He held out his hand and almost instinctively she took it, his fingers closing in around hers, making her feel instantly safe again. Whatever it was that was going on here, she wasn’t going to fight it. She wasn’t going to fight anything anymore. She was going to follow Charley’s advice, stop analysing everything and just live life. No matter how weird that life was turning out to be. She’d just got on the merry-go-round of one crazy ride and the first day of the rest of her life was starting right here.
CHAPTER 6
Charley closed the magazine and threw it to one side, still unable to avoid the image of her best friend on the cover, all long blonde hair and Californian tan. She looked nothing like the India that had left Newcastle all those months ago. She looked incredible! Who’d have thought she could ever look like that?
She’d got the part in the movie and that had been it. One flying visit back to the U.K. to pack up her life in the North East of England and start a new one in Los Angeles, in a world the two of them had only ever been able to dream about before. Now one of them was actually living it.
India’s face was everywhere. The publicity machine was on a roll, and as much as Charley loved her friend she couldn’t stop the ever-growing jealousy rising up in her. She was still here, still sat behind the reception desk at ‘Wheatman & Rogers’ and whilst she’d been happy with that before, happy to have a job she liked and a life that she loved, it wasn’t enough anymore. Resentment was starting to sink in. The people around her were no longer friendly and fun to work with. They were boring and ordinary and she wanted out. She wanted something else, she wanted what India had. It was almost eating her up inside every time she thought about her friend over there in L.A., mixing with celebrities and movie stars, partying with Kenny Ross. She was in a Hollywood film for Christ’s’ sake! It hadn’t been that long ago that she’d been here with Charley, planning another weekend on the town and making arrangements for that girlie holiday that had never happened.
She wasn’t even looking forward to the prospect of seeing India in L.A. in a few days time, for the premiere of her movie, and under normal circumstances that would have had Charley past the point of excitement. But all she could feel was envy - envy that it wasn’t her about to walk the red carpet on the arm of Kenny Ross. Because that’s exactly what India would be doing.
Charley was really struggling to adjust to the life she was left with, the life she’d been quite happy with until her friend had been catapulted quite suddenly into the limelight. Now Charley realised that she wanted that too. She wanted the fame and the glamour and the celebrity friends. She wanted what India had, and taking another glimpse at her friend’s smiling face on the cover of the magazine, her startling blue eyes looking up at her, she decided that was it. She was tired of dreaming, of wondering when someone was going to come and whisk her away from a life too ordinary. She was going to have to get out there and make it happen for herself. India had it and she deserved it too. And no matter what it took she was going to go all out to get it.
***
Terry was finding it hard, hard to cope with the fact that his sister was so far away living this completely different life in a completely different world with people he still hadn’t met and wasn’t sure he could trust. Kenny Ross was giving him particular problems. He had a reputation for wild parties, motorbikes and women and the fact his little sister was now spending most days with him was giving him sleepless nights. He had absolutely no idea what their relationship was off-screen but there were pictures of them both in various newspapers and magazines on a regular basis and it was unsettling him. It was affecting his football and it hadn’t escaped the boss’s notice. If he carried on the way he was going he knew he could kiss goodbye to that first team place he’d worked so hard to keep.
He spoke to India quite often but she wasn’t giving much away. She and Kenny were just friends, that’s what she was telling him, but he wasn’t sure what to believe. She was naive, young, and in a world where anything and anyone could turn her head. She might think people were looking out for her but he was her brother and that was his job. He was just relieved to be flying out to Los Angeles soon. It was the first time he’d had a chance to go out there and see her since everything had happened and he was more than anxious to get over there.
It was the premiere of her debut movie in a few days and it felt quite weird for him to be even thinking about going to a Hollywood red carpet event. But that’s exactly where he was going. To support his little sister, the up-and-coming movie star. And hopefully find out just what was going on between her and Kenny Ross.
He flicked on the TV and looked for something to take his mind off it all. He really needed an escape, he needed to cut loose and forget for a while because if he didn’t stop thinking about India he was going to go mad.
The ‘phone rang and he threw the remote control down on the sofa next to him, leaning over to grab the receiver, resting it between his chin and shoulder as he picked up the remote and proceeded to carry on channel flicking.
“Yep.”
“Terry? It’s Charley.”
He sat up and put the remote down again. “Charley! What can I do for you?” Then he suddenly panicked. “It’s not India, is it?”
“No. It’s nothing to do with India.”
He was sure he detected a heavier than normal sigh coming from Charley just then.
“Look, Terry, I’m coming to Liverpool on Friday, for a bit of a break, a few days away from Newcastle. I thought I could do a bit of shopping, maybe get a new dress for the L.A. trip and, I was wondering if, maybe, you’d like to meet up for a couple of drinks. If you’re not busy.”
He wasn’t sure where this had come from but he liked Charley. She was fun, and she was bound to be missing India. What harm could it do?
“What do you think?” Charley asked.
Terry thought it might just be a good idea. “You’re on. Ring me when you get to the station and I’ll come pick you up. It’s a home game this weekend so I’ll be around. You can come to the match if you like; maybe we can go out afterwards.”
