Escape to Oakbrook Farm: A wonderfully uplifting romantic comedy (Hope Cove Book 2)

by Hannah Ellis

  Staring miserably into her coffee, she replayed the conversation with Sam. It was hard to believe things really were over. She blinked away tears. Her emotions were all over the place. She felt so terrible for leaving, and part of her wanted to go back and grovel and get everything back to how it was a month ago. But another part of her was angry with Sam. He was being unreasonable. It was a side of him that she wouldn’t have believed existed. Maybe she hadn’t really known him very well at all.

  There was some bustle as a group of guys dressed as soldiers came into the room. She smiled when a couple of them asked if they could sit with her, and she managed to make polite conversation before she was called onto set. They were filming more quiet scenes at the bar before shooting scenes with the room full of soldiers. It should be slightly livelier than the previous day.

  After an hour, her feet were killing her, and she was well and truly fed up. When the director called “cut”, she kicked her shoes off and enjoyed the feel of the cold floor on her aching feet. The director called for quiet and she didn’t have time to put her shoes back on so she stood on her tiptoes as he shouted “action” and hoped no one would notice. Typical – it was a long scene and she gradually got shorter. She was fairly sure she wasn’t in shot, anyway. Cleaning glasses was getting tedious. At the back of the bar, she straightened the bottles of spirits and wiped down the counter. God, it was boring. Her mind drifted to Oakbrook and she remembered all the good times.

  Recently, the images of Sam in her head were all negative, but suddenly she could see him laughing so clearly that it was a struggle not to cry. She missed him so much.

  As she straightened a bottle of vodka, she caught sight of herself in the mirrored wall behind the bottles of alcohol. She moved the vodka aside. The person in the mirror didn’t look anything like her. There was so much make-up.

  Without much thought, she reached for a glass and poured a shot of vodka. With her back to the room, surely no one would notice. She winced as it burned her throat. What on earth was she doing? Drinking on set was surely a sackable offence. No one noticed, though, and she realised the thought of getting fired really didn’t bother her at all. She wouldn’t have to wear the stupid shoes any more.

  The set got busy as a crowd of soldiers filed in. It was probably going to be a long afternoon.

  “You need your shoes on,” the assistant director told her. “You shrank three inches in that last scene. Good job you weren’t in shot.”

  “My legs are hidden by the bar. Does it really matter what shoes I wear?”

  “Yep! It does.” The walkie-talkie on her belt crackled, and she muttered something into it before turning back to Josie. “Put them on, please.”

  “My feet are killing me. I’ve got about ten blisters.”

  “I’ll get you some plasters. But keep the shoes on.”

  She spoke into her walkie-talkie as she walked away, and at the end of the next scene one of the runners appeared with a handful of plasters for Josie. They helped a bit but she really couldn’t wait to get out of the shoes.

  When the director called “cut” the next time, a cocky voice behind her asked for a drink. She grinned automatically but couldn’t quite believe her ears. When she turned to face Jack, she almost cried tears of joy.

  “I have never been so happy to see you!” She hugged him tightly across the bar. “What are you doing here?”

  “My duty to queen and country,” he said, looking at his uniform with mock pride.

  “I didn’t think you wanted to take the job again.”

  “It’s just a week. They need a crowd for the scenes on location. I thought it might be fun so I took a week’s holiday from work. The money’s decent enough.”

  “That’s great. It’s so good to see you.”

  “I told you the job would get better!”

  “That’s what you meant?” she said, chuckling.

  “You’re really not enjoying it?” he asked.

  “My feet are killing me and I’ve taken to sneaking shots of vodka … so no, I’m not enjoying it.”

  “Feel free to sneak me shots,” he said, then looked serious. “What about lover boy? Did you call him?”

  “Yeah.” She bit her lip. “He doesn’t want to know.”

  Jack muttered something derogatory and then the director called for quiet. They moved into action for the scene, and as soon as the director shouted “cut” she turned back to Jack.

