What had she been thinking jumping in the car and fleeing from the shoot? She’d dealt with temperamental photographers before. Normally she blocked out their posturing and listened to their instructions. But, today, Raoul had been especially annoying and extra demanding, making a couple of the makeup girls almost cry, even though they’d been following his instructions to the letter. When he started criticising every pose he put her in, everything had gotten too much and the hold on her patience snapped, so she’d walked away.
Now she was going to pay for her unprofessionalism—which she knew she would have to. Oh, why hadn’t she called Laura earlier to tell her why she’d acted the way she had. A way she’d never acted before in all her career. Then maybe she wouldn’t have a police officer sitting across from her.
One action and her life had turned chaotic. Now it was time to face the music.
“Sure. How can I help you, Officer?” This time she sounded calm, assured and in control. The food she’d eaten was forming into a congealed ball in her belly, but at least those looking at her wouldn’t know her inner turmoil.
“We received an all-points bulletin for a missing woman and a navy-blue Toyota SUV. The said vehicle and license plate matches one currently parked out front of the pub. Town gossip is rife with the news that a runaway bride turned up in Bunya Junction earlier this afternoon and entered the pub. Am I right to assume that you are said runaway bride and driver of the missing vehicle?”
After that little speech it appeared that instead of sleeping in a comfortable bed, she was about to spend the night in the lockup. What was the point of denying it? She’d already worked out that after her antics today, her career had suffered a major blow. “I can confirm that yes, I drove the vehicle you described, but I’m not a runaway bride. I’m a model and I was at a photo shoot when I left.”
To her surprise the officer sitting opposite her smiled big. “I knew you were a model. I couldn’t resist teasing you about the town gossip.”
A low sound emitted from Jonas who was still standing near her. She looked up at him. “Did you just growl?”
His eyes were glued to the man sitting opposite her, looking more like a knight in shining armour than the affable barkeep he’d been since she arrived. “Drew was being a dick when he didn’t need to be.”
Jonas was supporting her? Over the last five years she’d never had someone she just met give her this kind of support without a reason. Did he have a reason?
Not giving it much thought, she reached out and laid her hand on his strong forearm, not for the first time since she’d met him. Why did she always want to touch him? Her fingers tingled from the connection and butterflies flitted to life low in her belly. This reaction to Jonas, from a simple fingertip touch, was confusing, but at the same time energising and comforting. She shouldn’t let herself get used to the sensations. If her past history was anything to go by, he’d let her down.
“It’s fine, Jonas. You have to admit it’s not every day a non-bride turns up in a rural pub.” She gave his arm one last pat before she turned her attention back to Drew. “So, are you here to arrest me?”
“No. Apparently after you failed to return to Sydney,” he looked down at the notepad he held in his hand, “a Laura Page notified authorities that you were missing. They didn’t want to do anything because you hadn’t been missing for twenty-four hours, but she insisted they issue a report because she was worried about your mental well-being. According to the other models she spoke to, you appeared very distressed and they were concerned you may have harmed yourself.”
Pandora scoffed at the idea the other models were worried about her mental well-being. They would’ve been clapping their hands with glee when she’d run off. Before she’d come along both those women had been the most sought-after models in the industry. Now they had their chance to get the jobs she’d been booking.
Had she really screwed her career with the course of action she’d taken today?
“You seem to know an awful lot of information. Is that normal?” she asked when the silence lengthened between her and the police officer.
Drew shook his head. “No, but because you’d been the focus of all conversation this afternoon, I was aware of your presence in town, so I’d been keeping an eye out for any reports of missing brides. I contacted the police station in Sydney that issued the report, saying I had a possible lead on this case, but needed more information. They elaborated and that’s how I know all the details.”
Pandora slumped in her chair. “So I guess, by now, they’ve contacted Laura and told her where I am? Damn, why didn’t I call her earlier and then I could’ve saved you all this hassle?”
“I don’t believe they have. They won’t take any action until I’ve confirmed with them that the lead I had panned out.”
“You can use my office to call your agent. I should’ve offered it to you earlier, when I asked if you wanted to call someone to let them know where you were,” Jonas said.
“Thanks, I’d appreciate it.” She pushed away from the table. Her half-eaten pasta looked like a lump now and not the master dish it had been when first put in front of her.
“Will that be okay, Drew?” Jonas asked. “And what about the car? Is that going to be an issue?”
“I’ll make it so it’s not one,” the sergeant said firmly.
Yet again, another person having her back to keep trouble away from her. What had she done to deserve this loyalty from people she’d just met? Is this what all country towns were like in Australia? Whatever it was they were doing, she wasn’t going to question it. She was going to enjoy it while it lasted, but be prepared for when it stopped.
“Thanks, Drew. I appreciate it.” Pandora looked up at Jonas. “Which way to your office?”
“Follow me.”
