No Matter What (2 page)

They’d just moved into a little first floor flat on the outskirts of
Newcastle
city centre and spent most weekday evenings having girlie nights in with the usual chick flicks and chocolate and most weekends out on the town.
 
It was predictable but it was fun, and fun was what
India
needed right now.
 
Fun and just a little bit of escapism.
 

This is why they were here really, at this local-celebrity-filled but ultimately dreary benefit dinner that they’d originally planned to avoid, until Mr Rogers had approached
India
earlier that afternoon and asked her, completely out of the blue, if she and Charley owned anything resembling a cocktail dress.
 
She’d looked at him like he was mad whilst trying to imagine what a cocktail dress actually looked like, and then managed to ask him why.
 
He’d explained, totally seriously and without any realisation that he was verging on the sexist, that he wanted a couple of the more “attractive members of the female staff” to attend the dinner – for free – in order to keep some of the male guests that would be attending “entertained” and would she and Charley be up for it.
 
India had been a bit taken aback at first, a little shocked at what he might have been implying, until he’d finally realised that what he’d said could have come out wrong and explained that he only wanted her and Charley to mingle with the guests, talk to some of the more higher profile ones, engage them in some friendly conversation, and maybe get them to cough up a bit more cash for charity.
 
He’d always been a bit blunt with a tendency to put his foot in his mouth had Mr Rogers, so he’d left India with the idea and asked her to think about it.
 
She’d grabbed Charley, thought about it over lunch, and they’d decided it would be a laugh, if nothing else.

It wasn’t.
 
It was boring and dull and it wasn’t even eight 0’clock yet.
 
They still had dinner to sit through and then more mingling.
 
At least Mr. Rogers had given her and Charley the morning off tomorrow which meant one of those lovely, unexpected weekday lie-ins.
 
India
never took those for granted.

She took another sip of champagne, catching sight of Mr Rogers over the top of her glass throwing them another one of his “
you’re not here to have
fun
” looks from across the other side of the room.

No chance of that
,
India
thought to herself, nudging Charley, who appeared to be distracted by something going on at the other end of the room.

“What’s the matter?”
India
asked, standing up on tip-toes to try and see what it was that had caught Charley’s attention.

“I think I’ve just spotted someone who might actually mean this whole evening wasn’t a waste of time after all,” Charley said, turning to
India
and smiling as
India
finally caught sight of what, or - to be more precise -
who
it was that Charley was talking about.
 

“
His
name wasn’t on the guest list,”
India
gasped, blinking twice just to make sure her eyes weren’t playing tricks on her.

“No, it certainly wasn’t.
 
But he’s with Tim Taylor, y’know, that director guy from
North Yorkshire
, and I’m sure they’ve been shooting some scenes for a new movie round here.
 
Down by the coast, I think.
 
I read it in the paper coming into work the other day.”

The man who’d just walked into the room, with an entrance that now appeared to be causing quite a stir, was Reece Brogan - movie star - and Hollywood wasn’t something
anyone
had expected to see tonight but, with the arrival of this very famous Irish actor, it had just walked in through the door, and every head in the room was now turning to catch a glimpse of him.
 

Reece Brogan was in his early forties, tall, tanned and extremely handsome with a smile that could floor any self-respecting female at fifty paces.
 
He’d first made his name on TV during the 1980’s with a handful of successful series’ before heading to America, where he’d quite easily made the transition into movies and quickly became a name to be reckoned with in Hollywood.
 
Only the other week
India
and Charley had seen his latest film at The Odeon and looking at him now, in the flesh, even from a distance, they could see that he was just as good-looking as he was on-screen.
 
He had a smile that seemed to light up the room and every female in the place seemed to be gravitating towards him.
 
Even the men looked impressed.

“Maybe this evening is looking up after all,” Charley smiled, fluffing up her dark curls, running her tongue over her front teeth to remove any lipstick that might have found its way on there.

India
looked at her.
 
“He’s not going to come and talk to
us
.”

“Why not?” Charley asked, as if it was a dead cert that he’d be heading their way any time now.
 
“Mr Rogers told us to mingle with the guests, didn’t he?”

“Mingle, not throw yourself at,”
India
half-smiled, grabbing herself another glass of champagne.
 
It was going to her head a bit and she found herself almost looking forward to dinner.
 

“I’m going over,” Charley said, in a more than determined tone, until a voice announcing dinner was served stopped her in her tracks.
 
They both burst out laughing.
 

“Hold that thought, missy,”
India
giggled.
 
“Let’s get this over with first.
 
Then you can think about seducing Mr Gorgeous for dessert.”

***

India
held her glass of brandy close to her chest as she stared out at the view of the
Tyne
Bridge
.
 
The city stretched out ahead of her, the darkness lit up with what looked like a blanket of twinkling fairy lights as the stars in the clear, night sky met with the street lights and lit-up windows of the buildings, shops and apartments in the distance.
 
It was a sight that made her realise how much she loved this place.
 
She was a Northern girl through and through and, no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn’t think of herself living anywhere else.
 