  “Do you want to get a drink later?” she said. “In an actual bar!”

  He grimaced. “I’ve got a date.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. That’s not weird, is it? I’m allowed to date. You did dump me!”

  “Of course you’re allowed to date.”

  “Are you gonna get all depressed that your ex-boyfriend’s dating while you’re miserable?”

  “No,” she said, amused. “Who is she?”

  “Her name’s Lauren. If you spot a female soldier in here, there’s a fifty percent chance it’s her.”

  “She’s here?” Josie asked, scanning the room.

  “Yeah. The one staring at us,” he said with a boyish smile. “I just met her earlier.”

  “Oh my God! No wonder you like this job.”

  “I know. Crazy, huh? We just got chatting and she asked me to go for dinner later. I can have a drink with you tomorrow night? I don’t like to think of you crying yourself to sleep over a guy.”

  She’d have laughed if it hadn’t been an accurate assessment of her evenings. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll get over it.”

  “He doesn’t deserve you,” Jack said.

  “Shut up or you’ll make me cry again!”

  They were interrupted by the director calling instructions. In the scene, the crowd of soldiers were drinking and getting more and more boisterous in the lead-up to a punch-up between two of the main characters. Josie had her back to the action most of the time, only turning when the fight broke out. It was all hidden from her view by the crowd anyway.

  “Maybe you’ll get some lines eventually,” Jack said at the next interlude. She obviously looked as bored as she felt.

  “I hope so.” After everything she’d left behind at Oakbrook, she really needed something good to come of her new job. It was supposed to be a great opportunity, but it had been completely overshadowed by all the negativity with Sam.

  “I’ll be glad when we’re out on location,” Jack said. “It should be more interesting.”

  “When’s that?”

  “Starts tomorrow. Five days of filming in South Downs National Park.”

  Josie swore under her breath. “I guess they don’t need a barmaid on location …”

  “Hadn’t you already heard?”

  “Nope. Nobody mentioned it. What am I going to do for a week?”

  She hoped there’d been some mistake, but when she went to sign off on her hours at the end of the day, it was confirmed – she wasn’t needed until the following week. Just when she thought things couldn’t get any worse, she now had a week with no income and far too much time to think.

  Chapter 39

  Emily was working at the restaurant that evening so Josie had the place to herself. The day of filming had been much more bearable with Jack around. It was nice to catch up with him, and there was a lovely feeling of nostalgia being with him on the TV set. It was weird, though, seeing him leave with someone else.

  It didn’t seem that long since it was her who was happily going on dates with Jack after long days of filming. It was good to see him so happy, but at the same time, it did seem to highlight her lack of a love life, or a social life even, come to think of it. Maybe she should start dating. When she was filming with so many men, she surely wouldn’t have a hard time finding a date.

  Not that it was a serious thought. The only person she wanted to go on a date with was Sam. She called Lizzie that evening. Instead of telling her how miserable she was, she ended up telling her the filming was going great. It seemed to
be what she expected to hear, and Josie wasn’t quite ready to admit to her sister what a mess she was in. She didn’t mention the fact that she’d done two days of filming and now had a week off. When she ended the call, it occurred to her that the conversation with Lizzie involved far more acting than she’d done the past two days in the TV studio.

  How on earth was she going to get through a week with nothing to do? It crossed her mind to visit Annette, but she couldn’t decide if it was a good idea or not. She wanted to see Sam so badly, but she didn’t think she could bear it. Him being so cold towards her was agony.

  She felt pathetic for being tempted to call him again. She wouldn’t, though. He’d made his feelings very clear, and she needed to accept it and move on. It would be easier if she could stop thinking about him.

  ***

  When she woke the next morning, it was to the sound of Emily tapping away on her laptop.

  “To think I used to hate being woken by birds when I was at Oakbrook,” Josie mumbled from her bed on the couch.

  “Sorry.” Emily swivelled in her chair at her little desk in the corner. “I end up with a stiff neck if I write in bed for too long.”

