For Love or Money: A laugh out loud, heartwarming romantic comedy

by Clodagh Murphy

  ‘Of course.’

  As he watched Stella and Rafe walk away together, he thought once again what a beautiful couple they would make – and realised that the thought didn’t bother him in the slightest.

  ‘I did offer to stay with Peter,’ Stella said to Rafe as she slid into the passenger seat. He already disapproved of her enough. She didn’t want to appear flighty and cruel, abandoning her aged fiancé so she could go off and have a good time. ‘But he insisted I go with you.’

  ‘He’s right. It’s your first time here. It’d be a shame to spend all your time sitting by the pool.’ She couldn’t see his eyes, just her reflection in his mirrored sunglasses, so she couldn’t tell if he was sincere. ‘Besides, it’ll be nice for that lot to have some time alone together.’

  That didn’t put her mind at ease, and as they all piled into the car, she was half tempted to make a bolt for it and say she’d changed her mind and would stay at the villa after all. She already felt like she and Peter were starting to drift apart, and she didn’t like the idea of him spending the day with Jane. It was different to when they were in LA. With his family around him, he didn’t rely on her as much as he had then, and she felt they were losing the closeness they’d had when it was just the two of them. Maybe it had been a mistake not to start sharing a bed with him when they came here, but he had given her her own room on the first day, automatically continuing their arrangement at home. The longer they went without having sex, the more of a big deal it felt, and she worried that it didn’t seem to bother Peter.

  It was ironic really. Sex was supposed to be the whole point of a man Peter’s age taking up with someone as young as her. They looked like a walking cliché, a tired old joke to which everyone knew the punchline. The public would be amazed to know the truth about their chaste relationship. But perhaps it had never been about sex for Peter, and all he wanted was companionship, someone to look after him in his old age. Or maybe he didn’t want her in that way because of what he knew about her ...

  ‘Don’t worry about Dad,’ Rafe said, glancing across at her. ‘Believe me, he wouldn’t hesitate to ask you to stay if he was the least bit concerned he’d be bored or lonely. He’s not the self-sacrificing type.’

  If he was trying to put her mind at ease, it wasn’t working. She wasn’t worried Peter would miss her. She was afraid he wouldn’t miss her at all.

  Lesley found it an unusual experience walking around Villefranche with Scott and Rafe. They attracted attention wherever they went, little ripples of awareness following in their wake. She felt eyes on them all the time, but the Bradshaws seemed not to notice the hushed whispers in the harbour-side restaurant where they’d had lunch, or the furtive nods and sidelong glances cast their way by passing strangers as they explored the charming old town.

  She was getting used to it herself, so she didn’t pay much attention when a man coming towards them in the opposite direction seemed to be staring. She and Stella were walking in front, Al and his cousins trailing a little behind.

  ‘Joanna!’ She’d been so engrossed in their chat that she hadn’t noticed the man had stopped right in front of them. It took her a moment to realise that he was looking at Stella. ‘I don’t believe it!’ he continued. ‘I haven’t seen you in years.’ He was speaking rapidly in an Essex accent, beaming at Stella like a long-lost friend. He had spiky black hair with dramatic white-blonde streaks and small beady eyes in his deeply tanned face. His short, compact body was squeezed into skin-tight jeans and a cropped T-shirt that showed off every muscle of his well-defined torso.

  Stella seemed frozen, blinking at him dazedly. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said stiffly. ‘I don’t—’

  ‘You don’t remember me?’ He looked surprised but a little pleased. ‘You probably don’t recognise me because I’ve lost a ton of weight. It’s Adam,’ he said, placing a hand on his chest. ‘From Sassoon, remember? Used to be a giant tubster?’

  ‘Sorry,’ Stella cut in. ‘You have me mistaken for someone else.’

  Adam looked taken aback. ‘No!’ He frowned. ‘You’re having me on, right?’

  ‘No, sorry.’

  ‘But you did work at Vidal Sassoon?’ Adam was looking a little uncertain now.

  ‘No, not me.’

  Lesley felt Stella’s eyes slide to her momentarily.

  ‘Oh! Right,’ Adam said, glancing at Lesley. ‘Sorry, my mistake. I thought you were someone I used to know.’

