Page 42 of Just for December

‘I can’t believe you’re here,’ she says, and before Magda can reply she sees Duke’s face loom into view, hovering above them, amused.

‘You got my surprise then,’ he says to Evie. ‘You must be Magda,’ he adds, and in return Magda squeals again.

Evie and Magda sit in the corner Evie picked out earlier, two empty coffee cups apiece and neither of them showing any signs of easing up on the talking any time soon. Evie still cannot believe her best friend in the whole world is sat opposite, in the lobby of a Bavarian hotel with her, telling her Duke flew her out here.

‘I honestly thought it was a joke,’ Magda says. ‘He has one of those blue ticks on Instagram, so I’m like, okay, it’s not a fan account but maybe his real account got hacked? Or maybe I’m misunderstanding everything? But his assistant got him to record a video of himverballytelling me that he’d love to get me out here because he knows how much you want to share it with me.’

‘True,’ says Evie. ‘I did tell him that, yes.’

‘They sent a car, and I turnedlefton the plane, which isinsaneby the way. They have proper glasses in first class! I ate better on that KLM flight than I have done in most restaurants! And the whole time I’m telling myselfthis was paid for by Duke Carlisle.Like … seriously?’

‘I’m starting to see that he’s very kind like that,’ Evie says. ‘I’m sorry he couldn’t stay. He doesn’t get to decide his schedule, but we can all go for dinner tonight, maybe, if they’re done in time?’

Magda waves a hand. ‘If he was here, we wouldn’t be able to talk about him,’ she whispers conspiratorially. ‘And I amdesperateto talk about him.’

‘Come on,’ Evie instructs. ‘Let’s put your stuff in my room and see the sights. Have you ever hadDampfnudeln? Because quite frankly when it’s my time to go I’m going to need you to bury me with a bunch of them. They’re my heaven.’

The women meander around the town, chatting and giggling and taking it in turns to exclaim, ‘I can’t believe this is happening!’ over and over as they pass the Perlach Tower and Augsburg Cathedral. After lunch they head to set, where Duke and Daphne are filming a George and Hermione kiss, after a build-up of half a book’s worth of tension on the will-they-won’t-they make it. After they get their passes and make their way to the designated area, they watch the scene unfold – first a rehearsal, and then a take.

‘When this is on TV one day, we’ll be able to say we saw it filmed live,’ Magda marvels in a whisper. ‘That’s so cool!’

They watch a couple of takes before Brad declares they’ve got it, and Magda shakes her head in awe. ‘Duke is coming over. Do I look okay? Do I have sauerkraut in my teeth?’

‘Why hello.’ Duke smiles as he approaches. ‘Are you two having a lovely time?’

Magda opens her mouth to answer him, right as Duke reaches out to tuck a stray hair behind Evie’s ear, and the tenderness of it catches even Evie off guard, making her heart beat in quickstep and cheeks flush. They swap coy smiles. Evie is painfully aware that her best friend is staring, mouth agape, but she refuses to ruin the moment by acknowledging it.

23

Duke

Duke thinks that Evie’s best friend is the funniest person he’s ever met – and he’s spent five weeks on set with Jack Black before now.

‘Magda, ohmygod!’ Evie shoots her best friend a look after she’s made her third joke about oral sex, and then turns to Duke and Daphne. ‘Please pardon my best friend’s disgusting mouth,’ she says, and Duke is trying to figure out how somebody so serious and focused like Evie can be BFFs with somebody as filter-free and hilarious as Magda.

‘I love your best friend’s disgusting mouth.’ Duke laughs, shrugging.

‘I kind of do too,’ echoes Daphne.

‘Traitor,’ Evie faux-scolds them, narrowing her eyes first at Daphne, then at Duke. ‘You too, mister.’ She points,accusingly, and Duke holds up his hands like he’s been caught in the crossfire innocently.

‘I regret nothing,’ he says.

‘That’s just your problem,’ Evie chastises.

They could have eaten in the restaurant to the hotel, which would have been fine, it’s a great place, but Magda had been told about a little bistro off the beaten track and had insisted that nobody cared who they were and that if they were bothered, she’d protect them. Her enthusiasm is contagious. They’d relented.

‘This is fun,’ Daphne says, smiling. ‘I’ve been wanting to explore a bit. I’m always just so tired after filming, and Brad never wanted to do anything …’ She trails off, and Duke wonders if this is the moment she’s going to tell them they’ve broken up – not because he wants her back, but because Brad seems as close to scum as it’s possible for a man to be.

It isn’t lost on him Daphne’s just used the past tense to talk about him, though. He looks at Evie. Has she noticed? They’ve seemed friendlier since their photoshoot, maybe Daphne has told her all about it. Women open up to each other easily that way, don’t they?

‘I came just in time to liven things up then, didn’t I?’ Magda quips. ‘Seems intense, being on set all day.’

‘Yeah,’ Daphne says. ‘It’s a lot of waiting around, and getting cold, and we’re the ones on screen but really we’re just a cog in a movie-making machine. We don’t even have that much power, to be honest – I mean, I feel that way, I don’t know about you, Duke.’

Duke nods. ‘Yeah,’ he agrees. ‘I think the studio heads have the most power.’

‘How so?’ asks Evie.

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