Nash glowered back.
Giulio glanced at me. "Is he always so…how do you say, grumpy?"
"Around you, I'm afraid so." I patted Giulio's arm. "It's been a long day. We really must go."
"I suppose you are meeting Leonard Shackleton and Cambria." Giulio's voice rang with melancholia. "They're in the inside bar. Darling, I can't join you, can I? I've wanted to meet him, but they don't make it easy."
"How did you know we're meeting Leonard and Cam-Cam?" I froze. "Wait, what? Leonard and Cambria are in the bar? Cambria is in the bar?"
"I know." Giulio shook his head. "I was surprised, too, considering her issues."
Nash had already gathered speed toward the Cove's patio doors. I snapped my jaw shut and followed. Rushing through the doors, I followed Nash toward the front of the restaurant where a stacked stone fireplace always blazed. At the entrance to the bar, Nash stopped, and I slammed into his back.
Easing around Nash's giant body, I took in the bar and gasped.
Leonard glanced at his watch, then at me. Beside him, Cambria waved and sipped a drink.
Six
#UndeadAndEd #Entouraging
"You're late," grumbled Leonard. He stood and took my hand to pull me forward for a double cheek kiss. Skimming a glance down my décolletage, his eyes took in my dirty blouse and ruined sandals. "Oh my dear, were you in an accident? Why didn't you call? We could've moved dinner. This is why you need a phone, Maizie."
I twisted to shoot a bewildered glance at Nash, then at Cambria. "Cam-Cam? You're here?"
She shrugged. "Of course? Leonard insisted."
"I just can't believe it. You were—"
"Nice to meet you," said Nash, thrusting his hand past me toward Cambria.
"I went to your villa earlier," I said. "I thought I saw you."
"Yeah?" Keeping her eyes on Nash, she grabbed his hand and held it. Running her tongue over the famous lips, she raised her brows.
Nash dropped his hand.
"Around six," I continued. "No one answered, but it looked like someone was home. Unless you were…sleeping?"
Cambria shrugged, too consumed with the art of seduction to catch my hint.
"We just came from your villa," said Nash. "Miss Albright was concerned."
"You must be the investigator Maizie works for." Leonard placed a hand on my bare shoulder, sliding it over the ruffles. "I've known Maizie a long time. Nice to finally meet you, Mr. Nash."
Leonard and I hadn't met before today. Maybe I had hit my head too hard. I twisted to glance at Leonard.
He winked. "I was telling Cambria that she should hang out with you while we're here. Reacquaint your friendship. Help her to get to know Black Pine."
My head felt like it was spinning between dead Cambria and this Cambria. I slipped out from under Leonard's hand to get a better look at the alive Cambria.
"Whatever you say, Leonard." Cambria leaned forward, exposing her cleavage for Nash's benefit.
Leonard looked at Nash. "You can spare Maizie for a few months, I'm sure. Cambria needs to lie low, and Maizie can provide her some company without the typical exposure."
"A few months? I'm not Miss Albright's keeper. I certainly hope there's no need for any exposure. We don't like unnecessary publicity." Nash folded his arms.
I couldn't focus on what was going on between Leonard and Nash. I slipped next to Cam-Cam and gently touched her arm. "Are you okay?"
"Maizie, can you stop staring at me and chill?" Cambria placed a hand on Leonard's sleeve. "Let's do dinner."
"Right." Leonard stood. "Everyone's waiting outside."
"Everyone?" said Nash.
"Cambria's people mostly," said Leonard. "Dahlia Pearson, she plays Cambria's sister in the production. And Ed Farmer, the film's director. I think he's having a meeting before our dinner."
I sucked in my breath. "Wow. Ed Farmer."
Cambria shrugged, but I could feel the tension vibrating off her at the mention of Ed Farmer's name. She blinked coyly at Nash. "Do you want to sit by me? Otherwise, it'll be shop talk all night."
Nash gave me a look speaking of his supreme unhappiness with this dinner.
The names at this table weren't making me feel too pleased either. I had to remind myself that this business dinner wasn't my old business. It didn't matter if I were surrounded by powerful Hollywood men like Leonard Shackleton and Ed Farmer. The old Maizie would have needed something to get her through a power dinner. The new Maizie would rely on business diplomacy. And lobster tails with clarified butter.