  ‘I must have a doppelgänger,’ Stella said.

  ‘Well, sorry to have bothered you,’ Adam said, his eyes widening as the others caught up with them.

  ‘No problem,’ Stella said.

  Lesley turned to watch as Adam hurried away, her heart racing with excitement. There was something fishy about the exchange between him and Stella just now. She wasn’t convinced that it was a case of mistaken identity at all. Had Adam known Stella before, under a different name? There was something odd about the way they’d looked at each other before he’d clammed up and backed off. She couldn’t let this possible lead slip away. She had to find a way to talk to him! She and Al exchanged significant looks.

  ‘Who was that?’ Rafe asked.

  ‘Just someone who thought he knew me,’ Stella said, but her voice sounded a little shaky, and she seemed rattled.

  ‘Is there something you haven’t told us?’ Scott said playfully.

  ‘What?’ Stella frowned.

  ‘Do you have an evil twin lurking somewhere in the background?’

  ‘No.’ She gave a stiff laugh. ‘I guess I just have one of those faces.’

  But she didn’t, Lesley thought. Stella was striking and distinctive looking; she didn’t have one of those faces at all.

  She was pleased when Al took her hand and gave it a squeeze, glad there was someone who could acknowledge and share in her excitement. As they all walked on, she racked her brain, trying to think of an excuse for running after Adam before he got away. Then she had a flash of inspiration.

  ‘Oh shit, my phone!’ she gasped, opening her bag and rummaging through it. ‘I must have left it at the restaurant.’ She looked at Al in distress.

  ‘We’ll go back and get it. We’ll meet you back at the car,’ Al said to his cousins.

  ‘We have to talk to that guy!’ Lesley hissed once the others were out of earshot.

  Adam was crossing the road now, turning up a side street. Lesley glanced behind her to make sure the others were out of sight before darting after him. Once they turned the corner, she started running, and she caught up with him at the top of the road.

  ‘Excuse me!’ Lesley called to his back. ‘Adam!’

  He turned at the sound of his name, and looked surprised to see her and Al.

  ‘Oh. Hello?’

  ‘Hi.’ Lesley puffed. She was a little out of breath from the chase, and her heart was pounding with excitement. She hadn’t thought about what she was going to say when they caught up with him, so she had to think quickly. ‘Sorry to bother you but – you said you were a hairdresser ...’

  ‘Did I?’ Adam looked confused.

  ‘Well, you said you used to work at Vidal Sassoon.’

  ‘Oh, yes.’

  ‘Anyway, the thing is, I could really do with getting my hair cut while I’m here—’

  ‘Yes.’ Adam nodded, giving her hair the once-over. She decided she didn’t like Adam.

  ‘—and I’d love to find an English-speaking hairdresser,’ she continued. ‘I was wondering ... do you know any around here by any chance?’

  ‘You’re in luck! I’m in a salon in St Tropez now,’ he said, pulling a card from the tight pocket of his jeans with difficulty. ‘Give that number a ring and ask for me. I’ll sort that lot out for you.’

  Yes! Lesley resisted punching the air in triumph. She was so happy, she didn’t even care that Adam was being rude about her hair. ‘Perfect. Thank you,’ she said evenly, taking the card from him. ‘I’ll ring you tomorrow.’

  Her heart was racing as she tur
ned and walked away with Al, but she managed to contain her excitement until they’d turned the corner.

  ‘Oh my God!’ she burst out then, brandishing the card. ‘That was so much fun!’

  ‘You were brilliant!’ Al grinned. ‘Coming up with something on the spur of the moment like that—’

  ‘I know!’ Lesley beamed with pride. ‘It’s like bullshitting is my superpower.’

  ‘This could be the breakthrough we’ve been looking for,’ Al said as they walked back to join the others.

  Lesley could kiss him when he talked like that. ‘It could crack this case wide open.’

  ‘So, what’s our next move?’

  Lesley decided not to reprimand him for the ‘our’. It was fun having a sidekick, someone she could discuss everything with; she felt she might burst if she had to keep it all to herself. ‘We’re going to St Tropez!’ she said. ‘I’m getting a haircut.’

  ‘Oh.’ Al’s face fell. ‘Do we have to?’

