The Heartbreak Cafe

by Melissa Hill

Her eyes widened. ‘Thinking …Troy, we had sex about a zillion times that night and remember that whole problem with the condom? I realise the night is probably a little fuzzy round the edges – for both of us – but surely you remember that much?’

  ‘Yeah, but who’s to say it happened that night?’

  Ruth froze. He’d basically implied she was a whore, suggesting the same thing that the papers have been saying about her.

  That might have been easier to take if there was any truth in it, but the thing was that he was the one who was constantly hooking up with his co-stars, while she on the other hand, hadn’t dated anyone seriously in years.

  ‘What are you trying to say to me, Troy?’ she replied, ice in her tone.

  ‘Well, you know, I read the papers too and…’ he trailed off and she sensed him shrug.

  As if this sort of stuff should be just par for the course for her.

  ‘Wow…’ she began hoarsely. ‘To think that I looked up to you, respected you even … And not that it matters, but just so you know you’re actually the first man I’ve gone to bed with in years.’

  ‘I guess that explains the screaming, huh?’ he chuckled and Ruth tried to figure out which was worse, that she’d actually slept with this idiot, or that such a man could be the father of her unborn child.

  ‘How dare you, Troy?’ she croaked. ‘How dare you make me feel this small?’

  On the other end, she heard him exhale and then his voice softened. ‘Look I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be making light of this.’

  ‘Damn right you shouldn’t.’

  ‘It’s just that… well to be frank, this isn’t the first time a girl has laid this kind of stuff on me.’

  ‘Oh well I guess that explains your insensitivity perfectly then,’ she cried. ‘How bloody stupid of me to think that I deserved a little respect! This might not be the first time someone has told you something like this, but believe me, it’s most definitely the first time I’ve had to tell anyone!’ Now, she felt like punching someone, she was so angry.

  ‘Ruth, look I’m sorry I overreacted, maybe I was an asshole.’

  ‘Maybe?’

  ‘OK, OK. Anyways, so you’re knocked up. You’re sure?’

  ‘Yes I’m sure, I’m not an idiot, you know.’ Although Ruth couldn’t be sure if that last part were true.

  ‘OK then, you need to get back here fast, so we can get this taken care of. There’s a clinic I know that will do it and we can trust them that it won’t leak.’

  As he continued to talk, Ruth felt herself automatically zoning out. There he was rattling on about an abortion clinic that would keep everything under wraps, get it taken care of. He just assumed that she was going to have an abortion and never even asked how she was doing, how she was coping with it all. What’s more, he never even considered that she might actually want to have the baby. Instead, he’d just determined what was in his best interests and opted for that; regardless of her opinion.

  ‘So, I can get my assistant to make you an appointment for say, end of this week? You’d better get booked on a flight back to LA right away. I’m serious, the sooner this is taken care of the better ’cause we don’t need any further speculation.’

  Ruth was quiet. Speculation? He was talking about the press again. And yes, of course they would be on something like this like a shot, and once again she would be all over the papers, her name mud. She could see the headlines already; no doubt she would be dubbed as the fledgling actress who was trying to make an even bigger name for herself by getting knocked up by the great Troy Valentine.

  Oh hell…

  Maybe Troy was right. Maybe it was better for everyone that they got this ‘situation’ dealt with quickly. Over and done with. As it was, the time away from LA would have helped her survive the recent negative publicity, and she could go back in September with her head held high and an amazing second series under her belt. The fling with Troy would be mostly forgotten and she could move on to the next stage of her career, bruised certainly, but maybe not as battered as she’d be if didn’t take his advice.

  They both had their careers, and they weren’t married, weren’t even together so it wasn’t as if she could raise a baby with her co-star, much less even contemplate raising one on her own …

  Could she?

  Ruth thought about it. She’d always figured she’d have kids one day – someday.

  Someday when she was famous enough and rich enough. She pictured dressing her kids in cute little designer outfits and pushing a stroller along Rodeo Drive. She’d always cooed over babies, although she hadn’t had much of an opportunity recently. She pictured tiny hands and tiny feet and the kisses that she’d cover her baby in, and was brought up short by the vision.

