A Seaside Affair. Fern Britton

odious, thought Brooke, as their conversation droned on. Her stomach was rumbling. She hadn’t eaten since breakfast. It was getting late and she was worried that the kitchen would be closed by the time they went downstairs for dinner. Milo interrupted her thoughts. ‘So, babe, how about you tell the boys what being the face of Café Au Lait means to you?’

      Brooke’s eyes lit up. Here was her chance to tell them her master plan. ‘I went up to the Pavilions today and had a look around. It’s a fabulous building and I think it’s going to be great for CAL.’

      Milo gave her a smile of approval. Rupert had his eyes fixed on her legs where her skirt had ridden up as she sat on the stool. He’d had quite a lot to drink. The sooner she said her piece and got them downstairs for something to eat, the better.

      ‘And I’ve had a great idea,’ she ploughed on, ignoring Milo’s warning glance. ‘The Café Au Lait bistro could run side by side with the theatre. If it were situated in the foyer, it could provide restaurant catering for theatre goers and non theatre goers alike once the theatre is restored. The Pavilions would be transformed into a beacon of high entertainment for the West Country!’ She looked around expectantly. Four faces stared back at her, stunned. ‘I don’t know whether Milo has mentioned this,’ she pressed on, ‘but I am a trained actress. A good actress. I can not only be the face of Café Au Lait but also the face of the Pavilions!’

      There was silence as she finished. Then Milo got to his feet and said, ‘Brooke, may I have a word?’

      He walked towards her bedroom and she followed. ‘Close the door behind you,’ he ordered in a low voice. She did so.

      ‘What the fuck do you think you are doing?’

      ‘I … was just—’

      ‘You were just fucking me and yourself over. Save the theatre? Be an actress? What the fuck’s that about?’

      ‘Well, I …’

      He grabbed the top of her arm hard and squeezed. ‘Don’t you ever undermine me in front of a client again.’

      ‘You’re hurting my arm.’

      He pushed his face into hers and she felt his spittle on her skin as he spoke: ‘I’ll hurt more than your arm if you carry on spouting out any stupid idea that comes into that pea brain of yours. These are powerful men. They have the money, they have my balls and they have your future in their pockets. Do you understand?’

      She nodded, frightened.

      ‘They didn’t come down here to hear you speak. They came here to look at you. They came down here so that they could tell their mates they were in Brooke Lynne’s hotel room. Now you need to be nice to them – and I mean really nice. Am I making myself clear?’

      ‘Yes.’ Tears pricked her eyes but she forced them back.

      The bedroom door opened behind her. Councillor Bedford stood at the door, swaying slightly, an empty lager glass in his hand. ‘Is this a private party, or can anyone join in?’

      Milo beamed at him and let go of Brooke’s arm. ‘I was just saying, we need to get some cocktails sent up. Champagne cocktails, I think. We’ve got a lot to celebrate.’

      Brooke returned to the drawing room. ‘Get onto room service would you, Brooke. Have them send up some brandy and half a dozen bottles of champagne.’

      As she put the phone down she saw Michael emptying a small bag of white powder onto the coffee table. Taking his wallet from his pocket, he removed a platinum American Express card and began chopping the powder into thin lines. Milo was watching her. ‘Come on, Brooke. You’re a very lucky girl to be employed by these nice men. Relax.’ Michael had just hoovered up the first line. He handed her the rolled-up twenty-pound note he’d been using. ‘Ladies first – it’s good stuff.’

      ‘No thank you. I don’t—’

      Rupert put his finger in the residue Michael had left behind and rubbed it on his gums. ‘Come on, babe. It’s just a little charlie.’

      Councillor Bedford’s eyes were like saucers. ‘I’ve always wanted to try this stuff. How do you do it?’

      Rupert showed him.

      As the drug took effect, Bedford’s pupils dilated and his manner towards Brooke became more bold. ‘I must say,’ he smirked, his eyes brazenly roving over her curves, ‘This is what I call a nice bonus.’

      Brooke’s brain was spinning. How had she got into this situation? She felt a hand caressing her bottom. Rupert was behind her, whispering in her ear: ‘Why don’t we go to your bedroom? The others are happy here. Unless you’d like them to watch?’

      He slid his arm round her waist and she felt his breath and hot tongue in her ear.

      There was a knock at the door.

      ‘That’s room service.’ He let her go and she ran to the door. Toby and Marc were there, pushing a huge trolley loaded with six bottles of champagne in a wine cooler and a big bottle of brandy.

      ‘Have you got a phone on you?’ she asked in a desperate whisper.

      ‘Yeah,’ said Toby.

      ‘Give it to me.’ She took the phone and quickly turned around, thrusting the phone towards the table, capturing the lines of coke on the coffee table, the bottles of booze, and the look of stunned shock on the three men’s faces.

      Marc threw his hands up in horror. ‘Oh my God! It’s a drugs den!’

      Milo ran towards Brooke. ‘Give me that phone, you stupid bitch!’

      But Brooke was too fast for him. She ran out of the door and into the hallway screaming, ‘Help! Police! Help!’

      Toby and Marc abandoned the trolley and ran hell for leather down the corridor after her, bundling her into the service lift and taking her down to the sanctuary of the kitchen.

      For a second or two they stood in silence, panting and wild-eyed, grateful to be out of that room. Then Marc grinned at her and said, ‘You can’t half shift in those heels, girlfriend. I’m proud of you!’