I shrug without answering.
“I know … I’ve got a plan.” He holds his hands up in karate style. “How about we just bowl over there and, like, kidnap her or something.” I look over at him and he smirks. “We could take her I reckon. I ‘ll handle Max and you take Tash.”
“Don’t tempt me,” I reply dryly as my eyes flick back to the café. “Don’t think I haven’t thought about it.”
I link my hands on the top of my head in impatience.
“Why don’t you just walk over there and just … I don’t know.” He shrugs. “Do something Hollywood.”
I roll my eyes. “Like what Einstein?”
“I don’t know. Drop to your knee and propose.”
I blow out a breath. “If I had some fucking privacy I probably would and besides this isn’t the time or place.”
He stays silent for a while. “Josh, this privacy thing. I know it’s driving you crazy but it will pass, as soon as they get them you can have your life back.” Adrian sighs.
“It will be too late then, she will be gone. Because we can’t have a fucking minute’s peace.”
Adrian rolls his eyes. “You’re being melodramatic now.”
“Am I?” I snap. “You should have seen me the other day Adrian, crying like a baby. Begging for her to listen to me. The guards would be in their element, loving this gossip.” I run my hands over my face in frustration.
“Josh, your staff love you. They are just as sad about this split as you are.”
I raise my eyebrows at him.
“Ok, that’s an overstatement. I mean they don’t like it either.” He shakes his head as he corrects himself.
“I just want a normal life without drama, without bodyguards. The money is not worth this shit. I have zero privacy, all I want to do is follow her around till she listens to me but I can’t because I might be photographed with her and then she will be a target for the sick fuck who is after me. You have no idea how frustrated I am,” I snap.
“Here she comes,” Adrian whispers.
We both sit up in silence as we watch Natasha and Max briskly exit the café. She’s crying, Max puts his hand around her shoulders and pulls her into him. They walk quickly down the street where he opens her door and she climbs into the car.
Jealousy rips through me as I grip the steering wheel with both hands and brute force.
“Fucking Max. I swear to god I am going to …”
“Stop it. You’re being crazy. This is Natasha. You know she’s not like that,” Adrian comforts.
“I know exactly what’s in that fucker’s head,” I growl.
“Bullshit,” he snaps. Their car pulls out and the two other cars of guards pull out after them. My heart rate speeds with anger.
“See-she’s gone again, and I could do nothing but sit in this car and watch her go.” I punch the steering wheel hard. Adrian jumps in his seat.
“Be careful. This is a bloody hire car you know.”
“Shut up,” I snap.
We sit in silence for another ten minutes and Cameron exits, walks over to the car and gets into the back seat. My eyes meet his in the rear-view mirror.
“Sorry mate, it didn’t go well,” he whispers. I drop my head into my hands. He passes his phone through the seat to Adrian. “I taped it.”
“Huh.”
“I taped the conversation on my phone. I had it sitting on the table in front of us.”
“Oh yes,” Adrian snaps. “Inspector Gadget strikes back.” He quickly scrolls through the phone and plays back the conversation.
“Hi,” Natasha whispers.
“We’ve ordered for you.”
“Thanks, can we have cake?”
My eyes meet Cameron’s again in the mirror and he links his hands on top of his head as he listens.
“This is good shit Cam.” Adrian smiles as he bites his lip.
“Umm, yeah. Cameron is just getting us some.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Natasha snaps
“Tash, Cameron is our friend too. He’s done nothing wrong. Why can’t you talk to him?”
“You two are totally fucked. How dare you ask him here without telling me? What-is Joshua hiding in the toilet?”
“That’s a good idea. You so should have hidden in the toilet,” Adrian whispers as he raises his eyebrows.
“Sshh,” I snap. “I can’t fucking hear.”
“No, he wouldn’t come. We asked him.”
“God, I’m off you two. You’re unbelievable,” Natasha whispers angrily.
“Tash.” Cameron’s voice replays.
“Thank you,” she whispers.
“So when are you going back to LA, Cam?” Abbie asks.
“Sunday, I go back to work on Monday,” he answers flatly.
“How are you Natasha?” Cameron asks.
“I’ve been better. Where is Adrian?” she asks.
“Back in the hotel with Joshua.”
“Did Nicholas Anastas ever ring him? He hassled me for his number and I never heard anything.”
Adrian punches me at the mention of Nicholas’s name.
“Shut. Up.” I snap. “I can’t hear a thing.”
“Yeah, he came over for dinner at Joshua’s last week.”
“Oh my god, really. How did it go?” she replies.
“Great, they totally hit it off. The UST was ridiculous. Josh and I were worried we were going to be forced to watch gay porn when they finally got it on, but it didn’t happen.” Adrian glares at Cameron.
“What? Not even a kiss?” she asks.
“Nope.”
“Why not?” Bridget chimes in.
“No idea, they had a great night laughing and talking and then Murph walked him out at the end of the night and came back ten minutes later to announce to us that he isn’t interested, something about living too far away from each other. I don’t know what’s going on in anyone’s head at the moment, everyone’s fucked up,” Cameron says flatly.