“You don’t know the half of it,” muttered Eleanor, causing Muse to hiss at her.
“I don’t know about talking, but she’s certainly communicating her annoyance very convincingly at the moment.”
“Say something, Muse,” begged Eleanor. “Prove to Jake that I’m not going mad.”
“Meow.”
“Bloody cat.”
“Meow!”
“Sorry, sorry! I know, no swearing. Bad Eleanor,” said Eleanor, smacking herself on the head.
“Darling, are you okay?” asked Jake with concern.
“I’m fine. I’m supposed to be curbing my urge to swear. Muse doesn’t like it.”
Jake raised an eyebrow, and looked pointedly at the cat, then at Eleanor.
“Look, I know it sounds ludicrous, but I’m telling you, that cat can talk. Maybe it’s all in my head, but that doesn’t mean I’m losing my mind. I’m perfectly lucid in all other areas of my life, so you can stop looking at me as if I should be committed or something.”
“If you say so,” said Jake doubtfully. “Maybe it’s just stress or something?”
“Maybe,” said Eleanor with a sigh. “I suppose I am a bit stressed lately, what with Christie breathing down my neck. Did I tell you she’s trying to wheedle more money from my dad?”
“No! Really? That woman’s a menace.”
“Tell me about it. I have to take my dad to a meeting next week to try and sort things out once and for all. Oh, that reminds me, I need to take the afternoon off next Friday.”
“Sure,” said Jake swiftly. “Take the entire day if you want.”
“Thanks, Jake.”
“Wait a minute, what time’s this meeting?”
“Four o’clock. Why?”
“Party? Starting at six o’clock sharp? Ring any bells?”
“Crap! I forgot.”
“Mmm, are you sure you forgot?”
“Yes, I’m sure. Don’t forget, it wasn’t definite that I was going, anyway.”
“You have the dress. You have the shoes. You’re going.”
“I’m sure the meeting won’t take more than a couple of hours. If I decide to go to the party, I can be there by eight. It’s fashionable to arrive late to a party anyway, isn’t it?”
“As long as it is late, and not never,” warned Jake. “I know you have a thing for Charming, and turning up at the party looking drop-dead gorgeous will help to move things along in the right direction.”
“I do not have a ‘thing’ for Max Charming!”
“Oh, then you won’t be interested in what he had to say when he saw your pictures, will you?”
Eleanor tried to keep her lips closed, but two glasses of wine on an empty stomach did little to help her self-control.
“Spill,” she demanded.
Jake grinned as he poured the last of the wine into their glasses. Muse eyed him from her position by the door, ears pricked at the ready for new information.
“Well,” started Jake. “He didn’t actually say a lot, but his face was very revealing.”
“How do you mean?” asked Eleanor, leaning forward.
“Well, he tried to hide it, but you could see that his eyes kept being drawn back to the pictures of you. He barely glanced at Jenni’s pictures, but each time he saw yours he was riveted. He said the usual things, like how good the pictures were, and how he had high hopes of me being one of the country’s most sought-after photographers, blah, blah, blah, but you could tell that he was just waffling.”
“I’m sure that’s not true, you’re brilliant at what you do,” said Eleanor loyally.
“Well, yes,” said Jake in a matter-of-fact voice. “That’s a given. He wasn’t really putting any enthusiasm into his words though, if you know what I mean. He was definitely distracted. And when he asked where you were, I told him you were busy. The poor guy looked like a puppy that had lost his favorite toy.”
“Now I know you’re exaggerating,” said Eleanor.
“No, really,” protested Jake. “He lost interest once he realized that you wouldn’t be around for a while.”
“Where was I when all this happened?”
“It was before you arrived yesterday morning.”
“Why didn’t you tell me before now?” she demanded, abandoning any hope of concealing her interest in their new boss. It had been a hopeless cause anyway, she reasoned.
“You were so angry when you walked in; it sort of slipped my mind.”