As they made their way from her table to the employee area of the pub, Pandora was conscious of all the patrons following their departure. Would they hound Drew with questions once she and Jonas disappeared? Did it matter what they did or didn’t do? After her call with Laura, she would, more than likely, be headed back to Sydney. The thought of driving back to the city in the dark didn’t appeal at all, but she’d suck it up and do it. Or perhaps she could convince Laura that she needed a night to get herself together and would return tomorrow. Or maybe Laura would terminate their agreement, saying she no longer wanted to work with her. Her agent was a savvy businesswoman, though, so dropping her best client wouldn’t make financial sense. Then again …
She slammed the door on the thoughts. Until she spoke to Laura she had no idea how the woman would react.
Jonas opened a wooden door and stepped to the side. Pandora walked in and stopped in surprise. The office was meticulously neat. Papers were in small piles on the desk. A closed laptop sat in the middle of the scarred wooden desk.
“I’ve never seen an office so tidy. Do you not do anything in here?” she asked.
“Nope, I just like a clean desk. Everything has its own place. Less chance of someone seeing something they shouldn’t.” He shrugged. “A hangover from a previous life.”
Intriguing. What previous life did Jonas Carruthers have?
“The phone’s there.” He pointed to the black device sitting on the corner of the desk, stopping any chance of her questioning him about his cryptic comment. “I’ll leave you to it.”
He backed out of the door, giving her the privacy he’d promised. The call she was about to make wasn’t going to be easy, but she couldn’t put if off any longer.
Striding over to the desk with a confidence she didn’t feel, she picked up the phone and dialled Laura’s number. It rang and rang and for a moment Pandora crossed her fingers that her agent wouldn’t pick up and she could leave a message. She had no idea if Laura answered calls from numbers she didn’t know.
“Laura Page.” Her voice was clipped, as though Pandora’s thoughts were right and she didn’t want to take the call but had decided to at the last minute.
&nbs
p; “It’s me, Pandora.” Her voice sounded meek to her own ears and she straightened her spine. She wasn’t going to give Laura any reason to think her mind wasn’t clear and she didn’t know what she was doing.
“Where the hell are you, Pandora? What were you thinking, walking off set? Do you know what damage you’ve done to your career?” Laura’s rapid-fire questions weren’t a surprise, but for once, Pandora wished her agent wouldn’t be so brusque.
“I’m fine, thanks for asking. I’m in a little town called Bunya Junction. Yes, I’m aware I’ve probably set my career back. And as for walking off the set, Raoul was being over-the-top demanding, upsetting everyone, and I’d just had enough. I know what I’m supposed to do and how I’m supposed to act, and to put up with the shit some photographers hand out. I’m not a novice model on my first shoot.” She paused and gripped the phone a little tighter. Control. It was all about control. “Today, though, it just got to be all too much. So I walked.” Pandora sat on the corner of the desk, the words, I’m tired. I want a break, were on the tip of her tongue but she swallowed them down. If she uttered them, Laura would believe what the other models had said about her.
Yes, she was tired, but she wasn’t on the verge of a mental collapse.
After a lengthy gap in conversation, Pandora picked up on Laura’s sigh. “Okay, if it was anyone else I’d probably drop them immediately. However, you’re my best client and you normally don’t give me any trouble. You take every job I give you and your professionalism has never been questioned, until today. I know the reputation Raoul has too.”
The last thing Pandora expected from her agent was her understanding of the situation she’d been in. What was it about today and everyone surprising her? Although Laura had started her response with the declaration that if she was anyone else, she’d be looking for a new agent. “Thank you for believing in me.”
“Here’s what we’ll do. We’ll get PR to issue a statement stating you had some distressing news this morning and it all got to be too much. That you needed to be alone to work through it.”
“That’s not true, though.”
“Honey, unless you want your name blacklisted throughout the modelling world, you’ll go along with whatever I say. What’s important is what all the industry professionals hear. And that is, you had a valid reason for walking off the set, not a fit of temper. Hell, it could be the pet you’d grown up with that died today for all they know. The details don’t matter. The most important thing is keeping your reputation intact.”
“Okay, you’re right.” As much as she was tired of the fakeness of the world she lived in, when the time came, she wanted to get out on her own terms and not because of a scandal. Although, right now, the thought of standing in front of a camera didn’t appeal like it once had.
“Of course, I’m right. So, I suggest you get to my office tomorrow morning by eleven so we can start putting out the fires. Issue a statement and get another job booked for you as soon as we can.”
The walls began closing in on her and the stress of the day and all she’d done threatened to pull her under. “I’m tired, Laura,” she started softly. “I need a break.”
“After today you don’t have the luxury of a break.” Her agent was a hard-arse and one of the reasons Pandora was glad to be represented by her, but right now she didn’t want that hardness.
What she said next could drive another nail in her coffin, but hopefully it wouldn’t be the nail that closed the lid on all that she’d worked for over the last few years. “No, I’m not coming back to Sydney. I’m going to stay where I am for the next couple of weeks. You can issue a statement saying that I need time to deal with the bad news or whatever else you want to say.”
“Pandora, what is going on? This is so unlike you.” She could almost feel Laura’s exasperation with her.
“I told you, I’m tired. I need a break. Maybe the others were right and I’m mentally fragile.”
