Brit Flick Sweethearts: A Rom-Com With Spanking (7 page)

“It’s alright
sweetie, I’ve smoothed it all over, don’t worry about it. I’ve been
trying to call you. I spoke to Dahlia just now. She’s on the
mend.”

“You did?”
Why didn’t she call me?

Doris bit down
the usual hurt.

“Yeah. She
hopes to be out in a few weeks or less. That’ll give you time to
lose a bit of weight and for Dahlia to gain some so hopefully
you’ll meet somewhere in the middle.”

“My God, that
is just so shallow.”

“It’s showbiz,
baby. And I’ve rescheduled that last interview you missed today for
tomorrow. You know, the one you shirked because you were busy
bonking Curt instead.”

Doris blushed.
“I’m going to see my sister, right now.”

“That’s not a
good idea.”

“Why not? I
need to talk to her.”

“She’s still
recovering, she’s not up for visits yet. Besides, you really don’t
want to go potentially drawing attention to yourself like that.
What if someone sees you going in? Do you have any idea how hard
this is for me to keep this out the press? I tell you, I’m a
fucking
God
to have managed this one. The best thing you can
do to help is climb back into Curt’s bed.”

His patronising
tone irked her. “Good bye Jeremy.”

“Don’t go and
see your…”

She cut him off
midstream. First of all, she was going back to her hotel room to
change into something a little less conspicuous, and then she was
going to pay dear Dahlia a visit.

Two hours later
she stood outside the understated building of the drug and alcohol
rehabilitation clinic in West London. She was wearing her own
clothes; a thin knit, tatty purple pullover that she loved dearly
and an old pair of faded levis. With her hair scraped back, no
makeup on and dark glasses she felt confident that no one would
recognise her as Dahlia.

“Why did you
come?” were the first words out of Dahlia’s mouth.

“Hello Dahlia,
how are you? It’s lovely to see you too.”

For a moment
back there, Doris thought the receptionist was going to turn her
away without seeing her twin. Dahlia really wasn’t keen on having
her here.

“Christ, Doris,
if the press saw you come here then my career is
over.
I
can’t believe you’re being this selfish.”

Doris pulled up
a plastic chair next to Dahlia, where she sat in an armchair by the
window. They were in Dahlia’s private room. It wasn’t quite as
Spartan as a hospital room, but it wasn’t far off either. It only
served to remind her that her sister was a drug addict and a lump
formed in her throat. So much so, that she didn’t even mind being
called selfish.

“I’m here
because you’re my sister and I’m worried about you.”

“Yeah, yeah,
you came here to check up on me, more like. Now I’m a superstar,
your life will never be the same again. Everywhere you go, people
will think you are me. Even in your silly little village you won’t
be able to pass unnoticed. It’s going to get out soon that I have a
twin, we just have to keep up the pretence a little while longer
until I’m better.”

“And when
exactly, will that be?”

“Soon. A day or
so.”

“Great,” Doris
said, letting out a shaky breath.

She tried to
tell herself she was relieved, but there was no mistaking the pang
of disappointment.

In a few
days time I’m never going to see Curt again
...

“So come on
then, what’s my new film about?” Doris looked at her blankly and
Dahlia sighed in exasperation. “
Please
tell me you know what
it’s going to be about?”

Doris realised
that it hadn’t even occurred to her to ask Curt what kind of film
it was, yet alone what it was about.

“I, er, didn’t
ask. It didn’t seem important.”

“Not important?
If ‘Brick Face’ made me, then this new film will cement my career.
I can’t believe you’re so stupid that you didn’t even ask what it
was about. It’s a good job I’ve got Jeremy to keep me informed of
everything. God, Curt is going to think I don’t care. I hope you’re
being nice to him.”

Doris blushed.
“I’m always nice.”

Dahlia leaned
forward in her seat. “Oh my God, you’re sleeping with him for real,
aren’t you? I do not believe this shit.” Her tone softened. “But
hey, he is gorgeous, and me and him hooking up is just about the
best thing possible for my career. I
knew
that man was
always secretly in love with me.”

