Chapter 5
CALLUM
Callum arrived home to his flat after his show ended.
It had been a long day, and he opened a bottle of lager and went to sit outside on his small balcony to make the most of what was left of the day.
The show had gone better than he expected and he was relieved.
Getting Riley Sharp on the show had been a huge coup, which he hoped hadn’t gone unnoticed by his bosses at the studio, especially as his contract was up for renewal in the next couple of months.
‘You in?’ his sister Erin bellowed from inside the flat.
Hearing her voice, Callum wondered what excuse she would make for her arrival, suspecting she had either heard him chatting to Riley Sharp on his show, or that someone at her hair salon might have mentioned it.
There was no way Erin would admit it was because she wanted to know more about the actor.
‘If the front door is unlocked then you can assume I am,’ he teased. ‘Grab yourself a drink and come out here to join me.’
He closed his eyes and thought back to seeing Riley and Tasha again at the studio.
He felt more tired than he usually did after a show.
Then again, this one had been more important than most, with such a prominent actor coming in to be interviewed, but both of them had seemed happy enough with how things had gone.
‘Well?’ Erin sat on the chair next to him and took a sip of the white wine she had poured for herself. ‘How did you manage to land someone as massive as Riley Sharp on your show?’
‘Lettie invited me over to watch the filming for a bit at Hollyhock Farm and introduced me to him and his assistant. I then asked her whether she thought he might agree to come on.’
‘I couldn’t believe it when one of my clients sent me a text telling me you were talking to him, so I immediately tuned in. How do you think it went?’
‘Well, I think…’ Callum thought a bit more about the reaction of his audience. ‘I think the listeners will be happy,’ he said, unable to miss the look of amazement on his sister’s face.
‘I’m glad.’ She slapped his arm. ‘Well done you. Anyway, that’s enough about Riley Sharp.’
‘I thought you were a fan of his,’ he asked, surprised.
She shrugged. ‘Right now I’ve got more pressing things to worry about.’
‘Like what?’
She glared at him. ‘I know you’re mixing with celebs now, but have you forgotten Grandpa’s party?’
Of course he hadn’t and he was aware his sister knew that only too well.
‘What, because I’ve given it so little thought, you mean?
’ She could be really irritating sometimes, he decided.
‘I’ve only had all the invitations printed and sent them out; arranged, thanks to Lettie’s contacts, where Grandpa and most of the family, including you, I might add, will be staying for one glorious week; and booked the band to play for the evening at the manor. ’
‘All right, don’t make an issue out of it,’ she grumbled, getting up to leave. ‘I only asked. I do have other places I can be instead of here listening to you showing off.’
‘I’m sure you do.’ Callum reached out to take his sister’s forearm, pulling her back down onto her seat. ‘Sorry, I’m tired. I didn’t sleep much last night, preparing for the interview today.’
‘Why didn’t you prepare earlier in the evening?’
He narrowed his eyes at her, irritated. ‘Because as soon as I finished for the day, Dad called and I had him on the phone fretting for almost two hours about party preparations.’ He drank some of his beer. ‘Regardless of that, I shouldn’t take it out on you.’
‘No, you shouldn’t.’ Her voice softened. ‘Then again, I shouldn’t have been so snarky.’
Callum thought how things often played out this way with his only sibling. One goading the other, then a little bickering and finally quickly moving past it and forgetting they had ever squabbled. He wondered if it was their subconscious way of releasing irritation after a difficult time.
‘It’s fine.’ Wanting to change the subject, he said, ‘I think you’re going to love the manor house.
It’s beautiful and the grounds are spectacular with perfectly mowed lawns, colourful borders and huge trees.
I’m so glad we’re all going to stay there together, apart from Mum and Barry, even though most of us have our own homes here, but it’ll be extra fun being in the same place for a week.
’ He thought about their dad’s fiancée Betsy, and their stepdad, Barry.
‘Yes, and we both know that since Dad and Betsy can’t be in the same house as Mum and Barry for too long without one of them falling out with the other, that works out well. I think they’ll be fine for the party because they both love Grandad, but not for twenty-four hours, let alone a week.’
Callum agreed, but now wished he hadn’t been so quick to offer his flat to his mother and stepfather.
He was shattered after weeks with little time off and still needed to freshen the place up and change the bedding to get the flat ready for their arrival.
It had been the sensible thing to do though, and his mum had been happy to accept his offer.
‘I can’t believe you found this manor house for us,’ Erin said. ‘I looked it up online but could only find a couple of old photos.’
‘That’s because the owners are very private and only occasionally rent out the place, and then only do it through an exclusive rental company.’
‘How did you find it then?’
‘Through Lettie Torel. She knows the owner of the agency and put me in touch with her.’
‘Wow, talk about having friends in all the right places,’ Erin said.
He smiled at his sister. ‘Apparently the owners are going away for a few weeks and offered it to us for a slightly lower rate than they usually charge because the previous booking cancelled too late for them to find anyone else. It’s got a cottage in the grounds too.
’ He didn’t add that Riley was already staying there and would be for at least the next two weeks with his PA, because he doubted Erin could refrain from finding a way to introduce herself to him.
‘I’m looking forward to seeing it,’ she said. ‘And I can’t wait to stay there. What’s it called again?’
‘Beauvoir Manor.’
She beamed at him. ‘It even sounds impressive. It’s probably good that we’re holding the party at a private place away from other people in case our lot get noisy.’
‘Which they’re bound to do,’ he said, hoping the cottage where Tasha and Riley would be staying was far enough away for the sound of his family having fun not to carry that far.
He supposed he would find out soon enough when they moved in. Callum groaned inwardly and hoped he wasn’t going to have to spend the next week apologising and trying to make up for any issues with Tasha or Riley.