Excess All Areas (29 page)

‘
I might have known you would have a strategy. So tell me, how many other women have you had this conversation with?’ Freya wanted to know.

‘
A few. Not many in recent years I have to admit. But judge for yourself whether it was productive or not. Two Academy awards, twenty three films all grossing highly around the world,’ Martha spoke.

‘
He’s in love with me,’ Freya told her plainly.

‘
Oh please! “I love you” falls off an actor’s lips so easily. They can’t help it, it’s the nature of the job, saying it over and over to one actress after another, reality and fiction are bound to get blurred,’ Martha said.

‘
What are you expecting me to do? Let him down tonight? Disappear back to England and pretend we never met?’ Freya wanted to know.

‘
You’re not slow to catch on, that should make things easier,’ Martha responded.

‘
Do you really think for one minute that I’m going to take any notice of what you say?’ Freya asked her.

‘
If you care at all for Nicholas you will. He’s thirty five now, at the top of his career, but that can’t last forever. There are younger actors coming up, getting the romantic leads he might once have had. To remain in the game he needs to be focussed, he needs nothing but good publicity and in this last week, thanks to you, he’s had more bad press than he’s had since I’ve been working for him,’ Martha said.

‘
You’ll have to instate a curfew,’ Freya answered.

‘
You cannot possibly think for one moment that you and he can have a full time relationship,’ Martha stated.

Freya didn’t respond and Martha let out a cackle of laughter that vibrated through the back of the car.

‘
My God, you really do think that don’t you?! Oh my! This is amusing. You haven’t the first idea about his life and what his career entails. Things here in Corfu have been very casual, I admit, but that is unusual. His life is Hollywood, it’s non stop,’ Martha spoke.

‘
And he despises all that did you know? He hates the parties and the snobbery and the endless interviews, they bore him,’ Freya told her.

‘
Is that what he told you? And you believed him? Those parties and the interviews have helped to make him a superstar of epic proportion. He would be no one without the things that made him who he is,’ Martha said.

‘
I’ve heard enough,’ Freya stated.

‘
But have you taken any of it on board?’ Martha asked.

‘
I am going to that party tonight. Nick wants me there,’ Freya told her.

‘
Fine, if you insist on putting yourself through it. But let me tell you this, you might have coped with a couple of paparazzi here, but that party and all the parties to come are like being in a zoo enclosure at feeding time. They say cruel, cruel things Freya, about how you look, about who you are and about
what
you are. There would be daily reminders of what you’ve tried hard to forget,’ Martha told her.

‘
This conversation is over, you can leave now. Mike, stop the car, Ms Wilson is going,’ Freya called to the driver.

‘
Well don’t say I didn’t try and warn you. And good luck finding a dress. I hear there are one or two small boutiques that cater for the - how shall I put it - bigger boned woman,’ Martha spoke as the car came to a halt.

‘
Thank you, now hurry up and close the door. We wouldn’t want to draw any unnecessary attention to the fact that I’m kicking you out,’ Freya snapped.

Martha left the car and shut the door with a bang. Freya took a deep breath. No matter what she tried to tell herself, the conversation had unsettled her. She didn’t know what to do.

She was still going over things in her mind as she walked through Corfu Town. She didn’t know where she was heading. All she could think about was the way Martha had laughed about the prospect of her and Nicholas having a proper relationship. Perhaps she was right. After all, if anyone had told Freya the scenario a week or so ago she would have laughed too. What was she doing? She was getting involved in something she had always felt uncomfortable with. Nicholas lived in a completely different world to her; chock a block full of things Freya had escaped from when she left Jane behind.

She caught sight of her reflection in the window of a shop. She was huge, there was no denying it. What did he see in her? Actors didn’t sashay up the red carpet with women her size on their arm.

Fifteen minutes later Freya found herself standing outside Agatha’s Boutique. She looked at the outfits in the window, almost in a trance, not really seeing them, not really looking at anything, just lost in her thoughts, trapped in consideration. What was she going to do? Go to the party? Not go to the party? Her mind was full but earlier this morning everything had been clear and she had felt strong. She had felt sure of Nicholas and the feelings they were beginning to have for one another. But now all she felt was confusion.

‘
Freya?’

Freya was brought back to the present as she heard her name being called. Agatha was stood at the entrance to her shop, looking at her.

‘
Oh hello Agatha,’ Freya replied with a sigh.

‘
Why so sad? I see you in newspaper with very handsome man, the actor. There is party in Athens tonight,’ Agatha spoke as Freya went up the steps and joined her at the door.

‘
Yes and I’m supposed to be going, but I’m in two minds. I don’t know whether it’s me,’ Freya told her.

‘
I no understand. What isn’t you? The party? The handsome man?’ Agatha queried with a furrowed brow.

‘
No, both those things are very me. I don’t know, I’m just having second thoughts about certain things,’ Freya responded.

‘
Life is too short to think twice about things. Always think about things with your heart, the brain it is not always working right, but the heart - it never fails you,’ Agatha assured her.

‘
You really believe that?’ Freya wanted to know, looking seriously at the shop owner.

‘
Yes I do,’ Agatha answered sincerely.

Freya took a deep breath and thought about Nicholas and how much he was starting to mean to her. Was their relationship something she could just give up on before it had really been given a chance?

‘
God Agatha I need a dress for this party tonight. It’s got to look fantastic, it’s got to make me look somewhere
near
fantastic. I’m sorry it’s short notice,’ Freya exclaimed hurriedly.

‘
Come in. I have the perfect thing,’ Agatha answered with a smile and she pushed open the door of the shop and ushered Freya inside.

Thirty

At 5.30pm that evening Freya grimaced as Emma put another grip into her hair. She flinched and yelped as it pinched her scalp.

