Chapter Three #2
‘You pick up a few bits when your family own a flower shop. Cherry blossom flowers early, that’s why it’s called precocious.
’ She gave him a teasing look. ‘I think that’s what I love the most about them.
They don’t give a f—’ She stopped herself from swearing like an old fishwife just in time, squirming in embarrassment at the near-slip, her movements resulting in a gassy wheeze whistling from the cushions.
She grabbed his thigh to balance herself and then quickly let go, her face flaming with embarrassment.
‘I’m so sorry,’ she gasped, absolutely mortified by her thigh-grab. The cushions added further insult to injury by making a plastic squelching sound as she shifted back in her seat.
Bloody low sofas! They were worse than beanbags, which until now she’d always considered her arch-nemesis.
Alex wiggled his bum and the seat made more fart-squeaking sounds that made them both giggle, and Ellie felt distinctly more comfortable about her awkward behaviour.
This would go down as number one on her list of heroic acts performed by ordinary men. Except, of course, he wasn’t ordinary. Again, she noticed the peripheral stares, and wondered if their audience were somehow edging closer towards them.
It was strange and yet not. Alex was a global star, but she was so at ease with him that she kept forgetting. Plus, he really didn’t look the same as he did on the silver screen. Was that deliberate – was he trying to escape the attention of the media by changing his appearance?
However, she preferred this man to any movie poster version.
He was more approachable, more human. She’d never have thought that someone like her would end up feeling sorry for someone like him, but she did, and more than anything she wanted to cheer him up, even if it meant accepting a few spiteful stares.
‘How long have you been living in London?’ she asked, taking a much smaller sip of her prosecco, as she was beginning to feel a little light-headed.
Maybe she should rein herself in a bit. This was the most she’d drunk in months and she didn’t want to make a fool of herself, not in front of Alex and his glitzy actor friends.
‘Since rehearsals started a month ago. I really should get an apartment, if I’m going to stay long term.’ His eyes locked with hers. ‘Which I hope to do, now.’
Ellie resisted fanning herself, but she had to clear her suddenly dry throat. He’s not flirting, you fool, he means now that his play has started. ‘Where have you been staying?’ she squeaked.
‘A hotel. I’ve been back and forth from LA for a while. But really I should lay down some roots, especially if all goes well with the play. I just don’t know where to start with the house-hunting.’
‘What area were you thinking of?’
‘I’ve no idea.’ He blew out his breath with an overwhelmed pout that drew her eyes to his lips, firm, plump and kissable.
With a quick shake of her head, she tried to focus. ‘Well, I’ve lived in London all my life. I can tell you about all the different areas.’
He grinned at her, turning fully to face her, his knee brushing against hers, sending shivers of excitement up her thighs. Focus, Ellie! But she couldn’t, not with those ocean eyes staring back at her, drowning her senses with wicked thoughts.
‘That’d be great. Thank you, Ellie, I’m so glad I met you tonight.’ Her pulse quickened. He was so close she could feel the warmth of his breath against her face, smell the sandalwood and spicy aftershave on his skin – the type hand-crafted by a real perfumier and not bought from duty free.
‘I think we’re going be really good friends,’ he said, taking a large swig of his drink.
Reality crashed over her like a wave of icy water. Of course he thought of her as a friend. What on earth made her think Alex King would see her as anything different? She reminded herself that she couldn’t be upset about something that had never existed in the first place.
‘I think so too,’ she said, knocking back the last of her drink.
‘The first review is in,’ screeched a pretty blonde, practically sprinting over to them despite her skyscraper stilettos.
Heads all snapped towards them, and the entire party of people hurried over in a rush of anxious excitement.
‘I should go,’ said Ellie, reaching for her bag.
Alex grabbed her wrist, his face pale. ‘Please stay.’
She could never say no to someone who said please. Especially when they were gorgeous and vulnerable. She settled back down beside him and his fingers relaxed, the heat of his body keeping away the chill of the spring night. ‘Okay.’
One man barrelled to the front of the ever-increasing crowd and firmly took a seat opposite Alex. Ellie recognised him immediately. It was the rude suit from the bar who’d shoved a twenty-pound note in her face. Her throat tightened under his reptilian gaze.
