The Final Act (#4 Bestselling Spotlight Series) (11 page)

Will stands a little taller.

“Issy, you going into London too?”

“Yes.” I smile at him.

“Then it would be my pleasure to accompany you.” He holds his hand up to Madison. “Ms Ellis, there really is no need for any extra compensation. Mr Reed is a very generous employer.”

“Call me Madison,” she says. “And thank you. I’ll feel so much better knowing you’re there with them. I’d like to pay you though,” she adds.

Will grows an extra inch. “No need. I’ll take good care of them,” he promises.

Natalie turns to me and Camilla.

“Alright then girls. Ready to hit the shops?”

Chapter 16

As we leave the studio by private car, Natalie leans in.

“Did you get paid today?” she asks.

“I don’t know.” The question surprises me. I actually hadn’t even thought about getting paid for acting. It feels like too much fun. And we’ve only been filming a few weeks.

“You should check,” she says. “I get paid through my agent, so it takes a few days. So you should already have your money.”

I look at her uncertainty. “I haven’t looked at my bank balance since we starting filming,” I admit. Since we’ve been on the Berkeley Studios pay roll, there really is no need. Everything is included.

I
take the time to check my bank balance on my phone.

I almost drop the handset in shock. The amount of money registered to my name is more zeros than I have ever seen in my account.

Whoa. Berkeley Studios are generous employers.

There’s enough money for an entire year’s salary.

“Do they pay us our entire wage upfront?” I ask Natalie, staring in amazement at the screen.

Natalie glances over at me. “
Probably you’ll get monthly money if you don’t have an agent. I’m not sure how it works with you,” she adds. “I get an upfront fee, and then my agent pays me monthly, because, you know, I can’t be trusted with large payments.” She rolls her eyes. “They give me plenty though,” she adds. “More than enough to crash the shops. But if I see great big cheques, it can make me do stupid stuff.”

Natalie
lowers her voice, so only me and Camilla can hear.

“One time, I bought the entire stock of this really
expensive bar in LA,” she admits. “Every last bottle. Including seven crates of Champagne and all this estate wine.” She’s nodding at the memory. “Then I brought in, like a half pound of cocaine. We locked the doors and had a four day party.”

Natalie
shakes her head. “I threw up for two days straight afterwards and missed a really important casting,” she adds. “Lucky I’m in therapy now.”

She sits back in her seat, blowing a string of hair out of her face with a loud ‘pffff’.

“Must have been some party,” I say, not sure how else to respond. She nods.

I’m enjoying Natalie on this trip. Her unflinching honesty is endearing, and there is no sign of the diva. I silently congratulate myself on seeking Madison’s advice. Maybe all Natalie needed was a little positive attention.

We sit in silence for a time, watching the green fields go past the car windows at high speed. And I suddenly realise this would be a great opportunity to catch up with Lorna. She’s always keen to hit the shops. This would be a good way to meet.

I
tug out my phone and dial Lorna’s number, but there’s no reply.

Typical Lorna. She’s probably partying somewhere.

I leave her a message and hope she sees it, but don’t hold out much hope. Once Lorna has gone incommunicado, she can vanish for days.

Natalie is peering out of the window excitedly as Oxford Street slides into view.

“I just
love
London,” she says. “You guys are so lucky seeing this every day. I go nuts when I start seeing the famous landmarks.”

The car pulls to a
halt outside the grand façade of Selfridges. And Natalie gives a little squeak of excitement.

“This is going to be so much fun,” she says, her eyes glowing. “I never get to shop with people my own age.”

I hadn’t thought about that. It must be quite lonely sometimes for a young star. For all of her staff and security, Natalie doesn’t have any actual friends around her.

Will gestures we should stay in the car, so he can get out first. Natalie’s security is in the car behind, so he’s taking no chances.

As Will exits the vehicle, I realise what a true pro he is. He’s scoping out the street. But a passer-by would never guess him to be anything other than an average Londoner, checking his parking spot.

When Will establishes we’re safe to ex
it the car, he gestures we should exit one at a time.

Natalie’s security pulls up behind, and Will divides us up, so we’re part of the larger group.

“I don’t want you three girls to go in together,” he says. “You’ll draw too much attention. Go through one at a time, and we’ll meet on the other side of the door. In ladies’ fashion. Ok?”

