Jenna sighed.
‘It’s OK. You know I’m loyal, don’t you? I wouldn’t tell him anything you wouldn’t want him to know. I just said you and Jason were serious, when he asked.’
‘Good,’ said Jenna. ‘It’s good you told him that.’
‘But …’ Kayley said softly. ‘I did promise him I’d ask you about taking part in his documentary.’
Jenna stared bleakly through the windscreen. She knew from frantic calls from her PA in London that fielding Deano’s people’s requests for her participation in this had become a full-time job for her. The lines had been red hot for the last twenty-four hours.
‘I’ve told them I’m busy,’ she said. ‘I really don’t want to work with Deano, at least until this sabbatical year is over. I came here for peace. He can make his bloody film next year, can’t he? Bledburn isn’t going to melt in the meantime. And neither am I.’
‘Oh, I don’t know,’ said Kayley slyly. ‘You might.’
Jenna’s hand closed around the paper bag, then dropped it. A shot of shame, mixed with lust, interrupted her ire. Yes, Jason might melt her. Kayley had good grounds for thinking so.
‘Well, even if I do, I’m not having anything to do with his self-glorifying biopic until I decide I’m ready,’ she said tartly.
‘Did you know he’s taken over the talent show?’
‘He’s what?’
Kayley bit her lip.
‘Yeah. He’s just given a press conference at the youth club. Going on about giving something back to Bledburn. Pretty much your reasons for doing it, if I remember.’
‘The cheeky …’ Jenna broke off, inarticulate with annoyance.
If she was thinking clearly, she would have admitted to herself that this was almost a relief, in a way. She’d never wanted to do the talent show. Her idea was to invest in some decent recording equipment for the youth club – then Lawrence Harville had taken over with his Bledburn’s Got Talent nonsense.
This occurred to her with a horrible sickening thud.
‘Is Harville still involved?’
Kayl
ey nodded mutely.
‘How could he? He hates the Harvilles! He’s a bloody hypocrite and a … a … a … turncoat.’
‘But to be fair,’ Kayley interposed gently, ‘he still really hates Lawrence Harville and wants him off the project. In fact …’
She blushed and Jenna’s eyes widened.
‘In fact what?’
‘In fact, he rescued me from Harville. I was trapped in the youth club, about to get caught, and Deano let me make a quick getaway in his car.’
Jenna stared.
‘What the hell were you doing on the estate? Kayley, you promised you were going to stay out of danger.’
‘I know, I never meant to end up there. Just … I needed some air, and I was taking a walk when I noticed something going off by the youth club. TV vans and all. I couldn’t resist … Yeah, I know it was stupid, OK? It won’t happen again.’
‘Damn right it won’t,’ said Jenna. ‘You’re moving into the Hall with us tomorrow. No arguments. I can’t lose my right-hand woman, can I?’
Kayley smiled, then looked down at the paper bag. ‘Won’t that cramp your and Jason’s style?’ she asked.
It was Jenna’s turn to blush.