‘Too soon to tell. But stay tuned,’ said Ben nonchalantly.

Evie sensed that he was more invested than he was letting on, and she was glad for the distraction. She wanted to forget this whole competition thing immediately, if not sooner.

‘Okay, firstly, why am I only hearing about this now? Secondly, what’s her full name so I can stalk her on Facebook?’

‘Firstly, because you haven’t answered my calls to discuss this development. Secondly, don’t even think about it.’

‘Oh, come on Benny.’

‘No way. Don’t you remember what happened the last time you stalked the woman I was dating?’

‘My finger slipped! It was an accident,’ Evie muttered, remembering how embarrassed Ben had been about his date receiving a friend request from Evie halfway through their first meal together.

From downstairs she heard Hugo shout. Not a scared shout. An angry one.

‘Hey, Benny, I gotta go. I’ll give you a call later,’ said Evie, wishing him a hurried good luck for the date and congratulations again, then hanging up and frowning as she walked gingerly down the stairs to see what was going on. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, Hugo’s shouting echoing through the house, she stopped in her tracks.

‘I didn’t mean to raise my voice,’ she heard him say, more softly but still in an unfamiliar tone, cold and stern, ‘but this incessant calling is getting ridiculous.’

There was a silence as Hugo listened to whoever was on the other end of the line, then he snapped. ‘That’s absolute bullshit, I never said that.’

Evie was shocked. She’d never heard him speak like that to anyone, not even his brother, who was forever pushing his buttons.

‘Of course I did, Chloe.’

Chloe again? Who the hell is Chloe? thought Evie, wondering suddenly if Hugo was having an affair, before shutting the idea down and forcing it out of her mind.

Evie walked into the kitchen, startling Hugo.

‘Got to go,’ he said to the person on the phone, back in his normal voice, and hung up. He forced a smile. ‘Evie, where’d you get to?’

‘I was just talking to Ben. Who was that?’ Evie asked.

‘The bloody casting agent again. She keeps sending me actors who are so not right for the part. I have half a mind to suggest that I play Ryan myself,’ Hugo huffed.

Appraising him, Evie pressed, ‘Did you have to be so curt with her though? She’s just doing her job, right?’

‘I wasn’t. Evie, Jesus Christ, I’m getting a migraine.’ Hugo stood up and walked past her, without touching her at all.

TWENTY

Twenty