Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

By Marilyn Bennett

Lorraine has a phenomenal voice, but little faith that superstardom will beckon whilst working as a checkout assistant in her local supermarket.

Her luck changes when, unbeknownst to Lorraine, rather dubious circumstances create an opportunity for her to become her idol's stand in. Lorraine not only gets an entree into the life she could have, but also an introduction to Danny, who is handsome, rich and very interested.

But all is not what it seems. This opportunity sets in motion a chain of events that bring her closer to achieving her dream, but further away from reality and the truth.

Lorraine learns very quickly that there's no such thing as a lucky break.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Troubador Publishing Ltd
• Release date: Feb 16, 2018
• ISBN: 9781788034777

Marilyn Bennett

Marilyn has worked in numerous production management roles across television broadcasting for the past 22 years. Her first introduction to writing was being commissioned to write a feature-length script. Over a decade later, she created a short film idea, Granny with Benefits, which soon developed into her debut novel.

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Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

Marilyn Bennett

Copyright © 2018 Marilyn Bennett

The moral right of the author has been asserted.

Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, this publication may only be reproduced, stored or transmitted, in any form or by any means, with the prior permission in writing of the publishers, or in the case of reprographic reproduction in accordance with the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside those terms should be sent to the publishers.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

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ISBN 9781788034777

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Matador® is an imprint of Troubador Publishing Ltd

If at first you don’t succeed, try try again...

Thanks to my editor Joy Tibbs for always being on point and on my side.

Contents

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25.

1.

Paige sat on the bed in her hotel suite, systematically switching between the photos of TMZ and the Daily Mail website on her iPad. She had arrived in London only six hours earlier, yet here she was looking at pictures of Adam out on the town with Laurel Medina.

She had caught the red eye from LA, leaving him fast asleep in their bed after performing her girlfriend duties and telling him she loved him. She wondered how long it had taken for his phone to ring or for him to have made calls once her flight had departed. The pictures suggested it hadn’t been long at all.

Paige continued to flick and search, but she showed no outward sign of feeling an ounce of anger bar an arched eyebrow, for which she had good reason. This was how their dysfunctional relationship functioned. Adam had been salty with her for rejecting his request to attend the UK premiere of her starring role in The Devil’s Whisper, so she was quite sure that this was her punishment.

Adam hadn’t had a Billboard Hot 100 hit in years, while she still charted Top Twenty on a regular basis. He wanted to move into acting, but Hollywood was calling her. It was a constant battle to continue massaging his ego at the expense of her own success, so on days like this she didn’t even try. Laurel Medina was the new pop-princess-in-waiting. This was clearly Adam’s way of staying current and making Paige feel irrelevant. It was working on more levels than she cared to admit.

When she finally dragged herself away from the websites, she called all her London-based friends to find out who was ready to party. She soon realised that her night out was to be at the mercy of voicemail messages and ‘I’ll call you back’ promises. She didn’t want to be alone, so she searched one of her three suitcases for the perfect outfit, convinced that positive action would yield results.

It was then that Dwayne, her head of security, rang.

‘Hey D,’ she said.

‘You’ve seen the photos…?’ he asked tentatively.

She smiled. ‘I was trying to sound upbeat.’

‘Nah, I can hear it. You want me to come up?’

‘Uh uh. I wanna go out tonight.’

‘You know you’ve got a ton of interviews tomorr...’

‘I know. It won’t get messy.’

‘You hungry?’

‘Not really.’

‘Look, I’m gonna freshen up. We’ll get something to eat, have a few drinks and get an early night.’

Paige pulled a face and rolled her eyes, ‘OK. How about I meet you for a few drinks and then you have an early night?

He laughed. ‘No problem. See you in the bar in forty-five?’

‘OK.’

As soon as Dwayne ended the call, he scrolled through his contacts to ‘D’ and dialled a number. When the call was answered, he said, ‘You got forty-five minutes,’ then hung up.

***

Paige had been sitting in the bar for fifteen minutes. It was busy, and had suddenly become uncomfortably dark. Apart from the lights around the bar area, the restaurant was principally lit by candles. The ambient music was most likely seductive to the other patrons, but for an antsy girl in need of a distraction it was far too laid back.

It was only when two waiters emerged with a bespoke birthday plate and bubbles, which made a table in the far corner erupt into a load tuneless rendition of ‘Happy Birthday’ that she spotted him. A few lights too many had been turned on when the birthday cake had come out. When Paige had glanced in that direction, she had seen three men sitting in a booth close to the bar. But she had only really seen him.

