Superstar

by Southwell, T C

  Mark stepped around her and opened the door, leaving her in an emotional ebb tide. She had expected him to push the issue, now that he thought he had allayed her fears, but instead he had sidestepped the problem neatly. Her legs shook a little as she walked past him into the hall. Instead of taking her to the front door, he guided her into a part of the house she had never been in before. They passed along a corridor, where Mark plucked a set of keys off the wall. He pushed open a door at the end, and Carrin stepped into an enormous garage.

  Chapter Fourteen

  A row of gleaming cars basked under bright neon lights. The nearest was a sleek white E-type Jaguar, the next a Triumph Roadster, and after that was a bright yellow Lamborghini. Carrin stared at the sleek machines, whose beauty bemused her. Mark led her past all of them to the one at the end, a black Lotus Esprit. He opened the passenger door for her, and she hesitated before sliding into the soft black leather seat. She stared at the gleaming, ultra-modern dashboard with its many screens and instruments. It looked like the command module of a space shuttle. A cell phone nestled next to the gear lever, and a complicated sound system glinted above a row of flash-drives.

  Mark slid into the bucket seat beside her and turned to smile at her as he started the car. The deep throb of a powerful engine came from behind her, quieting to a soft hum. He pushed some buttons on the dashboard. Soft music filled the car, and the garage door opened.

  "Do you like it?"

  She nodded. "If you're trying to impress me, I'm impressed."

  "I'm not trying to impress you; I'm just taking you back to the hotel."

  "Then why ask if I like it? Who wouldn't?"

  He shot her an exasperated look. "Okay, point taken."

  "How many cars do you have?"

  "More than I have pools."

  "I'll bet."

  He sighed and put the car into reverse, turning to look behind, his arm across the back of her seat. "It keeps John busy, polishing them all."

  "I thought John was pretty busy ferrying all your girlfriends around."

  Mark chuckled. "Not really. He does have the odd spare moment."

  "If you're not trying to impress me, why did you choose the most expensive car you have?"

  "It's not, actually. The Lamborghini cost more, but this one's my favourite. If I'd really wanted to be ridiculous, I could have used the old Ford Escort I let Rita borrow."

  She snorted. "As if I'd believe you drive around in an old Ford Escort."

  "Exactly."

  Mark manoeuvred the car out of the garage and turned it into the long driveway.

  "What about the press at the gates?" she asked.

  "What about them?"

  "They can see through these windows." The Lotus's glass was slightly tinted, but not as impervious to prying eyes as the limousine's.

  "Don't you want to be seen with me?"

  "I wasn't thinking of myself."

  He smiled. "I'm not embarrassed to be seen with you."

  The gates were swinging open when they reached them, and Mark drove straight through, stopping briefly to check that the road was clear before pulling onto it. Camera flashes lit the car with brilliant strobes, and fingers tapped frantically on the windows before they were left behind. Mark sighed and glanced at the smudges on the glass.

  "Now you see why John has so much polishing to do."

  Mark gunned the engine, and the sports car shot ahead, racing along the road. Carrin glanced at the speedometer and got a shock. It didn't feel like they were going that fast, the car sat on the corners as if it was on rails. The steady growl from behind the seat was audible over the music’s soft beat, but it did not bother her. Carrin had always liked sports cars, and sat back to enjoy the ride. Mark glanced at her several times, one brow raised. If he expected her to hang onto the seat with her fingernails, he was disappointed. It was not until he turned the car onto a highway that Carrin realised that they were not going to her hotel.

  "Where are you taking me?"

  "To a quiet spot in the woods, where I can have my way with you."

  She glanced at him, then laughed. "A likely story."

  "At least you don't think I'm that bad."

  "The woods would be far too uncomfortable for you."

  He smiled, watching the road ahead. "I just thought it would be nice to go for a drive."

