Trusting Jack (3 page)

             
Emma snickered at the look on Norah’s face.  “Proud, much?”

             
“Extremely.  Cate is terrific, so damn talented, and I was scared she’d get it.  I really wanted this role; something about it spoke to me.  Besides, she got to be Queen Elizabeth.  I did a victory dance when David told me I’d gotten it.”  Norah yawned and her fox like face turned towards Emma’s.  “Three more hours left.  Jesus, it’s a long flight.  I think I’ll sleep the rest of the way.”  

It wasn’t long before Emma joined her.

              It was drizzling rain when they landed at Heathrow.  After claiming their luggage, Norah turned to Emma and yawned again.  “I’m tired,” she said, “and glad we slept a bit on the plane.  I’m sleeping late in the morning, but then I want to get some shopping in.  Bond Street has excellent shops.”

             
“Are we staying in the hotel for the duration?”  Emma found the car and driver assigned to them and began loading luggage into the trunk while the driver held the umbrella over her.  Norah waited for her in the backseat. 

             
“No, only for a few days.  Dawn Southgate—you remember her?”

             
“Sure.  Y’all were together in
The Glass Menagerie
.  That was right after I started for you.”   

             
“That’s right.  Anyway, she told David about a small house for rent in the Mayfair district.  She lived there for a while when she was doing a film here.  He checked into it and it was available.”

             
“Well, that’s just awesome.  Many thanks to David, agent extraordinaire.”

             
“I know.  And it’s close enough to the set so we can drive back and forth while we’re filming in London.  And it’s right there at Bond Street—my own personal Mecca.”

             
Emma leaned back and closed her eyes.  “I’m ready for a hot shower and my nightgown.”

             
“Me, too.  That’s a hell of a long time to be on a plane.  It was nice to have a friend to suffer with.”  Norah squeezed Emma’s hand and mirrored her pose.

             
“I knew you were my friend but Ryan convinced me I was nothing more than your servant,” Emma said suddenly.  “Now, I don’t know why I listened to him.”

             
“You loved him.  I understand that.”

             
“I’m not sure it was love,” Emma admitted quietly.  “I was flattered that such a successful attorney would be interested in a country girl nobody like me.  I let him sweep me off my feet.”

             
“You underestimate yourself.”

             
“Do you remember, I was only twenty two when I came to New York?  My accounting degree was barely dry, and Chris wanted me to visit so I could watch him reap the rewards of his first off-Broadway hit.  I fell in love with the city and was trying so hard to get a job so I could stay.”

             
“And I was in his play,” Norah reminisced with her. “He was so excited you were visiting that he dragged me to lunch with him so I could meet his Emma.”             

             
“Yes.  And you were bitching about not being

able to find a good assistant.  God, I can’t believe I just

offered you my services like that.  I’d never done anything that brave before.”  Emma laughed at the memory.

             
“I’m glad you did,” Norah smiled as they reached the hotel. 

             
After they checked in, Emma went to her part of the suite and dug into a suitcase for her toiletries and one of the oversize t-shirts she favored for sleeping.

             
“I’m going straight to bed, Emma,” Norah called from her bedroom.

             
“See you in the morning,” she called back and shut her door.  She bundled her thick hair into a bun so it wouldn’t get wet, took a quick shower, and brushed her teeth.  She climbed into the big bed and had barely pulled the comforter over her before she slid into dreamless sleep.

***

              “Emma?  You awake?”

             
Emma yawned and stretched before opening her eyes.  She stifled a laugh.  Norah’s blond hair was sticking up in tufts, and her eyes were smudged with last night’s mascara.  Norah grimaced.

             
“I’m not at my best this early in the morning.  Thank God we have people to make us look glamorous when we need it.”

             
“I’m just as bad,” Emma said as she ran her fingers through her hair.  She threw back the covers and stood.

             
“Room service,” Norah announced.  “Coffee and scones.”  She grinned.  “Then showers and shopping.”

             
“Already?”

             
“We only have a few days before we have to

buckle down.  I want some London fashion.  And I’m ready to hit a few of the nightclubs.”

              “Never a dull moment,” was Emma’s reply.  “I’d actually like to do some exploring.  I’ve always dreamed of vacationing here.”

             
“Of course.  We’ll squeeze that in, too.  I’d like to see some of the places we’ll be filming.”

             
They discussed their plans over a breakfast of coffee, scones with raspberry jam and fluffy scrambled eggs before separating to shower and dress.

             
“Well, that’s better,” Norah said as they met back up in the sitting area.  “Look at us.”  She tucked her arm into Emma’s and looked into the big mirror on the wall.  “Two women ready to take London by storm.”

             
Emma smiled as she picked up her purse.  “You look fabulous.”  It was true; Norah had the knack to make even slacks and a simple blue blouse look good.

             
“Let’s find killer outfits, a great nightclub, and a couple of good looking Brits to buy us drinks tonight.”

             
Emma shook her head and followed Norah out of the room.

Chapter 3

              “Oh my God.  You have to buy it.  It was made for you.”

             
Emma studied her reflection and considered.  The turquoise dress molded her figure and the rhinestone straps sparkled.  It scooped low on her breasts and stopped at mid-thigh. “You don’t think it’s too short?”

             
“Nope.  It does great things for those tanned legs of yours.  We’ll find some ice pick heels to match.”