  No, she thought, shaking her head. This wasn’t a baby. Troy was right; this was a mistake, merely the product of too much champagne and a definitive lack of judgement.

  Wasn’t it?

  ‘Ruth? Ruth, sweetheart, are you still there? You don’t have to be afraid, you know. Really, it’s not a problem – you’ll be in and out before you know it and this will all be behind us. Just a simple procedure.’ Troy spoke with the knowledge of someone who’d almost certainly been down this road before.

  ‘A simple procedure.’ Ruth felt as if she was in a trance.

  ‘Yes, there’s nothing to worry about – there’ll be no scars or anything. Honestly, it’ll be just like it never happened.’

  ‘Like it never happened.’ Ruth paused for a moment and looked down at her stomach. Then she took a deep breath. ‘Troy, what makes you think that I would even consider something like this?’

  ‘What …what are you talking about?’

  ‘You never even asked me what I wanted, you just assumed that I would –’

  ‘Well of course I assumed. Jeez Ruth, no one in Hollywood would do anything else in a situation like this.’

  ‘You never asked me my opinion on this subject. You were just ready to get your assistant to make an appointment at some clinic. It almost sounds like you don’t even have to look up the number; like you already have it on speed dial.’

  ‘Ruth, what the hell are you talking about? Of course you are getting this dealt with. Are you out of your mind? Do you want both of our careers to be over?’

  ‘Is that all you’re worried about? Your stupid career? This is a baby we’re talking about – a life!’

  ‘It’s a goddamn mistake, that’s what it is!’

  Ruth shook her head, and tears blurred her vision. ‘Don’t say that. It’s not like that. Anyway, I believe in —’

  ‘You can believe in the freakin’ tooth fairy for all I care. This can’t happen.’

  ‘Well, it is going to happen Troy. I’m not getting rid of this baby,’ she announced determinedly. Whatever about anything else, at least she knew that much.

  ‘Well sweetheart, good luck with that. But you won’t get a cent from me. And good luck with trying to get sympathy from Bob and the producers too. Can’t you see you’re making a huge mistake here, Ruth? Your career’s going down the pan with this!’

  ‘Yeah well, I’ll think about that when I need to.’ With luck she wouldn’t have to think about it for a while yet. And who knows, maybe the second series would be even bigger and the producers would have no choice but to be supportive? Either way, she couldn’t even contemplate past anything other than what she’d just decided.

  ‘And don’t think you can drag me down with you either. I’ve been around long enough to let some two-bit tramp rain on my parade.’

  This was the parting shot of Hollywood’s favourite heartthrob before he hung up.

  Ruth pushed her phone to the side and stared at the wall, still in shock. Shock from all that had been said, but mostly from the unexpected conclusion she’d arrived at. In spite of Troy’s reaction, in spite of all the upheaval this would surely cause, she’d made her decision; she was going to have their baby.

  And she still didn’t know how to feel abou
t that.

  Chapter 16

  ‘You’re in Lakeview?’ Cathy’s shock was evident, as Nina had known it would be. ‘What are you doing there?’

  As the weeks went by it had become harder to remain evasive about her location, and so she had no choice but to confess to her mother where she was staying. Luckily, and so Cathy wouldn’t start worrying, she’d come up with a great cover story.

  ‘Well, remember Trish? We met up recently and she told me she was doing this charity book on Lakeview and that she could really use a hand. And because I had nothing else on…’

  ‘Nothing else on? What about work?’

  ‘I told you I had to leave the company, Mum. With the way things ended, I didn’t want to stay there and have to see Steve everyday …’

  ‘Well maybe I can understand that, but why leave Galway too? Seems a bit drastic …’

  ‘I don’t know – I just needed some time away – a fresh start I suppose.’

  ‘I see.’ Cathy sighed, rightly suspecting that there was a lot more going on that met the eye. ‘But I didn’t think you and Trish were still in touch.’

  ‘Ah we are. She came up to see me in Galway a few times and we’ve always got on well…and anyway Mum, I thought the change of scenery would do me good.’

