Page 37 of A Very Crumbleton Christmas
‘Um, wow!’ said Caroline. ‘That’s seriously amazing.’
‘Yeah.’ Jack shrugged. ‘Huge jump in earnings, amazing script according to Aimee…’
‘What am I not getting about all this?’ said Caroline. ‘You don’t seem to be very excited!’
‘It’s shooting in New Zealand,’ said Jack. ‘I’d be away for at least eight months… probably more. If the franchise really took off… well, I’d barely be here.’
‘Oh,’ said Caroline.
Jack watched as she put her fork down, a chunk of strawberry and honey-drizzled pancake still attached to its prongs. The pair of them sat in silence for a long moment.
‘So…’ said Caroline, finally turning to meet his eye, ‘when do you have to leave?’
‘I’ve not given them my answer yet,’ said Jack in a small voice.
‘You… you haven’t?’ gasped Caroline, surprise written all over her face.
Jack stared at her. As much as he wanted to, he couldn’t tell Caroline it was because he couldn’t bear the thought of being on the other side of the planet… when she was here.
‘I… erm… I’m not sure it’s quite the right vehicle for me,’ he said, making up an excuse on the spot.
‘You’re such anactor!’she laughed. ‘But… I guess that’s fair enough – if that’s the way you feel.’
‘Not sure Aimee will let me off the hook quite so easily,’ he sighed.
‘I bet,’ said Caroline. ‘Hey - is that the script for it?’ She nodded with interest at the bound document Jack had been reading when she’d entered the room.
Jack shook his head. ‘That’s one of the ones from the bookshelf.’
‘Oh!’ said Caroline, looking more than a little bit confused. ‘Are you considering doing that one instead?’
‘Hell no!’ he laughed.
‘Why not?’
‘Because it’s an animation about a talking dog in space,’ said Jack.
‘Sooo… why are you reading it?’ said Caroline, picking her fork back up.
‘I just like the story!’ said Jack with a grin.
CHAPTER 13
CAROLINE
‘You stayedwhere?!’gasped Milly.
She was busy tying a bunch of red roses dotted with festive berries and frothy white gypsophila. Right now, though, the ribbon was dangling loosely from her fingers, and the blooms were in serious danger of landing on the shop floor.
‘…and with who?!’ she added, her voice shrill.
‘Shhhh!’ laughed Caroline, shooting a look towards the door. Luckily Jo – Milly’s decidedly nosy assistant – hadn’t returned from the coffee run Milly had sent her on the minute Caroline had dropped the code word for "have gossip".
‘Sorry,’ muttered Milly. ‘It’s fine… she won’t be back for a few more minutes.’
‘Good,’ said Caroline. ‘As I was saying – I stayed at Crumbleton Sands with Jack Jones.’
‘TheJack Jones?’ said Milly.