Eleanor threw him an exasperated look and stood up, carefully stepping around Muse, who was blocking the path to the fridge.
“We need more wine,” she said firmly.
Chapter Seven
Having shared the better part of two bottles of wine with Jake, Eleanor woke up the following morning with an army of little men banging hammers against her skull. She slowly navigated herself out from beneath the duvet, and placed her feet on the ground … which was moving ever so slightly.
She forced herself to eat a bacon sandwich, even though the smell of it was enough to make her stomach lurch in an alarming fashion. She knew from experience that a greasy bacon sandwich would work wonders, if you were strong enough to survive the eating of it.
Muse strolled into the kitchen just as Eleanor was swallowing the last mouthful. The cat gave Eleanor what could only be described as a “lofty” look, and promptly jumped on to the table.
“Hey, you’re not supposed to be on there,” said Eleanor. “When have I ever let you sit on the table?”
“Never mind that, I have to talk to you.”
“Look, I’m really not up to listening to a lecture on my drinking habits,” said Eleanor, turning a little pale as she thought about the amount of alcohol that she had consumed the previous night.
“It’s not that,” said Muse patiently.
“I don’t want to be scolded for swearing, either.”
“It’s not that either, though now that you mention it, it might be wise to avoid the alcohol when you are at the ball.”
“Party.”
“Ball.”
“Whatever.”
“Make yourself a strong pot of coffee, there’s no point talking to you until you wake up a bit, obviously,” sniffed Muse.
Eleanor poked her tongue out, but did as she was asked. Two cups of black coffee later, she was feeling marginally more alive, instead of the zombie-like person she’d been impersonating.
“Right,” said Muse briskly. “First, I’d like to congratulate you on the progress you are making.”
“Really?” said Eleanor faintly. “I was under the impression that you thought I was regressing in my behavior after last night.”
“Getting as drunk as a sailor notwithstanding, you’re actually moving things along rather nicely. I can’t say I approve of the methods that you choose to use, but stripping down to your underwear certainly got Charming’s attention, so I won’t quibble over it.”
“I wonder if Jake was right,” said Eleanor musingly. “I wish I’d have been there when Charming saw my pictures.”
“No, that wouldn’t have worked at all,” said Muse, shaking her head. “It’s actually worked out better this way. This way we have a natural reaction. If you had been there, he might have tried to hide it. Men can be funny that way.”
“How would you know that? You’re, well, you’re a cat. How would a cat know about the way a man behaves?”
Muse gave her a haughty look and lifted a paw to lick lazily.
“Okay, okay, forget I asked,” muttered Eleanor.
“Thank you. May I continue?”
“Oh, continue away,” said Eleanor airily.
“Now that we know you’ve definitely got his attention, you’ll need to make sure you keep it.”
<
br /> “Excellent.”
“I propose that you avoid him at all costs this week.”
“What? How on earth am I meant to keep his attention if I stay away from him? That’s nuts. A completely stupid idea!”
“Ella, dear, trust me on this. It will drive him mad, you mark my words. Think, Ella, think. He wanted to see you on Friday, but you weren’t there. By the time you get to work tomorrow, he’ll have had the entire weekend to mull over what he saw, and will probably be hoping to see you.”
“We don’t know that,” pointed out Eleanor. “I mean, let’s take a step back in to the real world for a second, and contemplate the idea that you could actually be wrong about this. I’ll hold my hand up and admit that I think that Charming is slightly attractive,” — Eleanor ignored the snort from the cat — “but we have no idea if he feels the same way about me.”
“Ella, stop being awkward. I know, you know, and even that over-the-top idiot who calls himself ‘Jake’ knows that Max Charming is more than interested in you.”
Eleanor thought back to the massage that she had received the previous week, and shifted uncomfortably.
“Maybe, but I don’t think we should be getting our hopes up, that’s all I’m saying.”
“Eleanor Mary Gibson, don’t mess with fate!”