We nod in agreement, and allow ourselves to be lead separately thr
ough Selfridges art deco doors.

I’m still wondering how this is
going to work, exactly. I have to admit, I’m finding all the subterfuge quite exciting and can tell that Camilla feels the same. Natalie’s face just looks bored. I guess it must wear pretty thin, having to be escorted everywhere public.

I absolutely love going into Selfridges. And often come here with Lorna, just to browse. The store always puts on some amazing new display, and today is no different.
Shop designers have constructed huge abstract tree sculptures from smooth slabs of wood. They reach right up to the ceiling and weave into the brand displays.

When I’ve been in Selfridges previously
, Lorna has shopped with her model’s bank balance, and I’ve stared longingly on my waitresses’ salary.

But today,
I am the slightly nervous recipient of many thousands of pounds in my account. And I decide, for once in my life, I’m going to enjoy a little clothing spree.

I convene with Camilla and Natalie in the ladies
’ fashion section and discover that Will has arranged the whole floor to be closed, just for us.

“Seriously?” I ask in wonder
, gazing at the deserted department. “We get the entire place to ourselves?”

So that’s how it works. Maybe this celebrity thing isn’t so bad after all.

I can hardly believe it. Camilla is staring at the empty floor in wonder.

“For one hour,” confirms Will. “So shop fast.”

“It’s ok,” says Natalie, addressing herself to Camilla and I. “I have contacts in some of the other stores on Bond Street, so we’ll get them privately for longer.”

“I’m just stoke
d to get Selfridges just for us,” I grin. “This is amazing.”

“Pretty good, hey?” agrees Natalie. “Being an actress has some great perks.” She scans the store. “I think I can see some
perfect
things for both of you,” she adds. “Let’s get shopping.”

It turns out, Natalie is truly a fun person to shop with. She makes the Selfridges experience into a great, girly adventure, throwing clothes at Cam and I, and insisting we try out daring items.

Then she tries on a stack of the silliest clothes for our amusement, breaking out of the dressing rooms in various ghastly outfits.

“What do you think?” she asks, striking a pose in lime green jeans and a studded bondage-style vest-top. “Good for the London clubs?”

“Depends which clubs,” I laugh as she makes a succession of exaggerated poses.

“This is so much fun,” says Camilla, emerging in a lilac floral dress which Natalie picked out for her.

“You look great
, Cam,” I say as she twirls in front of the mirror.

“Oooo that is too cute,” agrees Natalie. “Hey,
I saw some boots which would be
perfect
with that.” And she races off to grab them.

“You know what,” says Camilla, smiling at
me, “she’s nice. Natalie. I like her. When she’s not on set and acting like a diva, she’s really cool.”

“Yeah
, she is,” I agree. “Maybe being on set brings out the worst in her. But this shopping trip is great.”

The three of us
spend the next thirty minutes trying on clothes and shoes and giggling as only groups of girls can. It’s the most carefree I’ve felt for weeks. Then Will announces we’ve got ten minutes left. And we start reluctantly getting ready to leave.

Coming out of the dressing room, I’m confused to see that the pile of clothes I’d hoped to buy has vanished. And then I spot the reason.

Natalie has taken all our clothes to the cash register and is running through her credit card.

I reach her side, just as she’s explaining to the clerk to box everything up and deliver it straight to our car.

“Wait,” I say, “you didn’t just pay for all that?”

“Oh, yeah.” She turns and gives me a beaming smile. “Yeah. I wanted to. You know, get you and Ca
m a present. For being so great and putting up with me.”

She shrugs. “I know I’ve been a nightmare. This is my way of saying sorry.”

Camilla has arrived with us now and is registering what’s just happened.

“That is so nice of you,” she protests, “but you didn’t have to do that.”

“Honestly,” says Natalie, with a wave of her hand. “It really is nothing. Besides, you both looked great in those clothes. It’s my pleasure. Really.”

I open my mouth to say something, and Natalie puts a gentle hand on my arm.

“Just accept the gift, ok?” Her green eyes settle meaningfully on mine. “I want to buy you these clothes.”

I suddenly see how much she wants to make amends.

“Ok,” I say, smiling in acceptance. “Thank you.”

She
gives a sigh of relief and grins. “You know what we should do?”

“What?” I ask.

“Get a cocktail.” Her eyes are glowing. “Just
one
little cocktail. It would be fun, right?”

