All the Small Things (part 31)
The taxi pulled into the crescent-shaped ramp and stopped behind a limo.
The Prince Royal Hotel's reception was about a hundred feet away, at the bowl end of its famous wine-glass driveway. On a normal day, the car would have dropped them off under the canopy there, but today, the long drive - the stem of the glass - was carpeted, fenced off, and lined either side with fans and photographers eager to see the celebrities arriving for the 2004 London FM Music Awards.
“Good luck,” the driver said. “You boys have fun. Same time next year.”
“Cheers, Ollie. See you at the Admiral sometime.”
The limo pulled away, the taxi moved forward, and the footman opened the door. Danny bounded out, Harry close behind. The crowd either side of the drive screamed, a hundred flashes went off. Doug drew back.
“That's the idea, son,” Ollie said. “Make 'em wait for it.”
Doug blinked and stepped down. The door closed behind him, their taxi drove off and another pulled up behind it.
“Come on, Dougie.” Harry looked back, then took a couple of steps towards him. Doug began to move down the drive.
Harry put his hand on Doug's shoulder. He watched Danny bounding to and fro along the left hand fence, then pointed to an “I ♥ Dougie” sign on the right. “Let's go meet your fan. And smile. You look like your dog just died.”
They were halfway there when Danny ran up to them.
“Bunch of lasses over there say they saw you playing cricket.”
“Where?”
Danny pointed, then pranced off towards another part of the crowd.
Harry looked at Doug.
“What?” Doug said. “Go bowl your maidens over, or whatever the hell you do.”
Harry grinned and loped off.
Doug looked towards Reception, then back to the sign, swallowed, and limped to the barrier. His fan stared up at him, wide-eyed and trembling. She was twelve, maybe thirteen. She held out her book and pen, he took them, looked at her and waited.
“Her name's Tamsin, love,” said a woman standing behind her. “It's a miracle. We normally can't get her to stop talking. Do you do house calls?”
He chuckled, wrote “I ♥ Tamsin” and his name, and handed it back. She looked at it, squeaked, and showed it to her mother. “Thank you,” the woman mouthed.
Doug turned round, saw Harry watching him, and nodded.
“I promised I'd look after him.”
“Tom, ‘look after’ doesn't mean protect from everything. Ask any parent, can't be done. Sometimes, yes; other times all you can do is try to pick up the pieces. Sometimes, all you can do is wait. Sorry that's not the answer you want, but…”
“It's the one I already knew.” Tom sighed. “Does it ever get any easier?”
“Not if you really care. If anything, it gets harder.”
He watched Tom stare out the window.
“You've taken on quite a lot, haven't you.”
The taxi pulled up at another set of lights.
“Don't forget, there are people to help with all the business stuff. They're good. Treat them like I know you will, and they'll do anything for you. All right?”
Tom smiled. “Letting go. It's a bit of a theme with me, isn't it?”
Fletch looked at him. “Do you think that's something you might want to work on?”
Tom bit his lip, turned his head as they passed a bus unloading a small herd of American tourists.
“Yes.”
“There's someone I've known for years. I could arrange a chat… no strings.”
Tom nodded.
“All right. How about the others? Could do everyone, call it an extra service.”
“Call it that, you'll have to fight them off.”
Fletch coughed, then the two of them laughed.
Tom shook his head. “I'll talk to them, let them know it's there if they want.”
“See?” Fletch smiled. “You're getting better at it already.” He nodded at the road ahead. “This is it, up here on the left. Ready to see all the crap you guys have let yourselves in for?”
Doug moved down the barrier - book, name, write, return book, nod and smile - until a girl with black hair down to her waist held back her book and asked him, “Are you all right? What happened to your leg?”
He stared at her eyes. They were blue, the colour of the summer sky a couple of hours after sunset.
He swallowed. “Glass broke.”
“It looks sore. I hope it gets better soon.”
She said her name was Anna. He signed her book, and added a little stick-Dougie with a monster swollen foot. She smiled at him when she saw it. He blushed, shrugged and moved on.
He was nearly at the end, close to the press pit under the hotel canopy. Someone laughed and pointed behind him. He turned, and his face broke into a grin. Danny and Harry had linked arms and were high-kicking for a group of bemused Japanese tourists and their cameras.
“Dougie!”
He cringed at the screams, spun round as two girls elbowed through the crowd and climbed onto the waist-high barrier. The photographers in the press pit smelled a story, their flashguns strobed the girls into slow motion.
Security moved in fast, seemingly out of the air. They stopped one girl before she let go of the barrier. She fell to the ground, sobbing. The other reached Doug, grabbed his arm and pulled herself towards him.
“Dougie, I love you.” Her too-thick eyeliner melted blue-black down her cheeks. Security flocked around them; the cameras flashed. “I love you.” Someone's hands prised at hers, she clawed at his arm, the cameras flashed. Doug turned, something thumped against his chest. He gasped. Someone stepped on his foot, the cameras flashed. “Dougie.” He began to fall. “I love you so much.” He crouched, found his balance on one knee, the cameras flashed, he shook his head. “I'll always love you.” The cameras flashed, the crowd called his name, shouted over here, screamed they loved him.
The cameras flashed, and he was gone.
Ma-ya-hi ma-ya-hu. Harry and Danny's voices drifted across the drive as the tourists cheered and clapped. Ma-ya-ho ma-ya-ha-ha… Another taxi pulled up at the end of the drive.
⇐ Part 30 - Part 32 ⇒