  Carrin nodded, and they drove in silence for a while, listening to the music and the steady drone of the engine. It certainly was pleasant, racing along the highway in this sleek black monster of a car. Twice, other sports cars buzzed them, pulling alongside and then shooting away as if to challenge Mark to a race. He ignored them, showing his maturity. He turned off the highway with a flick of the wheel and headed onto a narrow, winding road that soon became edged with woodland.

  The trees flicked past, growing denser and wilder as they climbed into a cool, hilly forest. The road seemed deserted, for they passed no other cars. After a while, Mark pulled into a lay-by, where he stopped and switched off the engine. Immediately Carrin found the car's close confines far too intimate. Mark leant on the steering wheel, gazing out at the scenery, but his proximity was unnerving. The seat belt trapped her, and she released it.

  "Where are you going?" Mark asked.

  "Out to stretch my legs and enjoy the air." She opened the door.

  "Good idea." He agreed, sliding out of the car too.

  Carrin breathed deep a lungful of crisp, pine-scented air, and Mark sat on the low sloping bonnet. He patted the gleaming metal beside him.

  "Sit. We might as well give John some more polishing to do."

  She smiled and sat. "Poor John."

  "He loves it."

  "How would you know? You've probably never polished a car in your life. It's hard work, you know."

  "Actually, I often help him, and I enjoy it too."

  Carrin stared at him and pulled a disbelieving face. Mark turned to her, placing a foot on the bumper with calm disregard for the possibility of scratching it.

  "You seem to have the wrong idea about me," he said. "I'm not some stuck up millionaire playboy who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. My parents abandoned me, and I was raised in an orphanage. I've known hard work and hunger. I know what it's like to scrub floors on my knees in the middle of winter, to be sent to bed hungry for being naughty, and whipped with a cane. I haven't forgotten. When I left the orphanage, I was on my own, no one to turn to, no family. I starved on the streets until I was able to get a job in a factory." He glanced at her. "I'm not trying to make you feel sorry for me, just to show you that I'm a regular guy, nothing special. I worked hard to get where I am."

  Carrin stared at his profile as he gazed into the woods, deep in thought. Nothing special? How ridiculous. Then it struck her. Of course, he was trying to soften her up. The orphanage part was true; Olivia had told her that, but the rest? Scrubbing floors in winter? Whipped? Starved? They didn't do that in orphanages anymore. That was something from the dark ages. Just as she had been starting to enjoy his company, he had spoilt it. She rose and walked to the edge of the forest, standing with her back to him.

  "How often does that line work?"

  There was a long silence behind her, but she refused to look around. At last he said, "I've never told anyone that before."

  She gave a disbelieving snort. "I'm not as gullible as I look."

  He sighed. "What will it take to make you believe me? Will you at least tell me that?"

  She turned. "I don't know. Maybe nothing. Why can't you just give up? Why can't you let me be the one that got away and chalk it up to experience?"

  "Because you're the one I can't allow to get away. You're the one I've been looking for ever since I started going out with girls."

  His words wounded her, and she looked away. Such sweet lies! Where did he come up with this stuff? She wondered if the words were from some romantic movie that he had done, or seen. They did sound a little rehearsed. The great Mark Lord was slipping; he would not
win an award for that delivery.

  "Did you tell Helen that too?"

  His soft chuckle startled her. "Oh, this could be fun if it wasn't so damn sad. We could invent a new game; suspicious minds. Try and guess when the other is telling a lie, always accuse them of telling lies, and when they deny it, tell them to prove it. The one doing the accusing will always win, because some things are so very hard to prove."

  Carrin stiffened as his footsteps approached. He came up behind her and slid his arms around her waist, pulling her back against him. As if sensing her tension, he leant forward to press his cheek against hers. His closeness was like a drug that swept her into a storm of sensations. Warm, wonderful feelings coursed through her, making her want to turn and put her arms around him, but she forced herself to stand still. His seductive voice spoke in her ear, sending shivers through her.

  "Why do you have to be a rock in the stream of life? Why don't you let yourself be carried away, enjoy what's offered, and feast on life's wonders and joys. Why do you deny yourself that?"

