‘I’m sorry, dear, but Gary didn’t go to T-ball this afternoon, he hurt his ankle running on Tuesday.’
Ellen’s heart sank. ‘Oh I see,’ she said. ‘Sorry to hear that. I hope he recovers soon.’
By the time Ellen rang off Michael and Tom were exchanging more ideas on location possibilities, so she quickly dialled another number and waited for Lucina to answer. But their housekeeper wasn’t at home, which was no surprise really, when today was her day off.
‘Damn!’ she muttered, clicking off the phone and throwing it back in her purse.
Michael turned to look at her. ‘Are you OK?’ he said.
‘Yeah.’ She hesitated, then said, ‘Honey, is there any chance you can go pick up Robbie from T-ball? I’ve got a meeting with Richard Conway at five and that’s the time Robbie gets off.’
Michael was already shaking his head. ‘I’ve got a five thirty with Tony Brown at Fox,’ he said.
Ellen looked beaten.
‘I’m sorry, honey,’ he said. ‘Is there no-one else?’
‘No-one I can find,’ she sighed.
‘Then why don’t you give me the address and I’ll go get Robbie?’ Chambers suggested.
Ellen’s lovely brown eyes came up to his. She couldn’t have given him a more adoring look had he been the Saviour Himself.
Chambers laughed. ‘It’ll be like old times,’ he said. ‘I used to go pick him up a lot when we were in Rio.’
‘Are you sure you don’t mind?’ Ellen said.
‘It’d be a pleasure, especially if it’s going to take that worried frown off your face.’
Michael turned to look at her, and slipped a hand into her hair.
‘It’ll make his day, seeing you,’ Michael smiled.
Chambers’s eyebrows rose in a way that made Ellen laugh. ‘So going back to Michelle,’ he said. ‘Did you talk to her yet about the idea she had for the movie?’
To Ellen’s surprise she felt Michael tense. Then she realized, from his next words, that he was stalling. ‘You know what I did talk to her about,’ he said, ‘was the Brazilian guy you two brought down. Did you know he got a life sentence?’
‘Much less than the bastard deserves,’ Chambers commented. ‘Yes, I had heard.’
‘What idea did Michelle have for the movie?’ Ellen wanted to know.
Chambers’s eyes moved between her and Michael. Michael looked away, so Chambers was forced to turn back to Ellen. ‘She wants to play the part of Rachel,’ he told her. He let a beat go by, then added, ‘And personally I can’t think of anyone I’d rather have do it.’
Every muscle in Ellen’s body had turned rigid. She looked at Michael, waiting for him to object, but he said nothing. And then she realized that even if he hadn’t actually known this was coming, he’d pretty much guessed it.
‘Actually,’ she said, ‘Michael’s keen to go with star names, and no-one in the States has ever really heard of Michelle.’ She looked at Michael, waiting for him to agree with her.
‘Well, everything’s open for discussion,’ he said, avoiding her eyes.
At that Ellen’s anger increased to such a pitch she could feel herself starting to shake. But there was no way she was going to lose it in front of Chambers, so forcing
an
icy smile back to her lips she said, ‘Well that’s good, because I’d like Tom to meet Matty. I think, once you see her,’ she said to Tom, ‘you’ll agree with me that she’s absolutely right for the part of Rachel.’
Chambers was starting to look awkward. ‘Like I said, I kind of think Michelle will work,’ he replied. ‘It feels right.’
‘But she’s blonde,’ Ellen pointed out.
Chambers looked away, clearly not wanting to argue this out at a first meeting. Even so, something inside Ellen was telling her that his mind was made up about this and he wasn’t going to budge. What was more, there didn’t seem much doubt, considering the silence from that quarter, that Michael was going to back him. Her fury was suddenly so great that it was like everything inside her was gripped by it.
‘Well,’ she said, her heart pounding in her chest, ‘I guess everything’s still up for discussion.’ She looked at her watch. ‘I should be heading out of here now, if I want to make it over to Richard’s.’ She looked at Chambers. ‘I expect Michael’s already told you it’ll be me who’s working on the script with you,’ she said, ‘so we should set up a schedule of meetings. I’ll have my assistant put something together and call you.’
‘Do you want to give me the address where I have to go for Robbie?’ Chambers reminded her. ‘And directions to your place so I can drop him off later. Will someone be there?’