“Yeah.”

“I hope you’re
not being too crap in bed.”

Doris felt a
rise of anger. “For God’s sake, Dahlia.”

“Oh shit, I
should’ve guessed. You probably really like him, don’t you? Well,
that’s just stupid, Doris, it’s
me
he wants, not you.”

Doris hastily
stood up, tears pricking behind her eyes. She should never have
come. This was a mistake.

“I have to
go.”

“My God, Doris,
you are so
pathetic
.”

“What’s to stop
me spilling everything and going back to my life in Cornwall?”

Dahlia’s bitchy
façade fell away. “Because you’re a better person than me and you
want to help me. Even if you have fallen in love with my leading
man.”

“I have
not…”

Her words
trailed away. It couldn’t be true, could it?

“So this is
what I want you to do. Things have got too messy. You need to
develop a bad case of bird flu or something, and disappear until I
get better.”

“But what about
all the interviews I have lined up?
You
have lined up? That
would be career suicide, surely?”

Dahlia
shrugged. “Career suicide is you mooning over
my
boyfriend
and screwing everything up. Really, thank you for standing in for
me and all, but it has to stop now before you completely blow my
cover.”

Doris felt a
wave of hatred for the sister that she loved. “You know what, dear
sister? Curt said the first time we shagged was
crap,
but
now I blow his mind.”

Dahlia laughed
breezily. Her arrogance knew no bounds. “Oh per
lease,
as
if.”

“I’m
going.”

“Fine. I’m
calling Jeremy now, and then he’ll call you. Thank you, and
goodbye,
dear sister.”

Doris stropped
out the room, tears stinging her eyes.

She was
aimlessly wandering the streets of London when her mobile went
off.

“Hello Jeremy,”
she said, her heart in her throat.

“Doris, I’ve
just had Dahlia chewing my ear off. I
told
you not to go and
see her and stir the pot, what the hell are you playing at?”

“I only wanted
to see my sister. Is that such a crime?”

Jeremey sighed
heavily. “Not a crime, just a pain. You do realise that she wants
you to disappear for a while?”

“Yeah, I kinda
got that message.”

“The thing is
Doris, she’s right. It’s been great of you to step in for her and
everything, but at the end of the day, Dahlia is my client. She
wants you gone so it’s probably for the best if you disappear for a
while.”

“Disappear? Why
do you keep telling me to disappear?”

“Because we
don’t need you anymore. It was wonderful of you to take her place
at the film premiere, and you did such a good job I guess I got a
little bit carried away. I should’ve known that an ordinary person
would struggle with fame thrust upon them like this.”

An ordinary
person.
Could he
be
anymore patronising?

“So I’m
expected to just go home? Pretend like this has never
happened?”

“Yeah, pretty
much. Thanks for all you’ve done Doris. Don’t worry about Curt,
I’ll tell him you’ve got flu and aren’t receiving visitors. Filming
starts soon for ‘Death Car,’ I’ll tell him you need to rest up and
you’ll see him then. Hello? Are you still there?” he said to her
silence.

“Yeah.”

“He doesn’t
have any idea that he’s been sleeping with Dahlia’s identical twin,
does he?”

“No, of course
not.”

“I sincerely
hope you haven’t developed
feelings
for Gunner? You didn’t
actually think that you might tell him the truth, did you?”

“No,” she
breathed.

“Because that
would be silly. I must admit, I was surprised when you jumped into
bed with him, you never struck me as the type of person that could
have sex without being in love.”

This
conversation was getting way too personal.

“Goodbye
Jeremy,” she said, moving the phone away from her ear to press end
call.

“No! Doris,
wait. Look, you’re a nice girl. I thought you could handle this,
but I don’t think you can. I think you should get out while your
heart is still in one piece. He is your sister’s boyfriend, not
yours. You’re in over your head, get out while the going’s
good.”

She pressed end
call, her vision blurred by tears. So that was it. No more Curt. It
was over. Not that it had ever even properly begun. Because he was
never hers to start with.

