The certainty of chance, p.17
The Certainty of Chance, page 17
“Sure does!” Julian slowly closed the box without decimating the creamy white icing, completely hidden beneath a profusion of blue sprinkles. “So, where’s the birthday boy?”
“Try the kitchen or out back in the garden,” said Natasha. “He’ll be easy to spot. He’s wearing my gift.” Her eyes drifted, following a willowy blonde in a boho dress. “Hope she doesn’t find him.”
“Who?” asked Julian, scoping the crowd. “Sadie’s friend?”
“Micah won’t stand a chance. She’s a total doppelbanger.”
Madeleine laughed. “Doppel-what?”
“A doppelbanger. It’s someone you’d like to fuck because they look like a famous person you fancy,” Natasha explained. “Meeks has a thing for Saoirse Ronan, and that woman is a dead ringer.”
“She’s also married,” added Julian.
“Not anymore she’s not. Sadie says she divorced hubby number two and is rebounding all over the shop.” Natasha pursed her dark lips. “Last thing our brother needs is another flighty fling.” She motioned toward the cake. “I’ll put this upstairs for safekeeping, yeah?”
“Good idea.” Julian eased the box into her arms with the utmost care, and Natasha cradled it like a priceless artifact from the V&A. “Follow us,” he said. “We’ll clear a safe path.” He weaved his fingers gently through Madeleine’s and stroked her hand with his thumb.
Delightfully warm with the perfect amount of squeeze, Julian’s touch felt protective and reassuring, intimate. I could get used to this. Madeleine smiled to herself.
The threesome slipped past the Christmas tree and through the front-room crush of neighbors, toasting the holiday season with mulled wine martinis and the latest (and juiciest) Keystone Crescent gossip. Reaching the congested stairs, they parted ways: Natasha and the cake bound for the bedrooms while Madeleine and Julian joined the flow of guests descending to the lower ground floor. They took the steps slowly, inching past happy revelers headed in the opposite direction, hands filled with bottles of beer and topped-up wine glasses. One by one, their smiles grew as they spotted Julian and shouted over the laid-back funkiness of “Fools Gold” blaring from below.
“Jules, man!”
“Finally taking a night off, eh, Juzza?!”
“Happy hols, Halliwell!”
Julian hugged and backslapped his way down the stairs, introducing Madeleine with vigor, but his eagerness to include her was a mixed blessing. While his ebullient introductions softened the somersaults in her stomach, the social onslaught left her mind swimming in names and faces upon their arrival to the house’s lowest floor where Micah’s party raged all around them.
A sizable kitchen with white cupboards and walls occupied the right side of the space while what looked to be a dining room on the left had its table pushed against the wall and its surface crowded with bottles, a frothy red punch, and trays of food. A whirling disco ball hung above the action, throwing a kaleidoscope of silver stars over the happy guests while a door at the far side of the room was propped open, leading to a tiny walled garden. Guests, undaunted by the bone-chilling December damp, hung out under crisscrossing strings of Christmas lights, drinking, smoking, and playing Jumbo Jenga.
Madeleine squeezed Julian’s hand. He crouched slightly so she could be heard above the music. “His house is like the TARDIS!” The subtle scent of bodywash drew her smile. Nothing worse than a guy doused in cologne. Julian smells fresh…clean. Wonderful.
Julian nodded at her Doctor Who reference and leaned into her ear, his smile flirting with her hair. “It’s definitely bigger on the inside.” Scanning the swarm of people, his eyes popped. “Oh, found him.”
Wriggling through the jam-packed kitchen, Julian led Madeleine toward a guy wearing a black top hat, chatting and gesturing wildly within a pocket of people. “That’s Tash’s gift,” said Julian. “Micah used to go raving dressed as the Mad Hatter but lost his original top hat somewhere in a field in Hampshire.” Madeleine chuckled as Julian leaned in again. “Now it’s just a nostalgia thing. He hasn’t been to a rave in a while.”
Steering close to Micah, they waited for a break in his conversation to say hi.
“That’s asinine!” A woman winced above her martini. “He broke up with her because she was into Take That? They’re a national treasure!”
