sore from pressing my mobile hard against it.
‘Honey, this baby will have great results, but a huge donation pretty much guarantees the best spot in class.’
Her breath ruffled the line. ‘Anyway, listen to me, running away with myself. The most important thing is love. Our
baby will have a childhood, too. Our son is an absolute
delight. We’re pretty inspirational parents. We’ve worked
hard to make our dreams come true.’
I thought about my life in comparison. I couldn’t
even keep down a cleaning job. I cast an eye over the
many pictures I’d drawn that were Blu-tacked to my wall.
Not exactly gallery material. This baby would hardly be
inspired by me.
I snapped out of my gloom. I was being thrown a
lifeline. I needed to grab it with both hands. ‘What’s the
next step?’ My stomach grumbled, reminding me that
my fish finger sandwich was overdue.
‘Oh.’ Julie inhaled sharply. ‘You want to progress
things? That’s awesome. Me too!’
The next round meant telling all other applicants I
was no longer available and arranging a meeting with the
couple in person, where we could talk things through.
There would also be further documents, Q&A, health
screening on both sides. All organised by the agency
Miracle-Moms.
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‘I can’t wait to find out who you really are,’ I said.
But there was an underlying current of concern. What
if they were politicians I hated, or people with chaotic
social lives? I needed to put a face to the names.
‘Of course. And if all goes well with the next round,
we’ll get the non-disclosure agreement signed. You’ve
already completed the blood tests, so technically we could
be flying you to New York in a couple of weeks.’
My mouth fell open for the second time. Me? Fly to
New York?
‘But my job … I’m not sure if I can get time off at
such short notice.’
It was a lie. I only had a couple of weeks left to work.
But it was all beginning to feel real now, and I needed
more time to think.
‘We’ll compensate you. You won’t be out of pocket.
My PA will take care of the visa. As long as you haven’t
a criminal record, it won’t be a problem at all.’
It was all moving so fast and felt so surreal. I had to
force myself to reply. ‘OK then. I’ll have the records
released to your doctor as soon as you send me through
the details.’
‘Don’t worry, the agency will take care of that.’ Julie
spoke with authority. ‘Just tick the consent box and they’ll do the rest. Once you’re happy with everything, we’ll
arrange to meet. If you have any questions in the mean-
time, just drop us a line.’
I hunched my shoulders as a stiff breeze crept in
through the cracked window pane. Opportunities like
these did not present themselves to people like me. I
strung together a few polite words, thanking her before
we both ended the call.
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Dropping my phone on to the bed, I hugged my knees
to my chest. Just like that, a piece on the chessboard had
been moved. The game was on. There was no going back
from this. Tears welled in my eyes.
‘How about that,’ I mumbled to my baby. ‘I’ve only
gone and done it, little bean. We’re going to New York.’
61
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Sheridan
Sitting with her head bowed, Sheridan picked at the
label on her bottle of beer. She had not been out in
public without her entourage for four years and she felt
vulnerable on her own. In this bar, with sawdust on the
floor and country music playing on the jukebox, she was
confident she would go unrecognised. She was dressed in
keeping with her surroundings, wearing cowboy boots
and low-slung jeans, and a padded jacket bulked out her
thin frame. Her long blonde hair was in a French plait,
tucked beneath her peaked hat. She sipped her beer. Pulled
a face. There were some celebrities who enjoyed going
incognito, but it was not for her. Daniel would be horrified if he knew she was there on her own. Not that she was
totally alone. She watched the door from her viewpoint
as her old acquaintance strode in. He extended his hand,
his skin rough from physical labour, his face weathered
from working outdoors. Looking at him now, with his
sandy moustache and unkempt hair, it was hard to believe
that Mike had once lived in her world.
‘How’s it going, buddy?’ she said, patting his back as
he leaned in for a hug. He reeked of cigarettes and chew-
ing gum, and his leather jacket smelt like horse hide. ‘Sit,’
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she said, in response to his incoherent murmurs. ‘I got
you a drink.’
Sliding on to a stool next to her, Mike raised the bottle
of Budweiser to his lips. The years had not been kind
to him since he’d stopped working on It Takes All Sorts.
While Sheridan’s career had flourished, Mike had been
unable to deal with the pressures of being so famous so
young. Failure after inevitable failure had led him down
the slippery path of alcohol and drug abuse. It was five
years since he’d been released from prison after serving
time for assault and theft. Since then, Sheridan had given
him a lifeline, buying him medical insurance and a pro-
viding a yearly wage. The money had been earned. He
had made contacts while inside, and in times of trouble,
Mike was her go-to man.
‘How you doing?’ he said, his eyes roving over her
form. ‘I read about you in the papers. Family life suits
you.’ Sheridan was about to respond when he leaned in,
his voice soft and low. ‘Tell me it was worthwhile. I still think about her, you know … I still see her face.’ His
features were haunted by the memory of an incident
Sheridan could not bring herself to discuss.
‘I didn’t ask you here to talk about her,’ she said,
quickly glancing around to ensure they weren’t being
overheard. ‘I need another favour.’
Mike shook his head, a bitter smile twisting his chapped
lips. ‘Not gonna happen, Sherry baby. I’m sorting my life
out. I’m not interested.’
Sheridan flinched at the use of the nickname he’d
resurrected from her past. ‘Are you forgetting who’s been
funding your lifestyle these past few years? That money
won’t last forever. You know that, don’t you?’
