Chapter 45

After we had eaten one by one, we drifted off to bed. Mandy and I were the last to leave the patio. We tidied up and went to bed. I went into the bathroom and reviewed my bruises. I was sure they would not be an issue the following day. I had had a lot worse, that was for sure.

Then I joined Mandy in my bed. We lay in each other’s arms and held each other. There was no need for words ... we just held each other, and then something popped into my head.

“So, how did things go with Maria?” I asked

“Oh, that was a shot meeting. She wanted a lot more than we had to offer for a one-off movie, plus she was a bit of a princess, to be fair!” Mandy giggled

So that was that...

Things over the next few days could change the way our lives would work out forever.

I woke up the following morning, and after a kiss and cuddle with Mandy, we both got up and made a coffee. It was mad to think that we only had one more day in sunny Spain. Tomorrow morning, we will be leaving and going back to the grey, wet, and windy Midlands, back to the UK.

I had had these feelings many times when I was in the services, as my deployments came to an end, and I was shipped back to some faceless army base. Every soldier has experienced it a few times in their career.

As I brewed up, Andy came into the kitchen.

“Morning, mate, “he said and opened the fridge; there was bugger all in it. We had run our supplies down. He opened the cupboard and took out a loaf of bread. He tutted as he loaded the toaster.

“Toast for breakfast, then, Andy?” I giggled.

“Yes mate, one round or two?” he replied, the gumminess in his voice was more than evident.

“Two, please, mate,” I said and handed him a mug of coffee.

“Cheers, mate,” he muttered.

Carl and Mandy came into the kitchen two minutes later, quickly followed by Toni. She took Troy a coffee and a bottle of water. She told us he was feeling low and was stopping in bed. She came back and joined us at the table.

The toast was made and buttered, and more coffee was poured and drunk.

The malaise of last night had continued into today, and it lay heavy on us.

The table was quiet, and it was worrying but expected.

We all ate, and the rest of the team drifted off, leaving me and Toni to tidy up.

“Thanks for yesterday; both Troy and I are very grateful for your help!” she said as she washed the crocks.

“Don’t make a big thing about it, please, Toni, and just to be clear, I did it for you, not for him!” I replied with a shake of my head.

“But...” She started to say, but I interrupted her.

“Toni, you were good to me when I got into this industry; you helped me practice and taught me loads; we are mates, we are friends, but he is a first-class dick with a chip on his shoulder!” I said and shook my head.

“Okay, yes, but I love him, and he loves me,” she said and started to cry.

I put the tea towel down and took her in my arms, and she cried into my chest. As she wept, I wondered if she believed those words. She cried into my chest until she heard the other guys moving around, and then she went into the bedroom to check on Troy and wash her face.

Minutes later, the whole team was mustered in the kitchen and ready to go. I grabbed the keys to the minibus and led them outside. As soon as we were all in, the windows were down, and the radio cranked up. It was a short drive to the studio, but the guys seemed to be in good form, all singing along to the tunes the local DJ was blasting over the airwaves.

The local radio always seemed to crank out the best eighties sounds.

I parked up, and after Mandy had unlocked the studio doors and turned off the alarm, we all headed inside. Sue would be getting a taxi over, and she was due in half an hour. That gave the techies the opportunity to check out the cameras and sound equipment. I made coffee, and Toni and Mandy fussed around the sets.

We were unsure what scenarios Sue had in mind, so we couldn’t fully get set up, but there was always work to be done. Mandy was making sure we were all busy.

She came over to me and inspected my face.

“Well, we will have to use a bit more makeup than normal!” she said and shook her head before kissing me.

I went back into the kitchen, got some ice from the machine, and applied it to my head and hands. I had looked at them that morning before I showered, and they didn’t look too bad. I was sure they would be faded by the time we got back to the UK.

Once I had brewed up, I took the drinks onto the set. We sat around, drank, and talked about the films today. Mandy really wanted to get some more solo action from Sue. They had got loads yesterday, but she felt that they had more than enough for one film but not enough for two.

She told us that if we got some more solo action, the studio could release two volumes and two films to add to the sales brochures. I would not make any money out of them, but I knew they were important when it came to the life of the studio.

None of us mentioned that there might not be a studio this time next week. It was the elephant in the room.

Sue arrived early, and she brought with her a small, wheeled suitcase. I offered a drink, and she asked for bottled water. Once she was seated and happy, Mandy called the guys to order.

“Right, guys, let’s get to work; it is our last day, so let’s make it a good one,” she said and turned to face Sue, “Right, Sue, love, tell us about your scenarios, but first let’s recap on the rules of engagement,”