Chapter 28
Cherry
There was a tangible festival-like energy in the village because of the impending poker tournament – a lightness about the villagers. Even the girl serving in the coffee shop seemed overly excited about taking their order. Then again, that could be related to Cherry’s coffee buddy.
Scottish movie star and her ex-boyfriend, Campbell Duff, sat across the table in the pointless disguise of a baseball cap and sunglasses. Given that nobody in a small Scottish village dressed in such a way, especially indoors, all it did was draw attention.
‘You’d have been less conspicuous if you’d worn a tartan bunnet and a pair of plus fours.’ Cherry noted at least five people staring. ‘Given the impression of being an ancient golfer instead of a movie star.’
‘The stookie would spoil the ruse.’ Campbell indicated the fibreglass cast on his leg – a result of breaking his ankle on set. ‘I won’t be on the golf course for a while now. Luckily, we’d wrapped most of the filming.’
‘That does suck; I’m sorry, Cam. But you’ll make it tomorrow, right?’
‘I wouldn’t miss Scotland’s first-ever celebrity pro-am poker tourney. Good on you for organising it.’
‘Ah, it was my husband’s idea. He wants to raise money for MND charity. His father recently passed away from the disease.’
‘That’s noble, Cherry.’ Campbell fiddled with a sachet of sweetener. ‘I was surprised to hear you’d got married so quickly. You were always one to calculate odds and take your time over things.’
‘In poker, yes, but not in everything. I believe I told you to give acting in LA a chance. And I calculated the odds very fast when I met Sean.’
‘So, he’s the one then? It’s not a shotgun wedding?’
‘Um, yes, he is. And no, it isn’t.’ Why was Campbell questioning her marriage? The rebuttal was easy to give, but it was none of his business.
‘Ah, good.’ Campbell thanked the waitress as the coffees were placed on the table.
‘Since you guys are apparently solid, I have a proposal for you.’ He sipped his flat white and leaned forward conspiratorially.
‘How would you like to come to dinner with me at the Balmoral in exchange for ￡150k to the MND charity?’
Fuck! Who needed coffee when you had a shot like that to the heart?
‘Are you serious?’ Cherry wished he’d take his stupid sunglasses off so she could see his eyes. ‘￡150k?’
‘Aye, serious as a broken ankle. Jamie and Alicia were talking about Jamie’s dad and the impact of the illness. It sounds horrendous, and I want to do something to help.’
This was incredibly kind of Campbell, but something about it didn’t sit right. It was a bit seedy.
‘So why not just make a donation?’
‘That’s a good point.’ He ran his finger round the rim of his cup. ‘I like to eat out, I know you’re fond of a spot of luxury, and it’s a chance to catch up with an old friend. Is that so wrong?’
‘I like to eat out?’ Fuck’s sake.
‘Campbell, I’m married now. I can’t go fleeing off around the country for dinner with my exes, even if it is for charity.’
‘So bring your husband, too. I’m happy to meet him.’
Cherry took a steadying breath. Something reeked of bullshit. ‘Let me speak to Sean,’ she said. ‘The money would be great, but I need him to be okay with this. Things are––’
‘Oh, aye – things are what?’
‘Nothing. It’s important that we’re open with one another, that’s all.’ There was no need to tell Campbell that they had only started finding their feet in the marriage.
‘Sure. Let me know tomorrow then.’
Cherry surveyed the coffee shop. She’d be happy to swap this conversation for any of the normal ones these people were having. ‘I’m surprised there isn’t another woman in the wings for you to go to dinner with,’ she said. ‘You’re still a committed bachelor then?’
‘Aye, that’s me. I mean, if I met my dream woman then great, but I’m starting to think she isnae out there...’ Campbell stared over Cherry’s shoulder as if disappointed his dream woman wasn’t on Kinshore High Street. She suppressed a smile and opted to soften him a little more.
‘You and Shanola Smith seemed like you had a good thing going on for a while.’
‘Och, Shanola is great, but she wanted a family, which she has now.’ Campbell shrugged, and Cherry heard a faltering in his voice, which gave her a subtle in-road.
She pushed her chair closer to the table and lowered her voice.
‘Cam, this is probably not the place to ask you this, but you know when we were dating and how we used to have “Russian Roulette” sex?’
Campbell’s face lit up, and he finally took off his sunglasses and pushed his own chair in, too.
‘Hardly going to forget it, sweetheart.’
‘And how I was late with my period a few weeks but then it came?’
‘Um, aye, in Sun City, wasn’t it?’ He leaned back a little as if remembering the sex.
‘Yes… I’m sorry to pry, but did you ever have anything like that happen with anyone else?’
‘Not sure this is the place to be having this conversation.’ Campbell recced the coffee shop.
People were almost taking it in shifts to peer at them, but no one appeared to have a phone out.
You never could tell, though. He turned back to Cherry and, despite talking in code, put his hand on his chin to hide his mouth.
‘I never played Russian Roulette with anyone else. Never wanted to get into that level of debt again.’
‘I see.’ Cherry had been half hoping that Campbell had found himself in that position again, only in as much as it might indicate that her body was not the issue. Grant her some peace of mind. But it didn’t look like she would be getting that here.
‘Are you sure everything is hunky-dory?’ Campbell seemed to get what she was talking about, as well as assuming a little beyond this. ‘If you ever need any money for medical stuff or whatever, let me know.’
‘We’re fine, Cam. Just fine.’ Cherry hated having to ask Campbell about this at all, and she certainly wouldn’t be taking any money from him for ‘medical things’. ‘So, tell me about this golf rom com you’ve been filming. I’m curious as to how you make golf sexy.’
‘This is it, sweetheart.’ Campbell grinned and made some Vogue dance moves around his face. ‘This is how you make golf sexy.’
Thank goodness the man was easily distracted. Cherry had asked her awkward question, and now they could move on.