Clarified butter tends to take the edge off.
I glanced at Nash. He was going to need more than butter.
"Don't worry Cam-Cam," I said. "Nash and I have no interest in studio talk."
"Do you come as a pair? I could work with that." She raised her brows suggestively, sliding off her stool. Passing Nash, she gave him a hip bump, giggled at Nash's recoil, and sashayed through the patio doors.
Leonard sighed and followed.
Nash grabbed my arm and bent to hiss in my ear. "I do not want to sit next to her at dinner. In fact, I don't want to do this dinner."
"That's not the real Cambria. It's an act. Probably for Leonard, although I don't know why. You shouldn't mess around with Leonard Shackleton. Nor Ed Farmer. Those are big guns. Cam-Cam could be in trouble."
"Her trouble could make trouble for us."
Exulting in the word "us," I swung around to gaze up at him. "I can handle this. Now that the shock of seeing undead Cambria is wearing off—"
"She can't get much more alive than this. What do you think you saw?"
I shook my head. "I'm confused. I wouldn't have called you and especially the police if I hadn't thought she was dead. And now I've got to make a police report about finding a dead woman who is certainly alive. It's embarrassing. Although I've done worse."
"The whole deal is hinky. Shackleton's lying to her."
"So she won't suspect I'm babysitting." I stilled as Nash's hand moved to pull a pine straw splinter from a cascading ruffle. "But the film equipment…something's off. I need to understand what I saw. I've got to do this job."
"No." Nash gripped my arm. "Miss Albright, I don't have a good feeling about this."
"Mr. Nash, you've had me doing accounts for the past month,” I spoke in my sassiest Julia Pinkerton voice, hoping the sass would also build my confidence. "Do you want me to update you on Nash Security Solution's bank balance? We need this gig."
He released my arm. "Dammit."
"Does that mean you'll sign the contract?"
"That means you're not doing this alone." He eyeballed me. "Understand?"
I gave him my Esquire sideways glance with the half-smirk. "Capiche."
"And Miss Albright?"
"Yes?"
"Don't look at me like that again." He ran a hand over his neck. "It's not good for business."
* * *
On the patio, a table had been somewhat secluded by clearing the space around it. It was close to the restaurant and without the prime lake view, but Leonard Shackleton could sit with his back to the patio wall and observe the diners and drinkers without being the center of attention.
He was still the center of attention. Cambria and Ed Farmer made it triply so. The entourage intensified the meeting. Nash and I shook hands with Cambria's publicity manager, assistant, and agent. The agent, Alvin Murphy, shooed off the PR and assistant to a nearby table, then introduced us to Dahlia Pearson and Ed Farmer. Dahlia smiled prettily and stepped aside as Ed introduced us to the production manager, the assistant directors, the location manager, and director of photography. Ed gazed longingly in their direction as they took their drinks and headed into the fireplace bar. I got the feeling Ed Farmer would rather be anywhere than at a dinner with us. And who could blame him?
I pressed my knees together, sucked in my abs, and willed myself not to say anything more stupid than, "Nice to meet you. Yes, I'm that Maizie Albright. And I do work as a private
detective assistant. For reals."
Nash dealt business cards and kept his grunts civil.
It made no sense to introduce us to the major players in this upcoming film production. No sense whatsoever. Particularly when everyone was careful not to mention the film.
I had my back to the patio, but I could feel the weight of Vicki's interest boring a hole through my cascading ruffles. I sensed her scheming and plotting, almost sorry that she couldn't use my new relationship with industry bigwigs for the promotion of another daughter.
I mean, actress.
And then we got down to the business of pretending to eat.
The men ordered steaks. Dahlia and Cambria had grilled fish with wilted kelp. The Cove didn't have lobster. At my hesitation, Leonard ordered me grilled fish and wilted kelp.
Wilted without the help of hot bacon dressing. Another reason why I don't miss power dinners.
