Caught by Love: A Lesbian Romance

by Jade Winters

  A young waitress with black hair pulled back into pigtails that made her look younger than she actually appeared, stopped by her table.

  “Are you ready to order?” The waitress did a double take before a look of intense astonishment touched her pale face. “Oh, my God, you’re Alisa Forbes! Oh, my God, I can’t believe this. I just saw your film yesterday and here you are. . .” She broke off mid sentence, looking down at her almost as if she was scared. “I’m sorry, this is so unprofessional of me.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” Alisa said glancing up at her with a smile.

  Relief flooded the waitress’s features. “Thank you, if my boss saw me I’m sure he’d sack me for bothering you.”

  “I take it you’re new here?” There was a gentle softness in her tone.

  The waitress nodded.

  “What’s your name?”

  “Kristie.”

  “Kristie, I’ll let you in to a little secret,” Alisa said confidentially. “Your boss is a very good friend of mine, who is very smitten by my actor friend who I bring here regularly, so if he ever makes a big deal out of your behaviour, you can tell him from me, to chill out.”

  A satisfaction pursed her mouth. “I can?”

  “Yes, you can.”

  She seemed quite happy with that response. “Thanks, I’m sorry to be keeping you, Ms Forbes, may I take your order, please.”

  “Please, less of the Ms. Can I have a sparkling water and prawn salad.”

  “And for the gentleman?”

  Alisa laughed. Gentleman—Bobby would be thrilled she’d called him that. “A neat scotch and a club sandwich with fries. No gherkins, please.”

  With the star struck teenager now absent, no doubt telling her colleagues there was a ‘movie star’ in the restaurant, her thoughts turned to the previous night. Had the feelings she’d felt the night before about Hannah been alcohol induced? If they were, was she still drunk when she awoke this morning? Because she still couldn’t get her out of her head and that made her feel like the worst person in the world.

  Alisa had fallen in love with her the first time Naomi introduced them. She had never met anyone like her before. Very talented but so humble and compassionate, her goodness radiated through every pore. Naomi never knew how lucky she was. Not that Alisa would ever have acted on her emotions. She would never come on to someone who was in a relationship, no matter how she felt about them—especially her best friend’s girlfriend. That was a definite no-no in her book.

  The waitress came back with the food and drinks, discreetly asking Alisa for her autograph which she gave with pleasure.

  Ten minutes later Bobby reappeared looking more than happy with himself. “Done and dusted,” he said brushing his hands together.

  Placing her sunglasses on top of her head she watched him as he took a mouthful of his drink, letting out a satisfied gasp as he laid the glass back on the table. “I take it you’re talking about the audition.”

  “Yep, at five this evening.”

  Alisa raised her eyebrows. “Are you serious? That gives me less than three hours to prepare.”

  “Don’t worry, you’ll do just fine. You’re lucky you don’t have to fly to L.A., they’re over here scouting for locations at the moment. They said filming will start in six months.”

  “I couldn’t have taken another flight over there at the moment. I’ve only just got back here—I need a break.”

  He eyed her glass. “I take it that’s water and not a tall glass of vodka?”

  She stuck her tongue out at him. “Funny.”

  “Well, I wouldn’t put anything past you lately.”

  She dug her fork into her salad and ate some before saying, “Yes, it’s water, my little wobble, shall we say, has well and truly passed.”

  “I’m glad to hear it. I don’t know why you took the slack for all that crap in the first place. You’re a better person than me.”

  She looked up from her food. “We both know that’s not true. You would have done exactly the same and you know it.”

  He picked up his glass and held it in the air. “Here’s to the future, where the sun has banished any looming dark clouds.”

  “I’ll drink to that,” Alisa said, raising her glass to meet his and privately wishing she felt as optimistic as he did.

