The Coward of Colwyn Bay

Andi awoke to a whole host of text messages. It'll be Lil explaining, she hoped with a half smile, she scanned the notifications. Her heart sank, none of them were from the singer. She had one from Stu. Wishing her a happy birthday. She'd kind of forgotten it was today. There were seven from Ryan getting a bit angrier in tone.

What's the point of you being there if everyone else is getting the scoop?

So how long has she been with the soap actor?

Andi! You better not be ignoring me. So they've just been photographed going into a hotel together.

I knew I should've sent Charlie. You're fucking useless.

Now she's been photographed sneaking away at 4am. Looks like she's had a good night. I want the story, you're on the inside.

Andi call me when you get these.

If you don't contact me, don't bother coming back to work.

The writer's heart was heavy. She cursed herself for believing in Lil, for being stupid. For allowing herself to feel hope. She knew all too well her life wasn't like that. She set no expectations then, she didn't have to endure the disappointment. She messaged Ryan apologetically stating that she was asleep. Also that she was aware of the date and according to Lily's PR it was the singer who arranged it. She'd been wanting to meet Ritchie Sawyer for a while. She felt the sting as she wrote the words. Then she put her phone down, turned the bed back into a table as quietly as she could and headed for the shower past the snoring bunks of Tony and Billy.

She stood under the shower head, feeling the warm spray massage into her scalp and shoulders, trying to lift the tension. She felt a mix of jealousy, hurt and embarrassment. She couldn't shift it, as she stood motionless under the water.

——

Lily was in a car heading for Manchester where she was to meet the tour bus. She cursed the battery life on her iPhone and hoped that Andi would understand.

She'd checked into a room on her own when she got to the hotel. Trying to get some sleep. She didn't though, she was worried about Andi and what she'd be thinking. This was crap. She was hoping that she'd be able to catch her before everyone was up this morning.

Ritchie was a nice guy. But he wasn't what she wanted. Maybe if she'd met him at a different time before the idea of being with the woman that she'd dreamed about for 12 years. She had explained to the actor that her manager had set up the date and that she was interested in someone else. He was disappointed but understanding. They had a good night as friends.

The driver pulled in at the service entrance to the MEN. Security did their checks. Lily checked her watch, before recalling it too was out of charge. She checked the time on the dash of the town car 623 am. Folk will still be asleep.

The driver stopped beside the bus and the singer literally ran from one vehicle to the other. Stepping onto the bus she saw Andi putting her bag together.

"What you doing?" The blonde asked.
"Just getting ready to go," the scot couldn't turn to look at her, "I think I've got enough to write the article so I'll not take anymore of your time."
"You weren't going to say goodbye?"
"Em," Andi stopped what she was doing. She was trying not to cry. "I, eh, just thought it'd be better this way." She lifted her bag still not looking at the singer. "Excuse me." She kept her eyes fixed to the floor as she moved to pass the popstar.
Lily reached up and touched her shoulder. "Don't do this. Nothing happened."
"I don't care." Andi lied. As she stepped off the bus. Lily watched from the door a moment before running after the writer.

"Twelve years Andi. Twelve years I've been hoping to see you again and,"
"Yeah twelve years and you decide not only to go on a date with someone else, you let me find out from your assistant, my editor, from the entertainment page of a tabloid paper. You know this has been hellish. I wish I'd never met you again because I want to remember you as that 19 year old I met. Because she was a lot kinder and braver than you. The only good thing I guess is that I'll stop comparing every other woman I meet to you."
"That's a bit harsh."
"Okay, well if I never see you again it'll be too soon."
"You know what. Fuck you, I've literally been driven over 100miles at stupid o clock in the morning because I wanted to talk to you. Explain. But you're such a child. You stand there and judge me. You're so up your own arse. You have no idea what it's like to be me, to be told what to do, who to see. I didn't arrange the date, I was looking forward to seeing you. But don't worry about it. Here." Lily pulled the picture from her wallet, "you know what take it I don't want it anymore. Yeah sure I've changed, but you have too."

Andi didn't accept the picture. So Lily threw it in at her and it landed in a puddle, she walked back towards the bus. Andi moved her bag over her shoulder and walked away.

Both of them wanted to but neither of them looked back.