Page 59 of Doc Hollywood

“Yeah,” Clara said and gestured to Sadie again.

The other woman finally waved and retreated back into the pub.

“Can I say hi to everyone?”

“Sorry? What? You want to say hello to my friends?” Clara couldn’t help the laugh that sputtered out. Someone with such a glamorous life wanted to talk to her small-town pub quiz team.

“Yeah, I had a lot of fun with them. They’re a nice bunch.”

“Sure. I’ll head in and put you on speakerphone when we get to the table.” Clara pushed the door open, the warmth and noise of the pub hitting her.

Lifting her hand, she waved to her team, who sat at their usual table and then weaved through the crowded room to them, dropping into the seat they had saved for her.

“Cutting it fine,” Mike called out from the other end of the table.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m here now. Actually, I’ve got—“ She hesitated before she recalled the name they had given Taylor when he joined them for the quiz, “Tom, on the phone. He wanted to say hi.”

She put it onto speaker phone and thrust it into the middle of the table. Purposefully not looking at Sadie, who she was sure had an awful lot to say.

“Hi, guys,” Taylor’s voice rumbled from the phone, so distinctive that Clara wasn’t sure there was any way her friends wouldn’t guess they were talking not to Tom but instead to Taylor Anderson, the movie star.

However, no one flinched, and Mike called out, “When are you coming back? We’ve lost every week without you.”

The whole table erupted in laughter. For a bunch of clever people, they were rubbish at trivia. Maybe because all of them had spent so much time studying their specialist subject, it often left little time for anything else.

“It won’t be for a while. I’ve got work booked out for the next few months. But I’ll come the first week I’m free,” Taylor promised.

“Hi, Tom. We’ll save you a seat next to Clara,” Sadie shouted, then winked at Clara, whose cheeks immediately flushed.

“Great. I’ll put it in my diary,” Taylor replied.

Ron, the quiz master, began to speak, interrupting any further chance of conversation. “Good evening, everyone, and welcome to this week’s quiz.”

Clara picked up her phone and took it off speaker. “We’re just about to start the quiz, so I’d better go,” she whispered, waving her hand at Sadie, who was making kissy faces back at her.

“No problem. Text me that you get home safe. I’ll give you a ring tomorrow if that’s okay?”

Clara’s eyes widened in astonishment; he wanted to call for another chat. Tomorrow? She couldn’t help the flush that rose on her cheeks, but stuff it, she wanted to talk to him as well. It had been even better than the constant texts they were sending.

“That sounds good. Talk tomorrow,” she said breathily.

‘Good luck! Talk soon,“ Taylor replied.

“Bye,” Clara murmured and slowly hung up the phone.

Her gaze rose to meet Sadie’s eyes, who was staring right at her.

“No, you hang up. No, you hang up.” Sadie giggled.

“It’s not like that,” Clara muttered.

“Really?” Sadie said sceptically.

“Yeah. He’s him, and I’m me.”

“And you’re pretty bloody awesome.” Sadie nudged her best friend’s shoulder.

Clara shook her head. “You know what I mean.”

---