Cassius throws his car keys onto the table and pours himself a large whiskey. Again, an amenity of human life. “And why exactly are you here?” Cassius repeats, slumping into a leather armchair.
“Natalie and I had a talk just now,” Rupert replies and sits down opposite Cassius.
“So?” he prompts although he has a clear idea of what it’s all about.
“You took Livia to the Spanish bar.”
“So?” he repeats, frowning, and downs his glass silently. Rupert huffs impatiently. There are some locations that are reserved for Arash, like the Spanish bar, and are not visible for humans unless the Arash intend otherwise. Rupert knows of no occasion when a human has been invited.
“Can’t you utter anything more eloquent than ‘so’?” he shouts angrily. “Why did you meet her? What’s going on?” Cassius gets up and refills his glass. His green eyes are guarded, his face closed.
“I didn’t know we weren’t supposed to see Livia,” he replies in a bored voice. Rupert jumps up and starts pacing the room.
“Don’t play the fool, you know very well what I mean.” He runs his hand through his brown hair. “Listen, we want Livia to join us and you’re trying to seduce her. That’s not very helpful.” Cassius’ face splits into a laugh that doesn’t reach his eyes.
“What gave you that impression? It must have been Natalie and you know her overactive imagination,” Rupert shrugs.
“Natalie worries about Livia. Things will get very complicated if she falls in love with you, particularly when you dump her.” Cassius looks at his friend shrewdly.
“You don’t need to worry, Livia will certainly not fall for me. Today she even asked me if I was gay.” That should shut Rupert up. The tall boy stares at Cassius, then collapses with laughter.
“That’s a first, isn't it?” he chuckles and slaps Cassius on the back. Cassius nods sourly. This is not the only first for Cassius since he met Livia. When she came into the Nobu he had felt an electric shock, not just because she looked very much like Rebecca. He had liked Rebecca well enough but that had been all. Livia on the other hand moved something deep inside him that he didn’t even know existed. Cassius has a terrible suspicion that it could be his heart. It’s a feeling for which he’s not prepared in any way. He wanted to meet her again to make sure that it had been a once off, something his imagination did to him. He’s been watching her secretly since that evening in the Nobu so the encounter today was no coincidence. It was tricky because she was so often with Natalie and he didn’t want to go to her flat. What would Natalie have said to that! Even today he nearly failed because of her. On top of that, the encounter did nothing to dispel his worries but rather confirmed them. Livia has a strange, disconcerting effect on him and that’s why he left the bar in such a hurry, to put some distance between himself and this girl who isn’t even interested in him. Cassius looks up, suddenly aware that Rupert is watching him. “Leave her alone, it’s better this way,” he urges. Cassius smirks.
“You‘re talking like Natalie who evidently doesn’t leave Livia’s side for a minute. I’d like to be alone now, please.” Rupert sighs, shaking his head.
“Suit yourself but be careful what you do. We can’t make any mistakes now.”
When Cassius is alone he realises that he’s already made a huge mistake. Before taking her leave tonight Livia stared down at the pavement where only one shadow was visible, her shadow. Normally a human can only perceive an Arash in his astral form, as a shadow. When an Arash wants a human to really see or feel him it’s possible as well, but then the Arash doesn’t have a shadow. It’s one of their most important rules to hide this fact and he’s been extremely careless. Did Livia notice it? She certainly fled from him but that could have been for other reasons. Cassius heaves a big sigh. Rupert couldn’t be more wrong: it isn’t him who is dangerous for Livia, it’s the other way round.
Chapter 15
Sunday evening returning from my parents’ I’m completely knackered. The whole weekend was a running inquisition about my new friends, as if that was any of my family’s business. Who they are, what they do for a living (ha! ha!), where they live. I felt like I was back in my teens. Then they had suspected that I smoked because I always went for walks by myself. They never accepted that I preferred being alone to the company of people who thought me odd and whom I disliked. Sophie picked on my ring as well, whilst my father was already miffed that I was wearing it. I was really angry when she called it ‘a weird piece of jewellery’. “I wouldn’t like to carry the faces of strange people around with me at all, that’s creepy!” I can still hear her mocking voice. Right, she doesn’t have to, it’s mine anyway. I don’t like her engagement ring either, a flashy affair with lots of small diamonds. I prefer one big stone, if I should ever get a say in these things. I couldn’t shut up and said it out loud and the weekend went downhill from there.
Now I traipse up the stairs, looking forward to a hot bath, but I see a white envelope under my door. Somebody must have delivered it by hand because there’s no stamp or address on it, just my name. Curiously I unlock the door and rip the letter open. It’s not a letter at all but an invitation to a gallery opening next Thursday. Rupert’s going to have an exhibition of his work, wow! I don’t recognise the name of the gallery but that doesn’t mean a thing as I’m not really knowledgeable about the fine arts. How could I be when the artworks my father hangs on our walls are old prints of trains. Weariness and bad mood forgotten I switch on the lights and close the curtains. My bright star is visible too. It glows and shimmers after being hidden by clouds for the last few days. I put on a Red Hot Chilli Peppers CD and open a bottle of wine. Then I speed dial Natalie to bitch about my weekend and find out about Will’s party. How good to be home again!
I've spent too much time in front of the mirror, so I’m very late. I look through the wide glass front of the gallery and there are already lots of people there. I’m very relieved for Rupert, there’s nothing more embarrassing than an opening without people. I push open the door and suddenly freeze. The silence inside is absolute, it’s like a vacuum, and everybody’s staring at me. I shiver, taking a step back and then it’s all over. Loud voices are filling the room which is packed with people chatting, nobody’s taking any notice of me. Flustered I run my hand through my hair. What’s wrong with me? Am I paranoid or just on the verge of acute hearing loss? But they were all looking at me, weren’t they? “You’ve always been weird,” Sophie’s voice repeats in my head. I take a breath, now what’s really weird is that I’m still hovering at the entrance. Quickly I skip down the three steps and look around. Rupert’s large steel sculptures tower above groups of people who are laughing and drinking, and I stand on tiptoe trying to find Rupert or Natalie. Over there I spot Cassius but I hurriedly turn away before he sees me. Finally I see Natalie, surrounded by a group of young men, and over there in the corner is Rupert. He’s so tall that he towers over the other people and my heart suddenly beats faster. He’s deep in conversation with Will and two older men and doesn’t notice me, but Will grins and waves at me. Now Rupert looks up too, smiling at me. A warm glow surrounds me as I walk towards him, butterflies in my stomach. Maybe tonight will be the night! Will he kiss me at last?
“Thanks for coming,” he greets me now and kisses me, alas only on the cheek, yet my face is aflame. At the same time my brain takes leave, my tongue gets too big for my mouth, and all my clever remarks about his sculptures vanish into thin air.