Page 46 of Christmas at the Movies

Mateo Ajose was even more handsome in person than he was on screen. He had green eyes and dark curls flecked with gold. He’d won the genetic lottery, thanks to his Italian-American mother and Nigerian father.

‘Well, well, well,’ said Pari. ‘If it isn’t my favourite client.’

‘That’s what you say to all your clients,’ quipped Mateo, giving his agent a kiss on each cheek. ‘Hi Sarah,’ he said, welcoming her inside.

Sarah was impressed that he remembered her name as they’d only met a few times. That had been before he’d done Highgate, the massively popular period drama that had sent his career stratospheric.

The actor wasn’t alone in the trailer. His wife, Sam, was in there too, sitting on the sofa.

And next to her, to Sarah’s surprise, was Iris.

Baby Henry was sitting on a blanket on the floor shaking a rattle.

Trying to grab it off him was an adorable baby girl with her dad’s dark curls.

The two mums laughed when the little girl finally succeeded.

‘Have this instead, Henry,’ said Iris, handing her baby his toy giraffe.

‘Fancy meeting you here,’ said Sarah.

‘Iris and I met at a Baby and Me screening,’ explained Sam. ‘I told her to pop by the set so Henry and Priya could have a play date.’

Henry bopped Priya on the head with his giraffe and the little girl started to cry.

‘There, there,’ said Mateo, picking up his baby girl and giving her a cuddle. ‘Daddy’s got you.’ He pulled a funny face and the baby tried to grab his nose.

Sarah was glad to see that Iris had made a fellow mum friend, someone to share the trials and tribulations of motherhood with.

Looking after a baby was a lonely business, even more so if you were struggling with anxiety.

That’s why she’d set up the Baby and Me screenings after having Holly – to build a supportive community of fellow parents.

Even though their kids were now teenagers, Sarah was still good friends with some of the other mums she’d met at those very first Baby and Me screenings.

She was proud that all those years later, the cinema was still connecting local parents.

‘I hear you’ve set up a manga club at the high school,’ she said to Iris. ‘Nick was telling me all about it.’

‘It’s lovely to be doing something creative again,’ said Iris. ‘I was getting a bit bored at home.’

‘Tell me about it,’ agreed Sam. ‘I used to always travel with Mateo when he was shooting on location, but I can’t anymore because our eldest daughter is in primary school now. That’s why I was so thrilled that Ex-Mas Eve was filming close to home.’

Sarah had seen pictures of their gorgeous converted farmhouse outside Stowford in magazines.

‘How’s the shoot going?’ asked Pari. ‘Is it a happy set?’

Priya started to fuss, so Mateo rocked her soothingly. ‘I can see why Noa has got his reputation for being demanding. I haven’t really bonded with Mia – she spends most of her time holed up in her trailer.’

Pari frowned. ‘That’s not good.’ She turned to Sarah. ‘What are your impressions?’

‘Noa’s definitely a perfectionist,’ said Sarah. He’d had her reworking lines for tomorrow’s scenes most of the day, so she hadn’t seen much of the filming.

‘We’re way behind schedule,’ said Mateo. ‘Apparently we’re not going to wrap until Christmas Eve.’

‘That’s a bummer,’ said Sam. ‘We’ll miss the annual party at the Stowford bookshop.’

Oh dear, thought Sarah. James wasn’t going to be happy when he found out that filming had been extended.

There was a knock on the door – an assistant summoning Mateo to the set.

‘I should go too,’ said Iris. ‘Henry needs a nap.’

‘So does Priya.’ Sam kissed her husband on the cheek. ‘See you back home, hon.’

‘Is it OK if Sarah and I hang out in here for a bit?’ Pari asked Mateo.

‘Make yourselves at home,’ said the star.

When they were alone, Pari kicked off her ankle boots and lay down on the sofa. ‘I’m exhausted. I flew in on the red-eye from LA.’

Pari’s job sent her back and forth across the pond several times a year. She had recently opened an LA office of her agency. Ironically, if Sarah took the job for Noa, she might actually get to see more of her best friend.

‘Noa offered me a job,’ Sarah confided in Pari. ‘In LA.’

Pari swung her legs off the sofa and sat upright again, suddenly wide awake. ‘Oh, wow – that’s incredible. He must be really impressed with you.’

Sarah helped herself to a grape from an enormous fruit basket on the coffee table.

‘He wants me to work on the script for his next movie.’ His passion project was about a classical musician who could see the future when he played the piano, and had to stop the world from impending disaster.

The working title was Fugue State. ‘And he’s interested in The Ghost Writer too. ’

Pari leant forward in anticipation. ‘What did you say?’

‘That I needed to think about it.’

