happened,” I explain to Will and Callum. “There was a short for a few minutes.”
“That’s strange,” says Camilla. “Are you sure there was a power cut?”
“Well. Um, yeah,” I say. “As sure as I can be. The lights went out.” I shrug.
Camilla frowns. “I didn’t see any power cut,” she says, “and the whole system is on a closed loop.” She pauses to roll her eyes again. “Did I mention that James made me learn everything about how the studio works?”
I smile in response, but I’m only half listening. I’ve just noticed my phone display shows a message from James. I open it up.
Come to your chalet. Now.
I frown at the absence of kisses or general courtesy. Maybe it’s something to do with the power cut. I am pretty clumsy. Hopefully, I haven’t done something stupid and caused the short.
“I gotta go,” I say, holding up the phone. “James just texted me.”
I realise this is a stupid thing to say as soon as the words are out of my mouth.
James said we needed to be discrete about seeing one another, and here I am waving around a text from him. I put the phone down quickly.
Luckily, no one seems to think there is anything the least bit untoward about this.
“You go ahead, leading lady,” says Callum with a smile. “He probably wants to discuss the first scenes to be shot with you.”
“Don’t let him work you too hard,” frowns Camilla. “James can be a real slave driver.”
I suppress a smile. Don’t I know it.
“It was so good to meet you all,” I say as I stand. “I’m really looking forward to seeing you again.”
I really mean it. I can see us having great fun working together.
“I’ve just got off the LA flight, and I’m about ready to crash,” says Callum. “But maybe we should all meet tomorrow and practise some lines? Since we’re all here at such short notice.”
I breathe a sigh of relief. At least I’m not the only one anxious about the last minute schedule.
“Ok, great. I’d love that,” I say with a smile.
Rehearsing with Callum Reed!
“Get my number from James,” suggests Callum. “Cam, you’ll be there too, right?”
Camilla gives a little squeak of excitement. “Oh I’d love to. I mean, I don’t have much to rehearse. I only have three lines, and I know them so well, I talk them in my sleep.”
She tilts her head to look at me. “But I can help. I mean, I can fetch coffee and things. It would be good practise for my real role,” she adds with a wry smile.
“Great,” says Callum, “that’s sorted then. See you tomorrow, Issy.”
“See you tomorrow.” I wave them all goodbye.
As I head out of the restaurant, my thoughts return to what possible damage I might have done to the chalet. Camilla said there wasn’t a power cut elsewhere in the studio. I run through my last movements. I opened the make-up fridge in the bathroom. Maybe I did it wrong and broke something.
The creepy laugh comes back to me, and I feel my stomach turn. What if I wasn’t imagining things after all?
Only one way to find out, I think, heading for my chalet.
Chapter 1 3
I reach my chalet to find that, instead of James, there’s a note on the door.
I yank it off and read.
“Come inside and go up to the bedroom.”
Oh. Nothing to do with the power cut then.
I feel a little thrill shoot through me, remembering the objects in my bedside drawer.
I use my fingerprints and key card to enter the chalet, and walk quietly up the staircase. My earlier anxiety has vanished. How silly to imagine that anyone could get inside here. The security’s so tight, I’m amazed that James can get in.
The bedroom door is shut, and I push the door open and walk in.
To my disappointment, James isn’t in the room waiting for me.
Instead, there is a large bunch of beautiful violet-coloured roses.
I give a little half smile. I haven’t told James that I know about his past. That he hasn’t given a woman red roses since the death of his
“That’s strange,” says Camilla. “Are you sure there was a power cut?”
“Well. Um, yeah,” I say. “As sure as I can be. The lights went out.” I shrug.
Camilla frowns. “I didn’t see any power cut,” she says, “and the whole system is on a closed loop.” She pauses to roll her eyes again. “Did I mention that James made me learn everything about how the studio works?”
I smile in response, but I’m only half listening. I’ve just noticed my phone display shows a message from James. I open it up.
Come to your chalet. Now.
I frown at the absence of kisses or general courtesy. Maybe it’s something to do with the power cut. I am pretty clumsy. Hopefully, I haven’t done something stupid and caused the short.
“I gotta go,” I say, holding up the phone. “James just texted me.”
I realise this is a stupid thing to say as soon as the words are out of my mouth.
James said we needed to be discrete about seeing one another, and here I am waving around a text from him. I put the phone down quickly.
Luckily, no one seems to think there is anything the least bit untoward about this.
“You go ahead, leading lady,” says Callum with a smile. “He probably wants to discuss the first scenes to be shot with you.”
“Don’t let him work you too hard,” frowns Camilla. “James can be a real slave driver.”
I suppress a smile. Don’t I know it.
“It was so good to meet you all,” I say as I stand. “I’m really looking forward to seeing you again.”
I really mean it. I can see us having great fun working together.
“I’ve just got off the LA flight, and I’m about ready to crash,” says Callum. “But maybe we should all meet tomorrow and practise some lines? Since we’re all here at such short notice.”
I breathe a sigh of relief. At least I’m not the only one anxious about the last minute schedule.
“Ok, great. I’d love that,” I say with a smile.
Rehearsing with Callum Reed!
“Get my number from James,” suggests Callum. “Cam, you’ll be there too, right?”
Camilla gives a little squeak of excitement. “Oh I’d love to. I mean, I don’t have much to rehearse. I only have three lines, and I know them so well, I talk them in my sleep.”
She tilts her head to look at me. “But I can help. I mean, I can fetch coffee and things. It would be good practise for my real role,” she adds with a wry smile.
“Great,” says Callum, “that’s sorted then. See you tomorrow, Issy.”
“See you tomorrow.” I wave them all goodbye.
As I head out of the restaurant, my thoughts return to what possible damage I might have done to the chalet. Camilla said there wasn’t a power cut elsewhere in the studio. I run through my last movements. I opened the make-up fridge in the bathroom. Maybe I did it wrong and broke something.
The creepy laugh comes back to me, and I feel my stomach turn. What if I wasn’t imagining things after all?
Only one way to find out, I think, heading for my chalet.
Chapter 1 3
I reach my chalet to find that, instead of James, there’s a note on the door.
I yank it off and read.
“Come inside and go up to the bedroom.”
Oh. Nothing to do with the power cut then.
I feel a little thrill shoot through me, remembering the objects in my bedside drawer.
I use my fingerprints and key card to enter the chalet, and walk quietly up the staircase. My earlier anxiety has vanished. How silly to imagine that anyone could get inside here. The security’s so tight, I’m amazed that James can get in.
The bedroom door is shut, and I push the door open and walk in.
To my disappointment, James isn’t in the room waiting for me.
Instead, there is a large bunch of beautiful violet-coloured roses.
I give a little half smile. I haven’t told James that I know about his past. That he hasn’t given a woman red roses since the death of his
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