Micah nodded, the animal faces on his green Banana Splits t-shirt contorting as he raised his beer bottle. “But here’s the thing: could you ever be with someone, like long-term romantically, who loved the bands you hated?” He did a double take and caught Julian’s eye. “MATE! C’mere!” With a megawatt grin, he threw open his arms and enveloped both Madeleine and Julian in a hug. “Ahhhh, I’m SO glad you BOTH made it!” Micah rocked sideways back and forth, jostling the couple.
“Happy Birthday!” Madeleine shifted her purse back onto her shoulder as he released them.
Julian plonked a hand on top of Micah’s hat. “Nice lid, mate.”
“Dead cool, right? Tash played a blinder.”
“So did Maddie here.” Julian nodded at the large blue tin in her grasp.
Micah’s eyes flew to the popcorn. “I was hoping that was for me! May I?”
“Of course!” Madeleine offered the gift with a big smile. “Julian suggested it.”
Micah pored over the label. “Ooh, confetti flavor—and chocolate! Nice one!” He nudged his hat above his brows with the tip of his beer bottle. “Edible presents are the best. What it is, right, is you have an enjoyable nosh, and then, bish bosh, they’re gone! No clutter, no—”
“OH MY GOD?!” A screech cut him off.
A tall twentysomething with frizzy backcombed hair barged her way into the conversation, knocking Micah’s empty bottle out of his hand. Mouth agape, her stare bored into Madeleine.
Who’s this? She glanced at Julian, who rescued the rogue bottle from the floor. He looked as puzzled as she did.
“It is you!” The woman fussed with her faded Lairds and Liars t-shirt, which hung shapelessly over her black leggings. Stretched out of shape and washed too many times, it was obviously much loved. “Shouldn’t you be in Paris?”
Madeleine squinted. “I’m sorry? Have we met?”
“Oh, my bad.” Micah hugged his popcorn tin and gestured toward the guest. “This is Daisy. She’s visiting from Belgium. Her auntie lives across the road.” He grinned. “And these two here are Julian and—”
“I know who SHE is!” Ignoring Julian, Daisy invaded Madeleine’s space. “Ah, you and Bastien—you guys are couple goals!”
Madeleine pointed at her ear. “I’m sorry, the music is…” She leaned in. “Me and—?”
“BASTIEN!” Daisy practically vibrated on the spot.
Oh shit. Here we go…
Julian’s brows tensed in bewilderment, his gaze shifting to Madeleine. “Who’s Bastien?”
He doesn’t think me and Bastien are… Madeleine’s eyes widened. Does he? Bastien Soulier was a French actor famous for his mop of shoulder-length mahogany curls and smouldering charisma. He wasn’t just a fan favorite; he was also Shantelle’s Lost for Breath love interest, the other half of her MTV Movie Award-winning ‘Best Kiss’.
Madeleine shook her head. “Daisy, you’ve got me mixed up with my sister, Shantelle. I’m not an actress, and I’ve only met Bastien once.” She reluctantly glanced at Julian, who pressed his lips together and slowly nodded.
Daisy blinked, considering Madeleine’s response, then broke into snorty laugh. “Bwahahaha! You almost had me!” Edging closer, she stretched out her arm and snapped a bunch of uninvited selfies with Madeleine. “But don’t worry! I’m cool—I won’t text my friends you’re here.”
Oh dear. A slash of a smile tugged Madeleine’s cheeks as she patiently waited for the brazen photoshoot to finish.
“Uh, Daze…?” Micah winced.
“She’s telling the truth,” said Julian, twisting the empty beer bottle in his hands. “Her name’s Madeleine, not Shantelle.”
Lowering her phone, the super fan’s gape flew to Micah. He nodded, backing up his friend.
“It’s an easy mistake to make. Shantelle and I look a lot alike,” said Madeleine. “Can’t say I’ve kissed Bastien either. I’m sorry to disappoint.”
Daisy looked deflated. “Yeah…”
Despite Madeleine’s frustration of yet another fan overreaction, she couldn’t let Daisy walk away disheartened. “Listen, if you look up Shantelle’s PR team online, I’m sure they’ll send you an autographed photo.”
“Really? That’d be awesome.” Diving into her phone with nary a thank you, Daisy lumbered off.
“You handled that well,” said Micah.
“Lots of practice.” Her gaze flitted to her date. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier about Shantelle. If people don’t know we’re related, I keep it under wraps for as long as I can.”
Julian scratched his jaw. “Yeah, about that…we, um, knew.”
