Chapter 9
‘So, we’ll do some cover shots of the exterior today when Jez and the boys get here, and then some interior shots when things get a little busier.’ Tally glanced around at the quiet store and shook her head. ‘And if we could get things looking even more Christmassy in here, that would be great.’
Short of hanging huge Santas from every corner, Nick wasn’t sure what else they could do to improve the décor, but he didn’t say anything. He knew from the last time Tally had descended that she threw out ideas like birdseed. Once the rest of the crew arrived, she’d be kept in check.
‘Well, let me know when you need me,’ Nick said, as Tally paused for breath.
‘Oh, I will.’ Tally’s eyes twinkled mischievously. ‘It’s so sad your mum and dad won’t be available this time around, but it means you get to take centre stage.’
‘Hmmm.’ Nick remained to be convinced about the merits of this particular plan, but he figured he could put up with the intrusion for a couple of days.
Realising that Tally was waiting for a better response, he hurriedly filled her in on the amendments to the staffing.
‘Thea, who’s just gone on a break, is an old friend of mine who’s agreed to step in and help out, but she’d rather not be on camera if she can help it, so it would be great if you could bear that in mind. ’
‘Sure, sure,’ Tally replied. ‘Believe me, darling, my focus will be entirely on you.’ She looked soulfully into his eyes and Nick knew that she was thinking back to the last time she and the crew had been here.
They’d shared a couple of very exciting nights together, but both of them had known it probably wouldn’t go any further.
He wasn’t the kind to just hook up with someone, but the weather had been hot, and the cider had been cool, and things had just happened.
Fun as it had definitely been, though, in the rather cooler light of a winter’s day, he wasn’t sure he wanted it to happen again.
‘Look, Tally,’ he began, ‘last time you were here was great, but, er, I’m not sure I’m in the market for anything like that, this time around.’
Tally grinned. ‘Darling, never rule anything out. These filming days can be long, but they can also be euphoric, as I’m sure you remember. Let’s just see how it goes, shall we?’ She paused. ‘Unless, of course, you’re spoken for? In which case, I shall definitely keep my hands off!’
Nick dithered. This might well be his ‘out’ from Tally, who, while she was incredibly attractive, he didn’t want a repeat of last year’s one-night stand.
It was fun for sure, but he just wasn’t looking for a repeat performance.
But then, he wasn’t very good at lying, and he felt that Tally deserved better than that.
‘Not spoken for,’ he said carefully, ‘but very, very busy. Mum and Dad are both poorly at the moment, and I’m rushed off my feet here. But thank you, Tally.’ He paused before adding. ‘It really is great to see you.’
Tally’s smile back suggested she wasn’t entirely convinced by his excuses, but Nick put it to the back of his mind. He really didn’t feel like rekindling anything with her, and as he began to think about why, he was caught off-guard when his mind seemed to drift towards Thea.