‘Absolutely,’ said Tabitha with a nod. ‘Now, if you’ll excuse me, I just need to call Shona in London, make sure everything’s ticking over at the gallery.’
She went to find a quiet room, pulling her phone from her Vuitton handbag.
Jenna, knowing that this would be her last moment alone with Jason before the world whirled in and plucked them out of their private bubble, turned to him and put her palm to his freshly shaved cheek.
‘Are you OK?’ she asked softly.
He put his own hand on top of hers. Jenna savoured the quiet togetherness, feeling her rapid heartbeat slow as they stood in silence, knowing nothing but each other.
‘I’m nervous,’ he admitted. ‘I’m tempted to just knock back the champagne, but if I did anything to show you up, I’d never forgive myself.’
‘This is your night, not mine,’ she reminded him. ‘But yes. Probably best to go easy on the booze. Just be yourself and they’ll love you. Like I do.’
‘Hopefully not exactly like you do,’ he said with an impish grin, taking her hand from his cheek and holding it against his crisply laundered white shirt. ‘I don’t think we want an orgy getting into the papers, do we?’
‘Good point.’ She tiptoed up to kiss his lips. ‘Besides, you’ve got other things to look forward to. You’ll want to keep a clear head for them.’
She winked at him and he put a proprietorial and meaningful hand on her bottom, rubbing it through the jewelled sheath dress she wore.
‘Oh yes,’ he said, his voice so low it seemed to come from his highly polished shoes. ‘I won’t be forgetting that.’
They leant into one another, and Jenna gloried in his sharply dressed freshness. He looked so incredibly glamorous that she wanted the show to be over already, so she could mess up his impeccable suit and perfect hair. The magazines were going to fall all over themselves with love for him, she knew it.
And yet, she was ambivalent about the idea of being a Celebrity Couple. It just didn’t seem to suit what they had, and wanted to keep having.
She tossed the thought from her mind. What would be would be. As long as they were together, it would be OK.
Tabitha popped her head around the door.
‘So, then, children,’ she said brightly. ‘Are we ready? Who’s going down to the front gate to declare this unveiling of genius well and truly open?’
‘Why don’t all three of us go out?’ said Jenna, smiling. ‘Take care not to get trampled in the stampede, though. Have you seen how many people are out there? The police have had to cordon off the street.’
‘Well, if their name’s not down, they aren’t coming in,’ said Tabitha firmly. ‘It was a very good idea to hire a top security firm for the gate. Right then. Let’s do this.’
They took a moment to let the mixture of exhilaration, fear and awe sink in, then walked together towards the front door.
On opening, the expected battery of bright lights hit Jenna full in the face. She put her hand in Jason’s and they walked on, heads high, down the steps and along the path.
Behind them, an enormous banner hung from the front wall, obscuring the upper windows, announcing the exhibition.
A few louder voices called Jenna’s name over the general roar.
‘Look this way, Jenna.’
‘Give us a smile.’
‘JENNA!’
She ignored them all but stood, smiling graciously, still hand in hand with Jason, while Tabitha gave the order for the gate to be opened.
She stood, with Jason, behind the ribbon that had been strung between the posts, and gave a short prepared statement about how excited she was to be launching this new talent.
As she moved to step aside for the cutting of the ribbon, Jason unexpectedly punched the air and shouted, ‘Bledburn forever!’, resulting in a whole lot more flashes and clicks.
‘Did you have to do that?’ Jenna muttered, walking back up the path in front of the first eager ticket holders.
‘What? Just felt like I was being cut out of my own moment there,’ he said.