about something trivial and he said, “We should love blindly without question, without regret and selflessly.” ’
‘And what did you say?’
‘I said I was sorry, but then he said, and typical of your father, “But right now, love, you’re being a right pain in my arse, so I’m off to the pub.” ’
Mum and I laughed, but we were both lost in our own worlds. Mum was, I’m sure, thinking about Dad, while I was thinking about Emma. Mum was right: I would lose her if I didn’t support her and I couldn’t let my fears get in the way of our happiness. I was going to go home, apologise and let her know how proud I was of her and how much I loved her. Before it was too late.
Emma
As soon as I walked into the small and upmarket café in Swiss Cottage, I saw Rhys and my heart dropped. He was reading a book at a table in the corner and looking every inch the archetypal film star. I forgot I was soon to be acting opposite him and I became a silly teenager again. He was wearing a blue cable-knit jumper and a pair of faded jeans, his hair was its usual beautiful mess and he had a few days’ stubble hanging around his chin. There was no getting away from the fact that he was drop-dead gorgeous and every young girl’s dream. I, of course, was almost thirty and should know much better.
I was still pissed off after the argument with Jack. I couldn’t believe how callous he was being about the film. I’d been waiting for this moment my whole life and the one person who should have been supporting me was the one person who was acting like a complete and utter dickhead. I didn’t want Rhys to know anything about it and so I put on a smile, threw my shoulders back, took a deep breath and made my way over to his table.
‘Em,’ said Rhys as soon as he saw me. He got up and gave me a theatrical kiss on each cheek and a warm hug, as if we’d been friends for years. He smelt fantastic and I could feel the taut muscles beneath his jumper. I noticed people at nearby tables were furtively watching us. They’d obviously spotted Rhys and were probably trying to work out if I was famous too. To be honest, I felt a little bit out of my depth. For Rhys this was just another lunch and just another co-star, but for me it was the beginning of everything. ‘How are you?’
‘Good thanks,’ I said, putting my handbag down on the table next to me. ‘You?’
‘Fantastic. Bit tired. Up all night going through a script for an American thing my agent wants me to do. It’s shit, really, but big-budget and has some huge names attached to it. I just don’t know if I want to go down that route, the big-budget action films, or do things a bit more, you know, eclectic.’
‘Then don’t do it,’ I said, giving advice as though I knew what I was talking about. This from the actress who had recently been turned down for such esteemed roles as ‘girl on phone’, ‘girl on train’, ‘second friend from the left’ and, most recently, ‘girl in lift’. I was a classically trained actress who’d been turned down for roles that basically required me to stand still.
‘I know, but it’s five million for six months’ work and it’s set in Hawaii, which wouldn’t be a bad place to spend a few months . . .’
‘Five million?’ I said incredulously.
‘Yeah.’
‘As in pounds?’
‘Yeah.’
‘And you’re asking me for advice?’ Rhys looked at me and laughed. He had a horribly gorgeous laugh that made me fancy him even more than I already did. I tried to put all naughty, inappropriate thoughts out of my head. I was engaged. I loved Jack with all my heart even though he’d been an utter pig all morning, but Rhys had a way about him. Sort of like a young Sean Connery. He had a raw sexiness that wasn’t forced, but a natural quality which ran through everything he did. He could probably make brushing his teeth sexy.
‘Why are you laughing?’
‘Oh, Em, you’re priceless. Let me buy you lunch. What do you
‘And what did you say?’
‘I said I was sorry, but then he said, and typical of your father, “But right now, love, you’re being a right pain in my arse, so I’m off to the pub.” ’
Mum and I laughed, but we were both lost in our own worlds. Mum was, I’m sure, thinking about Dad, while I was thinking about Emma. Mum was right: I would lose her if I didn’t support her and I couldn’t let my fears get in the way of our happiness. I was going to go home, apologise and let her know how proud I was of her and how much I loved her. Before it was too late.
Emma
As soon as I walked into the small and upmarket café in Swiss Cottage, I saw Rhys and my heart dropped. He was reading a book at a table in the corner and looking every inch the archetypal film star. I forgot I was soon to be acting opposite him and I became a silly teenager again. He was wearing a blue cable-knit jumper and a pair of faded jeans, his hair was its usual beautiful mess and he had a few days’ stubble hanging around his chin. There was no getting away from the fact that he was drop-dead gorgeous and every young girl’s dream. I, of course, was almost thirty and should know much better.
I was still pissed off after the argument with Jack. I couldn’t believe how callous he was being about the film. I’d been waiting for this moment my whole life and the one person who should have been supporting me was the one person who was acting like a complete and utter dickhead. I didn’t want Rhys to know anything about it and so I put on a smile, threw my shoulders back, took a deep breath and made my way over to his table.
‘Em,’ said Rhys as soon as he saw me. He got up and gave me a theatrical kiss on each cheek and a warm hug, as if we’d been friends for years. He smelt fantastic and I could feel the taut muscles beneath his jumper. I noticed people at nearby tables were furtively watching us. They’d obviously spotted Rhys and were probably trying to work out if I was famous too. To be honest, I felt a little bit out of my depth. For Rhys this was just another lunch and just another co-star, but for me it was the beginning of everything. ‘How are you?’
‘Good thanks,’ I said, putting my handbag down on the table next to me. ‘You?’
‘Fantastic. Bit tired. Up all night going through a script for an American thing my agent wants me to do. It’s shit, really, but big-budget and has some huge names attached to it. I just don’t know if I want to go down that route, the big-budget action films, or do things a bit more, you know, eclectic.’
‘Then don’t do it,’ I said, giving advice as though I knew what I was talking about. This from the actress who had recently been turned down for such esteemed roles as ‘girl on phone’, ‘girl on train’, ‘second friend from the left’ and, most recently, ‘girl in lift’. I was a classically trained actress who’d been turned down for roles that basically required me to stand still.
‘I know, but it’s five million for six months’ work and it’s set in Hawaii, which wouldn’t be a bad place to spend a few months . . .’
‘Five million?’ I said incredulously.
‘Yeah.’
‘As in pounds?’
‘Yeah.’
‘And you’re asking me for advice?’ Rhys looked at me and laughed. He had a horribly gorgeous laugh that made me fancy him even more than I already did. I tried to put all naughty, inappropriate thoughts out of my head. I was engaged. I loved Jack with all my heart even though he’d been an utter pig all morning, but Rhys had a way about him. Sort of like a young Sean Connery. He had a raw sexiness that wasn’t forced, but a natural quality which ran through everything he did. He could probably make brushing his teeth sexy.
‘Why are you laughing?’
‘Oh, Em, you’re priceless. Let me buy you lunch. What do you
Similar Books