  Chapter 10

  Their office was large and comfortable. Naomi’s presence was everywhere. Photographs, papers, and personal belongings were scattered across the space. Hannah crossed the room to the glass desk that sat opposite hers and lowered her head in silence, saying nothing as she picked up the stress ball that still had fingernail indents from Naomi’s frustration. She glanced over at Naomi’s leather recliner where she liked nothing more than to sit by the window writing notes for her scripts.

  With Leah by her side and tears welling in her own eyes as she whispered words of encouragement, Hannah forced herself to remain in the room. The time felt right and the longer she remained there the more comforted she became.

  They worked through the paperwork in silence, each woman lost in their own thoughts. So far Hannah had found nothing untoward amongst the seemingly endless amount of paper and Naomi’s diary of dreams containing all her story ideas. Was she becoming so paranoid that she had actually expected to find something?

  Leah had insisted they took a break at midday to recharge their batteries and suggested they head down to the local café along the Thames to grab a light lunch. Hannah was relieved to get out of the house for a bit, she’d missed the hustle and bustle of London while she’d been in the serene surroundings of Cumbria.

  The Italian café was bathed in red. Crimson table cloths and napkins graced the interior as well as chestnut seats with red cushions. Gold framed paintings adorned the walls as if it were an art gallery not a restaurant. Hannah ate there a lot because they served the best carbonara pasta in London.

  Sitting opposite each other, Leah took a mouthful of food before sitting back with a satisfied smile on her face.

  “Now, sorting through things wasn’t as hard as you thought it was going to be, was it?”

  “No,” Hannah admitted, twisting the spaghetti onto her fork, “but it has got me thinking.”

  “Go on,” Leah probed.

  “I think it might be a good idea to sell up,” she said forking the pasta into her mouth.

  A shadow of alarm touched Leah’s face. “You can’t! I mean, why would you want to do something like that?”

  Hannah flinched at the tone of her voice. She was totally taken aback by her response and looked at her mystified. “It’s only a thought, Leah.”

  “But Naomi loved that place—everything about it has her stamp on it.” A faint thread of hysteria coloured Leah’s voice.

  “That’s exactly what I mean—it might be easier to move on if I’m not constantly reminded of our life together.”

  Leah’s body was tense as she leaned forward. “I think you’ll regret it if you do that.”

  Hannah let out a small sigh. “Like I said, it was just a thought.”

  There was a brief pause in the conversation as Hannah toyed with her napkin. She knew Leah was still upset about Naomi’s passing but her reaction was a little intense. Maybe she was the one being insensitive. After all, Leah had been so busy helping her pick up the broken pieces of her life that she never had time to grieve properly for Naomi herself.

  Uncertainty crept into Leah’s face. “I’m sorry . . . I think being in her office affected me more than I thought.”

  Hannah took a deep breath and said with a sad smile, “That’s okay. I’ll most probably stay there until I’m old and decrepit, anyway.”

  “I know you’ll do the right thing for Naomi’s memory,” Leah said her tone softening slightly.

  “Talking of which, I’ve made a decision about the script.”

  “Good. I hope you’re going to file it away with all the rest of Naomi’s stuff and tell Alisa to take a running jump.”

  “E
rm, actually. . .” Hannah paused feeling uncomfortable under the close scrutiny of her friend. Leah was giving off a very weird vibe all of a sudden that made her regret bringing up the subject. “I’m going to get it made into a film.”

  “What!” Leah stared at her in amazement.

  Feeling her back was against the wall now, forward was the only way. “I’ve decided to direct it myself.”

  Leah’s dark eyes showed the tortured dullness of disbelief. “You’re kidding me, right?”

  “Nope and. . .”

  “What, there’s more?” she asked, her voice was courteous but patronising.

  “I’m going to ask Alisa to play the lead part.”

  Leah’s mouth dropped open and she leaned forward. There was an intensity in her lowered voice as she said, “Have you lost your bloody mind?”

  Hannah held her gaze defiantly. “No—I think it makes sense to ask Alisa seeing as Naomi gave her the script in the first place. I think this is just what I need, it will be like closing the final door, our last chance to work together as a team. I can think of nothing better to celebrate Naomi’s life.”