Not quite the escape he’d had in mind but it could prove to be a welcome distraction anyway. And any distraction right now was better than none at all.
***
Charley put the ‘phone down and smiled to herself. The first part of her plan was falling nicely into place.
CHAPTER 7
The beach was beautiful early in the morning, and India loved to just sit on the sand and watch the day begin. Back in the U.K. she would never have voluntarily got up at dawn unless there was an extremely good reason but here she loved it. It was a little oasis of peace before the day began and it calmed her. It gave her time to reflect on the madness of the past few months, because they certainly had been something of an adventure. Her life had changed so quickly in such a short space of time, but she was rapidly getting used to it all. She had no choice, really.
She pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged them, resting her chin on them as she stared out at the waves lapping gently over the sand. She’d just made her first Hollywood movie and she still couldn’t take it all in. Everyone kept telling her this was only the beginning and she hoped with all of her heart that they were right because she was loving every second. She’d taken to acting like the proverbial duck to water. Everyone was telling her she had a natural talent but all she knew was that she loved it. This was what she wanted to do. She didn’t want to go back to what she’d had before.
And Reece, the man she had to thank for all of this, he’d turned out to be her guardian angel. She couldn’t thank him enough for what he’d done, what he was still doing for her. He was guiding her through everything, helping her deal with the publicity and the madness that was following her everywhere. He’d even found this perfect little beach house for her to stay in, not too far away from his own place, which was a little further down the coast. If only Terry could believe that Reece really was just looking out for her, but nothing
she could do to convince him was making him worry any less. Mind you, she knew he had a much bigger problem with Kenny.
She leaned back against the palm tree she was sitting under and smiled to herself. Kenny Ross. Her best friend. How weird was that?
That day of the screen test had been really strange. They’d gone to a quiet little café on the beach and they’d just talked for hours and it had been so easy, so comfortable, like talking to an old friend. They’d both felt that weird sense of knowing each other so well when they’d met for the very first time and from that day onwards they’d bonded. There was no romance, nothing like that at all but, even after this short time of knowing him, he’d become the closest person to her. It was just everybody else who was having a hard time believing that nothing was going on. But it wasn’t. It really wasn’t. True, they spent a lot of time together but they were friends and nothing else. Best friends. He was opening up a whole new world for her, one she was rapidly falling in love with. Kenny was a free spirit; wild and spontaneous, living out of a suitcase in hotels and the houses of whichever friend’s were willing to take him in. He let nothing hold him back or tie him down and she’d never met anyone like him before. With Kenny she was the person she’d always really wanted to be, the girl who wore biker boots and ripped jeans and listened to rock music. He was teaching her to surf; she was learning to ride a motorbike, they went to rock gigs together and hung out at her place just talking, drinking beer and listening to him play guitar and it was perfect. He was perfect. But there was nothing going on. And she didn’t mind one bit. She just loved being with him, end of story.
Pulling herself up off the sand she picked up her shoes and started to make her way back to the beach house. In a matter of days it was the premiere of her first Hollywood movie and she was understandably nervous. She’d never watched any of the rushes back during filming, she’d never really wanted to see herself up there on the screen, but she wouldn’t be able to avoid it soon.
It had been hard work, and by no stretch of the imagination had she just walked onto that film set and been this amazing actress. Far from it. She’d had to work twice as hard at double the speed, including long hours with a voice coach to try and tone down her Geordie accent, and she’d spent all her spare time between scenes learning all about movie set etiquette because it was a completely strange and almost surreal environment with a lot to get used to in a very short space of time. She’d had to learn on the job, had to get used to things she had no idea about. She’d been thrown in at the deep end really, but with Kenny and Reece beside her she’d found it easier than it otherwise might have been.
Michael had been a fantastic director too. He’d given her so much support, and she was just glad they’d all be beside her, there on the red carpet. All eyes would be on her, waiting to see what this unknown English girl could do and there were times when that pressure did get to her. She only hoped she’d done enough to keep her Hollywood dream alive. She already had another movie in the pipeline but she knew as well as anyone that if her debut movie bombed then it could all disappear just as quickly as it had happened. That was the reality out here.
Stepping up onto the porch of her home - because that’s what it was now, home, the U.K. nothing but a distant memory - she threw her shoes down on the decking and leaned back against the wall, looking out to sea again. The first surfers were starting to arrive and she smiled as she remembered Kenny’s first attempt to get her on a surfboard. She’d go give him a call, see if he was up yet. They had a photo shoot together later that morning but he had a habit of not using alarms and sleeping in for everything, especially if he’d been out the night before.
He’d been out on a few dates with a young Spanish actress lately so she hadn’t seen him for a couple of days and she felt a strange stab of jealousy as she pushed open the French doors and went inside. She’d thought it hadn’t bothered her. Reece had taken her out to dinner and she’d had a few of her new friends over, but she suddenly realised she missed Kenny. More than she’d thought she would.