Not without a very good reason, anyway.
 
Maybe that was boring to some people, and maybe she
did
lack a certain spirit of adventure, but she liked it here.
 
She felt safe here.
 
It was a warm and friendly city filled with warm and friendly people and as long as she was happy here, she saw no reason why she should be anywhere else.

She took a sip of brandy and shuddered as the liquid burned the back of her throat.
 
She didn’t usually drink this stuff but she’d found herself being handed a glass so she’d accepted it.
 
She’d try anything once.
 
Well, almost anything.
 
She had limits.
 
The burning sensation changed to a lovely, warm feeling as it reached her stomach and she closed her eyes for a second, her mind wandering off to the sandy beaches and pool-side bars of their forthcoming holiday, which suddenly reminded her that she hadn’t seen Charley for a while now.
 

She turned round and quickly scanned the room, looking for her friend, whom she’d lost almost immediately dinner had finished and the speeches had begun.
 
God knows where she was but doubtless she’d hear all about it later.
 

India
turned back around and continued to look out of the huge picture window, watching as the people on the street down below shielded themselves from the wind and rain as they hurried about their business.
 
It was making her feel quite cold just looking at them, collars pulled up around necks and hats shoved tight down onto heads.
 
She took another small sip of brandy and waited for the warmth to hit her again.

“Excuse me.”

A gentle tap on the shoulder made her jump, almost spilling what little brandy was left in the glass.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”
 

She slowly turned around and found herself looking up into the dark and beautiful eyes of none other than Reece Brogan himself.

“Are you ok?” he continued, in that soft, almost lilting southern Irish accent, with just a hint of American, she realised.
 
Then she also realised that she was probably staring and quickly pulled herself together, knocking back the rest of the brandy, putting the glass down behind her on the window-sill.

“I’m ... I’m fine, thanks,” she replied, still trying not to stare at him.
 
Was that
really
Reece Brogan, Hollywood movie star, standing there in front of her on a cold Tuesday Autumn night in
Newcastle-upon-Tyne
?
 
Or was she just having another of those elaborate but very pleasant dreams she sometimes had?
 
The ones she never wanted to wake up from.

“I’ve been watching you all evening,” Reece smiled, sitting down on the window-sill and inviting
India
to sit down next to him.
 
She looked around, half expecting to see someone else behind her because she was positive he wasn’t talking to her.

“Come on, sit down.
 
I don’t bite,” he laughed.
 
A rather lovely laugh,
India
thought as she perched herself carefully down beside him, wondering where the hell Charley was.
 
For some reason she thought
she’d
have been with Reece, or at least hovering somewhere near him.

“Like I said, I’ve been watching you all evening ...” He held up his hands and laughed that laugh again.
 
“And I didn’t mean that to sound like it did.
 
I’m not some kind of stalker who picks up women wherever he goes.
 
Well, not anymore anyway.”

She smiled nervously, thinking this had to be the most surreal moment of her entire life so far.
 
She couldn’t wait to get into the office tomorrow afternoon to relay
this
story.
 
But, the strange thing was, the more she sat here with him the more comfortable she was beginning to feel in his company.
 
This famous, handsome actor who made multi-million dollar movies was making her feel totally at ease in his presence.
 
She’d talk to anyone in reality, she was that kind of person, but somebody as famous as he was – it just felt strange to be so comfortable with him so quickly.
 
Strange, but nice all the same.
 
He was just another human being after all, wasn’t he?

“This is going to sound really odd to you ...” She looked back up at him as he carried on speaking, his voice snapping her back to reality.
 
The smile had gone from his face now and he suddenly looked serious.
 
“... but, do you act?”

India
narrowed her eyes at this rather strange question.
 
“Sorry?”
         

“Have you ever done any acting?”

“No.
 
Never.
 
Why?”

He pushed a hand through his hair.
 
“Then this is going to sound even crazier but, back in Los Angeles we’re casting for a film which is due to start shooting very soon.
 
We’re still looking for the right female lead.”

India
couldn’t help but stare at him now, wondering what the hell any of this had to do with her.
 
“Your latest film?” she asked, really only opening her mouth to make sure she could still speak.

He nodded.
 
“Yes.
 
Anyway, I’ve been watching you all night; the way you move, the way you laugh ... this really
is
going to sound odd, but … you’d be perfect for the part.”

India
burst out laughing.
 
She couldn’t help it.
 
This
had
to be some sort of dream.
 
She only hoped she hadn’t fallen asleep in the toilets and was going to be woken up by the cleaning lady thus missing that weekday lie-in she was so looking forward to.

“I told you it was crazy but, I’m serious,” Reece said.
 
“I’m serious.”

India
tried to stop laughing and looked at him.
 
“Jesus…you are, aren’t you?”

He nodded.
 
“We need a British girl, a new, fresh face.
 
Out there in
L.A.
we just can’t seem to find the right one.
 
They’re all trying too hard, all so desperate to be the right girl and all failing miserably.
 
You’d
be perfect.
 
I’m all set to ring one of the executive producers and tell him I’ve found the perfect girl and ...”