The waiter handed her the boxed salad and credit slip. Jade added a generous tip, signed her name, stuck her card and copy of the receipt in her purse, and stood.
“You’re fired, Nora.”
She turned with her head held high and waltzed out of the restaurant with a smile. It felt good taking control of her destiny.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Kyle Ashton’s funeral was a lavish, star-studded spectacle attended by many of Hollywood’s elite. All the major networks carried the service live and reporters from hundreds of national and international outlets jockeyed for position, cameras and notebooks poised to interview anyone and everyone.
Kyle had been killed when his car veered off the road and plunged down the side of a cliff. Always one to buck the system, he hadn’t been wearing a seatbelt. His body was crushed beneath the car and then burned beyond recognition when the gas tank exploded and the car went up in a ball of flames. There had hardly been enough left of Kyle to identify, thus necessitating a closed casket. A large framed picture of him looking young and handsome perched on the top and several picture collages were propped on easels around the room.
Kyle was praised as a brilliant actor, consummate professional, wonderful husband. Suddenly all his past digresses had been swept under the proverbial red carpet and Kyle had been promoted to tragic hero. Died in the prime of his life. Some had even ventured as far as to compare him to James Dean.
Jade almost choked on her Perrier on that one.
She chose to wear a simple Versace black sheath that fell past her knees and her favorite Christian Louboutin pumps. She tucked her hair under the matching hat and let the black netting drape across her face. Since everyone expected it of her, she played the part of grieving widow right next to the grieving fiancée. The very pregnant grieving fiancée. The very pregnant grieving fiancée who was royally pissed at Jade. It seemed that Kyle never got around to changing his will and everything went to Jade.
It wasn’t like she needed Kyle’s money. She'd done well for herself and she did get to keep their Hollywood Hills home after the divorce. She didn’t want nor need his money.
She knew it was petty, but she'd wait until after the baby was born, ask the courts to order a DNA test to verify the child was in fact Kyle’s offspring and then she'd channel all the money in a trust fund for the child, the rightful heir to Kyle’s fortune.
“Juliet!”
She turned to see Vanessa Van Gogh hurrying over in a tasteful black Oscar de la Renta gown with matching hat, tissue clutched in one hand. She dabbed at the corner of her eyes. “I can’t believe Kyle is dead.”
“Tragic,” Jade murmured.
Vanessa sniffed. “You have forgiven me for sleeping with him, haven’t you, Jules?”
What the… “What are you talking about, Vanessa.”
Vanessa’s brown eyes widened theoretically. “You didn’t know?”
Obviously not. She thought her friend hated Kyle, told Jade she was better off without the “fiend”, as she called him. Jade sighed deeply. “Just tell me, was it before or after the divorce.”
“Oh, after,” Vanessa insisted with a vigorous nod.
A slight relief.
Vanessa touched her index finger to the corner of her mouth. “Er, except for that one time when you were having marital problems.”
Well, that narrowed it down. Marital problems could describe the entire duration of their union. Good grief, was there anyone in this town Kyle hadn't slept with, anyone she could trust?
Vanessa grabbed her arm. “It was awful, Jules. He was a complete letdown in bed.”
Tell her something she didn’t know. Logan’s kiss turned her on more than the entire act with Kyle. “A complete letdown, yet you slept with him how many times, two?”
“Well…”
Urgh! Jade had heard enough. “Excuse me, Vanessa, I see someone I need to speak with.” She couldn’t flee from her so-called friend fast enough. She tracked down Randolph London, the head honcho of MegaPics, and left the church on his arm. Jade murmured the appropriate responses while he droned on and on about what a tremendous loss Kyle was to MegaPics and Hollywood. Jade almost pointed out that Randolph had dropped Kyle like a hot potato when the sex tape surfaced but decided against it since it would make her sound catty.
Besides, she really wanted to talk to him about casting her as the lead in MegaPics upcoming movie but she couldn’t find a segway into that conversation. She tried steering it in that direction several times but either Randolph was a bit dense or he truly was upset about Kyle’s death.
