Raincoats and Retrievers

‘I was going for special, not incomprehensible.’

Cat shook her head. ‘I’m sure the food will be delicious, even if the descriptions are a bit over the top. Mark, you’ve brought me to a beautiful restaurant for dinner. There’s nothing to apologize for.’ She felt that maybe, after her initial awkwardness and nerves, things were changing. He was apologizing – she’d never seen him anything but entirely confident up until now – so perhaps she was about to see beyond his charm and flippancy, and discover more of the real him? This was what she’d been waiting for, and she wasn’t about to let the chance slip by. ‘Tell me about your films. I want to know everything.’

‘Everything?’ He raised an eyebrow. ‘Not about the disaster.’ ‘Especially the disaster.’

She listened intently, pausing only when the waiter interrupted them with the champagne, as Mark told her about writing the screenplays, about the challenge of finding someone to make them, the shooting process, artistic differences, location nightmares. His films sounded like the gritty British horrors that Cat would find late at night on BBC2 and turn off, because she couldn’t bear the thought of going to bed alone afterwards. Not Hollywood slashers, full of glamorous people and too much unrealistic blood, but dark corners on dingy estates, things lurking where they shouldn’t, scenarios on the edge of being possible.

Since they’d met, Mark had been smooth and over-confident, but now he was self-deprecating, telling Cat about mistakes he’d made, personality clashes, upsetting one lead actress by mistaking her for the make-up assistant. He made Cat laugh, and he seemed entirely focused on her, the candlelight flickering along his handsome jawline. It was still smug, but now that smugness seemed somewhat justified.

Mark topped up her glass as their empty plates – which had contained excellent pâté and toast – were cleared away.

‘It’s another world,’ Cat said. ‘It sounds impossible, juggling all the different elements, making sure everything works and the film gets made. And everyone swallows them up in an hour and a half and then forgets about them.’

‘Or not,’ Mark said. ‘Like everything creative, some films stay with people for a long time. That’s all I’m trying to do, make a film that matters to some people.’

‘You know, you don’t look like a horror-film writer.’

‘And what’s a horror-film writer supposed to look like?’ Mark narrowed his eyes, and Cat could see that he was intrigued, wanting to know what she thought of him.

‘Grungy,’ Cat said. ‘You’re so polished, and…effortless. You’re not dressed in a Marilyn Manson T-shirt, sitting in a dark corner, scribbling madly and watching Hammer Horror reruns.’

‘How do you know I don’t do that? That’s exactly what I do when I’m writing.’

‘Come on, Mark.’

‘Have you studied horror writers?’

Cat shook her head. ‘You think I should have done some research for tonight?’

Mark laughed. ‘I would have been touched, and perhaps a little disturbed, if you had. But you should google some famous horror writers. Sam Raimi, of Evil Dead fame, could pass as a mild-mannered businessman. And if you’re after polished, take a look at a photo of Wes Craven.’

‘The Scream films?’

‘And A Nightmare on Elm Street. Good smile, nice suits. You don’t have to look like a freak to want to write about freakish things, but I do get obsessed when I’m in the middle of a story, neglecting everything else. It’s a good thing I have Chips to remind me when it’s food time, or I’d slowly starve to death.

‘And if we’re talking stereotypes, what about you? You’re not a typical dog walker. I think of middle-aged, fleece-wearing women with scrappy ponytails, unbranded trainers and an inability to converse with anything that has less than four legs. You’re none of those things.’

‘That’s what I’m gearing up for,’ Cat said. ‘Give me a few years…’ She grinned. ‘Do you want to leave now?’

He returned her smile, shaking his head slowly.

‘OK,’ she continued, ‘so I can get over the fact that you don’t look the part –’ Mark rolled his eyes – ‘but what’s the plot of your latest film? The one you’re trying to make at the moment.’

