A Starlit Summer

by Kate Frost

  ~

  The large polished wooden table looked out over the garden. Bi-fold doors led to raised decking, a neat lawn, and the border in front of a wooden fence decorated with colourful hydrangeas and phlox. There wasn’t a sea view, but in a quiet cul-de-sac with no other houses backing on to them, the view was of open fields.

  Sally placed the roast chicken at the centre of the table next to the roast potatoes and vegetables and encouraged them to help themselves. She dished up sage and onion stuffing and bread sauce, and soon Jenna’s plate was piled high with roast potatoes, parsnips, cabbage and mashed swede and carrots. Gary carved the chicken and placed two large slices on her plate. Gravy cascaded down her roast potatoes and Jenna tucked in, so incredibly hungry. This was the best meal she’d had in a very long time, even with the catering on set being exceptionally good.

  ‘So,’ Sally said, after they’d all had a chance to start eating. ‘Have you always wanted to be an actress?’

  ‘I think so, yes. I mean I loved performing from an early age and was always into drama and dance at school, then got lucky enough to be accepted into drama school. I’ve dabbled in other things though, mainly to pay my way through drama school and then while going to auditions.’

  ‘Waiting tables and that kind of thing?’ Sally wedged a piece of chicken and roast potato on her fork.

  ‘Not so much waiting tables, although I’ve done my fair share, but I’ve had other things on the side to make money like a bit of modelling and writing. I wanted to be a potter at one point. My mum despairs of me.’

  ‘I think it’s a fascinating job,’ Sally said. ‘Must be lots of competition though, going to auditions and not knowing when you’ll be working next?’

  ‘Yeah, it’s been hard work. You have to have thick skin because the rejection can suck.’ Jenna glanced at Finn. ‘We were talking about the reality of an acting life today. It’s not an easy career. I think I’ve given my parents plenty of stress about where my next pay cheque’s going to come from, while my older, more sensible brother’s been building a steady and lucrative career as a lawyer. We couldn’t be more different, really.’

  ‘Well, I’m immensely impressed that you’re an actress on a big movie.’

  ‘Mum will be telling all her friends about you coming over.’

  ‘And why not, it’s exciting, one of the most exciting things that’s happened around here, having a Hollywood movie being filmed.’

  ‘It’s actually a British film, Mum.’

  ‘Is it? It’s got Hollywood actors in it, like that Milo Blake. Do you know him, Jenna?’

  Jenna took a sip of wine. ‘Only since working on the film.’

  ‘Ooh, tell me more. What’s he like? Is he as handsome in real life?’

  ‘Mum, what’s with all the questions?’

  ‘I’m just interested that’s all.’ She turned back to Jenna, her wine glass clutched in her hand. ‘So, what is he like?’

  Jenna hadn’t expected to be talking about Milo, and with Gary and Sally’s eyes on her, she squirmed in her seat. ‘He’s kinda like you’d expect – full of confidence, smooth-talking, the centre of attention.’

  ‘They’re all staying at that lovely big hotel on the cliff, aren’t they?’

  Jenna nodded.

  ‘All the cast are there, are they?’

  ‘Yep, apart from a couple who live in Bristol and Cardiff. They’re commuting down for a couple of days when they have filming and going back home in between.’

  ‘But you’re at the cottage. Don’t you wish you were with the rest of the cast?’

  ‘Trust me, it’s a relief to escape – it can be quite claustrophobic on set at times; friendships are formed fast and the nature of the work means you end up spending a lot of time with people you don’t know very well. Having a place to escape to is good.’

  ~

  With her stomach full of roast dinner and still feeling windswept and salt sprayed, Jenna relaxed as Finn drove her back to the cottage. She’d enjoyed the warmth and homeliness of Gary and Sally’s, and Finn’s company of course.

  Finn pulled his van into the drive behind Jenna’s car and left the engine running. Should she should invite him in or not? It had been such a perfect day maybe they should leave it with a kiss and nothing more complicated than that. Sod that. Why was she being so good?

  ‘I, uh...’

