Page 73 of Tricks & Treats at The Cosy Cornish Bakery

Josh sucked in a deep breath and then exhaled sharply. ‘Okay, then, here goes. Val and Dana collected me from here. Dana insisted I had to return to LA.’

‘You’ve been in the States?’ Ginger asked in surprise.

‘Yeah. The difference in temperature is why I’m so cold, but it’s mainly the jet lag. That really gets to me. It totally messes me up.’

‘Why did you have to go to the States?’

‘I’d been blocking Dana all the time I’d been here. I wanted to have a break from everything. From everyone wanting a piece of me and that included Dana. She’s my assistant and I pay her wages but…’ he paused and shrugged, ‘well, you’ve met her. Most of the time it’s easier to go along with what she suggests. Makes for a quieter life and she’s amazingly efficient. Most of the time.’ He studied his neglected cocoa. ‘I’d been ignoring her calls and emails but a text got through. I had a bunch of contracts I needed to discuss urgently. I’d been putting off thinking about them for a while, burying my head in the sand. Coming here was an escape from all that. I’ve been so stupid. I left it all until the last minute. They’re contracts for another five Captain Titan films.’ He bit his lip. ‘It was a pretty big decision. Money’s great, that I can’t deny, but I couldn’t face another six or seven years making the dross that passes as those films. I felt my creative soul was being burned alive.’

‘Bit dramatic.’

‘Sure, but that’s how it felt.’

‘I remember you saying you were wrestling with a decision. You were quiet at breakfast one morning. It was on the day of the massage.’ Ginger was intrigued, despite herself.

Josh’s face flushed. ‘Ah yes, the massage. Oh, man.’ He gave a short laugh. ‘Didn’t help me make the decision but sure as hell got me sidetracked for a while.’

Ginger’s face heated too, remembering the effect it had had on her. Then she hardened her resolve. Josh still had so much to explain and she refused to be distracted.

‘I suppose I’d pretty much decided I was going to bail on signing up. Dana took my radio silence as such and panicked. I guess with me not being the big star, her career goes kaput, too. At least until she gets another gig. She got me in the car and onto a flight and all the time was in my ear bugging me over what a big mistake it was. I didn’t sleep on the plane. Wanted to stick my headphones on, tell her to get lost–’

‘So why didn’t you?’

‘Because she was eating away at the decision I thought I’d made. It’s what she does. It’s how she gets people to do stuff. Sheer willpower and determination. That’s why I’d blocked her. I knew she’d try to get me to change my mind.’

‘Why is she so invested in you signing?’

‘Money. Kudos. Who knows,’ he added wearily. ‘She likes the fame that comes along with assisting the star of the moment.’ He ran a finger around the collar of his jacket as if it was too tight. ‘She’s a trained actor, too. Think a lot of it is thwarted ambition. She couldn’t make it so hitched her wagon to me and lived it vicariously. Anyway, Dana got me through LAX and into a hotel, fed me sleeping pills and I was laid out for two days.’

Ginger drew in a shocked breath. ‘Is she allowed to do that? Surely that’s illegal?’

Josh shrugged. ‘Who knows. She’s done it before. I’m not good on long haul flights. I get bored, claustrophobic, can’t rest up. We’d been drinking on the plane so I didn’t know which way was up. She kept the champagne flowing, said I was overwrought, and slipped me something to calm me down on the flight. Then gave me more stuff to make me sleep in the hotel.’ He shot her a look. ‘So when I say I didn’t have time to call you, it’s only partly the truth. Most of the time I was there I was out of it on something or other. They have a pill for everything over there. Pills to get you down, pills to get you going again. I had some of those to get me in some kind of state for the meetings, but by the time I got in front of the attorneys and studio execs I was still seriously jet-lagged and about as confused as I’ve ever been.’

Ginger leaned her elbows on the kitchen table, fascinated. She hated to think of Josh being like that. So vulnerable. Her first instincts about Dana had been right. The woman was a prize A bitch. And quite possibly criminal, too. ‘What did you do?’

‘Didn’t sign.’

‘Oh.’ Ginger’s mouth dropped open. It was a huge thing to walk away from. ‘Big decision.’

‘The biggest.’

‘What happened then?’

‘Had another day of the studio execs and Dana bending my ear saying I should reconsider. I had my US agent and my attorneys go over my contract making sure I had a release clause so I could walk away.’ He scrubbed his hands over his face again. ‘It’s been hell.’

‘They must really love you.’

He huffed. ‘They love the money I can bring in. Now they have to recast, take a chance on a newbie, take the chance if a new look franchise, which is well-established now, will be a hit with the audience. Changing the lead doesn’t always work. Think of the tension around a new Bond being announced. It has to be right.’

‘Only in the world you inhabit, Josh. Us ordinary folk don’t go around panting about who’s going to be the next James Bond. We’re just getting on with our lives.’

‘That’s the Tinsel Town bubble, for you.’ He blew on his cocoa, then drank some. ‘You can see why I had to get out.’

‘I can.’ There was a long silence in the kitchen, then Ginger asked, ‘What are you going to do now?’

Josh brightened. ‘Going to make television. I’d been sketching out some ideas while I was here. Going to pull in a few favours from a few buddies. I’m going to be the one in charge for a change. Might even try my hand at directing.’

Ginger nodded. ‘I understand. Sounds good.’ She took a swig of cocoa. ‘I can see why you didn’t have time to contact me.’ She kept her voice neutral. Something still didn’t add up.