Page 50 of Persuading Penny
FOURTEEN
Ihad to keep busyto keep Cliff out of my thoughts, and keeping busy with Steve was easy and pleasant and enjoyable and easy. Yes, it was easy.
Having forgotten to pack a picnic, we had lunch at the Pump Room and chatted about the unpredictable weather. We walked hand in hand through the park and discussed local politics. We strolled through town, looking into all the shop windows and had an animated conversation about art and its subjective nature.
It was all so easy.
The following day we visited an antique shop, but conversation was sparse. We then had our picnic in the park, kicking off our shoes and sitting back, taking in the noonday sun and listening to the various birds busily squawking up in the trees.
We couldn’t very well re-visit the topic of weather, or politics or art and it seemed that any other topic I brought up was of little interest to him, as were the topics he brought up of little interest to me, though I tried.
“I’ll be going back to work tomorrow,” I said, letting him know in advance that this would be the last day of leisure for me.
“You must be eager to get back to it.”He popped a fresh raspberry into his mouth. “I know that once I’ve embarked on a project, I don’t like to have it interrupted.”
Nodding, I wondered if he’d ever embarked on a project that forced him to watch someone he was fond of romance another.
Yes, I was eager to get back to work, but no...I wasn’t eager to watch Cliff get all googly-eyed when Bridget walked onto the set.
But the following day, as the crew set up for a shot right in the heart of Bath, I had to walk away. It seemed everyone wanted to talk about the golden couple, and how adorable they were together, and how romantic it all was, and how perfect they were for one another, and on and on to a nauseating degree.
“Are you okay?”Keely said as she walked out of the restaurant that was serving as our homebase for the day.
Closed to the public for the day, the production used the large dining room for hair and makeup, as a dressing room and, of course, we would all be dining there later in the day.
“I’m fine. I think maybe I had too many days off. It’s hard getting back into the routine of work.”
She looked at me funny but said nothing.
The actresses needed for the scene, including Bridget, walked out of the restaurant, laughing and giggling.
At the sound of Bridget’s laughter, my stomach turned. She was so pretty, so bright and vibrant and alluring. No wonder Cliff was enamored.
Keely joined him as he came out of the shadows and went to the actresses, telling them where to stand, the steps they should walk and finally the spot they should stop to chat.
“Look at her,” the hair stylist said. “She is positively radiant whenever he’s around.”
The camera operator standing beside her smirked.
“What’s that smirk mean?”she said.
“I’ve heard that today might be the day.”
“The day of what? What are you talking about?”
“The whole incident at Southampton really shook him up. Apparently, it made him realize just how much she means to him.”
I looked around me. I couldn’t stand it any longer. I had to get away. I had to move away from these people who were all so eager to talk about this couple every chance they got.
