Chapter 41
TASHA
Tasha wasn’t sure what to expect as Callum opened the front door to his flat. Her mood immediately lifted as she stepped into the pristine, minimalist, sunlit living room.
‘Welcome to my home,’ Callum said, his arms outstretched.
He led her past the good-sized galley kitchen down a short corridor to two large bedrooms with a Jack and Jill bathroom in between the rooms.
‘Oh, it’s lovely, Callum.’ She stood in the middle of the living room and enviably gazed at the huge bookshelves lining one of the walls. ‘Do you mind me asking if you designed this or were you lucky enough to take this on from someone else?’
‘It was in a bit of a state when I bought this place. I enjoyed turning it into something that suited me, although I admit it did take a bit longer than I had at first imagined it would.’ He laughed, his brow furrowing as if he had just thought of something.
‘I’m not sure why you sound so surprised though.
’ He tilted his head to one side. ‘Don’t I look as if I’d live in a nice place? ’
She saw the glint in his eyes and knew he was teasing. ‘It’s not that,’ she said, wanting to explain. ‘I suppose I hadn’t known what to expect but this is very impressive.’ She laughed. ‘That doesn’t really answer your question very well though, does it?’
‘It’ll do.’ He indicated the kettle.
‘Tea for me, please.’
Callum pressed the kettle on to boil. ‘I’m just glad you like it enough to be happy staying here.’
‘I’m very grateful to you for opening your home to me.’ Recalling her promise to Riley to send him information, she took her phone from her trouser pocket and checked the screen.
Fourteen missed calls and various messages ranging from insisting she return, to promises that if she did Riley would change his ways. Tasha knew him better than that and doubted he would be any different if she did agree to return to work for him.
She held up her phone.
‘Riley?’ Callum asked, taking two mugs from a cupboard and setting them down on the worktop.
‘How did you guess?’ She sighed.
‘Why don’t you tell me what happened?’
He listened while she spoke and Tasha could tell Callum was angry with Riley but trying hard not to show it.
‘You do know you’re welcome to stay here for as long as you’d like?’
She swallowed back tears. ‘Thank you, I appreciate that. I shouldn’t be here too long though. Maybe a week, or two, if that’s not pushing it? I’m not sure what my next steps will be and I would love to see more of this place now I’ll have the free time to do that.’
‘I think that’s a great idea. You’ve been working long hours for him and you’re probably in dire need of a break. It’ll do you good to take it easy and relax. Focus on yourself for once.’
She felt tears threatening to appear once more, and cleared her throat, aware that if she didn’t spend some time alone without Callum being so thoughtful she would have no choice but to give in to them and cry.
‘I’d better go to my room and unpack,’ she said, her voice wobbly. ‘Then I’d better respond to him, otherwise he will keep trying to get hold of me. I shouldn’t be too long.’
‘Take whatever time you need. I’ll bring your tea into you when it’s ready.’
‘That’s kind. Thank you.’
Tasha unpacked her things quickly then sat on the edge of her bed.
The bed felt comfortable beneath her and she looked forward to sleeping in it later on.
It was only now that she was away from Riley and somewhere peaceful that she began to realise how exhausted she actually felt.
Another message pinged into her phone, so Tasha picked up her laptop and opened it, needing to get her contact with him over and done with.
It took a little while to go through his diary and emails for her to collate the information Riley would need for the next few days and weeks. She copied Dale in to the emails, adding a note at the end of the message that Dale could email her if he needed any further explanation about any of it.
Tasha pressed send and immediately relaxed. Moments later her phone screen lit up.
Tasha saw Riley was trying to call her again and closed her eyes, feeling exhausted. She let the call go to voicemail, but then realised she was going to need to call him back and listen to him trying to persuade her to withdraw her resignation if she was going to get any peace.
Riley answered immediately, causing her to believe he had been waiting for the call. She was not surprised.
‘Tasha, I can’t believe you’re doing this to me.’