  She could not think of a suitable answer, her mind spun at his proximity. His gentle touch and words were almost more than she could bear, and she clung to her resolve only by reminding herself of his ability to charm and seduce with pretty lies and soft words. He held her for a long time, his cheek pressed to hers. At last, he released her and stepped in front of her, taking her hands. Standing slightly down slope, his eyes were level with hers.

  "You're not going to answer me, are you? You're not going to tell me what deep dark secret makes you think everything I say is a lie. You're going to keep torturing me with this friendship shit until I find out what it is you're hiding. You're not being very fair, are you? If you told me what I was doing wrong, I could fix it, but instead I have to guess."

  He raised her hands and kissed each one, sending shivers through her. Releasing one, he stroked her cheek with gentle fingers. "At least you don't think I'm a woman-beater anymore. That's a step in the right direction. Now you just think I'm a lying bastard."

  He cupped her chin and gazed into her eyes. "I feel as if I'm playing with fire, you know that? I've never felt so nervous in all my life."

  Carrin returned his gaze, her eyes flat. There was a little chant going on in her mind; he's lying, he's lying, he's lying, and it kept her sane, stopped her from flinging her arms around him and telling him how much she loved him.

  Mark hesitated, then released her chin and tapped his finger on her nose. "Don't slap me."

  Sliding his hand around the back of her neck, he leant forward slowly, his eyes on her mouth. Carrin knew that she should pull away, turn her head or something. She was frozen, completely under his spell. Warmth ran through her like fire in her blood, and she closed her eyes as she surrendered to the inevitable, for she had no defence against him. His lips touched her cheek in a feather light caress, then he was gone, and she opened her eyes in surprise.

  Mark strode back to the car, where he turned and addressed the forest, raising his arms in an expansive gesture.

  "She thought I was going to kiss her! I bet she thought I was going to seduce her, too!" He wagged a finger at her, his crooked smile revealing a glimpse of even white teeth. "I'm not going to." He shook his head. "Because that's not what I want from you. Seducing you would be easy, I just proved that. But I don't want some cheap little affair, I want the real thing. And I'm going to get it, too. You can fight me all you want, call me a liar, it doesn't matter. I'm not going to let you slip away."

  For a moment his words stopped her heart, and she wanted to blurt the truth, then common sense prevailed. He was not to be believed; his words were sweet but false, and he was far too perceptive. She scowled and marched to the car.

  "You prick."

  He looked surprised, and backed away. "What? You wanted to be seduced? I thought you just wanted to be friends?"

  "Don't try and turn the tables on me. This isn't one of your silly games you play with girls. If you think I'm just playing hard to get, you're wrong!" The emotional roller coaster she was on took a dive, and her throat closed, forcing her to swallow hard. "There won't be any cheap little affair. Not because you want the real thing, but because I won't be another of your conquests." She was almost toe-to-toe with him now, and her voice rose. "I know you're not looking for another notch on your bedpost -"

  "Oh, you do, do you?"

  "- Because you got tired of those years ago, and if there were any more notches your whole damn bed would be match wood! Now you break hearts, like Helen, and Jenna, probably Janice too! Helen was right about you, and I've seen for myself what you did to her. You want to hear those magic words, and you'll do anything to achieve that. Then you get bored with your new toy and toss it aside to find another. But let me tell you something, those words don't mean a damn thing when they're a lie!"

  He stared at her, the amusement and teasing gone from his expression. "And how do you know when they're a lie?"

  Carrin, who had opened her mouth to continue her tirade, stopped dead, unable to answer that simple question. She spluttered, shaking her head. "Coming from you, they would be, because you're not capable of loving anyone."

  "Oh? Helen told you that too, I suppose? Why is it that you believe her but not me?"

  "She has no reason to lie."

  He gave a bark of mirthless laughter. "Oh, come on! She has every reason to, the same reason she tricked you."

  Carrin could only shake her head again. Mark opened the car door and leant on it, one foot in the car. "Do you know how many times I've said those words?"