“How do you know my middle name? And what’s all this about ‘fate’?”
“I know everything there is to know about you,” said Muse lightly. “I’m your Fairy Godmother, remember? As to the fate thing, isn’t it obvious? My mission here is to get you married to your Prince Charming. I’ve told you this before, why you can’t get your head around it is beyond me.”
True, Muse had told her this before, but having a fairy godmother in the real world wasn’t something that was usual. Having a cat for a fairy godmother was even rarer, and Eleanor was having trouble dealing with it.
“You really think I should avoid him?” asked Eleanor eventually.
“I do,” said Muse firmly. “It really is the best thing you can do at this point. Avoid him all week, and by the time you arrive at the ball, looking fabulously gorgeous, he will be ripe for the plucking.”
“And I definitely want to pluck him.”
“Yes, you … are you making fun of me?”
“Would I?” said Eleanor innocently.
“Hmm. Yes, well, I think that’s all I needed to say to you, so we’ll leave it there. Now, go upstairs and have a shower. You reek of wine and bacon, which isn’t a very nice combination, and your hair looks like you’ve stuck your finger in an electrical socket.”
“I love you too,” muttered Eleanor, losing her grin instantly.
“And don’t forget to put those shoes on when you’re done. Practice, practice, practice!”
“I take it back. I hate you.”
• • •
Teddy arrived for lunch at one o’clock and was greeted with an empty plate. Eleanor quickly explained about her unexpected wine binge of the previous night and told her father that she was going to take him out instead.
“I don’t know that I feel like eating out, Ellie love. You know how I don’t like eating in front of strangers.”
“Nonsense, Dad. We’re only going to a pub, and the only people who will be there will be people like us. They’ll be more interested in their own plates than watching you eat from yours. Besides, I’m starving, and seeing as I was too lazy to cook something; it’s either a pub or a sandwich. Personally, I’d prefer the pub.”
“Well, as long as it’s not too full, then,” conceded Teddy.
“We’ll pick a quiet pub, I promise,” assured Eleanor. “And we’ll hog the cozy corner seat, deal?”
“Deal.”
Foregoing the town center, Eleanor and her father decided to walk a few blocks to the high street. Eleanor lived in a bustling part of Cardiff that was littered with tiny side streets, and had family-run pubs almost on every corner.
“This one looks nice,” said Eleanor, ten minutes later, leading her father through the door of a homely looking pub. “And look, there are mainly older couples in here. Perfect.”
They sat down and swiftly ordered the popular Sunday roast, lamb with all of the trimmings. While they waited for their meals, Teddy had half a stout, while Eleanor, trying to be sensible, stuck to mineral water.
“Did you manage to get hold of Tandy?” asked Eleanor.
“Yes, David said that he’ll be able to make the meeting, and told me not to worry. He said he was glad I was finally taking a stand over all this.”
“Excellent! I always knew he was a good solicitor,” beamed Eleanor.
“I still don’t feel entirely comfortable about this, Ellie.”
“Dad,” said Eleanor warningly.
“I know, I have to do this,” sighed Teddy. “That doesn’t mean I have to like it.”
Eleanor frowned at the unhappiness in her father’s voice, and felt her anger at Christie rise to a higher level. Teddy didn’t need this, not at his time of life. After the trauma of losing Eleanor’s mother, he shouldn’t have had to deal with anything else. Luckily, their food arrived promptly and the sight of it brought a smile to her father’s face.
“This looks good,” he said happily. “I haven’t had a lamb roast for I don’t know how long.”
Eleanor made a mental note to buy lamb more often. She never really thought about what meat to use when she cooked Sunday lunch for her dad, and being naturally disorganized, usually ended up grabbing one of the last chickens from the shelf in her local corner shop.
The meal was delicious, and Eleanor had the satisfaction of seeing her father eat every last scrap from his plate. At least his appetite hadn’t been ruined by the Christie situation, and for that, she was thankful. On top of everything else, she couldn’t handle worrying about her father’s health, too.
