After a while, she grew weary, and finding a bench that looked out to sea, sat down. Never in her life had she felt more content. Josie yawned slightly. All this excitement had made her feel sleepy. Maybe she could just lie down and take a little nap …
Soon Josie was dreaming. She was in a wood, a dark, spooky wood, and she had lost her way. Somehow, she knew she had got things wrong and she needed badly to find her way back to someone, but who? Her path was blocked with brambles which scratched her arms, as she fought her way through. She had to find her way back; had to make things right.
Eventually, she saw a light flickering on and off in the distance, and she made her way towards it. She could just make out the shape of a large wall, and a tower behind it. Gradually she hacked her way through the branches, more determined than ever that she must find her way to whoever was on the other side of the wall.
Breaking through the last tangles of brambles, and could it be? Roses? Josie ran towards the wall, where she found a gate creaking slightly open. Without thinking, she pushed her way through, and saw the source of the light, a lantern hanging above a gate, by the entrance to the tower. She grabbed the lantern, and raced up the stairs two at a time, determined now to find the person she knew was waiting for her.
And finally at the top of the stairs, there he was curled up on a sofa, fast asleep, with a gentle smile playing on his lips.
‘Oh, Harry,’ said Josie, and kissed him.
Ant and Harry were both exhausted by the time they found Josie curled up asleep on the bench.
‘She can’t half run fast,’ grumbled Ant. ‘I’m knackered.’
‘She’s used to it,’ said Harry, leaning over and breathing fast. He had a massive stitch in his side. ‘She grew up doing cross country round here. Even at home she does mad long runs all the time. I can’t keep up with her. Now what?’
‘Wait for Freddie to sort this out, I guess,’ said Ant, ‘and hope she doesn’t wake up before he gets here.’
Harry threw himself onto the grass and let out a snort. ‘I suppose it is quite funny in a way,’ he said.
‘What is?’
‘Josie, falling for Di. The look on her face … priceless.’
‘I still think you should go for a threesome,’ said Ant. ‘I mean, you and Di …’
‘… Was never meant to happen,’ said Harry firmly. ‘It’s this bloody hypnotism. It’s all gone horribly wrong.’
‘I know,’ said Ant. ‘Sorry. It’s my fault. I should never have suggested it.’
‘You’ve found her then,’ Freddie came puffing up the hill, Diana and Bron behind him. ‘I’m sorry, I had no idea she’d do that. I think the best thing now is if we start again.’
‘Don’t you think you’ve done enough damage?’ said Harry. ‘Can’t you just get us back to square one?’
‘As you wish,’ said Freddie. ‘Let’s have a little reboot. When I snap my fingers you will all go to sleep. And when you wake none of this will have happened. Everyone will be in love with the person they should be.’
Harry wasn’t even aware of feeling sleepy this time. One minute he was awake and the next he was in a deep dreamless sleep, feeling utterly content.
2002: Tatiana
‘You can’t even get me on Celebrity Big Brother? What kind of agent are you?’ Tatiana practically screamed down the phone. ‘I cannot possibly be less well known than Melinda Messenger.’
‘Sorry, Tats,’ Sally Peasebottom said. ‘They say you’re not well remembered enough.’
‘Me, not remembered? God, the public are fickle.’ Tatiana took a drag on her cigarette. ‘What about this new Jungle thingy. I hear Tony Blackburn is up for it. If an old has-been like him can get in, surely it must be a shoo-in for me?’
‘I’ll try,’ said Sally with a sigh, ‘but don’t hold your breath. Word on the street is they’ve signed everyone up already.’
‘So it’s another season doing panto for me, then?’ Tatiana drooped. Oh, God. How had it come to this?
‘Looks like it,’ said Sally, ‘but I’ll do my best.’
Tatiana put the phone down and stubbed out her fag. She looked at herself critically. A few crows’ feet here and there. But not too bad. Maybe she should try this new Botox thing people were talking about. Or a face-lift. Her hair still had a natural sheen and bounce, thanks to the magical hands of her favourite stylist, Colin. He could do amazing things with a bottle, that man.