             
Emma fingered the hem.  “I’ve never had a dress like this.”

             
“Then I say it’s time you did.  I wonder how many men will fall over themselves trying to get you to go home with them.”

             
“Norah!  Is sex all you think about?”

             
“It is when it’s been a while since I’ve had any,” Norah grinned.  “How about you?  How long?”

             
“Almost a year.” 

             
Genuine shock rippled over Norah’s face.  “Are you serious?  How?”

“You know Ryan was my first.”  Emma went into the dressing room to put her own clothes back on.  “There hasn’t been anyone since.  We had sex that last night and five minutes later he’s talking divorce.”

“The bastard.  You mean you never even had sweaty rebound sex?”

Emma emerged shaking her head.

“What a pity.  We’ll remedy that.  Buy the dress.” 

Emma tilted her head, considered Norah’s words.  She bought the dress.

              They continued to shop along Bond Street.  Norah tried on several dresses before she found one she claimed was “the one”.  There were silk blouses, satin skirts.  Emma found black ice pick heels, along with a pair of sturdy brown hiking boots.  “For sight-seeing in the country,” she told Norah.

              Norah fell in love with an orange bag in the Hermes shop and immediately switched all the items from her black one into it.  She talked Emma into buying three more outfits and bought a mountain of new clothes for herself.  Emma picked up a red leather jacket and had it shipped to her mother. 

They laughingly agreed to let a store manager call a delivery service to take their ever-growing collection of shopping bags back to the hotel.  Emma found a small tavern and pulled Norah inside for lunch.

“Fish and chips,” she decided, “and a pint of whatever you recommend,” she told the waitress.  Norah seconded her order and laughed.

“I haven’t shopped like that in ages!  I’ve spent all my money.”  She lifted her new orange bag.  “But it was worth it.”

“My credit card is going to explode.  I actually heard it crying in that last shop.  It hasn’t been used that much in…well, ever.  I hope Mama likes the jacket.”

“She will.  You have an eye for what looks good on people.”

“I want to go to Westminster, and the Tower of London, and Stonehenge.”  Emma dug into her food with gusto.  “And to some plays, so Chris won’t fuss.  And—“

“And the whole damn country, probably.”  Emma grinned but didn’t argue.  “You are the only person I know this passionate about history.”

“I can’t help it.  I’ve always been fascinated.”

“It’s a good thing, I guess, since we’re working on a historical film.”  They paid the tab and walked back onto the street.  “Look there, Emma, Myla.”

“What’s that?”

“Lingerie.  Let’s go in.  We’ll buy sexy new underwear.”

“Weren’t you just complaining about spending too much?”  Emma let herself be dragged to the door.

“That was before this.  Don’t look at me that way,” Norah smiled and wagged a finger.  “You like sexy undies just as much as I do.”

              “True, very true.  Oh,” Emma gave a soft cry.  “I love the red silk set.  And the blue, and the black.  Oh, God, I’m in trouble.”  She grabbed those, along with several cotton sets. 

Norah had her own arms full when she found Emma fingering a black lace nightie with a matching robe.  She looked wistful.

“Go on, buy it.  It’ll look great on you.”

Emma ran her hand over it again.  “Where would I wear it?  It’s not exactly restaurant attire.”

“Well, you would wear it for the man lucky enough to find you in his bedroom.  It never hurts to be prepared.”

            Emma laughed, then tossed the nightie on top of her other purchases.  It was, she decided, a productive shopping trip.

***

              “Christ, you look amazing.”  Norah studied Emma.  “I like your hair like that; it just kind of curls around your shoulders in a sexy way.”

             
Emma smiled.  “I feel a little foolish,” she admitted.  “I’ve never dressed this way before.  Even the clothes Ryan bought me were more conservative.”

             
“You should do it more often.  You will do it more often,” Norah corrected as she inspected her own image.  Her pale pink dress left one shoulder bare and her hair was swept into a loose chignon.  “Let’s go find a hot guy for you to fall into bed with.  I really, really think sex is what you need before you completely bounce back.”

             
“Jesus, Norah, I’m not going to’ fall into bed’ with someone I just met.”

             
Norah rolled her eyes.  “I know that, Emma.  But you have to stop being so afraid.  You can at least meet men who make you think about sex.”

             
Emma expelled a breath as they stepped into the elevator.  “What the hell,” she said with a laugh.  “Meeting men I can handle.  Maybe I’ll even meet one who makes me think about sex.”

             
“Now you’re talking!  Let’s party.”

             
Tristan’s was a new nightclub that was gaining a reputation for star sightings.  It boasted a polished wooden dance floor with a disco ball mounted above it, a stage for live music, and booths and tables scattered throughout.  The owners were always discreet and willing to help someone who may have had too much to drink.  It had been highly recommended to Norah by Dawn Southgate.

Emma and Norah entered and stood for a

minute as their eyes adjusted to the dim lighting.  Norah spotted an empty corner booth and dragged Emma towards it as the band took a break and the DJ put a record on.

             
The music was a hot, pulsating beat that stirred Emma’s blood.  She loved to dance.  She grinned and swayed her body to the music.  Emma ordered a dirty martini while Norah decided on the house red.  Several men took notice of the pretty brunette in the short blue dress.