How typical of him to only think of himself, she mused, unsurprised.
‘Tasha?’
‘I’m still here, Riley.’ She tried to calm her flustered thoughts. ‘You’ve probably seen the email I sent to you and Dale.’
‘I haven’t read it yet,’ he said sullenly.
She hadn’t expected him to have done. ‘I’m sure Dale will though.’
‘You’re really sticking to this resignation then?’
‘I am.’
‘I don’t understand why you’re doing this.
I know I was rude, but you know how stressed I am at the moment.
’ She waited for him to continue, knowing him well enough to sense the change about to come in his tone.
‘It’s that Callum Preston’s influence on you, isn’t it?
Don’t think I didn’t notice him waiting for you outside the apartments in his car. ’
And there it was.
Tasha felt her temper rising. She had expected him to need someone to blame because Riley rarely ever thought he could be the one to have caused any damage, but it irked her to think he could believe she was soft enough to let anyone influence her to leave a job.
‘I would hope you know me better than to think I would make choices just because someone else expected me to.’ She hoped he got the message that she was not only referring to Callum but to Riley’s expectation that she would change her mind simply because it suited him.
‘I suppose I do.’ There was a moment’s silence and she knew he was building up to play the hard-done-by person. ‘How can you do this to me, Tasha?’
‘Do what?’ she asked, irritated with him for being so predictably selfish.
‘Abandon me just when I need your support most of all.’
‘Riley, we both know you have enough people around you to make sure all your needs are well catered for.’
‘So you’re refusing to change your mind?’ he asked huffily.
‘I am.’ It was an enormous relief to reiterate her initial decision directly to Riley.
‘I’m going now. Dale can contact me if there’s an emergency but I’ve decided I need some time to rest and gather myself after working for you these past few years.
I’d like to say it’s been an incredible experience.
’ Feeling mean, she added, ‘Which some of the time it was, but you expect a lot from someone, Riley. Even if you aren’t aware that you do.
Long hours, not brilliant pay and what might have seemed exciting initially,’ she said, thinking of all the film sets she had been thrilled to visit and the actors she had met over her time with Riley. ‘But I’m over all that now.’
‘What do you want then?’ He sounded exasperated.
She decided that if he didn’t know her well enough, having shared a lot of accommodation and spending so much time in each other’s company, then she had no inkling how to begin trying to explain her feelings to him.
‘What I want right now, Riley, is to have some time to rest and think. And that’s what I’m going to do.’
‘Wait! Don’t go before telling me where you’re staying.’
She had no intention of doing that and giving Riley the chance to arrive at Callum’s place unannounced to cause another scene.
‘There’s no need for that, Riley.’ The thought of him knowing where she was staying filled her with dread.
‘You have my number if you need it, but please only use it in an emergency. I’m sure Dale will do all he can to help you if you have any issues finding my replacement.
’ She was about to end the call when he spoke.
‘What about your outstanding salary?’
Typical of Riley’s mind to veer to money. He seemed to believe everyone could be led by offering them money, or at least mentioning it.
‘You have my bank details. I’m sure Dale will work out what I’m owed and can settle any outstanding wages into my account.’ She had had enough of the call. ‘I’m going now, Riley, and I’d be grateful if you gave me some space. Think of it as me being on holiday for a week or so.’
‘Will you be using your flight to return to London then?’
She had no idea but wasn’t about to let him know how up in the air her plans really were. ‘Bye, Riley, and good luck filming the rest of the series.’
She ended the call and lay back onto the bed. What was she going to do next? She really hadn’t thought that far.
There was a knock at the door. ‘Mind if I bring this tea into you?’
She sat up. ‘I’ll come out and join you.’
Tasha studied her reflection in the mirror and ran her fingers through her hair. She looked dreadful. She wasn’t kidding when she told Riley she needed time out. And based on the dark circles under her eyes and how tired she felt, she shouldn’t waste any more time getting it.