Nice Work (If You Can Get It) by Celia Imrie

Author:Celia Imrie
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781408876923
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Published: 2016-01-25T11:04:29+00:00

21

Sally found a set of blow-up chairs on the edge of the beach, just under the awning of the large marquee in which the after-party was being held.

She had adored the film, a quirky wild tale set in the seventeenth century. It reminded her of a production of The White Devil in which she’d played Isabella, a wife who was poisoned by kissing her own husband’s portrait. This film had all those Jacobean elements – murders, unfaithful henchmen, deceitful, greedy relatives – and also finished with a bloodbath. Marina Martel had been superb as the crafty evil leading lady who ended impaled on a huge golden crucifix.

Unfortunately Sally’s enjoyment of the movie had been slightly marred by the arrival of Ted. In fact at first she found the plot of the film quite hard to follow after spending five minutes seething with anger about him showing up. She thought too about Sian, and also Marianne, now sitting in her home in Bellevue-Sur-Mer.

Ted was at this minute standing in the centre of the party, his arm around Jackie, talking to a gaggle of laughing people. The room seemed to be full of people who knew one another. She felt rather lonely and embarrassed. Sally accepted a glass of champagne from a passing waiter and turned to watch the waves lapping up the sand in the darkness. For a moment the sound in the party seemed to dip.

She turned to see why, and, as she did so, everyone started applauding. Marina Martel, with an entourage of bulky minders wearing earpieces, had entered the marquee and was escorted to a roped-off corner, where luxury sofas and tables laden with treats awaited her.

At that moment Sally saw Stanislav standing at the bar, chatting to a young boy in a very fancy white-sequined tuxedo.

At last someone she knew!

She went over.

‘Sally!’ he exclaimed. ‘How lovely to see you.’ He bent to whisper in her ear. ‘Which one is your friend Jackie? I must apologise to her for missing her screening this afternoon.’

Sally gritted her teeth and said, ‘She’s with the man in dark glasses.’

‘Rather affected of him,’ said Stanislav. ‘The lighting in this place is pretty mellow. How can he see where he’s going? Too much posing for his own good.’

He laughed, showing off his wonderful row of perfect teeth. The young man in the sequined jacket edged out to sit with a gang of people on a nearby bench.

‘I’m sorry,’ said Sally. ‘I didn’t mean to interrupt.’

‘I don’t know him,’ Stanislav replied. ‘We both happened to be trying to get vodka from the barman at the same time. The official waiters have only champagne.’

‘How do you know Jackie?’ asked Sally.

‘Oh, she said you’d suggested she ring me, as you thought I might like to invest.’

How embarrassing! Sally wondered where Jackie had found his number and felt more than a little edgy at the possibility of Jackie going through her things when she wasn’t around. Stanislav put his hand in the small of Sally’s back and guided her through the crowded party towards Jackie and Ted.

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