  “It’s fine,” Josie said.

  “Are you working today?”

  “No, I’ve got a few days off. But I’ll get out of your way.”

  “Thanks,” Emily said. “I’ve got loads to do.”

  “Are you sure it’s okay me staying here? I don’t want things to get weird. If it’s a problem just say.”

  “It’s fine … I could really use the help with the rent.”

  Josie sat up and stretched. “And that’s a subtle hint for me to give you some money.”

  “There’s no hurry,” Emily said with a sweet smile.

  “I’ll go to the bank today.” It was a good job she’d saved some money while she was with Annette. Working two days a week wasn’t really going to cover her living costs.

  “Thanks,” Emily said. “Sorry I’m no fun at the moment. I’m snowed under. Maybe we can have a night out at the weekend?”

  “Sounds good,” Josie said.

  “How’s it going with the filming?”

  “It’s okay. Jack was there yesterday so that livened things up.”

  “How’s he doing?”

  “He’s the same old Jack. He was off out on a date last night.”

  “That must be weird,” Emily said idly. “It’s a shame things didn’t work out with you two. I always thought you made a good couple. You’re not tempted to try and get back with him since things didn’t work out with Sam?”

  “No!” Josie wrinkled her nose. “Of course not.”

  Emily shrugged. “Have you heard anything from Sam?”

  “Yeah.” She sighed at the reminder. “I spoke to him, but it seems like it’s really over.” The thought made her chest ache.

  “He sounds like an idiot.”

  Josie tilted her head. “He’s not.”

  “Don’t get all defensive,” Emily said. “I’m just telling it like it is. If he can’t make the effort to try and make things work, he’s probably not worth it anyway.”

  Josie stood abruptly. “I’m going to have a shower and I’ll get out of your way.”

  “Sorry,” Emily said, clearly sensing she’d hit a nerve. “I just hate you moping around because of some guy. You can do much better.”

  Resisting the urge to argue, Josie went for a shower and spent a long time under the hot spray. She was annoyed with Emily, but could also see her point. Sam had treated her badly, and it was probably time she moved on. It was so hard, though. She still had a tiny spark of hope that he’d call her, grovelling, and say he was an idiot and he wanted them to work things out. After the shower she automatically checked her phone, but of course there were no messages.

  Not wanting to disturb Emily, she didn’t bother with breakfast, just grabbed her bag and set off with no specific plan for the day. Wandering the city wasn’t going to help. She needed something to take her mind off things.

  Her stomach growled with hunger as soon as she walked out of the apartment, and she ducked into the nearest cafe. It took ages to get served but she eventually ordered coffee and toast. She needed to be frugal with money if filming was going to be so irregular.

  It was the first time Josie had been into Brenda’s Kitchen, which was located just a couple of buildings away from Emily’s flat. She was surprised by how bad the service was. She’d only ordered coffee and toast but it took almost half an hour before it arrived. Not that Josie really cared; she wasn’t in a hurry. She probably wouldn’t return to the cafe, though.

  It seemed like there was only one woman working, and she looked like she was about to have a nervous breakdown. Josie took pity on her and cleared her table when she’d finished, bringing her plate and mug to the counter. The poor waitress was having an argument with the cook, and the raised voices drifted out into the cafe. It was embarrassing, really.

  Josie was about to leave when a table strewn with dirty dishes caught her attention. She’d worked as a waitress many times and it was almost an automatic response to clear the table. The frazzled waitress looked at her sympathetically when she walked towards the counter with her arms loaded with dishes.

  “Did heaven send you?” she asked.

  Josie chuckled. “No. You just seemed swamped.”

  “I am,” she said with a sigh. “My regular waitress broke her leg yesterday and the dishwasher chose this morning to give up on me. I’m waiting for the repair guy now.”

  “It never rains but it pours …”

  “Too right! Don’t suppose you have waitressing experience and need a job?”

