Page 14 of Wish You Were Her
Allegra gazed up at the large picture house and nodded. “Impressive.”
“It is since it’s all been redone. Come inside?”
The girls moved into the cinema and Allegra couldn’t stop herself from gasping in awe at the interior. They were greeted by a marble lobby with art deco design and beautiful green flashes on the walls, plus a chandelier that would have been at home in a fine hotel. The concession stand made the large, impersonal cinemas where she had attended premieres look like dumpsters. None of them had the panache of this small theater.
“Art! Come and meet Allegra!”
Allegra found Grace’s vigor sweet, but she secretly hoped she wouldn’t have to meet too many new faces on her first day in town.
Grace’s brother, in a white tee and jeans, was lifting a crate of champagne onto the back counter of the concession stand. He was objectively handsome: tall with dark hair and a serious expression. He waved politely at Allegra and then did a familiar and comical double-take.
“I’ve seen that face on my screen a couple of times,” he said.
“She’s a massive name, Arthur, don’t be weird,” Grace said, rolling her eyes at the bemusement on her brother’s face.
“Hi, I’m Allegra,” Allegra said, forcing herself to sound casual in the hope that it would read as a cue for Grace’s brother to be normal.
“Nice to meet you, Allegra,” Arthur Lancaster said, reading between the lines beautifully. “Hope you like it here.”
Then he carried his crate into the back of the cinema as if nothing untoward had happened.
“He seems cool,” she said to Grace, and it was true.
“He is,” Grace said, as they left the cinema and set off back toward the center of town. “I have an even older brother, too. He works for the council.”
“And are you in school?”
“I’m hoping to get into dance school. I had my callback last week. Just waiting.”
Allegra watched the other girl pick at her fingernails as she said this. She knew better than anybody how awful it was to await the results of an audition.
“Oh, wow. Good luck. I’m sure you’ll get it.” It was said out of politeness, but Grace gave her a smile of appreciation anyway.
“Thanks.”
As an appropriate silence fell between the two of them, Allegra realized how long it had been since she had last done this. All of her social interactions for the last few years had been in auditions, rehearsals, read-throughs, interviews and after-parties. At these, there was always a shorthand, an understanding running through each transaction. Should anything become too overwhelming she had trailers to escape to and a team to save her.
Now she was just a girl walking along Main Street.
“Grace, could we see the lake?”
As soon as Grace and Allegra headed off toward Lake Pristine, Jonah watched Simon rush back into the heart of the bookshop, where he released an obnoxious yell of triumphant joy.
“God, what?” snapped Jonah, returning the last book to the top shelf before climbing back down his ladder.
“She is so hot. Like, biblically. I cannot believe this is all actually hap—”
“Can you, like, do some work?” Jonah asked bluntly. “I’ve done almost all of the deliveries, I’ve done stock, I’ve cleaned. Please do something.”
“Why? This isfun, Jonah. You know this town gets, like, one new person every six years. Live a little.”
“To live, I must work. Same for you. So get to it.”
“She’s super nice. She’ll totally forgive you for that bad first impression.” Simon’s voice softened as he said it. He regarded Jonah with a look of sympathy.
“Unlikely,” muttered Jonah, but he did soften toward his friend. “I was bad, even for me.”
“I need you to get on with her. Cannot have you feuding with my future girlfriend.”
