Page 28 of Just Like in the Movies

Chapter 6

‘Did someone speak to Benjy about Luke and his involvement with The Royale?’ Three hours after her date with Hendon Magistrates’ Court, Ruby raked her team with a beady eyeball of doom worthy of Thanos in Avengers: Endgame.

The staff were having a meeting in Matty’s flat to discuss the final prep for the talent show they were running in the lobby before the screening of About a Boy on the coming Saturday but first she needed to know what the heck had just happened in court.

Yes, Luke had been mouthy and irritable, but he was probably jet-lagged. And she wasn’t sure he had deserved to get shafted like that.

Three weeks ago, he’d stood beside her stoically through the whole ordeal in the police station without making one word of complaint, or casting any blame. He hadn’t even said ‘I told you so’, which would certainly have been within his rights because he had warned her they might get arrested. But more important than the arrest, he’d been there when she had needed someone. Not just to help get her over that gate physically, but also metaphorically. He’d stood beside her in the dark and sang a song he probably didn’t like so she could scatter Matty’s ashes without falling to pieces. And for that, he deserved better.

She’d had nearly a month to review the whole Titanic mess while waiting for their day in court, and there was one thing she’d figured out. Beneath Luke Devlin’s arrogance, his don’t-give-a-damn superiority and that mile-wide anti-sentimental streak there lurked a man of integrity. And that had to count for something.

Most of the team uttered denials, or looked confused but then she cast her beady eyeball on Beryl who had remained suspiciously silent.

It had to be her. Beryl knew Benjy much better than the rest of them, and she had voiced her dismay that Luke wasn’t going to save The Royale with his vast wealth, ever since the details of the will had become common knowledge among the staff … which was approximately twenty-four hours after she had sworn Jacie to secrecy on the matter.

Note to self: never trust a person to keep a secret, no matter how convincingly they fake the butter-wouldn’t-melt look.

‘Was it you, Beryl?’ Ruby asked.

‘I may have mentioned it in passing at the last Pensioners’ Matinee,’ she murmured, looking sheepish. ‘I didn’t know Benjy would be on the bench today. That was just surprisingly fortuitous,’ she added. ‘But I can’t say I regret it after the way Luke Devlin has treated us.’

‘But, Beryl, he didn’t do anything wrong,’ Ruby said. ‘He was only there to support me.’

‘That’s not the point,’ Jacie chimed in. ‘I’m with Team Beryl on this. I’m glad Benjy got creative – instead of just giving him some derisory fine. He’s Falcone’s son and he couldn’t care less about an institution which has idolised his father and everything his father stood for, for a generation. I mean, what’s he ever done to honour the guy’s legacy? Absolutely nothing. He’s never even admitted they’re related! It’s like he’s ashamed of Falcone. His own son.’

How would you know what a self-absorbed asshole he was, if you never actually met him?

Luke’s grudging comment echoed in Ruby’s head.

She had no idea what Falcone had done to his son to make him call him an asshole. But however much she idolised Falcone the movie icon, she had to believe Luke about Falcone the man. Because while she didn’t know much about Luke, she did know he was stoic, and guarded and almost pathologically pragmatic. He didn’t do emotion, fake or otherwise, or he would have made much more of a fuss about being dragged off to Hyde Park police station and then dragged back to Hendon Magistrates’ Court three weeks later.

If Luke said Falcone the man was an asshole, he probably was.

But she could see Jacie wasn’t interested in listening to that explanation. And Ruby wouldn’t have repeated Luke’s comment about his father anyway. Luke’s relationship with Falcone was personal and private.

‘He owns half the theatre and he won’t step in to save it,’ Jacie added.

‘Well, he made it clear he doesn’t intend to profit from it,’ Ruby replied. ‘There’s still a chance we could save it.’

‘We’ve got to find two million quid by the end of June,’ Jacie said, sounding exasperated. ‘Those odds aren’t exactly in our favour.’

‘I know.’ Ruby sighed, because to be fair, Jacie had a point.

‘I think a major charm offensive is in order when Luke Devlin comes to work off his community payback,’ Beryl chirped up. ‘If anyone can do it, you can, dear.’

Beryl’s rheumy grey eyes shone with a faith in Ruby and her charm capabilities which made her want to weep. ‘It seems to me Benjy has gifted us with an opportunity that we’d be foolish to waste,’ the older woman finished.

‘I very much doubt he’ll be working off his community payback, Beryl,’ Ruby replied gently. Surely his sharp suited legal team’s first objective would be to get the ruling overturned?

A pang of regret squeezed her ribs at the thought of never seeing Luke again, which was as delusional as everything else about this ridiculous mess.

‘But what if he does?’ Jacie said, her eyes sparking too now. ‘Quite apart from the repairs he could do, that’s three hundred hours of prime bonding time Benjy’s bought us. You never know, he might fall in love with the place despite himself.’

‘Are you actually serious right now?’ Ruby said, wondering when she had stopped being the only cock-eyed optimist in the village.

‘Hey, I know it’s a long shot,’ Jacie said, clearly warming to Beryl’s idea as the spark became a glow. ‘But with three hundred hours, you could totally Marcus him, Rubes. I have faith in you.’

‘Marcus him?’ Ruby said. ‘What are you even talking about?’

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