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‘You’re not going to believe this,’ Lockwood said, lowering his voice as we knocked back some drinks at our favourite pub. It was just the three of us sans partners; Edgar was away casting a film.
‘Believe what?’ Nelly said, between bites of our shared ploughman’s lunch.
‘I can’t get over how enormous that rock is,’ Lockwood said distracted, taking my hand in his and studying my engagement ring. ‘That’s probably the entire profit made on your film,Between Night and Day!’
‘Ourfilm!’ Nelly teased him.
‘It was our film,’ I agreed and reclaimed my hand. ‘I picked a humbler ring but Edgar insisted I have this one. I love it, I really wanted a square diamond.’
Nelly took my hand. ‘I love a princess cut. Gorgeous. That must be three carats at least,’ she said.
I took my hand back again and shrugged. ‘How do you even know that stuff?’
‘Because I have my ring designed in my head, I’ve just got to find someone to propose and then buy it for me.’
‘Anyway, be quiet you two I’ve got news, it’s about Isabella,’ Lockwood said, holding the floor. He had the knack of delivering news like it was a soap opera.
I looked around to make sure no one could hear us; we were in the outdoor area but you can’t be too careful.
Lockwood lowered his voice. ‘Anyway, my friend said that when Isabella got Edgar’s news that you two got engaged, she told Heath that she wanted to be married first, it was only fair since they got engaged first, and if he didn’t set a date, she was walking down that catwalk instead of the aisle and walking off.’
‘Wow, great line,’ I said, and laughed. ‘I’ve never given Heath an ultimatum. How’d that go down?’
Lockwood hesitated as though deciding whether to tell me or not. ‘Well from what I hear there was a negotiation. He supposedly told her that since he was going to be away for a few weeks on the film’s publicity tour, they should go home to the moors for a weekend soon and discuss dates. That seemed to work, I hear.’
Ah, stick a knife in my heart. Why do I ask when I really don’t want to know?
‘Apparently, the ultimatum went well then,’ Nelly said, looking as surprised as I was.
I rolled my eyes. ‘I guess it will be all over her Instagram feed when they go there, so we’ll know all about their romp around her family estate! Let’s change the subject,’ I said.
Nelly squeezed my arm. ‘I know you still love him.’
‘He’s my family. Our souls are made of the same thing, but Edgar’s soul is as different as—’ I struggled for a comparison.
‘A moonbeam from lightning?' Nelly suggested.
‘Yes, exactly, thank you, Nelly, how poetic of you. I knew you would get it.’ I placed my hand over hers.
Lockwood sighed. ‘Oh, Cathy, he’s miserable without you.’
I laughed again, surprised. ‘Ha, I doubt it. I wish,’ I said, selfishly. ‘Anyway, how do you know that?’
He touched his nose as though he had insider information.
Nelly hit him on the arm. ‘Don’t tell her that. She’s just got engaged. Cathy doesn’t need to feel guilty about Heath or any guy.’
‘I don’t think I will ever be able to lose him from my heart,’ I said. I had got a bit intense but a glass of wine on a shared ploughman’s lunch will do that to you. ‘Please don’t repeat that to anyone,’ I said, alarmed.
They both shook their heads, and then we changed the subject before I became more maudlin.
*****
Nelly and I went to see our agent, J&J or Jaz and James; it was usually just Jaz though as James looked after the models and Jaz looked after the actors. It felt so cool to go into their offices. Our appointments were one after the other, but I didn’t mind if we sat in together, neither did Nelly, and Jaz agreed that was just fine.
After Jaz’s assistant had taken our orders for a latte, bless her, we sat around Jaz’s boardroom table. She amazed me – she was a former catwalk model and commercial actor, and she still did some modelling when ‘talent’ over forty years of age was required. She was tall, very glamorous and very kind … she knew and got the industry and all of its ups and downs.
‘We need to be very careful now, Cathy,’ she said to me. ‘Naturally, it is your choice and I’ll present you with all offers, but you’ve just done a role that is getting critical acclaim, and your Romcom will come out not long after. So, your next move should cement how you want to be seen and what roles you want to be considered for going forward if that makes sense?’