Mark glanced at the tabletop, moved his spoon around. ‘It’s about a man who moves out of London to a rural town, to be close to his mother, who’s dying in a care home. He’s had to rent somewhere at short notice, and it’s far too big for him. He’s in this strange place, summoning the courage to confront his mother about this huge, unresolved secret from his childhood, and he realizes that he’s not alone in the house.’

‘Wow. That sounds…scary. And different, from your last two. Not so grizzly.’

Mark nodded. ‘I thought, after the last one went so wrong – I mean, everyone’s pitched a film on a dark, run-down council estate. It’s not original any more, and the panning it got told me that. I wanted this setting to be much lighter, to see if I could still create that darkness, to build it around this guy who’s been wrong-footed by everything, dealing with his past, family secrets, moving away from his existing life to a large, empty house with – supposedly – only him in. It’s different, but I know it can work. And I can’t be the only one, because I’ve got this producer interested, so…’ He shrugged, but Cat could see the fire in his eyes, pinpoints of colour high on his cheeks. She could see how much he cared.

‘It sounds brilliant – definitely creepy. I’ve gone cold just thinking about it. Did you get your inspiration from Fairview, and your house on Primrose Terrace?’

‘Not originally.’ He narrowed his eyes slightly. ‘I started it before I moved here, but now I’m suddenly living in a house that’s too big for me, away from London…’

‘Life imitating art.’

‘Looks like it,’ Mark said, taking a drink of water.

‘Any dogs in it?’ Cat asked.

‘Is that the only way you’d be interested in seeing it?’ He laughed.

‘No, of course not. But I was thinking of all the different ways you could get a dog into a horror film. Maybe not the plot you’ve just told me, but a dog could come across the first dead body, digging in the garden, or – like the one Chips is named after – it could be a rescue dog. Or, or –’ Cat began to get animated, waving her arms about – ‘you could have zombie dogs. Has that been done before? Zombie dogs would be fast and small, they’d get among people’s ankles and bite them, turning everyone much quicker. And it would be extra terrifying, because dogs are usually so lovable. Actually –’ Cat screwed her face up – ‘maybe not that last one. I’m not sure I’d like it.’

‘No zombie dogs then,’ Mark said. ‘Got it.’

‘But maybe this guy could have a dog, a companion, who also senses that something’s wrong with the house. It would prove to him that he’s not going mad, give it more credence.’

Mark gave her an appraising look. ‘You might be on to something there.’

‘Oh, I don’t know – ignore me. But I’d love to see your films.’

He laughed.

‘What?’

‘You said that like someone was holding a gun to your head.’

‘I did not!’ Cat protested. ‘I would like to see your films, but just maybe…maybe not with the lights off. I’m not good at watching horror films before bed.’

‘Even if you weren’t on your own?’ Mark asked, leaning back in his chair.

Her insides fizzing, Cat returned his gaze.

Their steaks arrived and they ate in a charged silence, until Mark asked her how the dog walking was going, whether Polly had finished her exams and how Frankie was getting on with her lodger. Leyla, one of the other nurses from Fairview vet’s, had loved the room and was moving in some time that week.

Cat was pleased that she’d been able to help Frankie and her children. She was fitting into life at Primrose Terrace, and there was a niggling voice at the back of her mind asking her if it was wise to have a relationship with one of the neighbours. Mostly, she told that voice to back off, because it was hard to meet people, and you couldn’t base your relationship decisions on how awkward it would be if things went wrong.

Mark topped up her glass, and Cat sipped the bubbles, enjoying the taste of top-quality champagne.

‘Now,’ Mark said. ‘Dessert?’

‘Undecipherable dessert.’

They found their answer at the same time: Lemon posset with caramel honey tuile and pomegranate espuma. Cat watched Mark order them with a straight face and, when the waiter had gone, and she had managed not to descend into giggles, he reached over and took her hand.

The sun was just a thin line of burnished red marking the break between sea and sky, and she could see herself and Mark reflected back at her in the window.

‘Cat,’ he said, and there was something about his voice that made her breath catch in her throat. ‘I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to get to this point.’