by Rowe, Julie
Alex choked on his drink.
Calla pounded on his back while he gasped for air. “Warn me next time you’re considering accusing someone of being high.”
She all but vibrated with tension. “All you’ll be hearing from me are alarm bells or my attempt at impersonating one.”
He stopped and examined her face closely. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m nervous.” She was also out of breath.
“About?”
“There’s a list.”
He groaned. “Top three items on that list.”
“My brother. My patients. Jeff MacKay.”
“I’m glad he came in last.”
She had put the snake last. A smile slipped out along with, “So am I.”
Alex chuckled. “That’s my girl.”
His statement made her catch her breath. Was she his girl?
Did she want to be?
“Do you know what I’m scared of most?” she asked Alex.
“I’m intensely interested in the answer to that question.”
“Jeff MacKay and my brother alone in a room, or even around a corner, together.”
“Why? Your brother is tougher than he looks.”
“My brother has no edit button on his mouth. Like you, he tells the truth, only he takes it a step further. Jeff MacKay, on the other hand, believes his own press, which means he’ll go into a conversation with my brother thinking he has the advantage. It’s his reaction to having my brother run verbal circles around him that I fear. I don’t think he’s troubled by a conscience.”
“You believe MacKay would physically attack a quadriplegic?”
“He would have attacked me if I hadn’t been in a public place. He lies with skill and he uses his handsomeness like it’s a weapon. I wouldn’t put anything past that man.”
Alex stared at the actor in question with a clenched jaw. “Then we don’t allow the two of them to be alone.”
“Is that enough?”
“It’ll have to be.”
Calla stared at her brother, at the wide smile on his face. He was enjoying himself. He was happier than she could remember seeing him since before the accident.
“I’ll go whisper in Grandmother’s ear,” Alex told her before he strode toward the knot of people around her brother. “And we need to make our announcement soon.”
Their announcement. That alone would be enough to make her stomach churn, but so much more was riding on it.
Alex reached his grandmother at the same moment as Calla realized Jeff MacKay was nowhere in sight. A quick glance around the room confirmed his absence.
Could he have gone to the bathroom?
“Hello, Calla.”
Damn it, he was right behind her.
She turned with a smile pinned to her face. “Hello Jeff, how are you?”
“Not well.”
“Oh? The flu?”
“No, I’m suffering something a lot more serious than that.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, making sure to sound not sorry at all. “If you want a medical consultation, you’ll have to wait until your complaint against me at the AMA is dismissed.”
“You see,” he said with a sneer. “That’s my point. There’s nothing I can do about that until the charges against me are dropped.”
“I haven’t pressed any charges against you.”
“Your patient has.”
“I’m her doctor, not her mother. I can’t tell her what to do.”
“She’d listen to you,” he said, the muscles of his jaw bunching as he spoke. “Those charges have to disappear.”
She narrowed her eyes. Something about this was important to him. “Why?”
His nostrils flared. “I can’t talk about it.”
“I can’t help you.” She twisted to walk away, but he grabbed her arm and held on.
“I’m under contract, otherwise I’d tell you.”
“This is about a role in a movie?”
“The role of a lifetime,” he hissed.
She studied his face. Despite the perfect symmetry, excellent bone structure, and great skin, he looked petulant and petty. “Did it ever occur to you that the best solution to your problem would be to admit you made a mistake, take responsibility for it, and offer some sort of reparation?”
He stared at her as if she’d suggested he take tango lessons with a python. “My reputation has to be spotless.”
“No one’s perfect, Jeff. Attempting to pretend you are is one more lie people will eventually find out. Quit while you’re ahead.” She gave him her back and walked away.
She got two steps when he said, “I’m not the only one who’s lying.”
She glanced over her shoulder at him. “Excuse me?”
His smirk showed off teeth a shark would be envious of. “Talk to your lawyer boyfriend, the one who never lies.”
“He doesn’t.”
“No? Are you sure about that?” Jeff slid up to her. “I tell you what. I’ll give your patient a one-time cash payment of five hundred thousand dollars. All she has to do is drop the charges against me.”
She snorted. “I’m overcome by your generosity, but I’m also not her lawyer.”
“Go on one date with me. One public date, and all the messiness will disappear.”
“Why would I do that?”
“Because if you don’t I’ll show the whole world your boyfriend’s lies. I’ll make a mockery of him.” His eyes landed on Alex’s grandmother. “And the rest of his weirdo family.”
“What would a date prove?”
“It will put doubt in the eyes of the public regarding his upstanding reputation.”
“You want to smear his name so you win the battle for public support just like you’re doing with my name?” Disgust churned her stomach. “You’re nothing but a bully. I wouldn’t go on a date with you for any reason.” She walked away, wanting to run, but refused to give that idiot the satisfaction of seeing her give in to her fear and anger. This was a party. A happy occasion. She was about to announce a fake engagement to a man who was breaking his own code to help her.
A man she respected and admired.
A man she loved.
No wonder she felt like there was a sinkhole opening underneath her intent on sucking her down.
