“I think you’d better get the condoms yourself. I don’t have time,” Winnie said brusquely. She didn’t want to flirt with him, or give him the mistaken impression that she was interested. She wasn’t.
“Sorry, darling, I’ll pick them up myself. See you tonight at my hotel?”
“No, thanks, Gill. I’m busy. I’ve got a boyfriend.”
“That’s fine. A little variety never hurt anyone. I’m only in for three episodes.”
“Try someone else,” she said coldly and walked away. She checked in with Elizabeth to see if there was anything she needed, brought her an iced latte, and went to find Nigel just to say hello. She couldn’t find him on the set. He sent her a text at the end of the day, to say that he had to go to a production meeting and couldn’t drive her home. She didn’t mind, since the weather was warm and she liked the walk. But she found it strange when he didn’t call her or show up that night. It wasn’t like him, and had never happened before.
She texted him in the morning. “What’s up? I missed you last night.”
“Sorry. Busy,” he responded, and she walked to work wondering what was going on with him. She didn’t see him until she went to the commissary truck to get some fruit for Elizabeth and saw Nigel eating lunch alone. She walked over to him with a smile, and he looked at her icily.
“Did you have a nice night?” he asked in a glacial tone.
“Very exciting. I did laundry.” She could see that he was furious with her, but she had no idea why. “Would you like to tell me what’s going on? I don’t like mysteries. What are you pissed about?”
“I hear you’ve been testing condoms with the Boy Wonder,” he said, glaring at her.
“Are you kidding? Do you think I’d sleep with that little jerk? He asked me, and I told him to find someone else, and that I have a boyfriend. Was I wrong? I thought I did. It doesn’t sound like it right now.”
“How do I know you didn’t sleep with him?” He still glared at her suspiciously.
“Hopefully because you trust me. I wouldn’t lie to you. He’s ridiculous. Do you actually believe I’d sleep with someone like him, or that I’d cheat on you?”
“I don’t know. Maybe you would.” It was the first ugly side she’d seen of him. He was insanely jealous. Gillian Hemmings was undeniably handsome, but she thought he was a total horse’s ass, and another narcissist. She was starting to discover that they were rampant in the business, men and women who made their living because of how beautiful they were, not how intelligent or talented. Although a few had both looks and brains, they were rare. Many of the pretty ones had slept their way to where they were. It had been said about Gillian, and that he was equally willing to sleep with women or men to get ahead.
“If that’s what you think of me, Nigel, I have nothing else to say to you,” Winnie said, looking as angry as he was, and she took the fruit for Elizabeth and left.
He came looking for her on the set an hour later, while they were watching Gillian do a scene with their ingénue. Elizabeth was due to enter the shot in a few minutes, and Winnie was putting her jewelry on, carefully checking the list of what she was supposed to be wearing for continuity from the day before.
“Can I talk to you for a minute?” Nigel asked, ignoring Elizabeth, and Winnie didn’t look up at him.
“No, you can’t. I’m busy.” He looked embarrassed and skulked off a minute later, and Elizabeth smiled up at her.
“Pissed at him?” she whispered.
“Very,” Winnie said emphatically, and the two women exchanged a smile.
Winnie didn’t see Nigel again until she left work that night. He was waiting for her outside.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said those things to you. I get jealous, and he’s such a good-looking guy.”
“He thinks so too,” she said coolly. “I think he’s a jerk. And you’re much better-looking.” He fell into step beside her as she walked home.
“I just thought…One of the guys I work with overheard what he said to you.”
“Then he should have heard what I said back.” She stopped walking and turned to look at him. “I’m not going to cheat on you, Nigel. If I wanted to be with someone else, I’d leave you. I don’t play those games.”
“I’m sorry…I’ve just been played so often, sometimes I assume all women do it.”
“I’m not one of them,” she said and started walking again.
“I’m a jealous guy,” he confessed, looking sheepish. “I just didn’t see how I could compete with someone like him.”
“You have everything to offer, he doesn’t, except his looks. And you’re a good person. I’d have to be crazy to want him.” They walked on in silence then, back to her cottage, but she had seen a side of him she didn’t like. She didn’t like that he had been so angry and assumed the worst from her. But at their age, they each had their scars from the people they had been with. And she had hers from Rob.
They had a quiet dinner that night, and went to bed afterwards, and when they made love, quietly and gently, she forgave him for what he had assumed so wrongly about her, but she didn’t forget it. He had a strike against him now.
Chapter Nine
The following weekend Nigel surprised her. He’d been trying to make it up to her for his jealous fury over Gillian Hemmings. Gillian finished up his three episodes that Friday, and left the set. Winnie and Elizabeth amused themselves by trying to figure out how many women he had slept with while he was there. They guessed that in ten days, he had slept with thirteen members of the cast and staff, and Winnie suspected he had slept with one of the grips as well. He drove off in his Rolls and no one was sorry to see him leave. He was a walking sex machine but not much else.