His back was facing her, but his right arm was draped along the back of the sofa. Whenever he turned to address his friend, his naturally contoured profile appeared quite beautiful, even though he had a full beard. Paige didn’t do facial hair as a general rule. It made her feel scratchy even without coming into contact with the beard itself.

But when his friend looked in her direction and whispered something in his ear, he glanced over his shoulder at Paige in a flippant way, then nonchalantly looked away. She got a proper look at his face and it turned out that she did do beards after all. He had the kind of beauty that meant you’d give him a ten even if he wasn’t your usual type.

The lights dimmed and Paige looked up at the clock. It was positioned above a mirror that stretched along the full expanse of the bar, and she caught sight of her reflection. She looked how she felt: sombre. She quickly took out her phone and texted Dwayne, ‘Where are you?????’ then popped her phone back in her bag.

When she looked back up at the mirror, the bearded man was sitting two seats away from her at the bar, staring at her reflection. It was a ‘wow’ moment, there was no question about it, but she poker-faced it and calmly held his gaze. After all, this was by no means the first pretty boy she had clapped eyes on.

‘Hi,’ he said, speaking to her reflection and smiling.

‘Hey,’ she said. Her face softened, but she didn’t return his smile.

‘Can I buy you another drink?’

‘I’m waiting for someone.’

‘Can I buy you a drink while you wait?’

‘That depends.’

‘What does it depend on?’ he asked, frowning slightly.

‘It depends on why you want to buy it.’

‘You look thirsty.’

Paige turned to face him, giving him a look that showed she was clearly unimpressed. He was grinning, but still hadn’t turned away from the mirror. She looked back at his reflection.

‘OK, maybe not thirsty,’ he continued. ‘Maybe I just think anyone who’s kept you waiting this long isn’t worth waiting for.’

Paige smiled and rolled her hand in small semicircles to indicate that he should continue.

‘And maybe I can keep you company until this loser shows up. Is that a good enough depend?’

They turned to face each other.

‘Are you a singer or a musician?’ she asked.

‘Nope!’

‘Do you want to get into acting?’

‘Nope!’

‘You have no interest in the entertainment business?’

The man placed his left hand on his chest and raised his right hand. ‘None whatsoever!’

‘Then I’ll have a vodka and cranberry martini.’

The man signalled to the barman, then finally introduced himself.

‘I’m Danny.’

‘Paige.’

The barman approached.

‘Can we have a vodka and cranberry martini, and a bottle of champagne?’ Danny asked.

Paige’s phone buzzed. It was a text from Dwayne: ‘Sorry, heading down to you now.’

Paige sent a brief reply: ‘Tired now. Call me first thing.’ Then she put the phone back in her bag.

‘Why don’t you come and join us till your friend gets here?’ Danny said, all eyes and teeth.

Paige didn’t actually say yes, but she picked up her bag and slid down off the barstool. He signalled to the barman with a nod to bring their drinks over, and she sashayed over to the booth with Danny following behind.

Paige had been sitting with the boys for two hours before she nailed what it was she really liked about Danny. His eighth-wonder-of-the-world beauty was an obvious attraction, but it went beyond that. He had a worldly-wise demeanour, a stillness, and she liked it.

He looked her dead in the eyes when he spoke to her, but that didn’t necessarily mean chemistry. It was more about confidence. This could have been his way of lulling her into a false sense of security, Paige thought.

She hoped she had made it quite clear that she wouldn’t be entertaining any hangers-on that evening, but she didn’t think it was play. It was a sign that he very much knew the value of his own currency and wasn’t intimidated by hers.

His friends, Matt and Julius, were lovely, but she observed that they were miles behind Danny socially. They looked and behaved like fish out of water. Matt wore a baseball cap embellished with sheets of fake gold around its rim, and a landmark-sized watch that screamed, ‘I’ve got this’, moneywise. Julius wore a tailored suit that clearly wasn’t his usual cut, as he intermittently adjusted his trousers at the belt every time he moved beyond comfort.

These subtle cues told Paige the two men had dressed for the occasion, which suggested this was a new environment, or that they needed statement clothing to demonstrate that they deserved to be there. Danny, on the other hand, wore a simple black shirt and jeans. The top two buttons of his shirt were open, and he wore no jewellery. His nails were cut short, as was his hair. His look was simple and elegant.

But Paige was neither naive nor flattered. She had gone out to rinse away the bad taste in her mouth at the sight of the Adam photos, and Danny was helping her do just that. When she asked him if he could get his hands on some coke, it was a test. She had access to her own people in London for anything she needed, but she wanted to see whether she could really party with these boys.

