Free Silent Treatment by Jackie Williams Page A

pots clattering coming from the kitchen. “Come on, I’m hungry and as you haven’t eaten since yesterday, you must be starving too. We mustn’t keep your parents waiting. I don’t want them thinking any worse of me.” He caught hold of Carrie’s hand and gave it a quick squeeze before he let it go again and turned towards the kitchen.

 
    Chapter Five
    September 1 st 2007
     
    “Can’t we make it home tonight Antonio? Do we have to stay another night? I really need to get back as soon as possible. Can’t Lisa or Derek drive?” Carrie knew she was clutching at straws, but she was willing to try anything to spend an extra day with Daniel.
    Antonio glared at her.
    “No they can’t. It’s a hire bus and they do not have insurance, apart from the fact they are just as tired as I am. For goodness sake Carrie, we’ve been on the road all day today. I had no idea Scotland was so huge. I’m absolutely shattered. One more night in a hotel won’t kill you, which is something I may do if I don’t get some sleep soon. This tour has been harder work than I imagined. I hadn’t reckoned on all the extra publicity stuff. I assumed that it was just the concerts that we’d be doing. God! How wrong can you be! Serves me right for not checking the small print.” His voice was strained.
    They had stopped in a Birmingham hotel and Carrie felt even more frustrated as she knew that they could be in London in less than three hours.
    She sent Daniel a text and gave him the bad news. She expected him to text back, but she was surprised when a few seconds later her mobile rang displaying an unknown number. Lisa, lead dancer with the group, was looking over her shoulder. She nudged Carrie hard with her elbow and nodded her head vigorously.
    Carrie pressed the receive button. It was Dan iel.
    “Hey, Carrie, I’m on Paul’s mobile. I’ve been an idiot and left mine at home. We guessed Antonio would be knackered.” There was a lot of background traffic noise and then he spoke again. “Paul called Lisa a while back and we set out more or less straight away. Paul said he couldn’t wait another day to see her. We’ll be with you in less than an hour. ”
    Carrie nearly cried with happiness.
    “Well thank goodness for that. I thought I was only going to get one day to see you.” She spoke softly, not really wanting the others to hear. Paul and Dan iel had come to two of the concerts to watch them dance, during the summer and Paul and Lisa had been getting on very well together.
    “I can’t wait to see you Carrie.” Dan iel said suddenly.
    “Me either.” She replied quietly. Although Daniel had said nothing to get her hopes up during the summer months, she felt very close to him. Even though she suspected he was gay, she never spoke about it with him and she never spoke about their relationship either. She didn’t want to spoil what she had. “See you in an hour.”
    Her phone clicked off and she sat back, smiling widely, in the lounge chair.
    Antonio looked up at her.
    “Happy now lover boy’s on his way?” He smiled at her indulgently. At sixteen she was the youngest in the group by a couple of years, but they had all become pretty close over the summer.
    She nodded and then shook her head quickly.
    “Of course I’m happy, but he’s not my lover, so don’t go mentioning that will you. He won’t like it.”
    Antonio gave a great guffaw.
    “Well, you could have fooled me. He looked like a dog in heat when he last came to see you. I thought it was in the bag.”
    Carrie stuck her nose up in the air, slightly disgusted with his turn of phrase.
    “Well , you thought wrong then Antonio. You must have got him mixed up with Paul. He’s obviously fallen for Lisa big time.” She ignored her friend’s mad giggling at her side. “Daniel’s not like that. We’re just really good friends. In fact I would say he is my best friend.”
    Antonio shook his head as the corner of his mouth twitched upwards.
    “Okay, if