by Lexi Blake
Brie was always playing a role, it seemed.
“Brie,” her uncle said, with a dismissive nod. He looked Brie up and down. “I fear I preferred the dress you were wearing earlier. You looked less like a prostitute.”
“Uncle Bell.” Despite the fact that Brie’s clothes were quite revealing, it was rude to point it out. Especially when Brie wasn’t the only one dressed that way.
And everyone was suddenly watching them.
Brie shrugged it off. She was carrying a martini glass with casual ease, the very picture of decadent youth. “Don’t worry about it, Win. Your uncle is an expert at pointing out whores. After all, he uses them so often himself.”
Her uncle looked around, his eyes narrowing. “How much have you had to drink, dear? Should I cut you off?”
“There’s isn’t enough vodka in the world to make me forget some things. When you’re done with the old man, I need a moment of your time, Win,” Brie insisted before moving over to the stairs. She stayed out of earshot, looking out over the crowd below.
Bellamy stared at Brie for a moment, and he leaned in toward Win, his voice going low. “That is exactly what I’m talking about. Brie is a lost little girl. And sometimes lost and angry girls can try to drag everyone else down with them. I want you to be careful around her, and maybe next year you can leave her and the others off the list. You need to focus on people who truly have the same values you do.”
She wasn’t sure she would say she had a ton in common with the ridiculously wealthy people around her besides money and upbringing, but she got her uncle’s point. And spending time with Henry had made it clear to her what she wanted out of her relationships. “I will think about it.”
He nodded. “Ah, I see our vocalist is about to begin. I’ll go look for my new friend. If you meet a woman named Margarita Reyes, tell her I’m looking for her.”
She breathed a sigh of relief. She’d never met any of Henry’s female coworkers, so she might be safe. Safe? It didn’t matter now if he found out who she was, though she hated the idea that it could taint those weeks with him. He was a man who could use some peace, and while they’d been together, they’d both found some.
What would he say if he knew she’d bought his house? One day she would find a way to get it back to him.
She could hear the singer/songwriter she’d invited to play begin to tune up his guitar. He had a top-ten song right now, but she’d liked his music for years.
“Well, isn’t it nice to see you and dear old Dad still getting along.”
She forced a smile on her face when all she wanted to do was walk away as fast as she could, but then that would likely mean having to walk past Brie, and she didn’t want another confrontation. She was going to have to talk to her at some point, but it could wait a few more minutes. “Hello, Trevor. I didn’t know you were going to make it. I heard you were out of the country.”
He gave her a leering once-over. There was nothing sexual about it, but she could feel him judging every inch of her appearance. It was what Trevor Hughes did. “I spent some time with my mother. Learned a few things. You know my dad never allowed me close to her when I was younger. It’s good to get to know her again.”
From what she’d heard, her uncle and aunt’s divorce had been incredibly acrimonious. They’d split shortly after Win’s parents had died. She’d always wondered if it had been at least partially her fault. Her aunt had wanted nothing to do with raising another child. She would completely ignore Win when she came around. “I’m glad you’re getting along.”
Brie seemed to notice Win was no longer in her uncle’s company. She breezed over. “Trevor? You look good.”
“You, too, Brie. See, Win, I’m getting along with a lot of people these days. I met up with Brie while she was taping a couple of weeks ago,” he said, arrogance in his tone.
“I wasn’t aware you were out on the island.” Not that she would have hung out with him.
“I thought I needed some quiet after that vacation in Europe with Mom,” he explained. “The last thing I wanted to do was spend time with dear old Dad, so I went out to the island. You weren’t staying at the house. It was perfect. I met up with Brie and I got to be on the show.”
“At least someone appreciates what I can do for him,” Brie said under her breath.
“You went on the show?” Somehow Win didn’t think that would go well for her.
Brie finished off her cocktail. “Well, someone has to explain what’s going on. You disappeared and now you’re too good for the show and the fans.”
Trevor’s lips curled up in a smirk. “Yeah, Win. You’re too good for the fans. One of us has to be pleasant or it could hurt our family name. You don’t want that, do you? Don’t worry. I didn’t tell them the truth. I said you were exhausted, that you found you couldn’t keep up with the pace of the show.”
“I have a right to privacy. I don’t owe anyone an explanation for why I left.” Tension knotted her stomach at the thought of Trevor explaining her absence. The tabloids would read into every single word he said and twist it all for a story. She looked at Brie. “I thought you understood I don’t want to be involved. It’s not good for me or my health.”
“You’re so dramatic.” Brie rolled her eyes. “It’s not like you died.”
Anger flared through her. She didn’t care who was watching them at that moment. “I almost did.”
“So you say.”
“I want whatever Trevor said about me taken out of the show.” She wasn’t going to allow herself to get dragged back in.
Brie put a hand on her hip. “Oh, now we’re not even allowed to talk about you? You can’t control this. You can’t stop me from talking about you.”
“I bet I can.” She wouldn’t go after Brie. She would go straight for the producers. They would likely find a lawsuit reason enough to edit that episode.
Trevor’s face had gone hard, his eyes slits as he stared down at her. “Fuck you, Win. You have to ruin everything for me. You think you’re going to cut me out of the episode?”
