by Matt Cain
Right now, Serena was about to add to Mia’s problems with some far worse news. And the news was so bad that she couldn’t break it to her over the phone. Despite the fact that it was so late, Serena was in her car on her way to see Mia in person.
She’d texted her to say that she was coming over so that when she arrived Mia was waiting and buzzed her straight in.
Serena hated to be the bearer of bad news and as she walked up the steps to her front porch she felt sick to the stomach.
In her hand she carried a stack of papers from the US and around the world.
In her heart she carried the full weight of the news she was about to break.
Mia smiled nervously as she answered the door. ‘Hi, Serena.’
She looked horrendous.
‘Hey, sister.’
Serena kissed her on both cheeks.
Mia let out a long sigh. ‘So come on, what is it?’
‘Look, I’m not going to bullshit you. It’s bad – real bad.’
Serena walked straight through to the lounge and Mia scuttled after her. Onto the coffee table she dropped the huge pile of papers.
Shouting out at the two friends was a cacophony of headlines, photos and stories, none of which came as much of a surprise. One headline labelled Mia the First Lady of Lust. Another paper had exclusive shots of her date with Billy taken inside the restaurant from just a few short feet away. And another still told the story of the driver who’d taken them home, who’d predictably revealed that the two of them had got so carried away in the back of his limo that they couldn’t keep their hands to themselves.
‘What’s the problem?’ Mia asked. ‘Wasn’t this all part of the plan?’
‘Yes,’ nodded Serena, ‘but take a look at this one.’
As she pushed forward one last paper, Mia let out a gasp.
‘BILLY SPENCER GAY,’ it read in thick bold capitals. ‘ROMANCE WITH MIA SINCLAIR A LIE.’
Serena watched as Mia’s face dropped.
13
‘Are you happy now, Violet?’ Serena spat.
‘No but I bet you are,’ Violet snarled back. ‘Any chance to get one over on me!’
This was all Mia needed: Serena and Violet tearing strips off each other. She was still struggling to get used to the fact that in the last twenty-four hours she might have lost the man she loved as well as finding herself in serious danger of losing her career and one of her closest friends. She hadn’t slept a wink and couldn’t imagine how it was possible to feel any worse.
‘Look, can we all just try and calm down a little?’ she chided.
‘I’m perfectly calm,’ shrieked Serena. ‘It’s that witch over there who needs to take a chill pill.’
‘Huh!’ fumed Violet. ‘I wouldn’t need to take a chill pill if you got your fat ass out of my office.’
Mia and Billy looked at each other and rolled their eyes.
That’s at least something, she thought. Billy doesn’t seem to want to disown me. She smiled at him and remembered that today’s meeting in Violet’s office had actually been arranged so that she and Billy could break the news that they were ending their show-mance straight after the premiere. Now somebody else had got in there and done it first. And they hadn’t stopped at that.
‘I think some of us are getting distracted here,’ came a voice from the other side of the room. It was Billy’s agent, James Sowerby. Mia and Billy called him James Sourpuss as he was constantly miserable and never smiled, always insisting on looking on the downside of everything. For once he had good reason to be pessimistic. He held up the newspaper with the explosive article. ‘What I want to know is, who’s behind this? Who’s the “anonymous source”?’
Mia ran her hands through her hair. All she could think was that it must be Leo. What else was she supposed to think? He’d stormed out on her after giving her a lecture about honesty and hadn’t been in touch since. It had to be him. And the more she thought about it, the more she felt sick from the betrayal. She just didn’t understand how he could have done that to her.
She took a deep breath and waited until she had everyone’s attention.
‘I think I know who the source is,’ she announced. ‘And his name’s Leo Henderson.’
*
Across town in Venice, Leo strolled the length of the canal as Watford padded along beside him.
He’d got out of bed late after another sleepless night, scrunching up his duvet with his fists as he struggled to process his feelings about Mia. Playing football might have taken his mind off things for a while but alone under the duvet he’d felt defeated by a sense of utter desolation. How was it possible to love someone so much but at the same time find the reality of a relationship with them so frustrating?
He couldn’t face buying the morning papers as he already knew what the top story would be. And reading about Mia and Billy’s supposed night of lust was the last thing he wanted right now. No, he’d try to avoid seeing the papers at all costs.
He turned off the canal and headed towards the sea front.
*
Billy sat in silence listening to Mia. He’d been awake all night and was now so exhausted he felt weirdly detached from what was going on, as if it was all happening to someone else. He tried to concentrate on what Mia was saying.
‘It’s all my fault and I’m really sorry,’ she explained. ‘I can see now that I was stupid and should have seen it coming. But if it’s any consolation I don’t think I’ve ever felt as terrible as I do right now. All I can say is I fell in love – and I guess I started thinking with my heart and not my head.’
‘So let me get this straight,’ James Sourpuss cut in. ‘You told a paparazzo that Billy’s gay and didn’t expect him to blab?’
‘Don’t blame Mia,’ piped Billy. ‘It’s as much my fault as it is hers. I met Leo and I might have been suspicious of him at first but I kind of grew to like him. So if he is some kind of conman then he conned me too.’
