A Starlit Summer by Kate Frost (best manga ereader txt) 📕

She swung round. ‘Bloody hell, Timothy, you scared the shit out of me.’

‘Sorry.’ He ran a hand through his messy hair. He was bare-chested but had at least put on the shorts he’d been wearing the day before. ‘You forgot I’d crashed in the living room?’ He met her eyes and held her gaze.

‘Something like that.’ She turned away and grabbed two mugs. ‘Coffee?’

‘Please, you’re a lifesaver. Drunk far too much last night.’

Not slept enough either, Jenna thought. She knew what she’d heard. Had he crept downstairs so she wouldn’t realise he’d been with Milo? He was acting like nothing had happened so maybe he thought she didn’t have a clue.

‘It was a good night, last night. Just maybe next time we should do it on a weekend rather than mid-week.’

Jenna made the coffee and handed him a steaming mug. ‘My bad; it was all a little spur of the moment.’

‘Good though. I really enjoyed myself.’

Jenna murmured ‘uh-huh’; she’d heard exactly how much he enjoyed himself. ‘So, I’m going to get a quick shower, then you can have the bathroom.’

‘Great, thanks Jenna.’

The lukewarm water left Jenna feeling a little more alive. Timothy showered while she went to her room, towel-dried her hair and threw on a skirt and top. At least she didn’t have to bother doing her make-up as that would be done once they got to the base. And they’d be able to have breakfast before being taken to location. Her stomach rumbled. She could actually face a cooked breakfast this morning to counteract all the alcohol.

Jenna grabbed her bag and closed her bedroom door. Timothy had finished in the bathroom. The door to the spare room was still closed. She stood in the middle of the landing and listened – she could just make out gentle snores, so Milo was still asleep. It wasn’t her responsibility to wake him. He had a later call time than her and Timothy and would have to sort himself out. He was the star of the film so a car would pick him up and drive him to set as long as he let them know where he was. Oh God, Jenna thought, what would that seem like to everyone, Milo being picked up from the cottage? That would fuel the rumours he’d already ignited with his flirting. Nothing she could do about it now.

Timothy was dressed and smoking on the steps outside the front door. Jenna tore a blank page from a notebook and scribbled a message for Milo, leaving the keys for the cottage next to it. Hopefully he’d have the sense to lock up and bring the keys with him. She grabbed her bag and joined Timothy outside, closing the door behind her.

‘Milo’s still asleep; didn’t want to wake him.’

‘Uh huh.’ Timothy stubbed his cigarette out on the step.

‘Figured he’ll realise we’ve already left. Come on, let’s go. We’ve got twenty minutes to get there.’

~

An early start and a short easy scene to shoot meant an early finish. She’d spent the day running along the beach and laughing with Lily and Amanda, who were both as hung-over as she was. Spending the day outdoors, splashing in the shallows and laughing together was a great tonic. In-between shooting, the three girls retreated to the shade beneath the umbrellas on the edge of the beach while they waited for the scene to be reset.

‘So, what happened with you and Milo after we left last night?’ Amanda nudged Jenna’s arm.

She’d been waiting for this question all morning. ‘Nothing.’

‘Yeah, right, he was all over you last night.’

Jenna smoothed the creases in her chocolate-brown 1940s skirt, leant her elbows on her knees and gripped her water bottle in her hands. The sea curled on to the sandy shore, a rhythm that soothed her aching head.

‘He’s a flirt, that’s all. I told you this last night.’ She looked at them both over her sunglasses. ‘Everyone knows he’s a flirt.’

‘You’re his type though. I mean, it’s rather shallow of him if he can’t see past someone’s looks, but he does love blondes.’ She motioned between herself and Lily. ‘Never going to be interested in us.’

Jenna knew her looks had helped her to get the role, Milo had told her as much. Amanda with her chestnut hair and pale skin and redheaded Lily with her freckles were both pretty – it was a requisite of the film – but Milo had taken a shine to her over the others.

Timothy was fair-haired. Maybe Milo really did have a thing for blondes.

‘We should have made Timothy get the taxi back with us, given you and Milo some alone time.’ Lily nudged her arm.

Jenna stood, stretching her aching back and turning her face to the sun. ‘Seriously you two, nothing happened. There’s no gossip. I’m sorry to disappoint you.’

‘Imagine what hooking up with Milo Blake could do for your career...’

Jenna turned to them. ‘Seriously? You’re seriously suggesting I sleep with him to further my career?’ She felt angrier at Lily suggesting it than she’d done when Milo himself had hinted at the idea last night.

‘Everyone else does it given half a chance.’

‘Yeah, well, I don’t want to be the type of person who will do anything to get a role.’ The First AD was walking towards them. Jenna wedged her bottle in the sand. ‘Come on, they need us back on set.’

~

Lily’s comments left her feeling annoyed for the rest of the morning. After a handful of takes on the beach they were wrapped by 1pm and bussed back to the main base where they headed straight to wardrobe to change out of their costumes. It was a relief to ease into a comfortable and cool skirt and sleeveless linen top. The weather did not go with spring-time 1940s costumes. Whether she wanted to or not, she had to find Milo to get the keys off him before she could head back to the cottage.

He was easy enough to find. The first crew member