Sarah had been thinking about it nonstop. She could picture herself writing in a Spanish-tiled house with a swimming pool in the back garden, and taking long walks along the Pacific coast. She and James had visited LA on their honeymoon. She’d loved the warm weather and relaxed vibe.

‘What did James say?’ asked Pari.

‘I haven’t told him yet.’

Pari quirked her eyebrow. ‘What’s up with that? You guys are so tight – you normally tell each other everything.’

‘I just haven’t found the right moment. And anyway, what’s the point? It’s not like I could accept the offer.’

‘Why not?’ demanded Pari.

‘We’ve got the cinema, the kids are still at school, and there’s my mum …’ Sarah could think of a million reasons why it wasn’t possible.

‘Those aren’t insurmountable problems, Sarah,’ said Pari. ‘They do have schools in California, you know.’

Holly would probably jump at the chance to move to Los Angeles. But Nick hated change. And James would never abandon the cinema. It was like a shrine to

his father.

‘Promise me this,’ insisted Pari. ‘Whatever you decide, make sure it’s what’s best for you for a change.’

Sarah nodded.

Pari shook her finger at her scoldingly. ‘And if you ever finish your own script, don’t sell it to Noa without consulting me first. You need an agent to get you the best deal.’ Then she let out a big yawn and lay back down on the sofa.

‘I’ll let you nap in peace.’

Sarah went inside the cinema and found James frowning at his laptop.

‘Where have you been?’ he asked crossly. ‘Holly’s been back ages.’

‘I was catching up with Pari,’ she explained. ‘She came to check on Mateo. What’s up?’ She already knew it wasn’t anything good because a muscle in his cheek was twitching – a sure tell. Her husband could never be a poker player.

‘That bloody generator surged and caused a power cut this morning,’ moaned James. ‘It blew out the whole cinema and completely messed up our software system. I had to cancel Golden Oldies and I’ve only just finished resetting it.’

‘Oh, dear,’ said Sarah. ‘That’s so annoying. I’m sorry I wasn’t around to help.’

‘Well, at least they’ll be gone soon,’ said James. ‘And not a second too soon.’

Sarah didn’t want to be the one to break the news, but he was going to find out sooner or later. She took a deep breath. ‘The shoot is running behind. Mateo says they’re going to be shooting here right up until Christmas Eve,’ she said.

James stared at her incredulously. ‘You cannot be serious.’

‘But hey – they’ll have to pay us more money,’ said Sarah, trying to put a positive spin on it. ‘So that’s good.’

James slammed the lid of his laptop down in anger. ‘That is out of order. That’s not what we agreed.’

‘I know it’s really inconvenient, but just think of the money,’ said Sarah. ‘I’ll speak to Noa. Hopefully the problem with the power won’t happen again.’

‘Yes, you speak to Noa,’ said James. The twitch in his cheek was going wild. ‘I know the two of you make a great team.’

‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ asked Sarah warily.

‘You know what I mean.’ His blue eyes stared at her accusingly. ‘When were you going to tell me that he asked you to go to LA?’

How did he know about that? She and Noa had been alone when they’d had that conversation. Sarah studied her husband suspiciously. ‘Were you spying on me?’

James looked insulted. ‘Is that how little you think of me? No, I overheard you talking to him in my office. Which Noa has taken over, just like he’s taken over the rest of the cinema. It would appear he’s also trying to take over my wife.’

Sarah didn’t like what he was implying. Sure, Noa was a flirt. But she’d never given him any encouragement in that area.

‘Firstly, it’s our office,’ she said, her tone icy. ‘Secondly, he’s paying us handsomely for the privilege. And thirdly, he’s been good to me, James. Noa actually believes in my writing.’

James gave a dismissive laugh. ‘Are you sure he’s not just trying to get into your pants?’

Sarah inhaled sharply. Did James really think that was the only reason Noa was interested in her? That it had nothing to do with her talent?

‘Why are you doing this?’ she said, her voice trembling. ‘Why are you trying to ruin the best thing that’s happened to me in for ever?’

‘I’m not,’ said James. ‘I’m just trying to look after the cinema.’

‘That’s right,’ said Sarah bitterly. ‘The cinema always comes first with you.’ She shook her head sadly. ‘For years, I’ve had to put my dream on hold because of this place. I thought the problem was the cinema. But maybe the real problem is … you.’

5th November 2020

Holly and her family were gathered in the living room in front of the television watching the evening news.

The reporter wore a plastic visor and was standing in front of a hospital.

Behind her, an ambulance pulled up, sirens wailing, and paramedics in protective suits unloaded a stretcher.

The patient on the stretcher had a breathing mask covering their face.