Free Forty Things to Do Before You're Forty by Alice Ross Page A

annoyance.
    â€˜Not staying for the quiz, Lydia?’ she asked archly.
    Gazing seductively at Jake, Lydia traced a glossy fingernail down the line of her cleavage. ‘Quizzes aren’t really my thing, darling. But, as My Darren used to say … you can’t be good at everything.’ She flicked back her hair and stood up in her towering heels. ‘Are you ready, Jake?’
    Jake flashed an apologetic smile. ‘Sorry. It was lovely meeting you all but I – ’
    Not waiting for him to finish, Lydia linked her arm through his and dragged him away.
    â€˜Oh my god,’ puffed Jenny, the moment the pair was out of earshot. ‘Has he been airbrushed or something? I thought men that good-looking were only in magazines.’
    â€˜Even I could be tempted there,’ chuckled Harriet. ‘Although no one else stands a chance with Lydia on the case. I don’t suppose there are many red-blooded males around who could resist a cleavage like that.’
    â€˜No,’ muttered Annie wearily. ‘I don’t suppose there are.’

CHAPTER FIVE
    Jake hadn’t slept well. In fact, he hadn’t slept at all. Not that that was unusual. His mind often switched to overdrive when he was writing, but last night it had been especially active. Images of Lydia Pembleton chasing him all the way back to Scotland in ten-inch heels had pervaded his mind. Each time he’d woken up in a cold sweat, heart hammering nineteen to the dozen. Thankfully he hadn’t slept long enough to discover what she had planned for him when she caught him. Now
that
really would have been a nightmare. By five o’clock he’d admitted defeat, tugged on shorts and a T-shirt, and gone downstairs to write. By lunchtime he’d had enough. He decided to take a break. He drove into Harrogate where he purchased some new running gear, stocked up on provisions, and had a haircut. He had just arrived back at the manor and started to unload the shopping bags when his mobile rang.
    â€˜Jake, dahling. How are you?’
    It was Tanya, his agent in London. Jake’s heart sank. No doubt she wanted to nail him down to a deadline. Something he was never comfortable with.
    â€˜Fine thanks, Tanya. What can I do for you?’ he asked, tucking the phone under his chin as he retrieved a stray apple from the jeep floor and stuffed it into a carrier bag.
    â€˜Oh, I think it’s more a case of what we can do for you, sweetie. You will never, in a million years, guess who’s just called.’
    Never a fan of the woman’s melodramatics, Jake rolled his eyes as he gathered up his shopping bags. ‘Well, if I’ll never guess, you’d better tell me.’
    She drew in a dramatic breath before blurting out, ‘Only the biggest film producing company in Hollywood. . They’ve read your last book and … wait for it … they
loved
it. They loved it so much they want to make a film of it.’
    Jake’s bags tumbled to the floor. His heart skipped a beat. This was incredible news. Mind-blowing. In fact, so mind-blowing he was almost rendered speechless.
    â€˜Well, that’s, er, very flattering,’ he eventually muttered.
    â€˜
Flattering?
’ echoed Tanya. ‘It’s phenomenal. For all of us. The agency’s reputation will soar. And, needless to say, you will become a star. A very rich star. They are talking a lot of money, Jake.
A lot
of money. But we’re not accepting their first offer. Oh no. Our lawyers are already on the case. And of course, once it hits the press, they will be all over you. When they discover your true identity, it will cause a sensation. But don’t you worry. We’ll keep it exclusive. We’ve already decided to…’
    As the words gushed from Tanya’s mouth, a film of cold sweat spread over Jake’s body. His chest constricted. His breath shortened. He felt as though someone was holding a pillow over his face,