by Lynne Shelby
‘What do you think?’ Daniel said. ‘Do you like it?’
‘It’s a beautiful house,’ I said. ‘And I love the garden. Whereabouts in London is it?’
‘Primrose Hill.’
‘A lot of famous actors live in Primrose Hill.’
‘Yeah, they do.’
I grinned. ‘You’d feel right at home if you bought a house in that part of London.’
‘My thoughts entirely,’ Daniel said.
I looked back at the images of the house on Daniel’s laptop – and gasped when I saw the seven figure asking price. ‘Have you seen how much they want for that place?’
Daniel shrugged. ‘I can afford it.’
I realised I couldn’t argue with that. He’d earned a small fortune on Fallen Angel, and the success of that film had meant that Eleanor had been able to negotiate him an enormous salary for the sequel.
Daniel said, ‘You know all those actors who swear that fame won’t change them in any way?’
‘Yes,’ I said. ‘I can think of plenty of actors like that.’
‘I’m not one of them,’ Daniel said. ‘I’m an A-list star. I have every intention of living an A-list lifestyle.’
‘Well, Primrose Hill is definitely an A-list post code.’
Daniel turned back to his laptop and took another look at the slideshow of the house in Primrose Hill. I watched it over his shoulder.
‘I’ll phone the estate agent tomorrow and arrange a viewing,’ Daniel said. ‘Would you come with me? I’d like someone else to see the place before I put in an offer.’
On the website, the house was gorgeous. I wouldn’t mind living there myself. My heart began beating very fast. I thought, does Daniel want me to go with him to see this house because he’s planning to ask me to live with him? And, if he is, how do I feel about that? I realised that I didn’t know the answer.
‘Lucy?’ Daniel said.
‘Sure, I’ll come with you to see the house. But it’ll have to be in the evening, when I’m not at work.’
‘Of course.’ Daniel went back to surfing the net.
‘I’ll make us some coffee.’ I slid off the barstool, went into the kitchen area and switched on the kettle. My hand was shaking as I spooned coffee into two mugs, and my head was all over the place. I liked Daniel. I liked him a lot. But as for living with him… Somehow I couldn’t imagine us playing house together. I felt very confused.
The kettle boiled. I poured the hot water into the mugs and added milk to mine. I walked over to Daniel and handed him his coffee, black with no sugar, just the way he liked it. He raised his eyes from his laptop and smiled his thanks.
I thought, he is so beautiful. How can I not want to live with him? Then, I thought, get a grip, Lucy. He hasn’t even asked you to live with him. Not yet. You don’t have to think about this right now.
My phone announced the arrival of a text: Last night. My worst date ever Owen xx
Grateful for the distraction from my unsettling thoughts, I sat down on the sofa and called Owen’s number.
‘Worse date ever?’ I said when he answered. ‘Worse than the shouting naked man?’
‘Well, maybe not the worst date ever,’ Owen said. ‘But pretty bad.’
‘So you asked out the girl from the call centre?’
Unlike Daniel, Owen’s last acting job, two day’s work on a gangster movie, hadn’t paid him an A-list salary that would allow him to take time out until his next starring role. Temping in a call centre, his latest ghastly day job, had only been made bearable by the presence of the stunning (according to Owen) girl who sat at the next desk.
‘Yes,’ Owen said. ‘I finally asked her out.’
‘Tell me everything.’
‘I took her to see a film, we went on to a bar, we went back to hers, I kissed her… And then her boyfriend turned up.’
‘She has a boyfriend,’ I said, ‘but she lured you back to her place for sex? She sounds awful.’
‘You’re a bit judgemental,’ Owen said. ‘And I didn’t have sex with her. I only kissed her.’
‘I’m sure you were expecting to have sex with her,’ I said.
‘Given the state of my love life,’ Owen said, ‘I never expect to have sex with anybody. And before you say it, she isn’t a slag.’
‘She was cheating on her boyfriend!’
‘No she wasn’t,’ Owen said. ‘A month ago, they’d had a fight, and he’d told her it was over. And then, last night, he came back, banging on the front door, shouting through the letterbox that he’d been an idiot, begging her to forgive him and let him in.’
