Milo spotted her and grinned as she reached him.
‘Thanks for letting me sleep in this morning.’ He didn’t say it quietly and the two older female actors sitting opposite him glanced at each other.
Milo pulled Jenna down on to the chair next to him and leant close, his hand on the small of her back. He smelt delicious, fresh and spicy, and for the briefest of moments she imagined him back at the cottage, getting a shower and the possibility of what could have happened...
‘It was a good night last night; we should do it again.’ He smiled and winked, but she knew it was for show. No doubt it was Timothy he was thinking about. She could feel eyes on her though; the actresses opposite were definitely watching them. ‘You’re finished for the day?’
‘Yeah, but I need the keys for the cottage.’
‘They’re in my trailer. Can you wait a minute?’
‘Of course.’
He stabbed the last piece of salmon on his plate with his fork, popped it in his mouth and washed it down with a swig of Coke Zero.
‘Let’s go.’
Jenna followed him. She knew how this looked. She knew they were being gossiped about. She felt Timothy’s eyes on her where he was queuing for lunch as they left the marquee. Was Milo playing a game? Putting on a show to give an impression of someone he wasn’t? He was a bloody good actor; that was evident on camera and off.
The grass had been worn away by so many feet walking between the trailers and the marquee. The earth was hard and cracked, baked by the never-ending sunshine.
Jenna matched his stride and wondered if she should say anything about last night. Did he even have a clue that she knew about him and Timothy? She knew his flirting with her was for show, she was certain he didn’t really like her in that way, and yet it was messing with her head regardless.
‘I shouldn’t have drunk so much,’ Milo said as they reached his trailer. ‘Alcohol and acting doesn’t mix, not when I have a goddam serious scene to shoot today. Next time, we party on the weekend.’
‘That’s what Timothy said this morning.’
‘Uh huh.’ Milo unlocked the door of his trailer and pushed it open. ‘Well, he’s right.’ He turned to her. ‘Don’t be shy; come on in.’
Jenna stepped into the trailer but left the door open. It was the stuff of dreams to have a private trailer, somewhere to escape to on set, but right this minute she wanted to get off base and back to Bramble Cottage.
‘Your keys.’ He dangled them in front of her. She opened her palm and he dropped them into it. ‘You should join us at the hotel for drinks later.’
‘I will sometime. Not tonight though. Like you, I drank way too much last night, school night and all. I’m planning a quiet evening.’
‘You don’t get lonely on your own at the cottage?’
Jenna shook her head and clasped the keys firmly in her hand. ‘Nope.’
‘I guess you have that builder for company.’
Jenna frowned.
‘Think I surprised him this morning.’
Finn. Shit. She hadn’t even thought to let him know that there’d be someone at the cottage when he started work this morning. She’d left a note for Milo, but hung-over and thinking about getting to set on time she’d completely forgotten that Finn would rock up for work not thinking anyone was there.
The tightness in her chest as she said goodbye to Milo and left his trailer took Jenna by surprise. Anger coursed through her. The events of the last twenty-four hours had surprised and annoyed her in equal measure. Working so closely with people always led to gossip, intrigue and complicated relationships, but she never liked being a part of that.
She managed to avoid bumping into anyone else on the way from Milo’s trailer to her car. She drove the now familiar route inland to the cottage. She parked the car next to Finn’s van and walked round to the back.
Finn briefly turned at the sound of her footsteps crunching over gravel but quickly went back to focusing on the window surround he was working on. He had an open tin of paint next to him and he was wearing a T-shirt with the sleeves rolled right up to his shoulders.
‘You’re back early.’
‘Yeah, short day.’ Jenna shaded her eyes with her hand. ‘It’s looking really good out here.’
Finn glanced at her. ‘Been at it all day. Finished the top windows on this side.’ He cleared his throat. ‘Speaking of which, you might want to warn your boyfriend that I’m working on the windows at the moment.’
‘My boyfriend?’
Finn dropped his gaze from Jenna’s face. ‘Yeah, your boyfriend, the actor. He came out of the bathroom stark bollock naked this morning. I, um, got quite an eyeful from outside the landing window.’
‘Oh. Right. Blimey. Yeah.’ Jenna’s cheeks flushed. ‘Milo said he’d surprised you, I didn’t realise...’ Jenna shook her head, imagining the scene playing out, Finn minding his own business on the scaffolding outside the landing window, and Milo emerging from the bathroom naked.
Finn stirred the paint, and Jenna watched as the white liquid swirled thickly around the tin.
‘By the way, he’s not my boyfriend.’
He picked up the paintbrush. ‘Just thought I’d better mention it. In case he’s planning on making a habit of it.’
Now it made sense Milo saying he’d surprised Finn this morning. Walking around the cottage naked would certainly do that. Jenna faltered, unsure if she should say something else or leave it. He’d got completely the wrong idea about her and Milo, yet she knew the more she protested that Milo wasn’t her boyfriend and actually they weren’t together in that way at all, the less he’d believe her.
The wood around the ground