“You did?”
Micah smiled kindly. “Tash figured it out after the quiz, and I told Jules. Matey here didn’t even know who Shantelle was!” He laughed and spied his older sister, Sadie, on the stairs. An older, prettier version of Micah with doe eyes and shoulder-length brunette hair, she was enthusiastically waving at her brother. Micah liberated his beer bottle from his best friend’s hand. “Uh-oh, looks like I’m being told to mingle. Oh, and one more thing—an insider’s tip: steer clear of the punch. Tash made it. Catch ya in a bit, all right? Have fun.” Clutching his beloved popcorn, he inched sideways through the throng of well-wishers.
Madeleine tilted her head. “You knew nothing about Shantelle?”
“Sorry, nope—not until Micah filled me in. I’ve never seen her movies. I don’t read gossip websites.” He held her hand. “Madeleine, I like you for you, not because you’ve got a sister who’s famous.”
Her expression relaxed. “I’m so glad to hear that. People get weird about it sometimes. They ask uncomfortable questions or want to be friends with me so they can get closer to her. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve had strangers ask me to call her up so they can say hi.”
“That must feel…weird?”
Madeleine exhaled heavily. “Yeah, it can be exhausting. That’s why I don’t mention Shantelle or her job unless I have to. But it’s hard. We’re close—she’s a huge part of my life, but now I’m more guarded, you know? I only talk about her when I’m sure that people aren’t using me to try to become besties with my movie star sibling…”
Julian raised a speculative brow. “And do I pass the test?”
She smiled. “With flying colors!”
Arms flailed, fists punched the air, and lyrics were shouted at full volume as the lower level of Micah’s house morphed into a sweaty, claustrophobic dance club. With friends and family taking turns playing DJ, the set list was eclectic and fun, spanning different genres and tastes, guaranteeing non-stop dancing in the kitchen, dining room, and even outside in the wee garden.
Madeleine and Julian jumped around and laughed, breathlessly singing the lyrics of Elvis Costello’s “Pump It Up” until the final strains dissolved into a classic acid house track featuring a mournful saxophone and a haunting sample of a loon, a water bird common to North America.
“I’m dying for another drink.” Chasing breaths, Julian loosened his tie.
Madeleine nodded and fanned her cheeks, her pulse pounding from their half hour of non-stop dancing. I’m so gonna feel this tomorrow, but I don’t care! She wiped perspiration from her brow, but her perma-grin held firm. “I can’t remember the last time I danced so hard.” Truth be told, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d had so much fun, period. Just think, none of this would be happening if that manic guy in the fugly plaid coat hadn’t stolen my taxi.
Zigzagging through the sweaty bodies, Madeleine chased breaths while admiring Julian’s ass in his black trousers. The cabbie hadn’t been kidding at the pub quiz. He did like “a dance”. However, his definition of dancing left out the fact he was fond of a sexy hip swivel and an impromptu body roll. Who knew?
He looked back, leaning into Madeleine’s ear. “Oh, this song brings back memories.”
“Good ones?”
“Loud ones!” His gaze washed over a cluster of wine and liquor bottles crowding the kitchen counter. “My corgi, Winnie, barking his head off. He hates the bird sample.”
“You own a corgi?! You didn’t say!” Madeleine tugged open the fridge door as Julian rescued a chilled bottle of white wine sitting precariously on top of a pile of napkins. “Pembrokeshire or Cardigan?” She grabbed a beer for Julian and stepped aside, allowing two of Micah’s friends to help themselves next.
“Pembrokeshire,” said Julian, pulling out the cork.
She smiled. “Are you pouring me a glass of wine?”
“I am.” He grinned, spotting his beer in her hand. “Winnie’s with my ex temporarily. I’ll have him back after Christmas.” He tilted the bottle above the lip of a long-stemmed glass. “I can’t wait! My flat is so quiet without him.”
“I wish I could have a dog.” She watched the wine sparkle as it rose in her glass. “Do you have photos?”
“Now that’s a dangerous question. We could be here all night…”
“Sounds perfect! Show me.” Madeleine left his beer on the counter and budged closer.
Julian set down the wine bottle. “Okay, but I did warn you.”
