Devoted: The Blackwell Lessons Part 34

I sit up to get a better look, pus.h.i.+ng Leo back from me.

'Is this how you usually act after s.e.x?' says Leo, rolling onto his elbow. 'Boy I'm starting to feel sorry for Marc. And I never thought that would happen.'

'Marc was right there,' I say. 'I told him not to come today. But he was there. On set.'

Nadia turns to where I'm looking. 'Marc?'

'Yes.' I scramble to my feet. 'Where did he go?'

'I bet he left,' says Leo. 'Men hate getting told off by their women. Trust me. I should know.'

'Marc's not like that,' I say.

'All men are like that,' says Leo. 'No matter how brave they think they are. They're all scared of an angry woman.'

I grab my robe from the costume rail and throw it on. 'I can't believe it. I told him not to come. What does he think he's doing? Where did he go, anyway?'

Nadia shrugs. 'I was too busy watching you guys. If he saw that scene with you and Leo, I'd guess he's feeling pretty jealous right now. Any husband would. That scene was red hot. Are you sure there's nothing between you two?' She winks. 'You don't usually see chemistry like that unless there are real feelings.'

'How dare you Nadia!' says Leo. 'I'm engaged to be married.' He puts a friendly arm around my shoulder. 'Seriously though. Sophia and I are just good friends. We tried the other route and nothing happening.'

'We didn't try the other route,' I say. 'You tried to kiss me. That was all.'

'And you kissed me back if I remember,' says Leo.

'Oh, for like half a second.'

'Okay, okay. Listen. I'm just kidding. You're a great actress, that's all I'm saying.'

'You're not so bad yourself,' I say, remembering the intensity of Leo's stare and the feeling of his hard body.

I think about Marc, watching the two of us. And I feel angry. I told him not to come on set. If he feels hurt, it's really his fault. I wouldn't watch him doing a s.e.x scene with another woman. Not in a million years.

'I need to find Marc,' I say, pulling on a pair of towelling slippers. 'He has some explaining to do.'

I head down the studio corridor, but I don't see Marc.

When I get to the dressing rooms, I grab my phone and call his number.

It goes straight through to answer machine.

As I'm slipping on my summer dress and flip flops, I hear noises. Kind of wailing, clanking noises. Coming from the far-away dressing room.

What is that?

I tiptoe closer and see a dressing room door is a little open.

65.

Through the crack in the door, I see Baz and Sigourney.

Sigourney is completely naked, but Baz is dressed in full battle medieval battle gear and holding a broadsword to her throat.

At first, I wonder what the h.e.l.l is going on and think I might have to call for help.

But then Sigourney screams, 'Harder. HARDER! Oh yes. YES! f.u.c.k me. Harder. HARDER!'

Her knuckles are white on Baz's metal shoulder plates as he moves between her legs.

'DO ME. f.u.c.kING DO ME!' Sigourney screams.

Whoa.

I tiptoe back, then turn and creep out of the dressing room stifling a laugh.

It looks like those two have made up. I just hope it lasts.

'Hey,' I ask the receptionist. 'Has Marc been past here? Marc Blackwell?'

'Marc? Um ... someone left a moment ago. A man I think.'

'Where did he go?'

'Towards the car park. I heard a car leave.'

I call Marc again.

This time he answers. 'Sophia?'

I hear traffic in the background and guess he must be in his car.

'Where are you?' I fume. 'What were you doing on set?'

Silence.

'Marc?'

'I wasn't on set.'

'Oh don't give me that. The receptionist saw you leave.'

'She was mistaken.'

'That would make both of us mistaken.'

'Sophia. You've been working hard. You're tired. Stressed. Stressed people make mistakes.'

I put the phone to my chest and whirl around to the receptionist. 'You saw Marc, right?'

'Um ...' the receptionist frowns. 'Someone did come by ... I couldn't tell you who.'

Now I'm really confused.

I put the phone back to my ear. 'But I saw you.'

A pause.

'I wasn't on set today.'

'You wouldn't lie to me would you?'

Another pause.

'Marc?'

'No. I wouldn't lie to you.'

This is mad.

Maybe I'm working too hard and I really am seeing things. But a niggling part of me says I should be worried. Because even though I trust Marc, the way he's speaking right now is kind of strange. And I'm so sure I saw him ... and this has happened twice ...

Am I going crazy?

66.

When we get home that night, I don't ask Marc about being on set. Because I know what he'll say.

I've already told you Sophia. I wasn't there. Now drop it.

Either Marc isn't telling the truth, or I'm imagining things. And the Marc I know isn't a liar. So what the h.e.l.l is going on?

Dinner at the townhouse is a little stilted. Marc's deep in thought probably about my s.e.x scene. And I am too. I'm still wondering why I saw Marc on set. Can you get hallucinations when you're pregnant? I've never heard of it happening but I guess anything is possible. Maybe I should talk to Dr Christian ...

'So what did you do today?' I ask Marc, as Rodney serves us goats' cheese and walnut salad.

'I saw a new property in London,' says Marc. 'A good development opportunity. Maybe for a new college.'

'Don't you want to ask about my scene?' I ask.

'No Sophia, I do not want to ask about your scene. I do not want to know about you lying semi-naked on a bed of straw, with Leo Falkirk on top of you.'

My fork drops to the table. 'So you were there.'

'I beg your pardon?'

'You were there. On set today.'

'Sophia, we've already been over this. I told you I wasn't there. Now if pregnancy is making you so tired that you're seeing things, I really think-'

'I wasn't seeing things,' I shout. 'You were there. How else could you have known how Leo and I were arranged?'

'It was a guess Sophia. I've read the script. Christ you want to know what I've been doing all day? I've been imagining my pregnant wife with another man. I've been imagining every detail of the scene. The bed. The walls ...'

My heart softens a little.

I go to him, dropping my arms around his shoulders. 'I'm sorry. I'm tired. It's been a funny day.'

'For you and me both.'

'The movie will be finished soon.'

'Not that soon.'

'Okay, so there's another. But as far as Leo and I go, all the intimate scenes are done.'

'I'm glad to hear it. Very, very glad to hear it.'

67.

Two months later ...

'So what do you think?' Jen holds up a flowing white dress with a high sweetheart neckline. It's made from thick silk and has long lace sleeves.