Part 8 (1/2)
”So where are you going to take Elise?” I asked, ignoring his comment and conveniently forgetting the number of times Robbie had asked me out over the years.
”We thought a meal, then maybe Bobby's or King's afterwards,” Robbie settled back, threading his hands behind his head, and stared up at the ceiling.
”When?” I asked, my voice thick.
”Tonight,” Robbie replied, still staring up at the ceiling. ”So if she turns up to work tomorrow in the same clothes she has today, then you'll know we hit it off okay.” He lifted his head and grinned.
”Well, I'm sure you'll tell me all about it,” I said, watching him in the mirror. ”Gentleman that you are.”
Robbie started to speak, but a knock on my door stopped him. Glad for the interruption, I called out for whomever it was to come in and felt a pleasant twinge in the pit of my stomach when I saw Elise standing in the doorway. She looked from me to Robbie then back to me again, the flicker of something across her face. What was it? Uncertainty? Embarra.s.sment?
”We were just talking about you.” Robbie sat up straight on the sofa, eyeing Elise.
”I came to see Holly,” she said quietly, still watching Robbie warily.
”About?” I raised my eyebrows.
”Uh, about...we have to go see Kevin,” Elise replied, tearing her eyes from Robbie and back to me.
”You go ahead, ladies.” Robbie stretched back out on my sofa again. ”I'll mind the fort here.”
Elise and I walked down the corridor and up the two flights of stairs to Kevin's office in near silence. Part of me wanted to ask her about her date with Robbie, part of me just didn't want to know. I was angry, peeved, and as much as my brain was having a fight with itself over exactly why I felt like that, I think I already knew. Or did I? Part of me was put out because Robbie was my oldest friend on PR, but what did that matter? A bigger part of me was upset because Elise had barely just told me she'd never date a co-star, so why now Robbie? Fortunately we arrived at Kevin's office before I had to even think about answering that particular quandary.
When we went in, Kevin was seated at his desk, magazines and papers spread out in front of him.
”My two favourite actresses,” he gushed as we approached his desk, making Elise and me glance at one another in a shared knowing look of amus.e.m.e.nt.
Kevin told us that everyone at Portobello Road had been bowled over by the viewers' response to our story, and that magazines and newspapers were queuing up even more than they had been before to do interviews and photo shoots with us both. I didn't need to look at Elise; her excitement crackled across to me like an electrical current all the while Kevin was talking.
”We're getting e-mails coming in daily to the production company from press and public,” he said, leaning back in his chair. ”They're calling you celesbians.”
Elise turned to me, wide-eyed and mouthed, ”Celesbians?!”
”And others from girls your age saying about how much this has helped them in real life, you know, coming to terms with stuff,” Kevin went on. ”This has far exceeded our expectations, you two. We're absolutely delighted with the way things are going.”
We talked on for a few more minutes, Kevin giving us details of the interview and photo shoot that a women's magazine wanted to run sometime in the next month. With our meeting finally over, Elise and I left Kevin's office and headed back down the corridor of the TV studios, Elise still practically floating on cloud nine.
”Did you hear what Kevin said?” Elise's voice seemed to have gone up by at least an octave. ”Celesbians! That's what they're calling us, Holly! Celesbians!”
”Well, it's getting the attention they wanted, at least.” I followed Elise back down the stairs.
”And what about the photo shoots?” Elise b.u.mped my arm. ”I can't wait to do those! I'm gonna get dressed up and knock 'em all dead.”
I glanced at her and figured with a pang that she'd have no problem whatsoever knocking anyone dead. Including Robbie that night.
”And when Kev just said they were getting e-mails in pretty much every day from teenagers, well, jeez!” She spoke really quickly, fumbling in her bag for her phone. ”I mean, how fantastic is that?”
”I remember it happened when they did it in The Escape,” I said. ”You remember? Martin and Dexter? Well, apparently the guys that played Martin and Dexter used to get letters from blokes telling them how much they'd helped them.”
”The power of TV, huh?” Elise said, jabbing her finger over the phone screen while she walked, presumably texting someone.
Finally she put her phone away and, apparently remembering I was still with her, said, ”We so need to go out and celebrate now.”
”Celebrate?” I raised my eyebrows, the thought of a night out with Elise sending a swell of excitement right through me.
”Yeah!” She rubbed her hands together in excitement. ”After all, it's not every day you get told you're a celesbian, is it?”
I hesitated. ”Not tonight, though, 'cos you're, uh, you're going out with Robbie tonight, aren't you?” I kept my voice light, trying to sound as if I was interested.
Elise glanced over then away again. ”News travels fast round here.”
”He just told me.” I waved a hand. ”In my room before.”
”Right,” Elise said. ”Well yes, I am seeing him tonight as it happens.”
”I didn't know you two liked each other,” I said, making a big deal of hitching my bag further up my shoulder to try to act as casually as possible, even though my heart was thudding.
”Neither did I,” Elise replied slowly.
We walked a little further on, finally arriving at the set where I was due on in a few minutes.
”How about Sat.u.r.day, then?” she asked. ”Just you and me? After all, it's us who are celebrating. No one else.”
Just you and me.
”Sat.u.r.day's good,” I said, already thinking about what I would wear.
”Text me details later?” Elise asked, pulling her car keys out of her bag. ”No more filming for me till Sat.u.r.day now, thank goodness.”
”Oh.” A brief pang hit me. ”Lucky for some. I have three scenes with Bella in the morning.”
”Well, think of me having an awesome day off, won't you?” Elise pulled a silly face at me as she pa.s.sed me and left the set.
”I won't,” I joked, watching as she walked away, turning briefly to smile back at me before she turned the corner and disappeared from sight.
I managed to sail through the next day's filming-a Friday-without any hitches. It was a shorter day than normal, and my few scenes with Bella were done and dusted by lunchtime. I was grateful to get home early, especially considering it was Friday, and just chill out in my apartment for the rest of the afternoon.
My mind wandered frequently to Elise and Robbie. Robbie, like Elise, had the day off, so it wasn't as if I could see him and tell by the look on his face whether their date had been successful. They'd been on my mind for most of the previous evening and the whole of the morning, if I'm honest, imagining where they'd gone, what Elise had worn, what they'd spoken about, wondering if they'd hit it off. I wish I'd been able to switch it off, to pretend like I didn't care, but I couldn't. I did care-a lot.
I was just settling down to my second cup of tea and fifth biscuit of the afternoon back at my apartment when my mobile rang. I saw Elise's name flas.h.i.+ng on and off the screen in front of me and was enveloped in a surge of happiness because she was ringing me on her day off, coupled immediately with an opposing thought that she might only be ringing me to tell me about her and Robbie. I watched her name come and go, deliberating as to what to do, when I finally gave in and answered.
”Hey!” She sounded pleased to hear me.
”Hey,” I replied, walking to my window and looking out. ”What are you up to?”
”Nothing much,” Elise sighed. ”To be honest I've been so tired all day. Why does that always happen when you have a day off?”
”Don't know,” I replied absent-mindedly, thinking that if she was home in her apartment then maybe she didn't stay the night with Robbie after all.