Grace smiled at the woman, who looked like a brunette Christie Brinkley. ‘Hello, Kelly.’
‘Hiya,’ said Kelly, as she tipped Calypso’s head back and brushed her neck.
‘How’s Frank?’ asked Calypso.
There is no way she doesn’t know, thought Grace, but she wasn’t going to pretend. ‘Um, we broke up.’
Calypso sat up and grabbed Grace’s hand. ‘What? No. Damn it.’
Grace smiled thinly. ‘It’s OK, better to not drag it out,’ she said, wondering how much Calypso knew.
‘But why? I just told Kelly that I was sure he was in love with you,’ said Calypso, her pretty face clouded with concern.
Grace looked away for a moment. Perhaps he was but not enough, she thought. ‘Oh well, things happen. It’s better that I know now.’
‘So you found out, huh?’ asked Calypso. ‘I told him he was an idiot for hiding it,’ she said to Kelly.
Grace was confused. Found out what? It was him who found out about her, not the other way around. ‘I’m not sure what you mean?’ said Grace. ‘We broke up because...’
And then she stopped. We broke up because I’m a sorry ass alcoholic who was raped by my half-brother and can’t cope with intimacy, she thought. But she said nothing.
She saw the makeup artist looking at her, as though reading her thoughts. Grace felt unnerved. ‘It’s fine, I’m sure we will be friends,’ she said lightly. ‘Now, do you have everything you need?’
‘Yes, and TG is on his way. He’s dropping August at my mom’s for the day.’
Grace was pulled away by Sophie, who was styling, and soon the shooting started. Grace watched entranced as Calypso worked her magic in front of the lens. The room was fun and they grooved to R&B and old classics selected by TG and Grace thought that if Frank was by her side it would have been perfect.
At the break Grace went to get a coffee and something to eat after she realised she hadn’t eaten for nearly 12 hours. Kelly the makeup artist was getting herself a green tea and she looked up at Grace. ‘So how you doing?’ she asked.
‘Great, great, it’s all going well.’
‘I mean about Frank. I know him really well. He can be a little hard to read but he is a good person, really.’
Grace felt unsure what to say.
‘It’s OK, really. It was just a brief thing. I am sure he is over me already.’
‘I don’t think so,’ said Kelly, as she took some fruit and started to peel an orange.
‘Really, it’s nothing.’
‘Uh huh,’ said Kelly. ‘Anyway, don’t give up on him just yet. He’s very mysterious your Frank,’ she laughed.
Grace smiled to shut the woman up. She was a loony, she decided.
After the shoot Calypso insisted Grace return to her place for dinner with Kelly. ‘Just us girls. Tim can look after Augie.’
Grace, careful to not upset Calypso, agreed, although what she really wanted to do was to fly back to New York and hide from the world.
Kelly arrived with Grace later in the evening to find Calypso had set out a beautiful table under the trees in the yard. TG came out with August before bed and had a drink with them and then went back inside, leaving the girls to their evening. Calypso had her cook prepare Mexican food. Her favourite, she told Grace, and they settled down under the stars.
‘So tell me about Frank. Why did you split?’ asked Calypso nosily.
Kelly frowned at her. ‘Perhaps Grace doesn’t want to talk about it, Cal.’
Calypso made a face. ‘Sorry, I’m so nosy. I just want everyone to be as happy as me,’ she beamed at Grace.
Grace laughed. It was hard not to like her even though she was prying.
