TOYL

your fiancé?’ a man shouted from her right-hand side. He moved into view, blocking her path to the boat. ‘Justin Marshall from The London Daily News : can you confirm that the police want to speak with him?’
    Emma didn’t say anything. She pressed on, looking longingly at the people watching from the upper decks of the boat. The photographers were all bearing down on her, and for a moment she thought she recognised one of them as being Eric, the boy she had met in the park. She ducked past the reporter who had questioned her, but he gave chase.
    ‘They think he might have tried to kill his brother?’
    ‘Leave me alone,’ she said. The flash bulbs were blinding, and she wanted to push them all away.
    Then, suddenly, she felt a strong hand behind her back.
    ‘It’s okay,’ the man said. ‘Security.’
    Emma nodded.
    ‘Get back,’ the man demanded to the press, ‘otherwise you’ll have no more access tonight. Back!’ He swatted away a camera lens. ‘Parasites,’ he muttered under his breath, loud enough for Emma to hear.
    ‘You’re okay now,’ he said, leading her up the gangway, before turning to face the reporter and photographers.
    Breathless and shaken, Emma made her way up onto the deck of the boat.
    ‘Emma, I’m so sorry about that,’ said Guy Roberts, handing her a glass of champagne, and then looking down towards the press. ‘If I’d known that was going to happen, I’d have set the dogs on them.’
    ‘It just took me by surprise, that’s all,’ admitted Emma, feeling quite breathless and giddy. ‘I didn’t think anyone would be interested in me.’
    ‘Oh, how modest you are, Emma,’ he said, putting an arm around her bare shoulders. ‘The British press love their bright young things, especially when they’re as attractive and talented as you. I had a feeling they’d bite on this one.’
    ‘Bite?’ Emma queried.
    ‘We sent out a press release,’ he said. ‘You were the main feature.’
    ‘Oh, right,’ Emma said. Now it made sense – the reporter had obviously been digging around for information following the press release, and had found out about Dan and Richard.
    But did Guy and everyone else on the boat know about it too?
    ‘Don’t look so worried,’ said Guy. ‘I know it’s a bit shocking at first, but you’ll get used to it. One day you’ll be walking down the road with the press two inches from your face, and you’ll have got so used to it that you won’t even notice.’
    ‘I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that.’
    ‘You know, once, when I was dating that movie star – I won’t say her name because it makes me feel queasy – I went to take a shower and found a reporter hiding in the cubicle.’
    ‘Really?’
    ‘Honest truth. And do you know what I did?’
    Emma shook her head.
    ‘I turned on the shower,’ he laughed. ‘You should have seen his face. He looked like one of the survivors from the Titanic! C’mon.’ He led her through the crowds. ‘There are lots of people who are dying to meet you, Emma.’
    The inside of the boat was even more spectacular than the outside. Chandeliers hung from the main entertainment area, which was carpeted and headed by a stage area. Waiters and waitresses weaved in and out of the fashionably dressed guests, offering plates of nibbles and glasses of champagne. The luxury was like nothing Emma had ever experienced before. She would have felt lost if it weren’t for Guy, who introduced her expertly to many of the guests. She met the producer and director, both of whom said that they had heard a lot about her. Then she spoke with Colin Farley, the leading man, conscious that she was blushing. He had seemed lovely, really friendly, and had said he was looking forward to working with her.
    Everything was going great, and she had even forgotten about the incident with the reporter.
    And then she saw him.
    He had his back to her, chatting in a group of four, but she recognised his profile instantly. As if on cue he turned around and he seemed genuinely surprised to see her, although he had to have known she would be on board.
    ‘Em,’ said Stuart as he approached, ‘it’s good to see you again.’

35

    ‘I’ll go if you want,’ Stuart said. ‘I wasn’t planning to come, but Guy called me up at the last minute.’
    ‘It’s okay, Stuart,’ Emma said. ‘You shouldn’t have to leave because of me.’
    ‘Okay, but I’ll leave you alone if you like – let you talk to someone else.’
    ‘I