  ‘And you’re staying with Patrick?’ The surprise was evident in her tone and Nina knew that she was amazed by this, considering that her daughter had come up with every excuse under the sun not to spend time with her father over the years.

  ‘Yes, he’s been great letting me stay with him.’

  ‘Really?’ Her mother’s tone suggested she didn’t believe a word of it. ‘And how is he?’

  ‘Oh well, you know Dad, he keeps himself to himself.’

  ‘I see.’

  ‘But he’s been very good, making me dinner and breakfast and all that. But truthfully, I try and keep out of his way as much as I can.’

  ‘Is he still fixing TVs and all that?’

  ‘Yep.’

  There was a smile in Cathy’s voice. ‘I’d imagine that’s a lot of fun, all those parts laid out everywhere.’

  ‘It’s not too bad. But I tend not to stay around the house too much. I see Trish quite a bit and of course I’ve got the café job –’

  ‘Job? You have a job in Lakeview too?’ she said and Nina winced. She hadn’t planned on mentioning that; it would give away that she’d been here for some time.

  ‘Just a couple of mornings in Ella’s – you know the Hearbreak Café?’

  ‘Of course.’

  ‘Well, actually, it kind of happened by accident. I was in there one day and she was telling me about how she busy she gets over the summer so I sort of offered to help out.’

  ‘Very kind of you to help out so many of Lakeview’s finest. Nina, is there something you’re not telling me?’ Cathy was shrewd as ever.

  ‘Of course not, why?’

  ‘Well, it just seems odd to me that’s all. There you are, working and living in Lakeview of all places. A place you really seemed to hate when you were growing up.’

  ‘Well, I feel a bit guilty about that too. I mean, Patrick is my dad and I haven’t spent all that much time with him. I mean, of course Tony has been brilliant but…and speaking of which, how is he?’ Nina decided to use the mention of her stepfather as an excuse to change the subject. ‘How’s the travel going? Where are you headed next?’

  ‘We’re in Hong Kong now, about to start a weeklong tour of China.’

  ‘It sounds amazing Mum, you must be loving every second.’

  ‘Well of course we are, but it just seems so long since I’ve seen you honey. And I miss you. I miss being around for you when you’re going through so much…’

  ‘Mum, please don’t worry about me; I’m absolutely fine. Yes, it was tough in the aftermath but being honest, coming to Lakeview was the best possible thing for me. I have friends here now and it’s good fun.’

  ‘Well as long as you’re sure, but you know I’d come home in a second if you needed me.’

  ‘There’s no need honestly. Of course I miss you loads too, but I’m really fine.’

  Nina smiled into the phone and she wrapped the phone cord around her wrist. She smiled, still unable to believe Patrick still had a phone with a cord.

  ‘So has Lakeview changed much? Is it still the same as you remember?’

  ‘It is different, bigger I think. But people have been great, really friendly.’

  ‘Well, that’s good. Does Ella still have all those sad rescue cases roaming around the place?’

  Nina smiled, thinking of her boss’s latest rescue case – a one-eyed dog called Claus she’d picked up from the local shelter which slept out back and was worthy competition to the cats for the cafe’s leftovers. ‘Yes, but don’t worry, she’s very protective of her ‘Good Food’ award so it’s all very hygienic.’

  ‘Well that’s more than I can say for this place. Honestly, Nina, you should see some of the stuff they eat here. Deep-fried crickets and everything! I’ll tell you, Tony nearly lost his life!’

  Nina laughed. Her stepdad was a die-hard meat and spuds Irishman so she could only imagine his reaction to the local Asian cuisine.

  ‘So I’m sure you’re meeting lots of people at the café. Anyone interesting?’

  ‘Interesting? You mean, like a man? Oh come on Mum, I’m just over one guy and have no interest in meeting another.’

  ‘Of course you don’t,’ Cathy replied. ‘But who have you met, really?’

  ‘Well, Ella is great of course, and Trish and …oh, I’m sure you know Ruth … Seymour, the actress? She’s back for the summer.’

