Page 16 of Just Like in the Movies

He’d given the situation to her straight; those were the facts.

He hadn’t created this situation – an undiagnosed heart condition and bad financial planning had done that. So why should he feel responsible? If his uncle had been any kind of a businessman, or had the foresight to plan ahead, he could have found more tax efficient ways to borrow against his business, or found an investor instead of bankrolling the place with loans. But the guy hadn’t expected to die in his fifties. So they were gonna have to suck it up, lay the blame for this crummy situation at fate’s door and deal with it.

But as he headed down a hallway lined with framed film posters – none of them featuring Falcone, thank Christ – and photographs of Ruby and the guy she had loved, he heard the faint sound of gulping sobs behind him.

The pretzel in his stomach rose up to press against his larynx.

She’ll get over it.

He climbed out the window and down the fire escape, then jumped into the alleyway behind the theatre. Once Ruby Graham had a cool two million plus in her pocket and no ties or responsibilities to worry about, she’d be able to see the other side of this rainbow. Surely.

Chapter 3

‘I can’t believe he’s so heartless. How can he be Falcone’s son?’ Jacie rubbed Ruby’s back as they sat hunched together on the sofa in Matty’s flat.

Somehow or other, Ruby had managed to get through the weekend without freaking out completely over what Devlin had told her after The Wizard of Oz screening.

But when Jacie had appeared ten minutes ago with a bottle of Prosecco to toast finishing the schedule for Matty’s Classics’ season they’d put together, Ruby had blurted out the whole sorry mess to her assistant manager – on pain of death if she repeated it to anyone. And Jacie had begun pouring the Prosecco. Because what else was there to do?

‘I’m not sure how his genetic make-up has anything to do with it,’ Ruby murmured, taking a judicious sip. After her lemon-tini binge at the wake and one too many Emerald-aritas on Friday night she had been avoiding alcohol … but she needed something to lift her spirits. And drown the terror which had been lurking in her gut ever since Luke Devlin had disappeared down her corridor after delivering his death blow to The Royale.

‘But Falcone did emo so well, his empathy bleeds off the screen,’ Jacie said, knocking back her own glass and refilling it. ‘His son seems to have had a heart by-pass.’

That was acting, Jace.

Ruby bit back the retort, because it wasn’t Jacie’s fault they had to find two million pounds plus in three months.

She burped. But surely all was not lost … yet?

‘He was pragmatic about our financial situation, but he wasn’t completely heartless,’ she said, clutching at straws. ‘He told me I could call him, perhaps he just needs to be persuaded this is a good investment?’

Okay, that was a bit of a stretch, even for Ruby’s usually boundless optimism.

From the look on his face after he’d told her he would be in London until tonight, she suspected he’d instantly regretted the olive branch.

‘You think?’ Jacie asked, lifting an eyebrow almost as sceptical as Devlin’s. ‘I wasn’t getting the impression he could be persuaded during the screening. He didn’t even join in any of the songs.’

‘Yes, but maybe he’s just not the singalong type,’ Ruby said. ‘He seemed fine about the flying monkeys at least.’

‘Why wouldn’t he be fine about the flying monkeys?’ Jacie’s eyebrow arched even higher.

‘Apparently they freaked him out as a kid.’

‘So he’s been a dick for a while,’ Jacie said, her disillusionment making her grimace. ‘He so does not deserve that beautiful face.’

From the way Devlin had glanced once at the Boy Blue poster then avoided eye contact with it, Ruby didn’t think he considered having his father’s beautiful face to be much of an asset, but she decided against pointing that out to Jacie.

There was a story there, she was sure of it. But she didn’t think he’d appreciate her asking him what it was. And anyway, she did not have the time to get side-tracked. She had a two million-plus pound hole to fill in The Royale’s finances or Luke Devlin was going to sell the theatre out from under them.

‘It’s nearly five o’clock. Are you still planning to scatter Matty tonight?’ Jacie asked.

Crap!

Ruby’s gaze shot to the plastic urn on the bookshelf she’d picked up from the undertaker’s that morning. How could she have forgotten about Matty’s ashes.

I’m so sorry, Matty.

Guilty heat worked its way up her neck.

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