Page 8 of Meet Me at Sunset
‘Darling, you look sensational.’ Stuart’s eyes raked over his wife, as Isobel spritzed herself with perfume before slipping on a pair of cream high heels.
She was wearing a silk form-fitting dress of her own creation, and the material flowed over her body like water.
It had a high scoop neckline, and sat just above the knee, but despite not having acres of bare skin on show, it was still incredibly sexy.
‘Thank you, darling. You’re looking rather handsome yourself,’ Isobel replied, kissing him.
Stuart was wearing sharply tailored trousers and a short-sleeved shirt undone at the neck, paired with Gucci loafers.
He’d caught the sun already, with a light tan on his face, and he looked confident and relaxed. ‘Where are you taking me?’
‘The restaurant’s called Il Paradiso, specializing in Catalan food. It comes highly recommended.’
‘It sounds delicious.’
‘I had to pull a few strings to get a table at short notice.’
‘Oh really?’ Isobel looked at him admiringly. ‘I didn’t know you had contacts in Majorca.’
‘The owner of the restaurant, in fact. He was in a car accident a few years ago. I was consulted on his reconstructive surgery.’
‘Impressive stuff. But all this talk of food is making me hungry.’ She patted her flat stomach and picked up her bag, opting for a Fendi Baguette, not a Camille. ‘Let’s get going.’
‘Welcome to Il Paradiso. It’s wonderful to see you again,’ Lucas smiled, warmly greeting Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones, and kissing his mother on the cheek.
‘And this is Stephanie Moon,’ Camille explained, introducing them. ‘She’s an actress who’s staying at S’Estaca. If you haven’t heard of her yet, you soon will do.’
‘Pleased to meet you,’ Stephanie grinned, as Lucas said, ‘Likewise.’
It might have been Camille’s imagination, but she thought she saw a ripple of interest between the two and was gratified. She liked Stephanie, and felt she’d be a much better match for her son than that stroppy gold-digger Elle.
Then Camille’s face hardened as Paulo came swaggering out from the back, making a beeline for Catherine and Michael. He stopped as he saw Stephanie, making a show of kissing her hand as his gaze drifted over her with obvious interest.
‘And who’s this? I don’t think we’ve been introduced,’ he smiled charmingly.
‘I’m Stephanie. It’s good to meet you.’
‘The pleasure is all mine, Stephanie, believe me,’ he purred. ‘I’m Paulo Torres, co-owner of Il Paradiso.’
‘Oh, I didn’t realize …’ Stephanie faltered, glancing at Lucas.
‘He just does the cooking, but I’m the genius behind it all,’ Paulo grinned, as Camille’s lips tightened into a moue.
‘Now, Paulo, haven’t you got something you should be doing, apart from bothering my guests? It sounds as though this place will collapse without you if you take your eye off the ball for two minutes.’
Her comment wiped the smile from Paulo’s face, and he was about to respond when the door opened and another couple walked in.
‘Lucas,’ the man said, stepping forward to shake his hand. ‘Great to see you again. You’re looking extremely well. And thank you so much for fitting us in. I’ve been telling my wife all about your restaurant. The place looks fantastic.’
‘I’m delighted to have you here. Actually, it’s fortunate that you’ve arrived now, there’s someone I’d like to introduce you to.
Maman …’ Lucas called, and Camille turned from where she’d been chatting to Catherine.
‘ Maman , this is Stuart MacFarlane, one of the doctors involved in my surgery, after the accident. I don’t think you ever met him. ’
‘Oh,’ Camille exclaimed. ‘Monsieur MacFarlane, enchantée . You simply must join us for dinner, I insist. I’m so grateful for everything you’ve done for my son. You don’t mind, do you?’ she asked, turning to her other guests.
‘The more the merrier,’ Catherine laughed.
‘Well,’ Paulo beamed. ‘Isn’t this a happy reunion, Camille? You’ll be able to spend the evening reminiscing about the accident.’
Lucas frowned, and Camille could tell he was wondering what on earth had got into his friend. She was about to reply when Lucas intervened, expertly smoothing over any awkwardness.
‘It’s wonderful to see you again, Senor MacFarlane.
I’ll get a waitress to set two extra places, and your table is right over here,’ he said, leading them to a discreet corner of the restaurant.
‘Now, I’d better get back to the kitchen or there’ll be nothing for you to eat.
Have a wonderful evening, everyone, and don’t hesitate to let my staff know if there’s anything they can do for you.
’ With a final glance at Stephanie, he was gone.
‘ Bon appétit , Camille,’ Paulo added with a tight smile, as he turned to follow Lucas.
The restaurant was buzzing, the drinks were flowing, and everyone was having a wonderful time.
Il Paradiso was at capacity, but it was cleverly arranged so that it never felt overcrowded, yet the atmosphere was bustling with conversation and laughter.
The food was excellent, as the guests finished their main courses of salted cod with black rice, and fricandó , a traditional slow-cooked beef stew with tender meat and locally sourced mushrooms marinated in dry sherry.
Camille beamed with pride as everyone effusively praised the chef.
Stuart was seated beside her, and was enjoying talking to the elegant Frenchwoman as they discussed their respective businesses. She’d led a fascinating life, and the conversation flowed easily.
