‘Very good, Dr Butler, very good.’
The elderly gentleman sounded impressed and even the woman was now looking far less condescending. They returned to the table and the interview continued, but the atmosphere had noticeably changed for the better. The final question from the chairman sounded positive.
‘If offered the position, Dr Butler, when would you be available to start?’
‘I have a commitment in Tuscany for the month of July, but I could start in August, if that suits you.’ This was not the time to mention that by then she might have decided to head back to her former incarnation as a Hollywood actress. All that would be decided – one way or another – in Tuscany next week.
Nods were exchanged around the table and the interview came to an end. As he escorted her out of the building, the younger man, whose name she now knew to be Tobias something double-barrelled, allowed himself a little indiscretion. He glanced over his shoulder to check he wasn’t being overheard and lowered his voice.
‘I thought you might be interested to hear we have so far interviewed five other candidates for this position and you’re the only one to get the practical right. Well done.’ He held out his hand towards her. ‘And my apologies once again for giving you a hard time at first. It was just weird seeing your face here. My wife’s a huge fan of Pals Across the Pond.’ His cheeks reddened guiltily. ‘To be honest, so am I.’
As Alice shook his hand, she smiled at him. ‘Thank you, Tobias, and I can assure you I’ve had worse reactions to my face before this. I’ve learnt to just roll with the punches.’
‘We’ll be in touch. Very soon. I look forward to seeing you again.’
That sounded hopeful.
Alice was spending the night with her mum, but she had arranged to meet up for lunch with Millie, who had flown in from LA the previous day for a brief stopover. Tomorrow Millie would fly to Limerick to see her mum, dad and extended family, before travelling over to Tuscany for the all-important meeting next Monday. Although Millie was by her own admission broke, it came as no surprise to Alice to find her staying at the InterContinental at Hyde Park Corner and they met in the restaurant there. Millie was typically ebullient, calling out Alice’s name as she spotted her and rushing across the crowded room to throw her arms around Alice’s neck and embrace her. Even back in Alice’s Hollywood years this sort of ostentation had never suited her and she felt more than a little embarrassed, not least as several of the other guests immediately grabbed their phones and started photographing them. She kissed Millie on the cheek and bustled her back to her table by the window.
‘Have a heart, Mil, I’m just a student these days. I’m not used to all this.’
‘All this what?’ Millie sounded puzzled.
‘Riches, luxury, ostentation… you know, the usual.’
Millie gave a dismissive wave of her hand, which only served to call the waiter. He arrived at their table and bowed obsequiously. Millie glanced up, noticing him for the first time, and had no hesitation.
‘A bottle of Bollinger.’ No please, no thank you. Alice realised she had somehow passed through a time warp and was once again in the world of celebrities for so many of whom politeness and expressions of gratitude were unnecessary. She caught the waiter’s eye and gave him a big smile.
‘That would be kind, thank you.’
For the second time that day a man before her blushed and this evoked a flashback to the days when Cosmo readers had voted her one of the most desirable women on the planet. Interestingly, this memory, rather than strengthening her confidence, actually brought a flush to her own cheeks. She had got out of the habit of being an object of desire to random men and knew she would find it unsettling to return to that role again.
‘You’re looking great, Al. So slim, and I love what you’ve done with your hair.’
Alice grinned. It was typical of Millie to home in on her looks before anything else. For her part, Millie was looking good, if a bit weary – presumably after her transatlantic flight – and her dress revealed quite a lot of her tanned body. Alongside her, Alice felt positively pasty. ‘And you look great, too. I haven’t done anything to my hair, apart from wash it before my interview this morning. The days of expensive salons are long gone.’
Millie looked suddenly worried. ‘Interview? You’re not thinking of going for some other part, are you? I heard Paramount are casting for a new romcom. You’re not up for that, are you? You can’t do that to me. This new Pals Forever series without you would be a non-starter.’
‘Nobody’s indispensable, Millie. They’d find a replacement. After all, Layla and Harry are the main characters, really.’
‘I’m not so sure. But please don’t go off and get another job. Apart from anything else, I’d miss you.’
‘And I’d miss you, too. Don’t worry, Mil, it was an interview for a job as an art historian.’
‘So not the Paramount movie?’
‘No movie, no TV show, no stage show, no travelling circus – nothing, I promise. My acting days are behind me – unless we really do end up doing the new Pals series.’
Millie looked reassured. ‘If this new series gets off the ground, I know it’ll be fun.’ But then another look of concern appeared on her face. ‘Are you planning