  Her intention was to make Caught by Love the best film she ever directed. It was like a baby to her that needed care and nurturing to help it grow into the best it could be and if that meant getting Alisa on board to play the lead, then that’s what she would do.

  Leah’s tone hardened. “I think you’re crazy to be doing this and to even think of getting involved with Alisa. You’re just asking for trouble.”

  “I’ve worked with difficult actresses before, Leah, there’s no need to worry. If she agrees to take the part it will all be on a professional level. I really do think if Naomi were still alive she would have offered her the part as well.”

  “I’m not talking about her reputation as an actress. I’m talking about the kind of woman she is, or have you conveniently forgotten about all that?”

  “No, I certainly haven’t, Leah. I think it would have been something Naomi would have wanted for her script to be successful.”

  It was up to her to make it work, to make her last ever work count. She liked the story, no—she loved it—it was written in true Naomi style. Apathy mixed with compassion, delving straight into the heart of human emotion.

  Leah pushed her plate away from her. “Somehow, I doubt that very much, Hannah.”

  Hannah looked at the plate; Leah had barely touched her pasta. “What’s the matter? I thought you were hungry?”

  Leah answered in a rush of words, “It’s nothing. I just feel a bit of a headache coming on. Do you mind if I meet you back at the house?”

  “No, of course not,” Hannah said, retrieving the keys from her jacket and handing them to her. “Do you want me to come with you?”

  “No, you stay here and enjoy your lunch. I’ll just take a couple of aspirin. I’ll be fine by the time you get back.”

  Hannah studied her features. “If you’re sure.”

  “Yes, I’m sure,” she said firmly.

  “Why don’t you have a lay down when you get back. I think I’ll go for a walk—clear the cobwebs for a bit.”

  Leah pushed back her seat and stood to leave. “Good idea. I’ll see you in a short while.”

  Chapter 11

  “That fucking bitch!” Leah swore under her breath as she roughly inserted the key into the lock and let herself in. She was quivering with anger. Her temples pounded and her throat felt constricted, as if someone was choking her. Hannah may not have been physically doing it to her but her words had the same affect. Slamming the door shut behind her, she fell back against it, tears blinding her eyes.

  She could not suppress an overpowering feeling of disgust for the woman she had been supporting all this time. She dropped her bag to the floor and jammed her fist in her mouth to stop herself from screaming. Had Naomi meant that little to Hannah? That in just a year she could even think of selling a house full of memories so she could move on as she had put it. The selfishness of that woman, she thought.

  If it wasn’t bad enough that she wanted to sell the house, what was even worse was her idea of turning Naomi’s script into a film. How dare she! She kicked the door hard, letting out a small cry as the pain shot up her leg.

  Moving away from the door, she quickly walked into the living room and scanned the area for the script. Her eye caught the wad of paper on the floor beside the sofa. She crossed the room and swooped down to pick it up.

  Caught by Love—yes we were, weren’t we, she thought as she removed the first page and began to read. Slowly she sank into the chair, the papers trembling in her hands. The tears in her eyes now flowed—not from anger but from love.

  “Oh, Naomi,” she said, leaning back against the chair. “She’s going to do something that can only end in sadness.” All of the effort she had put in to keeping their secret was going to be exposed. Once Hannah was back on friendly terms with Alisa, it was only a matter of time before it would all come out into the open.

  But what was the point of her finding out the truth now? Naomi was gone. There was no prize to be had. She would be unemployed, probably blacklisted by the film community and most importantly, she would not be able to come to the house which was the only place she felt connected to Naomi and she vowed she wasn’t about to let anyone take that away from her, not Hannah, not Alisa, no one.

  She had invested too much to be tossed away like a bag of rubbish. Listening to Hannah go on and on about how much pain she was in and her suffering, well, what the hell about her? She had no one to talk to. She had to just get on with it, alone.

