A Starlit Summer Read online

  Chapter Five

  The rumble of an engine turning into the driveway set Jenna’s heart racing. She jumped out of bed. It was Saturday morning and she’d planned to lie in knowing that sleeping in would be non-existent once filming started. She assumed it was the builder but she’d also assumed he wouldn’t be back till Monday.

  It was as humid in Cornwall as it had been in London, and so she’d slept in a vest top and knickers with the windows wide open. At least some air drifted in and it was fresher than when she’d gone to bed. Sunshine slanted through the window on to the carpet, promising a brighter day. In a sleep-haze she searched the room for something to wear and pulled on the leggings she’d been wearing the day before.

  Footsteps crunched along the path below the bedroom window and someone knocked on the door. She dived across the landing and into the bathroom, splashed cold water on her face and rubbed toothpaste across her teeth with her finger.

  ‘Hello?’ a deep voice called from the kitchen.

  Jenna grimaced and spat toothpaste into the sink. Of course the builder had keys and could let himself in. How else was he expected to do any work on the place when she’d be out all day?

  ‘Hey there!’ she called back. ‘Be down in a second!’ She swept a damp hand through her bed-hair before deciding to tie it back into a messy bun. She pulled a face in the mirror, wrinkling her lightly tanned nose. There was no getting away from the fact that she’d just got out of bed, but at least she looked reasonably fresh-faced.

  Unable to find her slip-on trainers, she padded barefoot downstairs. Slowly steel toe-capped boots and tanned muscly legs in shorts came into view.

  She stopped on the bottom step and frowned. She’d expected the fifty-something builder her dad had been talking to, not a twenty-something man with tattooed arms, windswept dark-blonde hair, a beard, and smiling eyes.

  ‘Hey there, I’m Finn. You’re Jenna, right? Dad said you’re going to be staying here while the work’s going on.’

  ‘Your dad... Oh, right. Yes, of course. So you’re the um “son” in “Harrison & Son”. Sorry, for some reason I was expecting your dad. Actually truthfully, I wasn’t expecting anyone today.’ She motioned to herself and immediately regretted pointing out how under-dressed she was.

  Finn’s eyes followed her hands, dropping from her face downwards, then immediately snapping back up to her face. ‘Yeah, sorry if I woke you. We’re squeezing in this job so I thought I’d get started sooner rather than later. I didn’t think you’d be here yet.’

  ‘I came down early to have a bit of time before starting work on Monday.’ The more she looked at him and the more he looked at her, the more flustered she felt. ‘I was taking the opportunity to have a lie-in while I could...’

  ‘I don’t have to work today, totally fine if you want the place to yourself or to go back to bed.’

  Jenna waved her hand. ‘No, it’s fine, I’m up now and have things to do anyway. I don’t want to mess your day up if you already have work planned.’

  ‘Okay great.’ He was taller than her even though she was standing on the bottom step.

  ‘Coffee. I need coffee.’ Jenna slipped past him, her feet slapping on the cold slate floor. ‘Would you like one?

  ‘Yeah, love one thanks.’ He placed his work gloves and toolbox on the kitchen table. ‘So you’re down here for the summer?’

  Jenna filled the kettle and flicked on the switch. She turned to face him. ‘Yeah, for the next few weeks. I’ve got a part in a film.’

  ‘You’re an actress, are you?’

  ‘Uh huh.’

  ‘Oh right, yeah, I know. It’s that film where they’re taking over the place all summer. Filming around Porthleven.’

  ‘That’s the one.’

  ‘Cool.’ He sounded upbeat about it but Jenna wondered whether the locals actually enjoyed having a film crew descend on their beautiful part of the world for weeks at a time. Maybe hotel, restaurant, shop and bar owners did, reaping the benefits of lots of extra people on top of the usual tourists, but tradespeople probably found it all a bit inconvenient.

  The kettle boiled. Jenna made two mugs of coffee. She didn’t even know him and she was making assumptions from the tone of his voice.

