Kathy Jay - Reach for the Stars - A feel good, uplifting romantic comedy

‘Yes.’

‘Finally!’

He stepped into the glass elevator wishing he’d asked to use the stairs instead. His stomach churned as the ground below got further and further away. He set the beribboned gift basket on the floor, gripped the handrail with both hands and closed his eyes.

Reeling vertigo gave way to relief as he stood outside the polished oak door. When the door opened Alex locked him in a hug. ‘Hey! Great timing! We just finished.’

Close behind, Nick’s sister-in-law Maggie appeared holding Phoebe. ‘Hi.’ With her stylishly casual, blonde hair gathered up in a tufty knot, she swayed the baby and proffered one cheek. ‘Welcome Uncle Nick!’ He bent and gingerly air-kissed Maggie, anxious not to lean too close, scared he might crush her she was so delicate and tiny. He was awed by the baby.

He followed them into the vast living room and his stomach climbed into his throat. Through floor to ceiling glass, London lay spread out before him. He tried not to look. He couldn’t live here. If he stayed well back from the windows he’d be okay-ish. He grabbed onto the nearest surface, a granite counter top in the open plan kitchen. He sucked in a deep breath and let it go slowly.

Fighting his anxiety, he flattened the palm of his hand on the cold granite surface. Avoiding looking at the windows, the London Eye, the Houses of Parliament, the river, he zeroed in on a photo stuck to the fridge with a red magnet the shape of a London bus. It was keeping in place a picture of Alex and Maggie’s wedding. He picked out the figures in the wedding party. The bride and groom looking so happy. And his mother and father. They were shoulder to shoulder, smiling, in the same photo. That was previously unheard of. It was difficult to believe the picture wasn’t photo-shopped. Next to them was Maggie’s mother, the best man, AKA himself, and the bubbly bridesmaid, the girl with the sexy curves, the vivid red hair and the green dress. She jumped right out of the photo. He’d forgotten her name but he remembered her worrying about whether or not it was bad luck to wear green at a wedding. She’d talked about nothing else in the car on the way to the church.

‘Come and meet our son,’ Alex prompted.

Nick forced a tight smile and let go of the kitchen counter, steeling himself to venture closer to the terrifying views.

Over by the windows little Horatio was being fussed over, cradled in the arms of the photographer while her assistant pointed out the London sights to the infant. Alex joined them and took his baby boy in his arms.

Having a lightbulb moment, the photographer waved a small camera. ‘Guys, I have a brilliant idea. How would you feel about a few behind the scenes shots? Casual? The photos behind the photos?’

‘Cool,’ Maggie beamed. ‘What do you say?’ She walked over to stand next to him. ‘The babies meet Uncle Nick?’

She went to hand over Phoebe. He recoiled. ‘Leave me out of it.’

‘But you’ve come specially to see them.’

‘To see them, yes. I don’t want to hold them.’ Maggie’s face clouded. She looked stricken. He felt terrible. All of a sudden he’d developed a new phobia. ‘I don’t know how.’ He made an effort to lighten up, disguise his reaction of horror. ‘I haven’t done it before.’

‘There’s nothing to it.’ Carrying Horatio, Alex joined them. ‘It’s amazing how quickly you get used to them.’

‘Try.’ Maggie held Phoebe out to him. His head pounded. He held out a finger to the baby. She took it in her little fist.

‘Strong grip.’

‘Take her,’ she encouraged.

The tiny fingers uncurled and he reclaimed his finger. ‘I can’t,’ he said, ‘I don’t want to. She’ll ruin my suit.’

Maggie laughed. ‘Nonsense. Take off your jacket and come over here.’ He shuddered as she pushed him towards a sofa. Anchored amongst the cushions he absorbed the knee-knocking view. His reaction to heights, he’d expected. A fear of babies, he hadn’t.

The photographer buzzed around, picking up a couple more cushions, and arranging them either side of him. Instead of objecting, he slicked on a professional smile.

‘Crook your arms,’ she instructed. ‘There’s a first time for everything.’

His heart lurched as he was forced to cradle not one, but two babies. In an instant the moment had been captured on camera.

Alex sat down next to him. ‘Not freaking you out too much?’

‘The babies? Yes, a lot actually.’

His brother laughed. ‘I meant the apartment.’

‘That’s freaky too. But not half as scary as these.’ He wished he was joking. Alex took Horatio from him. Phoebe squirmed, reached for her foot, grasped a sock and pulled it off, revealing five diminutive toes. He stared, taking in her tiny nails, her soft baby scent. When Maggie took her from him, he faked charmed reluctance, careful not to hand her back too eagerly, aware he’d offended her before. ‘How’s the house-hunting going?’

‘Good. We’ve seen a place we really like, but we want to take another look round before we make an offer.’

‘I bet you’ll be sad to part with your place in Cornwall.’

‘She won’t have to,’ Alex pointed out. ‘We’re keeping it as a holiday home.’

‘You know my friend Layla?’

Layla! That was her name. ‘Sure.’

‘I’ve asked her to revamp the cottage for us, redecorate the whole place.’

‘That’s what she does?’

‘Sort of. Amongst other things. She’s very arty. Anyway, it needs an update, and she’s agreed to turn it into a seaside bolt hole for us, somewhere we can escape to when we need to get out of London.’

‘Great,’ he said distractedly, ‘Sounds awesome.’

His gaze roamed the room wondering how to tell Toni about the email. His throat dried. They’d been dating for less than a year. But he’d started to think that this could be it, he could turn his life around with the socialite.

The powdery fresh smell of the babies lingered in his nose. Seeing Alex and Maggie together, he was struck with doubt. It wasn’t possible to visualize a future like this with Toni, even without Fran’s game-changing news. Could a relationship with a European princess ever be halfway normal? When he was in Paris she was in Rome. She’d been in London last weekend but it hadn’t fit with his schedule and this weekend she was with friends in Vienna. Unnerved, every muscle in his jaw tensed, as if he was bracing himself for a slap in the face.

As soon as the casual photos were done, Alex and Maggie took the babies into the spare bedroom-slash-nursery to settle them in their cots for a nap, while the photographer and her assistant packed up their stuff.

‘Bye Nick. Lovely to meet you. Thanks so much for agreeing to be photographed with the twins.’

‘You’re welcome. Good to meet you too.’ Nick shook her hand.

Still chatting excitedly about the babies, her new line of babywear designs, styling A-listers and the TV contract she’d landed on a popular morning show, Maggie accompanied the two women out into the corridor to wait for the elevator.

While she was away Alex grabbed a couple of cold beers from the fridge. ‘How are things in Paris?’

‘Not so good. The studio scenes were okay, but now we’re on location I’m leaning on the stunt guys much too much. We shot a rooftop chase last week. I nearly had a heart attack. I panicked. I hate relying on stuntmen. If it gets out, I’ll be the biggest joke in Hollywood.’

‘What are you afraid of? That’s what stunt doubles are for.’

He felt the reassuring pressure of his brother’s hand on his shoulder but a shiver ran down his spine. ‘I just wish I could chill about it and do my own stunt work. I’m not a natural action hero. I don’t have a head for heights.’