by Lynsey James
Callum pushed himself off the wall and walked towards me. ‘Oh I dunno. I quite like what I see out here.’
My cheeks began to burn and I almost dropped my phone. As he grew closer, I instinctively took a few steps backwards.
‘I’m sure you’d like it in there loads more!’ I let out a nervous giggle and gestured to the pub behind him. ‘I bet they’ve even got the first round in without us.’
He sighed and ran a hand through his thick brown hair, chuckling softly under his breath. ‘Well maybe I don’t care. Maybe I want to be out here with you.’
‘Well I’ve got a call to make so…’ I held my phone aloft, but Callum didn’t seem to take the hint. He advanced towards me, a devilish smile playing on his full, bow-like lips.
‘Can’t that wait a while? I thought we could get to know each other a bit better, away from the others.’
His hands reached out towards my hips, but a voice behind me made him retreat.
‘Fancy seeing you here, Alice!’
I recognised the voice instantly as Ethan’s and breathed a silent sigh of relief. When I spun round, I saw him standing before me. His arms were folded and that lopsided grin of his had made another welcome appearance.
‘Ethan, what are you doing here?’ I tried to mask how grateful I was for him showing up and failed miserably.
‘Just thought I’d check out the village while I’m here and where better to start than the pub right? What about you? Everything OK?’
He took a glance in Callum’s direction and smiled. The corners of Callum’s mouth turned up but his expression couldn’t be called a smile. More of a grimace really.
‘Well, well, Ethan Fox,’ Callum said, his voice laced with bitterness. ‘What’s a huge megastar like you doing in Luna Bay? Didn’t think a place like this would be exciting enough for you.’
Ethan cocked his head to the side and I could swear I saw his eyes narrow. ‘Well it just goes to show that people can surprise you, doesn’t it?’ He turned his attentions to me. ‘Anyway, I wanted to have a word with Alice, if that’s OK?’
‘Actually, mate, we’re kind of in the middle of something here, so if you don’t mind…’ Callum’s voice was calm and even, but I could tell he was seething at having been interrupted.
‘Actually,’ I said, ‘I do need to chat to Ethan about something. Why don’t you go in and join the others? I’ll be there in a minute.’
Callum’s jaw tightened and his smile shrank a little, but he nodded and headed towards the pub. As he opened the door, I noticed him throw a dirty look at Ethan, who seemed to be either oblivious or totally unfazed by it.
‘Well he seems…pleasant,’ he said with a tight smile. ‘How do you know him?’
‘He’s Prince Charming in the pantomime, believe it or not!’
I laughed and looked through the pub’s window, where I could see the cast members’ table. Lauren was holding court over them, telling a story that Angie and Helen seemed to find absolutely hilarious but that Callum had no interest in. He was totally focused on me and Ethan and looked utterly furious.
‘I take it he’s not taking the method actor approach then?’ Ethan grinned. ‘Because if I’m honest, he seems to have all the charm of a toilet brush!’
A fit of giggles burst from me and I laughed so hard my stomach muscles started to hurt.
‘He’s not so bad really,’ I said after wiping happy tears from my eyes. ‘God it’s been a while since I’ve laughed like that!’
‘That’s a shame because you have a great laugh.’ He paused for a second and cleared his throat. Although it was dark, I could see his face had gone red. For someone who was supposed to be smooth and debonair, he was really quite awkward and shy. I found it endearing ‘Um, anyway… I-I just wanted to ask you if you’d given any more thought to directing the pantomime?’
Oh. I felt my heart sink a little that he’d gone from complimenting me to talking about the pantomime. It was a pretty swift subject change, after all.
‘I have, and I’ve decided I’m not going to do it.’ I hoped my disappointment didn’t come through too much in my voice. ‘I’d have no idea what I was doing and the show would be even more of a disaster than it usually is. So I’m going to let someone else have a go at it.’
Ethan’s face fell and he nodded. ‘I can’t pretend I’m not disappointed. I really wanted to see you put your own unique spin on Cinderella, but it’s up to you. For what it’s worth, I think you’d have made a fabulous director and put on a great show.’
