I tried to keep a straight face. “Ditto with my not really working for Reindeers ‘R’ Us confession.”
Joseph grinned. Joseph. Ru was Jay. Ru was Joseph. I had SO many questions.
“So, what were you doing that day we met?”
“Honestly?” I nodded. “Hiding. It was my first big premiere and it was all a bit much. Especially with everyone grabbing me for a photo, like I was a piece of set.” He shook his head. “Soooo many awkward photos. So when the red carpet was done, I bailed. Swapped into the only spare clothes I could find – Kyle sorted me out – and I went to sit it out. Until…” He shrugged. “Until you arrived. If arrived is the word…”
I’d thrown popcorn over the star of the film! Got him locked in a storage room! No wonder Elijah had been in such a mood when he’d found us!
“Can I say sorry once more?”
“Sorry?” Ru looked me dead in the eye. I know Grace thought he was hot in the film, but in real life he really was something else! “Molly, it was the best evening I’d had in YEARS. Even if Elijah was less than impressed.”
Elijah! He must have known all along! Why had he never filled me in on who Ru really was? But then it hit me. Probably because he didn’t really think there was any point. Someone like Ru couldn’t actually like someone like me. Not like that. I suddenly felt so stupid. So, so stupid. Here I was with one of Hollywood’s Hottest Twenty Under Twenty, and I’d had to do the drying up for a week to be able to afford tickets to pay for tickets to see his film.
“Well, it’s probably best if you get back to your life now.” I reached for my coat. “You don’t need to hear about me and my horse bedroom any more.”
“I don’t need to, Mol. I want to! I’ve been in from day one. You’re the one, who didn’t want to meet up?”
Is that really how he saw it?
“But you kept acting so weird? Like when you disappeared in Edinburgh.”
“I got dragged into an interview on some random Belgian TV station.” OK, that did sound stressful. “And I thought it would be quite a hard thing to explain considering you thought I was an usher called Kyle.” So that’s why his phone was off? “In fairness, I did try and find you afterwards, but when that failed I had to hope you wouldn’t be creeped out if I randomly – not-at-all-randomly – bumped into you at breakfast.” He cringed. “Credit to Elijah for helping me out with that one.”
Sorry. Was he really telling me that I, Molly Bell, had had an A-list Hollywood star trying to bump into me? But then an even worse thought hit me.
“What about all that Maeve stuff?”
“Maeve?” Ru looked genuinely surprised. “What about Maeve?”
“Aren’t you two…” It felt awkward to say. “… y’know?.”
Maeve and Joseph made way more sense than me and him. Unless this was just like a fun experiment for him? To see how non-famous people hung out?
“I don’t, but judging by the way you’re giving me that look, I can guess… And it’s a no. All just rumours, I promise.” Probably wasn’t cool to actually sigh with relief, but that’s exactly what I did. He was polite enough not to acknowledge it. “That’s why I never say anything to anyone about my personal life. Way too much drama. Although, don’t get me wrong, Maeve has been the best thing about this whole film for me. Even if she does annoy me. Like saving herself as ‘Better Half’ on my production phone cos she was playing my girlfriend but thinks I’m dead inside.”
Ah.
“Yeah, I knew you’d seen. But ‘my fake on-screen girlfriend thought she was being funny’ was also not the greatest explanation at the time.”
Ha. That did explain it! And there was I thinking I was the only one making it up as I went along.
“Oh, and I couldn’t say earlier, but Maeve thought the whole red-carpet thing was hilarious. Got her out of wearing a dress she hated and hanging out with Stormy, so if you told her it was you, you’d have a friend for life.”
Jay as my date. Maeve as my friend.
Someone help. I am DECEASED.
But Jay was looking at me, so I had to rein in my breakdown.
“She did seem really nice when we hung out?”
“You hung out?” He looked confused.
“Yeah, that night in Edinburgh.”
“No way.” He scratched his head. “She asked me to join, but I was annoyed I’d messed things up with you so went back to my hotel.”
I had to laugh. Maeve had said Joseph was in a mood, but I really had no idea it was anything to do with me. I was going to need a long lie down to deal with all of this. Like maybe for a year.
“So why do the headlines always say you’re together?”
They would make a great couple. And hadn’t Grace said there were rumours about him and loads of amazing celebs? Ewww. I tried to push the thought away.
Ru shrugged. “No idea. Probably because Elijah wishes it was true. If I hear one more thing about ‘leaning into some loved-up headlines being the best thing for the film and my career’.” He tutted. “He’s ob-sessed! Although, between us, apparently there is a new girl Maeve’s really into and she’s being very secretive and un-Maeve about it. But you didn’t hear it from me.”
“Imagine the donation Elijah would make to the fundraiser for that info…” I grinned, but Ru looked worried. “Don’t worry, your secret is safe. Well, although, sort of legally, as a best friend, I have to tell Grace.”
“I think Harry knows too.”
“Sorry? You’ve met Harry Styles?”
Ru snorted.
OMG. I’ve seen a movie star snort. “I meant Harry from Grace and Harry. But sure, good to know how your mind works.” Ru shook his head. I bet his famous friends didn’t do things like this.
“So, you and Harry are friends?”