But Nigel surprised her by asking her to spend the weekend at his home in Leighton Buzzard. He said it wouldn’t be exciting, but he wanted to introduce her to his parents and one of his sisters who lived nearby. She was married and had three children. And Winnie was touched by the invitation.
They drove for three hours to get there in his battered Jeep, and Winnie was looking forward to it. She had just told Marje about him, and that she was going to meet his parents for the weekend, which made Marje nervous. She didn’t want Winnie putting down roots in England, but Winnie said he was a great guy.
Marje talked to Erik about it afterwards, and he told her not to worry. Winnie had gone away for an extended vacation to get over a breakup and the loss of her job, she hadn’t run away from home. Marje wasn’t so sure, and she missed her. It made her even lonelier for Winnie when she saw her on Skype. But Winnie seemed happy, had a job she was having fun with and experiences she would never have had at home. Working on the set of a hit TV series was an incredible opportunity Winnie was grateful for every day. It was a dream come true for her.
They got to Leighton Buzzard before dinnertime, and his parents were having tea when they walked in. His mother looked thrilled to see him, and his father smiled to see his youngest son. Nigel hadn’t been home in several months, and they were intrigued to meet the American woman he said he was bringing with him. She would be sharing his childhood bedroom with him.
His parents were retired, his father had been an electrician, which was what had gotten Nigel interested in sound equipment when he was young. He had a brother who was an accountant in London, a sister in New Zealand, and the sister who lived nearby was a nurse. His youngest brother worked at a resort hotel in Spain. His mother had worked for the post office. They were solid middle-class people and loved their son. The house was small, but tidy and well kept. His parents looked older than their age, and had worked hard all their lives to provide for their five children. And Nigel was grateful for all they’d done for him and was happy to see them.
They were very polite to Winnie, and asked her about her life in Michigan. She showed them pictures of Marje and Erik and her nephew
s. And after tea, they went to visit Nigel’s sister Julia, who was just coming back from work. She was a surgical nurse in orthopedics and had three young children who were running wild in the house while they chatted. Her husband was a policeman, and had recently been promoted to detective.
She asked about the show, and she and Winnie discovered that they were both addicted to it. Winnie told her that was why she had come to England, and now, through a series of coincidences, she was working as a personal assistant to the lead actress.
“Well, aren’t you the lucky one?” Julia said, ignoring the screams of glee from her children and the pandemonium around them. “It all sounds very glam to me. And very brave of you to come to England just to watch the show from close range. I’d love to do something like that.” She looked envious as she said it. “Do you think you’ll stay here?” she asked, curious.
“I haven’t figured that out yet.” Winnie smiled easily. “I’m just letting things unfold for now.” She glanced at Nigel and he smiled at her. His sister could see that he was very taken with Winnie, although none of his relationships had lasted so far and were usually short-term, which she said to Winnie. Nigel looked annoyed, and gave his sister an angry look to stop her from saying more.
Nigel and Winnie stayed for dinner that night. Patrick, Julia’s husband, was Irish, and the four of them had a good time at dinner, and the children entertained themselves while the adults finished the meal.
The following day, he took Winnie to see where he’d gone to school, and they had dinner with his parents. His father was a history buff, and an expert on World War I. He had made a model of the Lusitania, which was displayed in their living room.
And on Sunday, they drove back to Burnham Market, with a tin of cookies his mother had made for them. It had been a relaxing, cozy weekend, which helped Winnie to get to know him better. She liked his family a lot, particularly his sister Julia. She was a smart, sensible woman, and very down to earth.
On Monday, they both went back to work, and Winnie was happy to see Elizabeth and hear about her weekend. She had flown to Nice, and met Bill in Saint Tropez, where the paparazzi had besieged them, which was to be expected there. He could hardly complain about being in the press after that, or blame Elizabeth for it, as Winnie pointed out. They were going to Spain together later that summer. He had rented a house in Ibiza, and a yacht to go with it. It was a far cry from Winnie’s weekend in Leighton Buzzard, but they each had their own lives, and liked each other despite the differences between them.
Winnie made a decision after her weekend away with Nigel, and she called Marje on Monday, told her about the cottage she’d rented and that she wanted Marje to rent out the house in Beecher for her.
“Does this mean you’re never coming back?” Marje asked in a choked voice, and Winnie felt sorry for her. She didn’t want her to feel abandoned. But she wasn’t willing to give up her dreams this time either.
“I haven’t made that decision,” she said honestly. “I want to stay here for a while. It’s all working out so far. And it seems stupid to let the house just sit there. I might as well make some money on it. I’ll split it with you,” she offered, since they both owned the house. “Why don’t you rent it for six months? You can put my clothes in boxes, so the renters can use the closets.” It made Marje sad to think about it, but it sounded sensible to her too.
“Why don’t you try to come home for Christmas?” Marje suggested, and Winnie nodded and said she didn’t know yet. She’d been gone for three months, and Christmas was four months away.
