Billy and Me

by Giovanna Fletcher

  ‘Thanks for that.’

  ‘Oh, it was nothing,’ I say, shrugging my shoulders.

  ‘Seriously, you really helped.’

  ‘No worries.’

  ‘You might have just given yourself a little problem, though,’ he says, raising his eyebrows and making his face look grim with concern.

  ‘Really? What’s that, then?’ I ask, intrigued.

  ‘Well, you’ve proven yourself to be very useful, so I’ll have to keep coming back in now and hassling you for more! You’re never going to get rid of me. Honestly, I’ll be following you around everywhere trying to get you to spend every last minute with me and my script.’

  ‘Oh …’ I’m left speechless, unsure of how to respond.

  ‘Bye, Sophie,’ Billy chuckles, as he sweeps out of the shop, leaving me to stare after him with bright-red-blushed cheeks – yet again!

  I don’t see Billy again for a few days and it’s torture. Although my mind is giddy over the mere recollection of his smile, I can’t help the doubt that starts to seep through in his absence. Of course, if I were being rational I’d probably assume that he’s just been busy on set and hasn’t had time to pop by. But I’m not rational and feel increasingly anxious as more time passes. Have I somehow managed to put him off? If so, what did I do wrong?

  I’m surrounded by cake mixture and dozens of tins, for a sixteenth birthday party order, when Billy finally walks back through the shop door. Instantly, the fear that has been mounting melts away. My tummy starts jumping somersaults and a huge wave of excitement causes a massive grin to appear on my face. He is here. He has come back.

  I decide to say a quick hello while Molly serves him … I can’t resist it!

  ‘Hey! How have things been on set?’ I ask, walking over with a glass bowl in my hands, mixing together some sugar, butter and eggs.

  ‘Great! Well, actually, it’s been quite full on, which is why I’ve not been in.’

  ‘I see – we thought maybe you’d been replaced by Jude Law,’ I quip.

  ‘What, a real actor? No such luck,’ he says with a smirk.

  ‘Shame! Good to see you back.’ I grin, returning to my workstation.

  As I continue to whip, whisk, fold and beat I look over at Billy, who seems agitated with his script once again. I notice him dramatically sighing heavily at the page in front of him, the frown lines on his forehead appearing deeper than ever. I feel as though he is willing me to step out and offer to help him again. I’d love to, but today I don’t have time.

  After popping the last batch of cakes into the oven I look up and see a red-faced Billy striding over towards me.

  ‘Sophie, I know I haven’t known you long. But I just wanted to say that I’ve really enjoyed spending time with you over the last week and I’d really like it if you’d come out for dinner with me tonight … on a date. To say thank you.’

  Shock is the only explanation I can give for the laughter that shoots from my mouth. My hand quickly flies up to cover it but it’s too late, he has heard it. Billy registers the laugh, looks around at Molly, Miss Brown, Mrs Sleep and a few other customers in the shop (who are sat staring at him open-mouthed), and then turns on his heels and rushes out of the door, knocking over a stand of cards in his haste.

  I immediately feel horrified at my reaction and so whip off my apron and run out after him.

  ‘Billy! Billy! Stop!’ I shout as the gap between us closes. ‘I’m so sorry I laughed – but that was the last thing I was expecting you to say.’

  ‘Really?’ He turns round to face me and I notice he looks like a hurt little boy – wounded and embarrassed.

  ‘Yes! Believe it or not, it’s not often guys come waltzing up to the counter and ask me out.’

  ‘They don’t?’

  ‘Strangely not. It’s rare to even have men in there.’

  I look down at the floor, not quite knowing what to say now that I’ve managed to stop him from running off.

  ‘I didn’t waltz. More like sauntered,’ he says quietly with a smile, as he brushes his foot forwards and back on the pavement. ‘So, fancy dinner tonight?’

  ‘Actually I can’t –’

  ‘Right, look, don’t worry about it,’ he interrupts, turning to leave, his mood changing instantly.

  ‘Oi! Will you stop being so bloody dramatic?’ I shout, causing him to stop and turn back to look at me again, his face full of surprise at my sudden outburst. I take a few deep breaths to compose myself before continuing. ‘What I was saying was that I can’t make tonight as I’ve already got plans with my mum.’

