Page 82 of Love like the (Real) Reel Thing
“He asked you about that?” Jess asked.
“Well, he just told me what he’d heard about my blind date, and then I told him the full story.” Emily shrugged. “Anyway, it’s all good.”
Jess sighed. “I’m not sure why Robert would have mentioned that.”
Emily chewed on her lip. “I mean, he probably thought it was a funny story.”
Hilarious, Jess thought, dismissing a sudden flare of annoyance. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”
Lisa caught up with Jess after an early lunch. “You’ve got to help me, I’ve lost Diva.”
Jess blinked. “Afric’s dog?”
“What other Diva do you know? Yes, Afric’s stupid dog! She’ll go nuts if she finds out anything has happened to her. I was supposed to be watching her.”
Jess immediately remembered Snuggles, and hoped Gerry – the staff member who had sole charge of the German Shepherd when the dog wasn’t with Spencer – had him safely in hand. Ben Colbert had bid a fond farewell to Snuggles and gone back to England.
“We’ll find her, don’t worry. Where did you see her last?”
“We were in the Great Hall – I turned my back for two minutes and she was gone.”
“So she slipped back out the door,” Jess said.
“The door was closed!” Lisa huffed as she took her phone out of her back pocket. Her expression changed as she read a message. “Holy shit, it’s Afric! They’ve stopped for lunch. What am I gonna tell her?”
“Tell her that you’re taking Diva for a walk and you’ll see her shortly,” Jess improvised.
“Right.” Lisa messaged Afric quickly. “That buys us fifteen minutes.”
Jess nodded. “Come on, she can’t have got far.”
They walked to the hall, keeping a close eye out for the dog.
“Maybe she fell asleep under something?” Jess said. “You search the set here – inside and out – and I’ll check out the gallery.”
Jess ran to the back of the hall and climbed the spiral staircase to the Whispering Gallery, walking around to one side and back again. Nothing!
“She’s not here!” Lisa called.
Jess hurried back downstairs. “We’ll get some other people to help us search.”
Walking briskly back over to the hall’s main door, she flung it open and collided with Adam.
He grabbed her upper arms to steady her. “What’s wrong?”
Why did he always assume there was something wrong? Even more annoyingly, why was he usually right?
“Diva is missing,” she said. “We need to find her before she gets out of the grounds.”
Adam turned to Lisa. “I’m assuming Afric doesn’t know?”
“She doesn’t know.” Lisa spoke through gritted teeth. “I’m a publicity manager, not a fucking dog-minder.”
“These things happen,” Adam said soothingly. “I’ve just come in. Marco’s set up trestle tables on the orangery terrace and the chefs are serving lunch, so it’s better if you stay inside to look for the dog. Rope in any member of staff to help. Jess and I will look around outside.”
“We’re close to the south entrance,” Jess said. She started to walk, not bothering to check whether Adam was following her. He caught up in a few easy strides.
“Jess, about this morning.”
