Hey Summer,
Wow! I am totally stoked to be in your orbit and would LOVE to be involved in this secret project. It’s actually perfect timing cos I’m just wrapping up a big project that I’ve been working on for months! I am single, sizzling hot, have absolutely NO commitments and I’m good to go. Just tell me where and when you want me!
Ella xxx
Yess! I now had my own little threat to hang over her – in writing. Hopefully this would be enough to shut her up, or send her packing.
A veritable slew of photos followed, so many that I had to turn the volume off on my phone because of the incessant pinging; I didn’t want to alert her in any way. These, of course, were all the photos she’d just taken. Even sexier and more out there than usual, they were Ella’s desperate bid for TV stardom. I was rather pleased with myself – I’d pitched it just right.
Shame I wasn’t going to answer, I could have had more fun, but I now had enough proof that she’d dump Jamie in an instant as soon as that better offer came along. Meanwhile, she’d be so strung out waiting for the response, she might lay off me until I could find the time to chat with her – alone. Yes, I’d let her sweat, make her really want this – after all @StarsTV wouldn’t get back straight away. They’d be talking to other Instagrammers about their ‘super secret’ project too, wouldn’t they?
I watched her for the next couple of days. She was happier, her movements quicker, with purpose. I could tell she was mentally preparing to fly away from Jamie and his difficult family. I knew how this felt, because I’d also planned to leave Dan at least twice when he’d cheated. Both times I’d had this crazy idea that we could all go to my cousin in Scotland, then I’d contemplated starting a new life without Dan, by moving to a nursing job in a hospital far away. But for me it had been a daydream; my priority, my real purpose, was to keep my family. I wasn’t Ella, wandering the globe, looking for my next hook-up – I had a husband, kids, I had the Taylors. I appreciated what they’d given me. However, Ella was a different woman in a different life and from her swift response to my TV message it was clear that Ella was happy to abandon her husband for the chance to star on a TV show. She was the butterfly flapping its wings – she had no loyalty, no commitment to anyone except herself.
Two nights after she’d received the message about the TV show, we all ate together as usual, but Jamie didn’t join us – Ella explained that he had mild sunstroke.
‘Oh, I have some skin cream, and some rehydrating tablets if that would help?’ I offered.
‘Oh, Clare, you’re always playing the nurse. No. He’ll be fine,’ she said, and smirked at me. I felt so trapped, so on edge with her around, but now I had my own weapon, and I admit I was rather looking forward to using it.
So, after dinner, I suggested we both do the washing up together, and no one argued with that, including her. I think the others were a little wary, and didn’t want to get caught in any crossfire between us over the Fairy Liquid, so, after helping us clear the table, they happily let us go off to the kitchen to wash up and hopefully work things out. I couldn’t wait.
‘Are you okay?’ I said to Ella, once we’d filled the sink with hot, soapy water and immersed the first load of pots.
‘I am more than okay, Clare,’ she said, and I could just tell she was dying to tell someone her news.
‘You seem very happy,’ I pushed a little.
‘That’s because I am.’
As tempting as it was, I couldn’t make this go on any longer. I wasn’t doing it to get kicks. ‘I have something to tell you,’ I started. ‘It’s about the message you received from the TV company the other day.’
She looked at me suspiciously. ‘What message?’
‘Stars TV… the new “super secret” project? A cross between Love Island and The Bachelor?’
She turned to look at me. ‘How… how do you know about that? Oh. My. God. Clare, have you been reading my messages? Wow, you’re even sadder than I thought.’ She threw down the tea towel she’d been holding.
I shook my head. ‘No, I’m really not that interested in your messages.’
‘Liar. How do you know then?’
‘Because I sent it.’
‘What the hell?’ Her mouth fell open, she couldn’t take in what I’d said.
‘Wow’ was all she kept saying over and over. I don’t think I’d ever seen anyone so shocked; she hadn’t suspected a thing. She was looking at me, just shaking her head. ‘How could you, Clare?’ She was about to cry.