The Hating Game (17 page)

He crossed the stage and leaned down to kiss her on both che
eks, his spicy cologne burning her nose.

‘
Hello, um . . .
Giancarlo?’ she said tentatively. They
had
only been together for two weeks. Hardly long enough to remember a name, was it?

‘
Giovanni.
’ His face clouded but quickly morphed into a huge grin, which he dealt straight at the camera. Mattie remembered he’d once told her he wanted to be a model. Or an actor. Or a politician, because they got all the hot women.

‘
Yes, of course! Giovanni!’ She nodded as if she’d known all along.

How exactly had they left thi
ngs? Oh yes. Dinner at the hotel the last night of her trip. After watching Giovanni’s mother boss his dad around in the small open kitchen, Mattie had remarked how his mum clearly wore the trousers – very unattractive polyester ones that really needed to be about four sizes larger, but Mattie had kept that bit to herself – in the relationship. Giovanni had got all puffed up and red in face and stormed out, and that was the last she’d seen of him. What a wuss, she thought. She’d meant it as a compliment but clearly it was too much for his ego to handle.

‘
So our single lady has chosen Ex Number Two, Giovanni Costa. Tune in tomorrow at eight to watch Mattie and Giovanni’s date, then make your Date Rate! And see which lucky guy Mattie chooses for the next date!’

Seamus
leered at the camera and swayed. ‘There is no Date Rate tonight, due to Charlie’s hasty departure. But stay tuned after this show for our live exclusive with Charlie’s
former
partner Alistair Perry, as he reveals how he feels about today’s earlier dramatic events. Get the real story, right here on X-ACT!’

The second
the camera swung away from him, Seamus slumped to the floor, head lolling. A loud voice from the control room reminded him he needed to close, and he lifted his chin slightly but remained horizontal.

‘
So join us tomorrow for another edition of . . .
The Hating Game
!’ The lights lowered and
The Hating Game
’s
purple logo flashed up on the screen behind them, casting an eerie pastel glow on their faces.

‘
And we’re out!’ the voice boo
med. And before Mattie could speak to Giovanni, she was ushered offstage, into the waiting car and away from the studio.

*

‘
Let me in! I’ve got your favourite!’ Jess held up the king-sized bag of prawn cocktail crisps to the intercom and jiggled it around. She wrinkled her nose. How Mattie could eat these things was beyond her. They were downright foul.

‘
Hurry
,’ Mattie’s voice sounded through the speaker. ‘It’s just about to start!’

Jess ran up the stairs to the first-floor flat, glancing at her watch. Five minutes until
The Hating Game
broadcast. Mattie wouldn’t tell her what had gone down earlier that day – she’d only said Jess wouldn’t believe it. Jess prayed whatever it was, it didn’t involve poor Adam. He wasn’t returning her phone calls or messages and she was starting to get worried.

Mattie swung open the door
, holding a glass of wine, and Jess blinked. She still couldn’t get used to Mattie’s flaming red hair, although she had to admit it was growing on her. Anything was better than the boring black bob Mattie had since, well, forever.

‘
Have a seat.’ Her friend immediately liberated the crisps from Jess’s hands and plonking her glass on a bureau, opened the bag and popped a handful in her mouth.

‘
Come on, fill me in!’ Jess took a gulp of the wine Mattie handed her. ‘What happened? Who will it be tomorrow?’ Please let it not be Adam, she chanted inside her head.

Mattie shook her head.
‘Nope. I want to see your reaction. Honestly, the whole thing is just crazy.’

Jess nodded slowly, turning
up the telly a few notches as the demented song by the
Jackson 5
blasted out. She normally liked the energetic bopping of
I Want You Back
, but someone had changed the tune so that the notes slid up and down like a camera going in and out of focus. It was just . . . weird. Jess rubbed her arms to erase the goose pimples.

‘
Tonight,’
Seamus Leary’s voice boomed from the set, ‘Mattie Johns and her high-school sweetheart Charlie Robbins give love – and hate – another try. Has romance triumphed over revenge? Watch and see on . . .
The Hating Game
!’

‘
Jesus,’ Mattie swore, stuffing more crisps into her mouth.

‘
Oh my God! Is that our
secondary school?’ Jess asked as they watched a limo pull up in front of the building and Mattie climb out. The camera cut to a shot of a man in a purple jumpsuit instructing them to relax and shake it off. Jess couldn’t help giggling at the expression on Mattie’s face on screen. ‘You’re dancing?’

‘
I know,’ Mattie said g
rimly. They watched her and Charlie crash into each other. ‘Pure torture. But keep watching. It gets worse.’

T
he camera cut to a shot of Mattie leaving the gym, then ballroom music was replaced by the blaring sounds of tango. All of a sudden, the man in the purple jumpsuit grabbed Charlie and pressed his body against him.

‘
What the . . .?’ Jess’s mouth fell open as she stared at the shots filling the screen: hands were sliding over body parts, purple jumpsuit man was nuzzling Charlie’s neck and then a quick shot of Charlie’s parted, panting lips.

‘
Oh my G
od,’ Jess breathed. She glanced at Mattie. It was like prom night all over again! Minus the hideous outfits, hairdos and teachers. She took another look at the screen. Okay, minus the teachers.

Mattie nodded. ‘I know. And the way they’
re cutting it makes it a million times worse. The guy was pretty much just dragging Charlie around.’

‘
Doesn’t
seem like it!’ Jess said, motioning towards the screen where what looked to be Charlie’s leg was pressed up against the purple bloke’s crotch.

Together they watched as Charlie ripped off his mic a
nd stormed out of the gym. Tears streamed down his face and Jess’s heart ached for him. Imagine; your whole life destroyed in front of the nation.

