A Seaside Affair (26 page)

‘What do you mean?’ asked Ollie, pretending to be hurt. ‘I was just making conversation.’

‘Why mention your mum nicking the tray, and why call me “Your Majesty”?’

‘Well, you started it by bringing in the bloody shortbread biscuits in the Balmoral tin.’

‘I told you not to say anything stupid, and BAM in you go, up to your neck.’

‘He didn’t notice.’

‘Hutch did.’

Again, Ollie thought of the gun and gulped. ‘Oh yeah. Maybe I’d better head back to the Starfish.’

‘Can I come with you?’ asked Jess.

‘Why?’

‘I can’t stay here. Hutch will want my room and I can’t bear the idea of bumping into HRH on the landing in the morning.’ She looked at Ollie beseechingly. ‘Please?’

‘They may not have any spare rooms.’

‘Can I stay with you? I know I can trust you.’

Ollie felt mildly insulted. ‘Oh. Can I trust you, though? I know what you cougars are like.’

Jess punched his arm. ‘I am a respectably engaged woman.’

She finally found her way into her cardigan and, whistling up the dogs, they left the cottage.

The two of them walked in peaceful silence arm in arm around the green. Ethel and Elsie trotted along, sniffing and peeing happily. The Dog Star shone brightly over the little village of Pendruggan and in the distance they could hear the sound of the sea breaking gently on Shellsand Bay.

‘That’s one Christmas present ticked off the list then,’ Ollie said. ‘It’s the shortbread for Granny.’ And he and Jess dissolved into helpless laughter.

*

‘Darlings …’ Brooke was holding her arms out, inviting hugs from Jess and Ollie. ‘Where did you go last night?’ She was sitting cross-legged on one of the green room sofas, cradling a mug of black coffee. ‘Lou was so worried that Hutch had chucked you out of your own bed.’

Jess bent to accept Brooke’s embrace, then stepped back. ‘I stayed with Ollie at the Starfish
.
You and Louis needed to be alone. You haven’t seen each other for weeks. Did you have a good time?’

Judging by Brooke’s impossibly sexy tousled blonde ‘bed-head’ hair, she could guess what the answer was.

‘Mmm,’ purred Brooke. ‘He’s just soooo … wonderful. In all departments.’

Jess unzipped her warm fleece and put her hands out to fend off any more information. ‘Don’t tell me. I have my memories.’

‘You mean Ollie didn’t jump your bones?’ Brooke laughed throatily.

‘I,’ said Ollie, standing tall, ‘am a gentlemen. I didn’t look once as she undressed down to her polka-dot bra and pants.’

Jess stuck her tongue out at him. ‘Well, I wasn’t going to tell anyone, but now that the gloves are off, do you know how loudly you snore?’

‘I do not!’

‘Oh really? Then why were the windows rattling?’

Brooke sat up straighter, ‘Oh yeah. Jess, there’s a message for you at the stage door. I saw a note with your name on it, pinned up on the board.’

‘Really?’ Jess looked at her watch. ‘I’ve got a few minutes before we start.’ And she walked out of the green room and down towards the stage door.

The note was from Ryan and it was in his handwriting.

Jess, darling, where are you? I’m here in Trevay. Flew in from LA last night and got a car down to surprise you. Stage-door man tells me you aren’t in till 10.00 a.m. I’m at the Starfish having breakfast. Delightful woman there. All over me. Loves
Venini
. Given me the Sea Horse suite, very comfy bed. God, I’ve missed you. Bell me as soon as you get this. R x

Jess felt a shot of pure happiness rush through her veins. She ran back to the green room to get her bag and find her mobile. Jonathan was there, talking to Brooke, Ollie, Colonel Stick and the cast.

‘We’re going to run the whole of Act One this morning, Act Two this afternoon. Try not to stop for anything. Keep going, even if you dry. I want to get a timing on it so I know where to make cuts if we need to.’ He saw Jess at the back panting a little and looking around for her bag. ‘Jess, you OK?’

‘Yeah, I just need to pho—’

But Jonathan wasn’t listening. Like all directors, once he’d given the orders he expected the cast to jump to it.

‘Right, everyone on stage. Mobiles off. No distractions.’

Jess wondered if she could quickly send a surreptitious text to Ryan, but Jonathan was approaching. ‘Jess, I want you to really work the scene with Brooke when she breaks up with Ollie. You are angry with her. You can see she’s making a mistake. But play the anger quietly. Dangerously. That way, when you get to the number, you can wrench the audience’s heart out with the lyrics. Yes?’

