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

Jenna gripped the steering wheel, not knowing what to do. It would be rude to drive off without saying hello, but then she didn’t know what to say to Finn in front of his dad.

She got out of the car but left the door open and leaned across it. Gary emerged from the driver’s seat and smiled at her. ‘Morning, Jenna, nice surprise to catch you.’

‘Yeah, a later call time for once.’

The passenger door of the van opened and slammed shut. Finn stalked up the path to the cottage without saying hello or giving even a backwards glance. Jenna bit her lip.

‘I’d better get going.’

‘Yes, of course.’ Gary closed his door. He made to go but turned back just before Jenna had the chance to get back in her car. ‘I know it’s none of my business, and I’m not exactly sure what’s going on because Finn’s not said much, but he’s hurting. I’m not one for listening to gossip, unlike Sally... but if you get a chance to talk to him... We’ll be here until six this evening, just in case you’re back early enough.’ Gary’s cheeks flushed and Jenna realised how much Finn meant to him to bring the situation up with her.

The tightness in Jenna’s chest was back. ‘I will, talk to him, when I can. I’m just not so sure he wants to talk to me...’

She left it at that and ducked into the car. She slammed the car into first and drove the short distance down the drive and out on to the lane.

~

She arrived at the base well before her call time. She parked her car and made her way towards the holding area. She’d already had breakfast but she could do with a coffee while she waited for hair and make-up. She did have one thing she needed to do first, and perhaps after that she’d finally be able to relax. Her decision had been made she just needed to make it official.

She walked away from the trailers, took her phone out of her bag to check the time and phoned her agent. She’d be at work by now and there was no point in waiting any longer to speak to her.

‘Hey Jenna, I wasn’t expecting to hear from you so soon. I thought you were working today?’

‘I am, just a little later.’ She scuffed the hard dusty ground as she walked away from the base. ‘It’s just after your message and email, I had a good think about what I wanted to do, and what it would mean to be on The Love Hotel. What it could do for my career, and...’ Jenna bit her lip and leaned against the fence.

‘And?’

‘Beth, I’ll do it. Tell them yes.’

‘Amazing, Jenna. I’m so happy for you. I’ll contact them today.’

Jenna gazed across to the principal actors’ trailers and wondered if Milo was there, tucked away in comfort, managing his love life via the paparazzi and gossip magazines. The car park was to the right, make-up and costume in the centre and the catering truck and marquee for meals and down time to the left. Production offices edged the base. It was a mini city in the middle of a field, the once green grass now battered by thousands of trampling feet, leaving behind dust and straw. Jenna felt trampled too – emotionally at least. She watched the comings and goings of actors, production crew and extras, while attempting to focus on what Beth was saying.

‘They’d like to meet you in person – not an audition, this is yours, no negotiation needed, they just want to get to know you better. The contract will be ready to sign as soon as you’re able to come back and meet the producers.’

‘Yes of course, I can sort something out.’

‘Amazing, Jenna. I’m so pleased. This is an incredible opportunity and I can’t think of a nicer person for it to happen to.’

They said goodbye. Jenna put her phone on silent and tucked it into her bag. She’d made her decision, had told Beth, and yet she still felt unsettled. She’d hoped committing to it would have eased the little voice in her head doubting that it was the right thing to do. It was a big decision to make and one that would change her life. People only regretted the things they didn’t do, not the things they did. She needed to hold on to that thought.

~

It felt a hugely stressful day, not only because of her decision to say yes to The Love Hotel, but it was her first scene with Heidi. She didn’t even have the comfort of Lily and Amanda as they were filming a different scene.

Jenna headed to costume first, which was already rammed with lots of extras about to be bussed to location. One of the costume ladies found Jenna’s now-familiar 1940s skirt and blouse on a named hanger and ushered her to a quiet corner. Jenna pulled on beige stockings and the dark green skirt. The costume lady helped tuck the blouse in and tie the laces of the sensible brown heeled shoes. The costume immediately made her feel different, older, more responsible, like women would have felt while most of the young men were at or about to go to war. It made her think of Aunt Vi again and her wartime love. It was hard to imagine her white-haired, stern-faced great aunt ever happy and in love, wearing stockings and lipstick.

Jenna caught sight of Heidi on the other side of the trailer, a flash of her blonde hair between the sea of extras getting ready. Her heart sank. They’d be heading into hair and make-up together.

It was a relief to escape the noise, heat and the smell of body odour in the costume tent and breathe in fresh air as she walked the short distance to the principal make-up trailer.

‘Morning, Jenna!’ August called breezily as she swung the chair round for her.

Jenna sat down. ‘Morning.’

‘Any new gossip to