They finished their meal in companionable silence, and Teddy indulged in another half of stout. They debated on whether they should order a dessert, but Eleanor assured her father that she had a large chocolate gateau at home just waiting to be consumed. Disorganized she might be, but when it came to desserts, Eleanor was always ready.
They arrived back at the house in time for the Sunday afternoon matinee on BB2. Eleanor quickly made a pot of tea, brought out the gateau, and settled down with her father to watch Calamity Jane.
The movie, always a firm favorite, soon had them both singing along with Doris Day, and by the time they joined in on “Secret Love”, half the gateau was eaten, and the teapot was empty. Teddy left around tea time, armed with a package of sandwiches and a small bottle of stout.
“You take these back with you and put your feet up, Dad,” said Eleanor, as she kissed him goodbye.
“Thanks, love. I’ve had a grand afternoon. We should do this every week.”
“Maybe we will,” she replied warmly, looking at her father’s bright eyes with pleasure. “I’ll tell you what, next week we’ll rent a couple of old movies, and I’ll cook us a nice lamb roast, just like we had today, only better. Then we can spend the afternoon stuffing our faces while we watch the classics.”
“Sounds wonderful, love. I’ll bring the cakes, shall I?”
“Brilliant! That’s settled, then.”
As she closed the door on her father’s retreating back, Eleanor smiled. They hadn’t had so much fun for a long time, and it was lovely to see her father looking so happy. They’d always spent Sunday afternoons together, but usually had a quiet lunch at home followed by a walk around the local park. Normally they’d talk about Eleanor’s childhood, rehashing forgotten memories and wishing they were still living in the past. It was always nice to reminisce, but Eleanor suddenly realized that talking about the good old days probably wasn’t helping her father at all. Today they hadn’t mentioned Eleanor’s
mother once, which sort of made Eleanor feel a bit guilty. The guilt was far outweighed by her father’s beaming face, though.
“Did you have an enjoyable afternoon, Ella?” asked Muse, who had obviously been sleeping somewhere, judging from the way she was stretching her body.
“Yes, I had a great afternoon, Muse. The best.”
“That’s nice, dear. Now … Ella! Are those running shoes on your feet?”
“Um … ”
“Shoes! Now!”
“Right.”
• • •
The following day saw Derek go to hitherto unknown lengths in gaining Eleanor’s attention. First, she was greeted by a face full of tulips as soon as she entered the building. Speaking through a mouthful of petals, Eleanor thanked him awkwardly and hastily boarded the elevator. When the morning coffee break arrived, with it came a box of chocolates, shoved ruthlessly into Eleanor’s handbag.
“You’d think he would have got me some decent ones,” remarked Eleanor disgustedly, eyeing the small box of supermarket-brand chocolates with distaste.
“Don’t be ungrateful,” chided Jake, who was doing his best not to laugh, but failing miserably.
“If I have to put up with Derek the Letch, I don’t see why I can’t have something I’d enjoy for my trouble. I can still taste those half-dead tulips, and now he sends me bargain-box chocolates? I mean, come on, give me a break.”
When Eleanor’s lunch hour arrived, she took the precaution of sending Jake out for a sandwich. Technically, it should have been her who got their lunch, seeing as Jake was her superior, but as soon as Eleanor gave him ‘The Look,’ Jake knew it was more than his life was worth to avoid the trip to the deli across the road.
As soon as he returned, Eleanor grabbed her sandwich and escaped to the studio. There were no shoots planned for that day, so she knew she’d be able to hide without any danger of being disturbed.
The studio was in darkness, and Eleanor had to take small, very careful steps in order to avoid bumping into any of the equipment. Luckily, she had her mobile with her, so she used the built-in light to help her to navigate around the various cables and props that were dotted all over the floor. Smiling triumphantly, she spotted the area where she had changed into her “costumes” the previous week.
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