Excess All Areas (13 page)

‘
The acting I love. Like you, I’ve found something I’m good at and I’ve stuck with it. That wasn’t supposed to sound conceited by the way, but there are a lot of people in this industry who can’t act at all and are making a fortune out of it. I consider myself lucky to be able to do it well and not feel like a fraud,’ Nicholas told her.

‘
What about the having a bodyguard around you and photographers hassling you all the time? Do you enjoy that?’ Freya asked.

‘
Would anyone? No, I loathe it. It’s a major downside to what I do. Would you want your face in a magazine when you’d been caught on camera at seven a.m. going to the store in your jogging pants with a three day growth of stubble?’ Nicholas enquired.

‘
Oh God, anything more than a two day growth of stubble and I would be beside myself,’ Freya replied with a smile.

‘
But you got the jogging pants connection,’ Nicholas stated.

‘
I might have. So what about the money? It must be nice being able to spend what you like and not have to worry - like ordering an entire menu from a restaurant,’ Freya remarked.

‘
I enjoy having the money, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t, but I could live without it. I mean you’re talking to someone who raised his teenaged brother on restaurant leftovers and went to the sales at Wal-Mart to clothe us both. I wouldn’t want to live like that again, but I could,’ Nicholas answered.

Freya nodded and helped herself to some Greek sausages.

‘
But I really don’t want to be the only one talking tonight, over to you,’ Nicholas told her.

‘
Oh I really don’t know what to say. I’m not used to talking about myself. I tried once, on the Tube, this little old lady started up a conversation like I was her long lost niece or something and I had had a bad day so I started talking, telling her all sorts and by the time we got to Embankment she was asleep. We’d only travelled from Waterloo - it’s like one stop,’ Freya admitted, taking a sip of her drink.

‘
Well I promise not to fall asleep. Why don’t you tell me about your family?’ Nicholas suggested.

‘
Well, um, I’d really rather not talk about them. It’s a bit of a sore subject,’ Freya told him.

‘
Oh?’ he questioned.

‘
I don’t see them that’s all. Well, we don’t really communicate either,’ Freya answered.

‘
OK, subject closed then. So how about hobbies, that should be safe ground,’ Nicholas said.

‘
I don’t really have any. If I’m not working I’m sleeping, or trying to sleep, or watching TV,’ Freya told him.

‘
Sounds to me like you work too hard. Now you know what they say about all work and no play Freya,’ Nicholas spoke.

‘
So I’m dull now am I?’

‘
Not yet but you really need to play more. Perhaps it's something we can work on,’ he responded with a smile.

‘
And remind me - your hobbies are?’ she asked.

‘
Hobbies are overrated,’ he responded with a grin.

‘
See! You don’t have any either,’ Freya said with a laugh.

‘
I do have them; I just don’t get time for them. If I’m not filming I’m learning scripts and if I’m not doing that I’m doing interviews or if I’m not doing that I’m in the gym,’ Nicholas told her.

‘
Ah ha! The gym is a hobby,’ Freya exclaimed.

‘
It’s only a hobby if you enjoy it. I hate it. I’d much rather be reading a good book or going out on my motorbike or something,’ he admitted.

‘
You have a motorbike? I have a motorbike. What have you got?’ Freya asked excitedly.

‘
A Harley,’ he responded.

‘
I should have guessed.’

‘
They’re fun though aren’t they? When I’m out on the bike it’s like there’s nothing else. It’s just me, the bike and the air around me,’ Nicholas told her.

‘
It’s a great place to think and it’s relaxing in a noisy, exhilarating kind of way,’ Freya spoke.

‘
Yeah, you’re right,’ he agreed.

‘
So have you hired a bike over here yet?’ Freya questioned.

‘
No, to be honest I haven’t had a lot of time to myself. We’re only here for two more weeks and then we go to mainland Greece again,’ Nicholas informed her.

‘
The mainland is nice, but it’s not as picturesque as the islands,’ Freya spoke.

‘
No, I agree, and this village, Kassiopi, is like the jewel in the crown of this island as far as I’m concerned.’

‘
Is that why you bought a villa here?’ Freya enquired.

‘
News travels fast. Who told you that?’ Nicholas asked.

‘
It’s the word on the street,’ Freya said, not wanting to make any reference to
Shooting Stars
magazine.

‘
Well your source is correct. I’ve bought Villa Kamia,’ Nicholas told her.

‘
I know it. It’s beautiful and right on the headland. You must have fantastic views,’ Freya spoke.

She knew where the villa was located, and it had unrivalled views of the ocean.

‘
Photo worthy definitely. You should come up and take some pictures,’ Nicholas offered.

Freya didn’t respond. Who was he trying to kid? After tonight she would never see him again.

‘
Is the food OK?’ Nicholas asked her.

‘
It’s lovely,’ Freya answered.

‘
You’ve gone quiet on me Freya.’

‘
No I haven’t. Me and quiet, never been heard in the same sentence.’

‘
Perhaps you’re disappointed I didn’t come dressed in my Speedos,’ Nicholas joked.

‘
I’m devastated, can’t you tell?’ she answered.

‘
Then perhaps you need something to compensate for the loss,’ Nicholas suggested.

He put his fingers to his lips and whistled. At the sound of that command two men, one with a mandolin and one with a
bouzouki
, entered from the restaurant and moved into the courtyard. Both bowed politely to the table and began to play.

‘
You are crazy! What is this all about?’ Freya exclaimed as the music filled the air.

‘
I decided that you were the type of woman to appreciate Greek culture, so I thought I would bring some of it to our evening,’ Nicholas told her, smiling at her excitement.

‘
I do love traditional Greek music,’ Freya admitted.

