by T A Williams
‘Well, that’s that, then. And to think I travelled six thousand miles for this. Thank God the food’s good.’ He pushed back his chair, stood up and stretched, before looking around at the others. ‘Well, I suppose the good news is that we now know exactly where we stand.’
Alice looked across at the others and read frustration, resentment and disappointment on the faces around her. She also felt betrayed and, although she had thought she didn’t really care about a return to Hollywood, she now realised that she had been kidding herself. A second chance at the bright lights could have been a lot of fun and would have cemented her financial security. Now that it was clear it was to be Zoë or nothing, she knew that her answer would almost certainly have to be nothing. Life was too short for getting back into all that stress. She took a deep breath and headed for the door. What she did know was that she needed some fresh air.
‘I don’t know about you guys, but I need to get out of this room. I think I’m going for a swim to clear my head.’
Outside, the sky was no longer clear blue, as clouds had bubbled up over the course of the morning and her predicted storm looked to be on its way. As well as humid, it was also very warm; she went up to her room but found no sign of David. She changed into her bikini – remembering to wrap the towel around herself this time – and went out. When she got to the pool, she was surprised to find Antonia there, sitting fully clothed under a parasol and holding her iPad in her hands. She looked up as she heard footsteps and, from the expression on her face, Alice could immediately see that she was fully aware of what had just happened.
‘Hi Alice. There was an email from Conrad overnight.’ Antonia sounded weary. ‘I imagine Zoë’s told you what it said. Zoë’s in charge of Pals Forever and that’s that.’
Alice went across and perched on the edge of a sunbed alongside her. ‘She didn’t mention an email, but the message came through loud and clear.’ She hesitated. ‘How does this make you feel, Antonia? You’re Zoë’s superior, after all.’
A shadow passed over Antonia’s face, but she made no comment other than to say, ‘I think it’s a big mistake and I’ve told Conrad that, but I’m not holding my breath for a change of heart from him.’ She pushed up her sunglasses and caught Alice’s eye. ‘What about you?’
‘I’m going to think it over, but I’m afraid I’ll end up saying no.’ The more she thought about it, the more likely this became. ‘It would have been really great to work with you and the gang again – and with a lot of the production crew back in Hollywood that I haven’t seen for years – but it’s the prospect of being treated like dirt by Zoë all over again. I’ll give it some more thought before making a final decision.’ She glanced around but nobody else had come to the pool. ‘Just between the two of us, I’ve got a second interview next Thursday for a job in London that really appeals to me. It’s nothing to do with showbiz. It’s an art history thing.’
‘That sounds wonderful.’ Antonia reached out and tapped her briefly on the arm. ‘You’ve invested so much time and effort in getting to this point with your studies, I’m sure you’re anxious to put what you’ve learnt into practice. I would love to work with you again, too, but I must confess, I wouldn’t be surprised if you decide you aren’t interested. What about the others? Do they feel the same way?’
‘You’d better ask them. I really don’t know. I get the impression both Layla and Benny have got successful careers without getting involved with Pals Forever, so maybe they’ll duck out. As for the others, who knows?’
‘So it looks as though it’s either going to die a death or be very different. It’s such a pity…’ Antonia’s voice tailed off and she sounded so dispirited that Alice decided to try to cheer her up by changing the subject.
‘Are you interested in art, by any chance?’
‘I don’t know much about it, but yes, I like art.’
‘How about the art of the Renaissance?’
‘Again, I know precious little about it. Why do you ask?’
‘I was just thinking… I know a girl who works in the Uffizi – you know, in Florence. Getting tickets to visit the gallery in mid-summer is terribly difficult but if I give her a call, I’m pretty sure she could get us in. How about taking a trip up there some time and I’ll give you a tour of the gallery?’
‘That would be amazing. And having my own expert guide would be terrific. Shall we make it tomorrow afternoon, if you’re free, seeing as we’re all supposed to be leaving the day after? I can give the limo people a call, and get them to take us to Florence and drop us back again.’