Laura scoffed. “I didn’t believe them when they spouted that rubbish to the people on set, and I don’t believe it now. But I can believe you’re tired. Okay, we’ll do what you want.”
What the heck? It couldn’t be that easy. Not once in her career had she spoken up for herself to her agent like she’d just done. And the fact that Laura wasn’t going to push her into returning surprised the heck out of her.
“Just like that? No argument?”
“Yep, no argument.”
A feeling of lightness entered her soul and she didn’t have any doubts that she’d done the right thing.
“Thank you, I appreciate it. I’ll need my purse and phone, as I left without picking anything up. Can you arrange for them to be sent to me? Please assure the designer that the dress will be returned without a mark on it. The jewellery will be returned as well when I get back to town. The final thing is the car, maybe you can smooth things over with the rental company and get it put in my name. If I have to pay more, that’s fine, I will.”
Issuing instructions was empowering. Laura chuckled, suggesting her agent appreciated Pandora standing her ground. “I can do all that. I’ll need a location to get your personal belongings sent to you. Do you need anything else?”
Pandora thought about the duffel bag of borrowed clothes still in the room she’d changed in. She could wear those items until her handbag arrived, when she could buy what she needed. “I don’t need anything. I’m in Bunya Junction and I’m staying at the pub. I don’t have the actual address, but I can get it and call you back.”
“Don’t worry, I’m sure if I google it I’ll be able to find an address to send everything to you.” Laura paused and Pandora held her breath waiting for what she was about to say next. She’d known it had been too easy and Laura’s agreement way out of character. She braced herself for the blast she was going to get from her agent. “I’m not happy you walked off the set and created chaos. This was a major shoot today. But I am glad that you’re alright. Enjoy your time off, but keep in touch with me so I can start booking you jobs and putting this episode behind you.”
Always the businesswoman, but Pandora didn’t mind. That was Laura’s job. At least she’d been understanding about her need to not return to Sydney.
“Thanks, Laura. I’ll be in touch.” Pandora placed the receiver back in the cradle and let out a long breath.
She was going to spend the next two weeks in Bunya Junction and the thought of spending time with Jonas excited her more than it should.
Chapter Four
The quiet of the pub settled down around Jonas. First thing in the morning and last thing at night, when it was just him, and his footsteps echoed around the main room, were the best times of the day for him. The time where he straightened the bottles and wiped down the scratched wooden surface of the counter. Simple tasks he now completed without thought. They were reminders that he was content with his life—normally.
Tonight, though, his thoughts were focused on his guest upstairs. After making her phone call, she’d walked out of his office, thanked him for the use of it and then said she was turning in for the night.
Fine stress lines had marred her forehead and her blue eyes had turned dark, like a stormy sea, showing her exhaustion. Like earlier, he’d wanted to take her in his arms, hold her close and comfort her. But, instead, he nodded and dealt with the remaining patrons.
“It’s so quiet and peaceful.”
He juggled the bottle of vodka he’d been wiping down and placed it back on the shelf before turning. “Hey, do you need something?” he asked and found Pandora standing in the doorway between the main room of the pub and the hallway that led to the upstairs rooms.
She opened and closed her mouth a couple of times, as though she wanted to ask something and then changed her mind. “No. It’s just …” She played with the hem of the shirt she wore. Her shorts showcased her long legs and his body perked up in interest. An interest he had no place feeling. One night. She was there for one night. Not enough time for anything to happe
n between them. “Nothing. It doesn’t matter.”
Before he could say anything, Pandora turned to head back to her room. “Do you want to go for a walk?”
Geez, he hadn’t meant to ask her that. Wasn’t he just lecturing himself that she was only there for one night and nothing could happen? Pandora Sebastian was beautiful to look at but was she the type of woman who didn’t take responsibility for what she’d done? She’d had to when Drew questioned her directly about it, but how had she handled it with her agent? He hadn’t expected her to tell him what she and her agent had discussed, but he imagined she asked her agent to fix it. Would she face any consequences at all for what she’d done?
Man, he needed to let it go, it didn’t matter if she did or didn’t. And it wasn’t his place to make assumptions, even though that was exactly what he was doing and he needed to cool it. In a few hours she’d be getting in her car and driving back to the city. Bunya Junction and his pub would be in her rearview mirror and no doubt all but forgotten by the end of the next week.
Besides there was no way she’d accept his invitation. It was almost one in the morning, she should be trying to sleep if she was going to head back to Sydney in a few hours.
“I’d like that.” The smile that lit her face disappeared. “Wait. I’m not sure if I have any suitable walking shoes. I know I can’t walk in the heels I had on when I arrived in town.”
It shouldn’t matter that she’d come up with a perfectly reasonable excuse as to why she couldn’t join him on the walk, but it did. Wasn’t this what he wanted? For her to say no. What was wrong with him? “That’s fine, it’s pretty late anyway.”
“No. I want to go for a walk. Let me check to see what’s in that duffel bag Sindy got me. I only grabbed the first couple of items on top.”
Runaway to the Outback Page 4