Page 5 of Hollywood Crush

“Nice enough? He’s bloody gorgeous! Just keep your hands off…” Mam tailed off as a cough alerted us both to someone else in the kitchen.

“Hi,” said Daniel when we both looked up. He was stood in the doorway and looking more uncertain of himself than any Hollywood actor had the right to look. “You mentioned coming down for dinner when I was ready?”

“Yes, yes of course! Go and find yourself a table,” I said. “Daniel Ellison, this is my mother Clare.” I could feel myself blushing with the knowledge I’d just been thinking about him almost naked. Daniel nodded and turned away. As soon as the swinging doors had closed behind him I turned to Mam.

“Do you think he heard anything?” I asked.

“No idea, love. Bloody hope not.” Mam went back to scrolling her phone. I stacked the burgers in the toasted sourdough and added the fries to the side.

I took one of the plates and brought it out to Daniel, who was twiddling his thumbs at one of the tables. The dining room was as old fashioned and dark as the main foyer and I knew I wanted to use the money from the filming to do it up properly as soon as I could.

“Here you go,” I said, placing it down in front of Daniel.

“Aren’t you joining me?” he asked. He looked up at me with big brown eyes that could prove to be irresistible.

“Nah, I’ve got to, um…” I turned on my heel and left. Only as the doors swung behind me did I realise I’d forgotten cutlery, such, seasonings. All the things actually needed to give him. I quickly grabbed a knife and fork, a couple of sauce sachets and the salt and pepper shakers and ran them out to him, almost throwing them down and running back in. I was not being sucked into those big, gorgeous brown eyes. Not after what had led Mam to get stuck in Hiraeth for so many years.

“Please, stay with me,” said Daniel. Those eyes. God.

“I’ll um…yes” I didn’t know why, but I knew I’d have to acquiesce. I walked back into the kitchen and ignoring Mam’s glare picked up my food. “Yours isthere,” I said as I pointed to the burger left to one side.

I carried my burger into the dining room. Much as I might have thought that the actor would have been some pigeon eater, Daniel was already halfway through his meal.

“This is…amazing,” he said through mouthfuls. I gave him a smirk as if I knew it was great. Truth was, not enough people had been to sample my food. The hotel was exceptionally quiet season to season.

“Please eat with me,” he said. “I don’t want you to be out back and uncomfortable.”

Despite the fact I knew that I would be more uncomfortable sat with him, I knew I needed to be.The customer is always right.

“Did you want a drink? Feel like I missed that part out.”

“No, I’m all good,” he said. “Just sit.”

I did, feeling the weight of his eyes watching as I took a bite of the burger I’d made. “Fuck, that’s good,” I said. “I mean…pretty nice. I’ve done alright.”

“No, no. Definitely great. Don’t put yourself down.” Daniel flashed me a wide, white smile and I could tell how he had so easily wooed Hollywood.

A moment of awkward silence passed between us. “So,” I asked. “Looking forward to starting tomorrow?”

“What’s the forecast?”

“OK I think. No major rainstorms. Not like today. Hiraeth and the surroundings are gorgeous in the sun.”

“I’ll believe it when I see it,” said Daniel absentmindedly as he picked at his fries. “The Welsh weather has never been fantastic, has it? And there’s not a lot to see this far out.” His tone rankled with me a little bit and I stood up with my plate, trying not to show offence on my face. The hotel may not have been a Hilton, and the area definitely wasn’t Hollywood, or Dubai, or any of the exotic places he had ever filmed at, but it was home. My home.

“I’m all done,” I said as breezily as I could. “Just leave your plate on the table when you’re done and I’ll have Mam come and clear it later.”

Before he could respond I had turned on my heel and walked back to the kitchen. “Bloody actors,” I muttered. Mam had already finished her plate and was cleaning the grill and fryers.

“Told you. Divas are more trouble than they’re worth.” Mam sounded smug. I scraped off the plate into the bin and put it onto the counter.

“You OK to clean up?” I asked. “I just need to get to bed before the big upheaval in the morning.”

“Of course, darling. Let’s turn this into a real opportunity.”

I knew I’d have to walk back through the dining room and past Mr-Too-Big-For-This-Town again, so decided to keep my head down as I walked through.To my surprise, when I opened the door he was already gone. There wasn’t a crumb left on his plate.

I walked past it, knowing Mam would sort it for me. I locked up the doors in reception, hoping Daniel hadn’t gone for a walk, which I doubted given the weather and his obvious disdain for the area. If he got stuck outside, the doorbell was wired directly to my room anyway.

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