You And Me, Always(69)

Hence the plans he'd made for tonight  …



The call on Patsy's phone had come from Sean, just to let her know that  he and Will were about to leave Stanton Langley and head up to London  for the premiere. When she told him where she was, Sean had said at  once, ‘Don't bother calling an ambulance. Stay where you are. We're on  our way.'

They arrived twenty minutes later, appearing through the torrential rain like two knights on a shining white charger.

OK, in a muddy grey Range Rover, but Patsy wasn't complaining. Her  contractions were now less than five minutes apart and she was in a  world of pain.

‘Has she had it yet?' Sean leapt down from the passenger seat and was  instantly up to his knees in water. Within two seconds his hair was  plastered to his head, his sweatshirt and jeans soaked through. ‘No?  Jolly good. Let's get her out of there, shall we?'

‘Huuuurrrgh.' Patsy clenched her teeth as the next contraction seized her in its remorseless grip. ‘HUUURRGHHH.'

Will backed up the Range Rover, sending waves of water whooshing into  the footwell of the car. Oliver and Sean linked arms and between them  managed to carry Patsy across to the 4x4 and lift her on to the back  seat. Oliver waded back, collected her case and locked the car. Then the  four of them headed off through the biblical downpour to the hospital  where Patsy was due to give birth.

Thirty minutes later, they sloshed into the car park. Will pulled the  Range Rover up outside the entrance to the maternity unit and Sean raced  inside, located a wheelchair and brought it out for Patsy to be loaded  into.

‘I feel like a sack of potatoes,' Patsy panted as they pushed her into the reception area.

‘That's exactly what you feel like,' said Sean. ‘Only heavier.'

Despite the pain, Patsy laughed and tried to hit him. The receptionist  said cheerfully to Sean, ‘So you're baby's father, I take it?'

‘Not me.' Sean shook his head. ‘I'm the ex-husband.'

‘Oh, right. Sorry! Is it you, then?' Taking in the impressively broad  shoulders and huge biceps, the receptionist beamed at Will.
                       
       
           



       
‘Ow, ow, wrong again.' Patsy puffed her way through the next contraction. ‘He's my ex-husband's boyfriend.'

‘But you never know,' Will said cheerily, because they were currently  interviewing potential surrogate mothers, ‘you might see us back here in  a year or two when we have one of our own.'

‘Right! I see!' The receptionist, who had clearly encountered every  possible variation in her time, turned to Oliver and said brightly, ‘So  how about you, dear? Third time lucky, or are you a taxi driver just  here to pick someone up?'

‘Ow ow ow,' said Oliver, because Patsy was squeezing his hand so tightly  his fingers had gone blue. Then he broke into a huge smile suffused  with pride. ‘I picked her up fifteen months ago. Yes, I'm the father.'

‘Well that's great,' said the receptionist. ‘And how many of you are staying for the birth?'

‘Not me!' Will looked horrified.

‘Nor me.' Sean took the keys to the Range Rover from Will. ‘We're off to the cinema to see a film.'

Oliver rubbed his crushed fingers. ‘Looks like it's just me, then.' Then  he rested his hand on Patsy's shoulder and shook his head in  wonderment. ‘I'm going to be a dad. I can't believe it.'

‘I'm going to be a mum.' Patsy smiled up at him.

‘We're going to have a baby,' Oliver marvelled.

‘And it's not going to be born on the back seat of a broken-down car,  thanks to us.' Sean struck a manly pose. ‘We're like gay superheroes.'

‘OK, the midwife will be along to see you any minute now,' the  receptionist told Patsy before turning her attention back to Sean and  Will. ‘So! What film is it you're off to see?'

‘It's called Five Days Away,' said Will.

