all morning.
It didn’t disappoint. He sat on the bottom deck of the decommissioned double-decker being used as the location canteen and tucked into mince with instant mash and textureless cubes of mixed veg as Katrina smoked over him and drank tea. Lallie had been taken off for some fittings, so he didn’t have to beat around the bush.
‘A showcase,’ Katrina echoed, when he broached the LWT proposal. Her tone was neutral. So far, she was just looking for elucidation.
‘Think Morecambe and Wise, Stanley Baxter type of thing.’
‘You mean a Christmas show?’
‘Christmas, Easter, the big bank holidays – the idea is, Lallie’s a treat for the audience, not something served up to them every week.’
Katrina caught back the smoke she had begun to exhale, re-inhaled and blew it through her nostrils instead, a feat Frank knew to mean that she smelled a rat.
‘So she wouldn’t be on every week?’
‘No. Which, let’s face it, is going to be a relief all round, the way they scheduled the last season, poor kiddie.’
‘She was a bit knackered by the end,’ conceded Katrina.
‘Economies of scale,’ said Frank. Katrina seemed to like the phrase.
‘For the same money though,’ she clarified.
‘Money in the bank,’ he reassured her. ‘Plus –’ he leaned forward, pushing aside his cleaned plate, and dropped his voice – ‘thinking of the future, this is the perfect way for Lallie to make the transition into being an adult entertainer.’
‘She’s not twelve until next April, Frank.’
‘They’re not children long these days.’
Katrina stubbed her butt end into her cup, where it hissed against the dregs of her tea.
‘That’s true.’
Frank could see that the bulk of his work was done. He pulled his bowl of square jam sponge and glossy custard towards him.
‘How’s the filming going, anyway?’
Katrina shrugged. ‘Can’t tell. She’s enjoying it – you know what she’s like.’
‘Loves the work.’
‘That’s what she says to me. All the time. “I love it, Mam.” Always has done – well, you know.’
‘Born to it.’
‘That’s what I’ve always said – it’d be cruel to stop her. But the minute she tells me she’s not enjoying it …’
Katrina expanded her fingers into stars, denoting an explosion of finality. Frank nodded.
‘I mean, it’s not my idea of a good time, hanging round all day, bored as arseholes if you’ll excuse the language. But I’m not doing it for me, am I?’
Katrina had made good money in the clubs, singing, beforeLallie’s career had taken off. Frank had experienced many times the volubility of Katrina’s regret about this sacrifice. He wanted to conserve his stamina for the drive back.
‘I was talking,’ he diverted her, ‘to America. About the film. You know, the studio.’
Katrina’s eyes stopped their sightless journey over the view from the bus window and jumped to him.
‘They’re very interested in our girl. One of their people wants to come and see her for himself.’
‘A producer?’
‘An executive. You know, since they’re already putting money into this – I wouldn’t be surprised if they had something else lined up for her.’
Delivering this news was like plugging Katrina into a socket.
‘They want to visit the set?’
‘I’ll clear it with Mike. It shouldn’t be a problem.’
Katrina sighed. ‘Shame they don’t want us to go to America.’
Frank quelled a frisson of irritation.
What do I have to do for you people? What would be enough for you?
‘Well, fingers crossed, eh?
Judging the moment, he pulled out the revised LWT contracts from his briefcase and slid them over to Katrina. Then he took his Parker ballpoint from his breast pocket and primed it for her with his thumb.
‘Just there – unless you want to hang on to them and have a read. I’ve marked the changes.’
Scarcely glancing at the amended paragraphs, she hoisted the pen.
‘Did they mention what the project is?’
‘They
It didn’t disappoint. He sat on the bottom deck of the decommissioned double-decker being used as the location canteen and tucked into mince with instant mash and textureless cubes of mixed veg as Katrina smoked over him and drank tea. Lallie had been taken off for some fittings, so he didn’t have to beat around the bush.
‘A showcase,’ Katrina echoed, when he broached the LWT proposal. Her tone was neutral. So far, she was just looking for elucidation.
‘Think Morecambe and Wise, Stanley Baxter type of thing.’
‘You mean a Christmas show?’
‘Christmas, Easter, the big bank holidays – the idea is, Lallie’s a treat for the audience, not something served up to them every week.’
Katrina caught back the smoke she had begun to exhale, re-inhaled and blew it through her nostrils instead, a feat Frank knew to mean that she smelled a rat.
‘So she wouldn’t be on every week?’
‘No. Which, let’s face it, is going to be a relief all round, the way they scheduled the last season, poor kiddie.’
‘She was a bit knackered by the end,’ conceded Katrina.
‘Economies of scale,’ said Frank. Katrina seemed to like the phrase.
‘For the same money though,’ she clarified.
‘Money in the bank,’ he reassured her. ‘Plus –’ he leaned forward, pushing aside his cleaned plate, and dropped his voice – ‘thinking of the future, this is the perfect way for Lallie to make the transition into being an adult entertainer.’
‘She’s not twelve until next April, Frank.’
‘They’re not children long these days.’
Katrina stubbed her butt end into her cup, where it hissed against the dregs of her tea.
‘That’s true.’
Frank could see that the bulk of his work was done. He pulled his bowl of square jam sponge and glossy custard towards him.
‘How’s the filming going, anyway?’
Katrina shrugged. ‘Can’t tell. She’s enjoying it – you know what she’s like.’
‘Loves the work.’
‘That’s what she says to me. All the time. “I love it, Mam.” Always has done – well, you know.’
‘Born to it.’
‘That’s what I’ve always said – it’d be cruel to stop her. But the minute she tells me she’s not enjoying it …’
Katrina expanded her fingers into stars, denoting an explosion of finality. Frank nodded.
‘I mean, it’s not my idea of a good time, hanging round all day, bored as arseholes if you’ll excuse the language. But I’m not doing it for me, am I?’
Katrina had made good money in the clubs, singing, beforeLallie’s career had taken off. Frank had experienced many times the volubility of Katrina’s regret about this sacrifice. He wanted to conserve his stamina for the drive back.
‘I was talking,’ he diverted her, ‘to America. About the film. You know, the studio.’
Katrina’s eyes stopped their sightless journey over the view from the bus window and jumped to him.
‘They’re very interested in our girl. One of their people wants to come and see her for himself.’
‘A producer?’
‘An executive. You know, since they’re already putting money into this – I wouldn’t be surprised if they had something else lined up for her.’
Delivering this news was like plugging Katrina into a socket.
‘They want to visit the set?’
‘I’ll clear it with Mike. It shouldn’t be a problem.’
Katrina sighed. ‘Shame they don’t want us to go to America.’
Frank quelled a frisson of irritation.
What do I have to do for you people? What would be enough for you?
‘Well, fingers crossed, eh?
Judging the moment, he pulled out the revised LWT contracts from his briefcase and slid them over to Katrina. Then he took his Parker ballpoint from his breast pocket and primed it for her with his thumb.
‘Just there – unless you want to hang on to them and have a read. I’ve marked the changes.’
Scarcely glancing at the amended paragraphs, she hoisted the pen.
‘Did they mention what the project is?’
‘They
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