  ‘Oh!’

  ‘Yeah, but if you were to ask me out another day, one when I’m free, then … I might say yes.’

  ‘I see,’ he says, his eyes flickering with excitement. ‘When’s your day off ?’

  ‘Sunday.’

  ‘And do you have plans this Sunday?’

  ‘Not at the moment.’

  ‘Perfect,’ he beams.

  I walk back into the shop with the biggest grin on my face, pretending to ignore the fact that Molly and all our regulars have had their faces pressed up against the glass of the window for the last few minutes, trying to make out what was going on. The shop is deadly quiet and everyone just stares at me, waiting for me to spill the beans.

  ‘Come on then, out with it! What blooming happened?’ Molly suddenly snaps, causing the room to erupt with laughter.

  ‘Well, my lovely ladies, it appears I’ve gone and bagged myself a date!’

  The ladies cheer in excitement, Molly rushes over to sit me down and then brings out a huge pot of tea and a carrot cake. The next hour is spent with us all sat round, nibbling on cake and slurping down tea, while my audience ooh and aah as I divulge all the details of our romance so far.

  The house is still in darkness when I return home after work, so I’m surprised to find Mum curled up on the sofa in the living room with her eyes shut. Switching on a small lamp beside her I notice the damp tissue scrunched in her hand. Her eyes slowly flicker open and take me in. Confusion fills her face, then disappointment that I’ve found her like this once more.

  ‘Hello, love … I’m sorry, I must’ve dozed off,’ she explains, as she hastily glides one hand over her hair to check it’s still in place.

  ‘Don’t worry, Mum.’

  ‘But I haven’t even made a start on dinner yet,’ she says, starting to panic.

  ‘Mum! It’s fine. I’ll make us something. Or we can get a takeaway if you like?’ I say, trying to relax her.

  ‘That’s a good idea. Give us both the night off!’

  ‘Exactly. Chinese?’ I ask.

  ‘Great.’

  I reach for the phone to make our usual order of sweet and sour chicken, egg fried rice and chilli shredded beef.

  ‘So, how was your day?’ Mum asks once I’ve placed the order and made us a cup of tea each, which we decide to drink while snuggled up together in the living room on our worn-out teal sofa.

  ‘Good.’ I nod.

  ‘Anything interesting happen?’ she quizzes with a faint smile on her face as she gives me a slight nudge with her elbow.

  ‘You’ve already heard!’ I shriek in surprise.

  ‘Oh, Soph, do you really expect news like that to stay quiet here?’

  ‘True, but it would’ve been nice for me to tell you myself. Who snitched?’

  ‘Miss Brown.’

  ‘Now there’s a surprise!’

  ‘And Mrs Williams, who’d bumped into Mrs Sleep … and then June Hearne who had just got off the phone to Molly.’

  ‘News really does spread like wildfire, then,’ I say as we both sit and chuckle at the absurdity of it.

  ‘You know, I met your dad when I was at work.’

  For a moment I’m stunned into silence, Mum never brings up Dad. Ever. I clear my throat with a mouthful of tea before I can respond.

  ‘Really?’

  ‘Yes … I was working in the newsagent’s at the time. First thing in the mo
rning he came in to buy a paper, half an hour later he came back in to buy a bar of chocolate, five minutes later a can of Coke, then some cigarettes.’

  ‘I didn’t know Dad used to smoke,’ I say, shocked by this tiny nugget of new information.

  ‘He didn’t. Turns out that each time he came in he was trying to pluck up the courage to ask me out. He was about to ask me when he chickened out and saw the cigarettes behind me, so asked for those instead. It was after that, when he came back in for some chewing gum, I think, when he finally got round to it.’

  ‘What did he say to you?’

  ‘Oh, I can’t remember exactly …’ she admits sadly. ‘He and a group of his friends were planning on going to the cinema that weekend, so he asked if I’d like to join them.’

  ‘And did you?’

  ‘A good-looking boy like that asking me out on a date? Of course I did.’

