The Heartbreak Cafe (21 page)

‘
Wow…’ she began hoarsely. ‘To think that I looked up to you,
respected you even … And not that it matters, but just so you know
you’re actually the first man I’ve gone to bed with in
years.’

‘
I guess that explains the screaming, huh?’ he chuckled and
Ruth tried to figure out which was worse, that she’d actually slept
with this idiot, or that such a man could be the father of her
unborn child.

‘
How dare you, Troy?’ she croaked. ‘How dare you make me feel
this small?’

On the
other end, she heard him exhale and then his voice softened. ‘Look
I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be making light of this.’

‘
Damn right you shouldn’t.’

‘
It’s just that… well to be frank, this isn’t the first time a
girl has laid this kind of stuff on me.’

‘
Oh well I guess that explains your insensitivity perfectly
then,’ she cried. ‘How bloody stupid of me to think that I deserved
a little respect! This might not be the first time someone has told
you something like this, but believe me, it’s most definitely the
first time I’ve had to tell anyone!’ Now, she felt like punching
someone, she was so angry.

‘
Ruth, look I’m sorry I overreacted, maybe I was an
asshole.’

‘
Maybe?’

‘
OK, OK. Anyways, so you’re knocked up. You’re
sure?’

‘
Yes I’m sure, I’m not an idiot, you know.’ Although Ruth
couldn’t be sure if that last part were true.

‘
OK then, you need to get back here fast, so we can get this
taken care of. There’s a clinic I know that will do it and we can
trust them that it won’t leak.’

As he
continued to talk, Ruth felt herself automatically zoning out.
There he was rattling on about an abortion clinic that would keep
everything under wraps, get it taken care of. He just assumed that
she was going to have an abortion and never even asked how she was
doing, how she was coping with it all. What’s more, he never even
considered that she might actually want to have the baby. Instead,
he’d just determined what was in his best interests and opted for
that; regardless of her opinion.

‘
So, I can get my assistant to make you an appointment for say,
end of this week? You’d better get booked on a flight back to LA
right away. I’m serious, the sooner this is taken care of the
better ’cause we don’t need any further speculation.’

Ruth was
quiet. Speculation? He was talking about the press again. And yes,
of course they would be on something like this like a shot, and
once again she would be all over the papers, her name mud. She
could see the headlines already; no doubt she would be dubbed as
the fledgling actress who was trying to make an even bigger name
for herself by getting knocked up by the great Troy
Valentine.

Oh
hell…

Maybe
Troy was right. Maybe it was better for everyone that they got this
‘situation’ dealt with quickly. Over and done with. As it was, the
time away from LA would have helped her survive the recent negative
publicity, and she could go back in September with her head held
high and an amazing second series under her belt. The fling with
Troy would be mostly forgotten and she could move on to the next
stage of her career, bruised certainly, but maybe not as battered
as she’d be if didn’t take his advice.

They both
had their careers, and they weren’t married, weren’t even together
so it wasn’t as if she could raise a baby with her co-star, much
less even contemplate raising one on her own …

Could
she?

Ruth
thought about it. She’d always figured she’d have kids one day –
someday.

Someday
when she was famous enough and rich enough. She pictured dressing
her kids in cute little designer outfits and pushing a stroller
along Rodeo Drive. She’d always cooed over babies, although she
hadn’t had much of an opportunity recently. She pictured tiny hands
and tiny feet and the kisses that she’d cover her baby in, and was
brought up short by the vision.

No, she
thought, shaking her head. This wasn’t a baby. Troy was right; this
was a mistake, merely the product of too much champagne and a
definitive lack of judgement.

Wasn’t
it?

‘
Ruth? Ruth, sweetheart, are you still there? You don’t have to
be afraid, you know. Really, it’s not a problem – you’ll be in and
out before you know it and this will all be behind us. Just a
simple procedure.’ Troy spoke with the knowledge of someone who’d
almost certainly been down this road before.

‘
A simple procedure.’ Ruth felt as if she was in a
trance.

‘
Yes, there’s nothing to worry about – there’ll be no scars or
anything. Honestly, it’ll be just like it never
happened.’

‘
Like it never happened.’ Ruth paused for a moment and looked
down at her stomach. Then she took a deep breath. ‘Troy, what makes
you think that I would even consider something like
this?’

‘
What …what are you talking about?’

‘
You never even asked me what I wanted, you just assumed that I
would –’

‘
Well of course I assumed. Jeez Ruth, no one in Hollywood would
do anything else in a situation like this.’

‘
You never asked me my opinion on this subject. You were just
ready to get your assistant to make an appointment at some clinic.
It almost sounds like you don’t even have to look up the number;
like you already have it on speed dial.’

‘
Ruth, what the hell are you talking about? Of course you are
getting this dealt with. Are you out of your mind? Do you want both
of our careers to be over?’

‘
Is that all you’re worried about? Your stupid career? This is
a baby we’re talking about – a life!’

‘
It’s a goddamn mistake, that’s what it is!’

Ruth
shook her head, and tears blurred her vision. ‘Don’t say that. It’s
not like that. Anyway, I believe in —’

‘
You can believe in the freakin’ tooth fairy for all I care.
This can’t happen.’

‘
Well, it is going to happen Troy. I’m not getting rid of this
baby,’ she announced determinedly. Whatever about anything else, at
least she knew that much.

‘
Well sweetheart, good luck with that. But you won’t get a cent
from me. And good luck with trying to get sympathy from Bob and the
producers too. Can’t you see you’re making a huge mistake here,
Ruth? Your career’s going down the pan with this!’

