A Seaside Affair: A heartwarming, gripping read from the Top Ten bestseller. Fern Britton

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      ‘… I wouldn’t have cared if she’d told me they were looking for actresses ten years older than me. I would have dressed the part. But then to go and be told that I looked too middle-aged, without even trying, it was just so humiliating … Ethel, come away from the ducks! I mean, do I really look middle-aged? My CV says thirty-eight! Where do these advertising execs, fresh out of junior school, think middle age begins? Twenty-five? … Elsie, come away from the Labrador, he’s too big for you! Honestly, Ryan, maybe I should start thinking about a bit of Botox or getting my hair cut or dyed. What do you think?’

      But before Ryan had a chance to respond they were interrupted by something that was becoming an ever-more regular occurrence.

      ‘Cosmo! Cosmo Venini! It is you, isn’t it?’

      An over-made-up woman in her fifties was power-walking towards Ryan, who had stopped and was taking off his sunglasses, wrinkling his beautiful eyes into a smile. He held his hands out in a gesture of surrender.

      She arrived, puffing slightly, and all but elbowed Jess out of the way in her eagerness to accost Ryan.

      ‘I knew it was you! What’s your real name again, I’ve forgotten?’

      Only Jess knew the slight tightness at the corner of Ryan’s lips signalled annoyance.

      ‘George Clooney,’ he replied, oozing charm. The woman laughed hysterically as if this was the funniest thing she’d ever heard. He held his hand out to her. ‘It’s Ryan, Ryan Hearst. And you are …?’

      ‘Gilly. Gilly Lomax. I live over there –’ She pointed to a pretty pink house just outside the railings of the park. ‘You’re always welcome to pop in.’

      ‘I’m afraid he’s very busy.’ Jess stepped in. ‘I’m his partner.’

      ‘The kettle’s always on …’ Gilly continued talking to Ryan. ‘I think you’re marvellous, and all those gorgeous locations you film in. Venice is my favourite. I’ve been to the Teatro La Fenice, it’s so romantic!’

      ‘Ryan, we must go, the dogs are getting tired.’ Jess tugged at his jacket sleeve. Not some old charity-shop jacket, but a Prada summer collection number that had cost thousands.

      ‘Sorry, darling.’ He smiled at Jess and draped his arm across her shoulders in a show of ownership.

      ‘Oh.’ The woman swept a look over Jess, from to top bottom, then returned to Ryan. ‘Perhaps your friend wouldn’t mind taking a photo of us both on my phone.’ She pulled it from her pocket and pushed it into Jess’s hand. ‘Take a few. Close up.’

      ‘Of course.’ Jess watched grimly as the woman cosied up to a willing Ryan, and then proceeded to take a series of photos where she knew the woman either had her eyes shut or her mouth at an unflattering angle. Just for good measure, she made sure the last couple of snaps were out of focus.

      ‘Oh, they’re perfect!’ she announced, quickly turning the phone off and handing it back before the ghastly Gilly could look at them. ‘Lovely to meet you. Come on, Ryan.’

      *

      They arrived at the park café during a lull between waves of pushchairs, toddlers and exhausted-looking parents. Having bought their coffees they steered their way through the plastic tables until they found a relatively unsticky one in the sunshine. Jess tied Elsie and Ethel’s leads to her chair and sat down gratefully.

      Ryan took a sip of the scalding and bitter cappuccino then reached over and squeezed Jess’s hand. ‘That poor woman. I can’t believe you could be so mean. You’ll have ruined her day.’

      ‘Well, it made mine. Rude cow. I’m invisible to your fans. They push past me and tread on my toes to get to you. No wonder casting agents reject me – I’m invisible.’

      Ryan had heard this lament often enough to know where it was going. He tried to head it off at the pass.

      ‘Not to me you’re not.’

      ‘Really?’

      ‘You’re my girl.’

      ‘Am I?’

      ‘You sure are.’ He took her other hand and gazed soulfully into her eyes, hoping it would have the desired effect.

      ‘Even when you’re away with all those gorgeous actresses?’ Jess peered at him intently. ‘You can tell me the truth, you know. Are you sure you’re not tempted?’

      ‘No,’ he lied. ‘You know me better than that,’ he protested, as if wounded by the accusation.

      ‘I thought I knew you,’ she said, her voice wavering, ‘but that was before …’

      Oh, not this again, thought Ryan. He pulled one hand away from hers and swept it through the floppy long hair he’d been cultivating for Cosmo.

      ‘Darling, that was five years ago. We are over that, aren’t we? I can’t believe I was such a fool and nearly lost you. Besides, can you imagine the bad press if I did that now and someone found out?’

      This time it was Jess who pulled her hand away.

      ‘That’s nice. You’re more concerned about the damage to your image than the hurt it would cause me.’

      ‘That’s not what I meant,’ Ryan sighed, tired of Jess’s insecurities. ‘What you need is a job. A good job. One that will give you back your confidence. You’re a great actress – the best. You’re beautiful and clever and—’

      ‘Unemployable.’

      Knowing he would have to choose his words carefully or else this would escalate into a full-blown row, Ryan tried to buy himself some thinking time by picking up his cup and taking two large mouthfuls of coffee. Clearly in no mood to let him off the hook, Jess fixed him with a flinty glare and allowed the uncomfortable silence to drag on, broken only by the tap-tap-tap of her foot against the chair leg.

      A sudden inspiration came to Ryan’s rescue: ‘Look, I’ve got two weeks off before we start filming the second series of Venini. Suppose you and I take a break …?’

      ‘Where?’

      ‘How about Thailand? Stay in one of those wonderful spas. Beauty treatments, exercise classes, sunshine … We could rent a little hut perched on stilts over the sea, just the two of us, no distractions.’

      ‘I can’t afford it.’

      ‘My treat.’

      ‘But I hate living off you.’

      Ryan sighed in exasperation, ‘Can’t I treat you?’

      ‘We’ll have to put the girls in kennels, and that’s expensive.’

      ‘Oh for God’s sake, Jess! The two of us are going on a bloody holiday and you’ll bloody well like it – OK?’

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