They were in Freya’s room at the Calypso Apartments getting her ready for the party. To add to the suspense, the full length mirror had been covered by a sheet until the transformation was complete.

‘
Oh Freya, keep still! I’m nearly done, just a couple more,’ Emma said as she carried on doing Freya’s hair.

‘
You aren’t giving me a beehive are you?’ Freya questioned.

‘
Yes of course I am. Seeing as you’re going to be on the front pages of the papers tomorrow I thought you could make a style statement,’ Emma replied.

‘
I think I’ve made enough statements for a while,’ Freya answered with a sigh.

‘
There, I’m done. Now hurry up, go and get this dress on and I’ll uncover the mirror,’ Emma urged.

‘
OK,’ Freya agreed and she disappeared into the bathroom.

‘
They were filming in the harbour again today. The whole place was cordoned off and there were guns and explosions - it was quite a show,’ Emma told her as she cleared away her hair brushes, tongs and grips.

‘
Nick said they were going to blow up a boat,’ Freya called back to her.

‘
Not
his
boat?’ Emma queried.

‘
No, not his boat. A much cheaper one I hope - OK, here I come,’ Freya said.

She opened the bathroom door and stepped out into the room.

She was wearing a cobalt blue, knee-length dress. It had a sash detail around the waist and a v-neck shape.

Freya turned around and showed off the back. It was bare, apart from the twisted criss-cross of the straps which ran from the bottom of her back to her neck. With it she wore gold, high-heeled sandals.

She looked at Emma. Her friend was sat motionless and completely silent.

‘
Well? Unveil the mirror, I want to see what you’ve done to my hair,’ Freya ordered.

‘
Freya, you look - beautiful - really beautiful,’ Emma told her, standing up and going over to the mirror to remove the sheet.

Freya stood in front of the mirror and looked at her reflection. She could hardly believe she was looking at herself. Her blonde hair was pinned back from her face, a diamante clip holding the front in place. The back was knotted in a perfect twist with another diamante clip holding it in position.

The dress emphasised her bust in all the right ways, skimmed over her stomach and the sash detail detracted attention from her width. The cut of the material meant that the dress hung in such a way that it actually elongated her. She looked almost slim! How could one dress manage that?

‘
Agatha is a genius isn’t she?’ Freya remarked as she turned from side to side, admiring herself.

‘
You look fantastic Freya, I could cry,’ Emma announced, tears filling her eyes.

‘
Those hormones of yours have a lot to answer for - what’s the time?’ Freya asked, noticing her watch wasn’t on her arm.

‘
It’s quarter to six. What time are you being picked up?’ Emma enquired.

‘
Six o’ clock. We’re meeting the helicopter outside the village. It’s going to land in one of the fields near to Nikos Supermarket. It was the only place it could set down. God, I can’t believe I just said ‘helicopter’ like it was getting a taxi or something. I’ve never been in a helicopter before; do you think it’s safe?’ Freya asked, picking up her watch and strapping it to her wrist.

‘
Probably a hundred times safer than driving on Greek roads. So, are you all set? Got everything packed?’ Emma questioned, indicating Freya’s overnight bag.

‘
Well it’s only one night. I’ve got a change of clothes, Claude, my toiletries, what more does a girl need when she’s staying in the penthouse suite?’ Freya asked with a smile.

‘
I know what sort of freebies those places have. I’ll have any expensive products going,’ Emma requested.

‘
I’m hoping for a new bathrobe,’ Freya replied.

Emma laughed and then threw her arms around her friend, hugging her tightly.

‘
I’ve never seen you look so happy Freya, enjoy every minute tonight,’ Emma ordered her.

‘
Well I’m looking forward to the hotel and the meal but the photographers - well I’ll just have to deal with them,’ Freya spoke with a deep breath.

‘
There’s nothing to be worried about any more. The press will soon get bored of your story when the next bit of scandal comes along,’ Emma assured, holding Freya’s arms.

‘
Yeah I know. It just brought it all back you know, my parents, prison - especially prison,’ Freya spoke, her thoughts drifting back.

‘
It’s over now, for good. No one’s going to think any differently of you. You didn’t deserve to go to prison,’ Emma told her.

‘
Mrs P looked at me differently today. She tried to be the same with me, but I saw something in her eyes. I’m sure it was disappointment,’ Freya spoke.

‘
The only look in her eyes at the moment is fear at having me as her daughter-in-law sooner than she anticipated,’ Emma said with a smile.

‘
How soon? Does this mean you’ve set a date?’ Freya asked excitedly.

Emma nodded.

‘
Oh Em, when? Tell me.’

‘
Twenty second of September. We’re getting married in Our Lady of Kassiopi which, as you know, is Greek Orthodox, so that pleases Mr and Mrs P. Then we’re having a blessing on the beach by my C of E vicar from home, with a traditional Greek band and dancers and I’m thinking of having a big marquee down at the harbour somehow and inviting the whole village,’ Emma told her.

‘
That sounds perfect,’ Freya agreed with a smile.

‘
It wouldn’t be happening without you,’ Emma said.

‘
Yes it would. Yiannis adores you; I just provided the means to ensure Baby P was legitimate. I couldn’t let the poor kid be born out of wedlock,’ Freya joked.

Emma laughed and then Freya’s mobile phone began to ring from inside her handbag, distracting them. Freya hurriedly rifled through it to answer it. She saw from the display that it was her mother.

‘
It’s my mother,’ Freya said out loud as the phone rang in her hand.

‘
God what does she want? She has a nerve. Don’t answer it,’ Emma spoke, not wanting her friend’s night to be spoiled in any way.

‘
I want to know what she’s got to say, I’m intrigued - hello,’ Freya answered, putting the phone to her ear.