Behind the Film Star's Smile by Kate Hardy Read Free Book Online Page A

hadn’t happened, or they wouldn’t be on the film set together right now.
    ‘Then I joined Footlights,’ he said.
    She blinked as his words sank in. ‘You were at Cambridge?’ So he was super-bright as well as gorgeous.
    He gave a self-deprecating shrug. ‘I loved Footlights. I met some really nice people—people who are still close friends now—and found what I really wanted to do in life.’
    But he’d just told her that his family had expected him to follow in his father’s footsteps. Had they been disappointed when he hadn’t? Or had they encouraged him to follow his dreams? Jess wished now that she’d paid attention whenever Carly or Shannon had thrust a magazine article about Luke McKenzie in front of her. It would be rude to ask him, and she could hardly grill her sister or her best friend—not without giving an explanation she wasn’t ready to give. So she just smiled at him and hoped he’d take it as an invitation to continue talking.
    ‘I had a deal with my parents that I’d take a year out after graduation. If I couldn’t make it as an actor within that year, then I’d join the family firm and train as a barrister.’
    ‘I think you’d have made a good barrister,’ she said. ‘You’ve got presence and that would show in court.’
    ‘Thank you.’ He looked at her, his eyes narrowed slightly. ‘That sounds as if you’re talking from experience.’
    She backtracked fast. ‘I know a couple of barristers,’ she said, keeping it vague. He didn’t need to know that she knew them professionally rather than socially. ‘So obviously you made it as an actor.’
    ‘By the skin of my teeth—half the time in that first year I was “resting” and working as a waiter,’ he admitted. ‘It got to the eleventh month in my year out and my parents were starting to put pressure on me—but then I got my lucky break. A director had seen me play Benedick in Much Ado and wanted me for the lead in her new film. It was a small-budget indie production, and it was pretty likely that it wasn’t going to get anywhere, but I loved the script. So I thought I might as well end my acting career doing something I really loved.’
    ‘Was that when you played Marcus Bailey?’ It was the film her sister and best friend had first seen him in and fallen in love with him. Thousands of other women had clearly felt the same, because the independent film had taken the world by storm. ‘That was the one.’ He smiled. ‘Which is why I’d work for free for Libby. Without her I would’ve been stuck in chambers. I mean, I could’ve done the job, and I would’ve put in enough effort to make sure I did it well—but I would always have regretted losing my dreams.’
    Her own parents had always been so supportive, Jess thought. She’d been really lucky. Whereas Luke’s parents had given him an ultimatum and put pressure on him not to follow his dreams. She wondered if his aunt Monica—the dog rescuer—had been the one to take his part. Though asking wouldn’t be tactful. Instead, she turned the conversation to something much lighter, and by the time they’d finished their sandwiches his laughter was definitely genuine and showed in his eyes, rather than being faked to put her off the scent.
    ‘Has anyone told you how restful you are?’ Luke asked when they’d finished.
    Jess looked surprised. ‘How do you mean?’
    ‘You don’t need to fill all the silences.’
    She shrugged. Probably because she was used to spending her time with animals. You needed to know when to shut up and let them get on with their job. ‘Is that so unusual?’ she prevaricated.
    He laughed. ‘I guess I hang around with too many actors. They’re not so good at shutting up.’
    ‘But you use silence in films—for comic timing and what have you.’
    ‘That’s scripted,’ he said. ‘Or your own interpretation of the script. That’s different. I mean outside work. And it’s so nice not having someone trying to set me up on a