making doubly sure they were shut tight and, looking around her once more as that feeling of unease crept briefly back, she walked to her car, the thought of that bubble-filled bath and hearing Vince’s voice making her smile, everything else forgotten. Because, as far as Charley was concerned, her life was perfect. There was absolutely nothing to be worried about.
***
He pulled his hat down further over his eyes and watched from across the street as she closed the salon doors behind her, stopping for a few seconds to quickly look around before walking to her car. A nice little car. Just what he’d imagined she’d drive, really.
Looking in his rear-view mirror he smiled to himself, covering his eyes with his dark glasses, starting the engine of his inconspicuous Ford. She’d never for one second imagine him to be driving something like this but that’s exactly what he wanted. He wanted to be inconspicuous. He needed to blend into the background, be invisible. For now. But that wouldn’t last forever.
He switched on the climate control and turned the radio on, cranking up the volume on a country music station as he pulled away, driving off in the opposite direction to her. His work was done for one day. It wouldn’t do to rush things just yet. He had all the time in the world now, and if he wanted this to play out the way he’d planned then taking his time was the best way to go. Soon enough the excitement would begin. Soon enough Charley Maine’s life was about to change, all over again.
***
Dominic had forgotten how boring making a movie could be sometimes. All the sitting around and waiting. And for these first few days of filming that was pretty much the way it had been. His scenes had been few and far between but he’d kept himself very much occupied by watching Michael Walsh in action. As a director he had a very specific way of doing things that seemed to work for everybody, both cast and crew. He was a very amiable, very friendly guy and he’d been nothing but polite and professional with Dominic. Which was good. That was a good start.
But now India Walsh was on set and, as far as Dominic was concerned, the game he’d been waiting so long to start playing could finally begin.
She’d arrived early that morning, walking into the place like any ordinary person, no entourage – apart from her quite obviously gay personal assistant – no Hollywood glamour evident at all in her outfit of jeans, T-shirt and baseball boots, her long blond hair pulled back into a high ponytail. But she was so far away from ordinary, because the second she’d stepped onto that set everyone around had stopped and stared at her. Him included. But one person rather more attentively than anyone else. Dominic hadn’t missed the look Michael Walsh had given her, because Dominic was watching him very, very carefully. He had to. It was what he was here to do, more than anything else he was here to watch Michael Walsh. And what he’d witnessed only made the game that much more important. Whether anything was going on between India and her ex-husband right now Dominic didn’t know, but he knew their history. He knew almost everything about them, because that had been part of the plan.
He’d spent most of the morning watching Michael direct her scenes with nothing but professionalism. They’d worked together something like half a dozen times or so now, Dominic knew that, so they both knew how this situation worked. But the little looks, the smiles, the way Michael would lightly touch her arm or rest his hand on her hip as he spoke to her, they were all very small but quite obvious gestures in anyone’s eyes that these were two people who’d once been extremely close. Although, he sensed India’s body language was far less intimate than Michael’s. Sometimes she’d back off whenever Michael came near her, or turn away slightly just to discourage any move he might make, and that was encouraging for Dominic. It looked like this game might be easier to play than he’d first thought.
But it wasn’t until a break in filming later that morning that he finally got a chance to introduce himself to India properly, before their first scenes together took place that afternoon. And he was destined to spend the afternoon one very lucky guy indeed because, thanks to the practice