‘I get that, but it’s pretty suffocating. I see how it takes over his life, how there are demands on him constantly, how everything he does is subjected to scrutiny and opinion. And I just… I just want to keep my life quiet. Private. And long-distance relationships never work. I don’t want to be wondering where he’ll be next month. Or next year. Or the year after. Or feeling insecure because he’s on set for six months with some amazing actress, then doing months of press tours with journalists and publicists and fans adoring him. That’s the thing about being with him, Gin… I’m not an insecure person. Or needy. And I’ve never been jealous either. But Ollie’s life… It makes me all of those things and I hate it.’
Ginny took a gulp of her tea while she thought about that. Then unwrapped a Kit Kat from the barrel in the middle of the table to buy herself more thinking moments.
‘But maybe that’s how you know this is real.’
‘Well, maybe that’s a kind of “real” that I don’t want to live with.’
Checkmate. And Ginny was really crap at chess.
She tried to rebound from a different direction. ‘Okay… how about this. He’s been away for most of the last six months shooting… But he’ll be home for a few weeks now, before he has to go away again. Why not talk to him? See if you can work something out so that you spend more time together. You love him too much to give up on it. Maybe just take the pressure off. Give it a year. See how it goes. God, listen to me. I could get a job onLoose Womenwith this kind of emotional intelligence.’
Just when Ginny thought she’d nailed the solution, Stevie went quiet again, and was now staring into her mug, shoulders slumped.
‘That would be a pretty good plan…’ Stevie began, and Ginny had to stop herself from punching the air. Yasss! She was going to get relationship guru added to her CV. It would be more believable than the lies of ‘accomplished horse rider’ and ‘competitive fencer’ that were on there now.
She was so busy silently congratulating herself that it took her a few seconds to realise that Stevie’s head was still slumped and she wasn’t doing a lap of honour of the kitchen. Her heart sank. Bollocks. And she now had an ominous feeling that…
‘Stevie, why do I feel like there’s a “but” coming here?’
Stevie sighed, and it seemed like she exhaled every ounce of oxygen from her body, before she raised her head and Ginny saw the tears pooled in her eyes.
‘Because there is. I don’t have a year to work it out, Ginny. I need to make decisions, and I need to do it now…’
‘Okay, give it six months then. Or a month.’ Ginny could hear herself clutching at straws, but she felt too invested to pull back now.
Stevie shook her head, and Ginny had never seen her look so crestfallen.
‘I can’t give it any time at all… Because about two hours ago I found out that I’m pregnant.’
6P.M. – 8P.M.
21
OLLIE
‘Well, it’s official. You’re being called pretty terrible names in Los Angeles right now,’ Calvin announced, as he disconnected a call and shoved his phone back into the inside pocket of his suit jacket. ‘I blamed the delay in returning a scan of the signed contract on the power cut. They now think that we live a feral life with no adequate power supply.’
The reality was that Blair had the electricity back on in less than five minutes, and it was still holding out, but Ollie would be lying if he didn’t admit that it was just another worry to add to the big list of potential disasters tonight. The extra power required for the air conditioning system, on top of the documentary lights, cameras, and utilisation of every room in the building in preparation for the event tonight, was proving just too much for the parts of the electrical system that hadn’t yet been renewed. Blair was doing a brilliant job, but two hundred people were going to be packed into the theatre in what used to be the main body of the old church. The last thing they needed was a blackout or, maybe worse, the air conditioning to go on the blink. But that was a problem for later.
He tuned back in to what Calvin was saying. ‘However, the studio’s board meeting is at 3p.m. – 11p.m. our time – so they’ve agreed to an extension and they’re just begging you to have it signed and returned to them by then.’
Ollie felt his jaw tighten. He hated letting people down, especially when both his management agency and the team at the studio that madeThe Clansmanhad been with him for a long time and he had the upmost respect for them, but delaying signing the contract had been the only option. He’d called Stevie back yet again – still no answer. And Ginny hadn’t returned yet either.
‘Son, I think you just need to give her space,’ his mum had said, right after the blackout, when he’d caved and told her what was going on with Stevie, ‘and if that means waiting to sign, then that’s what you have to do. It’s too important, no matter what you decide.’
She wasn’t wrong. But, man, this had to be the most frustrating day of his life.
Calvin was still delivering his report on the phone call to Ollie’s management. ‘They also made a point of reminding you to keep an eye on security tonight. They’re extremely jumpy because your attendance here today has been so well publicised. It’s been running on blogs and social media posts all day.’
Right now, a potentially over-enthusiastic, delusional fan was the least of his worries.
He needed a plan. Now. There was zero chance of him getting out of here in the next couple of hours, because he had commitments to filming that he couldn’t break. He was expected to walk the red carpet that was set up at the front door, with several camera crews and multiple press photographers, journalists and influencers ready and waiting to get it on the internet and social media. Also, all the students and their families would be arriving in the next hour or so and he understood his responsibility to them too. He’d worked with them all on previous visits, put on a couple of fundraising shows that were open to the public, and he’d got to know them all individually. And, of course, the main focus of the Netflix documentary was the auditioning process for the Academy’s Christmas show, and he’d been on the panel that had selected the young actors who would star in it. Their audition journeys being captured on series one could potentially change their lives, but it also guaranteed them prime-time exposure if series two went ahead and featured the festive show. That was life-changing stuff. Just thinking about that gave him goosebumps. It was the reason that he’d invested in the Academy in the first place – the chance to take young people who were just like the kid he used to be, and give them the opportunity to achieve the success he’d had. That would make every pound and every second of stress worthwhile.
A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts and Sandy, the cameraman for the Fankled team, popped his head in. ‘Hey. They said I’d find you all in here. We’re set up outside on the red carpet for the next segment. Good to go whenever you’re ready. It’s a two-camera piece and we’ve got an hour or so on this one, before we come back inside to shoot the screening.’
‘No worries, I’ll be out in five, Sandy – and thanks, mate.’
As soon as the cameraman left, Ollie let his head drop back and closed his eyes. This wasn’t the day for this – but his choices in the situation were zero.