She was still looking good for her age. Despite the drinking, she’d managed to invest her soap star money wisely, which meant the odd nip and tuck had been available to her. In the good times she’d always remembered the bad, and now the bad were rolling round again, it was just as well she had …
But what would she do when the parts dried up? She was still occasionally in the papers with stories about her latest toyboys – usually an escort she’d paid to hang on her arm – but that wasn’t enough to keep the wolf from the door. She was in danger of being a washed-up has-been.
And that wasn’t even the worst of it. The thing was, her life felt so empty. There had been no one significant for a number of years, and she’d screwed up the one fleeting moment she might have had to get back with Bron. How she could have done that kiss and tell demolition with the News of the Screws, she couldn’t now tell. She still curled up in shame when she thought about it. No wonder he didn’t want anything to do with her, even though she’d read recently he’d split from his wife. Tati couldn’t blame him either. If Bron had done that to her, she’d never have wanted to see him again. But she’d been a different person then. Drink and drugs had a lot to answer for.
And now, here she was, middle-aged, fast losing her looks, with her career going down the pan. And so very, very alone.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Ant stretched and yawned. He was sitting on the ground, on top of a cliff, looking out at a calm and placid sea. It was very dark, the moon shining faintly through the mist, swirling clouds spreading their tendrils across the cliffs. What was he doing here? He had only vague memories of the evening so far. They’d come up to the Standing Stones and then … it was all a bit patchy. Though he had a feeling he’d been doing an awful lot of running; he was aching all over.
He looked around. Josie was asleep on the bench and suddenly it hit him square between the eyes, and he realised how blind he’d been. Holy crap. He felt like his heart was about to explode with happiness. Josie. Josie was what he’d been searching for his whole life. How could he not have seen that before? Beautiful, gorgeous Josie. It had always been her, from that very first moment in the uni bar. If she did but know it. But how could he have forgotten?
Next to him, he heard a groan, and a ‘Where the hell are we?’
Oh. Diana. He had a feeling they had been at odds this evening and somehow it was important – that he was supposed to have sorted something out. But he couldn’t remember.
‘On top of a cliff. Last thing I remember, I was talking to Freddie, and –’ he suppressed a yawn, ‘then I woke up here.’
‘Do you think this daft experience is over yet?’ said Diana. ‘I really want to go home.’
Harry stirred. Ant hadn’t clocked him next to Josie, and suddenly feelings of utter jealousy flooded over him. It was so unfair. Why did Harry – quiet, dull Harry – get someone as gorgeous as Josie? It was all wrong.
‘Hi, Josie,’ Harry said, a little shyly. ‘Are we okay now?’
Josie woke up and the smile on her face made Ant light up inside. But then she ruined it by flinging her arms around Harry and saying, ‘Oh babe. I was dreaming I’d lost you, and then I found you.’ Ant felt a knife twist in his heart.
Josie got up, a little flustered. First she’d flung her arms around Harry, thinking they were alone, and then she’d spotted Ant and Diana were there; and Ant seemed to be radiating negativity on a major scale – but why? Surely he was happy about Harry and Josie, wasn’t he? She vaguely remembered she and Harry had been arguing, and that Ant had been sup
portive, but now the evening’s squabbles seemed to have diminished from a major storm to a minor squall. Josie couldn’t work out what all the fuss had been about, why she’d got so angry. She and Harry could sort whatever it was out. They could do anything together. She was sure of that.
‘I think I’ve had enough of this nonsense,’ she said. ‘Let’s go home.’
‘Good idea,’ said Diana. She looked quite sad and lonely, and Josie felt for her friend. She hoped that Di didn’t resent her own good fortune. ‘I think I’ve had enough. Is this the way back?’ She got up and walked off in the wrong direction, till Josie called her back.
‘This has been an odd evening and no mistake,’ said Harry, holding her hand and squeezing it tightly as they made their way up the track towards the theatre. ‘But everything’s fine now, isn’t it?’
‘Yes, of course it is,’ said Josie, kissing him on the lips.
‘Do you have to?’ Ant sounded quite put out, which was unlike him. He was normally the one to make a bawdy comment.
