Acting Up (22 page)

The kid frowned. “Okay.”

“You're on babysitting duty with my daughter, Lori.”

“Babysitting?” He practically spat the word.

“Yep. No men means no men. Not even teenage ones.”

Aaron scowled at Addison.

“Hey, I didn't make the rules,” she said. “Babysitting it is.”

“Lame,” he declared.

Five minutes later, Aaron was gone, leaving her alone with the Thomas women. They took over her kitchen within five minutes. Caroline lifted her dish of soup from its container, while Elizabeth and Diana located bowls and silverware.

The soup was delicious, and the laughter flowed easily. Addison had never had a girls' night like this. A get-together with her friends in Hollywood would have meant a fancy spa or a catered gourmet meal, followed by a private showing of some designer's latest collection. It certainly would never have included homemade soup and sinfully delicious chocolate cake.

By the time they finished dinner and cleaned up the kitchen, it was almost time for Addison to die… again.

Caroline paused as they made their way to the den. “We don't have to watch, you know. I understand if it's too difficult.”

“I'll be all right,” Addison said and attempted a brave smile. “Besides, I need to do this.”

The familiar theme music stole Addison's breath away for a moment. She hadn't watched the show since she'd been here, so there hadn't been time to build up immunity to the sight and sound of it.

Then she appeared on screen. Or rather Corrine appeared, her signature Grace Kelly chignon in place. The white Armani suit gave the fashion maven an air of power and authority.

Addison watched with a strange sense of detachment. The action almost seemed to be happening to someone else entirely.

“This is so surreal,” Diana said. “I'm looking at you, but you're right here. Only that woman is a stranger.”

“I think you're much prettier in person,” Caroline said. “Softer and younger.”

Addison gave a wry smile. “Corrine wasn't known for her softer side, which is what made her fun. No distracting sentimentality to trip her up. They always dressed me so I looked older, too.”

Corrine's death didn't come till the end of the first hour. Plenty of time to set up all the players who would be suspects in her murder.

There was a scene with Corrine's daughter, Felicia, and her fiancée. Or ex-fiancée, as he broke off the engagement after Corrine blackmailed him. Two suspects right there.

Addison forced herself to watch her young co-star. The younger woman's midnight-blue halter dress accentuated every curve on her taut, twenty-three-year-old body. The white bandage on Angela's nose stood out like a beacon, and Addison couldn't help but smile.

“Wow, you nailed her.” Elizabeth chuckled. “Even her eyes are black and blue.”

“It's a good look for her actually,” Diana said. “Gives her character. How did they explain the bandage? Plastic surgery? Or maybe she tripped and fell into a door?”

“No, they went with the truth,” Addison said. “Mommy Dearest slugged her.”

The next scene showed Corrine's son, Morgan, involved with some shady drug dealer. Brock Nichols was a young god, but the makeup and wardrobe people had done a fantastic job of making him look like a wastrel.

Sydney entered the scene. Her alter-ego, Eve, had been carrying on an affair with Corrine's husband for the better part of the season and now they'd been caught. Of course there would be the devil to pay. Unless they could get rid of Corrine.

Finally, Corrine appeared, ordering some underling to destroy the company of a competitor who'd wronged her. On screen, Corrine got out of her car and started across the street to the restaurant where she was to meet her husband. From behind her, two headlights approached. Addison knew the impact was coming, but the moment the figure on screen flew through the air she jumped. A shudder worked its way down her spine, and bile rose in her throat. Aaron had been right. It
was
creepy watching yourself die.

“Oh, my,” Caroline gasped. “You never said you got hit by a car.”

“I wasn't allowed to tell anyone how Corrine died.”

“You actually did the stunt yourself?” Elizabeth asked with a touch of awe.

“Several times. I still have the bruises to prove it.”

The rest of the episode showed everyone finding out about Corrine's death. Of course, one of them was her killer.

“Do you know who killed Corrine?” Caroline asked.

“Not a clue,” Addison said. “The actors themselves may not even know. No telling how long they'll drag the mystery out. If the ratings stay up, they could drag the reveal out till sweeps month in June.”

“My money's on the husband,” Diana said.

“No, it's definitely the drug dealer,” Elizabeth countered. “He's a thug.”

As the closing credits scrolled across the screen, everyone fell silent.

Then Caroline took a breath. “Well,
my
money's on the show tanking without Corrine.”

“I think so, too,” Elizabeth said. “I only watched for you, anyway.”

“I bet you get another show soon, and it will crush
House of Fashion
,” Diana said. “Soon, they'll be begging you to come back. Those shows are always bringing people back from the dead. Maybe we'll find out Corrine went into a coma, and she'll have a miraculous recovery. Or maybe it wasn't Corrine who got hit by the car. She paid someone to fake her death so she could make off with all her husband's money.”

Addison couldn't help but laugh. “Very imaginative, but I don't see them ever letting me come back. Not as long as Merrick is the producer.”

Finally, Addison's guests stood up.

“Well, we probably shouldn't leave Lori and Aaron alone with the kids much longer,” Elizabeth said. “Jake will bring Aaron home.”

“Yes, Melissa has gotten into the phase where she won't go to sleep if I'm not there,” Diana seconded.

Addison followed them out and realized how grateful she was to have these three amazing women in her life. They hugged in turn and soon they were gone, leaving Addison alone in the silent house.

Exhausted, Addison walked upstairs and got ready for bed. A half hour later, she heard the front door open. Then Aaron appeared in the doorway.

“Hey, how did the babysitting go?” Addison asked.

He made a face. “The little girl, Melissa, wouldn't leave me alone. Kept wanting to make me drink pretend tea out of a tiny cup.”

