Page 143 of Private Lives

Sam surprised himself at how disappointed he felt. ‘Oh, I forgot, you were his biggest fan, weren’t you?’ he said, trying to keep the jealousy out of his voice. He walked across and handed her a tumbler, the ice cubes chinking. ‘Should I call him back? He is single, you know.’

She swatted his arm playfully.

‘I meant that I liked his work. Not that I fancied him.’

‘Don’t feel bad. Everyone fancied Mike when we were at college.’

She gave him a sideways look.

‘More than they fancied you?’ she said sceptically.

He nodded. ‘He had that tortured artist thing going. I was the pretty, stuck-up twat from the drama department. That’s what one ex-girlfriend told me, anyway.’

She laughed, that tinkling bell of a laugh again. For some reason it made him feel sad, and he took a slug of his whisky. They fell into silence, just watching the humped outline of the capital, a sleeping giant.

‘You know, in some ways, I feel like I’ve come full circle.’

‘How do you mean?’

He gestured towards the city with his glass.

‘The first time I came to the festival, we were straight out of uni. Mike and I had cobbled two grand together; you know, bar work, some modelling, scrimped and saved to put on a show. We stayed in a little hostel just down there,’ he said, pointing beyond the Old Town. ‘And you know what? I never thought I’d make it up here to the Royal Suite. Not deep down.’

‘And here’s me thinking all thespians were crazed egotists.’

‘Oh, we are. But we tend to swing between hope and despair: one day we believe we’re going to have a star on Hollywood Boulevard, the next we think we should chuck it all in and get a job in Starbucks. But in my more realistic moments, I sort of hoped I might get like a Persil ad or a part as the wacky neighbour in some Channel Four sitcom. You see too many failures and almost-theres to really believe you’ll make it to the Oscars.’

‘But you did.’

He nodded.

‘Past tense.’

‘You’ll make it back,’ said Anna.

‘I’m really not sure I want to any more,’ said Sam honestly. ‘Not after tonight. It felt good, you know? Maybe when you come full circle, it’s best to start a new adventure.’

‘Perhaps you could go back to the modelling?’ she said, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

He laughed. ‘You don’t want to see those photos.’

‘I do,’ she teased. ‘Go on, give me your best Zoolander face.’

‘Only if I can see your Blue Steel.’

Laughing, she sucked her cheeks in, put her hands on her hips and strutted across the carpet as if it were a catwalk.

‘Terrible,’ he said flatly. ‘This is how an expert does it.’

He stuck out his backside, dropped one shoulder and began skipping around the room like a deranged Mick Jagger. Anna doubled up with laughter.

‘Stop! Stop! You win!’

They sank back on to the huge sofas, laughing.

‘I’m sorry,’ said Anna as the gig

gles subsided. ‘I’m your lawyer, I should be more professional.’