He was the youngest of four and his aunt had been the one to sign him up to drama school as a birthday gift.
He’d dated just about all of his co-stars, the most famous models of the moment and even royalty, both genuine and self-assumed. But the more famous he became, the more he seemed disillusioned. Who was he, really? I checked everything – Wikipedia, IMDb, YouTube – anything I could find, to better understand whom I was dealing with.
Little did I know back then that it would take more than the internet.
12
Glass Houses
You know when you’re living a moment you wish could last forever, and you stop for just a sec to wonder if it’s even real and then tell yourself not to worry about that right now, and to just enjoy it? Well, nothing like that had ever happened to me ever before, so it caught me by surprise.
Because when in my entire life had I ever thought I would be cruising along the California highways in a black convertible, the wind in my hair, sitting beside a guy who had (really) leapt off the pages of GQ? I mean, really, could the scene be more clichéd?
And yet, there I was, Luke at the wheel, my kids in the back, driving to his mansion to meet his daughter. Ben was even more ecstatic than myself, albeit for different reasons, his hands clutching the back of my seat, marvelling at the dashboard.
‘Wowee! This is the BMW 4-Series M4 Trim! It’s the most powerful and most expensive in the line-up!’
‘That’s right, Ben!’ Luke grinned as he shifted into a lower gear in preparation for the steep hills awaiting us. My stomach lurched as I looked beyond Luke to the edge of the road. Apart from the fact that we were on the wrong side of the road, we were about two feet away from the gaping abyss.
‘Don’t look down, Nina,’ he said, but I could barely hear him with the wind whipping about our heads.
Not that I had intended to, but the sea was such a beautiful cobalt blue, and the coast so large I couldn’t help it. In a way, the expanse reminded me of home. Mullion Cove, Soapy Cove, Predannack Wollas. Soon I’d be back home to see it all again. If we didn’t pitch straight into the ocean.
‘I bet Cornwall’s even better!’ Luke called over the breeze.
Ah, no contest there indeed. But how to be polite? ‘It’s different!’ I called back, tossing a look at Chloe who was busy taking selfies. She really worried me. When I was her age, I still played with dolls. Granted, they spent their time kissing and gossiping about Ken and Big Jim, but still. I had a story to tell, while my daughter was always completely engrossed in herself.
Was it my parenting that needed addressing, or were all kids like that? Certainly all of Chloe’s friends in school were, but then again, all you had to do was look at their Northwood mums like Vanessa and Aimée, with their pearls and yoga classes and macrobiotic/bio/non-fat foods. It made me sick just listening to how Hugo, Heath and Horatio had made the top of the team, and how Persephone, Perpetua and Portia were at the head of their Literature classes, whilst they could barely spell their names.
‘Here we are! Jessica can’t wait to meet you guys!’ he called as we got to the top of a steep drive where a two-storeyed glass and white-rendered monolith came into view, dominating the landscape and sparkling as it caught the rays of the morning sun. It had stopped raining only last night, and the air smelled cleaner and fresher, just like hope and new beginnings.
I tried not to look too impressed as Luke led us in via the foyer from where through enormous glass walls, I feasted my eyes on the ocean meeting the strip of multi-million-dollar mansions in Santa Monica and caught a glimpse of a huge infinity pool that looked like it spilled down into the ocean.
Evidently Luke’s talent as an actor had paid off. From whichever way I looked at it – from his talent to his fame to his house – his whole life was perfect. Or almost, because it was a shame that his daughter couldn’t see it.
‘Oh my God, will you look at the pool?’ Chloe squealed, then checked herself, remembering she considered herself the posh one. Whatever had given her that idea, I would never know.
‘It’s so cool, Luke!’ Ben agreed, making an impressed face, like an adult tasting a good wine he approved of.
I guessed it was my turn. ‘It’s absolutely breathtaking,’ I added in earnest. What else can you say about paradise?
He stuffed his hands in his pockets. ‘Thanks, but I’m selling it. This place is not fit for Jessica. I want something more cosy that she can feel her way around. Plus we’re almost never home. Seems a shame for her not to be able to enjoy the view.’
‘Luke – there you are. Jessica’s been waiting for you,’ said a voice that seemed to drift down from the sky.
I looked up to see an elderly woman descending the glass stairs, and a pretty dark-haired teenager behind her.
Luke’s face lit up. ‘Where’s my girl?’ he said, moving up the stairs and scooping her into his embrace. ‘Jessica, I want you to meet Nina Conte and her children, Chloe and Ben.’
‘Hello, Jessica,’ I said, and she extended her hand for me to take. She had a beautiful smile, quite like her father’s, only her colouring was different. She must have taken after her mother.
‘Hey,’ Chloe said casually, eyeing her surreptitiously. ‘I’m Chloe. This is Ben.’
‘Hi, guys!’ she said. ‘Wanna see my room? You can see all the way out to Catalina from there on a great day like today! Come on!’
As Jessica navigated her way up the banister, they eagerly followed. She was right. Today was a good day.
‘Nina, this is Martha,’