…
Where was Calla?
Alex turned around and finally found her glaring at Jeff MacKay. Not good. He moved toward them, but she said something to MacKay and strode away, her brows low and furrowed over her eyes.
MacKay watched her, a slick smile on his plastic face. MacKay’s gaze moved and connected with his and the smile turned into an all-out self-satisfied smirk.
Alex’s gut tightened. What did MacKay know or say to make him feel so confident, so in control of the situation? He should be nervous or afraid.
What was the bastard up to?
Calla marched up to Alex and said in a tone that vibrated with anger, “I hate that man.”
“What did he say?”
“He said you’re a liar and he said he could prove it.”
“Interesting. I wonder what information he thinks he has?”
“He didn’t say, just that he would prove it if I didn’t get Mrs. Deleon to drop the charges against him.”
“Is that all?” The only person he’d lied to was Calla. He wasn’t pretending to be in love with her, he was in love with her. If her brother was right, gaining her trust was going to take time and effort, and privacy. A hard commodity to come by in LA.
“It’s more than I wanted to hear.”
“There’s no claim he can make that I can’t refute.”
She looked at him with a steady gaze. “Are you sure?”
“Jeff MacKay is trying to stir things up. Don’t give him the satisfaction of believing his bluff.”
She nodded, relief loosening tense muscles in her shoulders and neck. “Okay. Okay, so when do you want to…you know, make the official announcement?”
“Once we’re seated at di
nner, but before the food is served.”
“Okay,” she said again. “I’m going to the bathroom. I need a couple minutes.”
“Of course. I’ll be right here.”
A brittle smile came and went across her face. Whatever MacKay said to her had shaken her up.
As soon as she disappeared around the corner, Alex strode over to MacKay.
“Hello, Alex,” Jeff said as if the two of them were best buddies.
“Leave Calla alone.”
“I never touched her,” he said, raising his hands in the air in the universal language of surrender.
“You upset her.”
“I told her the truth, something which you seem to be having trouble with.”
Alex grunted. “You wouldn’t know the truth if someone dunked you in a tank full of it.”
MacKay laughed. “You know, you’d be fun to hang out with if you weren’t playing for the wrong team. Though I can understand why you’re representing the good doctor. She’s a handful.”
“Stay away from her.”
“I promise to follow every letter in the restraining order, but…” he shrugged. “If she pursues me…” MacKay walked away to join a group of women on the other side of the room, his hands in his pockets as if their conversation had contained nothing but trivialities.
His confidence was worrisome.
Calla entered the room and Alex met her halfway, holding out his hand as they got close. She took it without hesitation and smiled warmly at him.
“Let’s visit with your brother. Dinner should be called soon.”
She nodded and they joined the group he was currently talking with.
“Are you a fan of Jeff MacKay’s?” one woman asked the young man.
“Well, he’s entertaining, I’ll give him that,” Richard answered.
“What do you mean?”
“I laugh at his movies, but not because they’re deliberately funny. I laugh because some of the stunts he does so effortlessly on screen are damn near impossible in real life.” He winked at the woman. “It’s how I got in this predicament in the first place.”
“You were a stunt man?”
“Not exactly. I pulled a don’t-try-this-at-home stunt.”
“A what?”
“I did something really stupid.”
Calla gasped, but her brother didn’t seem to have heard it. He went on, “I learned the hard way not to distract the driver of the vehicle you’re in.”
She tugged at her hand, trying to get away, but Alex gripped her fingers tight. He leaned over to reassure her when someone rang a bell.
Everyone turned to look at his grandmother’s butler standing at the edge of the room. “Dinner is served,” he announced, then lead the way into the dining room.
Maddy stood and gestured for Calla’s brother to go first.
He inclined his head and using his mouth, directed his motorized chair to follow in the butler’s wake.
Alex paused to let the others follow.
Calla stood next to him, blinking fast, her knuckles white where they clutched his hand.
“It wasn’t an accusation,” he whispered to her. When she didn’t respond, he asked, “Calla?”
“I know,” she whispered back, her voice shaking. “I just…we’ve never really talked about the accident much and to hear him talk about it so matter-of-factly was a bit of a surprise.” A bleak expression crossed her face. “I always thought he blamed me.”
“Doesn’t sound like he does.”
“No, it doesn’t, does it?” She released a long pent-up breath and squeezed his hand. “I’m okay.”
“Are you ready to go in?”
She returned his small grin. “Are you?”
“Absolutely.”
They walked into the dining room. People were still getting seated. The butler gestured to two seats across from Calla’s brother and next to Maddy, who sat at the head of the table. Jeff MacKay was seated three-quarters of the way down on the same side, making it impossible for him to begin a conversation with either Alex or Calla without it looking awkward.
Alex used his knife to tap his wine glass.
He stood and said, “I’d like to offer a toast to our hostess this evening.” He bowed to his grandmother. “Thank you for throwing this party and for making it possible for Calla’s brother to join us. This is a special night for myself,” he smiled at Calla, who blushed, “and Calla, because, and this is probably coming to no surprise to anyone…we are celebrating our engagement.” He took a drink from his glass as all the guests applauded and offered their congratulations.