Jess put her phone back in her bag and turned her full attention to Jonathan. She had work to do. Ryan would understand.

*

The run-through went well. Nearly everyone remembered their lines and Jonathan was pleased.

Jess was eager to phone Ryan, but Jonathan had other ideas. He clapped his hands to get the cast’s attention.

‘We’re having a working lunch. I’ve sent out for soup and sandwiches. No one is to leave. I don’t want your concentration broken. This afternoon we’ll run Act Two.’

There were groans. ‘Knew you’d be pleased. If you don’t know all your lines, you have an hour to settle in a quiet corner with some lunch and go over them. We’ll start at two fifteen sharp.’

*

The afternoon went badly. Brooke burst into tears when she forgot an entire song and Jonathan, frustrated, shouted at her in front of everyone. Ollie and Jess could only mutely support her and get on with their bits. At last they’d finished and Jonathan was going through his notes.

‘Well, everybody …’ he leaned back in his rehearsal chair and rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger ‘… that was bad. Really bad. I am disappointed in the lot of you. I’m not sure we’ll be ready for opening night.’ He leaned forward and put his arms on the table in front of him. His head followed. In a muffled voice they heard him say. ‘Now piss off and learn your lines.’

In the subdued quiet, people got up from where they were sitting and gathered their bits together, shooting worried glances at each other.

Dan the stage manager, who had been having a whispered conversation with the desolate-looking Jonathan, called out, ‘Listen up, everyone. Call time tomorrow is coffee at 8.30 a.m. On stage and rehearsing at nine. We’ll finish when we finish.’

No one dared to groan as they shuffled quietly off stage and away to the green room.

Jess retrieved her bag and turned her phone on. No messages from Ryan. Brooke, her sexy tousled hair now hanging in rat-tails around a face streaked with tears and mascara, looked broken. Ollie, pale-faced with anger and exhaustion, put his arms round both women.

‘We need alcohol.’

O
llie squeezed the girls into his MG with Brooke sitting on Jess’s lap. As they headed down into Trevay, Jess tried to feel for her phone to ring Ryan, but it was in an awkward position in her bag and with Brooke on her lap there was no way she could get to it. Never mind, she’d be there any minute.

As they climbed the steps up to the hotel Louise Lonsdale was waiting to greet them in reception. ‘Miss Tate! Welcome back. I understand you stayed with us last night?’

‘No, she left me alone last night, Louise.’ Ryan approached, looking impossibly handsome. His blue eyes sparkling. His longer hair shining. His clothes sexy and expensive. ‘Jess wasn’t here.’

Louise looked confused for a moment and then, seeing Jess and Ollie’s look of panic, put two and two together and made at least twenty-three.

‘Oh my goodness! Yes, of course. I meant to say welcome back, Miss Tate. We are looking forward to having you stay with us again. Where are your delightful dogs?’

Ryan walked towards Jess and she leaned into his arms. She had missed him so much. He tilted her head up to meet his face. ‘Yes, darling, where are Ethel and Elsie?’

‘They’re at Rowena’s, in Pendruggan. I left them when I came back with Ollie last night.’

Too late she realised what she’d said. Louise Lonsdale, with a tiny gasp, made off to welcome some non-existent guests and left the frozen quartet standing.

‘So you
were
here, in the hotel, last night?’ He smiled quizzically and held the top of her arm a little too hard.

Ollie stepped in and, leaving out the identity of Louis, told Ryan the truth. Brooke backed him up.

Ryan smiled charmingly. ‘Oh, that’s all right then! That’s what we merry band of actors do, isn’t it! That’s what mates do! It’s great to have
mates.
’ He let go of Jess’s arm and put his arm round Brooke’s waist instead. ‘You look as if you could do with a drink. Coming to the bar, anyone? Drinks with mates. What could be better than that.’

Jess, didn’t like the attention Ryan was showering on Brooke and tried to talk to him. ‘I’m so sorry I didn’t call as soon as I got your message. It was impossible to use the phone. Jonathan was watching us like a hawk.’

‘I understand, Jess.’ He patted her leg. ‘In the same way you understand when I’m sometimes pictured with beautiful starlets. It’s just work. Means nothing.’ The cocktail waitress approached and Ryan made a show of ordering a jug of margaritas whilst flirting with the poor girl. Once ordered, he turned his full attention to Brooke and Ollie and listened attentively to their day in rehearsal.

‘Directors get power mad. Sounds as if he’s full of insecurities. I’ll come down tomorrow and watch.’