  ‘Milk?’

  ‘Just a splash, thanks. No sugar.’

  She took the carton of milk from the fridge, added a dash to the mugs and handed one to Finn.

  ‘So, my parents said you’re working on the outside of the cottage first, sorting out the roof and damp and stuff?’

  ‘Yeah, that’s the plan. Starting outside and working our way in. Dad will be working with me on the roof next week. We can work around you though, one room at a time but that won’t be for a couple of weeks yet.’

  ‘I’ll be out quite a bit of the time anyway so it shouldn’t matter where you work. We just thought – well my parents agreed – that having me down here to oversee everything would be useful. Easier to make decisions.’

  ‘Sounds great.’ Finn nodded and sipped his coffee.

  They were both standing, leaning against the work surface. Maybe she should suggest they sit down. No, that was a stupid idea. The heat of the coffee was making her even more flustered than she already felt. He was way too good looking to be confronted with first thing in the morning, braless, make-up free and having only just got out of bed.

  ‘Right, well...’ Clutching her mug, Jenna pointed to the stairs.

  ‘Yeah course, I need to get on too. It’ll be good to get the roof underway while the weather’s like this. Supposed to be sunny for the next few days.’ With his mug in one hand, he picked up the toolbox with the other. ‘Thanks for the coffee.’

  ‘No problem.’

  All Jenna could think about as she went upstairs was how much of a distraction Finn Harrison was going to be. She hadn’t thought anything about his dad Gary working on the place, but his son...

  The scaffolding was right outside the bedroom window. She shut the flowery curtains and started unpacking her suitcase. Apart from the old-fashioned decor and furniture, Aunt Vi’s room was the best kept room in the place. It was strange sleeping in her old room and waking up to the sound of the birds her great aunt would have heard every morning. There was very little of hers left in the room; her mum had cleared the dressing table but had left a perfume bottle that had a subtle musky scent, along with a postcard of Whitby that Jenna’s grandparents had sent to Aunt Vi in 1989 before Jenna had even been born. She leant the postcard back against the mirror and finished hanging up her clothes in the empty wardrobe.

  There were no curtains at the landing windows. The floorboards creaked beneath her feet as she nipped across to the bathroom. Knocking sounded from the roof. She peered out of the window but couldn’t see Finn, only hear the rhythmic thudding. She pulled the curtains closed and ran the shower until it was warm. After living on her own for the last few months she’d underestimated how odd it would be to share the space with someone else – even if that someone was a builder rather than a housemate. She was very aware of him being around and it didn’t help that he was young, good looking and had so far left her completely and utterly flustered.

  By the time Jenna had showered, dressed and put on her make-up it was mid-morning. The heat hit her the moment she stepped out of the cool cottage. She ate her toast sitting on the steps that led up to the grassy area with the battered picnic table. The steps were bathed in sunshine and the humidity from the day before had been replaced by a drier heat. She could happily sit here forever, soaking up the sun and listening to the birds singing. The scaffolding was at the back of the cottage and every so often there’d be knocking and the sound of something dropping to the ground.

  A garden was the one thing Jenna missed since she moved from the garden flat she’d shared with Heidi. There was so much potential both inside and out at Bramble Cottage, and until work inside had been finished, there wasn’t a lot Jenna could do, but outside...

  Jenna grabbed the gardeni
ng tools she’d brought with her and decided to start tackling the front garden, away from where Finn was working at the back. She searched through the lean-to at the side of the cottage, but apart from being thick with cobwebs, there wasn’t much except a few rotting logs, an open bag of coal, rusty shears and a dozen or so chipped flower pots. Nothing she could really use and no lawn mower. Jenna emerged back into the sunshine, brushing off dirt from her arms and stray cobwebs from her hair. Taming the grass would have to wait till she’d had the chance to buy a lawnmower – pretty essential considering the size of the garden. No wonder it was in this state if Aunt Vi had no way of keeping it under control.

