Chapter 59
FIFTY-NINE
Noms had thought that Windsor Great Park would be a good place to walk with Leo and Jack without being spotted. It was only a forty-minute drive out of Wimbledon and there wouldn’t be a pap in sight. She remembered going there a few years ago with an ex. They had entered the park through a gate near a sleepy Berkshire village called Cheapside. Not many people knew about this entrance so she guessed there wouldn’t be many people about.
That time, she’d ended up having naughty outdoor sex with the said ex. Today the outcome would be very different.
She had had a long chat with Leo on the phone that morning and after much deliberation decided that she owed it to him at least to let him meet his son. Jack would be none the wiser for the time being and, when she told him properly in a few years’ time, she would hope that he understood. Leo would be Lee, a friend of his mum’s.
Leo was wearing his obligatory cap and dark glasses when Noms spotted him waiting at the gate. She had seen his chauffeur drive off as she pulled up. He was carrying a kids’ electric scooter. She sighed – he just couldn’t help himself.
She kissed the handsome actor on the cheek. ‘Jack, this is Lee.’
‘Hi, cool scooter. Can I have a go?’
‘Course you can, little man. Here. Let me show you how it works.’
Within minutes Jack was speeding ahead of them, yahooing as he went.
‘Keep to the side of the road,’ Noms hollered after him.
‘He’s fine, honey, don’t worry. They bounce at that age anyway, don’t they?’
‘I hope so. You realise you won’t get a word out of him now, don’t you?’
‘I’ve brought a picnic, too.’ Noms had failed to spot the rucksack on Leo’s back.
She laughed. ‘I’m impressed.’
‘Don’t be. The hotel sorted everything.’ He smiled. ‘So how you doing, Noms? Coping?’
‘I’ve managed OK for the past six years.’ She realised how abrupt she sounded and tried to start again. ‘Leo, I can’t thank you enough for the money. It has made our lives so much easier.’
‘I would never have not helped, you know that, one-night stand or not.’
‘Well, it is appreciated.’ Noms felt a sudden calmness.
‘It was a bloody fun night we had. I still think about it sometimes.’
Noms thought back to the champagne and coke-fuelled night on the deserted beach in Croatia. ‘I guess it was. My love life is so much more staid now.’
‘We all have to grow up, even Peter Pan here.’ Leo smirked.
‘So, why the interest in seeing Jack now?’
‘I’m not getting any younger. I haven’t met “the one” yet and, to be honest, I’m not sure if I want to start a family now. I’m too frickin’ selfish.’ Leo looked ahead and smiled at his now- whooping son.
‘Your honesty is refreshing, Leo.’
Jack was careering back towards them down the hill.
‘Jack, slow down!’ Noms shouted.
‘Wheeeeeeeeee.’ He met them at the bottom of the hill, gave Leo a high five then turned around and sped off again.
‘It’s weird, isn’t it? People’s interpretation of what a Hollywood superstar should be like.
I’m just a normal guy who happened to make it big. I eat, sleep, talk, walk. There ain’t nothing special about me, sweetheart – it’s everyone else who thinks there is.’
‘The special thing is you are my boy’s dad and that won’t change.’
‘Exactly. I’m rich in material wealth, Naomi, but blood and friendships are worth far more to me now. He’s a great lad. It seems like you’ve brought him up really well.’
‘Thanks. It’s not always easy, but I try my best.’
‘And I can hopefully help make it even better now, if you’ll let me.’
‘We can make it work, I’m sure.’
Leo’s face lit up in a huge grin. ‘You have a new man now, I take it?’
Naomi flushed slightly. ‘Um. Not really.’
‘Just an afternoon play date the other day, then?’
‘Something like that. If you really want to know, I’m attracted to women these days.’
‘Really? So you were in bed with a woman when I turned up. I wish you’d said, I’ve have jumped in too.’
Naomi replied in an American accent. ‘Cock just doesn’t do it for me anymore, honey.’ She laughed out loud. ‘Actually, that’s probably a lie. It’s all that goes with it that doesn’t. I have had it with men.’
‘Does Jack know?’
Naomi was sharp in her reply. ‘Of course he doesn’t and he won’t. Unless something serious develops, of course.’
Leo smiled. ‘This little fella’s sure gonna have to grow up when it’s time to reveal all, isn’t he?’
‘He’ll be ready, it’ll all be fine. I just want to protect him for now.’
‘I hear you. It’s cool. Even if I can maybe just pop and see you a few times a year, so I don’t miss him growing up? I’d like that.’