‘Oh that one  –  gosh I had no idea it was even out yet! It was filmed not  far from here, did you know that? Starring Eddie Tessler and Mira  Knowles  …  ooh, I love those two,' the receptionist exclaimed. ‘I've  heard it's supposed to be really good  … '



Prior to the premiere, everyone had gathered in a private room at the  hotel where they were staying. Champagne was served, members of the cast  and crew met up once more with the characters Eddie had based his  screenplay on, and the producer and director both gave brief speeches to  say how incredibly proud they were of the end result.

‘Any news about Patsy?' Once the speeches were over, Eddie joined Lily,  who took out her phone and checked that no new texts had come through  while it was switched off.

‘Not yet. Oliver said they'll be back in touch once it's over. We're not  allowed to call them because apparently she's busy being in labour and  it's distracting. So who knows when we'll hear? Could be any minute  now,' said Lily. ‘Or tomorrow morning.'

‘That's the trouble with babies,' said Eddie. ‘They're such divas. So self-centred and unpredictable.'

Lily said, ‘And now it's my turn to ask. Do you have any news?'

‘About what?'

‘Whatever you like. But I'm kind of wondering if there's anything you'd like to tell me about you and Mira.'

Silence. Eddie was looking at her. Finally he said, ‘Are you a witch?'

Lily grinned. ‘Considering you're actually a pretty good actor, you  haven't been able to hide it very well. Even Dan noticed something was  going on with you two. And he's a man.'

He gave in with good grace. ‘Oh well, we're just trying to keep the  press off our backs for a bit longer. It'll come out sooner or later.  Two years we've known each other, three films we've made together, and  all that time we were just friends. Then a couple of weeks ago we met up  in New York and everything changed.'

‘That's brilliant.' Lily truly meant it. ‘I'm so happy for you.'

‘It might not last. It's great at the moment.' As he spoke, Eddie's gaze  settled on Mira across the room, talking to Will and Sean. ‘But you  never know how things will work out, do you? Especially in our  business.' He pulled a face. ‘I'm still pretty new to it, remember. Mira  was a child star  –  she's been famous her whole life. She's incredible  and I love being with her, but she hasn't exactly had a normal  upbringing.'

Turning to look at them from thirty feet away, Mira winked at Lily. ‘On  the other hand, I have amazing hearing. Ears like a bat!'                       
       
           



       

The waiters were collecting up glasses; it was time for everyone to  leave the hotel and make their way across to Leicester Square.

‘Heard anything?' Coral joined Lily and Eddie while Dan and Declan went to check the cars were waiting for them outside.

‘Still no news. You look fantastic,' said Lily.

‘Do I? Are you sure?' Coral smoothed down her coffee silk dress. ‘These  heels are killing me. I can't believe I'm about to walk down an actual  red carpet!'

Declan was at the doorway, beckoning to them. Lily said, ‘You can take your shoes off as soon as we're inside the cinema.'

‘But I don't want to rush in,' Coral protested. ‘It's going to be my one  and only real-life red carpet experience. I want to make it last as  long as I can.'





Chapter 53



‘RRRRRAAARRRGGGGGHHHHH.'

Patsy was roaring now. Oh God, the unearthly noise she was making; she  sounded like a wild animal, and she felt like one too. Panting hard and  aware of the perspiration trickling down her forehead, she opened her  eyes and gasped, ‘Sorry  …  I'm sorry, is this completely putting you off  me?'

Oliver mopped her forehead with a wrung-out cold flannel and smiled down at her. ‘It's not putting me off you.'

‘Are you sure? Because what if you're thinking this is the most hideous  experience of your life and you can't stand the sound of me howling like  a  …  ow, like a wolf  …  owwww  …  oh make it stop  …  waaahhhhh!'

‘OK, listen to me,' Oliver said when the contraction had eased off. ‘You  look beautiful. You're having my baby and I'm not going anywhere. I  already love both of you and one of you hasn't even been born yet.'

The warmth of his reassuring words flooded through her. Patsy felt her  heart swell and her anxiety recede. This wonderful man was the best  thing that had ever happened to her; with Oliver at her side she could  do anything, including giving birth to something the size of a  prize-winning pumpkin.