I felt a little pang of guilt, like I’d let him down. ‘Thanks, but I’m sure whoever takes over from me will do just as good a job. In fact, they’ll probably be streets ahead of me! You should still come and see it though.’
I turned and went to walk inside, my stomach twisting itself into knots. My decision had been gnawing away at the back of my mind, but Ethan’s disappointment had made me feel a whole lot worse.
‘What is it you’re so scared of, Alice?’ His voice made me spin round to face him. His features were soft and kind, while light from the pub’s old-fashioned exterior lamps illuminated them. ‘I get this feeling that you’re hiding from something and I don’t know what it is. It’s like you don’t want people to notice you, like you’d rather blend into the background. Why is that?’
That unpleasant yet familiar feeling of being exposed came back. Tears pricked my eyes, but like the consummate professional I was, I managed to hold myself together.
‘You know, you ask a hell of a lot of questions for someone I only met a week ago. Maybe we should stay out of each other’s way while you’re here.’
‘Alice, wait!’
I flounced off into the pub, wiping away some tears that had managed to escape. If there was one thing I didn’t need, it was an overly perceptive actor pretending he knew me when he didn’t.
*
My first night out with the cast of Cinderella went better than I could’ve expected. I managed to join in their conversation and share some of their banter. I began to feel myself slotting into their group and it felt good after being on my own for so long. The only downer was Callum, who insisted on sticking to me like glue and hanging on my every word. The attention was a little overwhelming, especially when it was coupled with some strange looks from Lauren.
‘I think she might want you to go over and speak to her,’ I said, gesturing to Lauren. She was watching us like a hawk, her face set into something between a smile and a frown.
‘Who?’ Callum shrugged and edged his chair closer to mine. ‘The only person I’m interested in talking to is you. Now why don’t you tell me some stories about your Broadway days?’
His voice was a low purr that made my skin shiver. I badly wanted to inch away from him, but my chair was wedged between his and the wall.
‘Oh they’re not that interesting really!’ I laughed awkwardly and looked around me for escape routes. ‘Why don’t you go and see Angie and Helen? You haven’t spoken to them all night!’
The twins did girly little waves in his direction and I was pretty sure I saw them swoon.
‘They can wait,’ said Callum, drawing himself even closer to me. ‘I’m intrigued by you, Alice; the second you walked into the theatre with that little girl lost act of yours, I knew I had to get to know you. You must’ve met so many people while you were in New York. I’d love to hear about them over dinner sometime if you’re up for it?’
‘Erm…we’ll see! I-I’ve just remembered I’ve got another important phone call to make. Be right back!’
Before Callum could stop me, I made a mad dash for the door. I had to get outside, away from his cloying attention. When I got outside and felt the wintry nip in the air on my skin, I breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, I could be in my own headspace without Callum constantly asking me to relive my New York days!
I pulled out my phone and dialled my mum’s number. She was who I’d been meaning to phone before the mini showdown between Callum and Ethan ha
d taken over things.
‘Hiya, it’s me,’ I said when she answered. ‘I just thought I’d let you know I’ve come to the pub with the cast after rehearsals. I’ve not run off to Brazil under a new identity or anything!’
‘The pub eh? I’m very impressed.’ Even through the phone, I could hear how surprised she was. ‘You having a good time?’
‘Yeah, course I am.’ I smiled when I realised I was at least telling half the truth. Apart from Callum’s unwanted attention, it had been a good night. ‘Everyone’s really nice. One bloke’s a bit…over-attentive if you like, but I’m having a really good time.’
There was a brief pause before Mum spoke again. ‘You know, I’m really proud of you, Alice. Even a month ago, you’d never have dreamed of doing anything like this. Now look at you, you’re starting to spend time with people again and you’re even taking part in the panto! I know you joined because you wanted to earn the holiday but it’s great to see you starting to embrace it. It’s good to see you having some fun for a change. Maybe this is you finally starting to move on with your life.’
My heart swelled with pride and I worried I might start crying again. ‘Thanks, Mum. It’s been a long time since I’ve done anything for you to be proud of!’