‘How can you be so calm?’ James spluttered at his client. ‘Don’t you understand what this means? You stand to lose everything, Billy. And if Mia had been more discreet you wouldn’t be in this mess.’
‘Excuse me,’ thundered Serena, ‘but Mia’s in this mess too. What do you think her fans are going to think now she’s been branded a liar? It’s not just Billy’s career that’s in trouble.’
Violet clapped her hands and stood up behind her desk.
‘Time out everybody! Time out!’
She began pacing the room as she wrung her hands. ‘It’s way too early to start speculating on whose career may or may not be over. And our first duty is to a certain movie that has its premiere tonight.’
A hush descended on the room as everyone turned to listen.
‘Now the producers have been on the phone all morning,’ she went on, ‘and they’re understandably anxious that all this extra publicity won’t cause their movie to tank. So what I suggest is that we get through today, save the movie and then start addressing the more long-term problems.’
Although he was starting to resent Violet more than ever, Billy had to admit that her approach did sound sensible. He might have spent all night gripped by a sickening terror of losing everything he’d worked for in life but right now the thing that frightened him most was that night’s premiere – having to face the media and having to face the fans.
‘You never know,’ Violet crowed, ‘things might not be as bad as you guys seem to think.’
‘Man, how can you say that?’ muttered Serena under her breath. ‘Thanks to you things couldn’t be much worse.’
Violet scowled at her and turned up her nose. ‘Here’s the plan,’ she carried on. ‘Just before the film’s shown we have a live interview on the red carpet for The Preston and Kerry Show. Unusual, I know, but there was so much interest in you two being a real-life couple that the networks were lining up to nail your first TV interview.’
Billy couldn’t resist smirking. ‘Looks like they’ll be getting more
than they bargained for now.’
‘Exactly,’ Violet went on, ‘which is why everyone will be watching. So if we can get it right then we can use the TV show to our advantage. And kick-start your rehabilitation.’
There was a long pause while everyone thought over Violet’s proposal.
‘I’ll go along with whatever,’ Mia mumbled. ‘I can hardly complain after messing everything up with Leo.’
‘I’m in too,’ said Billy. ‘The way things stand at the moment I’ve got nothing to lose.’
Serena didn’t look convinced. ‘But why should we go along with your plan, Violet? The last one backfired spectacularly.’
‘That’s just it,’ grinned Violet. ‘It hasn’t backfired yet – the game still isn’t over. And there might still be time to turn this shit into gold.’
*
Leo strode down Ocean Front Walk, breathing in deep gulps of fresh sea air.
All around him he spotted several of his favourite characters: the Texan tarot-reader with the badly dyed hair, the big-eared contortionist in his usual leopard-print thong, and the stoned tramp begging for money for yet more weed. Leo couldn’t help smiling. However terrible he was feeling, life obviously went on. Maybe things weren’t as bad as he’d been thinking after all.
He was just about to turn round and go home when a voice called at him from down the street. ‘Hey, Limey,’ it yelled. ‘Have you seen today’s papers?’
It was the tattooed bull dyke who worked in the newsagents.
‘Nah, I’m trying to have a day off,’ he smiled weakly. ‘I’m a bit sick of celebs right now.’
‘But seriously,’ she gushed. ‘You’ve got to see this.’
She strode over to him and slapped a paper into his hands.
‘Billy Spencer’s only gay! I mean, can you believe it?’
Leo tried to open his mouth but nothing came out.
Things were far worse than he’d been thinking.
*
At his home high in the Hollywood Hills, Billy was taking his third shower of the day. He had just an hour before a squadron of stylists was due to arrive to start getting him ready for the big premiere. He stood under the main showerhead and let a deluge of water fall onto him.
He couldn’t believe that today was actually happening. It was all quite eerily unreal. For years now he’d wondered how he’d feel if he were suddenly outed. Well now he knew.
And the answer was that he felt exposed and vulnerable. He felt sick and shaken. And he felt so anxious that he could almost hear the anxiety ringing in his ears – even with the jets of water gushing around him. He’d already given himself a shot of Vitamin B12, something he hated doing as he was squeamish about needles. But his doctor recommended it for fatigue or nervous exhaustion and most other stars he knew did it. Unfortunately though, on this occasion it hadn’t made any difference and he still felt just as terrible. He looked at his hands and saw that they were shaking.
Weirdly though he was surprised to discover that he also felt a sense of relief. Although he’d dreaded this day for so long, he also understood on some level that it had had to happen at some point. And now that it finally had, the anticipation at least had disappeared. He couldn’t help wondering if, once things had settled down, that anticipation might turn out to be worse than the reality. There was a chink of hope and he did his best to hold onto it.
But first he had to get through tonight. And that wasn’t going to be easy. In fact, whichever way he looked at it, it was going to be the most important night of his life.
He reached for the shower and turned it off.
*
Leo was sitting on a bench next to the beach, staring at the article in front of him. There were several pictures of Mia and Billy, some of them taken in the restaurant and a few from outside the house but most of them were taken in front of her bedroom window. All the time he’d been stressing out about how he’d feel when he saw the pictures. But now that he was looking at them it was the story that made the most impact.