I stared at Cambria across the table, who had her eyes on Nash, sitting next to me. Alvin Murphy, her agent, sat across from Nash and took no notice of us. Alvin only had eyes for Leonard and Ed Farmer. Ed and Leonard took the table ends and pretended not to notice Alvin's excitement, Cambria's pouty sex plays, or Nash's simmering annoyance at everyone. Ed opened a small notebook and sketched in it throughout dinner. Dahlia chatted eagerly to everyone and no one. Leonard angled his chair to focus on me.
If Leonard thought he had a shot, he'd lost it with the wilted kelp move.
"Cam-Cam, what were you doing this evening?" I volleyed.
Over her glass of Intelligent Water, Cambria smiled at Nash. "Wouldn't you like to know?"
"I would," I said. "I would really like to know."
She flicked her eyes at me, then back to Nash. "What do you think I was doing?"
"Filming?" I said. "Any kind of filming?"
"I'd like to hear Mr. Nash's ideas about filming," she purred. "Any kind of filming."
I felt toes drag against my leg. Still feeling the effects of Vicki's earlier kicking, I yelped.
Cambria rolled her eyes and readjusted her posture.
"Anything you need, Maizie?" said Leonard. "You've barely touched your kelp."
I stared at the kelp, for once disappointed I wasn't eating kale.
A brush of air beneath the table had my legs seeking shelter beneath my chair. Nash scooted his chair back, until his long legs cleared the table, and bent at the waist to reach his steak.
Cambria pouted.
"Baby, leave the poor man alone," said Alvin, the agent. "Ed, you wouldn't believe this fantastic script Cambria just read. Cambria, tell Ed about the script. I’m so psyched about it.”
Cambria cut her eyes to Ed.
Ed glared at Alvin, smiled indulgently at Cambria, then returned to his tiny notebook.
"I would like to know more about the part Cambria's portraying in this movie," I said. "Is it a zombie? Or someone with a big death scene? Do you have to lie dead for a long time, Cambria? Have you been practicing?"
I felt Nash's elbow dig into my side.
"Zombies." Ed snorted.
"I did a zombie movie once," said Dahlia. "Six hours in makeup for a ten-minute scene."
"We can't talk about the movie," said Leonard.
"Why are we here?" asked Nash. "What's the purpose of this dinner?"
Everyone stared at Nash.
"It's a casual dinner, Mr. Nash. A dinner between old friends."
"Who is an old friend exactly?"
My face reddened. "Cam-Cam and I."
Cambria wiggled her fingers at Nash.
"Maizie and I," said Leonard.
Nash stared stonily at Leonard.
"What about the sequel?" Alvin apparently hadn't noticed the tension. Or was too excited to care. "Is someone working on the sequel script? Even if we can't talk, just a nod or a wink will do. Am I right, Ed?"
"I don't wink," said Ed.
"Better send the sequel script over when you get them," said Alvin. "We've got a lot of good looking scripts, don't we, baby? We're going to need to tighten our scheduling to fit everything in. Unless you need us to clear time for the sequel and we could do that."
"I should've invited my agent, too," said Dahlia.
"We're not talking series right now," said Leonard. "We're not talking about the movie. At all."
Having given up on footsies with Nash, Cambria had been demonstrating improper behavior using a straw. Dropping the straw, she turned to Alvin. "What script? Sorry, I was distracted."
Alvin patted her hand. "Long day, I know."
"Why was it such a long day?" I said.
"She's got a huge cardio and strength workout for this role," said Alvin. "The ladder machine at the club spa broke down, so she went to Atlanta to indoor rock climb. That’s dedication.”
Ed beamed at Cambria.
“I love rock climbing almost as much as rappelling off them when I'm done,” said Alvin. “There’s a great spot in Mexico if you’re interested, Maizie.”
“I am," squealed Dahlia. “I love climbing. And rappelling.”
“Have your tried any martial arts?” said Alvin. “I was into Muay Thai before I got into boxing in college. It’s an awesome workout.”
“Totally awesome,” said Dahlia.
I focused on Cambria. “And you returned from your rock climb…”
"I was hot and sweaty," breathed Cambria. "Just drenched, Mr. Nash. Can you imagine?"
“So you went back to shower,” I said. “But maybe you were so exhausted, you passed out on your floor. Do you ever do that? Pass out with your eyes open on your bedroom floor?"
"I never pass out." Cambria peered at Nash through lowered lashes. "I'm always up for a very intense workout in the bedroom."
