"It's cool to get a night off and let our hair down a little."
Thus Sylva as they entered the Universal nightclub, uttering a sigh of contentment. "It feels like we've been working our fingers to the bone, I'm glad Jetta gave us a saturday night off! I mean, we're young twenty somethings, we wanna live a little! Showbiz is meant to be glamourous, after all!"
"Sylva, you've made glamour your middle name since we got here." Copper grinned, steering her friend through the crowd as the younger girl almost walked straight into a couple. "And walk straight, huh? You haven't even had a drink yet and you're hopeless!"
"This place is so stuffy and smelly." Nancy wrinked up her nose. "Cigarette smoke and alcohol fumes. Yippee."
"Oh, c'mon, Nance, chill for once, will you?" Sylva begged. "Noone is gonna make you drink if you don't want to, and hell, Sadie's the only one of us who's likely to light up. Just relax, enjoy the music, dance...we need to relax else we'll burn out. You same as the rest of us."
"Syl's right." Sadie agreed. "I'm just glad to have Top of the Pops behind us. I feel more relaxed in this joint, like I'm just another member of the crowd." She grinned. "I like being a celebrity, don't get me wrong, but I don't feel like I've done much to deserve it, and sometimes it's good to have a night off from the hype."
"Beautifully put." Copper laughed.
"Woo, I see some cute guys tonight!" Sylva scanned the crowd, a smile on her face. "Maybe I'll find a nice British holiday romance to tantalise the papers with, huh?"
"You're awful." Nancy rolled her eyes, but the keyboardist was already gone, and Copper grinned.
"You know Syl." She said with a shrug. "Still, least she's sensible enough these days not to get trashed and seduced by some weirdo."
You think?" Nancy raised an eyebrow.
"That's cruel." Sadie chided, lighting up a cigarette and exhaling a cloud of smoke. "Hey, I know this song! It was big in the clubs this time last year - I remember because Cece dragged me down there for my twenty second with a bunch of the girls."
"Cece?" Nancy asked.
"My friend from the flat below." Sadie replied. "I email her from time to time. She's got a new guy..." She sighed wistfully. "She trusts them so easily, and no matter if they break her heart they never lay a finger on her."
"Well, who needs to have a guy here to have a good time?" Nancy demanded.
"Right." Copper agreed. "I vote we get a drink and enjoy the atmosphere while we can! Tomorrow we're back at work."
"Sylva?!"
Across the dancefloor, Sylva heard someone call her name and startled she swung around, her eyes opening wide with surprise and consternation as she recognised the speaker.
"Cameron!" She exclaimed. "I...I didnt expect to see you here tonight?"
"Likewise." Cameron Milligan shot her a smile. "I 'eard Jewel were in England, but I didn't know you was still in London. How's life?"
"Not...not bad." Sylva regained her composure, returning the smile with a warm one of her own. "Busy, though. We played Top of the Pops last night."
Keep him talking, she told herself. Keep him talking and with any luck he won't mention Topaz.
"So I saw." Cameron nodded. "I like the song - one of Nancy's?"
"Yes, as ever." Sylva dimpled. "We're hoping it might be our first UK number one. Mind you, we don't really want to knock the Teenangels off the top spot..."
"The bloody Teenangels 'ave been number one for weeks. Taylor down the pub is an 'ard one to get off the topic." Cameron rolled his eyes. "The locals rather like the fact they've the 'usband of a celebrity down their pub, mind you."
Sylva laughed.
"I can imagine they do." She agreed.
Cameron's green eyes sobered.
"Rora weren't playin' with you last night." He said softly. Sylva bit her lip.
"No, she wasn't." She agreed levelly. "Sadie was. Did you hear about Sadie? She..."
"Syl, I want to know about Rora." Cameron's eyes became beseeching and he took Sylva's hand in his. "She won't speak to me...and now she's quit the group? What's goin' on...Syl, I have to know!"
"There's nothing I can say." Sylva murmured uneasily. "I...I can't...I don't..." She faltered, searching in vain for her bandmates. Inwardly she cursed. What should she do now?
"One of the local rags 'ad a story that there'd been a big Jewel bust up." Cameron continued. "That Rora 'ad walked out on you girls an' taken off back to Canada. So I wondered if that were why me emails wouldn't get through. But then...I saw you on the breakfast show when I were gettin' ready for class. An' you guys refuted the idea that there'd been a row. So what is the truth?"
"Truth is such a broad term, Cameron..."