  Finn smiled. ‘I need to get home. I promised a mate I’d meet him at the pub tonight; can’t let him down, his girlfriend broke up with him recently and he’s a bit of a mess.’

  Jenna put her hand on his thigh. ‘That’s fine. What I was going to say is thank you for such a lovely day.’

  ‘You really enjoyed it?’

  ‘I haven’t had such a fun and happy day in a very long time.’ She leant closer, sliding her hand up his thigh as she kissed him.

  Finn shuffled in his seat, moving his hand on to her hip and kissing her back. He pulled away, with a grin. ‘Right, I’d better get going before I change my mind.’

  Chapter Sixteen

  Jenna’s first thought when she woke was Finn, but despite having a later call time, she was up and out of the cottage before he arrived. She vaguely remembered Gary saying something about needing to get plumbing parts before they started work.

  She sensed something was up the moment she arrived at the base. As she walked from her car people looked her way and started whispering together. Her heart was racing by the time she checked in with the First AD. She passed a group of crew clustered around the catering van, and made it to the make-up trailer.

  ‘Here she is.’ August, who’d been doing Jenna’s make-up since the first day, smiled as she entered. She tapped the empty chair in front of her. ‘The woman of the moment.’

  Lily and Amanda were already there, their faces make-up free and about to be transformed into 1940s women.

  Jenna sat down in the chair. ‘What’s going on?’

  ‘You and Milo are the talk of the town,’ Lily said. ‘Well, talk of absolutely everywhere.’

  August slapped a magazine down on the shelf in front of her. ‘You’ve not seen this?’

  It took a moment for Jenna to register what she was looking at. The front cover of Hot Now Magazine featured Milo Blake in orange board shorts, his tanned and toned chest pressed against Jenna’s. It wasn’t the clearest of photos, like it had been taken from a distance, but standing in a pool of light with Milo’s lips millimetres from hers and his hand resting firmly on her yellow bikini bottoms, it was undeniably them.

  No one said anything.

  Jenna looked up and caught sight of her frowning face in the mirror. August was standing behind her, make-up sponge at the ready. Jenna looked over at Lily and Amanda.

  ‘I don’t understand?’

  Lily pulled a sympathetic face. ‘There was obviously a pap stalking the hotel...’

  ‘I get that, but there’s nothing going on between me and Milo.’

  ‘There’s a whole article inside about the two of you.’

  ‘I think “hot sex” is how they described it...’ Amanda dropped her gaze from Jenna and stared down at her knees.

  ‘Oh for God’s sake. You two were there, nothing happened.’

  ‘It kinda looks like something to me,’ August said with a raised eyebrow.

  A bubble of panic rose in her stomach. All Jenna could think about was Finn. What if he saw this? He’d know it wasn’t true, wouldn’t he? Maybe she should tell him, pre-warn him, but it was bullshit. Telling him because she was worried he was going to believe it felt like she was trying to defend herself. She had nothing to defend. But the rising panic after their blissful day yesterday made her sick to her stomach.

  ‘I went home that night remember?’ Jenna frowned. ‘You believe me, right?’

  ‘I know.’ Amanda shrugged. ‘It’s just, I don’t get why you’re so upset about it, even if it’s not true. It’s Milo Blake and everyone’s talking about you.’

  ‘That’s exactl
y the problem, everyone talking. Trust me, if I was actually getting to have “hot sex” with him, I’d be perfectly happy for everyone to know about it. But I’m not.’

  ‘If I was you I’d roll with it, make the most of the column inches,’ August said, dabbing the sponge into foundation. ‘Use it to your advantage.’

  ~

  It wasn’t until she’d had her hair and make-up done and was heading out of the costume tent in her 1940s skirt with her blouse neatly tucked in that she realised the commotion of the last hour had completely made her forget about Heidi starting. Jenna wasn’t slated to film with her this week, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t see her at some point today. She wouldn’t see Milo though as he was off filming at a second location somewhere on the north coast. She couldn’t even talk to him about the magazine article or find out what he thought about it. It wasn’t like it was the first time he’d been on the front cover of a gossip magazine.

