Chapter Thirty-Three
Gabi
Gabi got some funny looks hobbling home at seven o’clock in the morning, wearing a sparkly black dress and a single sequinned sandal.
But she had to get home quick for the Zoom interview.
The one that she’d happily scheduled for eight a.m., not thinking she would have been up half the night sharing a bed and childhood stories with Walker McBride.
She pushed herself along the high street from Walker’s riverside house and made her way home to Amber’s, only just having time to clean her teeth, change out of her party wear and make herself comfortable in the armchair in the sitting room before her meeting started.
The casting director beamed at her.
‘Greetings, Gabriella!’ the woman said, flashing an amazingly white set of teeth. ‘Nice to finally meet you!’
Gabi turned on her own smile and mentally shook herself to focus on the task at hand.
She had one chance, and one chance only, to show the panel why she was the best woman for the job.
Gabi studied each attendee as they joined the Zoom and were introduced by the casting director.
She’d done her homework and knew that she had the great and the good of the film industry seated in front of her.
The studio had pulled in the big guns – the best directors, actors and writers – so they obviously expected the film to be box office magic.
‘So, Gabriella,’ the film director said.
‘Please, call me Gabi.’ Gabi smiled to set the tone: professional, friendly, easy to work with. ‘Everyone does.’
‘So, Gabi,’ he started again with a nod. ‘Your CV is certainly impressive. Tell us a bit more about yourself.’
Gabi straightened in her seat and began.
‘I’ve been in the industry for more than a decade now and enjoy the challenge that comes with every new film, every new stunt, every new scene,’ she said. ‘I’m always growing my skill set to make sure that I can rise to any occasion.’ The man nodded.
‘And what’s the latest skill you’ve added to your repertoire?’ he asked, pen poised.
Gabi froze. For some reason all she could think of was Jayden teaching her a few breakdance moves. She cleared her throat to buy herself a second, before saying hurriedly, ‘Archery. I learned last year for a role in an advert.’
‘That’s quite a skill to master.’ The casting director rejoined the conversation. ‘We don’t have any archery in this film, but we would need you to stunt double for the female lead in a number of “near death” scenes. Shall we describe them?’
Gabi nodded. The woman nodded at her assistant who picked up a list.
‘A gunshot, first of all.’
‘I was “shot” numerous times in The Gangs of Greenwich,’ Gabi assured them, ‘most notably while standing on the edge of a cliff, resulting in a high fall afterwards.’
‘Being thrown through a window?’ the assistant said.
‘Again, I’m used to the various throws and know how to fall correctly.’
‘An explosion will throw you through the air.’
‘I will need to know the speed to manage my landing, but absolutely fine.’ Gabi was quick with her assurances.
‘And finally, we have some high diving scenes,’ the assistant said.
‘I dived from the waterfall in Gardens of God,’ Gabi said. ‘I have no fear of heights and can dive from ten metres or jump from twenty. Normally CGI does the rest.’ She was comfortable with everything he was saying. It was nothing out of the ordinary in her life.
Relieved nods all round, followed by a sales pitch from the film director about the film itself, the location, the offer and the money.
An eye-watering amount. It was all she could do to stop her mouth falling open.
Gabi tried to keep a poker face, knowing that this was the pinnacle of her career to date.
That it would surpass all of her lifelong ambitions.
To work with big names, in Hollywood, for money that meant she might never have to work again.
She took another sip of water and asked the next question she should ask.
‘Are you considering other stuntwomen?’
‘We are, of course.’ The casting director stepped in to reply.
‘But only as back-up if you can’t take the role for any reason.
We did wonder if you’d already been approached for the new Spielberg that’s shooting in South Africa.
’ Gabi smiled, but didn’t confirm or deny.
The woman paused and then continued, ‘Which is why we’ve put such an attractive offer together. We want you to come and do ours.’
The discussions were all very promising.
The film director understood that Gabi was currently incapacitated and was prepared to pay for a month of world-class physio in America before shooting began to ensure she was fully back in shape.
An apartment of her own would be part of the deal.
A full gym membership was of course included in the package to maintain fitness.
At the end of the meeting, she hung up, a buzz of excitement building in her stomach.
But also a slight sense of anxiety. She’d never felt so nervous about a job before.
Maybe it was because she was so out of the game at the moment.
She could hear the radio playing and went to find Amber in the kitchen to tell her the latest, but that was forgotten when she found Amber glaring at her own phone as Gabi opened the door.
‘You okay?’ Gabi asked but Amber groaned aloud and slammed the phone face down next to her coffee cup.
‘Who’s bothering you?’ Gabi asked, indicating the abandoned phone.
‘Everyone,’ Amber said, exhaling loudly. Her phone beeped and she turned it over momentarily before rolling her eyes and hiding it under the tea cosy.
‘Alex?’ Gabi asked. ‘I thought you two were getting on really well last night.’
‘Everyone but Alex, actually,’ Amber said. ‘But it’s all his fault in the first place.’