‘Sounds perfect. I’ll call Teresa now. I’ll check with David to see if he’s interested in coming, but I doubt it. Art isn’t really his thing.’ As she mentioned his name, she thought guiltily that she should really talk the whole Pals Forever thing over with him before giving her final decision. After all, it could affect him deeply. She wondered what he would say. ‘If you arrange the car for just after lunch tomorrow, I’ll ask her to book us in around mid-afternoon. Okay?’
Chapter 9
Lunch was a sober affair – well, not so much from an alcohol point of view but as far as the atmosphere on the terrace was concerned. In fact, the bottles of wine emptied a lot faster than they had done the previous day, as most of those around the table sought solace in drink. Even Alice, who had vowed to herself to stay off the booze – or at least to limit her intake – allowed herself a couple of glasses of red wine and was therefore feeling quite sleepy by the time the coffees were served at the end. The only people who looked cheerful were Carrie and David, who hadn’t been subjected to the morning’s haranguing. During the meal, he spent a good deal of time talking to Layla, and Alice was pleased they were getting along.
Neither Zoë nor Antonia appeared for lunch and Alice wondered whether they were eating together or if they had both decided to go their separate ways. Alice told the others what Antonia had said about the email from the big boss, and shoulders slumped all round. Some had been hoping that a direct appeal to Conrad Chesterfield might have had some success, but it was now pretty obvious this wasn’t going to work. As Alice had expected, Benny and Layla sounded as though they had decided to vote with their feet, while Millie was still keen – or rather, desperate. As for Richie and Harry, it was hard to tell. Harry, in particular, couldn’t get his head round it.
‘Conrad’s no fool. Surely he can see that this series could become a real money-spinner – and by the sound of it, the studio needs a success badly. So why stick by Zoë if it means torpedoing the whole thing?’
‘Well, of course, he doesn’t know what our response is going to be yet.’ Richie had always been the pragmatic one. ‘None of us has given a definite reply so far, have we? Maybe it’s all just a double bluff by him. He thinks we’ll cave and go for it, but if we all turn round and say no, maybe he’ll have to give in.’
Layla looked up. ‘So, are you saying you’d go for it if Zoë was out of the equation?’ Seeing him nod, she threw the question open and everybody nodded in agreement.
Alice joined in. ‘So, it looks as though we’re all prepared to go for it without Zoë – and that includes me – but what if she remains in charge? You all know what I think about that. I don’t know if I can stand the thought of working with her again. From what we saw of her this morning, this particular leopard hasn’t changed its spots. If anything, she sounded even more obstinate than before. What about all you guys?’ Seeing uncertainty on some of the faces, she decided to delay putting them on the spot. ‘Why don’t we all take a bit of time and think it over? How about meeting up again this evening before dinner and taking a vote, or at least saying whether we’re each in or out?’
This was greeted by general agreement and the group broke up. Alice found herself yawning after her lunchtime wine, and she told David she was going upstairs for a snooze. To her surprise, he decided to go for a walk, so she climbed back up the stairs to the room alone. Outside, the sky was getting ever darker and the atm
osphere was growing increasingly clammy, so she slipped out of her T-shirt and shorts, and stretched out on the bed, covered only by a sheet. She fell asleep straightaway, but was woken barely half an hour later by a knock at her door. Yawning, she climbed out of bed and stepped into her shorts. Slipping on her T-shirt, she went over to the door and opened it to see Richie standing there.
‘Sorry, Al, were you sleeping?’
‘Like a baby. What’s the problem?’ She brushed the hair out of her eyes and blinked a few times.
‘Not really a problem… I just need to talk to you. I saw David out on the terrace with Layla, so I knew you’d be on your own. Can I come in?’
Alice hesitated. Although she had been getting along fine with him since arriving here, letting him into her room – particularly when she had just tumbled out of bed – was another matter. Still, she felt sure she had nothing to fear from him – even if he now had a few more muscles – so she stepped back and beckoned him in.