"Stop messin' with me." Cameron begged. "Syl, you know what I want to know. Jus' tell me." He looked troubled. "I 'eard one other story. I 'eard she were knocked up. Is that true?"
"Topaz isn't pregnant." Sylva met the student's gaze with a relieved one of her own. "I swear."
"Hmm." Cameron frowned, then, "Are you sure?"
"Well, if she was, I think I'd probably know." Sylva responded lightly. "Don't you? Topaz is like my sister - the only person I'm closer to is my own twin."
"Well, that's what I thought." Cameron agreed. "So..." He fished in his pocket, taking out his wallet and pulling out a newspaper clipping, handing it to her. It was grainy and indistinct, clearly printed from the internet, and Sylva took it, a frown crossing her own face as she registered the image. It was an article on Jewel's final show before Topaz had decided to take her leave, and it gave the game away with a vengeance for the Canadian had felt that in the security of a private Los Angeles party the worldwide press would not be there to generate a scandal.
"Tell me the truth."
"Oh God." Sylva refolded the sheet, handing it back. "What can I tell you, Cameron? I've told you the truth. Topaz isn't pregnant. That's the honest truth."
"No, but she was, wasn't she?" Cameron pressed. "When she wasn't online or answering my emails I went and did some digging online, I was afraid something had happened to her and I didn't have the money to call transatlantic. Problem of student income, you know. And I found that. So you better tell me what's up. Rora's my girlfriend, and if something's happened..."
"You don't have to worry about it." Sylva blurted out. "The baby is taken care of."
Cameron stared at her, then a look of horror entered his green eyes.
"You mean...it isn't even mine?" He whispered. Sylva swallowed hard, seeing the way out in an instant, and hating it at the same time. Inwardly praying to be forgiven for the lie she was about to tell, she slowly nodded her head.
"Like I said, it's taken care of." She murmured.
"Oh my god." Colour drained from Cameron's face, then, "Who, dammit? Bloody hell, I really thought she wouldn't do this to me again! Dammit...I thought we'd settled things, I thought she...Sylva, who? When? Tell me!"
"I can't."
"Tell me!" Cameron's eyes narrowed. "It was that Diablo bloke, wasn't it? Luca whatsit? It was him, wasn't it?"
"I..." Sylva looked uncomfortable, lowering her gaze. Silently she apologised to her friend for what she was about to do, then she nodded her head.
"I...think so." She whispered. "A...well, flings...they happen sometimes. Cameron, I'm sorry - I have to go."
Not wanting to see the shocked expression on her companion's face she took her chance to escape into the crowd, heading to the bar and ordering a drink.
"What's up with you? What happened to a hot British hunk?" Nancy's voice disturbed her thoughts and she turned, rolling her eyes.
"I met one." She said darkly. "Only he wasn't my type."
"I'm sorry?" Nancy stared.
"Cameron." Sylva ran her hands through her hair. "Nancy, I've done something bad...something really bad."
"You told him, didn't you?" Nancy demanded. Sylva shook her head.
"Worse." She whispered. "He knew about the baby, I tried and tried to get around it but he wouldn't let me. So...so I lied."
"What did you say?" Nancy looked anxious.
"I kinda told him the baby was Luca's." Sylva twisted her hands together. Nancy's jaw dropped.
"What? But...hell, you know what that suggests about Topaz?"
"I know, I know, and I'm hating myself for it already." Sylva sighed. "It's horrible and I didn't want to. But she did say that we were to do anything to keep him from the truth."
"I don't think she meant suggesting she was a two timing slut." Nancy said cuttingly.
"Nance, stop it. I feel bad enough." Sylva groaned, taking a sip of her drink. "But it's done now."
"What will you tell her?"
"Nothing." Sylva responded quietly. "And I'd appreciate it if you didn't, either. It's between us...so keep your mouth shut, huh? It was done for the best."
Nancy sighed.
"Well, it's not my business. I want nothing to do with it." She said finally. "I only hope you're right. Poor Cameron. He must be feeling like crap right now."
"No worse than I am." Sylva muttered. "Still, when Topaz made it so clear to us, what else could I do?"
She drained her glass in one go. "I want to forget it ever happened now, okay? Just try and enjoy the rest of the night."
"Whatever you say." Nancy shrugged. "Just don't get trashed, okay? We have to work tomorrow."
"As if I could forget." Sylva groaned. "I'm not gonna get slaughtered. I just feel horrible. Still, things will work out for the best in the end.
 At least...I hope they will."