She left the doors open behind her – she liked to hear the sounds of the beach as the day progressed – glancing at Kenny’s guitar propped up in the corner of the small living room, his leather biker jacket draped over the back of the chair.
Sitting down and leaning back against his jacket she closed her eyes and pulled her knees up. She’d give him a few more minutes then call him. For the time being, though, she was quite happy where she was.
***
He was bored of her now. Anna was young and extremely pretty with the hottest Spanish accent but she was doing nothing for him. She’d left quite early that morning, probably sensing he wasn’t in the mood for conversation and he wasn’t. Not with Anna, anyway.
He flung himself back onto the bed, throwing his arms up above his head, staring at the ceiling. He hadn’t seen or spoken to India in days and that didn’t feel right somehow. They spent so much time together that not seeing her for even just a couple of days now felt alien to him. Still, he’d be seeing her soon, at the photo shoot.
He smiled to himself at the thought. It was going to be one of those black and white wearing-not-a-lot-of-clothes shoots and the thought of seeing India like that, well; he couldn’t deny he wasn’t going to enjoy it, could he? He had a feeling Reece would be hanging around again though. He kept such a close eye on India that half the time Kenny felt as though he should be asking his permission before they did anything or went anywhere. He’d sorted her out with a house, an agent, a management team, made sure everything was done for her. Kenny couldn’t quite work out what was going on there but he figured Reece must feel some kind of responsibility towards India, he being the one who’d brought her over to L.A. in the first place, completely changing her life.
He jumped out of bed and started looking for something to throw on amongst the pile of clothes on his hotel room floor, still thinking about India as a sudden stab of guilt washed over him. India didn’t know about his Malibu hideaway, he still hadn’t told her. There was still something stopping him from letting her in somehow. From letting anyone in.
As he pulled on his jeans and ran a hand through his black hair he knew that he was still keeping up this image, still putting up that barrier that stopped anyone from seeing the other side of him but that’s the way he wanted it, for now. That part of him was just too sacred to open up to anyone else, even India - his beautiful best friend. Even with her he still couldn’t find it in him to expose that part of himself. Maybe he never would. Did that make him weak? Or just scared? Or were they the same thing?
He looked in the mirror, running his fingers over the stubble on his chin, squinting at his slightly bloodshot eyes. He was going to get shit from the make-up team today. He looked like crap.
The ‘phone ringing gave him the distraction he needed and he turned away from the mirror, picking up the receiver. “Hey.”
“Kenny? It’s India.”
She always knew which hotel he used and the fact she always knew where to find him made him smile. He liked that.
The sound of her voice made him smile even more and he sat down on the edge of the bed, suddenly feeling that today was going to be a good day.
***
Reece needed something to help him sleep. Another night of lying awake had just ended, but despite the overwhelming feeling of tiredness he still couldn’t close his eyes and rest. There was too much going on in his head.
The last few months had gone better than he’d ever expected but that wasn’t coming without its fair share of problems. The ‘phone calls and letters, they were just part of it and he knew that if he’d just conceded - well, that had never been an option.
Lying in bed was pointless so he got up, grabbed a quick shower and called India to make sure she was ready for the ‘photo shoot. Engaged. She was probably on the ‘phone to Kenny.
Reece poured himself a cup of black coffee and took it outside by the pool. She cared far too much about that man, mo
re than he thought she should. She was at the start of an exciting new career and he didn’t think she needed the distraction of Kenny Ross, even if they were just friends. He’d seen no evidence to the contrary but then he wasn’t with her twenty four hours a day.
He took a sip of coffee and looked out across his vast surroundings – the large kidney shaped pool set against a backdrop of palm trees and other exotic plants, with the most amazing view of the ocean. He loved it here, but something had always been missing and he’d never really known what it had been, not until a few months ago.
Closing his eyes he leaned back in his chair, letting the warm, early morning sun hit his face. This wasn’t going to be easy; none of this was going to be easy and to avoid one hell of a mess he was going to have to tread very carefully. In the meantime, though, he was doing just fine. Keep it on an even keel and everything would work out ok. And that’s just what he intended to do.
***
She was going to be huge. She was going to be one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, that was a given.
Michael Walsh was watching through the final cut of the movie, and with the premiere now just a day away it had gone right to the wire, but he’d wanted to make sure it was right, and it was more than right. It was sensational!
‘Rock Stars and Demons’ was going to be a hit, no doubt about it. Michael couldn’t have wished for a better start to his directorial career. India Steven was incredible! She’d been a risk but she’d paid off, big time. Watching her up there on the big screen, it felt as though she’d been doing it for years, she was a natural, and when she and Kenny were together it was electric. The chemistry was so obvious it practically jumped off the screen. He couldn’t understand why they’d never got it together but it was something he’d far from encouraged and never wanted to see happen. He’d spent many a time telling India that getting involved with co-stars spelt trouble – he’d had first hand experience of that – and she’d always told him there was nothing going on. He believed her. She was a special girl. This movie was going to propel her to A-List status overnight and he just hoped that it wouldn’t change her. He wanted her to stay just the way she was.
No Matter What Page 5