Excess All Areas by Mandy Baggot Page B

were well seasoned actors and also at the table were Jack Barnes and Andrew Masters, members of the production team. Roll Lady was in fact Nicholas’ personal assistant and was called Martha Wilson.
    Freya was seated with Nicholas on one side of her and Emma on the other. Emma had Bob Crosby squeezed in next to her. It was a bit snug and Freya was not in a good position to see the sunset. She decided this was a situation she must rectify when the time came.
    ‘ So we’ve done all the introductions but we don’t know your names,’ Bob Crosby spoke, getting as close as he could to Emma.
    Freya shook her head at his pathetic attempt at flirtation. He and Gene were both in their forties and these days played mostly character roles. This usually involved them being either gangsters in action movies or father figures in romantic comedies.
    ‘ I’m Emma and this is…’ Emma began.
    ‘ This is Freya,’ Nicholas interrupted and announced to the table.
    Freya looked surprised that he knew her name.
    ‘ I overheard Emma use your name when she was persuading you to come back and eat. It’s a cool name, unusual,’ Nicholas whispered to her.
    ‘ It suits,’ Freya responded.
    ‘ Well Emma and Freya, it’s nice to meet you, just please, can we call time on any more baskets of rolls? They kind of mess up the table settings,’ Gene Bates retorted and laughed out loud.
    Freya bit her tongue. She was going through this charade for Emma, kind sweet Emma who had welcomed her back to Kassiopi with open arms and was now being letched over by an aging Hollywood lothario.
    ‘ So Freya, are you here on holiday?’ Nicholas asked her, taking a sip of his drink.
    ‘ Yes, kind of. I sorted out some business at home and then decided to visit a friend,’ Freya told him.
    She picked up a bread roll from the small basket in the middle of the table and bit into it. She was starving and she wished the food would hurry up as smelling Nicholas’ plate of kleftico was accelerating her hunger pangs.
    ‘ Been to Kassiopi before?’ Nicholas continued as he ate.
    ‘ Yes, several times. You?’ Freya asked politely.
    ‘ This is my first time,’ he admitted with a smile.
    ‘ Ooo a Kassiopi virgin,’ Freya replied.
    ‘ Yes that’s right. Well, even you must have been a virgin once,’ Nicholas joked, unable to contain a smirk.
    ‘ So what do you think of the village?’ Freya asked him, not responding to his comment.
    ‘ I think it’s terrific. The scenery’s spectacular, the people are friendly, well the locals at least, and it has a great feel to it,’ Nicholas told her.
    ‘ Yes, it has,’ Freya agreed.
    ‘ Be careful there, you’re agreeing with me on something. In a second you might have to admit I’m not the awful person you think I am,’ Nicholas spoke, looking directly at Freya.
    ‘ Pass the water would you?’ Freya asked quickly, feeling a touch of embarrassment.
    Nicholas smiled and handed her the jug.
    ‘ So how’s filming going Nicholas?’ Emma piped up, sipping her drink and beaming from ear to ear.
    ‘ Please, call me Nick. I’ve never been struck on the full name. It’s going well, we had a little trouble today with the heat but we’re getting there,’ he answered.
    ‘ It’s out on the boat tomorrow isn’t it?’ Hilary Polar spoke, putting her arm around Nicholas’ shoulders and nearly hitting Freya as she did so.
    ‘ Yes and some work for the stunt double,’ Nicholas said.
    ‘ Goodness, what have you got to do on the boat that you need a stuntman for?’ Emma asked him, intrigued.
    ‘ Well my character gets knocked overboard and then dragged along by the boat,’ Nicholas explained.
    ‘ He wanted to do the stunt himself but insurance would not allow it,’ Martha informed everyone.
    ‘ Pity,’ Freya remarked, under her breath.
    ‘ Come on, you really don’t mean that,’ Nicholas said, turning in his chair to face her.
    ‘ No? Not after you and your entourage have been a thorn in my side