  ‘The Ruth Seymour? Of course I’d almost forgotten she was from Lakeview. So you’re friends with her now too?’

  ‘Well, we’ve met up for coffee a couple of times, I’m not saying we’re best friends or anything,’ Nina insisted. ‘But working on Trish’s book is good fun. We’ve been going through the archives at the library and found a lot of great stuff – some of it about you actually.’

  ‘Really, like what?’

  ‘Just old newspapers articles about various school events and suchlike. You were quite the social butterfly, Mum.’

  ‘I suppose so, back in my younger days,’ Cathy said and Nina heard a smile in her voice. Actually, her mother was still the social butterfly.

  ‘I didn’t see much about Patrick though.’

  ‘Well, you know he’s always liked to do his own thing.’

  ‘I know, and don’t get me wrong but I still can’t understand how you two ever got together. It looked like you could have had the pick of the lads in Lakeview.’

  ‘Ah, Nina stop.’

  ‘No really; I mean he’s such a loner now, I can’t help wondering if he was like that when he was younger. And you and he are just so different; I really hope I didn’t get his weird genes.’

  ‘Look, as I’ve said before, your father is who he is and he played a very special role in my life. He gave me you after all. OK, so he might not be typical, but he has his own charm and he’s done the best by me – by us. And now he’s obviously been kind enough to give you a place to live. Really, you shouldn’t be so hard on him.’

  Nina sighed heavily, feeling guilty and unkind for her criticism, after all Patrick was allowing her to stay here without asking questions, he let her do her own thing and didn’t ask for any rent.

  ‘I know, I’m sorry. It’s just well you know how he can be.’

  ‘Still having cabbage on Wednesdays?’ Cathy joked. ‘I know how much you used to love that.’

  Nina laughed. ‘Yes, but like you say, he has been good to me.’

  ‘Exactly. So how long are you planning on staying there?’

  ‘I’m not sure really. It was a kind of a spur of the moment thing, but I suppose I’m sort of …settled here now.’

  ‘Well that’s good to know. I worry about you a lot you know. And really, I’m kicking myself that I’m not there for you at
such a tough time. Have you heard anything from Steve?’

  ‘No Mum and I really don’t want to. That’s definitely over and done with.’

  ‘You’re sure?’

  ‘Definitely.’ Suddenly, Nina found herself eager to get off the phone. ‘Anyway, I’m going to have to run, have a fantastic time in China and give my love to Tony, OK? We’ll talk again soon.’

  ‘OK honey, be good.’

  Nina put the handset back in the receiver and stared at the ceiling.

  That had gone reasonably well, hadn’t it? Cathy didn’t seem unduly suspicious about her whereabouts, which was great, as she’d been so sure her mother would guess something. Not that she could have guessed this of course. Nina subconsciously ran a hand over her stomach.

  She almost jumped out of her skin when her mobile phone rang again. Picking it up she saw it was an unfamiliar number, but she decided to answer it anyway.

  ‘Hello.’

  ‘Hello Nina? Hi, it’s Ruth here.’

  ‘Oh hi, how are you?’

  ‘OK I guess,’ she said, not sounding OK at all. ‘Look my mum passed on your messages and … well I’m sorry about not getting back to you guys sooner but –’

  ‘Not at all, I’m sure you have a lot going on.’

  ‘You could say that.’ She sounded flustered, Nina thought. Trish had insisted that her Lakeview News interview with Ruth would be balanced and pretty complimentary, but maybe there’d been another horrible story in the papers in the meantime? ‘Actually I was wondering if maybe you wanted to meet up for lunch or something?’

  ‘Today?’

  ‘Well, yes, if you don’t have anything else on.’

  Nina didn’t. Ella didn’t need her at the café and Trish was working flat out on the upcoming edition of the newspaper so she was at a loose end. ‘That would be lovely. Do you want to meet at the café?’

  ‘Well is there any chance you could come here to my place? My parents are out at the moment,’ she added hastily. ‘And I was just was thinking that I really don’t feel like putting on makeup and getting dressed up.’

  Yes, Nina could only imagine the pressure of having to look a million dollars every time you put your nose outside the door.