  Dressed for the heat of the early July day in shorts and a sleeveless top, Jenna started ripping and digging out dandelions, creeping buttercups and nettles that crowded the borders. She worked slowly and systematically along the largest border, making a mental note of the plants and bushes she found among the weeds. Her brain was already in overdrive thinking how best to tame them without losing the natural country garden look that she loved.

  A thud from over the other side of the cottage made Jenna stop and look up. She swept her hair from her eyes and stood upright, stretching her aching back. There were more thuds followed by the squeak of wheels. Jenna shaded her eyes. A wheelbarrow appeared around the side of the cottage first, pushed by Finn. He stopped by the side of the lean-to and peeled off his T-shirt, stuffing it into the back pocket of his shorts, leaving half of it hanging out. He was tanned from working outside and toned from all the physical work. His muscles flexed as he lifted the handles of the wheelbarrow and pushed it along the narrow path and up the wooden ramp. Jenna’s eyes followed him, her face feeling hotter and hotter as she took in the tattoos that crept across his broad shoulders and down his arms. He dumped the contents in the skip and manoeuvred the wheelbarrow back down, then turned and caught her eye. Flustered, she smiled, waved and dropped her gaze from his six-pack as she crouched down again. She yanked out the weed in front of her and decided she needed to cool down inside and concentrate on something else for a while. In fact, sod that, she needed to go and do some shopping. She was too hot and bothered, plus getting out of here and away from Finn and his muscles would be a good idea.

  ~

  It was a few miles to the nearest town, and although she had a car, Jenna reminded herself that she need to be organised here and make sure she always had the basics in like bread, milk and fruit. At least she’d be fed well on set. It was usually late and she’d be past eating by the time she got home after a day filming and she was certain it would be the same here. Also, the location for filming next week was a good twelve miles away, and it was unlikely that the shoot would stay there for the whole eight weeks. She was prepared for early starts, lots of travelling, and getting back to the cottage late. Life as an actress had made her flexible. It also made her anxious. She gripped the steering wheel, her palms sweaty despite the cool air rushing in through the open window. She always had the same fear when starting a new job, all the unknown elements of getting to know a new cast, crew and location. With one- or two-day shoots, she often wouldn’t know her call time or the exact location until the last minute, then she’d have a mad rush to work out her journey, prepare for the next day, plus get enough sleep while worrying about sleeping through her alarm. And yet despite all of that, she enjoyed the excitement and variety of her life, and the interesting people she got to meet. There were extra perks too like meeting famous people, having the opportunity to film in unusual places, or getting a bonus payment because her role was changed to a speaking one on the day, even if she only uttered a simple ‘excuse me’ or ‘hello’ and it was removed and left on the cutting room floor.

  ~

  Jenna had the cottage to herself on the Sunday and she spent the morning pottering, before heading out in the car to explore the surrounding area. It was another blistering hot day with an endless blue sky and only wisps of clouds that looked like they’d been painted on with the gentlest brush stroke. Jenna wondered how long the good weather would last. Schools hadn’t broken up yet, but it was still busy particularly on the coast with holidaymakers, mostly couples and a few families with younger children.

  Having grown up in Guildford and lived in London ever since, she relished being far away from motorways, from the traffic choking the road in front of her flat, and the constant noise of the city. After the events of the past few months, getting away from it all was exactly what she needed, even if work started tomorrow. A change of scene and pace though, that was priceless. And what an opportunity to be able to stay in a place like this for the whole summer. She was going to make the most of it, knowing that the eight weeks would probably whizz by.

  Two-hundred and fifty miles away from home and the landscape couldn’t be more different: coastal villages with pastel-painted cottages, harbours packed with white boats bobbing together, and sparkling turquoise sea. It almost felt like she should be abroad. She didn’t like the thought of tucking into a roast dinner in a pub on her own, so she bought fish and chips, and ate them sitting on a bench by the harbour, a salty sea breeze taking the edge off the heat, the soothing sound of water slapping the harbour walls mixed with the screech of gulls.

