The Ivy Lessons (29 page)

I do, and he clicks his palm again. The buzzing grows more intense, and the vibrator begins to revolve.

‘Oh,’ I say again. ‘O
h G
od.’ It moves around and around and it feels so good. I look into
Marc
’s eyes and feel like I’m falling into them.

He clicks his palm again and the vibrator spins faster.

‘Oh!’ I nearly fall forwards, but catch myself. I come straight away, moving back and forth against the vibrator.

Marc
slides out from under the table.
He wraps me in a red blanket that’s laying on one of the sofas and lifts me into his arms.
Then h
e carries me upstairs to the second floor, and into the bedroom where I found him last time.

‘Is this your bedroom?’ I murmur.

He nods.

‘You’re putting me into your bed.’

He nods again.

‘Will you get in with me?’

‘I
’ll watch you
until you fall asleep. Then I have work to do.’ He slides me under the silk-covered duvet, and slips under the covers with me.

My head finds a soft silk pillow, and I remember
Marc
’s head laying on it before, his beautiful face calm in sleep.

‘How many other girls have you done that with?’ I ask.

‘Done what with?’
Marc
whispers.

‘With the coffee table.’

‘One,’ he says, and my heart sinks.

‘What about the school uniform?’

‘I bought that just for you.
Again. A little private joke.
I had a suspicion it would make you feel good.
’

I don’t know if that makes me feel better or worse. I close my eyes, feeling his arms around my shoulders. ‘Tell me about how you met Denise,’ I say. ‘She’s so fond of you.’

There’s silence, and for a moment I think
Marc
won’t answer. But then he says: ‘And I’m fond of her. I’d be a very different person if it wasn’t for her. She took in a young, difficult bo
y when no one else wanted to be anywhere near me. She was like a second mother to me
.’

‘My mother p
assed away when I was young, just like yours
,’ I say.

I hear
Marc
inhale a deep breath and let it all out, and I feel his chest heave into my back.

‘I know. Actually
, I guessed. From reading about your family set-up on your entry form, and the way you are. Independent, but fragile.’

‘I felt really fragile today,’ I admit. ‘I feel like maybe I’m in too deep. Way over my head. You’re so experienced. And so ... the things you’re into.’

Marc
laughs. ‘I’m not so unusual, believe me.’ He strokes my hair. ‘And you liked it. I knew you’d like it or I wouldn’t have tried it.’

‘Maybe,’ I murmur, feeling sleep take over me. I fight it. I don’t want to lose a moment with
Marc
, and this is one of the nicest moments we’ve had. I feel the bare skin of his arms against mine, and his stubble against my shoulder as he talks.
‘How did you lose your mother?’

‘Car accident,’ says
Marc
, but the unusual tone to his voice tells me that maybe this wasn’t the case.

‘Really?’ I ask.
I remember his words from the hospital and parrot him:
‘I’m an actor too, you know. I know when someone’s lying.’

Marc
laughs. ‘Okay. It wasn’t a car accident. It was a brain tumour. Long and slow and painful. I watched her go from my mother into a grey, shadow of a woman, and my father turn from a proud, controlling man into a tyrant.’

I’m wide awake suddenly. ‘Tha
t’s terrible,’ I say, turning to face him
. His eyes look sad, and I throw my arms around him.

‘I always felt, as a young boy, that I could have saved her. But ... I’ve had a lot of therapy. There was nothing I could have done.’

‘Your father must have taken it very badly,’ I say. ‘I know my dad was a mess after it all happened. He couldn’t eat. He couldn’t sleep. I had to make sure there was food in the house, and that all our clothes were washed.’

‘Little Cinderella,’ says
Marc
, stroking my hair.

‘
I was happy to do it
,’ I say. ‘It helped me cope.

‘I can understand that,’ says
Marc
.

‘What about your dad?’ I ask. ‘How did he take it?’

‘By bullying and controlling my sister
and I
,’ says
Marc
. He wraps the duvet around me. ‘Go to sleep. We’ve got a big day tomorrow.’

‘Doing what?’

‘You’ll see.’

Chapter
61

When I wake up the next morning,
Marc
is sitting on the end of the bed watching the sun rise out of the window.

He sees me stir
, and turns around
. ‘
I wanted to make sure you didn’t sleep in. We have to leave soon.’

‘I never sleep in
,’ I say, stretching
my arms
. ‘Well, hardly ever.’

‘
Rodney
has bought some clothes for you. They’re laid out at the end of the bed. Get dressed, then come down to the garage. Breakfast will be in the limo, on the way to the airport.’

‘Airport?
But what about college?
’

‘Didn’t you read
any
of your introductory paperwork? Today and tomorrow are for performance practise, and believe me – you’ll be practising.
Don’t ask too many questions.’ He kisses me quickly on the head, then leaves the room. ‘Dress. Meet me downstairs. No arguments.
Shower.
Wear
what I’ve given you.’ He slams the door behind him.

I look at the end of the bed, and see a light, white summer dress lying on the duvet, with a pair of strappy cork wedges underneath them. There’s a silk strapless b
ra with a lace-up back and a matching g-string and
navy blue cardigan.