‘But if David comes along and objects to you being in my bedroom, it’s down to you to do the explaining. Understood?’
‘Sure.’ He went across to the bed and perched on the side of it. She thought about joining him there but then decided against it. Instead, she took a seat on the old wooden chest against the wall and rested her back against the cool plaster. ‘So, have you decided what you’re going to do about Pals Forever?’
‘Not really. I’m going to wait and see what the others say this evening.’
‘So what’s so important you had to wake me up in the middle of a lovely dream?’
‘Yeah, I’m sorry about that.’ He hesitated. ‘It’s about you and me, Al.’
Suddenly she was wide awake. ‘There is no you and me anymore, Richie. We both know that.’
‘But I’m not that guy anymore. I’ve changed.’ He sounded quite plaintive. ‘You can see that, can’t you?’
‘You’re looking and sounding a lot better. Yes, of course I’ve noticed that – I even told you so. But, apart from anything else, I’m with David and you’re with Carrie now.’
He gave a dismissive shrug. ‘I’m not really with her. Like I told you, there’s nothing serious there.’
‘In that case you just dragged the poor girl halfway across the world for what? So you wouldn’t feel left out? That’s no way to treat anybody, Richie.’
‘Yeah, I know, but she’s having a great time, mixing with all her heroes – especially you, Al.’
‘Her hero wasn’t me: it was Polly the flirt and those days have gone. Richie, five years have passed. You’re not the only one to have changed. So have I.’
‘In the way you feel about me? I haven’t changed the way I feel about you. Won’t you give me a second chance?’
Alice hesitated. She could see he had convinced himself that he meant what he said. She studied him in the gathering gloom of the cloudy afternoon. He was still a good-looking guy and now, with his apparent return to being the nice, open man with whom she had first fallen in love – or had thought she had – could she develop feelings for him again? The answer, she told herself firmly, was no. She was with David and, unless the next couple of weeks’ holiday with him resulted in a break-up, that wasn’t going to change.
However, before she could say anything, there was a blinding flash, accompanied almost instantaneously by an ear-shattering thunderclap, and both of them shrank back. Her window was open and the shockwave set the toothglasses in the bathroom rattling. Two seconds later, torrential rain came cascading down, as suddenly as if a dam had collapsed. The noise of the falling water almost drowned out her voice as she did the only thing she could do – prevaricate until she could clear her head.
‘Now’s not the moment to talk about this stuff, Richie, but like I told you, time has moved on and so have I. Okay?’
For a moment it looked as though he was about to object, but the deafening crashes of the thunderstorm directly overhead convinced him that it was pointless. He allowed her to usher him out of her room and into the corridor. At the door she repeated her message to him.
‘We both know that time has passed. Find yourself a nice girl and get on with your life.’
He left without another word.
* * *
It poured with rain all afternoon and Alice spent it in her room, dozing, reading and chatting to her friend Teresa at the Uffizi. David must have taken refuge from the rain somewhere else, as there was no sign of him. As she had hoped, Teresa arranged entry to the world-famous gallery the following afternoon, and Alice texted the good news to Antonia. David had opted not to join them, saying he would be quite happy just relaxing at the villa, and Alice wasn’t surprised. Getting him to visit art galleries had always been an uphill struggle.
As she lay there, listening to the rain, she let her mind roam. Here she was, in the enviable position of having been offered a job that most people would kill for and, at the same time, she also had a second interview for a different job which was ideally suited to her training and interests. Which had more appeal? The answer, when it came to her, almost took her by surprise. In spite of everything she had been telling herself and others over the last five years, the lure of Hollywood was still there, lurking in the background, and these few days here at the villa had brought it back to the forefront of her mind. The sixty-four thousand dollar question was whether she was prepared to endure another spell of tongue-lashing from Zoë, which was looking inevitable. Maybe the sensible choice would be to stick to art history but, deep down, she had a feeling she might end up regretting that decision. What to do? Maybe David would be able to help her make up her mind.
Finally, around six o’clock, the rain stopped and, minutes later, David reappeared, looking sheepish.