‘
Mattie, you sure about all this?
’ she asked suddenly. ‘I mean, the producers did surprise you with the ex thing. And look what they did to Charlie! Is being on this show really worth it?’ As soon as the words left her mouth she knew they were futile. If the show could help Mattie save her business, she would sacrifice anything. It was all Mattie cared about – especially after Kyle had left, striking a major blow. Her focus and drive were downright scary.

Mattie stared at Jess
as if she’d just announced she was pregnant with Hannibal Lector’s love child. ‘Of course the show’s worth it! It’s the only way to get back on track, finance-wise. You know that.’ Mattie grabbed a handful of crisps.

Jess watched her best friend chomp as she tried to think of a response. But what was the point?
Mattie wouldn’t listen to her anyway.

‘
In a surprise move, Charlie has left
The Hating Game
,’ Seamus’s voice blared from the telly. ‘There is no Date Rate tonight, due to Charlie’s hasty departure. But stay tuned after this show for our live exclusive with Charlie’s
former
partner Alistair Perry, as he reveals how he feels about today’s earlier dramatic events. Get the real story, right here on X-ACT!’

Jess shook her head as the camera cut to a suave older man with a goatee. He was wearing leggings and
a tank top and, like Charlie, sported a full head of highlights.

‘
I’ve been with Charlie since he
first came here after secondary school,’ the man was saying. He turned and blew his nose delicately on a silk handkerchief as the camera zoomed in. ‘Excuse me, this is very difficult.’

‘
Also coming up on
The Hating Game
, our sexy single lady chooses a date for tomorrow!’ Seamus’s voice interrupted.

Mattie snapped off the TV. ‘God, this is dumb.’

Jess grabbed the remote and flipped it back on. ‘Wait! I want to see who you’re dating tomorrow!’

Mattie shrugged. ‘Some idiot who can barely speak English. I don’t know what I was thinking when I shagged him.’

A few minutes later
, Jess’s heart leapt as she watched a foreign man emerge from the pod. Thank God it wasn’t Adam – he was safe for another day, anyway. She’d keep calling, keep trying to reach him. He had to pick up sometime, right? If he
was
on the show, maybe she could convince him it wasn’t too late to back out.

‘
I’d better go,’ Jess said, shrugging on her coat.

‘
Want to stay? I can make up the sofa again.’

Jess shook her head. She had to get home and attempt to get through to Adam again. Mattie was tough enough to handle whatever
The Hating Game
threw her way – but Adam . . .

She’d let him down once. She wasn’t
going to fail him again.

*

A
s the grating chords of
I Want You Back
filled his living room and the credits rolled across the TV screen, Adam switched off
The Hating Game
and turned on the latest version of Snake Software’s interactive video game for his late-night workout. Every fibre of his being craved Jaffa Cakes, but he hadn’t been working out like a fiend every day to ruin it all for some calorific treats.

No, he
thought as he furiously beat the on-screen opponent by slicing off an arm with a sword, all his efforts wouldn’t go to waste. He’d look like a suave hero if it killed him.

He
held out the waistband of his trousers and smiled. Already he’d lost at least a stone, and by keeping to the protein shake and exercise regimen, he’d be sure to drop at least that much next week. The weight loss was visible in his face, too: cheekbones were emerging and his jaw looked firmer, more defined. Adam smoothed down his hair then ran a hand over newly polished skin. Yes, he was getting there.

After what had happened on the show tonight, he had even more of a chance to woo Mattie. Seeing Charlie had shocked him – any competition from secondary school was certainly unexpected. Still, Charlie got what he deserved, treating Mattie the way he had. Adam puffed hard, jogging on the spot as the game reloaded. He hadn’t gone to the prom – if he couldn’t go with Mattie, he didn’t want to go – but he’d heard of the Kwong fiasco from Jess.

He watched the game’s closing sequence; his favourite bit, where the hero sweeps away his opponent then climbs over the castle wall to rescue the damsel in distress. The hero clutches the damsel close, the music swells . . .

Game r
eady!
flashed the screen. Adam took a deep breath and got ready for battle again.

CHAPTER
FOURTEEN

Eighty per cent of
women consider Italian men the sexiest nationality.

Only point five
per cent of women would date a Scouser.

‘
MISS? MISS! OPEN UP!’

Mattie groaned and opened her eyes. Whoever was at her door deserved a good beating. It wasn’t even seven yet and there was still an hour left before she had to get up for Giovanni’s date. Who the hell could it be?

‘
For Christ’s sake, I’m coming!’ she yelled, pulling on her robe. She swung open the door to be faced with a burly woman sporting a very unattractive brown uniform and the beginnings of a matching moustache. By the sound of the voice, Mattie had thought it was a man outside.

‘
Yes?’ Mattie said, scowling.

‘
Bailiff from Eastwood Collection Services,’ the woman said in a low raspy voice.

‘
Bailiff?’ Mattie rubbed her eyes. The woman looked more like a zookeeper than a bailiff. ‘You’ve got the wrong address.’ She tried to close the door but the woman stuck her black-booted foot in the way. ‘What the–?’

‘
I have a warrant
from Westminster City Council to recover one hundred and twenty pounds.’ The bailiff handed Mattie an official-looking document.

Mattie blinked as the small print swam beneat
h her eyes. ‘What? One hundred and twenty pounds? For what?’

The bailiff snorted
and grabbed the paper back again. ‘Look, there’s a record here of all the letters they’ve sent you. Original offence was six months back, a parking penalty charge notice for this vehicle registration number.’ She waved the sheet in Mattie’s face. ‘Is that your car?’