‘I’ve always been proud of you, darling. I just wanted to see you start to live a little again, that’s all. Now, it looks like that might be starting to happen.’
We said our goodbyes and, without hesitation, I went back inside to join the others. Maybe Mum was right, maybe this was the start of me living again.
Chapter Ten
The rest of the night descended into an alcohol-fuelled haze. When I woke up the next morning with a banging sore head, I cursed the moment I’d agreed to take part in a shots challenge with Lauren. It was a twist on Never Have I Ever…, using musicals. The idea had been to take two shots if we’d been in a production of that musical and one if we hadn’t.
The light slicing through my bedroom curtains hurt my eyes and pain seared across my forehead. My mouth felt dry and my stomach lurched. This was officially the hangover from hell.
There was only one cure: I’d have to lie in bed all day, feeling sorry for myself. As I pulled the covers over my head and prepared to go back to sleep, I heard a clattering from downstairs. Someone was in my cottage and I had no idea who it was.
‘Oh shit,’ I whispered, swallowing hard. ‘Who the hell could that be?’
I wracked my brains to conjure up an image of who I might’ve come home with, but there was nothing. I barely remembered leaving the pub, let alone getting home. How I’d climbed up the hill in my state was anyone’s guess. Then it hit me: my mum had a key. Maybe she’d picked me up from the pub or come to let me in when I’d got home. Yes, that would be it!
I breathed a sigh of relief; at least I didn’t have to worry about a strange man clattering about downstairs.
Safe in the knowledge I wasn’t about to find myself in a slasher flick, I came out of my bedroom and started making my way down the stairs. The smell of cooking wafted up from the kitchen and made me smile. Mum was an amazing cook and I knew she’d have just the cure for my hangover.
‘Thanks for letting me in last night, Mum,’ I shouted from the hallway. ‘I drank way too much last night; I forgot actors know how to party!’
‘I’m not your mum,’ a male voice said with a slight chuckle. ‘Or at least I wasn’t the last time I checked.’
I froze and my mouth dropped open. I knew who that voice belonged to; things had obviously taken a very unexpected turn last night.
‘Who is it?’ I asked, waiting for my fears to be confirmed.
‘It’s Ethan or “you complete and utter smart-arse” as you insisted on calling me last night. How are you feeling by the way?’ came the reply.
A chord of panic struck somewhere deep inside me. Oh shit, shit, shit! What on earth had happened last night? I caught sight of myself in the mirror by the telephone table; I looked like roadkill. My hair looked like something had crawled on my head and died during the night, there were dark circles under my eyes and spots had broken out on my chin. There was no way I could let him see me looking like an extra from Night of the Living Dead.
‘Alice, are you still there?’ asked Ethan.
I jumped in fright and scrabbled backwards up the stairs. ‘Um yeah, sorry I… I was just texting someone! I’m fine though. You can go if you like.’
‘Are you sure? I’m fixing breakfast if you fancy it?’
My stomach rumbled and I sighed in defeat. No matter how rough I looked or felt, my desire for good old-fashioned comfort food won out every time against my pride. I ran my hands through my hair, which was a matted mess, and wiped under my eyes to remove any mascara traces. That would have to do until I could crawl into the shower.
‘Morning,’ I said with a soft chuckle when I walked into the kitchen. ‘Wow, something smells good!’
Ethan smiled and gestured to the plate of steaming-hot pancakes he was dishing up. ‘I thought after last night you might like something good to eat, so I made Nutella-stuffed pancakes with strawberries. Enjoy!’
He handed me the plate while he sorted his own and I took a seat at the table.
He set the plate of gorgeous pancakes down in front of me and sat down opposite me. I sighed and braced myself for possibly the most awkward conversation of my life. ‘Um, Ethan…about last night. What actually happened? I-I can’t even remember leaving the pub, if I’m honest. I mean, did we…? You know, did anything…happen?’
My face grew hotter by the second and I threw my hands over it. Ethan chuckled and a lopsided smile was thrown my way.