  Before she can reveal any more the doorbell goes, letting us know that dinner is here. The moment of sharing is broken as we both reach for our purses and squabble over whose turn it is to pay.

  I’ve already admitted that I don’t have much experience when it comes to men and that I’ve only been on a few dates, but perhaps it’s time to reveal the full extent of my dating history. My first date came when I was nineteen and was with Mrs Sleep’s grandson James; a short, blond guy, who walked like a mini rhino with his wide swagger and stocky build. James took me to the cinema to watch Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, and then spent the whole film throwing popcorn at the people in front of us, and sniggering at how funny he thought it was. I managed to somehow ignore him and watch the film, which I thoroughly enjoyed. However, at the end of the night, when he sloppily licked his lips and plunged towards me with his slimy pout, I couldn’t get home quick enough. The image of it in my head was enough to make me shudder for days. Mrs Sleep still asks (after all these years) when we’re going to have a second date – it doesn’t surprise me to hear James is still single.

  The next date, which came a couple of years later, was encouraged by Mrs Wallis and was with laboratory assistant Russell, her grandson, who was of average height, had a pretty face and jet-black hair. He decided to take me to one of the local restaurants for dinner, which was a bad idea – it seemed we had nothing to talk to each other about. It was a disaster and full of awkward silences throughout with us both sat looking at the tablecloth or eating in silence. It could’ve been that Russell was just quiet by nature, but I had a feeling he’d simply been coaxed into taking me out by Mrs Wallis and couldn’t be bothered. He dropped me off back home after the meal, without attempting to kiss me. Thankfully. Mrs Wallis keeps me up-to-date with the goings-on in Russell’s life, and I believe he is now engaged to a fellow lab assistant. Good for him.

  After those two experiences with dating I wasn’t keen on going on any more – especially ones that were set up by the guys’ grandmas. However, it was walking down the hill one day on a delivery, juggling with a load of boxed cakes that were threatening to topple over, that Shane came to the rescue. He kindly grabbed half the load and continued with me to my destination, which was a couple of minutes down the road. As a thank you I agreed to have coffee with him straight away afterwards. Perhaps because there was no build-up to it and no mention of the word ‘date’, that led me to be relaxed in his company – or perhaps I let him in because he was so sweet to me and softly spoken – his face rounded and trustworthy. We started to see more of each other as the months went by.

  Looking back now I know I saw him more as a friend than anything else – he was the first person my age who I’d enjoyed spending time with in years. It was that fondness for him which led me not to grumble when he started to call me his girlfriend, or when he kissed me … or when he placed his hand under my top to unhook my bra and cup my breast … or when, at night-time, he’d led me into the park on numerous occasions, where he’d guide me under one of the giant willow trees and we’d have sex in the darkness. No, I didn’t object to any of that. It was when he started to say that he loved me that it all got too much. He was the second man to ever tell me he loved me. A fact I couldn’t cope with at the time. Molly and Mum thought I was mad when I suddenly ended things with Shane for no real reason. He was devastated but moved on quickly. Within months he was engaged and is now married with twin boys and has moved away from Rosefont Hill. Even now I wish I had been braver with my feelings.

  This means that, like any single girl out there, my love life has been unsuccessful in many respects. Cringeworthy dates followed by a relationship that failed because the poor guy loved me can hardly be classed as victorious. So, although I’m on a high after the day’s events, later when I get into bed the reality of the situation starts to sink in. I’m about to go on a date with someone quite special, someone who I think I really like, and I don’t want to screw it up like I’ve been known to in the past.

  Predicting another sleepless night, I decide to grab my laptop to do a little bit of pre-date research. I’m sure this will get me slightly more prepared to spend time in Billy’s company, and what harm can it do? As I type his name into Google, glamorous pictures of him on the red carpet and in magazine shoots appear. His infectious smile and glistening eyes make me feel giddy as butterflies dance around in my tummy. I let out a laugh as I feel myself grinning back at his image on the screen like an idiot (he certainly has something of a ‘Jude Law Effect’ about him).

  My eyes wander down the page as I find a list of all the films he has been in on imdb.com. It’s huge! Honestly, it’s no wonder Molly recognized him the first day we saw him. In fact, I’m surprised I didn’t recognize him too as I’ve seen a couple of these films – albeit the ones from earlier in his career where he had smaller roles.