Cameras clicked and whizzed from the hundreds of reporters and grieving fans herded behind iron barricades. People called out to her, offering her words of encouragement and sympathy. She smiled and waved, the netting on her black hat obscuring her face.
Randolph escorted her to a waiting hearse that she'd share with Shauna to the cemetery. Oh, joy. She didn't look forward to the ride. Randolph saved her when he slid in beside her. He served as the perfect buffer between her and Kyle’s pregnant fiancée.
“I know this isn’t the best time to discuss business, Juliet, but I’ve been meaning to get in touch with Sid again. Meg had to pull out of Attraction Overruled and I know you turned it down originally, but I’m hoping you'll reconsider the part of Marla Ford.”
Finally, the conversation she has been waiting for, but something was very wrong. Juliet couldn’t process so much information in so little time. Randolph was basically handing her the lead in MegaPic’s newest blockbuster movie, a role he wanted her for originally, one that her agent turned down.
She was going to kick some agent ass.
“Sid doesn’t represent me anymore, Randolph. I want the part of Marla.”
Before Randolph could reply, Shauna broke her childish silence and piped in, “Sid is my agent now, Randolph, and he thought I would be great for the part of Marla.” She gave Jade a “so there,” look.
Randolph’s gaze raked Shauna’s very pregnant belly and he narrowed his eyes. “I’m sorry, your name is…?”
Ho, ho, this was too good. Jade repressed the urge to laugh out loud.
Color drained from Shauna’s face. “I’m Shauna Stewart. I was Becky in Yesterday and Today,” she stuttered, obviously thinking her soap-opera role would impress the head of Hollywood’s biggest studio. “Kyle Ashton’s almost-widow,” she added at Randolph’s blank look. “This is his baby,” she sniffed, patting her round belly.
Jade wanted to remind Shauna about her trip around the talk show circuit telling America that it was not Kyle’s baby after his sex tape surfaced. But at the look of humiliation on Shauna’s face, she just couldn't do it. She might be taking control of her life, but she couldn't be mean.
“Yeah, whatever, have Sid get in touch with me,” he said absently before turning back to Jade. “We're already behind on production schedules. We've shot many of the scenes that Marla isn't in already. We want to release around Christmas so we need to move fast. Call my secretary today and she'll overnight the script to you.”
“Thanks, Randolph, I will.”
#
Kyle Ashton’s burial ceremony at the cemetery was simple and tasteful. The police cordoned off the area to keep spectators and the paparazzi away and large tents obstructed the view from the helicopters circling like hungry vultures.
Sid organized a huge bash for immediately after the burial. He wanted to celebrate Kyle’s life the way he lived, one big party. Jade would not be attending. She planned on catching the earliest flight back to Indiana.
An image of Logan flashed through her mind and Jade froze. She never had the chance to explain Kyle’s appearance in her house and her sudden departure. Well, she would explain everything tonight when she returned.
“Juliet!”
Jade turned to see Nora hurrying to catch up with her, Sid nipping at her heels. A black limo zipped in front of her and screeched to a stop. Jade jumped back from the curb. The driver leaped from the
car and whipped the back door open. Jade tried to see if it was the same chauffeur from the airport but found herself being hustled inside.
“Let go of me,” she ground out. “My God, are you kidnapping me?”
“Calm down, Juliet,” Sid growled in her ear. “We just want to talk to you and since you have been avoiding us, we had no choice but to take drastic measures.”
“There's nothing to discuss. I fired both of you.” She bristled as Sid scooted in behind her, sandwiching her between him and Nora. The car shot off and Jade was flung against the seat. She waited until the driver slowed for a stop sign and moved to the opposite seat. She would face her kidnappers head-on.
“Where are you taking me?”
“To Kyle’s remembrance celebration.”
“I told you, I am not going.”
“You are going and you will play your part like I’ve taught you,” Sid spat.
Jade stared to rap on the glass to attract the driver’s attention but Nora’s words stopped her mid-knock.
