Page 15 of Persuading Penny
Destiny? Fate?
As Keely came through the crowd, came straight towards me with Cliff at her side, I knew I could hide no longer. I had to face him.
“Penny,” Keely said. “There you are.”
“Sorry,” I said. “Bad time for a nature call.”
She seemed to doubt my little white lie but made no argument. “I wanted you to meet our famous cinematographer, Cliff Healy.”
His eyes had lost all their brilliance. No longer did his lips smile or offer even the most minimal sign of charm.
No. His eyes were now hard, if perhaps a little confused. And his lips...a straight line might have been an apt description, but on looking more carefully, I detected a slight pull down at the corners.
“Hello, Cliff,” I said, unable to offer my hand for a handshake.
“Cliff Healy, I’d like you to meet my production accountant, Penny Copperfield.”
Stone-faced, he looked at me. “Yes. We’ve met.”
His voice said it all. We’d met and he was not pleased that we should meet again.
“Oh?”Keely said, shooting me a questioning glance. But, unfazed, she shrugged. “Anyway, as Penny is in charge of everything financial, you can speak to her about the arrangement you and Hugh have come to.”
He grunted.
She turned to me, her confusion growing, but her discretion intact. “Seeing that it is an honor to have such a coveted cinematographer working on our movie, we came to a very special arrangement.”
“Yes, and Hugh sent me everything I need,” Cliff said to her, clearly uninterested in speaking to me at all. “I received all the paperwork a few days ago. We’re all set.”
“Good,” she said with a clap of her hands. “Well, I’m sure you already know how happy we are to have you on board. Of course, we’re hoping your success will bleed over onto our project. Winning an Academy award would be stupendous.”
She turned to me. “He is so sought after, this man. Everyone wants to work with him. Quite literally everyone.”
“Oh,” he said with a playful smirk. “I can name a few who wouldn’t want to work with me at all. A few people who think I’m a little too finicky about things like lighting, or angles, or choosing the right lens.”
“Well, their loss is my gain,” Keely said. She looked at me again. “Wait until you see his work. You’ll understand why I’m so thrilled to have him with us.”
“What great luck,” I said, barely trusting my voice.
“Damn,” Keely let out. “It wasn’t luck at all. Hugh started working with Cliff’s brother, Richard, and just recently made him partner.”
Cliff smiled at her, clearly a smile meant only for her with no manner of mistaking that it could in any way be meant for me. “That’s not the only reason, Keely. It’s an honor to work with you as well.”
“Oh, you charmer, you.” She turned to me. “Cliff is also staying here in Bath to work on his own documentary series about the Romans in early England. The series has already been picked up by the History Channel.”
She turned to him. “He’s not the boastful type, but not only is he the cinematographer, but he’s also the host...quickly becoming a big star in his own right.”
“You certainly are a great boost to any ego,” he said, again his smile and charming gaze aimed strictly at her.
“I’ll boost your ego, and she’ll make sure the financial arrangement is all set,” Keely said, her attempt to bring me into the conversation clear.
“No need,” Cliff said in a tone so dismissive, it hurt. “Like I said, everything is settled on that front.”
“Oh,” Keely said, faltering for the first time. “Um.”
She looked past us as the dinner buffet was taken out and set on the long table that had been brought in. Everyone prepared to settle in to eat.
“I see that we’re ready for our first cast dinner, so...” She looked at me, then Cliff. “So, if you say that everything is settled...well, then, everything is settled.” She patted Cliff on the shoulder and glanced at me. “I’ll leave you two to...well...to whatever all of this is,” she said, waving her hand between us. “Then come and join us.”