  “My sister says it’s quicker to list the jobs I don’t have experience in than the ones I do.” She grinned at the puzzled-looking middle-aged woman. “Yeah I have experience.”

  “And you need a job?”

  “I already have a job.” She dithered and her gaze swept over the cosy little cafe. “I suppose I could help out today.”

  “Really?” The woman’s eyes filled with relief. “You’re a lifesaver. I’ll give you cash at the end of the day.” She rooted in her pocket and pulled out a key. “You can put your bag in the office, then I’ll tell you where to start. I’m Brenda, by the way!”

  “I’m Josie,” she called over her shoulder. When she came back from the office, Brenda was busy serving customers, so Josie cleared tables and took the dishes to the kitchen.

  “Hi!” she said to the cook. “I’m Josie. Looks like I’m working here today.”

  “Good,” the dark-haired woman said. “I’m sure I wouldn’t last the day alone with Brenda! When she’s busy she gets stressed … and when she’s stressed she takes it out on me!” She shuffled eggs in a pan. “I’m Stella.”

  “Nice to meet you.” Josie was about to start washing up when she glanced at the dishwasher. “What happened to this thing?” she asked, opening it up.

  “No idea,” Stella said. “The water won’t drain. There’s a load of dirty water sitting at the bottom of it. The repair guy should be here soon.”

  “Sometimes they just get clogged.” Josie bent down and pulled the bottom tray out. The water at the bottom was foul. She stuck a hand in regardless and pulled out the filter at the bottom. “Did you try clearing it?”

  Stella nodded. “Brenda had a look at it but she couldn’t fix it so she called the handyman.”

  Reaching for a spoon, Josie stuck the handle into the drain at the bottom of the dishwasher. She poked around a bit until she heard a glug and the water began to recede.

  “Have you fixed it?” Stella said, in awe.

  “Maybe,” Josie said. “Let’s give it a go.” She filled it up and switched it on.

  “This one’s fixed the dishwasher!” Stella said when Brenda walked in a few minutes later.

  “You’re kidding?” Brenda said, wiping her brow. “How did you manage that?”

  “It was just clogged up.” At the sink, Jo
sie scrubbed her hands thoroughly under the tap. “You should still get someone to look at it. It might keep happening.”

  “You really are a lifesaver,” Brenda said.

  “Table eight!” Stella said, plating up two full English breakfasts.

  “I’ve got it,” Josie said, jumping into action. It felt good to be needed. Plus she’d just gone a full ten minutes without thinking about Sam, which felt like a major achievement.

  ***

  It was a while since she’d done any waitressing, and she was amazed by how much she enjoyed it. She liked being busy, and in the quieter moments she chatted with customers or with Brenda and Stella, who seemed an amiable pair when they weren’t rushed off their feet.

  “What is it you do when you’re not saving cafés from disaster?” Brenda said cheerfully at the end of the day.

  “I’m working as a TV extra. I play a barmaid in a new soap opera.”

  “Oh, exciting! What is it? Maybe I’ve seen it?”

  “It hasn’t been aired yet. We’re just filming the first series. It’s a military thing. But the filming is a bit hit and miss so I have quite a lot of spare time.”

  “Don’t suppose you can help me out again tomorrow, can you? I can get someone from an agency but you never know if they’ll actually turn up, or if they’ll be any good.”

  “Well, I’ve got the rest of the week free and I could do with the money.”

  “Brilliant!” Brenda counted out a hundred pounds from the till and handed it over to Josie. She’d probably made the same in tips so she was quite happy. No need to go to the bank after all.

  In the apartment, she handed the money over to Emily with a smile on her face. “That was an interesting day!”

  She proceeded to fill her friend in over a glass of wine.

  “You seem much more positive this evening,” Emily said.

  “I am.” Josie pulled her feet underneath her on the couch. “It was only a day of waitressing in a greasy café, but I guess being busy did me good. I think I’ve been so consumed by all the drama with Sam that I lost sight of things. This move was supposed to be a positive step. I need to stop moping around and get on with my life.”