“That would be nice, though,” Winnie said, thinking about it. They both knew a lot could happen in the next four months, good and bad. Things might be really established with Nigel by then, or over, it could go either way, although things seemed to be getting more serious between them. They were talking about going away in September, during the hiatus before they started shooting the next season. But they hadn’t figured out where to go yet. They had time to decide.
Marje promised to list Winnie’s house with the realtor in town as a six-month furnished rental. She wouldn’t get a lot for it, but it never hurt to make some money. Both sisters were sad when they hung up: Marje because she felt as though Winnie was slowly severing her ties with Beecher, and Winnie because she felt guilty for leaving her sister. But Marje had her own life, and now Winnie had to try and figure out what to do with hers.
“I wish she’d gotten something else in that damn white elephant game at her office last Christmas, instead of the DVDs of the show she’s so crazy about. Another set of coasters maybe,” she said with tears in her eyes, and Erik smiled at her.
“Don’t worry, she’ll be back,” he said, sounding certain. “She’s just spreading her wings a little. She’ll be happy to come home eventually.” He didn’t doubt it for a minute, but as Marje cleared away the dinner dishes, she wasn’t nearly as sure. She sounded much too happy in England, and she was leading a fantasy life, watching the series she loved being made, working for a big TV star, and now she had a boyfriend on the wrong side of the Atlantic. It was fun for Winnie, but it did not sound good to her.
* * *
—
Elizabeth was strangely quiet for the next week or so, and Winnie was worried she had said or done something to offend her. Their joking and friendly exchanges had suddenly stopped. She wondered if Elizabeth felt ill at first, but she claimed she was fine whenever Winnie asked her. And after a few days, Winnie didn’t want to bother her. It was obvious she didn’t want to talk. She spent a lot of time conferring with Bill Anders in private, and frequently asked Winnie to leave them alone, which she hadn’t done till then either. Winnie didn’t want to pry but she began to believe she was going to be fired, and talked to Nigel. She asked if he’d heard any gossip. The rumor mill was very active on the set. But he said he’d heard nothing about it.
“It probably has to do with his divorce. They can’t go on having a flagrant affair like that forever. Everyone loves a love story, but sooner or later, the viewers will just think they’re cheaters and the sponsors won’t like it.” Winnie hadn’t thought of that.
“I guess so. But they clam up every time I walk into the trailer. Before, she wasn’t afraid to say anything in front of me. Now she barely talks to me. I think I must have done something to offend her.”
“Don’t be so paranoid,” Nigel teased her, but Winnie had a weird feeling in the pit of her stomach that wouldn’t go away.
The following Monday, she and Elizabeth were picking which wig to wear in the next shot. Elizabeth had tried several and didn’t like any of them, and they’d just asked the wigmaker on the set to bring over more, when Michael Waterman, the executive producer, burst into her trailer without knocking. His face was purple and he was waving several sheets of paper in his hand.
“When did you cook this up?” he shouted at Elizabeth, as she lowered her eyes and didn’t look at him. He waved the papers in her face and tears sprang to her eyes. “You couldn’t have the guts to talk to me about it? You had to send me a goddamn letter? We work together for six fucking years and you tell me four weeks before we go on hiatus? Do you know what this is going to do to us? You just torpedoed the ship. The Titanic is going down. Is that what you wanted? Well, I’ve got some news for you. I’m not going to let it sink. We’ve all worked too hard and love this show too much to let you destroy us. I thought you had a heart, Liz. We can sue you, you know.”
“No, you can’t,” she said, speaking for the first time, as she raised her head to look at him. She was deathly pale, in contrast to his face, which was scarlet and looked like it was going to explode. “My agent checked the contract, and I have three escape clauses that apply. I can’t help it. I have a right to take a better offer. That show is going to make my career. I can’t turn it down.” She looked deeply regretful, but he couldn’t sway her. And Winnie suddenly realized that she had been so s
ilent because she was making a major decision. It had nothing to do with her.
“Make your career, and destroy mine and everyone else’s on this show. Does that seem right to you?” They both completely ignored Winnie, who shrank into the background in the small trailer, and when the wigmaker showed up, they sent her away.
“I can’t turn down an opportunity like that. I love this show, but they’re offering me three times the money, and an incredible opportunity. I can pick my own cast. They’re giving me everything I ever wanted. And one of these days you’re going to shut down Beauchamp Hall, or Matthew will get tired of writing it, and I’ll have passed this up.”
He ignored what she said, which wasn’t entirely unreasonable, from what Nigel had explained to Winnie. “And who are you picking for your cast?” He took a step closer to her, and glared at her ominously.
“I’m only taking Bill with me,” she said in barely more than a whisper.
“Oh my God, you bitch. He hasn’t even told me yet.” If it were possible, Michael’s face went from red to purple.
“I asked him to let me tell you first.”
“How could you do this to us? And why didn’t you tell me sooner and give us a chance to negotiate with you?”
“Because you’d never give me that much money. And the deal just finally came together a week ago. I thought they were just bullshitting before that, but they’re not.”
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