Nash grabbed his napkin, stood, and put a hand on my chair. "Thanks for dinner. We're not interested." He jerked the chair back.
I tumbled forward and caught the table with my hands and whispered to Leonard. "We're interested. Mr. Nash is just tired."
Leonard peeled his eyes from my Juan Carlos Obando V-neck. "Cambria has that effect on men sometimes. She'll get bored when he doesn't respond. Why don't you meet her for her workout tomorrow morning?"
"Um," I said, hesitating on the word "workout."
He placed a hand over mine, pinning me to the table and turned to Cambria. "Maizie says she'll take you to her gym tomorrow. No worries about broken machines."
"Is Mr. Nash going to be there?" said Cambria.
"Absolutely not," said Nash. "Miss Albright, I believe you have a standing appointment at the office in the morning. It's called work."
"I don't have a gym right now?" I said.
"Talk to him," muttered Leonard. "Or I'll call the insurance company to send somebody."
"You can both come to my gym. You, too, Dahlia," said a honeyed voice behind me. "Cambria, sweetie, I had one especially built when I saw the offerings in Black Pine. Sorry to hear the resort hasn't upgraded after hearing my complaints."
I swung around. The scent of Chanel wrestled with the limp kelp and grilled fish in my stomach, knotting my intestines and strangling my voice. "Vicki. What are you doing?"
"I couldn't help but overhear. I'm Maizie's manag— Maizie's mother, Vicki Albright." She smiled at the dinner party, then turned to me. "Sweetheart, you didn't stop by my table. I hope you don't mind my coming over to say goodbye."
"I'm kind of busy."
"I see." Vicki glanced at my hand still trapped between the table and Leonard's heavy palm. A feline grin played at the corners of her mouth. "Of course, I don't want to interrupt your dinner. I thought I could help with Cambria's workout dilemma."
Vicki was a better actress than I ever was.
"Very nice of you," said Leonard. "I'm sure Cambria would love to use Maizie's mother's gym."
"It's Vicki. Vicki Albright." She sashayed to my side and dipped over our hands to drop her card near his plate. "A pleasure to see you again, Mr. Shackleton."
"That's great. A new gym for y
our conditioning," said Alvin. "Right, Cambria?"
"Cambria, does seven work for you?" said Vicki.
"But—" My protest was cut off. Cambria had nodded. Her hair fell across her face, reminding me of her hair spilling across her dead cheek. I still needed to understand what I saw. And we still needed to make some profit. I could put up with Vicki for both. "Okay, Vicki."
"Thanks, Vicki," said Cambria.
"Sounds great," chirped Dahlia.
"Leonard, however my daughter needs to help you, I'm sure she'll honor it. She's always been reliable if nothing else." Vicki leaned into my side to whisper, "Maizie, you know real satin doesn't hold up to off-roading. Remember what happened to your second season’s Teen Choice award dress?"
A group of fifteen-year-olds with a crate of Maison Veuve Clicquot champagne is what happened to that satin dress.
"Miss Albright," said Nash. "We have another appointment."
"We can do a dry sauna sweat detox after the workout." Vicki stepped in front of Nash. "That would be fun."
Dry sauna is not fun with Vicki. It's humiliating when your mother looks like Vicki and I looked like myself.
"Sure," said Cambria.
"Cool," said Dahlia.
"Where's your gym?" said Alvin. "I miss my Parkour classes."
"It's in my home," said Vicki. "I don't have Parkour equipment, but Jerry could probably build you one."
"Your home? You have a home here?" I said. "Wait a minute. Did you say Jerry? Jerry, as in my trainer, Jerry?"
Tiny white dots floated in my vision and my knees buckled. I felt an arm grasp my elbow and another slide around my waist.
"I thought I was safe from Jerry. How could you do this to me?" Blood pounded in the back of my head. "I've been eating like I'd never see Jerry again."
"We can tell," said Vicki.
"Time to go," said Nash, dragging me from the table. My hand popped from under Leonard's, trailing behind me like limp kelp. "We still need to drop by the police station."
"Police station?" gasped Vicki.
"Just business," said Nash.
"Right," I said, weakly. "My accident. The accident that ruined my Gianvito Rossi's."
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