“Danny and Tristan, Charlie’s brother, are closer. They’ve been close friends for twenty years….” Karl’s voice trails off into nothingness as he realises what he’s saying.
Are they still close friends? I managed to ruin that.
I swallow the green shot and shiver as the liquid hits my stomach. The mention of Danny stills makes me react physically. At least here, I can hide it with shots.
“What have you told the team, Charlie?” Karl turns to me as Joe starts a conversation with Laura.
It’s too loud to have a conversation in a group.
I chew my lip. “I’m deciding over Christmas. It’s so difficult because I can do the role from
London or New York. I love both cities. New York would be a fresh start.”
He nods, his eyebrows knitting together. “So it really is over between you and Danny. Huh?” He shakes his head. “I thought you would go the distance.”
I stare at him in disbelief as I double-check his words in my head. “Seriously?”
“Why not?” He shrugs. “You seemed good together. He was so happy when he was with you. You could have worked through the news article. I guess you’re just not interested?” My eyes pop like saucers. Is he for real? Is he actually asking me this?
“I can work through a news article for sure. I can’t work through a baby.” I roll my eyes at him like he’s a moron.
“What?” He gives me a quizzical look. “Why would the baby change things?”
“Why would Danny having a baby change things?” My voice goes up an octave. “Karl, are you trying to be funny?”
He looks at me for at least a minute.
“Charlie, are you serious?”
This is the strangest conversation I’ve ever had. Is it these green drinks? Do they have some sort of hallucinogenic drug in them? Is my brain misfiring this conversation?
“Fuck me.” he slaps a hand over his mouth. “You’re not joking.”
“Why do you think it’s Danny’s baby?”
“What? How drunk are you?” I shoot him a look. “He told me, Karl.”
“Are you sure about that?” What were the exact words he said to you?” “I don’t remember,” I grumble. What does it matter how he told me?
“You’re being very weird, Karl. Look, I saw Jackie at his house.” I feel stupid now admitting it, in case he tells Danny.
“When?” A deep line forms on his forehead.
“After the news article. I wanted to apologise in person, so I went to his house and rang the doorbell.” I say, flustered. ” But then… I heard a female voice and legged it behind the gate. Jackie came out wearing his tee-shirt. I disappeared when I heard his voice.”
Karl stands very still, staring at me like I’m an alien. “When you heard my voice Charlie, you heard my voice.”
I open my mouth to speak, but the muscles in my mouth are paralysed. Is he trying to be funny?
“I’m the one having the baby.” He gives me an incredulous stare. “That’s why I’ve been in London so much these past few weeks. Jackie and I had a one-night stand. I’m not proud of it.. but I’ll look after the baby. It’s mine. I took her back to Danny’s that night. He was bloody furious with me for it.”
Now all my muscles are paralysed. The baby is… Karl’s? Danny is not with Jackie. Danny is not having a baby. He didn’t move on like I thought… at least not with Jackie.
My head spins as my brain tries to compute this new information.
Oh shit.
“Excuse me, Karl.” I rush out of the bar, shoving drunken people out of the way, and hit the fresh air just in time for the green projectile vomit to hit the pavement. Karl is close beside me.
I hunker down, retching, and let out a beer burp Cat would be proud of.
“Sorry,” I say, sheepishly wiping green goo from my chin.
I plant myself down on a step beside an open discarded kebab. He tentatively follows suit. “I’m fine, Karl. You don’t need to sit. I don’t want you to ruin your outfit. I just need a minute.” “Bit late for that,” he chuckles, nodding to his vomit-stained shoes.
“Oh.” I flinch. “Sorry about that.”
“He said he was excited about the baby.” I stare blankly across the street. I try to remember our exact conversation. How did I get this so wrong?
“He is. We both are.. now we’ve got over the shock and come to terms with it.” “He’s not going to be a Dad.”
“No.”
“All this time… I thought he had moved on.”
“It’s too late, isn’t it? I ask in a small voice. “He was so cold and detached at the presentation. He doesn’t care if I return to London. He pretty much said so himself.”
“I’m not sure that’s true.” He pauses, and I turn to face him. “Honestly. I don’t know if it’s too late. Maybe a few weeks back, but once you told him you were dating and staying in New York… He seems to have closed the door on it.”
“Charlie.” Joe runs out of the bar as people yell at him. “They’re playing an ad for the movie on the big screen. They’re playing your fucking song. Get your ass in here!” “Huh?” Karl looks at me, confused.
I give him a crooked smile.”Dreamworks have bought the rights to one of my songs for their movie.”
“Bloody hell.” His mouth slackens. “Which film?”
My mouth twists into a stupified grin. “Bond, Karl. The new James Bond.”
Charlie
Three flights, four whiskies, two crying babies, six airline meals, five movies, and not a minute of sleep later, I landed in Sumburgh airport. The cold, harsh reality of my knee-jerk plan hits me. I stare up at the sign. “Welcome to Shetland.” What am I doing?
This was the stupidest idea I’ve ever had. It was just a short romance, and then it ended. Now I travel halfway across the world like a bunny boiling crazed stalker?
He’s going to think I’m a nutcase. Who turns up uninvited 2 days before Christmas? Karl said that the door had closed. What did I think I was going to do? Knock on it and say Santa has a special surprise?