  What concerned her the most was Finn. She couldn’t care less about Heidi or Milo bloody Blake. She found a quiet sheltered spot well away from everyone, took a deep breath and called Finn’s mobile. He’d definitely be at the cottage by now. He always had his mobile on him, tucked into the back pocket of his shorts; there was no way he wouldn’t hear it or see who was calling him. But there was no answer. She tried once more before giving up. Her worry intensified at the thought of him ignoring her call.

  The morning went by in daze. She was unusually quiet and lost in her thoughts on the minibus to that day’s filming location; she noticed the worried glance between Lily and another actor. They spilled out of the minibus and were taken to a harbourside cafe that had been turned into a quaint 1940s tea room. Unable to focus on anything other than the suggestive photo of her and Milo, she was relieved to have no lines.

  ‘You’re in a world of your own, Jenna,’ Lily whispered on a break between camera changes.

  It was an easy day where Lily and Jenna got to sip tea, eat cake and pretend to talk in the background. There were supporting artists there too, as well as an older actress playing the role of the tea shop owner. Ade, the character actor who’d been at the pool party the other evening, played the role of Milo’s character’s dad.

  ‘I’m just worried about who’s seen that article.’

  ‘What, like Finn?’

  ‘Exactly like Finn.’

  ‘First positions!’ the assistant director called and supporting artists shuffled about in their seats. Ade went back outside ready to make his entrance.

  Lily leant closer to Jenna. ‘Don’t worry, it’s today’s gossip, everyone will be talking about something else by tomorrow.’

  Jenna wasn’t convinced but she appreciated the support and Lily’s attempt at making her feel better about the situation. She sighed and picked up her newly filled cup of tea.

  ‘And action!’

  ~

  Every time she checked her phone during breaks, there were more and more messages from friends about her and Milo, along with a handful of missed calls from her parents, from their landline, her mum’s mobile and even her dad’s mobile. She could only imagine that friends of theirs had made them aware of the magazine article and then they’d gone and read about their daughter having sex with a movie star, evidenced by a photo of them semi-naked together. There was no return call or message from Finn. Jenna switched off her phone, stuffed it in her bag and vowed not to look at it again until she finished work.

  They were bussed back to the base at lunchtime and Jenna queued to get food. Not that she was hungry; she was too annoyed by everything, her stomach in knots. She sat with Lily and picked at her plate of salad and quiche.

  ‘You’re a fast mover.’

  The familiarity of the voice made Jenna’s heart drop. She looked up and came face to face with Heidi.

  Heidi dumped her plate of food on the table and sat down opposite. ‘I wouldn’t have had him as your type; you like blonde-haired, blue-eyed kinda guys. But I guess Milo Blake is rather rich and famous.’

  ‘Seriously. You’re going to do this, are you?’ Jenna gritted her teeth and tried to keep her voice low and controlled. She leant forward, aware of Lily listening next to her. ‘I promise you, I would never stoop so low just to further my career. Why don’t you take a long hard look at yourself before accusing me of messing about?’

  There was no hello, no how are you. It had been months since they’d last seen or spoken to each other and all she could do was accuse her of sleeping with Milo to get ahead in her career.

  Jenna dropped her knife and fork on to her plate and stood up. She turned to Lily. ‘I’m going for a walk before we’re needed back.’

  ‘Are you okay?’ She looked at Heidi and back to Jenna.

  ‘Yeah, I’m fine. Just need some air.’ She should do the decent thing and introduce Lily and Heidi to each other but the rage burning in her chest told her to get the hell out of the place, away from prying eyes and ears, away from any further conflict. She dumped most of her lunch in the bin and stacked her plate with the other dirty ones. It was stifling in the tent and noisy with chatter and she was relieved to escape. There was nowhere to go apart from across the field. On the far side was a cluster of trees, so she headed for that, walking the long way around the edge.

  There had always been a healthy competition between Jenna and Heidi. They were the same age and looked similar with long blonde hair and blue eyes. Jenna was tall and slender, Heidi curvier, but both got lots of attention. They were often up for the same roles and offered the same opportunities. Jenna had honestly believed that they’d learnt to live with that, the healthy competition between them driving them both on to bigger and better things. Until Heidi had abused their situation and destroyed any trust.