  Lesley was surprised how deflated she felt that he seemed reluctant to join in all of a sudden. ‘You don’t have to come if you don’t want to,’ she said. ‘I just thought—’

  ‘What? Of course I want to come! I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Only ...’

  ‘What?’

  ‘You won’t get too much off, will you?’ he said, looking at the top of her head.

  ‘Why do you say that?’

  ‘I like your hair. The more of it, the merrier.’

  Lesley rolled her eyes. ‘You’re not really my boyfriend, remember. You’re not allowed to say stuff like that to me – except in front of your family, of course.’

  ‘I’m not allowed to say that you have nice hair?’

  ‘No,’ she said, feeling unreasonable. ‘Well, only if someone is listening,’ she conceded.

  Lesley couldn’t wait to go to bed that night and discuss the whole thing properly with Al, but she had to try to tamp down her impatience.

  ‘We’re going hiking tomorrow,’ Scott announced to everyone at dinner. ‘Who’s in?’

  ‘Hiking?’ Lesley thought she must have misheard. Hiking certainly didn’t feature in her fantasies of a holiday on the French Riviera.

  ‘It’s something we do every year,’ Al said to her. ‘With a group of our friends here. It’s sort of a tradition.’

  ‘Oh, right. Well, you might have told me. I mean, I didn’t bring my hiking boots, or my whatchamacallem ... crampons or anything. So I guess I’ll have to sit this one out,’ she said, attempting to sound regretful.

  ‘Oh, don’t worry. It’s not difficult,’ Al said. ‘But didn’t I tell you to pack walking boots?’

  ‘I thought you were joking,’ Lesley said, reasonably she thought. ‘I mean what kind of holiday do you need to pack a bikini and walking boots for?’

  ‘Well, obviously they’re not meant to be worn together. Although ...’

  ‘Get your mind out of the gutter. That would not be a good look on anybody.’

  ‘I’m sure you could carry it off.’

  ‘Anyway, don’t worry,’ Jane piped up. ‘There are loads of spare boots here. I’m sure we can find you a pair in your size.’

  ‘I’m a six,’ Lesley said.

  ‘Same as me!’ Jane said. ‘I have an old pair here you can borrow.’

  ‘Great!’ Clearly, she had no way out. ‘In that case, count me in!’

  ‘And me,’ Stella said. ‘We could do with the exercise.’ She glanced at Peter. ‘As long as it’s not too strenuous.’

  Peter shook his head. ‘We leave that to the youngsters. But you should go, darling. You’ll enjoy it.’

  ‘Oh.’ Stella bit her lip.

  ‘We go into the hills behind Eze,’ Rafe said to her. ‘It’s really beautiful. You should come.’

  ‘Oh, well ... if you’re sure you don’t mind,’ she said to Peter. ‘I do miss hiking since leaving LA. I lived near some really good trails.’

  ‘Not at all. I’ll be perfectly happy here with the rest of the oldies.’

  ‘Thanks very much!’ Jane said with a roll of her eyes.

  ‘It will be like old times.’

  ‘But promise me you’ll go for a good walk on the beach,’ Stella said to him. ‘Or at least have a swim.’

  ‘Don’t worry, Jane and Joy will look after me,’ Peter said to her. ‘Won’t you?’ He looked at Jane.

  ‘We’ll keep him on the straight and narrow,’ Joy said to Stella with a kind smile.

  ‘We’ll return him in the same condition we got him in,’ Jane added wryly.

  ‘Well, that’s me done,’ Lesley said, yawning extravagantly as she pushed her dessert plate away. ‘I’m off to bed. You coming, Al?’

  ‘It’s only nine o’clock!’ Scott said, looking at her in astonishment.

  ‘Yes, but ... we have an early start in the morning. I need to marshal my strength for the big hike.’

  Scott grinned. ‘You just can’t wait to get Al into bed.’

  ‘Okay, you got me,’ she said with a laugh.

  ‘I’ll find those boots for you,’ Jane said, getting up.

  ‘I’ll follow you up shortly,’ Al called after her.

  ‘Oh!’ Al froze in the doorway of their bedroom, eyes widening. ‘Um ... Lesley, you know I was joking about that look, right?’ He nodded at her as she paraded up and down their room in her bikini and Jane’s walking boots.