‘That’s what I was going to suggest. I’ll send you photos and email you updates too. And who knows, maybe the time will be right to tell him earlier than I envisaged.’
‘Yeah. Maybe this dog will have had his day and no one will remember who I am.’
‘I very much doubt that; I mean, look at George Clooney.’
‘We’ll see. It could be time I duck out anyway. I’ve made my millions, Naomi. I’ll want for nothing for the rest of my life. It makes me laugh that all the kids nowadays want just the fame, for fame’s sake. I tell ya, it gets to be a pain in the butt after a while.’ He looked around them at the open fields and woodland areas. ‘This is just exquisite out here, so peaceful and not a soul in sight.’ As if on cue, a dark brown cow mooed her appreciation of the gorgeous weather.
They both laughed.
Leo started taking photos of the beautiful scenery on his phone.
Jack came belting back towards them and he took one of his son.
‘Handsome just like his dad.’ Leo flashed a film-star smile at Naomi.
Naomi tutted. ‘Anyway, I’m hungry. What’s in that bag of yours?’
Noms called to Jack to join them and settled him under a big oak tree as Leo laid out the five-star feast.
Jack scoffed mini open sandwiches and cream cakes.
‘Isn’t that scooter a bit little for you?’ the lad asked Leo eventually with a burp.
‘Jack, what do you say?’
‘Pardon me. Well?’ He looked to Leo.
‘Jack, don’t be so rude,’ Noms scolded.
‘He’s fine. Actually, I was thinking maybe I had grown out of it. Seeing as you seem to be doing so well on it, would you like to keep it?’
‘Yes, please!’ Jack got up and started running around the oak tree, his arms out wide like he was flying. Despite Noms never being short of money, she had never spoilt him.
‘You wait till I tell my mates, they’ll be dead jealous. Thank you so much.’
Noms looked at Leo knowingly.
‘Can I have another go, please?’ Jack asked his mum.
‘Go on, then, but make you sure keep to the side of the road. We’ll sit here for a bit in the sun and wait for you.’
Leo poured Naomi a glass of champagne. She lay back against a big tree root. ‘This is the life.’
Leo groaned in pleasure. ‘Isn’t it just? You can’t beat the English countryside. Every time I come here I’m more drawn to it. I’m thinking of buying a house here, you know, either in the countryside or possibly near to the coast. I could do with advice on good areas – if you have the time, that is?’
‘Sure.’ Noms sipped on her drink slowly as she was driving later and wanted to relish the one glass.
‘It would be somewhere else for you and Jack to holiday, too.’ He paused. ‘Or for me to holiday with Jack, if it suited.’
‘You’re so kind, Leo. I do appreciate everything you’ve done for us two, you know. You didn’t have to believe me. You could have walked away.’
Leo kissed her on the cheek. ‘But I didn’t. You’re a lovely woman, Noms, and even more awkwardly, I wanted to tell you how fond I am of your sister. She makes my heart happy. I feel so at ease with her.’
‘Grace is amazing. She’s been through so much. She needs some kindness, too. As for romance, I don’t want her to get hurt again. She’s been seeing this Ed guy, who’s up on a rape charge.’
‘What?’
‘I know. I know. He seems nice enough, but I do worry.’
‘Gee. And then there’s Lewis and the new pregnancy saga with the woman he slept with. I’m surprised sometimes she doesn’t just lock herself in her room and never come out.’
‘Bless Grace. She doesn’t deserve any of this.’ Noms drained her plastic glass.
‘I’m hoping she’ll come and see me again. I really want to say goodbye before I go off to Vegas,’ Leo added.
Jack came belting back on the scooter.
‘Wait here a second,’ Noms said. ‘Let me put some sunscreen on your face.’ Jack screwed up his eyes and wriggled as his mum applied the lotion. ‘We need to go soon.’
‘I don’t want to go,’ the lad whined.
‘Go on, then, up the hill and back one more time.’
Noms started packing up the rubbish.
‘It’s been such a lovely afternoon, Leo. Thanks again.’
‘It’s a pleasure and thank you for letting me in. This is perfect, just getting to know him, without any big drama. I work on enough of those.’
Jack was knackered by the time he was back in the car.
‘Mummy, is Lee your new boyfriend?’
‘No, he’s just a friend. Do you like him?’
‘I think he’s cool.’
‘Good.’
‘Can we see him again soon?’
‘He works away a lot, but soonish I’m sure.’
Noms turned the radio up and smiled.
Sometimes the fear of things was a lot worse than the reality.