‘Don’t worry, I was a perfect gentleman! About midnight last night, I saw you and that Callum bloke leave the pub. You were pretty out of it and he had his arm round your waist. Thought I’d better see if everything was OK and I found you on your own outside because Callum, being the upstanding gentleman he is, had buggered off after you’d tripped on a paving slab and fallen down. I helped you up and walked you back home. You, er, called me “a complete and utter smart-arse” then ended up crying over someone called Jamie. Who is he by the way, an ex-boyfriend or something? I asked you but you fell asleep before you told me.’
My jaw dropped open and mortification hit me like a bucket of ice-cold water. Had I really spoken about Jamie? If so, what had I said? Had I told Ethan what happened in New York? I didn’t speak about him with anyone except my mum and even that was rare. I preferred to keep him to myself, like it would help the memories last longer.
‘Oh my God, I’m so sorry! I must’ve been such a bloody embarrassment. I swear I don’t usually drink at all, let alone that much! I-I didn’t say anything too awful did I? Jamie’s… He’s someone I used to know, that’s all.’
I looked at him, hoping I hadn’t spilled the beans about everything. It was far too personal to tell someone I barely knew. I held my breath and crossed my fingers under the table. Please, please, please…
Ethan shook his head and reached over to give my arm a squeeze. ‘Don’t worry about it. I got the impression this wasn’t a regular occurrence for you. Mainly because you told me about six times when we were walking up the road! All you said was that you missed him and you wished you could see him one more time. I didn’t want to pry because you were too upset. In case you were wondering, I stayed over last night in case you needed some help. I kipped on the sofa. Nothing weird happened.’
I breathed a sigh of relief that nothing untoward had happened. The last thing I needed was an ill-fated encounter with a Hollywood superstar; I had enough on my plate as it was, plus I was nowhere near ready to enter the dating game again. I was also happy that I hadn’t gone into too much detail about Jamie.
‘Thanks, that’s good to know.’ I tried not to sound too relieved in case I offended him.
He gave an awkward shrug. ‘I was just doing what any decent guy would do, that’s all.’
His face turned crimson and his
gaze dropped to the plate of food in front of him. For someone who’d been portrayed as a self-centred, arrogant playboy, he was the exact opposite in real life.
I decided a swift subject change was necessary. These look delicious,’ I said, picking up some cutlery to start eating. ‘And the strawberries are a nice touch too!’
Ethan smiled and began to dig into his own plate of pancakes. A look of pure satisfaction crossed his face as he cut into his pancakes and a puddle of Nutella goodness came oozing out. I couldn’t resist a smile as I watched him.
‘OK I admit it,’ he said when he caught me staring. ‘I’m a Nutella addict and I’m not ashamed to say so!’
‘I’m saying nothing!’ I grinned and took a bite of my pancakes. Fluffy pancakes and creamy Nutella made my taste buds dance and I let out a sigh of pleasure. ‘Wow, these are bloody amazing! Where did you learn to make these? I thought all you Hollywood actors were on macrobiotic diets and thought sugar was the root of all evil.’
He shook his head and I couldn’t help noticing some chocolate at the corners of his mouth. ‘Not me, I’m afraid. I’ve never understood those people who call a stick of celery and a tomato a meal. I’m a sucker for comfort food and anything sweet. I wasn’t sure what you liked to eat, but I thought I couldn’t go wrong with these.’
I felt a little pang of guilt as I remembered my argument with him outside the Purple Partridge. I’d yelled at him and he’d made me breakfast. Nice one, Alice.
We exchanged smiles and I felt my heart melt a little as I realised what he’d done for me. He’d seen me home safely, stayed over in case I’d needed him and made me a lovely breakfast into the bargain. I owed him a huge apology and probably several favours in return.
I looked at him, preparing to eat my huge slice of humble pie. ‘Thanks for looking after me, Ethan, I really appreciate it. And I’m sorry for going off on one at you last night; I was out of order. You were trying to be nice and I stormed off in a stupid huff. I was trying to live a little, but I think I went a bit over the top.’