‘My wife is a huge fan of your bags,’ Stuart told her. ‘I must have spent a small fortune on them over the years.’
‘Then it’s the least I can do to buy you dinner,’ Camille laughed good-naturedly.
Across the table, Isobel was trying to listen to their conversation, but could only make out the occasional word over the hubbub.
She could read their body language, though.
Stuart was clearly trying to impress the famous designer, whilst Camille appeared laidback and relaxed.
Isobel couldn’t tell if she was genuinely interested in talking to Stuart, or whether she was merely being polite.
‘Where’s it from?’
Isobel turned, realizing that the young woman beside her was trying to speak to her.
She looked vaguely familiar, though she must have been better known than Isobel realized if she was friends with Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones.
Isobel was wild with excitement at the fact she was having dinner with them – she couldn’t wait to tell all the girls back in the boutique – but so far she’d barely managed to speak to them.
‘Sorry, what did you say?’ Isobel turned back to Stephanie with a smile.
‘I said, I love your dress, where’s it from?’
‘I designed it,’ Isobel said proudly.
‘Oh wow, it’s gorgeous! Everyone here is so talented.’
Isobel smiled tightly, taking a slug of her wine.
‘Are you a designer?’ Stephanie continued.
Isobel nodded. ‘I own a boutique in Edinburgh. We stock a mixture of young, up-and-coming designers, and my own creations too.’
‘That’s amazing. It’s such a tough industry, isn’t it?’
Isobel took another long drink of wine before she replied. ‘It certainly is. I guess some people get lucky breaks, and others don’t,’ she added, her gaze finding Camille across the table.
Stephanie looked sympathetic. ‘Maybe you should speak to Camille, see if she can help out.’
Isobel laughed lightly, a strange expression crossing her face. ‘Yes, perhaps I should.’
‘After all, it’s all about connections. Who you know, and all of that …’
‘Mmm,’ Isobel nodded. Suddenly she had an idea, her eyes alight as she turned to Stephanie. ‘Won’t you have a big premiere coming up for your next movie? Perhaps I could design something for you?’
Stephanie looked apologetic, and Isobel instantly felt like a fool for asking. She was an unknown designer from Edinburgh – of course Stephanie wouldn’t want to work with her. ‘Forget I even asked,’ Isobel insisted.
‘It’s just that Camille’s already offered to dress me for my next premiere, and I said yes. She’s designing something for Catherine, you see – Michael has a big event in Los Angeles later this year – and we got talking when she came round to the house …’
‘I completely understand,’ Isobel insisted, trying to hide the disappointment in her voice. ‘Of course you’d want a big name for your premiere, not some unknown—’
‘I honestly do love your dress,’ Stephanie rushed to reassure her.
‘And there’ll be loads of events, and press conferences, and overseas premieres.
Oh, you could design something for the UK premiere, in London.
That would be incredible, and it’s the one I’m most excited about. It’ll be like a homecoming.’
‘Really? I’d love to.’ Isobel was genuinely thrilled, feeling a rush of warmth towards Stephanie.
This could be her big break; her dress could be on the front page of the world’s press, and the exposure would be priceless.
‘You’d look incredible in cream or pale gold with your colouring.
I can just imagine you in something chiffon and strapless, with a fitted bodice and full skirt … ’
‘What’s this, darling?’ Stuart leaned across, picking up on the tail end of their conversation.
‘I offered to design a dress for Stephanie,’ Isobel explained excitedly, noticing that Camille was now speaking to Catherine and Michael. To her surprise, Stuart pulled a face, apparently not sharing her enthusiasm.
‘Oh, Isobel, would you leave the poor woman alone?’ he said, with an apologetic glance at Stephanie. ‘Don’t be so bloody desperate. She’s probably got famous designers falling over themselves to dress her, why would she want something of yours?’
Isobel felt as though she’d been slapped. She felt her cheeks flame, humiliation burning through her.
‘No, it’s fine,’ Stephanie insisted, coming to her rescue. ‘I’d love Isobel to design something for me. I adore what she’s wearing tonight.’
‘That’s very sweet of you, but you don’t have to pretend,’ Stuart continued.
He was slurring his words a little, and Isobel realized he was drunk – though that didn’t excuse the unpleasant way he was behaving.
‘I’m sure you’d much rather wear Gucci or something, and I don’t blame you for that.
Honestly, Isobel, you’re embarrassing yourself. ’
‘No, you’re embarrassing me,’ she hissed back, feeling close to tears.
She snatched up her bag, on the verge of walking out, when dessert arrived at the table – a traditional crema catalana , flavoured with lemon zest and topped with candied walnuts.
It gave Isobel a moment to compose herself, and the conversation moved on, with Stephanie tactfully changing the subject as Isobel ignored Stuart.
After everyone had finished eating, Camille rose to her feet.
‘Thank you all so much for coming. I’ve had a wonderful evening, and I hope you have too, but unfortunately I have a lot of work still to do this evening and an early start tomorrow, so I’m going to bid you all adieu.
Please, stay as long as you like. I’m sure my son will make you feel welcome. ’
Camille made her way around the table, saying goodbye to each of her guests, smiling and air-kissing. The restaurant was beginning to quieten down as she picked up her bag and went outside to find her driver, blissfully unaware of the way Isobel’s eyes followed her as she left.