She catches my expression.

“Don’t worry,” she adds. “I’m still allowed to drink now and again. It’s just, you know, the illegal drugs I have to avoid.”

She’s joking, and I laugh.

“Ok then,” I say, looking at Camilla to check she’s happy with the idea. “I think that sounds like a great plan.”

Chapter 17

We’re sipping cocktails and swapping girly stories. And I feel like I’m seeing a completely different side to Natalie, now we’re out of the studio. She’s so much fun. I can easily see how she earned her a reputation as a party girl.

When we’ve finished identifying which cocktail waiter we’d most like to date,
the conversation turns to the movie and when we’ll be finishing it.

“I think a few months more, and we’ll be done,” decides Natalie. “We’ve already got a lot of good material. And James works fast.”

She takes another sip of her cocktail.

“Did they lock the stalker away yet?” she asks.

I shake my head.

“Might be good timing,” suggests Natalie
, revealing her reason for bringing it up. “If the court case and the movie release coincide, publicity will go through the roof.”

“I’m not sure I’d want that,” I say. “I know publicity is important, but I’d rather the movie did well on its own merit.”

Natalie shrugs. “All’s fair in love and show business.”

“They’re still trying to find the identity of the stalker,” I admit. “There’s some big puzzle for the police. Because they found links to James, and Berkeley Studios, going way back. Like the stalker was profiling James.”

Natalie raises her eyebrows.

“And he has some mysterious benefactor,
” I add, suddenly charged with the urge to unburden myself to some female listeners. “Someone giving him money to build a legal case. And bribe prison guards.”

Camilla’s mouth drops open in horror, and Natalie looks shocked.

“That’s awful,” says Camilla. “Don’t worry, Issy, James will sort it all out,” she adds, loyally.

“That’s messed up,” agrees Natalie. “But Camilla’s right. You don’t need to worry.” She gives me a sympathetic smile
and a little pat on the arm.

I feel better, having shared. Then
I shudder at the memory of the text message, but decide not to reveal that particular piece of information.

“Do you think it’s someone with a grudge against James?” asks Natalie.

Beside me, I feel Camilla twitch. I know she hates the idea that anyone would target James.

“I don’t know,” I say. But some uneasy memories are coming to me. Of James’s dark past and his dead
ex-girlfriend, Samantha.

Could it be that someone is trying to avenge her death?
James mentioned she came from a good family. And she was surrounded by protective men.

That wouldn’t make sense.
The stalker is obsessed with fame and celebrity. He was more interested in harming me than James.

My phone rings,
distracting me from the conversation, and I pick it up to see Lorna’s number.

“Lorna!” I answer gleefully, hoping I have a chance to see her before we head back.

“Hi Issy.” Her voice is small. I can hear instantly that something is wrong.

“What is it?” I ask.

There’s a pause. “Are you still in London? Can I come talk to you?”

“I’m on Oxford Street. Where are you? Shall I come to Chelsea?”

Lorna’s tone is blank and empty. I’ve never heard her like this. A feeling of dread flashes through me.

Has Ben done something?

“No, I’ll come to you,” says Lorna. “I’m only five minutes away. I’ll get in a cab.”

I give her the location of the cocktail bar, holding off from asking her directly what’s wrong. It sounds like it’s something she wants to tell me in person.

I hang up to see Natalie and Camilla looking on with concern.

“It’s my friend,” I explain. “She sounds… upset.”

“Boyfriend trouble?” asks Camilla.

“I… I don’t know. It sounds serious though. I’ve never heard her sound like that.”

“Definitely man trouble,” says Natalie, picking up her glass and draining the rest of her cocktail. “We’ll head back to the studio and give you some room.”

Camilla nods.

“No wait,” I protest, feeling incredibly rude. “You don’t have to head off on my account.”

“Really
, it’s no problem,” says Camilla, who has already finished her drink. “We were going to go after these anyway. Just meet us back at the studio.”

I smile at them weakly, grateful for the
ir understanding.

They grab their bags and say their goodbyes. Security huddle at the door, ready to escort Natalie. And after a little protest from me, Will agrees to go with them.

“I’m not famous,” I insist. “No one in London has the slightest idea who I am. It’s Natalie you need to worry about.”

I watch them leave.

And then I wait with dread in my stomach for Lorna to arrive.