  The long grass was dry and scratched at her legs. The costume department would kill her if she snagged her stockings. She had thirty minutes until she was needed back and she didn’t want to be near anyone, least of all Heidi. The sensible brown shoes she was wearing were nice and sturdy for walking across the hard dry earth; the long-sleeved blouse and fitted skirt were less practical. She slowed down, aware that she’d be a hot mess by the time she got back if she kept up the pace.

  The wood was cool and dark and she sheltered from the sun beneath an oak. She leant against the trunk and gazed out. The incline of the field was gradual and she hadn’t realised quite how hilly it was. Now she could see all the way down to the base with its white tents and silver trailers, a mini city in a farmer’s field in the heart of Cornwall. She could just about make out the sea too, a smudge of dark blue against the pale blue sky.

  She couldn’t hide away up here. She couldn’t hide from the gossip either. She needed to confront Milo, explain herself to friends, family, and her agent. No doubt Beth would have left a message or ten by now. And Heidi. She had to deal with her. They had to talk and clear the air. It didn’t mean they had to be friends again but they had to confront each other because Jenna couldn’t continue to carry around this kind of anger any longer. More than anything, she needed to talk to Finn.

  ~

  The afternoon dragged; it was the first time since they’d started filming that she wanted the day to be over. It was back to filming the same scene after lunch, sipping tea and pretending to chat with Lily. When she finally got back to the cottage in the evening, Finn and his dad had already left and there was no message from Finn either. Despite having eaten very little all day she still wasn’t hungry. A knot of tension made her shoulders ache and she felt talked about and abused. It was a strange feeling to be a part of such gossip. The only reason she answered her mobile when it rang was because it was Carla.

  ‘Hey you,’ Jenna said, her voice sounding as weary as she felt.

  ‘You kept bloody quiet about that.’

  ‘Oh Carla, not you as well. All anyone’s talked about today is that flipping picture.’

  ‘So it’s not true?’

  ‘Of course it’s not true!’

  ‘W
oah, okay, I’ve hit a nerve there.’

  Jenna rubbed her forehead. ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to snap at you.’

  ‘I get why you’re upset being gossiped about if it’s not true, but why the hell isn’t it true? I mean you’re all over each other. You’re hot, he’s hot; you’re single, he’s single. Why the hell are you two not banging each other? They’re saying you’re having “hot sex”, so why the hell not have some?’

  Jenna wandered from the kitchen into the living room, slumped on the sofa and put her head in her hand. ‘It’s complicated.’

  ‘You don’t want to talk about it?’

  ‘Not particularly. Not right this moment. I’ve had enough of this shit today and bloody Heidi weighing in on stuff that really isn’t any of her business. We aren’t friends, so she has no say in my life any more.’

  ‘Oh boy, you’re hellishly pissed off.’

  ‘Can you blame me?’ Jenna said. ‘I could so do with a friendly face. It’s feeling a little claustrophobic on set at the moment. Everyone’s gossiping. Everyone thinks I’m shagging Milo and the more I deny it the more everyone thinks it’s true. I can’t win. I wouldn’t care if I was actually getting laid, but I’m not.’

  ‘How’s Milo reacted?’

  ‘No idea. Haven’t seen him. Probably lapping up the attention. And with Heidi down here...’

  ‘You don’t have to talk to her though do you?’

  ‘I guess not. I think we’ll only have a couple of scenes together and I don’t think they’re being filmed this week. But she sought me out today and took me down. After what she did how the hell does she have the nerve to talk to me like that? Seriously, Carla, if you have any time, even just a couple of days, please visit.’

  ‘I might be able to this weekend; I’ll see what I can do.’

  ~

  Jenna forced herself to eat a chicken salad outside on the picnic table. She’d ignored text messages from friends who’d seen the magazine, deciding to not even attempt to comment on it, knowing that protesting would be futile and simply encourage more talk. She avoided going on Facebook and Instagram after making the mistake of looking at Twitter and getting a huge shock about how she was being talked about by strangers. She couldn’t ignore the voicemail messages though.