Page 147 of Christmas off Script
He opened his mouth, but nothing came out.
The silence began to stretch.
‘Who does she think she is?’ Arthur said pointedly. ‘Some girl from the enchanted forest he met in the first half of the show?’
Leo started. ‘You’re the girl I met in the enchanted forest,’ he said quickly.
‘Dandini,’ Ella replied. ‘You’ve lost your beard.’
‘What? Oh, er, yes. I, er—’
‘Only wear it on Tuesdays and Thursdays!’ Arthur cried, then turned to the audience. ‘Honestly, this is what hundreds of years of aristocratic inbreeding does for you. The pumpkin’s got more brains than the prince and considerably more charm.’
Leo flushed as the audience roared with laughter. Then he took Ella’s hands. ‘I can’t believe you’re here.’
She swallowed. ‘I can’t either.’
His gaze was all-absorbing. ‘Pinch me. I need to make sure I’m not dreaming.’
‘I—I can’t do that.’
‘Kiss me then.’
The sudden silence was overwhelming, as if everyone on stage and in the audience were holding their breath. Ella brought her lips to Leo’s, her eyelids fluttering closed as tingles ran across her skin.
He let go of her hands and cupped her face, deepening the kiss, and she gripped his shoulders for support as her head filled with stars. Leo kissed her as if she were the most desirable and precious thing in the world. His touch reverent yet restrained, as if it was taking all of his strength not to consume her in greedy bites. Powerless to resist the swells of desire, Ella opened to him, the sweep of his tongue against hers making her gasp with pleasure.
She was vaguely aware of whoops, whistles, and catcalls from the audience, but she couldn’t stop kissing him.
Suddenly Leo was wrenched away from her by Arthur, who was currently over seven feet tall courtesy of lime-green platform heels and a vertiginous wig. ‘Princey-poos, this is afamilyshow,’ he cried, ‘notLove Island.’ He adjusted his enormous fake breasts, which were shaped like traffic cones with flashing red lights at the tips. ‘You need to show a bit of decorum and class like me and my Tittie.’
‘Too right, Fanny.’ Steve wiggled his hips. ‘We put the arse into class!’
‘Now don’t you think you’d like to have a nice waltz rather than attempt the horizontal tango?’ Arthur continued. ‘And maybe tell this delightful girl your real identity?’
‘Shit—sorry—erm…’ Leo was looking increasingly flustered. He ran a hand through his hair. ‘I’m—’
‘He’s Prince Charming,’ Arthur interrupted, turning to Ella. ‘And that’s Dandini over there.’ He faced Leo again. ‘Now, hold her hand out to the side. Other hand on her waist…’ He arranged the two of them into a waltz hold, then yelled, ‘Connor! Music!’ over his shoulder, before turning to the audience and rolling his eyes. ‘Can’t get the cast these days!’
Connor started playing, and Ella circled the stage in Leo’s arms. He was still looking discombobulated, mouthing, ‘Sorry’, when his back was to the audience.
‘It’s okay,’ she whispered back, her heart rioting with confusion and expectant hope. His kiss didn’t feel like an act, but she couldn’t talk to him now until the end of the show as there was no moment when either one of them wasn’t on stage.
As the chimes of the clock counted down to midnight, Ella dashed into the wings, passing Willow who was wearing a duplicate of her rag dress, a shawl over her head to hide her face to give the audience the illusion that Cinderella’s transformation was immediate.
Backstage, Ella changed out of the ballgown, then crept back to watch Leo perform. He seemed to have got his groove back, speaking his lines with confidence. But then he caught her eye from her position in the wings and trailed off without finishing his sentence.
Ella ducked back out of sight, her heart pitter-pattering in her chest. She couldn’t wait for the panto to be over. The uncertainty was making her light-headed and nauseous. What if she’d been wrong? What if Leo wanted her and not Lila? Or was he now confused and couldn’t decide between them?
Gripping her head as if she could squeeze the thoughts away, Ella let out a strangled cry.
Just a few more scenes and then it’s over. Either way, you’ll have your answer.
27
Hiding just off-stage, Ella listened to Leo and Scott as they entered the kitchen of Hardup Hall with the glass slipper.
‘His Royal Highness, Prince Charming!’ Scott announced. ‘And you, er,ladiesare?’
