Ginny glanced at Caden, waiting over to her right, then she filled her lungs and prepared to sing.
2P.M. – 4P.M.
13
OLLIE
Ollie lay down on the second-hand sofa in Moira’s office at the Academy and closed his eyes. His feet were dangling off the end and the arm he was resting his head on had square angles that were probably going to dislocate his neck, but he was out of other options. He’d thought about going home, but he had a couple of press interviews lined up here in an hour or so to promote the show, he’d heard the electrics had blown in the sound studio, and – if he were being totally honest – he wanted to avoid having to run the gauntlet of fans that would soon be parking themselves outside, waiting for his arrival for the screening tonight. He was very grateful to the people who supported his career and his show, but he had too much on his mind today to devote a couple of hours to signing autographs and taking selfies. Plus, Calvin had reminded him approximately 3,245 times that his management team in LA were on edge about his security tonight, so he’d decided the best use of his time was to swing past his house to collect a change of clothes, and then come here early.
There were already two very large men standing at the front doors and another two would be joining them shortly. Not to mention that Sandra, who ran the office, was also already there with tonight’s guest list on her clipboard. Any potential gatecrasher had more chance of surviving a run-in with his two power-lifting bouncers than with Sandra, who might be small, but she was both mighty and a stickler for the rules. Besides, he had a pretty good idea who the latest woman claiming to be his girlfriend in the press was, so he was confident that he’d see her coming and manage the situation. That was a problem for another day.
But, at least for now, he had some peace and quiet. Calvin was somewhere in the building checking on the preparations for tonight and the progress with fixing electrical issues, while dealing with the documentary production team that had arrived to film the press interviews and audience reactions at the screening tonight. That left Ollie with some quiet time to think and to reflect on his conversation with his mum, before the signing deadline at six o’clock.
‘Ollie Chiles, spit it out and don’t dare make me use my imagination because it’ll only be worse than reality and you don’t want to be responsible for sending my blood pressure through the roof. And don’t think about leaving anything out because I’ll know.’
That had actually made Ollie laugh, because she’d been issuing the same warning to him since he was about ten and he never had worked out how ‘she’d know’.
However, he’d taken her at her word and had mapped out the problem. Explained it step by step. He wanted to make a life with Stevie. Have a family. Be with her. But she always avoided those hard conversations because, ironically, the things that made him attractive to previous girlfriends and his ex-wife too – the money, the fame, the travel, the swanky lifestyle – were all the things that Stevie had no interest in. She wanted a normal life, with a partner who spent more than a few months a year by her side. She wanted to raise their kids together, not alone. And she didn’t want to give up her job to travel with him because her career and her independence were both important to her. She loved her life here. And Ollie had no doubt she loved him too. But why should she be the one who had to choose between them? Why shouldn’t it be him? Just because he earned more? Just because he was the TV star?
‘There’s a reason that I’ve loved that girl since the day I met her,’ his mum had said when he’d got to that part. It wasn’t a glib comment because Ollie knew that to be true. Stevie was the daughter of Lisa Dixon, one of Moira’s oldest friends, although they’d only met last year after Lisa had passed away. Despite the wide difference in their ages, the two of them had loved each other on sight and formed a bond that would last a lifetime – whether Stevie ever became Moira’s daughter-in-law or not. ‘All that means is that she loves you for who you are, not what you’ve got.’
‘I get that,’ Ollie had assured her. ‘And, you know, I’ve got enough in investments to live a pretty comfortable life even if I don’t pick up any decent roles in the future.’
‘So what’s the issue?’ she’d asked. ‘Son, I’ll bet on you any day of the week. And if all else fails, I’m sure Alyssa would give you a job behind the counter in the café. Be good for business.’
He’d thought about leaving it there, but he knew she’d think about this later and the reality would dawn on her, just as it had with Calvin this morning.
‘My investment in the Academy is the issue, Mum. Just now, I put close to seven figures in a year, and I’m happy to do that. But if I can’t…’
‘Oh.’ Moira had sat back on the sofa at that point, thought about it. The moment of truth. She would be perfectly within her rights to tell him to stop being so bloody selfish, to think about all the kids that came here, the staff, the legacy that they were building. And she’d be right… But Moira hadn’t taken that tack.
‘Don’t sign the contract, son. Choose you. Choose the future you want.’
‘But, Mum…’
‘Ollie, this isn’t up for discussion. All this is great, but if you’ve found the person you should be with, don’t let them go – no matter what.’ He’d heard the catch in her voice and knew that was personal for her. When she was in her twenties, she’d walked away from Nick, the love of her life, and only reunited with him last year. ‘How many times have I said that leaving Nick and then us finding each other again thirty years later was fine because it was just the way it was supposed to be?’
‘Many,’ he’d answered truthfully.
‘Well, here’s the thing – I was lying. It isn’t fine. Every single day I think about what would have happened if I’d stayed with him, if he’d been your father, if we’d built a life together instead of apart. I’m so pissed off with myself for the decisions I made. I should have put love first and I didn’t. Don’t make the same mistake.’
Her candour had shocked him and saddened him too. He hated to think of her having any regrets.
‘But one thing…’ she’d gone on. ‘Have you spoken to Stevie about this? Maybe if you map it all out for her, then she could be part of the decision process.’
He’d shaken his head. ‘Calvin made the same point, but there’s a problem with that. How can I start off a new chapter in our lives, ask her to be with me, say I’ll be the person she needs me to be, but only if I put other people’s happiness at risk? You know her. She’d never agree to that. Then she’ll go off and marry some nerdy doctor who’ll come home from doing brain tumour surgeries every day and be the perfect husband.’
That had amused Moira. ‘Eh, can I remind you that you’re pretty impressive yourself. I mean, only on a good day – I don’t want you getting big-headed. But I know what you mean and I can see that you’re right – you have to make this decision for yourself. And, son, I’d rather you were happy. If Stevie’s the one, do everything you need to do to get her. Don’t let all the “what ifs” stop you and don’t carry all this on your shoulders. There’s a whole team of us working at the Academy. We’ll figure out a way to keep it going. As soon as her spots have gone, I’ll get your Auntie Jacinta to sleep with one of the documentary producers and hope that makes them keep the show on the air.’
At that, Jessie had popped her head round the salon’s staffroom door and told Moira she was ready for her. Ollie had left five minutes later, in a flurry of hugs.
‘We’ll all be headed to the Academy as soon as my hair is done, so we’ll see you there,’ his mum had said, with nods of agreement from Jessie and Georgie too.
As he’d got back in the car, he hadn’t been sure if he felt better or worse.
‘Well?’ Calvin had asked, pulling down the passenger-seat visor before lifting his Tom Ford specs.
‘She said I should put Stevie first. And that we’d figure out the rest.’