‘And did she let him in?’ I said.
‘Yes.’ Owen said. ‘After she’d hidden me in the wardrobe.’
‘She did what?’
‘She panicked,’ Owen said. ‘She didn’t want her boyfriend to find her with another guy. So she shoved me into her wardrobe. Where I had to stay until her boyfriend left this morning.’
‘You’re making this up,’ I said.
‘I’m not.’
I started to laugh.
‘I’m glad you think it’s funny,’ Owen said. ‘You didn’t just spend eight hours in a cupboard while a couple had enthusiastic and very loud make-up sex just a few feet away. It was a very uncomfortable night – literally and figuratively.’
‘I can imagine.’ I said. ‘Actually, I don’t think I will imagine it.’
‘And then, when I got home,’ Owen said, ‘I found a letter from our landlord saying that he’s sold the flat for development. Michael and I have to be out by the end of the month.’
‘Oh, no!’ Owen’s flat might be in dire need of a face-lift, but for London, it had a very low rent. ‘You’re really not having a good weekend.’
‘I’m having a shite weekend,’ Owen said. ‘To make it worse, Annette has decided that she’s going to move to England, and her and Michael are going to get a place together, which means I need to find somewhere to live that I can afford on my own. So if you hear of anyone with a room to rent, let me know.’
‘I’ll ask around.’
Owen sighed. ‘The way my life’s going at the moment, I probably won’t get either of the parts I’m auditioning for next week.’
‘Your agent happens to think otherwise.’
‘Well, that does make me feel a bit more confident.’ Owen said. ‘My agent is very good at her job.’
‘She represents some very good actors,’ I said.
‘She does. And what sort of weekend is she having? How’s her boyfriend coping with being a resting actor?’
‘Oh, he’s…’ I decided that now was not the time to tell Owen that Daniel could take his pick from any number of offers of work, but that he wanted some time out to buy a stupidly expensive house. ‘Oh, you know, he’s waiting to see what comes up.’
‘Yeah, I know what that’s like,’ Owen said.
I glanced over at Daniel. He was still absorbed in whatever was on his laptop screen. He hadn’t told me what his plans were for the rest of the day, but I decided he could spare me for a couple of hours.
‘Owen, would you like to meet up for a drink tonight? Drown your sorrows?’
‘That’s a very tempting offer,’ Owen said, ‘but an old school friend has invited me to a barbeque this afternoon, and it’ll probably go on ‘til late. What about a drink tomorrow night?’
‘Meet me in our usual bar after work?’
‘Will do.’
‘See you tomorrow, then.’
‘See you tomorrow, Lucy.’ Owen rang off. I thought how easy it was to be friends with him. How uncomplicated.
‘Was that Owen Somers you were talking to?’ Daniel asked.
‘Yes, it was,’ I said.
‘And you’re seeing him tomorrow night?’
‘Only for a drink after work. He needs cheering up.’
‘Oh. Right. I see.’ His face expressionless, Daniel turned back to his laptop.
After a few moments of silence, I said, ‘Is there some
thing wrong?’
‘No. Why should there be?’
A stray thought, something Cassie had once said to me, drifted into my mind. ‘Daniel,’ I said, ‘you do know that you have no reason to worry about Owen, don’t you? He and I are good friends, but that’s all we are. You don’t need to be jealous.’
Daniel looked up from his laptop, his eyebrows arched in surprise. ‘You think I’m jealous of Owen Somers?’
‘Well, you don’t seem entirely comfortable with my having a drink with him tomorrow night.’
‘I was hoping that we’d be able to view the house in Primrose Hill tomorrow night, that’s all.’
‘Oh, I’m sorry,’ I said. ‘I wasn’t thinking… I’ll call him back. Let him know I can’t see him tomorrow. I’ll catch up with him later in the week.’
‘You don’t mind, do you?’ Daniel said.
‘Of course not. Seeing the house is important.’ Especially if I might be living in it. ‘I can have a drink with Owen anytime.’
‘Me jealous of Owen Somers?’ Daniel laughed. ‘As if.’