With a sinking
heart, Doris started the lonely journey back to the hotel to pack
her bag.

She received a
text from Jeremy when the taxi pulled up outside the hotel:

I’ve contacted
Curt and told him you have the flu. Please screen your calls and
don’t talk to him. I hope you have a safe journey back to Cornwall.
Thanks for all your help. J.

She pocketed
the mobile in disgust. She had never felt so used and confused in
all her life. But she knew that Jeremy was right. She
was
in
over her head. This was all too messed up and she needed to get
away.

The more
distance between me and Curt Gunner, the better. My sister’s
welcome to him.

If only she
believed it.

Half an hour
later, Doris’s bags were packed and she emerged from the lift in
the hotel foyer. Her heart started beating ten to the dozen when
she saw who was there to greet her the second the lift doors
swooshed open. It was like he
knew
it would be her at that
precise moment.

“Well, looky
what we’ve got here. If it isn’t
the invalid.
”

Swiftly, she
took in how devastatingly handsome he looked, dressed casually in
blue jeans and a plain black jumper that looked considerably more
expensive and better cut than her own tatty old jumper.

Doris blushed
hot. “I’m really ill.”

“Yeah. So I
see. You’re certainly dressed like someone who has lost the will to
live.”

“What are you
doing here, Curt?”

“I came as soon
as Jeremy called. He said that I had to leave you alone for a few
days, that you were so
very
ill. The obnoxious little prick
should’ve waited before he called me, then maybe I wouldn’t have
rushed over here and caught you before you did your mid-afternoon
flit.”

“Curt, please,
I just have to go away for a few days, OK? It’s no big deal. I’ll
see you again when we start filming.”

“I don’t think
so baby girl. You don’t get to swan in and out of my life whenever
you please. You don’t get to play me.”

“Play you? That
is the most juvenile thing I’ve ever heard.”

In one swift
movement, he picked her up and flung her over his shoulder in a
fireman’s carry.

“Hey! Get off
me!”

It happened so
fast that no one in the foyer saw. He kicked her little wheeled
suitcase back into the lift and swiftly followed, the lift door
sliding shut behind them.

The lift
ascended and still he did not put her down. She beat uselessly on
his back and kicked her legs but he held grimly on.

“You,
Doris,
are going to learn some discipline. Who the hell do
you think you are, acting like such a spoilt brat?”

“Don’t call me
Doris! My name is Dahlia! Hey!”

“Like hell it
is.”

As he spoke he
slapped her backside. A familiar heat flamed in her buttocks that
went shooting straight between her legs.

I cannot
believe that I’m actually aroused at this
…

He let her
slide down his body so that her feet were safely anchored on the
ground once more, and held her tight in the circle of his arms.

She had stopped
struggling, and found herself gazing up into his glittering blue
eyes.

“Don’t you
ever
run off without telling me again,” he said, his mouth
clamping possessively down on hers.

The kiss was
fierce and her head swam with the intensity of it.

I can’t let
myself do this
...

But the thought
was silenced when he began kneading her breasts through the jumper,
making her heart pound and her knickers flood with wetness.

All too soon,
the lift doors opened to her floor and they broke off the kiss,
Doris coming to her senses a little and pulling away from him.

“Walk,” he
barked, grabbing her elbow with one hand and her suitcase with the
other, guiding her back to the room from which she had just
departed.

“Tell me,” he
said, once they were safely back in the hotel room. “What gives?
Why are you running out on me? Is it the dominance thing in bed?
Because if I came on too strong, I apologise. Mind you, I didn’t
exactly see you complaining at any point.”

Doris blushed,
absolutely hating herself for constantly reddening whenever she was
around him. He must think she was so
stupid
.

“No, it’s not
that, I just wanted to go home for few days, you know, re-charge my
batteries before we start filming and everything…” she said, her
voice trailing off lamely.

“You’re
lying.”

“I’m not.”

Maybe you
should’ve listened to me when I tried to tell you the truth,
she silently added.

“Do you know
what I do to liars?”

Her blood
heated in her veins and she found she was trembling.