  She shrugged. "Hundreds, I'm sure."

  "Never. Not to anyone." He paused. "Not even you."

  The truth of his last words stumped her, and she looked away, unable to meet his accusing gaze. He leant a little closer.

  "Don't you think, if I was really trying to fool you, I'd have used them by now?"

  Mark got into the car and slammed the door, shutting her out. She marched around it and climbed into the passenger seat. Mark started the engine with a roar, not looking at her. He looked angry, his brows drawn together. He had won the verbal battle, yet he did not seem happy. He revved the engine and let out the clutch, spinning the wheels. They shot away down the road, leaving behind a cloud of blue smoke. Carrin sat back and tried to relax, but Mark drove much too fast on the narrow, twisty road, his face grim. When the tyres started to squeal on every corner, she could keep silent no longer.

  "Slow down."

  Mark changed down savagely for a corner, and the engine's howl rose to a scream. The back wheels locked up, and the car slid sideways slightly before regaining traction with a jerk. Had it not been for the superb handling of the hi-tech machine, they would have been in the trees long ago. Carrin's stomach tried to crawl into her mouth, and she swallowed hard.

  "For god's sake, getting us killed isn't going to solve anything."

  He slammed on the brakes, and the car came to a shuddering stop in a cloud of smoke. Her seat belt prevented Carrin from going through the windscreen.

  Mark turned to her. "Scared?"

  She nodded.

  "Now you know how I feel all the time."

  "Why?"

  "Of losing you."

  Carrin gaped at him. If this was an act, it was his best yet. She turned away to stare out of the window. Mark pulled up the handbrake and got out, and she watched him walk around to her door and open it. Was he going to drag her out and leave her on the side of the road?

  "You drive," he said.

  Again she gaped at him, astounded. He took her hand and pulled her from the car. On shaking legs, she walked around and climbed into the driver's seat. Mark settled in the passenger seat and watched her. After testing the feel of the gears and clutch, she let off the brake and pulled back onto the road. The slightest touch of her foot on the accelerator sent them surging ahead, and she had to learn to press it gently. Only when they reached the highway did she realise that she was driving on the wrong side of the
road.

  Mark reached over and steered them back onto the correct side. In the city, she grew nervous, unused to the road signs and driving on the other side of the road. Several times she strayed, and Mark steered them back. Soon the mishaps became funny, and she smiled. She was glad when they arrived at her hotel, and glanced across at him, her smile fading. He looked grim all of a sudden and climbed out. The doorman opened her door, and Mark didn't look at her as he slid into the driver's seat, only glancing up when he had started the engine.

  "See you."

  She nodded, and he closed the door, pulling off with a roar.

  Carrin went up to her room, her mind in a whirl of fresh dilemmas. Was he acting? Was he genuine? If it was an act, it was a very good one, unbelievably good. Should she believe him and if she did, what would the result be? He spoke about not wanting a cheap affair, but the real thing, only what was the real thing to him? There were so many questions, and no answers.

  Remembering his performance with Helen, she still suspected that he was acting, yet he had seemed so genuine in the car. Was he really that good? Probably, a sceptical voice inside her said. The fact that he thought she had feelings for him encouraged him, and that was bad. What should she do? What would be his next move? She wanted to believe him so desperately, maybe she was fooling herself? Eventually, to get some sleep, she decided to wait and see what happened next.

  The next day was Sunday, and she spent it relaxing. On Monday, she returned to the location with Mark, who arrived in his limousine to collect her. He was quiet and withdrawn, looked at her a little sadly and spent most of the trip staring out of the window. John's eyes in the rear view mirror were worried, and she wondered what was going on now.

  At the location, Mark was whisked away to make up, and she only saw him from a distance for the rest of the day. He completed his final scene with Janice, and the desert filming was done. Harold re-shot some unsatisfactory scenes that were set in the desert, then everything was packed onto the trucks to return to the city. The next part of the filming was to be shot in an abandoned section of the city, and the location was moved there.