  Continuing to inspect the Google search results, I find a link to his page on Wikipedia, which I click on without hesitation.

  Billy Buskin

  William Andrew Buskin is an English actor and model. Born in Surrey, Billy started his acting career with a small part in Eastenders and later took on many projects as a child actor. At nineteen years old, a chance meeting with Hollywood producer Alfred Higgins led to him securing the lead role in the film trilogy Halo, based on the best-selling book by Matilda Sutton, playing Sid Quest.

  Early Life

  Buskin was born in Surrey, England. His father Clive is a plumber. His mother Julie was a sales assistant, but stopped working when she had Billy and his siblings. Billy is the middle child and has older twin sisters and a younger brother and sister.

  Wow! Big family. As the section on his upbringing and family life is quite bare I’m guessing he must be quite a private person when it comes to his home life, which is admirable as not a lot of celebs are. I keep scrolling down the page, skimming over details of his career since Halo.

  I stop flicking through when I get to a section called ‘Personal Life’. I pause before reading on; even though I know I should end there, close my laptop, and never look at the page again. There it is. Billy Buskin’s dating history. I’m too intrigued to look away now. I take a few deep breaths before reading on.

  Personal Life

  Whilst working on Halo, Billy started a three-month relationship with Brazilian model Ariane Salvador, whom he met at the MTV Movie Awards. The relationship ended abruptly when she left him for veteran actor Hugo Miles, 47 years her senior, although she later regretted her actions, saying in an interview, ‘Billy is the guy I should’ve married, but I was young and foolish.’ Despite being devastated over the break-up, Billy soon found comfort from his new Halo co-star Heidi Black, and they became a couple off-screen as well as on. Once filming was complete on the trilogy, however, the relationship appeared rocky, with continuous reports of the couple arguing, splitting up and getting back together. They decided to take a clean break from each other but have reportedly remained friends ever since.

  Although Billy has not had an official ‘girlfriend’ for the past few years he has been linked to nu
merous actresses and models including Sarah Atkins, Ruth Yates, Makaela Truce and Betty Sugar, to name but a few.

  His serial dating has caught the attention of numerous tabloid papers – especially the Daily Dawn, which has crowned him their Womanizer of the Year for the past four years.

  Needless to say, I can’t stop myself from clicking on the names and letting photos of one dazzling woman after another appear on my screen. Ariane Salvador has the body of a goddess, Heidi Black is a beautiful blonde with a very curvaceous body, Sarah Atkins has the most perfect skin I’ve ever seen …

  The number of girls that he has dated, had flings with, or simply been linked to is extensive and it feels as though every hot, desirable woman in showbiz is on that list. Obviously, it could all be a load of rubbish, just speculation and gossip with no truth behind it. But it shows me one thing. These are the women who have filled Billy Buskin’s life and who surround him on a daily basis. They’re beautiful, glamorous and spellbinding. What could I possibly have to offer him that they don’t? After depressing myself by clicking on more images of these beautiful women, I eventually close my laptop and stare at the ceiling for the rest of the night, not managing to sleep a wink. My earlier excitement has left me and given way to anxiety and trepidation.

  The following day I’m an absolute wreck at work. I burn three cakes and drop two plates before Molly eventually pulls me to one side.

  ‘Darling girl, what on earth is the matter?’ she asks softly.

  ‘What do you mean?’ I say, as I struggle to keep my tears at bay and from blubbing loudly.

  ‘Oh, Soph. You’ve not been yourself all day. It’s not like you to be careless or clumsy.’

  ‘I know, it’s just …’

  ‘You’re worried about your date?’

  ‘Oh, Mol!’ I sob. ‘I’m just normal. I’m just boring old me!’

  ‘Oh, petal,’ she coos, as she puts her arms around me and holds me tight. ‘Don’t be like that.’ She lets out a soft chuckle. ‘Have you thought that maybe that’s what he likes about you? Huh? Maybe boring old you is exactly what caught his attention and attracted him. Because – face it, duck – he has been mesmerized by you from the moment he laid eyes on you.’