Page 39 of Hollywood Games
Morag, Fiona and Zoe whooped at her performance and she stood, bowing to them.
Jamie flushed. ‘Forget the coffee. I’m going for a shower.’
He went upstairs with Morag calling after him, ‘Half an hour and dinner’s on the table!’ Morag poured out more Prosecco and turned to Sam. ‘So, love, what’s your plan for wee Brad then?’
Sam rummaged in her bag on the floor and brought out a selection of TV and women’s magazines. She was currently involved in a dramatic love triangle onElm Tree Laneand was pictured between the two rival men on all the covers. ‘First up,’ she slurred, ‘my cunning spy Zoe has left copies of these in Brad’s room and his trailer. Tomorrow she’s going to get me in and I’ll wait for my opportunity.’
‘And what are you going to do when you meet him?’ Morag asked sceptically.
Sam sighed and slumped back in her chair. ‘To be honest, I’ve got no idea. I’ve never tried to seduce anyone before.’
Morag turned to Zoe. ‘Do you think I should invite him round here for afternoon tea?’
Zoe shook her head. ‘He’s working twelve-hour days and every minute of his time is scheduled. I don’t know how he’d fit it in.’
Morag rubbed Sam on the back. ‘We’ll find a way, sweetheart. By hook or by crook we’ll get you a rich and famous husband in the next couple of weeks.’
Morag shooedthe girls out into the living room whilst she took charge of the meal, which was approaching critical mass. The three of them collapsed into armchairs, at the happy stage of drunk where they were in love with the universe and absolutely anything anyone said was comedy gold. Duncan arrived with Liam, who became the centre of attention as he was passed around for cuddles.
By the time Morag called them through they’d sobered up enough to appreciate the table overloaded with food. Jamie hovered before taking his seat, placing himself at the opposite end of the table from Sam.
Morag held up her hands as the cue for everyone to take the hand of the person next to them. She closed her eyes. ‘Dear you upstairs. Bless this family and bless this meal. Thank you for bringing Sam into our lives and keep safe in your love the ones who are no longer with us. Amen.’ A squeeze rippled through people’s hands before the chain was broken. Morag gave Sam’s shoulder a rub before turning back to the rest of the table. ‘Come on, tuck in! If you’re shy you’ll go hungry!’ Despite her petite frame, Sam loaded her plate with more food than even Jamie or Duncan.
‘I thought actresses weren’t supposed to eat?’ muttered Jamie.
Sam looked up. ‘Oh, I do the 5:2 diet.’
‘I know that,’ said Fiona. ‘You pretty much starve yourself for two days, then eat normally for five, right?’
‘Almost,’ replied Sam, innocently. ‘Except I starve myself for five days, then stuff myself for two!’
The women at the table howled as Jamie shook his head. ‘So, are you here to see Zoe, or just to try and meet Brad?’
‘Oh, Brad one hundred per cent. Zoe’s just a bonus,’ said Sam, as the women around the table cackled.
‘But what are you going to do when youdomeet him?’ he persisted.
Sam pretended to look thoughtful as if contemplating the nature of the universe. ‘Seduce and marry him of course! What else would I be doing with him!’
‘But you don’t know him! What if he’s unfaithful?’
‘That’s exactly what I want him to be! The whole point of marrying Brad Bauer is for the divorce. And his Hollywood contacts…’
Even Duncan joined in the laughter that followed.
The meal wenton for nearly two hours before they staggered into the living room. Sam had been a huge hit and was loved by all except Jamie. Liam fell asleep in Duncan’s arms and Fiona brought out Jamie’s guitar and gave it to him. He shook his head.
‘Not tonight, Fi.’
‘Ah, come on now, son,’ chided Morag. ‘You have to, Sam’s come all this way. It’s the very least you could do.’
‘Please, Jamie,’ said Zoe, ‘you haven’t made me cry in ages.’
Jamie grinned at her. ‘Okay. But just a couple.’ He tuned the strings and began to play. The room fell silent as the gentle sounds of his guitar filled the air. Sam sat forward, her eyes bright. Jamie’s voice joined the music, soft and quiet, slowly growing with the song. As he started the second verse, another sound joined in, a gentle humming in harmony with his voice. It came from Sam. She hadn’t heard the song before, but after a verse and chorus had picked up enough to bring another layer to Jamie’s music. He looked at her in surprise but didn’t stop playing.
On the final verse and chorus, Sam sang a soft accompaniment to Jamie’s words. Her voice was like a crystal bell, pure and true, elevating Jamie’s music to another level. When he came to the end he didn’t stop, but carried straight into another, looking at Sam. She gazed back, focused on him and him alone. They seemed locked in their own world, reading micro-expressions and cues from one another, weaving their voices into an unbreakable sonorous thread that wound around the two of them, joining them tighter and tighter.
Everyone watching held their breath, as if even to disturb the air would break the magic. Morag’s mouth was open. Jamie began his third song, the one Zoe had filmed and sent to Sam before Christmas. The first two songs had been merely a warm-up for this, the main event. Sam’s voice became an equal partner in the song. Lowering her volume to let Jamie shine, then soaring when he held back. It was as if they were one person singing. An expression of total balance and harmony.