  But not Hannah, oh no, ever the drama queen with a spine made of jelly. She had run at the first opportunity, instead of sticking around and facing the reality of Naomi’s passing like everyone else. It was one of the many things that Naomi hated about her—that dependency—Hannah held it over Naomi like a noose. That’s why she’d stayed with her, worried what would happen if she left. Naomi had known Leah was strong enough to just love her and let her be free. She made no demands from her and that was why, in the end, Naomi would have chosen her.

  As the anger subsided, Leah thought about the situation more logically. Wouldn’t it be a great testament to their love to have it immortalised on the big screen? In a perverse way the idea began to grow on her. So long as Hannah never found out, everything would be fine. I’ll just have to make sure that Alisa never gets the chance to tell her, she thought. She stood and walked over to the shelf where the picture of the woman she loved and who had loved her back, rested. They had planned to spend their lives together. Naomi had promised that once Hannah’s last film was over she was going to tell her the truth and would leave. But fate had intervened. She had left them both in the end.

  As she stared at Naomi’s photo, her mind wandered back to when they first met. Leah had previously worked as an administration assistant for an advertising firm, when by chance she saw an advertisement for a personal assistant to a film director. Seeing it as a step up from her current position, she’d applied and was called for an interview only to find on the day, Hannah was running an hour late. Whilst waiting, she talked at length with Naomi before Hannah had finally arrived home. The interview was a blur, she hardly remembered any of the questions Hannah had asked or how she had responded. Her mind had been on one thing and one thing only—the dark haired, green-eyed beauty. Hannah had offered her the job on the spot and she’d accepted. Not because it was too good an opportunity to turn down but because she thought for the first time in her life she’d experienced love at first sight. Naomi had a hypnotic quality that had magnetised her.

  She tore her eyes away from the picture and made her way to the shower room. Splashing cold water on her face, she stared at her reflection in the mirror. If the filming went ahead, it should be wrapped up in six weeks—that wasn’t too long to keep an eye on things and to try and keep them apart. She’d make sure Hannah remembered how much Alisa had let her down. She wouldn’t let her forget it. She w
ould make certain of that.

  Walking out into the hallway she picked the phone out of its cradle and dialled a number she knew by heart. Patiently, she waited until the phone was answered by Hannah’s mother.

  “Hello, Maggie. It’s Leah. Yes, I’m fine. I’m just calling to let you know that Hannah is back in town.”

  She held the phone away from her ear for a few seconds with a smile plastered on her face as she listened while Maggie ranted on about her daughter’s lack of care for her and that she hadn’t called her herself.

  When she deemed it appropriate she interrupted her. “I know, Maggie, I’d be pretty hurt too but you know what Hannah’s like.”

  She let Maggie rant on some more.

  “The reason I’m calling is to let you know Hannah’s in a pretty bad way and Alisa is back on the scene.”

  Leah stifled a laugh as Maggie’s voice erupted into a rage.

  “Yes, I’ve tried to talk her out of it but she’s not listening to any common sense.” Bingo! “Yes, I think you coming to stay with her would be perfect. Yes, I know, sometimes when someone is weak you have to be the strong one and take control. How long will it take you to pack? I think it’s best we keep this conversation to ourselves, she'll only think we’re plotting against her if she finds out I called you.”

  Leah smiled, feeling victorious as she hung up. Maggie was on her way and she’d be there within an hour. That was one obstacle down. Alisa would not be getting her foot through Hannah’s front door again.

  Chapter 12

  A river of changing faces passed Hannah as she strolled along the embankment. She wondered if it had been a mistake staying away for so long. As beautiful as Cumbria was, you just couldn’t compare it with London. Whereas in Cumbria you could lose yourself in the serene surroundings of nature, there was no chance of that here—London brimmed with life at every turn.

  In the midst of her daydream she nearly missed hearing her name being called. Turning towards the voice, she shielded her eyes from the sun with her hand.

  “It’s me, Bobby!” the familiar voice called out.