Jayden ran in, dressed for his rowing club, River Rats, and Amber stopped mid-sentence. He grabbed a juice carton, oblivious that he was interrupting anything, waved at Gabi and then disappeared out the door. Amber waited until it clicked shut before continuing.
‘Alex played a new song with the band,’ she said, scowling. ‘They made a big fuss about it, introduced it as new material, written by Alex, first ever public play, etc., etc.’ Amber shook her head. ‘He took lead vocals too.’
‘Was it not good?’ Gabi asked, not seeing any problem so far.
‘Oh, it was better than good.’ Amber pulled a face. ‘It was beautiful. Everyone loved it.’
Gabi shook her head, bemused.
‘It had this chorus, and the words were along the lines of: “You might not hear these words, but you know what I’m saying . . . You’re deep in my heart and that’s where you’re staying . . .”’
‘I don’t get it, Amber? What’s wrong with that?’
‘It’s the fact that when Alex introduced it, he said it was written for someone special.’ She threw her hands up in disgust and then, noticing Gabi’s confused face, pointed her thumbs at her chest and said, ‘Me. Obviously.’
Gabi laughed. ‘That’s romance right there,’ she said. ‘Most women would kill to have a song written about them. Me, I’ve never even had someone write me as much as a to-do list.’
Amber sighed.
‘The problem is, now all the gang are involved.’ She unearthed her phone from under the tea cosy and waved it in Gabi’s direction.
‘First it was Isabella; she was quick off the mark, probably because she’s all loved up herself.
Then it was Etienne, the original love ’em and leave ’em, telling me relationships are worth it, and then Fox even took time out from being Hot Single Dad of Honeybridge to add his two cents.
All of them suggesting maybe I give Alex another chance.
’ She dropped her head to the table and banged it lightly.
Gabi reached out to stroke her friend’s hair.
‘Is it such a bad idea?’ Gabi risked. ‘You two do really seem to have something.’
Amber lifted her head to look at Gabi in disbelief.
‘Okay. I admit it. The connection is definitely there. He’s attractive, intelligent, funny as fuck and hotter than hell.
And now, I find out the arsehole can sing as well.
So, yes, if I was a single woman with no commitments, I’d probably risk my heart and jump at another chance for a relationship with Alex Martin.
But I’m not a single woman with no commitments, and I can’t do it.
Because Jayden’s heart is way more precious than mine. ’
Gabi took Amber’s hand in her own and squeezed it gently. ‘You’re a brilliant mum,’ she said.
Amber exhaled slowly, her eyes brimming with tears. ‘And he’s the best kid in the world.’
Gabi nodded, feeling tearful herself all of a sudden. Must be the late night. The midnight dramas.
Amber shook herself to change the mood.
‘Enough of that,’ she said and checked her watch. ‘I have to get Jayden to River Rats soon. Although probably the whole gang will be there to keep up the pressure.’
‘I could take him if you like?’ Gabi asked.
‘Would you?’ Amber put her hands together in thanks. ‘I don’t think I can face any more.’ She flicked the kettle on. ‘Anyway, why are you home so early?’
‘Call with my agent.’ Gabi updated her quickly and Amber pretended to faint at the salary.
‘What did Walker think?’ she said.
‘I left him asleep,’ Gabi said, sinking into the kitchen chair.
‘In fact, I think I woke up in some kind of parallel universe. I had this sexy, sensitive man spooning me. The sun was streaming in the window. We’d spent all night having sex and talking and watching thunderstorms. There was even a goddamned cat curled up and purring on the bed.
I woke up in a full-blown relationship when I’d gone to bed a single woman. ’
It was Amber’s turn to laugh.
‘Sounds terrible,’ she sympathised. ‘You poor thing.’
‘I don’t know how it happened,’ she said. ‘The sex was so good it hypnotised me into telling him all my secrets.’ Amber put up a hand to halt the conversation.
‘Just to clarify, the sex was good?’
Gabi exhaled a long, slow breath.
‘The best. That man knows how to use his hose.’ Amber snorted. The kettle blew steam into the air in a long whistle, and she rose to pour them both a cup of tea.
‘So why are you back here and not in that warm bed waiting for Walker to wake up? You could have taken the call there?’
‘I don’t know.’ Gabi shrugged helplessly, peering into her cup of tea for answers.
‘I do,’ Amber said, leaning forward to make her point. ‘You freaked out.’
Gabi’s heart sank. She knew Amber was partially right.
‘It all just felt too much.’ She cupped her hot mug in both hands as she remembered how safe she’d felt talking to him about her childhood, his breath on her back.
‘Too nice,’ Amber added.
‘Too intense.’ Gabi remembered the explosion of her orgasm and even just the memory echoed through her as pleasure.
‘Too soon?’ Amber asked.
Gabi agreed. She sighed. ‘I feel like I told him things I don’t need to share.’
‘Aha. Too intimate.’
‘Definitely.’
The two women watched each other over their tea.
‘Sounds like the start of a great relationship if you ask me.’
‘That’s the problem. I’m not here for a boyfriend.’ Gabi sighed. ‘I’m here for a broken leg.’