“I only want to get rid of anything you said concerning me.” She was sick of being the bad guy when all she was doing was standing up for herself.
“I think you’re right, Trevor. I think she only wants her own success.” Every word that came out of Brie’s mouth was a nasty bullet. “She knows she can’t make it in the entertainment world, so she’s going to burn it all down around her and she doesn’t care who she hurts.”
“Stop with the drama.” She wasn’t going to have this fight in public, though she knew people were already whispering behind their hands. “There are no cameras here.”
“But there are a few reporters,” Brie threatened. “Maybe I should go find one.”
Brie started to turn back toward the stairs, but stopped. Her whole attitude changed, and suddenly she was bubbly and light, her arms open to the newcomer. “Hello, Alicia. You are looking lovely tonight.”
Win was ready for the night to end.
Alicia Kingman strode up, kissing Brie and Trevor on both cheeks in that vaguely European fashion. The actress was wearing a stunning sheath that showed her slender, elegant figure. Everything about the woman was perfect.
Yes, there was that hated word.
“Hello, Trevor.” She glanced back, looking Win over with a vaguely sympathetic look. “Ah, this is your cousin, right? The Billion-Dollar Baby? I loved that movie on Lifetime. So tragic. Your parents were heroes. Giving their lives to save yours.”
Both Brie and Trevor seemed to have flipped a switch the minute Alicia had shown up. Now they were all smiles and casual ease. It was like the tension of moments before had never happened, though Win had no thought that it wouldn’t resurface. That fight was not over.
“That’s right,” Brie said with a laugh. “I’d forgotten all about that movie. Love and Sacrifice on the High
Seas. What a terrible title. And they didn’t even get a star to play Win.”
Win bit back a groan. It had come out when she was a child. The film depicted her parents’ final hours and how they’d valiantly sacrificed their own lives for their precious child. It was as overwrought as the title suggested. Her uncle had flipped out the one time he’d caught her watching it. He’d turned it off and made her promise to never watch that drivel again. “Well, I was only a baby.”
Brie’s nose wrinkled in distaste. “Still, they could have gotten a talented baby. The one they used was bland.”
“I think that baby was very good at portraying Win at that age,” Trevor replied. “She cried a lot and pooped her pants when she should have been potty-trained. She was a whiny thing.”
Alicia frowned. “Well, she might have been a baby, but even babies can be affected by tragedy. And you have no idea how hard it can be to work with kids. Don’t get me wrong. Some of them are great, but some are true brats of the highest order. I prefer working with dogs, to tell you the truth.”
“As long as you don’t marry another one,” Trevor snarked. “Though you should know, apparently Win here is taking your sloppy seconds.”
Brie gasped and slapped his arm. “You weren’t supposed to talk about that.”
So Brie had been gossiping behind her back. She was learning that the friendship of their childhood couldn’t survive Brie’s adult temper tantrums. Win had spent the last few years making excuses for her best friend, but her uncle was right. It was time to cut this off and move on with her life. Time to find new friends.
Trevor shrugged off the criticism. “Hey, Win is all about honesty, isn’t she? Until it comes to her own life. It’ll be good to see how she deals with it. See if she breaks, since she’s so damn fragile.”
He strode down the stairs.
Brie shook her head. “I should go and talk to him.”
When had they gotten chummy? There had been a time in her life when Brie had been the one to hold her hand when Trevor made her cry. Now it looked like she’d switched sides.
Alicia flashed Brie a brilliant smile. “Please say hello to your father for me. He did such an amazing job on my last film.”
Brie nodded. “I will. When I see him.”
She raced off after Trevor, but she wasn’t in such a hurry that she didn’t stop to pick up another drink.
And Win was left with her summer fling’s ex-wife. “I’m sorry if my friends caused you discomfort. I should get back to the party.”
Alicia put a well-manicured hand on her arm. “Please don’t think you have to rush off because your friends are idiots. The only reason I talk to Brie is because her father is an amazing musician. Now that he’s left the coke-and-whores phase of his career, he’s doing some brilliant soundtrack work.”
“Yeah, that was a long phase for him,” she admitted. “Most of my childhood. And Brie isn’t normally like that.” The excuse had worn terribly thin, but she felt like she needed to make it this one last time. “I can’t say the same for Trevor. I’m surprised you’ve met him.”
“I can’t hear well in here. Let’s go out to the balcony.” Alicia took her hand and started to lead her outside. The balcony was lit up and there was a second bar. It was much quieter, though they weren’t alone. “Hughes Corp has a television division, as you likely know, since technically it’s your company.” She gestured to the bartender. “Could I get a whiskey neat? Anything for you, dear?”
Oh, if she was going to get through what was likely going to be an uncomfortable conversation, she could use a drink. It would be her first of the evening. “A glass of white wine, please.” She turned back to Alicia. “Our television division concentrates on documentaries and news. We don’t do traditional movies or TV shows.”