Jess was alarmed. ‘Oh, darling. Better not. It might aggravate him.’

‘I’ll be as quiet as a mouse. Won’t say a word. He won’t know I’m there. Promise.’

‘But …’

‘No buts, Jess. He won’t have the balls to throw
me
out.’

‘Perhaps you’d like to have a word with him now, let him know you’re coming?’ Ollie pointed to the entrance of the bar where Jonathan had just entered with Dan the stage manager. They were talking intently and carrying folders which were probably full of scripts and set designs. Jess guessed that they were planning to have a working dinner in the restaurant.

Jonathan waved at the table of actors and came to say hello.

‘Evening, all. Hope you’re not planning to get plastered. Big day tomorrow.’ He said it good humouredly, all earlier stresses put aside for now and Jess saw his eyes twinkling at her.

‘Hi – Jon, is it? The name’s Ryan, Ryan Hearst.’

Ryan stood and thrust his hand towards the director.

‘It’s Jonathan, pleased to meet you, Ryan. I’ve been enjoying
Venini
, it’s a great show.’

‘Yeah, thanks. Just thought I’d pop down and see Jess, see how she’s getting on out here in rep. Working in the provinces is good for keeping your hand in, I suppose, but no substitute for London or LA – that’s where the action is really happening.’

Jonathan saw Ryan glance slyly at Ollie when he said this.

‘Well, we’ve got a top-notch cast here and this is a production that everyone will be talking about by the time we’re finished,’ said Jonathan firmly.

Ryan gave a wry smile. ‘You hope, anyway. Whatever – good luck and all that. Thought I might pop down and see you in action tomorrow.’

‘Thanks, but I find friends and family a distraction in the early weeks. Anyway, I don’t think luck will have much to do with it. Hard work, dedication and commitment are what usually work in my book. Enjoy your evening, all of you.’

Ryan had already turned back to Brooke and Ollie and was continuing his anecdotes.

‘Bye, Jonathan, enjoy your evening.’ Jess smiled weakly; she couldn’t suppress an uncomfortable feeling as Jonathan met her eyes with a puzzled look of his own.

*

The rest of the evening went by in a warm tequila haze as at least two more jugs of margaritas appeared then disappeared down their throats. Ryan regaled them with stories of Hollywood and how ghastly it was to be recognised by all the British tourists holidaying there.

‘I’ve even been given my own security team. Great guys. On location it can be so hard not to be recognised. If someone comes up and says hello, you’ve got to be nice to them hoping that, if they pull a hand gun, the guys will get them before they get me.’

Brooke, thinking about Louis and Hutch said, ‘It’s a dangerous job.’

‘Yeah, but I’m prepared to take the risk.’

Ollie shot Ryan a look of amazement. Did he really think actors did a dangerous job? Or was Ryan sending himself up? Nope. Ryan was not smiling.

They had supper together in the bar and it was midnight before they knew it. Ollie saw the sozzled Brooke into a taxi before staggering off to his room.

Ryan took Jess’s arm and together they negotiated the lift to the magnificent Sea Horse Suite. In the super-king-size bed, Ryan was more loving and tender than he’d ever been to Jess. He buried himself in her and she wrapped her arms round him as he made love to her. She was surprised to see tears in his eyes.

‘What’s the matter?’ she asked.

‘I’ve missed you. Seeing you tonight, after so long … You haven’t been sleeping with Ollie, have you? It would kill me if you were. He’s a pretty boy. Younger than me. You might have your head turned.’

She held him and reassured him and all too soon it was morning, last night’s events only vaguely remembered and she had one hell of a hangover.

Ryan lay half dead in the ruin of the bed. His eyes tight shut and his face squashed against the pillows.

‘Are you coming to rehearsals later?’ she asked, leaning over him to kiss the nape of his neck.

‘Would you mind awfully if I didn’t?’ he mumbled into the Egyptian cotton. ‘Jet lag and all that.’

‘And a tiny hangover?’

‘Possibly. You?’

‘Possibly. I think it’s best you stay here. See you later, my love.’

‘Yeeahh. I’ll just have a little sleep first.’

Jess tiptoed out of the room, hoping to pick up some paracetamol in the Trevay pharmacy on her way up to the Pavilions.

She stood waiting for the lift, thinking over last night. She’d never known Ryan to be jealous before. It rather pleased her. The lift doors opened and, standing in the corner, wearing sunglasses and hanging on to the handrail was Ollie.

‘Nice look.’ She smiled at him.