“What was that?”
“I said it’s your fault Kyle is dead.”
Jade turned slowly and faced her two former employees. Sid looked smug as always but it was Nora’s expression that made her pause. Nora’s normally sweet mouth was curved in a fierce scowl, her eyes glittering with hatred.
“What's that supposed to mean,” she asked in a low voice.
“You broke Kyle’s heart when you selfishly divorced him. He was so miserable he came to see you and you heartlessly sent him away. He was coming home from the airport, probably distraught when he lost control of the car. Your evilness killed him.”
Jade stared at Nora in shock. She forced her jaw, which had dropped to her chest, back in place. “I’m not even going to dignify that with a response.”
Nora’s lips twisted mockingly. “That’s because you know it's true.”
“So it was okay if Saint Kyle cheated on me repeatedly, impregnated another woman while we were married, participated in orgies and drinking and drugs. I’m the villain in the marriage?”
Apparently she was going to dignify Nora’s accusation with a response.
Nora crossed her arms and shrugged uncaringly. “Kyle was a wonderful man.”
Jade decided to let Nora live in her own fantasy land. Nothing she could say or do would change the woman’s mind.
“Just so you know, Juliet darling, you can’t fire me.”
“I already did, Sid.”
Sid extracted a folded stack of papers from his pocket. “It’s all in the contract.”
Jade grabbed the papers from his grip. “There has to be an out. I never would have signed it otherwise.” She scanned the page and horror dawned. “You switched the contract. You replaced the one I read with this one,” she accused.
Sid shrugged unrepentantly. “That’s your signature on the dotted line.”
“You son of a bitch.” Jade flung the papers at Sid. “I trusted you and you tricked me.”
Sid crossed his legs and stuck an unlit cigar in his mouth. “Welcome to Hollywood, babe.”
Jade had to get out of the car before she used her stiletto heel to kill one or both of two monsters sitting across from her. She slapped the intercom button. “Pull the damn car over.”
“Excuse me, ma’am?”
“I said pull the car over. Now.”
“But we aren’t—”
“Now!”
“Yes, ma’am.” The driver eased to the curb and Jade shot out the door before he shifted to park.
“Don’t think you can run away from us, Juliet,” Sid’s voice floated after her. “I own you.”
Jade kept walking, her heels tapping out a rapid tempo as she powered down the sidewalk. Thankfully the driver had pulled over on Santa Monica, close to Rodeo Drive. Jade could easily grab a cab from here.
“Juliet LaRue!”
Jade turned to see a horde of photographers barreling down on her. They must have been following the limo. She took off running as they called out questions and snapped away with their cameras. She ducked into Ralph Lauren as she had other times when she was being pursued by the media. The manager was a friend of hers and she whisked Jade to the back and took care of her. She brought her a glass of water and called a limo. The photographers, alerted to an A-lister spotted at Tiffany’s, abandoned their hunt. Jade was able to slip from the store undetected.
She arranged transportation to the airport and after a quick stop at her house to collect her suitcase, she was headed back to Bloomington. Home.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Logan sat in the darkened room and smiled. The play was fantastic, the kids adorably bumbling their way through the skit. Raucous laughter, cheers and lots of “that’s my kid” shouts, his included, filled the small auditorium.
Isabella was priceless as a caterpillar that morphed into a dazzling butterfly. She'd been so excited to be cast as the butterfly, she'd worn her purple, blue and green wings all week. She skipped across the stage, her little arms flapping to simulate flying. A big lump of pride lodged in his throat, making it difficult to breathe. She was so beautiful and precious. Then she stopped in the middle of her “flight” and waved.
“Hi Daddy,” she whispered with a big smile on her face. She giggled and covered her mouth with her hands.
Tears sprang to his eyes and he quickly blinked them away. The lump in his throat refused to budge and he swallowed hard before he could whisper back, “Hi, baby”.