“The company does some fabulous programs. It’s why I work with them often. Your cousin found out I was doing a voice-over for a documentary on child brides and he decided to take an interest in the project.” She nodded and took the whiskey from the bartender. “He’s disgusting, and I found the fact that a misogynist pig was the named producer of a film purporting to help women around the world to be quite ironic. Well, we all learn to take what we can get, but I’m not suing or anything. That’s not what I want to talk to you about.”
That was nice to hear, though Alicia wouldn’t be the first to sue over Trevor being a groping ass. “All right. What do you want to talk about?”
She looked up from her drink, her eyes seeming to shine with tears. “Is he okay? Henry, that is?”
Damn, but the woman was good. Win decided to try honesty with her. “The last time I saw him, he was in good spirits. Look, Trevor made it sound like I’m dating Henry. I’m not. I spent some time with him when we were both on vacation. That was all.”
“Oh, well, that might be for the best. I wish him no ill will,” she began.
“Then why did you try to trash him in the media?” The question was out before she could think about the repercussions. The last thing she needed was more drama.
Alicia leaned in, as though she didn’t want the drama either. “I didn’t. I never mentioned his name. I was only trying to explain my method. When I realized the press thought I was talking about Henry, I immediately came out with a statement. I’m not the bad guy here. There are two sides to every story.”
Win knew that well, but she also knew Alicia Kingman was an excellent actress and she obviously wanted something out of this conversation. “Like I said, it doesn’t matter because I’m not seeing him again.”
“Again, it’s probably for the best. Henry is a charming man, but he’s not what I would call forgiving. I’m actually surprised he would date you at all. He told me he would never again get involved with an overprivileged rich bitch. His words. Not mine. He hates old money. He can’t stand anyone who didn’t pull themselves up by their proverbial bootstraps.”
“Well, I’m certainly not that girl.” Had he found out her true identity and that was why he wasn’t interested? Or had he been honest with her and all he’d wanted was a few weeks of distraction? It had been so much more to her.
“Aren’t you, though? It’s not like you haven’t struggled. Money doesn’t stop tragedy. That’s what Henry doesn’t understand.” Alicia gave her a warm smile. “You know, I have caught an episode or two of Kendalmire’s Way. Silly show, but it’s mindless fun in its own way. I do enjoy watching Hoover try to figure out regular life skills.”
“He struggles with those.” They’d dedicated the majority of an episode to Hoover trying to open a can of beans without his housekeeper’s help.
“I’m glad you got treatment,” Alicia said. “Some people theorized that you took some mental health time or that you went to rehab, but I bet you had a different kind of therapy. You look good now and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. You look healthy and happy. Some people can handle this business. Some of us can maintain a balance and some of us can’t. Don’t think you’re any less because you can’t. Stand proud because you managed to get out. A lot of people don’t.”
Win shook her head because she was getting emotional, and the last person she’d expected praise to come from was Alicia Kingman. “I’m confused.”
“Because I’m not the evil bitch goddess Henry told you I am?” She stared out over the city. “Oh, I can be. I certainly was to him, and maybe I’m not being completely honest with you about everything. Maybe I liked the idea that people were sympathetic to me after the divorce. After all, I’ve never had a man leave me before. He had his reasons, but I loved him. I’m simply not good at loving anything but my career.”
“That’s surprisingly honest of you.”
“Yeah, I can be that, too,” Alicia admitted. “Sometimes I need a good old jolt to the system, and Henry’s new attack dog explaining how he can break me like an egg seems to have done the trick. I had already heard from Br
ie that you were seeing Henry. She called me a week ago. You’re not supposed to know that, of course.”
What the hell had Brie been doing? And why? “Why would she call you?”
“I believe she did it to cause some drama. Maybe she thought I would be closer with her if she told on her bestie, or I don’t know. I have a movie coming up where the second-best part in the film is my younger sister. I know she’s got an audition. She had some good gossip and she tried to use it to better her position. It’s what we do. The problem is I actually loved that bastard, and when I’m reasonable, I know it was all my fault. I pushed him. I didn’t see that he had a problem, so I wasn’t supportive when he needed me to be.”
“I thought you cheated on him.”
She waved that off. “I cheat on all of them. Monogamy is not normal. We probably should have talked about that before we got married, but that would have been boring. Did you fall for him? It’s okay. I would kind of think you’re insane if you didn’t.”
“I came to care for him.” She’d fallen utterly and madly in love with the man, but she wasn’t going to admit that to a complete stranger.
Alicia nodded. “I know what that means. Be careful. He’s incredibly narrow in his views. I wonder if any woman can truly please him. I wonder if he’ll always find a way to put a woman in a box because he can’t quite believe she’s good enough. It’s his mind-set. He’s too cynical.”
Too cynical to handle a woman who cheated on him? Win wasn’t sure she knew many men uncynical enough to handle that. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
Alicia smiled. “You won’t, but that’s okay. I think you’ll be all right with him or without him. If it starts to bug you and you don’t have someone to talk to, call me. Or someone. I know you’re going to be naturally reticent to talk to me, but I hate to lose a good female mind because some guy can’t handle his shit. I have your number and I’m going to text you. Contact me whenever. And don’t trust a damn thing Brie says to you. She’s using you and can’t stand the thought that you might move on from her.”