Page 23 of Beyond the Darkness
“Jesus.As if we weren’t stressed enough already.”
“Yes, it’s shit, but I don’t make the rules.I just play by them.Everyone will be talking aboutDarkest Blueby the time you hit that stage.You need to be on your A-game.”Now she picked up her phone and tapped her nails against the screen.Her mouth raised at the corners.“Well, I’ll be damned.”
He groaned.“If this is more bad news I don’t want to know.”
Jo licked her lips.“It’s the silver lining.The show has sold out overnight.The complete four-week run.”
“What?”
“Ticket sales were pretty good already for the first two weeks and weekends, but the whole run has been snapped up now.Restricted view and nosebleed seats, the lot.Wow.”She grinned.“You realise this means a big step closer to the West End transfer.”
“It’s grotesque.”
“You might want to check the socials, darling.Everyone is talking about you.You’ve gained several hundred thousand new followers on those accounts you don’t even update.I’ll get Nehal right on it.He can post some new content on your behalf and give all these new people something to engage with.”
“No,” he said, outraged.“I don’t want to encourage it.”
“You have to.”
“I don’t suppose Rav and Andie told you I’ve been receiving weirdo fan mail at the theatre?That’s the reason I don’t engage with strangers online.I have no fucking clue who any of them are.”
“Even more reason to let Nehal run the accounts.You won’t have to interact with any of them.It’s a win–win, darling, take it.”Jo began gathering her things together, stuffing everything into an oversized Chanel bag.“Now, I’ve got to make some calls.You know what you have to do, just relax for the rest of the week and be one hundred per cent on it for Monday.”
He reached for his coffee, but it had gone cold.“Are you flying back to London?”
“Later tonight, but you can reach me by phone at any time, you know that.Day or night.In the meantime, I’ll be fielding off offers of work for you.The phone has been going all morning at the office.Most of them want you to give an interview but there are some legit work offers in there too.Big ones.But until we have the dates forDarkest Bluein London, I can’t commit you to much of anything.”
If it wasn’t all so distasteful, Hudson would admit a grudging respect for the way Jo was handling the situation.He sighed and got to his feet.He had no idea what he was going to do with himself these next few days.He’d been looking forward to the opportunity to explore Blyham and the local area, but the circumstances were not ideal.
“What about Julian’s part?Will they find someone to take over before Monday?”
Jo did not look up from her phone.
When he repeated the question, and she looked at him sideways, he knew the answer.“Oh, for fuck’s sake.Don’t tell me, you’ve put up one of your other clients, haven’t you?”
She shrugged.“They needed someone who could start at short notice, and I have the perfect person.I sent him the script last night and he’s already learned his own role, he’s working on your lines right now.”
“You’re unbelievable.”
“He did a video audition with Rav and Andie first thing this morning and they’ve agreed that he’s the best option.Let’s face it, you need somebody who could start yesterday, and I’ve found the solution.Now, don’t look at me like that, Hudson.I told you—I don’t make the rules.”
“You just know how to play them,” he groaned.
“Exactly.”She smiled.“Now, go on, get out from under my heels.Mama has work to do.”
As Hudson was walking away, she called after him.“Hey.”
“What now?”
Jo was on her feet, one hand on her hip.“Make sure you stay out of trouble between now and Monday.You’ll be a lot harder to replace.”
Chapter Ten
Bad News
Hudson hadn’t quite got his head around the fact that one of Luke’s favourites movies wasRed Hills Massacre.The cheap piece-of-shit horror film he’d made more than twenty years ago.The same movie that was also popular with Robbie Wiseman, his British stalker.What the fuck was that all about?How can anyone seriously be a fan of such crap?Even so, he was happy when his phone rang on Friday afternoon and Luke’s name flashed on the caller ID.
It had been a soulless twenty-four hours.Despite his best intention to get out and explore the city, he’d been holed up in the apartment since he’d left Jo at the hotel the day before.There were still a couple of photographers hanging around outside and his phone had been lighting up with calls and messages from people he hadn’t talked to in years.Hudson had been in no mood to socialise.