The other parents in the audience laughed, many of the mothers making comments like, “how adorable,” and “isn’t she a doll.” Jac Dianetti reached over and squeezed his hand and Lauren swung the small video camera she was taping the play with to capture the expression on his face.
Bella beamed and took off in flight again. She stopped abruptly and turned back to the audience. “Oh, I almost forgot. Hi, Unca Dan!”
The audience roared with laughter and Logan glanced to see his brother in the same emotional state he'd just left. Dan waved back, mouthed “Hi, Bella” and surreptitiously wiped moisture from his eyes.
When Bella took off again, only to stop once more, no doubt ready to say hi to Luke, Lauren and the rest of her fan club, the teacher stepped up to the stage and said, “You can wave to your families after the play is over, okay kids?” She turned and gave the audience a look of mock exasperation and the crowd broke into laughter again.
The speech did the trick and the play resumed. Logan couldn’t wipe the smile off his face the rest of the performance. When the kids finished, they stood in one long line holding hands and took a rippling bow.
Isabella had the largest cheering section of any of the kids. Besides him and Dan, Luke, Kaitlyn, their office manager and each of their secretaries were in attendance, as were four of the other investigators. The entire Dianetti clan attended: Jac, Matt, Lauren, and Matt’s parents. Mrs Harper from down the street did as well.
She also had the largest bouquet of flowers. Her little arms couldn’t hold all the fragrant blooms. He'd purchased a dozen pink roses to celebrate her first play, not knowing Dan had picked up a bouquet of daisies. Luke arrived carrying a dozen pink tulips, the Dianetti’s brought a colorful arrangement of purple and pink and yellow blossoms and his office had pitched in and bought her an armful of red roses. Mrs. Harper had picked pink Gerbera daisies from her garden, and his Aunt Trudy had sent a huge arrangement of exotic looking flowers along with a note expressing her sincere regret that she couldn’t attend and begging for a copy of the tape from Lauren.
The ride home would smell like a funeral home.
The only glaring absence in the Isabella Bradley fan club was Jade LaRossa. She'd promised Bella she'd attend just a few days ago. Then she disappeared right after he barged in on her and her husband in bed, not even possessing the decency to call and explain why she'd neglected to inform him of her marital status.
He looked before they left for the play but he hadn’t spotted her around in the yard a
nd he didn’t want to knock on the door in case hubby answered. He feared he might bash his fist in the arrogant little man’s nose. He hoped she would meet them at the auditorium, but obviously she found more important things to do than make his baby girl happy.
He forced back the resentment that snaked its way into his thoughts. Tonight was Bella’s night and he would not let anything or anyone ruin it.
He asked his daughter where she wanted to go for a celebration dinner and shouldn’t have been surprised when she chose McDonalds. The others laughed but agreed to attend. Luke called the closest restaurant and reserved the room downstairs used for children’s parties. With her contingency in tow, Bella led the group to the parking lot and they piled into their cars. As he was strapping Bella into her safety seat, she said, “I’m so happy eweryone comed to see me.”
Logan snapped the buckle in place and adjusted her wings, which she'd again refused to part with. “Came to see you,” he corrected. “You should thank them when we get to the restaurant.”
“Kay, Daddy.” She scrunched up her pretty face and asked, “How come Jade didn’t come? Didn’t she wanna see me as a pwetty butterfwy?”
She looked so innocent and confused and he damned Jade LaRossa in his head again for disappointing his daughter. He ran a hand down his daughter’s curls and replied honestly, “I don’t know, baby.”
Dan helped Mrs. Harper into the passenger seat and then jumped in the back next to Bella. Her sadness quickly disappeared as she soaked up her uncle’s attention. Logan led the caravan of cars to the restaurant and once they all arrived and were seated around the long table, Bella stood up on her chair. Startled, Logan grabbed her legs to steady her.
She clapped her hands twice, her butterfly wings flapping behind her. “Can I have ewerybody’s tension, pweese.”
Logan smiled and groaned at the same time. Bella loved the spotlight. Just his luck—she would probably turn out to be an actress like her mother.
The Fan Page 13