There was also the small matter of Gerald, her manager, who had made it his business to try and control every aspect of her life. She had made promises to him about staying – or in her mind, playing – clean for the next twelve months. Danny immediately despatched Matt to fulfil her request. Matt took out his phone, adjusted his trousers for the umpteenth time and left them to make the call. Within the hour, they had received an express delivery and headed up to Paige’s suite.

The suite was a mess. She had pretty much tipped everything out of her cases while deciding what to wear and, bar the pieces one of her assistants had hung up, no care whatsoever had been given to her belongings.

‘Make yourself at home, guys,’ she said.

Paige pointed towards the living area, where an assortment of bouquets and champagne bottles were strewn over the table and sofas.

She kicked off her shoes, took off her jacket and went into the bedroom. It was then that she heard her phone beep. When she looked at the screen, she saw nine missed calls and seven texts from Adam. She gave her phone the finger and cursed at the screen as if it were a dictaphone. Then she threw it onto the bed along with her bag and jacket, slamming the door as she left.

‘Do you guys play ‘Roll’ over here?’ she asked as she re-entered the living room.

The boys were seated on the sofas and Danny was pouring the drinks. Julius was flicking through the channels on the television and shook his head. Matt was cutting lines of coke on the coffee table.

‘Never heard of it,’ he said.

It was also new to Danny. He felt a twinge of competitive envy that Paige had one up on him. He felt he should have known what it was.

‘How d’you play?’ he asked.

Paige clapped her hands excitedly, then pulled another table alongside the glass one.

‘OK, basically you’re on a roll. It’s like a pie-eating contest, but with liquor and coke. You gotta snort as many lines and drink as many shots as possible in, like, a minute. Whoever finishes first, or does the most lines and shots, wins. You in?’

Danny smiled. ‘I’m in,’ he said.

Julius dropped the remote onto the sofa and sat forward. ‘Yeah, me too.’

‘Yep,’ Matt agreed without looking up.

Paige grabbed a pen from the coffee table.

‘I warn you,’ she said, tying her hair into a bun, ‘I’m semi-pro, so it’s more than likely I’ll whoop your British asses!’

Danny smiled, looking her up and down. ‘Is there a prize?’

She smiled. ‘Yeah. The winner’s basically high for a month. So, who am I beating first?’

Matt was already seated on the sofa opposite Paige, so Danny nodded in his direction. In truth, Danny wanted him to be a guinea pig so he could get the measure of the game and decide whether or not to let her beat him.

The boys secretly watched in awe as she expertly and rapidly positioned the lines of cocaine on the table opposite them. Then she lined up the shots. She raised her eyebrows at Matt as Danny set the stopwatch on his phone. When they were both ready, Danny raised his free hand.

The room fell completely silent. Matt was looking at Danny, but Paige kept her eyes firmly fixed on the table.

‘Go!’ Danny shouted.

The two bystanders watched Paige in amazement. She was already on her third line of coke, while Matt was still gaining momentum from the first. The boys were shouting at him, egging him on. ‘This is no time to start pacing yourself!’ they yelled, but he was just no match for her. As Paige downed her last shot, she silently saluted Danny.

He shook his head at Matt. ‘You waxed wanker!’ he called out with disdain.

‘She’s like a Dyson!’ Matt said defensively, sweating ever so slightly.

Paige stood up and pulled her vest top up so that it partially obscured her face, then raised both hands in the air. The boys laughed.

Julius was up next. He eyeballed Paige with a cocky smirk on his face. The table was set up with fresh lines and shots. Danny reset his stopwatch and raised his hand.

‘Go!’ Danny shouted, swiftly following up with a running commentary. ‘And they’re off! Pop Tart and the Italian Stallion are neck and neck.’

Paige gave Danny the finger mid-snort. He grinned, but continued.

‘Oh, cor blimey, the Italian Stallion is making a cheeky challenge and is slightly stealing away from Pop Tart. Arrivederci! There’s only a whisker between them now, and as we reach the eighth furlong, Pop Tart’s trying to make up some rapid progress. Oh fuck, I think we’re looking at a photo finish here, ladies and gentlemen.

‘We’re moving into the booze first furlong, and it’s neck and neck. Pop Tart’s dribbling in the most unladylike manner in a bid to hold on to her title, and as we move into the home straight, it’s Italian Stallion who’s moving at a winning pace. But hold on! Here comes Pop Tart! Pop Tart’s making a dramatic comeback! Pop Tart’s just passed Italian Stallion… And it’s Pop Tarrrrrrt!’

Julius slumped back onto the sofa and shook his head. Paige coolly stood up and raised her hands again like a champ, but this time she nodded at all three men before sitting down. Julius moved along the sofa to make way for Danny.

‘Come on D-boy,’ Matt said.

‘Just shots for me,’ Danny said.

