Page 100 of Love like the (Real) Reel Thing
“Hi, Robert.”
“Jess!” He sounded relieved. “I’ve been trying to get hold of you. Look, I’m sorry about what happened on Friday night. I’m not sure –” He stopped. “Things got out of hand. Howareyou?”
She pinched the bridge of her nose. “I’m fine. Thanks.”
“How was the funeral?”
“Sad.”Obviously.It was a stupid question, but she supposed some people didn’t know what to say when someone died.
“Yeah, I’m sorry. Look, will you meet me for a drink this evening? I know you’ve arrived back to a bit of a shitshow. I give you full permission to rant all you like.”
“Okay.” Maybe he’d even have some ideas. “I’ll meet you in The Tin Whistle around six?”
Robert’s voice was warm. “I can’t wait.”
There was no sign of Lisa in the orangery when Jess got there, but Mel was talking urgently on the phone. She hung up as Jess slid into the armchair across from her.
“Hey, sorry about your grandma. Were you guys close?”
“Thanks. We were.” She didn’t want to get into a personal discussion with Mel. “I was talking to Anthony and he said Lisa just released a statement to say that Afric is here.”
“That was me. Lisa has gone back to the States a few days early, to start prepping for post-production PR.”
“Right.” Jess licked her lips. “So, I don’t want to point out the obvious, but –”
“She’s not here. I know.” Mel waved a hand at her. “You think I wanted to put this out? Doug and I had a call with the executive producers yesterday. They want to know what the hell’s going on – they’re threatening to come over.”
“So what now?”
“I don’t know. When we reached out to Afric’s agent, she admitted she didn’t know where she was either. She said Afric had contacted her to say that she’s fine and she just needed a few days to herself. That’s it – Afric’s not answering her phone.”
“Send me her number?”
“You have a plan?”
“Not yet,” Jess admitted.
“Well, one of us needs a fucking plan.” Doug strode into the room. “Excuse my language, Jess. Our producers are landing in Shannon Airport at eleven thirty this morning. We’re sending acar for them.” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “And then, as you guys would say, the jig is up.”
Jess flicked a look at Mel, who was glaring at Doug.
“She deserves everything that’s coming to her,” said Mel. “Except she’ll screw us all over.”
“Mel, please.” Doug’s voice was weary.
Mel pursed her lips tightly and continued to glare.
Ignoring the tension between them, Jess tried to think. “So Afric could be in a lot of trouble if the producers find out she just took off?”
“Not just her,” Doug said pointedly. “We could get sued if we don’t finish this on time.”
“I can’t even tell if Afric is checking her messages,” Jess admitted. “But we have to let her know the producers are on their way. There’s only one thing I can think of.”
Doug looked at her. “Which is?”
“We need to leak the producers’ arrival to the press.”
CHAPTER 49