‘Lucina, the housekeeper, will be back by then,’ Ellen answered, picking up a pen from the table and writing everything he needed on a sheet of hotel notepaper.
‘Where are you going to be this evening?’ Michael asked.
Not wanting to look at him, Ellen went into her purse searching for her keys. ‘I’m giving a talk to a screenwriters’ workshop,’ she answered.
‘Where?’ Chambers asked.
‘Santa Monica.’
He glanced at Michael, then back to Ellen. ‘Can I come?’ he said.
They both looked at him in surprise.
He shrugged. ‘This is my first attempt,’ he reminded them. ‘I could pick up some useful hints.’
Michael nodded. ‘Sounds like a good idea,’ he said, turning to Ellen.
Ellen still wouldn’t look at him. ‘You’d be welcome,’ she told Chambers. ‘I’ll come by for you around twenty of eight. Meet me downstairs, we won’t have a lot of time to spare.’
As she got to her feet both men rose with her. ‘It’s OK, I can see myself out,’ she said, heading round the table so she wouldn’t have to walk past Michael. ‘It was good meeting you, Tom,’ she said, shaking his hand. ‘Thanks for offering to go and get Robbie. I’ll look forward to seeing you later,’ and without even a glance in Michael’s direction, she left.
It was almost midnight by the time Ellen finally returned home, and though she had calmed down considerably, she was still no closer to being talked round about Michelle than when she’d walked out of the hotel. If anything, she was even more set against it. And why the hell shouldn’t she be, when the idea had no merit whatsoever, and when the role they were discussing was absolutely vital to the story.
The house was in darkness as she drove in through the gates and along the short floodlit drive to the garage. She waited for the automatic door to open, then steered her Pontiac in next to Michael’s Cruiser. That reminded her, she needed his car tomorrow to go pick Matty up from the airport. Ordinarily the Pontiac would have done, but Matty had called to say she’d been shopping, not only for a few items of furniture which she was bringing on the flight with her, but for a new man as well it seemed.
Whoever the man was, Ellen guessed she’d meet him when she went to the airport tomorrow, which was a shame, because she could really do with having Matty to herself for a while. She needed someone to talk to, someone to reassure her she wasn’t going crazy, or being unreasonable, or hurtling towards the edge of failure in just about everything from motherhood to moguldom. It was almost frightening the way her life had gone so crazy lately. It was like being in a runaway car with no brakes and an accelerator jammed to the floor. She barely had time to make all her meetings now, never mind the numerous lunches, cocktails and dinners that she and Michael were constantly obliged to attend. And as for getting her hair cut, or snatching a quick workout at the gym, these luxuries were now such a thing of the past that she was starting to despair of ever doing them again. Much like her and Michael’s sex life, for they were both so busy now, and so tired by the time they eventually got to bed, that apart from the few brief moments they were stealing from the madness they were becoming more like colleagues and less like lovers every day.
After checking on Robbie and Spot, she went to read through the messages Michael had left on her desk. Then, with a tight, angry face and flashing eyes she pushed open the door and walked into the bedroom. She’d already drawn breath to let rip when, seeing him lying on the bed, the air suddenly went out of her and to her unutterable frustration she started to laugh. Though he was fast asleep, he’d obviously known he’d have to do battle and had kitted himself out accordingly. Robbie’s toy sword was still grasped in his hand, the shield was lying across his chest and the helmet had slipped down over one eye. He looked so ridiculous that he completely took the wind out of her sails.
Biting her lip and sticking her tongue in her cheek, she struggled hard to control her laughter as his one visible eye opened.
‘I hate you,’ she told him, stamping her foot and hitting the door-frame.
‘I thought you might,’ he responded, tilting his helmet back.
‘For God’s sake, just look at you!’ she cried. ‘How can we have a sensible discussion while you’re …’
‘Sensible discussion?’ he interrupted. ‘Is that what you’re after? I must have got it wrong, because I was sure when you left the hotel today that the next time I saw you you were going to attack me. And I want you to know, I’ve got my army right here as backup,’ and flipping aside the sheet he revealed a small battalion of plastic soldiers.
‘You’re not funny,’ she insisted, even though she was laughing through her anger.
‘No,’ he said defeatedly, ‘I’m just scared.’
Ellen rolled her eyes, turned away then looked at him again. ‘You should be,’ she informed him, ‘because I’m seriously mad at you for what happened today.’
