Louisa George - Hot Docs On Call - Hollywood Heartthrobs

‘Come on, Lola. You can do this.’

I can? He believed in her, so why didn’t she?

Because so far things hadn’t worked out according to her plan, and before she knew it she’d be back on the plane, the second one in her family to give up on Los Angeles hopes and dreams. And she’d have to admit the truth to her parents and she didn’t want to do that until she was successful. ‘Okay. Here goes: Jane Forrest is thirty, brilliant, and...dying. Her father is missing, estranged and may hold the key to her survival. How far does she need to go to find him before time runs out? How strong are the ties that bind them together after years apart, and what will it take to convince him to help?’

‘Wow.’ Jake nodded, not looking as if he was overly impressed. ‘Great, Lola. Yeah.’

‘You’re not convinced?’

‘Good to hear there are no outer space desert warrior princesses.’ He took a mouthful of noodles. Swallowed, licked his lips and grinned. ‘Sounds pretty intense.’

‘It’s actually very funny in parts. I’m told it’s uplifting...and sad too. I cried buckets when I wrote it and my tutor said it was one of the best scripts he’d read. It’s about a woman trying to find her long-lost father, as she needs a bone-marrow transplant. Her investigation takes her all over the world to all the places he’d visited, and she learns about the great man he’d become. But she eventually comes almost full circle and finds him in the town next to where she grew up. And she gets to wondering, if he was so great, why didn’t he look for her too? But also he’s dying, so he can’t help her. It’s...I guess it’s about their relationship, forgiveness and healing—even when healing isn’t always possible.’

Elbows on the table, he steepled his fingers. ‘Sounds brilliant. So why haven’t you sold it yet?’

‘It’s not that easy—you don’t just advertise online and get it optioned. I’m tweaking it. It needs work.’

‘You need someone else to look it over...a script assessor? Your dad?’ Jake’s startling blue eyes lit up. ‘He’s been an actor and a teacher, so what’s the harm?’

The harm was that no one in her family knew she was writing. There’d be too many questions—too much she’d have to tell them. And then there’d be the letdown, the disappointment, the betrayal. And, after all that, even if her dad was still interested in reading her screenplay, what if it was rubbish? She’d never live it down. ‘I don’t know. It’s like...it’s like handing over your heart and giving someone carte blanche to stomp over it.’

‘Stomping runs in the family?’

‘We’re champion stompers actually. Won awards for it... We are stomping elite.’

‘But he wouldn’t do that. Surely not?’ Jake studied her for a moment. His eyes really were stunning and she didn’t want to stop looking at them. Her stomach felt a swooping sensation every time their gazes connected. Knowing she was on a highway to nowhere, she looked away as he spoke. ‘You miss them?’

‘Of course, every day.’ So much. But she had to strike out on her own. She was going to be a success on her terms, then she would go home and celebrate with them. If they were still speaking to her. She turned back to him, wanting to put the focus on him for a while. ‘Don’t you miss your family too? Where are they? Didn’t you say they were north somewhere?’

‘Van Nuys. Just parents. I’m an only child.’

‘Not far at all, then. Do you see them a lot?’

‘They’d probably say not enough, but...you know how it is.’ He shrugged, a little closed suddenly, and she wondered why.

‘You’re busy living your life, right?’

‘Sounds selfish when you put it like that.’ Eyebrows rising, he huffed out a breath. ‘Which is a huge guilt trip for me, seeing as they fought hard for me to do that. Too damned hard at times.’ Then he looked away and breathed out heavily.

She felt as if she’d put a big dollop of down on the conversation and thought briefly about putting her hand on his shoulder to show him solidarity, but thought better of it. She couldn’t work out why she had this sudden urge to touch the man. Or to make him feel better. ‘Go and see them, then.’

He turned back to her. ‘That easy, right?’

‘Look, I don’t know the circumstances, but I’d say some communication is better than none.’ She was giving family relationship advice? Go figure.

He finished his beer and stared at the empty glass, clearly not wanting to elaborate. Then he turned to her and smiled. ‘You know what? I just might go up there and see them—although I’m going to Nassau this weekend.’

‘You too, eh? Lucky duck. I’ll be stuck here with the pooches. Cameron has three dogs she adores. And I don’t particularly. They’re very spoilt,’ she finished in a whisper. She would have to play mama while everyone else swanned off to the Bahamas. She refused to allow images of Jake sunbathing into her head. But they came and hung around for a few moments anyway, making her blush. It seemed her mind was in conflict over Jake Lewis. On the one hand, it understood and respected the whole friends thing...and on the other it wanted sneaky, semi-naked thoughts. Actually, it wanted full-blown, butt-naked thoughts. Clearly she was going mad. It was time for bed. Alone. ‘Actually, talking of work...it’s getting late, I really should be getting home.’

He glanced at his watch and nodded. ‘I suppose so.’

He got the bill and refused to discuss her paying a share. Which was another big fat tick for the doctor—because even though she tried to pay it was nice to have someone looking out for her for a change. ‘I’ll get it next time,’ she promised.

‘Next time?’ There was a smile in his voice and a question. As they walked towards her car she wondered what to do or say now. Would there be a next time? Had she said something inappropriate? Should she kiss him on his cheek, both cheeks, shake hands? Or just walk away? ‘Next time sounds good, Lola. It’ll have to be after Nassau, though. But, before you go, I have something to ask you...’

‘Oh? Yes?’ Her voice rose a little as her heart began to hammer.

‘Strange question, I know, but is Cameron seeing anyone at the moment?’

Oh, God. Her stomach tumbled. Here we go again. Stupid. Stupid. She’d read the signs all wrong. He wasn’t remotely interested in her, he was interested in Cameron. She should have known. History repeating itself over and over. That was why he’d insisted it wasn’t a date. Stupid fool. When would she learn? No one was interested in her. Plenty of interest in her boss, though.

Hoping he hadn’t heard the pathetic hope in her voice, she tried to keep her answer in friend territory. ‘Not at the moment. That I’m aware of. She was dating Marc Jason a few months ago but that fizzled. It’s always the same—busy schedules that never coincide and no one wanting to put their relationships first, because that’s the kiss of death to a career-minded person.’ And, okay, she was just adding that last bit on to remind him that he was a career-minded person too, and that a relationship with Cameron would never work. It was for his own good. Plus, putting a negative spin on it made her feel a teensy bit better.

‘Oh. Okay.’ He frowned again, as if he was thinking about something serious—weirdly, he didn’t have that dog panting tongue thing going on like most of Cameron’s admirers. Maybe he was working out a strategy for when they were in Nassau. A sensible and driven man was Jake, and very goal oriented. Maybe bedding an A-list actress was on that list of goals. Along with shaming the personal assistant. Well, he could tick that one off his list already.

‘Do you want me to put a word in for you? Is that what this is all about? Is that what dinner was about? The non-date? You’re interested in Cameron because, let’s face it, why wouldn’t you be? So you thought you’d pay for dinner and buy her secrets from me? Or worse—if you can’t have her, you’d try to have me as consolation prize? Second best, right? Here we go again.’ Fighting back bitter tears, Lola stomped—yes, she stomped perfectly—towards her car.