I rang Owen back, but he didn’t answer, so I left him a voice mail. I did feel a little guilty cancelling on him, but then I reckoned he couldn’t be all that down if he was going to a barbeque.
Daniel shut his laptop, and swivelled round on his barstool to face me.
‘Do you want another coffee?’ I said to him.
Daniel shook his head, and his warm brown eyes looked straight into mine. ‘What I want is you.’
‘Ooh.’
Grinning wickedly, Daniel said, ‘Are you wearing anything under that T-shirt?’
‘No.’
‘Take it off.’
I stood up, pulled my T-shirt over my head, and dropped it on the floor.
Daniel’s gaze travelled slowly over me, lingering on my breasts. He got off the barstool and stepped towards me. I thought he was going to kiss me, but instead he put a finger on my lips and traced the line of my mouth. Then he put his hand between my legs, and slid a finger inside me. My stomach clenched and a delicious heat spread throughout my whole body. I clung to him, gasping as he almost brought me to a climax, before taking his hand away.
‘Come with me.’ His voice was hoarse.
My knees felt decidedly weak, but somehow I managed to totter after Daniel into his bedroom.
‘Lie on the bed,’ he said.
In a haze of lust, I sank down onto the bed, while Daniel took off his jeans. He knelt over me and kissed me hard on my mouth. I felt his lips and his tongue on my neck and my breasts, and then his head was between my thighs, and I was writhing with pleasure and… again he stopped before I’d come.
‘Daniel, please…’
‘What’s the hurry, babe? Fallen Angel II has wrapped, I don’t have to learn a script for tomorrow’s shooting. If we want, we can spend all day having sex.’
‘Don’t make me beg,’ I said.
Daniel laughed, and lay down on his back. My eyes strayed to his erection.
‘I’m all yours, babe.’ he said.
I bent over him and took him in my mouth.
After some minutes, he groaned. ‘Enough.’
I raised my head. ‘Don’t you like that?’
‘You know I do. Very much. But you need to stop now.’ He pulled open a bedside drawer and got out a condom. I straddled him, and he thrust himself inside me. His hands were on my waist and on my breasts, and I grinded my hips against him, gasping as he plunged into me again and again. When I came, it was so intense that I cried out. I felt his body shudder and rise towards me as he reached his own climax, before I collapsed on the bed beside him, breathless and slick with sweat. I rolled onto my stomach, resting my head on my folded arms. He lay on his side, his face close to mine and draped an arm across my back.
‘You’d never cheat on me, would you, Lucy?’ he said, quietly.
‘I – I’d never cheat on anyone,’ I said, wondering why he would ask me a question like that.
‘I want… never to hurt you.’
‘Then don’t.’ My voice was scarcely above a whisper.
Daniel’s mouth lifted in a satisfied smile, and he closed his eyes. Soon, his regular breathing and the weight of his arm told me that he had drifted into sleep. I lay very still so as not to wake him, and watched him while he slept.
And that was when I decided that I was in love with Daniel Miller, and when – or if – he asked me to live with him, I was going to say yes.
CHAPTER 21
‘He actually stayed in the wardrobe the whole night?’ Cassie, sitting next to me on my bed, struggled to keep a straight face. ‘Your friend Owen doesn’t have much luck with women, does he?’
‘He told me once that he’s never had a relationship that’s lasted longer than a few weeks,’ I said. ‘I can’t understand it. He’s such a nice guy.’
‘Maybe he’s useless in bed,’ Cassie said.
Without thinking, I said, ‘That seems unlikely. He’s got a great body, and everything appears to be in working order.’
‘And you know this how?’
‘Oh – one time, I accidently saw him without his clothes.’
‘It happens,’ Cassie said.
‘Yeah. What can you do?’ I was not going to start thinking about Owen’s abs. ‘So Owen’s date ended badly, and he’s about to be made homeless, but the good news is that he got one of the jobs he auditioned for last week. It’s only a small part in a filler –’
‘A what?’ Cassie said.
‘A filler. A play with a limited run that’s put on to stop a house going dark.’