He watched her come towards him, then swiftly blocked her with his sword and shield as she went to pummel him with her fists. ‘You idiot!’ she choked, still trying not to laugh. ‘You’re not getting round me this way.’
‘Unhand me, woman,’ he cried, as she grabbed his sword.
‘Michael stop it!’
Suddenly he cast aside his sword and shield, seized her in his arms and pulled her onto the bed.
‘Ow, ow, ow!’ she protested as he rolled her over on the toy soldiers.
‘I gave no order to attack,’ he objected, glaring at the soldiers, and with a single sweep of his hand he brushed them to the floor. Then, gathering her tightly in his arms again, he looked down into her eyes.
‘I’m sorry,’ he said.
She gazed up at him, then felt her eyes flutter closed as
his
lips came gently down on hers. ‘So how did it go with Richard Conway earlier?’ he asked afterwards.
She couldn’t help but smile. ‘Apparently he doesn’t even have a dog,’ she answered. ‘It was his managers, just like we thought, trying to get every last dime. He says we should go straight to him if there’s any problem like that in the future. So now you can tell me why you got me to sort that ludicrous list out rather than take it on yourself.’
‘Because I had a feeling he’d be more impressed by you than he would by me,’ Michael answered. ‘And it seems I was right.’
‘I’m not sure I like that tactic very much,’ she responded.
‘I’m not happy about it myself, but if it works …’
She looked away for a moment, then returning her eyes to his said, ‘And what about this situation with Michelle and Tom? What kind of tactic are you employing there?’
‘No tactic,’ he said. ‘And I should have warned you it was coming?’
‘So you did know?’
‘Let’s say I guessed. And I didn’t say anything, because I hoped I was wrong.’
‘So why didn’t you back me when I said you wanted star names?’
Sighing, he let her go and rolled onto his back.
She propped herself up on an elbow and looked down at him. ‘Well?’ she prompted.
His eyes returned to hers. ‘After you’d gone we talked about it – did he tell you that? You did see him this evening, didn’t you?’
She nodded. ‘Michelle’s name wasn’t mentioned. So what did you talk about?’
‘Well, it seems he feels more comfortable with Michelle getting inside Rachel’s skin than he does a total stranger.’
‘But that’s ridiculous!’ Ellen snapped.
‘Honey, neither of us has been through what he’s been through, and though it might not seem logical to us, to him … Well, it’s got to be different. It’s the only thing he’s going to hold out for.’
‘Are you kidding me? He’s going to hold us to ransom over this?’
Michael merely looked at her.
Ellen sat up and stared hard at the lit pool outside. Her anger was returning fast and she wondered if it was fear making her this mad, or jealousy. Or was it simply that Michelle couldn’t be more wrong for the part? It was probably all three, but the only valid argument she could make was the third.
She turned to look down at Michael. ‘Do you think she’s right for the part?’ she demanded.
He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. ‘I’ve got to admit, she wouldn’t have been my first choice,’ he answered, ‘but if it’s what Tom wants … Listen,’ he said, as she started to object. ‘I know you don’t want to hear this, but whatever else she is, Michelle is a damned good actress. OK, she might not look like Rachel, she might not sound like her either, but she could bring more passion and believability to that role than anyone else I know. Not only because of her talent, but because her own sympathies are so in accordance with Rachel’s.’
‘So what happened to the star name?’ Ellen demanded tightly.
‘With Conway playing Tom, we don’t necessarily need a big name for Rachel,’ he replied.
She looked past him to where the bedside lamp cast an orangey glow over the silver-striped walls. It was true, one star would be enough, and as that status had gone to the part of Tom Chambers, there was no reason, other than the fact that Chambers knew Michelle and felt comfortable with her, why the part of Rachel shouldn’t go to Matty. ‘And if I said I really didn’t want Michelle
to
play the part?’ she said. ‘Would you support me?’
Michael waited for her eyes to come back to his. ‘We’re in Tom’s hands,’ he answered.
Ellen got up from the bed, walked into the bathroom and slammed the door. As she stripped off her clothes she was seething with fury and, seeing Michael’s things placed neatly around his wash-basin, she swept them all into the wastebin, marched to the chute and emptied them into the trash. Then, taking her robe from where it was hanging under his, she slipped it on and turned to the mirror. As she began cleansing her face the door opened and he stood watching her in the glass.