‘Sorry,’ said Josie. ‘I’m just so glad everything’s back to normal.’
They had nearly reached the theatre when Freddie emerged. ‘Everything all right now?’ he said. ‘Good, good. Then we can start filming again.’
‘Actually, Freddie, we were all thinking of calling it a night,’ said Josie. ‘We’re knackered.’
‘But it’s not yet midnight,’ said Freddie persuasively. ‘And in order to see if my experiment has worked, you should be up at the Standing Stones at midnight plighting your troth. At least hang around till then.’
‘Do we have to?’ groaned Diana. ‘I want my bed.’
‘It was in the contract you all signed,’ said Freddie. ‘And I’m afraid there won’t be any money if you don’t fulfil that part of the contract.’
Josie hesitated. She knew Harry had wanted the money to do something special for their wedding night. And although it wasn’t much, now Diana had lost her job, she probably couldn’t afford to turn it down.
‘The money would be nice,’ said Harry.
‘I could do with some extra dosh,’ said Diana grumpily. ‘Okay, I’m in.’
‘What about you, Ant?’ Josie asked.
Ant shrugged his shoulders. ‘I’m happy to go wherever you are,’ he said enigmatically. ‘Come on, let’s get it over with.’
Harry felt he’d spent a whole night climbing up and down this wretched cliff. He’d know his way round perfectly by the end of the night. Freddie was keen for them to go back to the Standing Stones where they’d started from. It seemed like a daft idea to him. Ant and Diana were hardly likely to declare undying love and he and Josie – well, if he were going to do anything like that, he’d rather do it in private, without a camera crew watching. But money was money, and he couldn’t afford to be choosy.
They made good time back to the Stones. The mist was beginning to clear, and there was a clear view of the moon again, and the stars sparkled and shone. Harry looked up at the sky, getting a sense of how small he was in an infinitely huge universe. Whatever troubles he and Josie had had seemed petty now.
It was still quite warm, despite being so late, and a soft breeze played on his face. He looked at Josie as the wind ruffled her fair curls, marvelling at how someone as beautiful as her could have chosen him. He loved everything about her: the way when she smiled it lit up her whole face, the little dimple on her chin; her clear blue eyes; her heart-shaped face; her flawless complexion. If nothing else came of tonight, at least he’d learned how utterly, irrevocably in love he was with Josie. There was still a huge discussion to be had about what they did about his career, and whether or not to go travelling after the wedding, but he felt they could weather anything now. They were together, united, a complete pair. And nothing else really mattered.
When they arrived, everyone sat down looking more than a little self-conscious.
‘Now what?’ said Diana, who seemed very grumpy, and, he felt, somewhat sad.
‘Now we wait,’ said Freddie with a smile. ‘We wait and see …’
Diana had never felt so discontented in her life. Unlike the others, who appeared to either have blanked out what had happened, or had genuinely forgotten, she remembered snatches of the evening so far. She was filled with mortification at the memories; her dancing with Harry and Josie kissing her were two moments that were making her go hot under the collar. How could Josie be acting as if neither had happened? And then there was that painful conversation with Ant. Diana was uncomfortably aware that she might have got it a bit wrong with Ant, who had been kinder to her then she’d expected. She didn’t want to let him back in her life, ever – least of all by being sympathetic. She could bear his scorn, but not his pity.
Her watch showed that it was nearly midnight. Midnight on a Midsummer’s Eve … She took a sharp intake of breath. Maybe anything was possible. Diana had a feeling of anticipation, of waiting, as if something momentous was about to occur …
‘We should have dressed up as druids,’ said Josie dreamily, leaning back on Harry, clearly feeling the same. ‘I feel all tingly, as if something amazing is about to happen.’
‘Yeah, right,’ said Ant. ‘I didn’t know you were some New Age hippy.’
‘I’m not,’ said Josie looking a bit hurt. ‘But the setting calls for it, don’t you think? I really feel that there’s magic in the air tonight. …’
The moon was brighter than it had been all night, the sea breeze gently blowing the remnants of the mist away. Perhaps Josie was right; perhaps it was a night when magic could happen. Diana looked at Ant, and was overcome with a sudden impulse which, try as she might, she couldn’t resist. All those long-repressed feelings came rushing back – images of them kissing, of them being in bed, of them laughing, of them being together, the pair of them against the world, just the way that Harry and Josie were – came flooding back.
