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

at the base. As she walked from her car people looked her way and started whispering together. Her heart was racing by the time she checked in with the First AD. She passed a group of crew clustered around the catering van, and made it to the make-up trailer.

‘Here she is.’ August, who’d been doing Jenna’s make-up since the first day, smiled as she entered. She tapped the empty chair in front of her. ‘The woman of the moment.’

Lily and Amanda were already there, their faces make-up free and about to be transformed into 1940s women.

Jenna sat down in the chair. ‘What’s going on?’

‘You and Milo are the talk of the town,’ Lily said. ‘Well, talk of absolutely everywhere.’

August slapped a magazine down on the shelf in front of her. ‘You’ve not seen this?’

It took a moment for Jenna to register what she was looking at. The front cover of Hot Now Magazine featured Milo Blake in orange board shorts, his tanned and toned chest pressed against Jenna’s. It wasn’t the clearest of photos, like it had been taken from a distance, but standing in a pool of light with Milo’s lips millimetres from hers and his hand resting firmly on her yellow bikini bottoms, it was undeniably them.

No one said anything.

Jenna looked up and caught sight of her frowning face in the mirror. August was standing behind her, make-up sponge at the ready. Jenna looked over at Lily and Amanda.

‘I don’t understand?’

Lily pulled a sympathetic face. ‘There was obviously a pap stalking the hotel...’

‘I get that, but there’s nothing going on between me and Milo.’

‘There’s a whole article inside about the two of you.’

‘I think “hot sex” is how they described it...’ Amanda dropped her gaze from Jenna and stared down at her knees.

‘Oh for God’s sake. You two were there, nothing happened.’

‘It kinda looks like something to me,’ August said with a raised eyebrow.

A bubble of panic rose in her stomach. All Jenna could think about was Finn. What if he saw this? He’d know it wasn’t true, wouldn’t he? Maybe she should tell him, pre-warn him, but it was bullshit. Telling him because she was worried he was going to believe it felt like she was trying to defend herself. She had nothing to defend. But the rising panic after their blissful day yesterday made her sick to her stomach.

‘I went home that night remember?’ Jenna frowned. ‘You believe me, right?’

‘I know.’ Amanda shrugged. ‘It’s just, I don’t get why you’re so upset about it, even if it’s not true. It’s Milo Blake and everyone’s talking about you.’

‘That’s exactly the problem, everyone talking. Trust me, if I was actually getting to have “hot sex” with him, I’d be perfectly happy for everyone to know about it. But I’m not.’

‘If I was you I’d roll with it, make the most of the column inches,’ August said, dabbing the sponge into foundation. ‘Use it to your advantage.’

~

It wasn’t until she’d had her hair and make-up done and was heading out of the costume tent in her 1940s skirt with her blouse neatly tucked in that she realised the commotion of the last hour had completely made her forget about Heidi starting. Jenna wasn’t slated to film with her this week, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t see her at some point today. She wouldn’t see Milo though as he was off filming at a second location somewhere on the north coast. She couldn’t even talk to him about the magazine article or find out what he thought about it. It wasn’t like it was the first time he’d been on the front cover of a gossip magazine.

What concerned her the most was Finn. She couldn’t care less about Heidi or Milo bloody Blake. She found a quiet sheltered spot well away from everyone, took a deep breath and called Finn’s mobile. He’d definitely be at the cottage by now. He always had his mobile on him, tucked into the back pocket of his shorts; there was no way he wouldn’t hear it or see who was calling him. But there was no answer. She tried once more before giving up. Her worry intensified at the thought of him ignoring her call.

The morning went by in daze. She was unusually quiet and lost in her thoughts on the minibus to that day’s filming location; she noticed the worried glance between Lily and another actor. They spilled out of the minibus and were taken to a harbourside cafe that had been turned into a quaint 1940s tea room. Unable to focus on anything other than the suggestive photo of her and Milo, she was relieved to have no lines.

‘You’re in a world of your own, Jenna,’ Lily whispered on a break between camera changes.

It was an easy day where Lily and Jenna got to sip tea, eat cake and pretend to talk in the background. There were supporting artists there too, as well as an older actress playing the role of the tea shop owner. Ade, the character actor who’d been at the pool party the other evening, played the role of Milo’s character’s dad.

‘I’m just worried about who’s seen that article.’

‘What, like Finn?’

‘Exactly like Finn.’

‘First positions!’ the assistant director called and supporting artists shuffled about in their seats. Ade went back outside ready to make his entrance.

Lily leant closer to Jenna. ‘Don’t worry, it’s today’s gossip, everyone will be talking about something else by tomorrow.’

Jenna wasn’t convinced but she appreciated the support and Lily’s attempt at making her feel better about the situation. She sighed and picked up her newly filled cup of tea.

‘And action!’

~

Every time she checked her phone during breaks, there were more and more messages from friends about her and Milo, along with a handful of missed calls from her parents, from their landline, her mum’s mobile and even her dad’s mobile. She could only imagine that friends of theirs had made them aware of the magazine article and then they’d gone and read about their daughter