When he spoke his tone was mild, but his eyes remained deadly sharp. ‘Who’s your friend, Alex? I don’t recognise her from the theatre.’
Alex draped a casual arm around her shoulders and gave her a warm squeeze.
‘This is my friend, Ellie. Ellie, this is my agent, Richie. My whole family is on Richie’s books – we keep him very busy.
’ And very wealthy, too, by the looks of it, thought Ellie, not able to shake the man’s earlier entitlement from her mind.
‘Five stars,’ screeched the blonde again, drawing everyone’s attention back to their phone screens, which were all lit up with the same website.
‘Thank fuck for that,’ crowed the actor who played Gatsby, and there were hoots of agreement.
Cheers and whoops rang out as everyone shared and quoted from all the online reviews they could find. Alex ordered more bottles – this time magnums of the finest champagne – and the night air was filled with the sound of corks popping and glasses fizzing.
Richie didn’t seem quite as delighted by the news as the rest of the cast and crew. He offered a weak, ‘Congratulations,’ then walked off to make a phone call.
Alex slumped back in his chair and drained his glass. ‘Thank God. Hopefully the ticket sales will improve now.’
‘It’s not been selling well?’
‘Tonight is the only night we’ve sold out. It doesn’t bode well for the rest of the run.’
‘Well, I’m sure that will change now,’ Ellie reassured him, patting his arm.
His answering smile seemed even more devastating because of his earlier uncertainty. She wanted nothing more than to reach out and hug him, was even leaning forward to do so when a flashing light blinded her.
‘Alex! Great news on your reviews! How do you feel about Savannah and Liam’s engagement?
’ a male voice shouted over the sounds of celebration, the light continuing to flash and the incessant clicking of a camera shutter punctuating more shouted questions that Ellie could no longer understand as the people around them roared with disapproval.
Ellie flinched from the glare of the flash and looked at Alex, whose face had flushed with anger. He stood up to his full height, fists clenched, and Ellie realised with a gasp how tall and intimidating he could actually be. If he wasn’t so upset, she’d have found it indescribably hot.
‘Get out!’ he roared.
‘How do you feel about Savannah wearing your grandmother’s ring?’ continued the paparazzo, unashamedly taking more photos as he prodded Alex for a reaction.
‘Security!’ bellowed one of the actors, running towards the bouncers, who’d finally woken up to the chaos unfolding and had stumbled out onto the roof terrace to help.
The bouncers grabbed the paparazzo by his arm and started to drag him out.
Richie rushed over. ‘How the hell did he get in here? I told you the theatre would have been a better venue!’
Alex sat back down, sinking into the cushions like a rock.
‘Are you okay?’ she whispered, and he nodded, though she could see a vein pulsing in his neck.
‘I’m going to speak to the manager,’ still barking, Richie charged away, ‘this is unacceptable!’
‘Wow,’ said Ellie slowly, looking around the suddenly glum faces of the cast and crew.
She had to break the tension. ‘Security really is lax here, isn’t it?
They just let in any old riff-raff!’ Alex was still raging by the flex of the muscle in his jaw, so she touched his arm gently until he finally looked at her.
‘How about a drinking game? Take a sip every time security lets in a random person? Too soon? How about when someone says five stars, or quotes from a review. And…’ She paused to think, glad that the previous tension in Alex seemed to be slowly melting away.
‘Down your drink if Richie gives me the stink-eye!’
‘What do you mean?’ asked Alex, following her pointed gaze to Richie, who even while he was yelling at a frazzled-looking manageress took a moment to cast one last dirty look in Ellie’s direction.
‘Oh,’ Alex said, with an apologetic look, and Ellie clinked her flute with his.
‘Bottoms up. Fannie’s your aunt!’
Alex appeared confused for a moment, before throwing back his head with a deliciously wicked laugh. ‘If you say so!’ He downed the flute in one go and reached for the bottle to fill them again.
‘Five stars from the Guardian!’ shouted the blonde.
‘Five stars from the Stage!’ cheered Isaac.
Oh God, what had she done? The hangover tomorrow was going to be brutal.