She sneered at him. ‘Featherweight,’ she said.

‘Heavyweight,’ he said, knowing he needed to stay in complete control, and that drugs and alcohol were never a good mix for him.

Danny calmly took his seat, then looked up at Paige. ‘The grand finale! You know it’s all over now, don’t you?’

‘Let’s do this,’ she said, but her eyes were already beginning to glaze over.

‘You OK?’ Danny asked her.

Paige interlocked her fingers and cracked them outwards.

‘I don’t feel right!’ Julius said. He slouched across the sofa and tried to focus on the stopwatch, but he was clearly struggling.

‘No one’s asking you,’ Matt said, taking the phone from him.

Matt stood at the head of the table. ‘I’ll do it.’

He reset the table with ten shots on each. Danny and Paige stared intensely at one another, mentally preparing for the final round.

‘Ready?’ Matt asked.

They both nodded.

‘Roll!’

The two players began the final round. No one noticed that Paige’s pace had markedly slowed down. Matt was too busy watching the clock, Danny was consumed by his own gameplay and Julius was busy staring at the flowers on the coffee table. He could have sworn blind that they were moving.

The boys didn’t notice that Paige’s eyes were flickering intermittently at a rate of knots. When she finished first in the final round and stood up, holding her hands aloft like the champion she was, they all froze as her eyes rolled into the back of her head. It seemed like everything was happening in slow motion, though it was anything but. Paige’s feet lifted off the ground as she fell backwards and crashed through the glass table.

‘Shi!,’ Danny shouted, jumping out of his seat, the shards of glass crunching under his feet.

Julius stood up, holding his head in his hands and repeatedly cursing. Matt was the first person to touch Paige. There was blood seeping out of the back of her head and she wore a cold, blank stare, but there was zero movement from her body.

‘She’s not breathing. She’s not breathing!’ Matt said, almost in tears.

‘Move,’ Danny said, quickly checking her pulse.

‘Oh god, what do we do?’ Matt asked.

‘Move, man!’ Danny said, suddenly switching to his usual American accent and letting go of her wrist.

‘Oh shit, oh shit!’ Julius was pacing around the room.

‘Shut up and let me think. Check her pulse again,’ Danny said. He got up quickly, took out his phone and rushed towards the bedroom.

He shut the door as soon as he reached it, gripped his phone, then mouthed ‘Fuck!’ three times in quick succession. He closed his hands into fists and simultaneously shook them violently. Then he composed himself and made a call.

‘Something’s happened,’ he said.

Dwayne had been lying down on his bed when the phone rang, but Danny’s words made him sit up and pay attention.

‘What d’you mean something’s happened?’

‘We… we were partying in her suite.’

‘What the hell are you boys doing in her suite?’

‘She invited us, but then things got a bit wild and now she’s not breathing.’

‘What?! Get out of there right now!’

‘But shouldn’t...’

‘Get out now!’ Dwayne said, hanging up.

Danny ran back into the living room and picked up his phone. The others were looking at him.

‘Let’s go,’ he said, heading for the door.

‘We can’t just leave her!’ Matt protested.

‘See yah!’ Danny said, speaking in his English accent again as he opened the suite door.

Julius shook his head at Matt as they hurriedly gathered up their belongings and left the room, closing the door behind them.

Paige was left lying motionless, her torso crumpled inside the coffee table and her legs hanging over the top of it.

2.

Lorraine sat at her checkout station feeling anxious. The label at the back of her polyester jacket was scratching the back of her neck, but the uniform wasn’t the only reason for her irritation. Her mother, Natalie, was in the supermarket, and had been doing her shopping for nearly two hours.

As Lorraine scanned her customers’ shopping, she kept an intermittent eye on aisle twelve: the spirits, water and cordials section. Her mother had been loitering there for twenty minutes at least. Lorraine’s scanning slowed as she caught sight of her mother in her six-inch heels and cocktail dress as she struggled to steer her trolley, which was packed to the hilt, towards aisle thirteen.

Lorraine had been working at Fresh & Co for three years on and off. When the government stopped her child benefit payments at sixteen, her mother had promptly decided that it was no longer beneficial for her child not to work. After much searching, Natalie had found Lorraine a job.

In the early days, Lorraine had been under the false impression that her mother was taking an avid interest in her role at the store by showing a keen enthusiasm in the roles her daughter was undertaking. It was only after a while that Lorraine noted that Natalie’s appearances at the store never coincided with her duties on the cheese counter, or on the shop floor. However, whenever Lorraine was on checkout duty, it just happened to coincide with the day Natalie did what she called the ‘big shop’, which also explained why her mother had advised Lorraine not to tell her colleagues they were related.

Natalie was