Page 56 of A Secret Cornish Wish
‘It’s like we’ve got our own Loch Ness monster, here in St Felix,’ Eddie says. ‘They’ll soon come from near and far just to spot the Morvoren Mermaid’s tail!’
‘Not if we keep quiet about it, they won’t,’ Suzy says. ‘Which I really think we should.’
‘Why?’ Eddie asks.
Suzy leans forward and speaks in hushed tones. ‘Because my wish has already come true.’
‘Ooh, really? What did you wish for?’ Eddie asks.
‘I can’t tell you that.’
‘But you said it’s already come true. It’s not like a wish that hasn’t been made yet and if you tell someone it won’t happen.’
‘True . . . ’
‘You don’t have to tell us if you don’t want to, Suzy,’ I say hurriedly. The last thing I want is to get into a discussion about what we wished for that night – not now.
‘Don’t have to tell us what?’ Mandy asks, appearing back at the table with a tray of drinks.
‘Oh, it doesn’t matter,’ I say, looking at the drinks. ‘Why have you got these? Where is Rob?’
‘He’s talking to Jenna – she’s a woman I met outside just now. Really interesting – she works in casting in LA.’
‘Like plaster casts?’ Eddie asks, lifting his drink from the tray. ‘Is she a doctor?’
We all laugh.
‘What?’ Eddie asks. ‘What did I say? My brain has had far too much alcohol. It’s not thinking straight.’
‘Not casting as in plaster casts, you numpty,’ Mandy explains. ‘Casting as in parts for movies and TV.’
‘Wow, really?’ Suzy says. ‘How exciting.’
‘But why is Rob talking to her?’ I ask.
‘He came up to the bar just now where I was waiting for drinks, and I introduced him. You’ll never guess, but Jenna had only seen him before, in some lights show in Cambridge or something.’
‘Footlights,’ I say. ‘It’s a theatre company for students there.’
‘Yeah, that’s the one. Anyway, now they’re talking acting and stuff – so I said I’d bring the drinks over.’
While Mandy dishes out everyone’s drinks, I can’t help but keep looking towards the bar to see if I can see Rob. But the bar is on the other side of the dance floor, so my view is always masked by people dancing.
Eventually, after about twenty minutes, Rob comes back to join us.
‘Sorry,’ he says, looking at me and then the others. ‘I got talking at the bar.’
‘Where’s Jenna?’ Mandy asks as Rob sits down next to me and grabs his beer.
‘Popped to the ladies, I think,’ Rob says. ‘Thanks for introducing me, Mandy. She’s an incredibly interesting woman.’
I try not to feel jealous as Rob talks about Jenna and what she does over in the States. Apparently she’s some sort of talent scout – which is why she was at the Cambridge Footlights review this year. She came over for her nephew Jonathan’s wedding early so she could see a few shows around the UK and hopefully spot some new talent.
‘So are you going to be the next big thing then, Rob?’ Eddie asks, with what sounds like a smidgen of jealousy in his voice.
That makes two of us, Eddie, I think.But for likely very different reasons.
‘Yeah, is she going to make you into the next Tom Hanks?’ Suzy asks.