He opened an album on his phone featuring over 3,000 images of big-eared Winnie, his soulful brown eyes and boopable black nose beyond adorable. Flipping through, Madeleine spotted pictures of Winnie outside Buckingham Palace’s gates, playing with a stuffed Paddington Bear twice his size, and sitting beneath the starry lights strung across Coal Drops Yard.
“He’s absolutely gorgeous. Oh, Julian. I wish I could meet him.”
“I wish you could, too. He would love you.” He tucked his phone away in his trouser pocket and handed her the glass of wine.
“Thanks!”
“So, remember the clients I told you about earlier?” Julian grabbed his beer and a bottle opener from the counter.
“The Instagram influencers?” Madeleine sipped her drink.
Julian nodded, popping off the cap and discarding it in the trash beneath the sink. “They had a huge domestic in the middle of Neal’s Yard this afternoon.” He enjoyed a long pull on his beer.
“How come?”
“From what I could make out, the fella uploaded a photo of his girlfriend without any filters or airbrushing. She was so pissed, they canceled tomorrow.”
“Oh?”
“So, if you want to hang out until it’s time for you to go…” A familiar guitar riff pushed aside the booming acid house.
Madeleine lit up. “I’d love to.”
“Great.” Julian grinned back.
“OI, GUYS!” A passing Natasha snatched Madeleine’s free hand. “Dance with me NOW!”
“Where have you been?” asked Julian. “We were out there for ages. We just stopped, actually.”
“Well, start again! C’mon, Jules,” Natasha pleaded, swinging Madeleine’s hand as an infectious surge of techno took over the song. “It’s Madonna! We always swarm the dance floor when ‘Ray of Light’ comes on! You know, I will beg…!”
Madeleine bobbed her head and shoulders, unable to stand still. “I love this song! I can’t remember the last time I danced to it.” She set her glass on the counter and bit her lip, urging Julian to acquiesce with a bounce of her brows.
“Go on then.” Julian’s abandoned his beer and joined the women as they veered around a clique discussing The Great British Bake Off holiday special. Beneath the glittering disco ball, Madeleine, Julian, and Natasha dove into the pounding beat, swaying their hips and throwing their arms in the air with reckless abandon.
“MEEKS!” Natasha tackled her brother mid-pogo. “Great choice!”
“This song!” Micah shouted, leaping into the fray. “It makes me seriously nostalgic!”
Madeleine danced beside Julian, closing her eyes, losing herself in the swirling synths and electronic drums. God, I’ve missed dancing so much! Tossing her hair, she breathlessly sang along as Madonna’s voice built up to the first soaring chorus and the entire room hollered…
“ANNA FRIEL!”
What? Perplexed, Madeleine’s eyes popped open. That’s not the lyric. What are they singing?
“ANNA FRIEL!”
Anna who?
“ANNA FRIEL… ANNA FRIEEEEEAAAAAAAHHH!”
As the synths and guitars careened into the second verse, Madeleine clasped Julian’s arm and leaned in. “Why is everyone shouting Anna-something?”
“Oh right, sorry! It’s Anna Friel. She’s a British actress.” He swayed for a beat then bent down again, speaking into her ear. “When this song came out, people misheard the chorus and thought Madonna was singing Anna’s name.”
Madeleine snort-laughed. “I love it when people get lyrics wrong. It’s hilarious.”
“Well, this gaff is totally ridiculous, but we just can’t help ourselves,” said Julian. “It’s become a thing now.”
Kel and I used to change song lyrics all the time. Love it. I feel so at home with Julian and his friends. Madeleine grinned back. “Now I have to listen out for it.”
She didn’t have to wait long. The song whirled into the chorus again and like clockwork, the dance floor erupted in full boozy breath.
“ANNA FRIEL!”
“HA HA!” Madeleine’s jaw dropped. “Unbelievable!”
“ANNA FRIEL…!”
She couldn’t stop laughing. “Oh my god, it really does!” Her fingers whisked away a few stray tears.
“ANNA FRIEEEEEAAAAAAAHHH!”
Julian nodded and rocked along to the beat. “Stupid, right?”
“No! FUN!” She squealed as Natasha bounced closer. “I won’t be able to hear the proper lyrics ever again!”
“It’s better this way, eh?!” Natasha yelled back. The music slowed and quieted into the third and final verse. Micah’s sister lowered her voice accordingly. “It’s our gift to you. Now you’ll always remember us whenever this comes on.”