‘Ant,’ she said, slowly, as if a great truth had just been revealed to her, ‘Ant.’
‘Why do you keep saying my name?’ Ant looked confused.
As if in a dream, and despite knowing that once the words were said they couldn’t be unsaid, Di walked over to Ant’s side, knelt down and said, ‘This midnight, on a Midsummer’s Eve, I plight my troth to you.’
Chapter Twenty-Three
‘What? You like Ant now?’ Josie was as stunned as Ant, who was standing open-mouthed.
‘What’s it to you?’ said Diana. ‘You’ve got Harry. Why should you care who I’m in love with?’
Which was true – Josie wasn’t remotely interested in Ant, but for some reason it niggled her that Di suddenly was. After everything she’d said. It was none of her business, but it felt like Di wasn’t being true to herself.
‘I’m your friend,’ she said lamely. ‘And I just do. Ant’s hurt you before – remember he’s Teflon Tone, the guy you’ve hated for years – I don’t want you to be hurt again.’
‘It’s none of your business,’ said Diana. ‘Besides, you can hardly take the moral high ground, considering you were chasing me round the theatre not so long ago.’
‘I – I …’ Oh, God, the theatre; it all came flooding back. Josie flushed deep red. She’d thought she’d dreamt the theatre, and now the memories of pursuing Diana were returning with dreadful clarity.
‘That wasn’t me,’ she said. ‘That was the stupid hypnosis. And so is this. You don’t really love Ant. Freddie’s just been messing with your mind, like he has with the rest of us.’
Of course. It all made sense. Di was jealous of her. Josie had money, looks, Harry. Diana had nothing. Not even a job anymore. Josie took a deep breath and said, ‘Look, I know you’ve had it tough and you’ve screwed things up in the past. But what makes you think Ant would suddenly be interested in you?’
‘Well, Ant?’ said Diana. ‘How about it? We’ve got unfinished business after all.’
Ant’s mouth snapped shut, and he attempted to articulate a response, but all that came out was a strangled gasp.
‘I told you,’ said Josie, ‘he’s so useless he can’t even say it, but this is Ant we’re talking about, he hasn’t changed. No offence, Ant.’
‘None taken,’ said Ant, who seemed to have temporarily recovered the power of speech.
‘You spoilt, spoilt little princess.’ Josie had never seen Diana so enraged. ‘You think the world revolves around you. Why can’t I be happy too?’
‘That’s not what I’m saying –’ Josie protested, but Diana was on a roll now and oblivious to anything her friend was saying.
‘Why poor Harry still wants to marry you after the fuss you’ve made about this sodding wedding is anyone’s guess,’ she continued. ‘All he wants to do is keep things simple, but no, perfect little Josie has to have her perfect wedding, sod what everyone else wants. He’s put everything on hold for you, even his travel plans, but you don’t care, do you? It’s all about you. Christ, I didn’t just create a bridezilla, I’ve created a wedding monster.’
Josie was flabbergasted. In all the years she’d known Di, she’d never been subjected to the full force of Diana’s bitterness, though she’d often witnessed Di demolishing others. It was like sharp shards of glass falling on her from a great height, each more painful than the last.
‘Di, that’s a bit strong,’ said Harry. Her hero. Why wasn’t he standing up for her more? ‘I think you should apologise.’
‘I have nothing to apologise for,’ said Diana, looking truculent and moody.
‘You were out of order and should say sorry immediately,’ Ant butted in.
Diana looked as if she’d been punched in the stomach.
‘I might have known you’d take Miss Goody Two-Shoes’ side,’ said Diana bitterly. ‘Three against one. Nice. I’m done here. I’m going back to the house, and tomorrow I’m going to make my own way home.’
‘What about the contract?’
‘What about it?’ said Diana. ‘I stayed till midnight; it’s been an utter disaster. I’m out of here.’
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