  ‘You don’t like it?’ She struck a pose in front of the full-length cheval mirror.

  Al gulped. ‘Um ... I think it looks great. You should definitely wear that outfit tomorrow.’

  Lesley laughed. ‘Dream on! Jane just said I should walk around in the boots a bit to wear them in.’ She’d been getting undressed and had already stripped down to her bikini when Jane had turned up with the boots, so she’d decided to walk around the bedroom a bit to break them in.

  ‘Good idea,’ Al nodded, not taking his eyes off her. ‘You were wrong about it not looking good, by the way.’

  ‘You think?’ Lesley turned to him, her hands on her hips.

  ‘Absolutely! You look fantastic. But then you’d look good in anything.’

  Lesley blushed, but felt a little curl of pleasure at the compliment. Rob had never said things like that to her. But sometimes the way Al looked at her made her feel quite hot and bothered.

  She started pacing again. ‘So you know why I was so keen to get you up here?’

  ‘Unfortunately, I am all too aware that it’s not because you couldn’t wait to ravish me.’ Al sat down on the bed. ‘You walk, we’ll talk.’

  ‘What do you think that was all about today?’ she asked. ‘Do you think Stella really is Joanna?’

  ‘It seems possible,’ Al said. ‘She is very cagey about her past.’

  ‘And she seemed a bit shaken up by the whole thing.’

  ‘I don’t think that Adam guy was really convinced that it was a case of mistaken identity.’

  ‘No,’ Lesley said, ‘but it was strange the way he backed off. It was like he was in on some secret that he realised Stella didn’t want us to know.’

  ‘But why would she have changed her name? I mean, that’s pretty radical, isn’t it?’

  ‘Usually when people change their identity, they’re either running away from a bad situation or—’

  ‘Or they’ve done something they need to distance themselves from.’

  ‘What if she’s already married and she’s planning to be a bigamist with Peter?’ Lesley had a brief image of herself coming up with the crucial evidence just in time to stand up at Peter and Stella’s wedding and declare the existence of an impediment, like in Jane Eyre. But exciting as that would be, she wouldn’t like to do that to Stella on her wedding day, even if she was trying to marry Peter under false pretences – not without at least giving her a chance to explain herself.

  ‘It could be even more sinister than that,’ Al said.

  ‘Like being a black widow,’ Lesley said thoughtfully. ‘Maybe she’s done this befor
e – married some rich old geezer and bonked him to death.’

  ‘Or she could be on the run from an abusive ex.’

  ‘She did tell me she’d deleted all of her social media accounts because an old boyfriend was stalking her.’

  ‘Oh, that’s good,’ Al said. ‘As a lead, I mean,’ he added as Lesley threw him a disapproving look.

  ‘Maybe it’s even simpler than that. I mean, if she’s spent a fortune on plastic surgery, she might just want a completely fresh start as the new improved Stella.’

  She stood and picked up her laptop. ‘Anyway, at least I have a bit more to go on. I’m going to look up Vidal Sassoon, see if I can find anything there. It’s probably too much to hope for that there’ll be any link to Joanna at this stage, but you never know.’

  ‘Knock yourself out, Nancy Drew!’ Al said as he got up and headed for the bathroom.

  29

  Stella sprang out of bed early the following morning after a restless night. She still felt unsettled after the encounter with Adam yesterday, but she tried to put it out of her mind as she pulled on her walking boots. She was glad to be going hiking today. Physical exertion was just what she needed to burn up some of the nervous energy that had left her feeling jittery. She swam every day here, of course, and went on long walks with Peter, but she was used to more vigorous exercise, and she was starting to feel lethargic from so much lazing around in the sun.

  In the kitchen, she made herself a bowl of muesli, fruit and yoghurt, and went to join the others on the terrace. They were all seated around the table with coffee and a big plate of pastries and bread. They were leaving early to get the hardest part of the walk done before the real heat of the day set in, and Scott was bleary-eyed and half asleep, curled over a bowl of milky coffee and blinking in the early morning sunshine. Rafe, by contrast, looked fresh and wide-awake, in a lime-green T-shirt that brought out the colour of his eyes. He really was a breathtakingly beautiful man. No wonder all his co-stars fell for him.