‘Translation please, Lucy! I’ve only ever worked in TV, remember.’
‘Sorry. When a long-running play closes, if there’s a break before another production is due to open, sometimes they put on a play for just a few weeks so that the theatre doesn’t stand empty.’
‘You love knowing all this stuff, don’t you?’ Cassie said. ‘You should’ve done a degree in Theatre Studies, not English Literature.’
‘I should,’ I said. ‘Anyway, Owen’s play is only a filler, but it’s in a theatre on Shaftsbury Avenue, which means he gets to make his West End debut. And he has a new, young, hot-shot director. There’s been a lot of talk about this production in the industry.’
‘I’m guessing that’s not only good for Owen’s career, but also for yours?’
‘It certainly is,’ I said.
Owen’s first performance on the West End stage might not bring much money into Reardon Haye (if you think all West End actors earn fabulous salaries, you’d be wrong), but having one of our clients in such a prestigious show was extremely good for our reputation as a top theatrical agency. And for my reputation as a theatrical agent, as I’d put Owen up for the audition and handled his contract when he was offered the part.
‘Owen’s career may not be in the same league as Daniel’s,’ I said, ‘but as a jobbing actor, he’s doing fine.’
‘And how is your film star boyfriend?’ Cassie asked. ‘Has he been behaving himself?’
‘As far as I know,’ I said. ‘If he hasn’t, I’m sure Goss or Celeb would have published the photographs by now.’
‘So you and Daniel are doing OK?’
‘We’re good.’
‘Which fab event is he taking you to tonight then?’ Cassie said.
‘It’s the launch party for some WAG’s perfume,’ I said. ‘I forget her name. Daniel gets invited to so many celeb parties.’
‘And you get to be his arm candy!’
I smiled ruefully. ‘I tag along with him when I can. When I’m available. I do have events of my own to attend on behalf of the agency.’
‘Ryan and I find it hard to juggle our schedules at times,’ Cassie said. ‘It must be the same for you and Daniel.’
‘It can be. No-one ever said that dating a film star was going to be easy. But Daniel’s worth it.’
‘Of course he is,’ Cassie laughed. ‘He’s rich, famous, and hot.’
‘So that’s why you’re dating him. It’s nothing to do with his being hot.’
‘I’m in love with him, Cassie.’
Cassie was silent for a moment, and then she said, ‘Do you mean that you and Daniel are getting serious?’
‘We… could be. He’s decided to buy a house… and I’m pretty sure he’s going to ask me to live with him.’
When we’d viewed the house in Primrose Hill, Daniel had asked my opinion on everything from the kitchen worktops (‘Yes, Daniel, there’s plenty of room for a microwave.’) to the taps in bathrooms (‘No, Daniel, I don’t think gold ones would look better.’). He’d even invited me to inspect the wardrobe space in the master bedroom. The estate agent who’d showed us round, once she’d got over her completely unprofessional excitement when she first came face to face with Daniel Miller, had assumed that we were both moving into the house, and made a point of speaking to me as much as to him. He’d said nothing that might have disillusioned her. Afterwards, we’d gone for a walk on the Hill, and he’d kissed me and asked me if I liked the area. He hadn’t actually asked me to move in with him, but it seemed to me that I had every justification in thinking that he was about to.
I’d expected Cassie to say that she was happy for me, but she just smiled rather tightly, and said, ‘Living together – that’s taking your relationship to a whole new level.’
‘I realise that,’ I said.
‘Is it what you want?’
‘I want to be with him. Of course I do.’
‘But is Daniel ready for that sort of commitment? This is the Fallen Angel we’re talking about. He’s such a man-slut –’ Cassie put her hand over her mouth. ‘I shouldn’t have said that. I’m sorry – I’m so sorry – really I am. But there’s so much gossip in the industry – and I’ve seen so much stuff on the internet about Daniel shagging all those actresses. I know it was before he met you, but guys like him don’t change. Sorry, I should probably stop talking now. Don’t be mad at me.’
‘I’m not.’
‘It’s just that – last summer – I know how unhappy you were. I don’t want you to get hurt again.’