‘BILLY SPENCER GAY,’ read the headline. ‘ROMANCE WITH MIA SINCLAIR A LIE.’
At that moment his feelings of anger and frustration vanished. Everything felt insignificant compared to the consequences of the article in front of him. He bitterly regretted everything he’d said to Mia at her house yesterday and was utterly floored by the realization of just how much he loved her. Nothing else mattered. Nothing. And he could only imagine what she was going through right now.
He picked up his phone and dialled her number.
As the phone rang, it occurred to him that after everything he’d said to her yesterday, she might well think he was the anonymous source quoted in the article.
She couldn’t, could she . . . ?
He felt his mouth go dry as he replayed in his head some of his big pronouncements about honesty and integrity. And as he listened to the phone ring the goose bumps raced up his arm.
There was no answer.
He tried again but still she didn’t pick up.
In desperation he turned back to the paper. Whoever had taken the pictures at the bedroom window, he had to admit that they were good, clear images. Wait a minute . . .
He examined the angle from which they’d been taken and realized they’d been shot from his secret tree. There was only one other person who knew about that tree. And that person was Ronnie.
Ronnie also knew that the romance was fake – and that Billy was gay. But surely he wouldn’t have . . . ?
He stood up and gave a tug on Watford’s lead.
‘Come on, mate,’ he said. ‘It’s time to stop moping. It’s time for some action.’
*
Mia watched the clear liquid run down the tube and into her arm.
She tried to zone out of what she was doing and pretend that it wasn’t happening. She looked up at the tiled white ceiling, found a sprinkler valve and stared at it until everything else went out of focus.
She hadn’t eaten since she’d thrown up yesterday afternoon. She’d read once that it took fatty food only three hours to convert itself into flab on the body and, convinced she could feel her post-binge stomach straining at her jeans, she’d decided to starve herself. She’d just about made it through this morning’s meeting but as everyone was leaving she’d stumbled in the foyer and nearly fainted. Serena had already gone so Violet had stepped in and offered to help. And, as usual, Violet had known just what to do.
Of course with her face all over the front page of the papers, Mia was being pursued by more paps than ever before and Violet’s building was practically under siege. To get past them all she’d had to lie under a blanket that smelled of wet dog on the back seat of the janitor’s battered old truck. It was all so undignified and made her feel utterly ashamed of herself – and ashamed of how she’d managed to blow up in the air everything she’d worked so hard for.
Now she found herself lying in a clinic wired up to an intravenous drip. Even though she didn’t want to, she couldn’t help looking again at the plastic tube going into her arm. She stared at the liquid trickle into her body and felt like an absolute wreck.
At least the drip would sort her out physically. It was a well-kept secret but many Hollywood stars spent time on what was known as the ‘drip diet’, starving themselves for days then popping into a clinic to be topped up with essential nutrients. It was way too extreme for Mia; she’d tried it once but it had made her miserable and left her on the brink of depression. But today she hadn’t seen any choice. She’d overeaten and then overcompensated. She’d been too exhausted to schedule a last-minute workout, her hunger pushing her to the edge of delirium. And Violet had stressed that she needed to look her very best on the red carpet so couldn’t risk eating anything and ending up bloated. Not when everyone would be waiting to judge her. In the end, Mia had felt too weak to argue.
Just then the phone rang. She picked it up and saw that it was Leo trying again. Hmmm, she thought, he probably feels sorry for what he’s don
e and wants to apologize. Well she didn’t want to speak to him. She hit the Reject button and saw from the screen that she’d now rejected twenty-three of his calls. She tossed the phone onto the seat next to her.
Why should she speak to him when he’d betrayed and hurt her so badly? For the first time in her adult life she’d opened herself up to a man and he’d only gone and confirmed her worst fears, letting her down and abandoning her just like her father had done all those years ago. Now look at the state she was in – wired up to a drip just to get enough energy to make it through the day. And the drip might be sorting her out physically but she knew that it would take a lot more to sort her out emotionally.
She looked at her watch. Rosie was due at her house in an hour to do her hair and make-up in preparation for the premiere.
She suddenly realized that she might be able to avoid Leo but she was about to spend the afternoon with his best friend’s wife. Rosie would obviously be fighting his corner; Mia knew how close Leo and Ronnie were. Booking Rosie had seemed like a good idea at the time; she’d thought it would be a great way for them to spend some decent girl time together. But now she wondered what she’d let herself in for.
She called for the nurse. And as she did so she made herself a promise. She was never – ever – coming back to this clinic again.
*
Ronnie lifted Rosie’s heavy make-up bag into the car and then kissed her goodbye.
As she started the engine he moved over to the porch and lit what he’d promised her would be his last ever cigarette. She’d warned him that he had to quit before the baby arrived and he’d decided he might as well bite the bullet and do it now. And besides, he was still revelling in the success of his bumper pay check so reckoned it would be easier to do it now while he was enjoying a rare lucky streak. Especially as fate was bound to turn against him again soon. It always did.
As Rosie’s car disappeared down the street he spotted a motorbike racing towards him. The bike skidded to a stop in front of the house and he saw that it was Leo.