‘
I confess, Harry told me. He also said that when you worked here you very nearly ran off with the mandolin player. He quoted you as saying “who cares what he looks like, have you seen what he can do with his fingers”,’ Nicholas spoke.

‘
How long did you spend talking to Harry? Has he divulged all the confidential things I ever told him during that period of my life? There must be employment laws about that kind of thing,’ Freya said.

‘
I don’t think he told me everything. I got the feeling he was still holding out on me on some things. It was the twinkle in his eye that got me suspicious,’ Nicholas said.

‘
There was no need for you to go to all this trouble,’ Freya stated with a heavy sigh.

‘
It wasn’t any trouble. Besides I had fun arranging it all,’ Nicholas told her.

Why was he doing this? Did he think the more surprises he provided her with the more chance he had of getting her into bed? It was sick. Money was of no significance to him, he had said so, and he had devalued it even more by forking out a fortune on a date for the sake of winning a few favours from his co-stars.

‘
Dance with me?’ Nicholas asked her, as the music turned into a slow lament.

This was all wrong, she shouldn’t be here. She should be back in the village watching him eat a meal infused with chilli powder.

‘
Come on, I know you’re one for dancing,’ Nicholas said, getting up from his chair and standing in front of her.

‘
Harry tell you that too?’ Freya snapped.

‘
Hey, come on, dance with me, it’ll be fun,’ Nicholas insisted and he took her hand and pulled her gently from her seat.

‘
Looks like I don’t have a choice,’ Freya remarked as Nicholas put one arm around her waist and held her other hand in his.

‘
So, am I going some way to making you change your opinion of me? Can you now see I’m just a regular guy?’ Nicholas asked her.

‘
I thought we were dancing not talking,’ Freya replied.

‘
Can’t we do both?’ Nicholas suggested.

‘
Look, the dinner was really nice, the music is great, it’s just…’ Freya started.

He smelt so nice, of musk and spice and his hand was warm in hers. She could feel his breath on her neck and the firmness of his body close to hers. It was then it struck her exactly what was wrong with this date. She wanted it to be real. And that realisation scared her to death.

What was the matter with her? She had formed her opinion of him before she’d met him. He was a stuck up, arrogant arse who had too much money and too little concern for anyone else. Except he didn’t seem like that. Tonight he had been interesting and funny and he was easy to talk to. But it was all a big charade and that made the fact he’d been fun and interesting even worse because it had all been a performance. He was good at what he did, he’d said so. He was a professional. He was using her and that made him even worse than Russell.

‘
What is it? I can hear your mind working overtime,’ Nicholas spoke, fixing her with his perfect blue eyes.

‘
Why are you doing this?’ Freya questioned, giving him an opportunity to come clean.

‘
Doing what?’ Nicholas asked as they continued to dance.

‘
The table, the food, the music - making sure everything’s perfect,’ Freya explained.

‘
Because I want everything to be perfect,’ Nicholas replied.

‘
Why?’ Freya enquired.

‘
Well who wouldn’t want a first date to be perfect?’ Nicholas responded.

‘
What is this
first date
business? We both know there isn’t going to be a second date,’ Freya announced and she let go of him.

‘
Let a guy down gently won’t you? I thought it was going well. You know, all I really wanted from tonight was for you to give me a clean slate to start from, to see how we got on,’ Nicholas told her.

They were stood opposite each other, in the middle of the courtyard, while the musicians continued to play their instruments.

‘
All you wanted from tonight was to get me into bed and collect your prize from Gene and Bob,’ Freya screamed at the top of her voice, just as the players came to the end of a song.

It was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.

Fourteen

Nicholas looked at her and shook his head. He put one hand to his mouth, as if in thought and then he turned to the musicians.

‘
Can you just give us five minutes guys?’ he asked them.

‘
It’ll take more than five minutes for me to tell you exactly what I think of you,’ Freya spoke, her body shaking with anger.

‘
Oh Freya,’ Nicholas said with a sigh as the musicians hurriedly departed.

He put his hands to his head and took a deep breath, as if wondering what he was going to do next.

‘
I know about the bet. I overheard Bob and Gene laughing about it. They bet you to date the “prize pig”. They were practically wetting themselves they found it so funny. I was hurt and upset and humiliated. I’m surprised you didn’t ask them to raise the stakes. I mean Demi Moore gets offered a million to sleep with Robert Redford and you get offered a couple of tacky holidays and the services of some Canadian call girls. Didn’t you find that insulting? Particularly as I’m no Demi Moore,’ Freya continued.

Tears were forming in her eyes even though she was trying hard to fight it.

‘
I should have told you. I’m sorry,’ Nicholas spoke.

‘
What? Cut me in on the deal? Well it would have been something I suppose, but slightly too close to prostitution for my liking and for too little. I mean I really would get them to revise their idea of the going rate for fat girls these days,’ Freya answered.

‘
Can we sit down? Have another drink? Come on, have some more champagne and let me explain,’ Nicholas said and he picked up Freya’s glass.

‘
I don’t want any more pissing champagne. It makes me feel sick. This whole fake date makes me feel sick. I mean I can’t believe a thing you’ve told me tonight. I highly suspect your parents are alive and well and have retired to the Florida Keys,’ Freya shouted.

‘
Believe me, they aren’t living it up in a retirement complex,’ Nicholas replied.

‘
Aren’t you going to try and defend yourself? Tell me it was all a joke and you didn’t mean any harm?’ Freya questioned, staring at him.

‘
I don’t have to defend myself, because I haven’t done anything wrong. I should have come clean about the bet first thing, when I got into the car tonight,’ Nicholas said, taking a swig of his drink.

‘
You should have thought more of me and told them to piss off with their pathetic bets,’ Freya said loudly.