Ten Years On by Alice Peterson

Author:Alice Peterson
Language: eng
Format: azw3, mobi, epub
Tags: General, Fiction
ISBN: 9780857383259
Publisher: Quercus
Published: 2012-05-01T23:00:00+00:00

21

‘Wow! It’s lovely,’ Kitty says, and tonight, now that I’m not trying to operate the temperamental cappuccino machine, I can see how well Joe has designed this place. It’s simple, with stripped floors and dark wooden tables. In one corner of the restaurant is a sofa next to a shelf filled with Decanter magazines and wine books. To the right of the bar, extending to the window that opens out on to The Square, is a library of wines on sale from different countries, though Joe specializes mainly in French and Australian.

‘Bella Rebecca!’ Edoardo greets us, and I introduce him to Kitty. He fixes me a ginger beer, heaping ice into the glass.

‘Cute,’ Kitty whispers.

‘Gay.’

‘Shame.’

‘Used to work in film. Make-up artist. Switched jobs when he got bored of working in trailers.’ I scan the crowded room and point out Peta, who’s sitting at the corner table, typing on a laptop.

‘Pretty,’ Kitty says.

‘Beautiful.’

‘Bitch. I hate her already,’ she laughs.

‘Hi!’ Peta beams. She crouches to kiss Kitty on the cheek. Since meeting Peta here a couple of weeks ago, we’ve been out for lunch once, when she wasn’t needed on set. I found out she’s in Winchester on location, filming a Jane Austen documentary. She met Joe during the first week of filming, when the cast and crew came to Maison Joe one evening to unwind.

‘You must be Kate!’

‘Kitty.’

‘Lovely to meet you, Kate.’

Kitty and I exchange glances as we sit down to join her.

‘You’ll think me so rude, but I’ve just got to finish this blasted email to my agent, Derek. He wants me to audition for some television series …’

‘Becca was telling me you’re an actress?’ Kitty says, picking up a menu.

‘For my sins.’

‘I hear you’re playing Cassandra,’ Kitty continues, ‘Jane’s sister.’

‘Absolutely. Poor Cassandra! My fiancé dies of yellow fever in the Caribbean, so I end up an old spinster.’ She flashes a white smile in our direction.

‘Todd has competition in the teeth department,’ says Olly.

Kitty’s staring at her. ‘Weren’t you on that shampoo advert?’

‘Yes!’ Peta appears thrilled to be recognized. ‘An organic apricot one.’

‘It seems to work.’ I gesture to her glossy hair.

‘Fuck, no! Never used the product in my life!’

‘I haven’t met an actress before,’ Kitty mentions. I’m nervous she’s going to ask Peta for her autograph next. ‘Is it as glamorous as it seems?’

She shakes her head. ‘Ruins the old social life. The amount of times I arrange to go out, only to be told by Derek late afternoon that I need to be in Clerkenwell for an audition at nine the following morning so I have to learn my lines that night. Or this one time, right, I was about to go on my hols when I was told I’d been heavy-pencilled for an advert …’

‘Heavy-pencilled?’ I ask.

‘Almost guaranteed.’

‘Ah.’

‘It was a sports car ad in LA. I cancelled my hols, and let me tell you, my boyfriend at the time was not impressed. We split up, I’m ready to go to LA, when Derek calls to say the job’s fallen through.

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