Chapter 36
Jamie
Jamie had left his phone in his parents’ house, of which he was glad as telling them he was coming back with Alicia would only lead to ridiculous overpreparation for her presence.
He didn’t want the conversation around the table to be speculation and gossip; he’d rather they dealt with seeing Alicia on the spot.
Also, he trusted that his family would be kind and welcoming.
‘Are you okay?’ he asked Alicia as they parked in front of the house.
‘A little nervous, but good,’ she admitted. Jamie could see her smile was laced with vulnerability. This hadn’t been how he’d hoped she’d meet his family, but they were together and that was what was important. He rubbed Alicia’s knuckles. ‘They’ll be way more nervous than you, trust me.’
Inside the house, Jamie’s family was still around the dinner table, talking and drinking wine.
As he entered the room, they greeted him with various cries of ‘There you are’ and ‘Where’ve you been?
’ and ‘Sorry, but we ate your food.’ But those stopped as soon as Alicia came into their line of vision.
‘Sorry I had to duck out.’ Jamie tucked his arm around Alicia’s waist. ‘To sort a few things. Everyone, this is Alicia. She’s going to join us, if that’s okay?’
Amanda Butler rose from the head of the table.
‘Of course it is, love. Alicia, it’s lovely to meet you.
’ Jamie could tell that his mother recognised Alicia – she was a bit more switched on to things than he was and even owned a television now – but she feigned obliviousness and gave Alicia a gentle welcoming hug.
His father was less able to rise and welcome Alicia in such a way, but Jamie warmed as Alicia approached him and shook his hand.
‘Delighted to meet you, Mr Butler. Jamie talks so highly of you. Of you all.’
‘Dad, Alicia is the artist who painted the scenes for the bottles,’ Jamie explained.
At this information, Jimmy’s face brightened in a way Jamie hadn’t seen in some time. ‘Your art is incredible,’ he said to Alicia. ‘It would be an honour to have it on the bottles. And please, call me Jimmy.’
‘And it would be an honour to be part of that,’ Alicia said warmly. ‘Thank you, Jimmy.’
‘Well, we can talk more about it during office hours,’ said Jimmy. ‘Assuming you aren’t dashing off anywhere?’
‘I wasn’t planning to. Was I?’ She turned to Jamie.
‘You’d better not be.’
Cal fetched an extra chair and put it next to Jamie’s, and Jamie and Alicia sat down.
‘So, what did I miss?’ Jamie asked, after introducing each of his siblings in turn.
‘Only most of the food and wine and all the gossip,’ said Eilidh.
‘Ignore that, there’s plenty of food in the kitchen.’ Amanda stood again. ‘Alicia, I’ll get you a plate. Is there anything you don’t eat?’
‘At this stage, I’ll eat anything,’ said Alicia. ‘I’m ravenous.’
All this talk of art on the bottles was well and good, but Jamie wasn’t at ease yet.
‘Does that mean we can press pause on Baron for now, Dad?’
‘How about we enjoy Christmas and talk business later.’ Jimmy took one of his legendary unexplained changes of direction. It would be anyone’s guess whether this meant he planned to forget the Baron deal or wait until his mind was fully focused. Jamie was itching with impatience at the uncertainty.
‘Are you okay?’ Alicia whispered to him.
‘Och, it’s this business deal. It’s doing my nut in. I thought the bottles might be enough to stall things for a bit.’
‘It would only be a stalling though,’ said Alicia. ‘Some limited-edition bottles aren’t the same as millions of dollars of investment.’
‘Aye.’ Jamie sighed. ‘But we don’t desperately need huge investment. Dad’s illness has just expedited things in his head. This urgency to solidify things grips him so he can feel in control.’
‘Hey, Alicia, I don’t suppose you brought your brother Connor with you?’ Cara butted into the conversation and Jamie cringed, although thankfully Cara hadn’t asked about Chad Bradbury. Fortunately, nobody in his family was that tactless.
‘I’m afraid not.’ Alicia was faultlessly polite as ever. ‘He’s at home, but he should be back in Scotland in the spring to film Clan Bràthairs.’
‘Oh, Jimmy and I love that show.’ Amanda had appeared back in the room with a plate for Alicia piled high with roast, potatoes and veggies. ‘Don’t we?’
‘Aye,’ Jimmy agreed. ‘Who did you say your brother is?’
‘Connor Donoghue. He plays Murdo Galbraith aka Sam McSkull.’
‘Oh, that lad. Now you say it I can see the resemblance. He’s a talented actor. So by my calculations, Clark Donoghue must be your father.’
‘That’s right,’ said Alicia. ‘All my family are actors, besides me.’
Jamie wanted to hug Alicia for wading into this territory, despite it being akin to taking a walk over a soaking bog where you could sink at any moment.
‘You know, I did have this idea for Butler’s,’ Alicia spoke directly to Jimmy. ‘I could run it by you?’
‘Aye.’ Jimmy brightened. ‘Please do.’
‘Bearing in mind I haven’t asked him yet, but I remembered something and had a flash of inspiration.’ Alicia passed her phone across the table to Jimmy. He peered at the screen. Jamie wondered what he was looking at.
‘Handsome family,’ said Jimmy. ‘And I see from the bottle there that they drink Butlers.’
‘Well spotted,’ said Alicia. ‘That was what gave me the idea. That and my brother’s obsession with Scotland.’
Jimmy kept his gaze glued to Alicia as she explained her idea. Jamie rarely saw his father grant anyone such an audience.
‘I was thinking we could ask Connor to be the face of Butler’s whisky.
And maybe we tie in his Clan Bràthairs persona, although that could involve the studio looking for royalties.
I had this idea, didn’t I, Jamie, when we were chatting at the hotel?
For an ad. It starts with some rogue Highlanders of the past drinking Butlers, the atmosphere is cloaked in mystique with an edge of danger, but then, bam, we cut to reality where we see that Butler’s is a family-run business founded on centuries of hard work and family love.
Alternatively, you simply have Connor drinking the stuff and dressed like his character from Clan Bràthairs.
Either way, if you’re into the general idea I can call him. I can almost guarantee he’ll say yes.’
Jamie was dumbfounded by Alicia: by her creativity, her verve and the way she was unequivocally winning round his difficult to please father who was regarding her with curiosity and admiration. A look, despite being rolled out rarely, that Jamie knew to be positive.
‘Well,’ said Jimmy, ‘this idea I do like. I like it a lot. When can Connor Donoghue get here to chat about it? Let’s line up a meeting.’
‘I can call him this evening. He may not be up yet as it’s still early in LA.’
Jimmy nodded. ‘Aye, that sounds great. Thank you. I don’t suppose you’re after a job in marketing, are you?’
Alicia laughed and Jamie beamed with pride.
This woman had changed his life immeasurably, in ways he couldn’t even have imagined two months ago.
Her celebrity had passed him by, entirely, but to Jamie Butler, there could be no bigger star and nothing he worshipped more in the world than Alicia Jansen.