Page 34 of The Situation Ship
“Wasn’t Rory the man you introduced me to at GlaMORE magazine’s Christmas party? He had just graduated?” Poppy asked, digging the woman’s grave deeper.
The awkward silence that followed was almost unbearable.
“Rory is very passionate about his studies; he wants to pursue an MD. He’ll make an excellent surgeon,” Calliope said, trying to recover some ground.
“MD? Very impressive. You’ll have great access to touch-ups in the future,” Poppy said quietly. “Not that you need any.”
“Anyway, enough about the men in our lives. You must join us for dinner tomorrow night – perhaps you can give your bodyguard a night off. I’d love to know more about your movie, and my niece, Sophia, wouldn’t forgive me if I didn’t ask you to have dinner with us. She is a huge fan and wants to get into the entertainment industry. Perhaps you could help her, like a mentor? She’s a few years older than you– a little late to get started, but she has such natural talent.”
Isaiah couldn’t believe Calliope had the nerve to ask Poppy for favours after this conversation. He didn’t know what type of world he’d walked into, but he didn’t want to stay long.
“Being your niece, I don’t doubt her talent for a moment,” Poppy said, refusing to commit to anything.
“I’m sorry, but Ms Roe is busy tomorrow evening,” Isaiah interrupted, giving Poppy an out. Her eyes widened at his quick intervention.
“Really? I’m sure we can add you to our dinner reservation. We’re dining early so we can attend the captain’s opera night. Even if you weren’t invited, we’d still love to have you at dinner.”
“Thank you; Isaiah and I were lucky enough to receive an invitation—”
“But unfortunately, I’ve already booked us a table at Sako before the opera,” Isaiah lied. He’d overheard guests talking about the Michelin-starred sushi restaurant that had apparently booked up before theMidaseven set sail.
“You were able to get a reservation at Sako? Poppy, I’ve clearly underestimated your bodyguard. I hope you enjoy your dinner and the opera– it’s meant to be quite the show. No expense has been spared. I’m sure we’ll find another night to dine together,” Calliope drawled.
“I’m sure we will, but if we don’t get a chance, I hope you enjoy the rest of your trip.”
“When we return, I’ll call Duggery, and he’ll put something on the books.” The woman obviously didn’t want to let Poppy slip away.
“He’s no longer my manager,” Poppy said curtly.
“What a pity! Martha would be so distressed to think of you going it alone. Please don’t hesitate to call if you need anything,” Calliope said,feigning concern.
“I’ll be sure to do that. I hope you enjoy the rest of your afternoon,” Poppy said, signalling to the manicurist that they were ready to resume.
Thankfully, Calliope took the hint. “I’ve kept you long enough, and I should get back to my facialist. It was a pleasure to meet you, Isaiah. Look after her, or you’ll have to answer to me.” Calliope chuckled softly before leaving them to return to her friends.
“I’m sorry to keep you waiting. That was rude,” Poppy said to the manicurist, who waved off the apology and returned to her work.
“A friend of your aunt’s?” Isaiah asked, not wanting to pry but hoping that talking about it might lift her spirits. She seemed deflated after the encounter.
“Friend wouldn’t be the term I’d use. Rival, archenemy, nemesis… They had a complicated relationship filled with jealousy and an odd sense of respect–or maybe understanding? I never truly understood it.”
“She’s an actress, so it’s understandable there would be rivalry,” Isaiah suggested.
“They acted together for years and even appeared in the same movies. I thought they were as close as sisters when I was growing up. My aunt wasn’t big on relationships, but Calliope was constantly present. My aunt even slept with her husband so she could sue him for infidelity and take everything in herdivorce –or so the rumour goes,” Poppy said, as if it was a totally normal favour.
“A formidable pair,” Isaiah remarked, wondering what had turned them against each other. “Did they grow apart?”
“I don’t know if there was a specific moment or event, but the rumour has it that Calliope didn’t want to live in my aunt’s shadow anymore. She started taking on more leading roles and competing for the same parts. I’m sure part of her is genuinely sad about my aunt’s passing. She knew her for far longer than I did. But I bet part of her feels relieved that my aunt is gone. I wouldn’t want to compete against Martha. She was ruthless, and there was no such thing as second place – only first or last. I have to respect Calliope for giving her a run for her money. Over the past few years, Calliope has been thriving while my aunt spent most of her time managing my career as her legacy,” Poppy explained.
“Isn’t there competition in any field? From my experience, in law enforcement it’s often about who solves the biggest cases, gets the most media attention, or climbs the ranks fastest.”
“You make a good point. I think it all comes down to wanting to make a name for yourself. Growing up in that environment, you get used to it,” Poppy admitted as her manicurist left them, her hands under a glowing lamp.
“My line of work no longer seems so daunting.” Isaiah preferred chasing down clues and criminals any day over the fickle world of fame.
“Did you see any of my aunt’s movies?” Poppy asked suddenly.
It would have been difficult not to. “When my grandmother was in a nursing home, we watched her early films. I think your aunt was only in her teens. They brought her comfort as her memory faded,” Isaiah told her.
