Come on then,’ I said, and she followed me behind the bar and thr ough to the back room where Jake sat, sweating and smiling, the guitar propped against the wall. His manager, Robin, was in the room, talking about
She stuck out her hand. ‘I’m Camelia.’
‘Daniel. Where are you from?’
She grinned and said, ‘Belsize Park. I like your name, Daniel. Makes me think of someone escaping the lion’s den.’
‘Yeah, that’s my job. I’m a lion tamer. I ran away to join the circus when I was ten and I’ve got two pet lions in my shed.’
She smiled generously and laid her hand on my arm.
I swallowed. ‘So where are you from really?’
‘Romania. But don’t worry, I’m not a vampire.’
‘Oh.’
She tilted her head. ‘You want me to be a vampire?’
‘No. Sorry, I was just . . . It doesn’t matter.’ I paused. Her being from Romania had flustered me. It was stupid. London was full of people of every nationality and Romania was part of the European Union so its citizens could come work here whenever they liked. I could hardly go into a meltdown every time I met someone from the country where my life had changed. ‘Your English is excellent. Oh, sorry. Did that sound condescending?’
‘No, it was a compliment. So thank you. I’ve lived here for ages. Ah, I love this one.’
She turned towards the stage, nodded her head and swayed her hip s to the music. Her eyes were half-closed, a little smile on her pretty face. I noticed other men in the crowd watching her greedily and felt strangely protective towards her, and flattered that she had chosen to talk to me.
I lifted my beer to my lips and found that the bottle was empty. ‘Do you want a drink, Camelia?’
‘Sure. I’ll have what you’re having.’
I struggled through the crowd to the bar, Jake’s voice loud in my ears, a small pocket of the audience singing along. My blood was thrumming. After a long wait, I bought our drinks and headed back to where Camelia had been standing.
She wasn’t there. I looked around, craning my neck, but there was no sign of her. Great. I told myself it was stupid to feel so disappointed, but I couldn’t help it. There was something about her: not just her looks, but her playful tone, the energy she gave off . . . .
Oh God. Laura. I was hit by a wave of guilt, but then remembered how Laura had been that morning, the tone of her voice as she told me it was over.
‘Hey.’
I turned, flooded with relief, at the same time chiding myself for feeling so relieved.
‘Sorry, I had to use the bathroom and the line was un believable. I think there was a couple having sex in one of the stalls.’ She rolled her eyes. ‘So tacky. Though I guess I understand people getting carried away.’
I definitely wasn’t imagining the way she looked at me then. I was momentarily speechless.
‘It’s so hot, isn’t it?’ she said, shrugging off her jacket. Something fell out of her jacket pocket and she stooped to pick it up. It was her phone. She slipped it back into the pocket.
From the stage, Jake said, ‘Thank you. See you soon.’
‘I’d better get backstage,’ I said.
‘You know him?’
Damn. ‘Yes. We’re old friends.’
‘Wow. That’s . . . interesting.’
I wasn’t sure what she meant, but before I could ask, she said, ‘So are you going to introduce me?’
I sighed inwardly. When Jake introduced me to Laura I assumed she was one of his former conquests, but she found this idea hilarious . She said he simply wasn’t her type. ‘Yeah, he’s good-looking and charismatic and cool. But I’m not interested in those things . . .’
‘Thanks!’ I’d laughed.
Why was I thinking about competing with Jake? I wasn’t looking for a new girlfriend. I didn’t even want a one-night stand. My ego felt sore, though. Camelia had lifted my spirits, and now she was about to shift her attention to my best friend.
‘Come on then,’ I said, and she followed me behind the bar and thr ough to the back room where Jake sat, sweating and smiling, the guitar propped against the wall. His manager, Robin, was in the room, talking about
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