Addison chuckled at the image of her status-conscious stepson holding a china cup with pink flowers on it. “Cute.”

“The boys were okay. Ethan's kids were there, too. Those twins are a trip, man. I don't know where they think up half the stuff they say.”

“They're great.”

Aaron scuffed his foot on the hardwood floor. “I saw the show.”

“Oh?”

“I know I'm not supposed to be watching TV, since I'm grounded, but Lori insisted.”

Addison hid a grin. “She held you down and everything?”

“Yeah,” he said, with a smirk.

“I guess it's okay, this once,” Addison said. “So, what did you think?”

“I think my dad is stupid,” he said.

Addison's throat tightened. “Yeah?”

He nodded and gave a sweet smile.

“Thank you,” she said.

“Yeah.” Another nod and he turned to head for his room. Aaron was still a man of few words, but the ones he spoke said volumes.

The smile lasted until she turned on her television.

“Tonight America learned the fate of the most hated woman in television, Corrine Barrett of the hit drama House of Fashion.”

Addison stared at the screen as the female news anchor relayed the all-important headline that the witch was dead. They even included a clip showing Corrine meeting her untimely death. It wasn't any easier watching it the second time.

The anchorwoman was back.
“Of course, now speculation turns to Corrine's portrayer, Addison Covington. Will this on-screen death mean the death of her career? And where is the controversial actress? No one has seen or heard from her in weeks. Some sources hint that Addison has gone underground to try and avoid the bad press. So, the question is, when will she turn up again, and what will her reception be like when she does?”

Addison managed to hold her emotions in check until she slipped into bed and turned off the light. Then the tears came, even as she cursed them. She was so tired of feeling sad. When would this end? When would she start feeling like herself again?

Addison feared the answer might be never.

Addison walked into the house the next day and found Aaron ensconced at the kitchen table with a pile of books. The sight of her stepson reading was unusual enough. His choice of a study partner brought Addison to an abrupt halt.

Lori Tomas leaned across the table, pointing at something on the page. The teens shared a shy smile.

Oh, boy.

Addison cleared her throat.

Lori jumped up from the table like a bug had bitten her in the bum. “Hi, Ms. Covington.”

“You're studying together?” Addison asked.

“We have a science project,” Lori answered. “We're trying to decide what we're going to do.”

“What's it for?”

“Chemistry,” Aaron said.

“Of course,” Addison drawled. “Maybe something about opposites attracting?” She gave Aaron a pointed look and he blushed deep red.

The doorbell rang, saving the poor kid from going up in flames.

“That's probably my mom,” Lori said.

Addison gazed at the girl until she started to squirm. “Ask her to come in for tea.”

Lori made a quick escape. As soon as she'd left, Addison turned back to her boarder. “Be careful with her.”

Aaron's mouth dropped open. “What?”

“She's not like the girls you hang out with back home.”

“I know. That's why I like her. At first I thought she was lame, but then something changed. She's real, you know? She doesn't care if my dad's rich. She's nice.”

“You really like her?” Addison asked, unable to shake a sense of unease. “You're not just hanging out with her because you're bored?”

“Hey!” The outraged tone said better than words how Aaron felt.

So her stepson's love life was going better than hers, which was both embarrassing and sad.

Lori returned with Elizabeth, cutting off any further conversation. Addison served the offered tea, and the two women went out to the deck while the lovebirds finished up.

“Should we be worried about them?” Addison asked, gesturing toward the kitchen.

Elizabeth gave a knowing chuckle. “I'm not sure how I feel yet. It was so much easier when she still thought boys had cooties.”

“How do you do this?” Addison wailed. “I'm not even his mother and I want to wrap him in cotton.”

“I pray. Every day. Every minute. I thank God for Jake, too. I can't imagine what single parents go through.”

“Like Ethan.”

“I know,” Elizabeth said, staring at her glass. “Sometimes I feel guilty because I'm so happy, when he's had his whole world yanked away. Then I feel guilty for being glad it wasn't me who lost a spouse. I can't imagine my life without Jake.”

“You still love him the same as when you got married?”

“Oh, no.”

Addison's head whipped around. “No?”

“The love I feel for Jake now can't even compare to what I felt on my wedding day,” she said. “It's so much deeper.”

Addison's insides twisted in a knot of acute longing. “You're so lucky.”

“Luck has nothing to do with it,” Elizabeth said with a shake of her head. “We work at it. I pray for my marriage, too. When we put God first, all the other things seem to fall into place. Of course, I still get excited whenever Jake walks into a room, but the rest takes persistence and commitment.”

“When did you know Jake was the one?”

“The first time I went out with him. Senior year. I would have gotten married then, but my mom insisted I go to college first.”

“Hmm, there's something else I missed out on.”

“You didn't go to college?”

“I left home when I turned eighteen and went straight to Hollywood.”

“You're so brave,” Elizabeth said. “It must have been scary on your own.”

“I was terrified, but it's all I ever wanted to do. L.A. will steal your soul if you let it, but it's also energizing in a way I can't describe. So much concentrated creative force is invigorating.”

“Did you live in your car and stuff?”

The comment brought forth a burst of laughter. “No, but my car was probably nicer than my first apartment. Bigger, too. I got by on bit parts in films and TV shows. Then Merrick came along.”

“How did you two meet?”

Addison cast her mind back to the first time she ever saw Merrick. Impossibly handsome, sophisticated, powerful. His aura of power had made him irresistible. If he'd been pudgy and short, Addison still would have been drawn to him.

“I landed a part in one of those slasher movies,” Addison said. “You know the kind. It starts out with six teenagers and ends with six
dead
teenagers. I was Dumb Bimbo Number 1. Can you guess how long I lasted?”