“What? You’re not making sense. Look, he is one of the head casting guys from the studio you met with last week and they want you to audition for a movie shooting in three weeks, some problem with the leading lady.”
“I have work booked in, Angie. I can’t do three weeks, so you can tell them no?”
“We could try and move things or release you,” suggested Angie thinking Tasha was being given what might be the offer of a lifetime.
“No. Angie, please. I know you think I am barking mad here and it is a fantastic opportunity, but please just tell them I’m unavailable.” She was almost pleading, she could hear it so she knew Angie would.
“If it’s what you want. Are you okay? Is it family stuff? You sound weird, Tash.”
Tasha shook her head. She wanted this opportunity more than anything professionally and if she and Jim hadn’t hooked up she would have jumped at the chance she was being offered, but they had. She had slept with him on the first night and had been doing it almost non-stop since meaning she couldn’t work for him too. Thoughts of Sandra, and thousands of people like her filled her mind with all the slurs, comments and suggestions that working for Jim would bring so no was the right answer for now.
“I’m fine, really, but yes family stuff is kicking off again. Sorry. I didn’t mean to get weird with you.”
“Okay, I’ll phone them back. Call me when you get home and we can talk.”
“Yeah, sounds good, thanks. Why don’t you call him back when you get up in the morning and disturb his beauty sleep?” Tasha suggested, knowing nobody who knew Angie would ever come between her and her sleep.
Angie cackled loudly. “Good plan, night Tash.”
Tasha hung up and looked back at Jim. “That would be a no, but thank you.”
“Okay, honey. Did Marc wake her when he called her?”
“Yes, with no thought for the time difference. Angie is a one woman agency so puts the office phone on divert to her mobile out of hours.”
Jim smirked. “So payback for Marc?”
“Oh, yes.”
Jim laughed briefly and then adopted a more serious expression. “I don’t know why I’m laughing, Marc is a pain in the ass when he is tired.”
“So is Angie, so maybe it’s payback for you both then.”
They were heading back towards the house when Jim broached the subject of her return home. “Have you booked your flight back to London yet?”
“No. I keep saying I am going back Friday and I haven’t even booked the bloody ticket.” A sudden sense of panic began to descend in case she’d left it too late. More concerning was the sensation of relief replacing the panic that if she had left it too late she’d be forced to stay longer, to remain with Jim.
“Book it online when we get back if you really have to.” There was sadness infiltrating Jim’s voice making Tasha briefly wonder if he was offering her the chance to stay, with him. It sounded like the best idea in the world, but she knew it wasn’t an option, not really. She had commitments and responsibilities waiting for her.
“Thank you. I really do have to go.” She reached across to touch his arm, hoping he believed that she didn’t want to leave, even if she had to. “Nice new shirt by the way.”
“Thank you. I’m hoping it will serve me as well as its predecessor,” he said with a wolfish grin at the memory of the shirt he wore was a replacement for.
As soon as they got inside the house Jim went into his office and Tasha followed. He turned on the computer and summoned her to his lap where she saw the booking screen on the computer. Jim was selecting the options while still keeping his arms around her.
He selected LAX as departure and skimmed through the destination option. “Should I check flights to Vegas?”
She laughed at his persistence, but smacked his hand. “No, just Heathrow, please.”
“Okay, nearly done. First class, obviously.”
“No. Economy will be fine.”
“You are not flying economy, baby, you’ll be cramped.”
“Jim, I always fly economy.” She protested, hoping against all hopes that he’d hear and respect her choice in this because she didn’t want to argue, not about a flight, not about money.
“Not any more you don’t.”
