Star Struck by Anne-Marie O'Connor Read Free Book Online Page B

‘We Shall Overcome’ at Central Library because they’d tried to charge him twenty-six pence for returning a Jamie Oliver cookbook two weeks late. Catherine thought this was an odd choice of book for her father to borrow seeing as he didn’t seem to know how to turn the cooker on. When the police were pulling him through the doors of the library for causing a scene, he had shouted to anyone who’d listen, ‘Get me the
Manchester Evening News
on the phone!’
    Just as Mick was getting out of the passenger door, someone ran up to the side of the car. Catherine stretched to see who it was. It was the cute clipboard guy who worked with Jason P. Longford.
    ‘Thank God I caught you.’
    ‘Me?’ said Mick.
    ‘Yeah, Dad, the world revolves round you,’ Jo quipped.
    ‘No, Catherine.’ The clipboard guy looked at her. Catherine put her hand to her chest; she was shocked. ‘Richard Forster wants you to come back in, have some time to calm down and forget what happened earlier and do the audition again.’
    Catherine was speechless. Maria wasn’t. ‘Oh my God! That is so brilliant, come on, let’s go!’
    ‘I’m under strict instructions – it’s just Catherine, I’m afraid.’
    Catherine looked at Claire, Maria, Jo, Rosie and then at her dad standing forlornly on the pavement. ‘Go on, Catherine. Go for it,’ Claire urged.
    Jo nodded in agreement. ‘Seriously, sis. Off you go. Break a leg. You’ll make a dead good fake celebrity. I’ll come to Nobu with you and hang out with Chantelle if you want.’
    Catherine smiled. ‘Thanks Jo, you’re a trooper.’
    ‘Any time.’
    ‘We’ll come and get you when you’re ready.’ Claire said. Catherine looked at her sisters. Could this be support from her family?
    ‘Good luck, Aunty Catherine,’ Rosie said sweetly.
    Even Maria managed a half-generous smile and said, ‘They must have thought you were good for something if they’re asking you back.’
    Catherine got out of the car and looked at her dad, hoping for an iota of encouragement, but he didn’t look at her. Instead he turned his attention to the guy with the clipboard and said, ‘Any chance of using the bog?’
    ‘I’m Andy, by the way,’ the clipboard guy said to Catherine, putting his hand out for her to shake. ‘I’m really sorry about what happened with Jason earlier.’
    Catherine shook his hand. It was one of those moments where she wished he hadn’t put his hand out and she could tell he was thinking the same. They shook hands limply and then both laughed, embarrassed. ‘He’s horrible,’ Catherine said about Jason. She wasn’t going to dwell on the embarrassing handshake.
    ‘Yes, he is.’
    ‘But you still work for him.’
    ‘I haven’t got any choice. Believe me, if I did I’d swap in a heartbeat,’ Andy said.
    ‘Jason P. Longford.’ Catherine mused over the name. ‘What’s the P for?’
    ‘Penis, I think.’ Andy deadpanned. Catherine cracked out laughing.
    ‘It suits him.’
    ‘He’s awful, but I can deal with awful if it means I get to do something good with my life.
Star Maker
only runs until Christmas, then after that I can hopefully work on another show.’ Andy went on to explain to Catherine a bit about his frantic job. Catherine found herself laughing at his anecdotes.
    They reached the entrance to the hotel again and Andy opened the door. Catherine stepped through, thanking him. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had opened a door for her; mostly people hadn’t realised she was there. Just being back in the waiting room made Catherine nervous again. ‘I’ll have to wait hours, won’t I?’ she said to Andy.
    ‘I don’t think so. I only said the thing about you having a few hours before you went in again for your family’s benefit. I hope you don’t mind. They seem pretty persistent and if they’d have come back in with you I think I might have been sacked.’
    Catherine laughed, mortified by her family. Then, the fact that she had been