They said goodbye, and Jenna was left with worry gnawing at her stomach and a dull ache spreading across her forehead. Apart from today with the Milo and Finn situation, she’d been so relaxed and carefree since she got here. She put this down to the combination of a change of scene and the slower pace of life away from London. The countryside and sea were a tonic, the role on a big budget film exciting, and with guaranteed work the pressure was off for a few weeks at least. And now she was going to have to confront the one person who she really didn’t want to see, particularly down in Cornwall, a place that until this moment had felt like a real escape. It was always the way though, just as everything seemed to be going so well, something happened to stir things up. Heidi Turner-Williams had done enough meddling in her life; she was the last person Jenna wanted to see, work with and have to spend time with. Even if, as Carla had suggested, being forced to confront their issues might be a good thing in the long run. No longer hungry, she switched off the gas and put a lid on the chilli. She went and stood on the step outside, breathing in the night air in an attempt to calm the rage creeping from the pit of her stomach and up to her chest.
~
Jenna was out of sorts from the moment she woke. She was on edge throwing her clothes on, locking the front door and starting her car. The feeling only worsened the closer she got to the base.
Even though she knew Heidi wouldn’t be on set until Monday, she couldn’t undo the knot of tension in her stomach as she headed to wardrobe or when she was sitting in the make-up trailer. The usual relaxed banter between the make-up artists and the cast continued as usual, yet Jenna knew she was quieter than normal. The thought of seeing Heidi was as uncomfortable as the anticipation of bumping into an ex boyfriend. Heidi had hurt and betrayed her far worse than an ex ever had. She was probably worrying for nothing; if Heidi was travelling today, the chances were she’d go straight to the hotel and wouldn’t even be at the base until after the weekend. Now more than ever Jenna was glad she was staying well away from the hotel and everyone else.
She spent Saturday on her own in the garden, ripping out weeds, hacking back bushes and cutting the grass. Her hard work was beginning to pay off. The garden looked twice as big as the overgrown and tangled mess it had been when she’d first arrived. She didn’t even have Finn’s company. She’d expected him to turn up but neither him nor his dad had. Although to be fair, Finn had finished the windows and most of the damaged stonework had been repaired. Apart from still being clad in scaffolding, the cottage had transformed from looking tired and grey to rejuvenated and appealing. She knew they were fitting in the cottage between jobs and probably Finn was helping his dad on another job this weekend, but she missed seeing him. Next week, her fourth since arriving in Cornwall, Finn would be starting on the inside of the cottage on Monday, and her ex-best friend would be working on the same film as her. After the initial feeling of space and freedom, life was beginning to feel increasingly claustrophobic.
~
She needed to do something. She needed to get away from her own company and her muddled thoughts. She messaged Lily and Amanda to see if they fancied going out somewhere other than the hotel. A proper night out with food and drinking, to a pub with a beer garden, that’s what she fancied. That thought took her right back to thinking about Finn again.
‘Aaaghhrr!’ She threw her mobile on to the sofa, stalked into the kitchen and downed a glass of water.
While she was waiting for them to reply she went upstairs and got ready. After spending most of the day working in the garden she needed a shower. She’d moved around as the sun did, catching the shade rather than the rays, but it had still been hot, even beneath the trees. She washed away the sweat, sunscreen and dirt and by the time she was towelling herself dry in her room, Lily and Amanda had replied. Jenna arranged to meet them in Mullion, walkable for them and an easy-enough drive for her.
~
The pub was old and thatched. It was set further into Mullion and away from the sea, and its beer garden was the perfect place for a Saturday night drink, spacious and tree-lined with plenty of large wooden picnic tables. It was good to get away from the cottage for the evening and also to be somewhere other than the hotel with the cast and crew.
It was stuffy inside the pub, so they escaped outside with their drinks, finding a free table on the far side of the garden. The evening was fresh but it was still warm enough to be sitting outside in short sleeves. Who needed to go abroad when there was this weather and surroundings right on the doorstep – well, a few hours’ drive away for Jenna.
‘Are you missing home?’ Amanda asked, as if reading her thoughts.
Jenna cupped her hands around her cool pint of lemonade. ‘Nope, not a bit. I’ve swapped a tiny flat in a soulless block for a cottage and garden full of character. Are you?’
‘I miss my boyfriend but not the everyday stuff, you know. I haven’t had to cook since I got down here. Don’t have to think about cleaning or when my next job’s going to be.
