‘Oh, My. God. You dumped him because you’re pregnant?’ Ginny had asked Stevie, stunned at the revelation.
‘Yes. I mean, no. I don’t know.’ Stevie was getting more flustered by the second. ‘I didn’t technically dump him, but I knew I couldn’t face him at the screening tonight without crumbling, so I told him I wasn’t going, and then when he insisted that he would come over here after it, I just panicked and told him that I wanted a break. I need to think. Of course, I’m going to tell him, but I need to be sure of what I want to do first. I love him, but like I said, his life is… chaotic. I need to process it all and come up with a plan.’
Ginny had pondered that. ‘Couldn’t you do that together?’
‘You don’t understand.’ Stevie’s sense of helplessness had been palpable. ‘What are his options? We’ve talked about children before – you know, just hypothetically – and he knows that if I have a child, I want to bring it up around the people that are in my life here. But I also want my partner to be with me. With Ollie, the two things just don’t go together. Maybe I do need to just go with it, give up life here and travel with him, live wherever he is, but is that really fair? When I grew up, it was just me and my mum. She was a bit of a recluse so there were no friends, no family. It would be the same if I just followed Ollie around from place to place and I don’t want that for me or my child.’
Ginny had seen the dilemma. ‘What are you going to do then?’
‘I’m going to think. And take twenty more pregnancy tests, just to be sure.’ Stevie had got up to refill her tea mug. ‘Listen, I love you, but you need to get back to the Academy. There’s too much going on there today and Ollie and Moira will need you there. I already feel like the worst person in the world for bailing on him today of all days, so you can’t go AWOL on him too.’
Ginny had known she was right. ‘Okay, but I’m going to come back tonight after the screening, and if you need me before then, just holler.’
Stevie had hugged her. ‘Thanks, Ginny. For coming. For caring. I’ll be watching it all on TV tonight, and if the folks at that production company are smart, you’ll be in it because you’re just lovely. And… you know… slightly deranged.’ Even with her tear-stained face and the weight of the world on her shoulders, Stevie still looked beautiful, and she could still smile. Ginny’s last thought had been that Ollie Chiles had better use all of that star power of his to sort this out and make Stevie happy.
It was the same star power that he’d been flexing out on the red carpet when she’d arrived back at the Academy. He’d looked at her quizzically and she’d given him a subtle shake of the head and mouthed, ‘She wasn’t there.’ She saw, by his reaction, that he believed her and understood. No news. Which was, of course, the complete opposite of the truth.
She’d felt terrible lying about it, but this wasn’t her secret to share. Hopefully, he’d be too busy out there doing the meet-and-greets to grill her about it because she was rubbish at subterfuge and would crack at the first sign of pressure.
Instead of risking that, she’d ducked inside and sought the comfort of Netta and the canteen. Although, over the heads of the students and parents who were beginning to wander in, she could see that her favourite hairdressers were having some kind of mini-party over in the corner. They were now touching hands with Neil Diamond and Sweet Caroline while they attended to Jean and Senga from the cleaning team.
As always, Netta was calm, kind and ready to listen and Ginny appreciated it, even if she couldn’t share anything other than, ‘I had my audition today and I’m on pins and needles because I don’t know how it went. By the way, in case I forget to tell you again, you look beautiful today, Netta.’
Ginny meant every word, and it made her heart just a little bit lighter when Netta patted her hair and beamed at the compliment.
‘Thank you, pet. Jessie and Georgie gave me… what is it you call it? A glow-up, that’s it. Now, back to you…’ Netta clearly wasn’t used to running with compliments. ‘Is it the audition that’s got you all stressed then?’
‘Yep. Oh, and I’ve temporarily decided that my boyfriend, though handsome, smart and in possession of abs that look like speed bumps, is an arse.’
That made Netta chuckle. ‘Well, I suggest that you forget all about him for now and go get yourself glammed up, then get out on that red carpet at the front door and share that spotlight.’
Ginny was the one laughing now. ‘Trust me, Netta, no one wants to take my photo. If I walk along that red carpet, it’ll be like a blackout. Zero flashes. Zero interest.’ She didn’t add that in the five years they’d been together, she’d rarely walked red carpets with Caden because on the occasions that she did join him for a theatre opening night or a press event, she was the plus-one who was supposed to stand off to the side and let the theatre star take the glory. A few shots of them together had made it online, but unlike Ollie’s TV fame, Caden’s life as a successful stage actor didn’t come with much interest in his personal life.
‘Didn’t you tell me you had a lovely dress for tonight?’ Netta asked her.
Ginny nodded. ‘I do. It’s hanging in the staffroom.’
‘Then go and get it on, and get moving. This isn’t about the boyfriend tonight. You’re about to be on a brand-new Netflix show.’
‘But I probably won’t even be in it.’
‘But you might,’ Netta batted right back. This was like playing logic table tennis with a pro.
Ginny could see her point, but her mind went to the obvious problem. ‘Look at the state of me, though. I look like I’ve been dragged through a car wash.’
Over at the makeshift hair salon, Jessie had switched off the hairdryers and two cosmic things must have happened at once. There was a break between songs as they moved through Neil Diamond’s greatest hits, and Jessie’s psychic abilities must have drawn her focus to the state of Ginny’s dishevelled mane, because, next thing, she was shouting, ‘Ginny Canavan, you get yourself over here and let me sort out that hair for the second time today. We’ll have you restored to your gorgeous self in no time.’
Ginny shrugged and spoke out of the side of her mouth to Netta. ‘I can’t say no to Jessie – she’s too terrifying. Plus, she’ll report back to Alyssa and my grandad, and he’ll be in here in a shot, telling me to get a grip. He hit Moira up for extra tickets and he’s bringing everyone he’s ever met along here tonight.’
She stood up, knowing that she was beat, as she shouted, ‘Okay, Jessie, I’m on my way.’
Before she gave in, she hugged Netta.
‘Thanks for listening. Has anyone ever told you that you should be a therapist? Nope, I take that back. It would be bloody miserable listening to people’s problems all day. Much better to work here, where people are happy. Mostly.’
By the time she’d hustled over to Jessie and Georgie, they were just applying hairspray and lipstick to Jean and Senga, two women that Ginny had long ago decided were legends. Ginny loved to chat to them when she was here late at night because they were like two real-life characters straight out of one of her favourite Scottish plays,The Steamie.
Ginny meant it when she told them how lovely they looked and then chuckled as the two of them danced out of the canteen, fresh Proseccos in hand.