‘
Yeah well, I’ll think about that when I need to.’ With luck
she wouldn’t have to think about it for a while yet. And who knows,
maybe the second series would be even bigger and the producers
would have no choice but to be supportive? Either way, she couldn’t
even contemplate past anything other than what she’d just
decided.

‘
And don’t think you can drag me down with you either. I’ve
been around long enough to let some two-bit tramp rain on my
parade.’

This was
the parting shot of Hollywood’s favourite heartthrob before he hung
up.

Ruth
pushed her phone to the side and stared at the wall, still in
shock. Shock from all that had been said, but mostly from the
unexpected conclusion she’d arrived at. In spite of Troy’s
reaction, in spite of all the upheaval this would surely cause,
she’d made her decision; she was going to have their
baby.

And she
still didn’t know how to feel about that.

‘
You’re in Lakeview?’ Cathy’s shock was evident, as Nina had
known it would be. ‘What are you doing there?’

As the
weeks went by it had become harder to remain evasive about her
location, and so she had no choice but to confess to her mother
where she was staying. Luckily, and so Cathy wouldn’t start
worrying, she’d come up with a great cover story.

‘
Well, remember Trish? We met up recently and she told me she
was doing this charity book on Lakeview and that she could really
use a hand. And because I had nothing else on…’

‘
Nothing else on? What about work?’

‘
I told you I had to leave the company, Mum. With the way
things ended, I didn’t want to stay there and have to see Steve
everyday …’

‘
Well maybe I can understand that, but why leave Galway too?
Seems a bit drastic …’

‘
I don’t know – I just needed some time away – a fresh start I
suppose.’

‘
I see.’ Cathy sighed, rightly suspecting that there was a lot
more going on that met the eye. ‘But I didn’t think you and Trish
were still in touch.’

‘
Ah we are. She came up to see me in Galway a few times and
we’ve always got on well…and anyway Mum, I thought the change of
scenery would do me good.’

‘
And you’re staying with Patrick?’ The surprise was evident in
her tone and Nina knew that she was amazed by this, considering
that her daughter had come up with every excuse under the sun not
to spend time with her father over the years.

‘
Yes, he’s been great letting me stay with him.’

‘
Really?’ Her mother’s tone suggested she didn’t believe a word
of it. ‘And how is he?’

‘
Oh well, you know Dad, he keeps himself to
himself.’

‘
I see.’

‘
But he’s been very good, making me dinner and breakfast and
all that. But truthfully, I try and keep out of his way as much as
I can.’

‘
Is he still fixing TVs and all that?’

‘
Yep.’

There was
a smile in Cathy’s voice. ‘I’d imagine that’s a lot of fun, all
those parts laid out everywhere.’

‘
It’s not too bad. But I tend not to stay around the house too
much. I see Trish quite a bit and of course I’ve got the café job
–’

‘
Job? You have a job in Lakeview too?’ she said and Nina
winced. She hadn’t planned on mentioning that; it would give away
that she’d been here for some time.

‘
Just a couple of mornings in Ella’s – you know the Hearbreak
Café?’

‘
Of course.’

‘
Well, actually, it kind of happened by accident. I was in
there one day and she was telling me about how she busy she gets
over the summer so I sort of offered to help out.’

‘
Very kind of you to help out so many of Lakeview’s finest.
Nina, is there something you’re not telling me?’ Cathy was shrewd
as ever.

‘
Of course not, why?’

‘
Well, it just seems odd to me that’s all. There you are,
working and living in Lakeview of all places. A place you really
seemed to hate when you were growing up.’

‘
Well, I feel a bit guilty about that too. I mean, Patrick is
my dad and I haven’t spent all that much time with him. I mean, of
course Tony has been brilliant but…and speaking of which, how is
he?’ Nina decided to use the mention of her stepfather as an excuse
to change the subject. ‘How’s the travel going? Where are you
headed next?’

‘
We’re in Hong Kong now, about to start a weeklong tour of
China.’

‘
It sounds amazing Mum, you must be loving every
second.’

‘
Well of course we are, but it just seems so long since I’ve
seen you honey. And I miss you. I miss being around for you when
you’re going through so much…’

‘
Mum, please don’t worry about me; I’m absolutely fine. Yes, it
was tough in the aftermath but being honest, coming to Lakeview was
the best possible thing for me. I have friends here now and it’s
good fun.’

‘
Well as long as you’re sure, but you know I’d come home in a
second if you needed me.’

‘
There’s no need honestly. Of course I miss you loads too, but
I’m really fine.’

Nina
smiled into the phone and she wrapped the phone cord around her
wrist. She smiled, still unable to believe Patrick still had a
phone with a cord.

‘
So has Lakeview changed much? Is it still the same as you
remember?’

‘
It is different, bigger I think. But people have been great,
really friendly.’

‘
Well, that’s good. Does Ella still have all those sad rescue
cases roaming around the place?’

Nina
smiled, thinking of her boss’s latest rescue case – a one-eyed dog
called Claus she’d picked up from the local shelter which slept out
back and was worthy competition to the cats for the cafe’s
leftovers. ‘Yes, but don’t worry, she’s very protective of her
‘Good Food’ award so it’s all very hygienic.’

‘
Well that’s more than I can say for this place. Honestly,
Nina, you should see some of the stuff they eat here. Deep-fried
crickets and everything! I’ll tell you, Tony nearly lost his
life!’

Nina
laughed. Her stepdad was a die-hard meat and spuds Irishman so she
could only imagine his reaction to the local Asian
cuisine.

‘
So I’m sure you’re meeting lots of people at the café. Anyone
interesting?’

‘
Interesting? You mean, like a man? Oh come on Mum, I’m just
over one guy and have no interest in meeting another.’

‘
Of course you don’t,’ Cathy replied. ‘But who have you met,
really?’