  Even though staying in the middle of nowhere on her own could have left her feeling a little on edge, that was furthest from her thoughts as she drove back to the cottage along narrow lanes at dusk. Despite looking forlorn and in desperate need of some TLC, the cottage was surprisingly inviting, particularly once the front door was closed and the lamps in the living room were switched on.

  Jenna drew the flowery curtains on the darkness descending over the garden and settled in the armchair with a book. She’d craved this absolute peace for such a long time. Relationships had become too hard over the past year, and it wasn’t just the romantic ones. Even though men weren’t the main issue, she was quite happy being single. It was complicated friendships and being let down by the one person – besides her immediate family – who was closest to her. It was a situation she needed to face at some point, but being on location in Cornwall for the summer was the perfect way to avoid a huge amount of awkwardness and tension.

  Chapter Six

  The signs pinned to trees and telegraph poles gave away the fact that a movie was being made. Even though Jenna had the postcode plumbed into her satnav, she followed the ‘BASE’ signs, rather than risking the satnav leading her down a scarily narrow lane. She was used to city driving and some of the roads in this part of Cornwall seemed impossible for two cars to pass each other and she didn’t fancy trying. It was early in the morning on a Monday and it wasn’t like rush hour back home, when the road outside her flat was choked with cars, buses and lorries for at least two hours. Here, in the middle of nowhere, she seemed to be the only person around.

  She always got a nervous buzz rocking up to set on the first day of filming, particularly to a film set. Although her mum accused her of flitting between jobs and careers, acting had always been at the top of her list and that excitement never diminished. Even though her job wasn’t as glamorous as her non-actor friends and family assumed – long hours, often lots of waiting around, shooting in all weathers – she still felt the thrill of working in the industry and being a part of a group of like-minded people.

  The ‘BASE’ signs led her off a lane and into a farmer’s field. A parking area had been cordoned off and trailers had been set up with signs like ‘Hair’, ‘Make-up’, ‘Production Office’, along with a couple more set back for the lead actors. There was also a huge marquee where Jenna assumed most downtime would be spent and where meals would be served. A handful of the crew were already gathered around the catering van, with steaming cups of coffee in one hand and bacon sarnies in the other. It was the lifestyle she loved; the excitement of working on different projects, getting to meet new people all the time, seeing old friends, making new friends, and not feeling tied down by a traditional job. Exams hadn’t been Jenna’s strong point, b
ut anything creative had been: drama, art, music, woodwork, gardening – she enjoyed anything practical and was good at it. Drama school had been hugely competitive to get into, and yet she never felt her parents regarded it as quite the same achievement as her brother studying law at Cambridge.

  ~

  The make-up truck had enough space for four actors at a time, and even early in the morning with the door wedged open and a fan whizzing around what little air there was, it was warm inside. Jenna sat in the first empty chair and looked in the mirror at her make-up free face.

  One of the make-up ladies, a pretty round-faced woman with a dark-brown bob, smiled at Jenna through the mirror. ‘Well, don’t you look lovely and fresh-faced this morning.’

  ‘It’s all the fresh Cornwall air and a good night’s sleep.’

  A slender woman around the same age as Jenna came in and sat in the chair next to her. The other make-up artist swept the woman’s auburn hair off her freckled face and into a band.

  ‘I’m Lily,’ the redhead said and smiled at Jenna. ‘I think we’ll be working together a lot. I’m one of the three friends.’

  ‘Yeah, me too. I’m Jenna.’ She looked at Lily through the mirror and then at herself. The make-up lady did the same with Jenna, twisting her hair back into a band.

  ‘That’s a lovely face to work with.’ The make-up lady smiled at her and dabbed a sponge into a creamy foundation. Jenna always felt like it was a treat having her hair and make-up done. Even if it was part of her job, it felt like she was being pampered, with the added bonus of getting paid.

  ‘This is the first major film I’ve worked on. How about you?’ Lily asked.