Page 51 of The Location Shoot
“Surprisingly, he also found the patience to hang around until I was done with the signing. He and Sandrine invited me to join them for dinner at The Ivy. Naturally, I said yes. Free meal, with an acclaimed filmmaker, no less.”
Jean laughed. “We had such fun that night. We dined with a small group of successful artists, and Ella fit right in. Everyone was as enchanted by her as I was.”
Ella blushed. “What I remember is the incredible food. I had been living on fish and chips wrapped in old newspaper, and you all know how extravagant Jean is. He ordered Oscietra caviar by the bucket, champagne and white truffle risotto, grilled lobster, filet of beef in béarnaise sauce, andon and on, not to mention bottle after bottle of champagne. He even toasted my book, which was very sweet.”
“When the evening concluded, I offered her a lift home. I had the driver drop off Sandrine first so Ella and I could be alone. Then, on to Ella’s. She was crashing at a friend’s flat in the dodgy part of London. The next evening, I was being honored at a gala, and without my wife . . .”
“Second wife . . .” Ella added.
Jean laughed. “Yes, without my wife there, I was planning to go stag. I asked Ella to accompany me. Do you remember what you said?”
“I looked him straight in the eyes and said, ‘I’m free, but I’m not going to sleep with you. I would like to be your friend. Perhaps we’ll even be the best of friends if you don’t fuck it up.’”
“I burst into laughter. I don’t deny being attracted to her. I’m only a man, and Ella is a rare beauty. Truthfully, women rarely turn me down, so I was caught off guard. But I knew that having her in my life was better than not, so I agreed.”
“That hardly stopped you from trying to feel me up the next night.”
Albie shook his head in mock disappointment, and Michael spit his drink across the table, unable to contain his uproarious laughter.
“Well, a man can’t be faulted for trying,” Jean said.
“Hmm. I wonder if your wife would agree. Of course, you’re divorced now, so we can hardly ask her,” Ella mused.
They all laughed.
Jean turned to the others and said, “If you could have seen her that night, you’d understand. It was a formal, penguin-suit gala. The women were decked out in large ball gowns, the colors of precious gems. Ella, on the other hand, wore the most incredible vintage flapper dress, off-whitewith gold and silver sequins outlining her body. It fell just below her knees, with fringe at the hem that danced with every small movement. She wore an incredible gold headpiece around her forehead, and her lips were fire-engine red. When we walked into the ballroom, everyone turned to stare. She stole the room. Every man in the room fell in love with her in an instant.”
Finn draped his arm around her and kissed her cheek.
Ella laughed. “When Jean invited me, I didn’t know what I would possibly wear. I was twenty-four years old, had absolutely no money, and only one small suitcase that had jeans, T-shirts, and a couple of sundresses. I scoured the thrift stores that day and found that dress at a vintage shop for fifty pounds. It could have been a costume for all I know.”
“You looked like fifty million pounds,” Jean said. “I’ll never forget it. Such style, suchjoie de vivre. When I heard you talking with people—royals, businessmen, artists, intellectuals, waitstaff—I thought I’d never known anyone better able to socialize with people from all walks of life.”
She smiled. “After Jean received his award, I convinced him to ditch the uptight party and come hang out with my friends at one of our favorite cafés. They were in ripped jeans, and we showed up in formal wear. We sat for hours drinking cheap wine and talking about philosophy, art, religion.”
“Thebigtopics,” Jean said.
“The big ones,” Ella agreed with a smile. “They were playing popular music in the background, and when Elton John’s ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’ came on, I said, ‘Jean, we must dance.’ I mean, the lyrics were just too perfect, too ironic. Can’t let a moment like that pass by.”
Jean smiled. “We sashayed across this little café in our formal attire, with Ella singing every word. Can’t imagine what the other patrons thought. It was quite the spectacle.”
“Then there was the little awkward moment when he dropped me off and thought he’d cop a feel, but we laughed it off.”
“Yes, well, like I said, a man can’t be faulted for trying. I wasn’t certain you had been serious about a platonic relationship. Indeed, you were.”
“Indeed,” Ella said with a giggle.
“But after we moved past my unwanted advance, I asked Ella to join me for my last evening in London. I had plans to go to the theater. A friend was directing a play, and I knew many of the actors as well. It was a terrific show, and after, the lot of us went to J.Sheekey. Such a fun spot when you’re with a bunch of theater people. We spent the evening talking, laughing, and eating the most succulent Dover sole.”
“It was great fun,” Ella agreed. “Over dinner, Jean told me about a film he was shooting in Barcelona a few weeks later. I said, ‘I love Spain,’ and as if it were nothing, he said, ‘Come along. I’ll take care of the arrangements. Perhaps you’ll be inspired for your next book.’ What broke twenty-something in her right mind says no to that? So I went.”
Albie smiled. “Lucky for me you did—that’s the first time we met.”
“That’s right,” she said, reaching over and placing her hand on his.
“We’ve been dear friends ever since,” Jean said. “And perhaps there is something to Ella’s sex rules. She’s outlasted all the other women in my life, and I do believe we will always adore and inspire each other, despite the platonic nature of the relationship.”
Ella smirked. “And they say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”