‘Hi, Alice, I got marooned in the summer house. I went for a walk and then the heavens opened.’ He pointed across the room to the bedside table. ‘Stupidly, I left my phone here so I just had to sit it out.’
She held out her arms and gave him a hug. Now that she had successfully banished the man with the fair hair from her mind and Richie from her life, she was feeling more secure of her feelings for David – at least for now. She kissed his lips and clung to his arm.
‘What would you do if you were in my position?’
‘As far as Pals Forever is concerned?’
‘Yes, considering that it now looks definite that Zoë’s going to be calling the shots.’
He didn’t hesitate. ‘If I were in your shoes, I’d jump at it. How many people get a second chance to do something as amazing as starring in a show that’ll be seen by half the population of the world?’
Although this was a glaring exaggeration, she let it go. ‘But it would mean working with Zoë… You don’t know what it was like towards the end. She was unbearable.’
He gave a dismissive snort. ‘So what? You’re a strong woman. You could cope. And remember, Zoë’s a star in her own right. So much of the success of Pals is down to her. She’s entitled to be a bit awkward.’
‘A bit awkward? She was a right cow!’ Alice shook her head slowly. ‘I can be strong if I need to, but I’m not so sure I could put up with it.’
‘Of course you could. Besides, I’d be there to support you.’
Alice looked up in surprise. They hadn’t discussed this eventuality yet and she hadn’t really expected him to offer to give up his job in Bristol so readily to accompany her to the other side of the world.
‘You’d come to Hollywood with me?’
‘Of course. I’d love it.’
‘And your job?’
‘I’d find something. Don’t worry about me.’
Well, Alice told herself, that answered one fundamental question. He was prepared to follow her to LA. This immediately raised an even more vital question – for her. Did she want him to come with her? Was he The One? Hopefully, she would be able to decide that one way or another before they left Chianti. She glanced at her watch and then stretched up to kiss him.
‘We�
��ve got a bit of time before we need to go down for dinner. I can think of a few ways we could occupy ourselves.’
To her surprise, he shrank back. ‘Sorry, Alice, but I need to have a hot bath. I got really cold in the summer house. No, let’s save it for later.’ He pecked her on the cheek and headed for the bathroom.
What had Richie said about romance being dead? Alice decided to leave him to his bath and went outside for some fresh air, her head still churning with all the different ramifications of the decisions she had to make. The buzzing of the bees had now been replaced by a symphony of drips, accompanied by the gurgling of little streams that had spontaneously appeared among the flower beds. The plants were all bowed down as a result of the battering by the rain, with petals strewn all around, but she could almost feel the collective sigh of relief from all the vegetation after the arrival of the long-awaited water. The tracks and paths were sodden and muddy, but she went for a short stroll along the drive to the main gate and then decided to continue down the hill towards the village.
All the way down the road she turned over and over in her head what Richie and David had said. As far as Richie was concerned – yes, he was a nice guy. Yes, she still liked him, but could she ever see it going any further? The fact that he had opted to do a degree course was interesting, as maybe this meant there could be a ‘normal’ life for the two of them, far from Hollywood, if she and David were ever to split up. But nevertheless, her conviction grew that any relationship with Richie was long dead in the water.
She then spent a lot of time thinking about David’s advice to take the acting job and his offer to accompany her. Maybe having him in Hollywood alongside her would provide the support she would need to weather the Zoë storm, but she had her doubts. She also had her doubts as to the viability of her relationship with David going forward. Might she end up unhappy at work and unhappy at home? It could be the sort of double whammy that would ruin her life. Besides, was he offering to come with her out of love or out of a desire to experience the glamour of Hollywood for himself? After all, there had been his rather offhand response to her suggestion of a bit of intimacy. She hoped this wasn’t because he was feeling ignored while she was renewing old friendships and going through all the negotiations about the new show. Mind you, she told herself, what better way of showing him she cared than by leaping into bed with him? Men could be strange animals sometimes.
