with an amused smile.
I turn to Sigourney. ‘Careful the car doesn’t run you over.’
Sigourney stares at me blankly for a moment. Then she collapses into laughter. ‘Oh! Of course, you’ve only just got married haven’t you? Honeymoon phase. Silly me.’ She stands back, her eyes fixing on Marc’s. ‘Later okay?’ she says with a wave. ‘Don’t forget me.’
As she walks away, I wind up the passenger window.
‘Bad day?’ Marc asks. ‘Or just jealous?’
‘Why did you let her talk to you?’ I fume. ‘There’ll be pictures all over the papers tomorrow. Have you no respect for me at all?’
‘I have nothing but respect for you.’
‘Then why let her drape herself over your car like that?’
‘I can’t tell a woman how to stand.’
‘But you can tell her to get lost.’
‘I did. The problem with Sigourney is she doesn’t take no for an answer.’
‘So you told her to get lost?’
‘In so many words. I certainly wasn’t indulging her ridiculous conversation. It was very one-sided. If you were listening.’
‘I was listening,’ I mumble.
‘Did you hear me talking?’
‘No,’ I admit.
‘I didn’t even look at her. She’ll get bored eventually. Trust me. I know the type.’ He starts the car.
‘Oh you know the type do you?’ I say. ‘Tell me – exactly how many types do you know?’
‘Sophia, I’m not going to pander to your jealousy.’ Marc puts the car into reverse. ‘You knew about my past when you married me. It’s not something I’m proud of. But it won’t go away either. Girls will come out of the woodwork. They always have and they probably always will. You have to learn to ignore them.’
I shake my head, feeling tears coming. ‘I suppose I just thought … when we were married …’
Marc slides a hand over mine. ‘That the past would be erased? A clean slate?’
‘Something like that.’
‘Life doesn’t usually work like that.’
I let out a long sigh. ‘So. What’s this surprise then?’
‘It’s waiting back at the townhouse.’
As Marc edges the car out of the parking spot, we see Nadia striding towards us, waving.
Marc frowns. ‘Did you forget something?’
‘Not that I know of.’
‘Then what does Nadia want?’
‘I’m not sure.’
I wind down the window.
32
‘Hey!’ Nadia shouts, peering into the car. ‘Sophia. I meant tell you before – drinks tonight, okay? At the Peacock Lounge. To celebrate the first day of shooting.’ She turns to Marc. ‘You don’t mind do you Marc? Losing your leading lady just for one night?’
‘I’m not invited?’
‘Cast and crew only I’m afraid.’
‘I’d forgotten about your endless socials.’
‘It’s good for the cast and crew to get along,’ says Nadia. ‘If everyone has fun the movie always comes out better.’
‘I had something planned for Sophia tonight.’
‘I … Marc, I think I should go,’ I say, placing a hand over his. ‘Can the surprise wait another day?’
‘It can wait another day.’
‘Okay!’ Nadia claps her hands. ‘This is good news. What would drinks be without our leading lady?’
I laugh. ‘I think that leading lady title caused a bit of trouble today. With Sigourney.’
Nadia waves a dismissive hand. ‘Oh she’s a prima donna. Models always are. I just told her you were the good leading lady and she was the bad one. That way she still gets to think she’s the most important person in the movie.’
‘I don’t mind if she is the leading lady,’ I say. ‘Honestly. She’s more famous than me. Maybe she has a point.’
‘I decide who the leading lady is, not Sigourney,’ says Nadia. ‘And I’ve decided it’s you. Okay. So listen – drinks at eight. You know where the Peacock Lounge is right?’
‘No.’
‘I know where it is,’ says Marc shortly.
‘Of course you do,’ says Nadia. ‘You know where every bar in London is. Right? It’s settled then. You can drop Sophia off.’
A tiny smile plays on Marc’s lips. ‘Drop
I turn to Sigourney. ‘Careful the car doesn’t run you over.’
Sigourney stares at me blankly for a moment. Then she collapses into laughter. ‘Oh! Of course, you’ve only just got married haven’t you? Honeymoon phase. Silly me.’ She stands back, her eyes fixing on Marc’s. ‘Later okay?’ she says with a wave. ‘Don’t forget me.’
As she walks away, I wind up the passenger window.
‘Bad day?’ Marc asks. ‘Or just jealous?’
‘Why did you let her talk to you?’ I fume. ‘There’ll be pictures all over the papers tomorrow. Have you no respect for me at all?’
‘I have nothing but respect for you.’
‘Then why let her drape herself over your car like that?’
‘I can’t tell a woman how to stand.’
‘But you can tell her to get lost.’
‘I did. The problem with Sigourney is she doesn’t take no for an answer.’
‘So you told her to get lost?’
‘In so many words. I certainly wasn’t indulging her ridiculous conversation. It was very one-sided. If you were listening.’
‘I was listening,’ I mumble.
‘Did you hear me talking?’
‘No,’ I admit.
‘I didn’t even look at her. She’ll get bored eventually. Trust me. I know the type.’ He starts the car.
‘Oh you know the type do you?’ I say. ‘Tell me – exactly how many types do you know?’
‘Sophia, I’m not going to pander to your jealousy.’ Marc puts the car into reverse. ‘You knew about my past when you married me. It’s not something I’m proud of. But it won’t go away either. Girls will come out of the woodwork. They always have and they probably always will. You have to learn to ignore them.’
I shake my head, feeling tears coming. ‘I suppose I just thought … when we were married …’
Marc slides a hand over mine. ‘That the past would be erased? A clean slate?’
‘Something like that.’
‘Life doesn’t usually work like that.’
I let out a long sigh. ‘So. What’s this surprise then?’
‘It’s waiting back at the townhouse.’
As Marc edges the car out of the parking spot, we see Nadia striding towards us, waving.
Marc frowns. ‘Did you forget something?’
‘Not that I know of.’
‘Then what does Nadia want?’
‘I’m not sure.’
I wind down the window.
32
‘Hey!’ Nadia shouts, peering into the car. ‘Sophia. I meant tell you before – drinks tonight, okay? At the Peacock Lounge. To celebrate the first day of shooting.’ She turns to Marc. ‘You don’t mind do you Marc? Losing your leading lady just for one night?’
‘I’m not invited?’
‘Cast and crew only I’m afraid.’
‘I’d forgotten about your endless socials.’
‘It’s good for the cast and crew to get along,’ says Nadia. ‘If everyone has fun the movie always comes out better.’
‘I had something planned for Sophia tonight.’
‘I … Marc, I think I should go,’ I say, placing a hand over his. ‘Can the surprise wait another day?’
‘It can wait another day.’
‘Okay!’ Nadia claps her hands. ‘This is good news. What would drinks be without our leading lady?’
I laugh. ‘I think that leading lady title caused a bit of trouble today. With Sigourney.’
Nadia waves a dismissive hand. ‘Oh she’s a prima donna. Models always are. I just told her you were the good leading lady and she was the bad one. That way she still gets to think she’s the most important person in the movie.’
‘I don’t mind if she is the leading lady,’ I say. ‘Honestly. She’s more famous than me. Maybe she has a point.’
‘I decide who the leading lady is, not Sigourney,’ says Nadia. ‘And I’ve decided it’s you. Okay. So listen – drinks at eight. You know where the Peacock Lounge is right?’
‘No.’
‘I know where it is,’ says Marc shortly.
‘Of course you do,’ says Nadia. ‘You know where every bar in London is. Right? It’s settled then. You can drop Sophia off.’
A tiny smile plays on Marc’s lips. ‘Drop
Similar Books
