Page 13 of Kissing Games
Charlie rememberedthe estate office as a total dump with papers stacked floor to ceiling. Like the rest of the castle, it had undergone a makeover; now it was tidy, warm, clean, and the parquet floor gleamed.
They sat either side of a massive wooden desk and Rory handed him a sheaf of papers. ‘Ever been on a film set?’ Charlie shook his head. ‘Well, the good news is they’re organised. The bad news is they’re a bunch of luvvies. The top brass are all staying at the castle and most of the rooms have open fires.’ Charlie’s eyebrows lifted. ‘Yeah, I know, you don’t need to say anything. We’ve got security, medics, even a health and safety officer, but none of them are you. In that pack, there’s a complete layout of the castle with who or what is in each room. You’ve got everyone’s contact details and the shooting schedule for the film. Every day, they produce a call sheet with more details about the day, which you’ll also be given, so you know exactly what’s going on. And …’ Rory pulled a ring of keys out of a drawer and passed them across the desk. ‘These will get you into any room.’
Charlie looked at the plan. A big room in the basement was marked ‘B Bauer Personal’. ‘What’s this for?’
Rory looked over. ‘It’s a gym for Brad and his co-stars. He had it custom built.’
‘Can I use it?’
Rory shrugged. ‘As long as you avoid the times he might be there, I don’t have an issue. But why don’t you build muscle doing proper work?’
‘Chopping down trees and lifting cows? No ta. Looking this good requires sculpting. I’ll go for a yomp over the hills if I want some cardio.’
Rory shook his head. ‘Pretty boy.’
‘Caveman. So, if there isn’t anything to do now, can I be reunited with the real reason I’m here?’
Rory stood. ‘Yep, but remember he’s mine and not going anywhere.’
The back courtyardwas small and utilitarian. A long, low building ran down one side. Previously stables, it was now Rory’s workshop. At the back an old German shepherd lay in a bed.
‘Hey, Bandit,’ Charlie called softly.
Bandit’s ears pricked up, followed by his head. He saw Charlie and leapt up, running towards him, barking furiously, tail thrashing wildly.
Charlie knelt and rubbed Bandit’s head as he was licked to death. ‘Who’s a good boy, then? Who loves Charlie more than Rory?’ Bandit barked loudly and Charlie turned his head. ‘See? I’m his favourite.’
Rory rolled his eyes. ‘Mydog, dipshit. You’ve got visiting rights only.’ He glanced at his watch. ‘I’ve got to meet and greet Kirsten Bjorkstrom and her spiritual advisor.’
‘Spiritual advisor?’
Rory ran his large hands through his hair and tugged on the roots. ‘Yep. Some kind of holy man called Vlad. I don’t know if we’re getting the Dalai Lama or Rasputin. Apparently, he had a vision that Brad was the earl in a past life and Zoe was his wife.’
Charlie snorted. ‘You’re joking, right?’
‘Wish I was. Can you give the fire safety briefing to Valentina, Kirsten and Vlad this afternoon? Their rooms are in the pack. If Bandit doesn’t want to stay here take him to the flat and Mum can keep him company. You should go anyway. She’ll want to see you.’
Charlie tried to hide his excitement about seeing Valentina. ‘How is your mum?’
Rory let out a puff of air. ‘We need more time to go down that rabbit hole. It’s been bad, but it’s getting better. She’ll be pleased to see you. She’s not keen on the Yanks.’
Charlie strodefrom the bottom to the top of Kinloch Castle, Bandit at his heel. He wanted to get the lay of the land, check out every nook and cranny, every entry and exit. To one side of the castle, in the old kitchen gardens, trailers were parked cheek by jowl. The place was buzzing. Brad’s personal gym was locked, but Charlie let himself in. It was every musclehead’s dream, filled with machines, free weights, benches and giant racks. Mirrors lined the walls and the room had air con and a sound system. He stretched his arms over his head, feeling the need to burn off some serious energy. But the gym could wait. He wanted to see Valentina.
He kept Bandit with him as he went back upstairs, fingers tangled in his fur. Bandit had worked with their unit in Afghan and saved them more than once. They may have left with their lives, but none of them truly emerged from the conflict unscathed. An IED had put Rory in hospital and Charlie still had shrapnel scars on his back and shoulder.
The mental scars often ran deeper. Rory dealt with his by meditating. Charlie punished himself in the gym, put more boxes in the far corners of his mind and spent time with Dave. Reaching the top of the stairs, he glanced around. No one. He sat on the top step and put his face level with Bandit’s.
‘One day, my fine fellow, I want you to meet Dave. He’s not as handsome or as clever as you, but his heart is just as big.’ Bandit nodded in return and licked Charlie’s nose. ‘Now, listen up. I need your help. I’m going to talk to a really nice girl. But I’m nervous and don’t want to act like a muppet.’ Bandit whined and put his paw on Charlie’s knee. ‘So, you’ll do all the talking?’ Bandit wagged his tail and gave a short bark. ‘Excellent. Glad we got that sorted. Come along, this way.’
Outside Valentina’s room he paused, wiping his palms on the sides of his jeans. He could hear people talking loudly in Spanish inside. Did she have visitors? He knocked. There was a brief silence, then the voices started up, even louder. He was about to knock again when Valentina opened the door an inch, her eyes widening a fraction as she saw him.
She whipped her head back behind the door and yelled, ‘¡Espera un segundo!’, then turned back to Charlie. ‘One moment please.’ She shut the door and he heard more Spanish before it abruptly cut off.
When the door re-opened a little wider than before, his heart stuttered. Valentina’s baseball cap and coat were off and there was nothing left to hide her beauty. Her hair was deeper than night, framing her face and falling to below her shoulders. Her chestnut brown eyes held his. He didn’t know what to say.
‘Mr Hamilton,’ she said, her eyes alight with mischief. ‘MrCharlieHamilton.’
Fuck!Her voice was aural Viagra sending blood surging to his cock.