But it’s autumn,
I think, examining the skimpy clothing. The dress and cardigan are by Prada, and the shoes are Kurt Geiger. The
underwear is Agent Provocateur.

I shower, towel my
self dry and slip on the underw
e
a
r, which feels amazing.
The bra seems to structure my whole body as I pull the laces tight,
and the g-string disappears under the dress, making it look like I’m wearing nothing at all underneath.

I don’t usually wear heels, and teeter a little as I try to walk. By the time I reach the garage, I’ve got
the hang of them, and see the l
imo’s lights are on.

I jump in the back of the car, and find
Marc
lounging in the leather interior, wearing loose, grey cargo trousers and a short-sleeved black t-shirt.

The car interior is warm. Tropical, even. It s
mells of fresh coffee and pastries
, and I see a silver cafetiere steaming above the drinks cabinet. Next to
it is a basket of fresh croissants
.

Marc
pours me a coffee. ‘You look absolutely beautiful.’

‘Thank you,’ I say, taking the cup. ‘Now will you tell me where we’re going? I think I’m going to freeze to death in this dress.’

‘You think I’d let you get cold?’
Marc
asks.

‘No,’ I say. ‘I don’t think that. I just wish I knew where you were taking me that doesn’t require warm clothing, and isn’t somewhere people are going to film and photograph us.
Well. You. With me.
’

‘All in good time.’

Chapter
62

We arrive at city airport, and the limo drives right up to a private jet, which sits smartly on the runway.

‘What about photographers?’ I ask.

Marc
shakes his head. ‘There won’t be any here. I only use companies and locations that are discreet.
’

A thought occurs to me. ‘Is that why the press always say you never have girlfrie
nds? Because you’re so discreet?
’

Keith opens the car door and helps me out.
Marc
follows.

‘
The press are right
,’ he says, as we reach the aircraft steps.
‘I never do
have girlfriends.’

I’m a little
shaky in my high shoes, and Marc
takes my hand.

‘Here,’ he says. ‘Let me help you.’

My insides do somersaults at the gesture, and I feel giddy as I take the steps up to the plane.

Inside the plane is all
beige leather. Two frozen marga
ritas wait for us
, decorated with lime and salt,
by the luxuriously large sea
ts
.

‘It’s a little early for drinks,’ says
Marc
with a frown.

‘I don’t know about that,’ I say, as
Marc
leads me to a seat. ‘I think I might need one.’ I take a sip of the tart drink, feeling the alcohol rush into my veins.

Marc
takes the drink out of my hands. ‘I told you,’ he said. ‘Too early.
’
He checks his watch. ‘You can drink it in an hour. I’ll have Merile make you another one.’

‘Who’s M
erile?’

‘She’ll be taking care of us while we’re on board. Serving our refreshments.’

The plane door closes and the engines start up. ‘Now will you tell me where we’re going?’ I ask. ‘And if we’re going a long way away, how am I going to survive with just one outfit?’
And one set of underwear.

‘I had
Rodney
buy a whole new wardrobe for you,’ says
Marc
. ‘A summer wardrobe. You’ll have plenty to cho
o
se from.’

‘You didn’t have to do that,’ I say.

‘While you’re with me, I’ll take care of you,’ says
Marc
. ‘It’s as simple as that.’

The plane jolts, and I feel it begin its drive along the runaway.

‘I’m a little scared of flying,’ I admit. ‘I’ve only ever been on a plane once before.’

‘Don’t worry,’ says
Marc
, leaning forward to do up m
y seat buckle. ‘It’s safer than driving
.’

He pushes a button, and a flat screen and keyboard unfold
in front of his seat
from some mysterious place in the beige leather. ‘I have a little work to do before we reach where we’re going, but don’t worry –
Merile will
look after you.’

‘Okay,’ I say, watching him begin to tip tap on his computer. His brow is furrowed, and soon he’s deep in concentration.

So much for finding out more about hi
m on this trip. Still,
I have him
close to me in a confined space
for at least a few hours
. I consider attempting to distract him, but his expression screams:
leave me alone.
And I’m buckled in. I don’t think he’d be too happy about me un
-
strapping myself.

Chapter
63

Half hour after the plane takes off,
I’m flicking through the film choices on my own flat
screen computer
,
when a beautiful Asian lady appears through a door at the front of the plane. She has long, black hair wound into a tight bun, and she
’s dressed in a blouse and
pencil skirt.

She bows and offers me a steaming towel that smells of lemon. When I reach forward, she uses the towel to massage my hands.

‘Relax,’ she says. ‘Please. Lean back.’ I do, and she lays the towel over my face. She lays each hand carefully on my lap. ‘
Mr
Blackwell
has asked me to manicure your hands and feet. But first, would you like some refreshment? Something to eat or drink?’

I pause, throwing a sideways glance at
Marc
. ‘Do you have Coca Cola?’ I ask, feeling like he’d disapprove.

Merile bows and disappears, returning with an
ice-cold bottle of coke, and
glass of ice and lemon. She pours the drink and sets it on the table next to me.

‘I
’ll
manicure your fingernails now.’ She pulls a black box from an overhead locker, and opens it
up, revealing
Neils Yard pampering products
and twenty
colours
of
nail polish
.