‘Amazing news!’ crowed Bobbie. There was clearly no way the terrible two were going to let her find out what was going on in private.
‘We are very proud of our Ruby,’ said Ben.
‘And even prouder to announce…’ continued Bobbie.
‘Every Little Dream…’ said Ben.
‘Is going to HOLLYWOOD!’ they cheered together.
‘What?’ gasped Ruby, as the crowd went wild.
‘Movie deal, darling!’ said Bobbie, reaching up and pinching her cheek.
‘You’ve hit the big time!’ said Ben.
‘Yeah… so you’d better get things wrapped up here tout suite, my good man,’ said Bobbie, patting Oli on the shoulder, ‘because we’re here to take our girl back to town this afternoon.’
‘But… why the rush?’ said Ruby. ‘I’ve got questions to answer… books to sign.’ Plus she was looking forward to spending more time with Oli - with Caroline - with her parents.
She glanced at Oli, only to find him frowning at her. She wanted to apologise, but there was no chance of that with Bobbie and Ben commandeering the airwaves.
‘Well, you’d better make it snappy,’ said Bobbie with a shrug. ‘You need to get home and get packed. We’re off to America tomorrow, darling. Meetings, contracts-’
‘Contracts?’ echoed Ruby, feeling like her world was starting to spin.
‘Yeah,’ said Ben. ‘They want you working on the script! You’ll probably have to relocate for a while - but just imagine - America baby!’
CHAPTER 21
OLI
Oli glanced at his watch. Ten to four. Ruby was gone.
The afternoon train would be whisking her back to London, and then - by this time tomorrow - she’d be on the way to America.
He was happy for her. At least… he would be if he thought for one second she was excited about the trip. Talent like hers deserved every opportunity. Movie deals, press conferences, red carpets… the works! But Ruby had just looked haunted. He knew what it felt like to have other people tell you what you wanted – when the reality might be something completely different.
Oli couldn’t help but feel like he was looking into a mirror of his past… and he wasn’t sure he could deal with losing her again. This time, it would be her flying away from him rather than the other way around - but the cracks appearing in his heart certainly felt the same.
Clearing his throat, Oli did his best to ignore the heat building behind his eyes as he focused on the task at hand. Holding the bubble wrap tightly around the precious book, he grabbed a piece of tape to secure it. Then he reached for the roll of brown paper. Two minutes later, he had a neat parcel sitting on the table in front of him, complete with Ruby’s address in London. He was about to click the top back on the Sharpie when he paused.
Nope. He wasn’t doing this again. He wasn’t going to let the distance between them get so big that it would take six years to build a bridge across it. In one deft movement, he added two words across the corner of the package before standing abruptly. He glanced at his watch again. He needed to hurry.
Dashing over to the door, he quickly turned the sign over to “closed” and then turned back to his desk. He’d need to call Brian, and then…
The tinkling of the bell above the door stopped him in his tracks.
‘Sorry - I’m closed. Personal emergency!’ he muttered, turning with a frown.
‘Is that so?’
CHAPTER 22
RUBY
Ruby stared at Oli, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath from her mad dash up the hill.
The unknown taxi driver she’d commandeered to whisk her back to Crumbleton had refused point-blank to drive up the cobbles. So, with her head down, Ruby had just made the fastest trip of her life up the hill - and now she was paying for it.