His grandmother hugged Calla first, then gave him a hug and a kiss. His hand was shook several times by various guests while Calla’s brother grinned from ear to ear.
Several minutes went by before Alex had time to glance in Jeff MacKay’s direction. When he did, it was to see the actor sitting relaxed and smiling contentedly at him.
A posture and expression Alex didn’t find comforting at all. He didn’t see an actor…he saw a shark.
Calla was overwhelmed by the response following Alex’s announcement. Everyone seemed genuinely happy for her. Too bad the engagement was a farce.
How she felt about him wasn’t. Tangled and confused, yet the need for him burned like a living flame inside her.
What a mess.
She quickly excused herself while the staff removed their dirty appetizer dishes, taking refuge in the bathroom for a few moments.
Damn it, how could she develop feelings for a man who had promised her exactly nothing? Oh yes, he was helping her with the ridiculous situation with Jeff MacKay, but that’s as far as it went.
A few moments ago, however, his calm, unconditional support turned it into something powerful for her.
Permanent.
Love.
She put her hands on the sink and looked at her face in the mirror.
Too pale skin, except for the dark circles under her eyes, which made her appear sickly. Tired. Dead. But, her performance wasn’t over yet.
What was that showbiz saying? The show must go on.
She opened the door and discovered Jeff MacKay standing on the other side.
“Hello, Calla,” he said. “Trouble?”
“Nope. You?”
He laughed, but it was too high of a pitch to be genuine. “Oh yes, you and your boyfriend to be exact.”
She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. “You started it.”
He leaned closer. “Is that an invitation to finish it?”
“It’s a suggestion to get out of the way.”
“Why would I want to do that?”
“So you can use the bathroom?” She leaned to the right, then went left and managed to duck around him to freedom.
“I will finish it, you know.”
“Ha.” She spun around. “What I know is that Alex is worth ten of you.”
“And we’re back to your boyfriend again. Really, what do you see in him?”
“Intelligence, humor, compassion, honesty, and he’s one hell of a kisser. You couldn’t hope to measure up to him.”
MacKay gave her a slow sneer that chilled her to the bone. “I hear he has one hell of a good florist, too.”
She blinked. “What?”
“You have a secret admirer. Someone is sending you the flowers and poetry, and he’s none other than your honest lawyer.”
How could Jeff know about that? “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“A lie, Dr. Roberts? I have it on very good authority.” MacKay stood with his hands in his pockets, like he knew every secret there ever was.
For a moment all she could hear was a buzzing in her ears. “No.”
He couldn’t be. She’d talked to him about the anonymous man sending her flowers, but Alex hadn’t said a word. Just let her natter on about it. She’d even sent a thank you note to Dr. Lazarus, who probably thought she was crazy.
Embarrassment heated her skin until she feare
d she’d catch the mansion on fire.
No, no. It wasn’t true. It couldn’t be true.
“I thought about claiming to be the one sending you flowers,” Jeff said with so much sarcasm it made him ugly. ”But decided that wasn’t fair to you. I figured one man lying to you was more than enough.”
“I don’t believe you,” she said, finally finding her voice.
“I can understand that.” He nodded his head in a sympathetic way. “So why don’t we ask him? Get this cleared up right now.”
“Ask him?” Her voice disappeared into a black hole that threatened to suck her in, body and soul.
“Hey, Alex,” Jeff said, looking past her.
Calla turned and there he was, looking every inch the gentleman. “Is it true?”
“It?” he asked, frowning.
“Are you the one sending me the flowers? The notes?”
He reared back, guilt stretching his mouth downward. “I—” he began. He stopped and started again. “Yes.”
Jeff MacKay was telling her the truth?
She loved the flowers and poetry. Gone on and on about them and he just let her blather on without saying a word. Thanked another man for them and he just stood there and said nothing. “You let me believe it was someone else, that it was Dr. Lazarus. You lied to me,” she said very softly. She trusted him, the first man since her disastrous first fiancé betrayed her.
“Yes.” He glanced at MacKay, then met her gaze and maintained it. “I’m sorry, it wasn’t deliberate. I thought I was sparing your feelings, but the situation kept getting more complicated.”
“Why didn’t you tell me before I embarrassed myself by sending a thank you to another man?”
“I didn’t know you were actually going to thank him. I thought you’d put it aside for now, and when you told me you had thanked him, I decided to wait until this crap with pretty boy over here was over. That way you could yell at me and throw things at me without the whole world trying to take pictures of it.”
“You, you didn’t…” she sputtered. “Oh yeah, it’s so much better that he told me,” she said, pointing at MacKay.
“Hey,” MacKay protested. “I thought you would want to know the truth.”
She rounded on him. “Shut up. This is all your fault.”
“My fault?”
“Yes, yours.” Her voice rose and for once she didn’t care. “You screwed up, but instead of apologizing and fixing it, you tried to shift the blame to someone else. Anyone else.”