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Mike shrugged, tipping the bottle of Budweiser to his
lips. ‘I figured as much. Which is why I’ve got a job. I’m
in construction now, learning the ropes. Hope to work
myself up the ladder someday.’
Sheridan sighed. It was so long since she’d had social
interaction with ordinary people; now she realised she
had gone about this all wrong. Mike was doubting her.
She could see his trust ebbing away.
‘Sorry, I’m nervous,’ she said, reaching for his hand
and clasping it beneath her own. She watched his frown
fade, his shoulders drop. At the bar, an old drunk drawled
a Tammy Wynette song about standing by your man.
What would Daniel say if he could see her now?
Sheridan threw Mike a roguish smile, tilting her face
to one side. But it wasn’t her. It was one of the many
personas she had played over the years. ‘C’mon, you re-
member me, you know what I’m like.’ She concealed
her disgust as Mike rubbed his thumb along the back of
her hand. It felt like sandpaper against her smooth skin.
‘We’ve got history,’ she continued. ‘That’s why I always
come to you first. You’re my protector. You keep me safe.’
‘Do you mean it?’ Crossing his legs, Mike regarded her
with mild suspicion. ‘Or are you just yanking my chain?’
Sheridan knew she was leading him on, but she could
not back out now. ‘I always thought we’d end up together,’
she said wistfully. ‘Who knows, maybe in another di-
mension…’ She allowed the words to linger. There was
a lifetime of longing on his face. She had him exactly
where she wanted him. Now it was time to seal the deal.
But Mike broke their contact, finishing off his beer.
‘I meant what I said. I can’t do that again.’
‘I know, honey,’ Sheridan quickly replied. ‘I’m not
asking you to. I just need you to shut someone up for a
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little while.’ She pushed her beer towards him. ‘Here,
have mine.’
‘Is it Rachel?’ Mike wrapped his hand around the
bottle as Sheridan responded with a nod. ‘I had a feeling
that that’s what this was about. She’s always had it coming.’
Sheridan fought to contain her smile. She knew there
was no love lost between them. Sheridan, Rachel and
Mike had acted together side by side for years on It Takes All Sorts. Sheridan’s popularity had grown as a teenager when she and Mike shared their first on-screen kiss. It
was her first kiss in real life, too. From the ages of six to sixteen years, every milestone in Sheridan’s life had been
choreographed for the screen. She spent so long on the
show that by the end of it, she didn’t know who she was
any more. Then five years ago, Rachel had approached
her. As with Mike’s, Rachel’s career had failed to bloom.
Like a fool, Sheridan had taken her into her home, giving
her a well-paid housekeeping job. She had to admit, she
had taken a little satisfaction in getting Rachel to carry
out menial tasks.
‘I should have taken you in, not her,’ Sheridan said,
as thoughts of Rachel tied her up in knots. ‘But Daniel
gets jealous. He would have felt the spark between us. I
couldn’t take the risk.’
‘Really?’ Mike said, his eyes alight. ‘You feel it too?
It’s still there, isn’t it?’
Sheridan resisted the urge to laugh out loud. As if.
Her heart began to beat double-time as she progressed
to her next move. She had to do this. He was the only
person she trusted not to go to the police; by doing so, he would be implicating himself. Later, she could be asking
much more of him. She leaned forward and swallowed
back her revulsion before pressing her lips upon his.
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He may have been her first kiss, but like now, it had all
been for show. As if cameras were rolling before them,
she injected meaning into the contact, as if he were her
long-lost love. She knew by his response that their stolen
kiss meant so much more to him.
Slowly, they parted. ‘I’ll always care for you, Mike. I
wanted to show you how much.’
‘I … I’ve got a place not far from here,’ he said, shift-
ing in his seat, his face flushed.
Sheridan shook her head. ‘You know I can’t do that.
I love Daniel. You and me … we’re like two pieces of a
jigsaw puzzle that don’t fit together any more.’
Slowly, Mike’s tongue traced his lips, as if he could
still taste their lingering kiss. He smiled. ‘What can I do for you?’
Sheridan returned his smile. This time it was genu-
ine, because Rachel would get what was coming to her.
‘She’s been blabbing to Celeb Goss magazine. I want you to arrange a little accident, something to shut her up.’
Mike stiffened as the drunk at the bar wobbled past
them on his way to the toilets, humming out of key.
Satisfied he was out of earshot, Mike leaned closer, his
words hushed but sharp. ‘I won’t kill her. I can’t stand
the bitch, but please … not that.’
‘I’m not asking you to.’ Sheridan’s eyebrows shot up
at the mention of murder. Why did people always think
the worst of her? ‘Just lay her up for a few weeks. There’s a hundred grand in it for you. That should keep you going for a while.’
‘Make it two. Come on, Sherry, you can afford it – it’s
a drop in the ocean to you.’
Sheridan pursed her lips. ‘It’s still a drop I have to
explain to my auditors when they do my accounts. A
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hundred k can be explained away as a gift to an old friend, but not two. I’ll keep up your health insurance. It’ll give you peace of mind.’
‘Yeah, but…’
Sheridan checked her watch. She was growing bored
now, and she needed to get back. ‘Listen,’ she said, cut-
ting him off. ‘I’m offering you a lot of money to teach
that poisonous bitch a lesson. If you’re not interested in
helping me, then…’
‘Of course I’ll help. You’re my Sherry baby.’ Mike’s grey
eyes held a depth of emotion. ‘I’ve seen all your movies a
dozen times or more.’ He paused. ‘You had a tough time
with your mom growing up. I know that things haven’t
always been easy for you.’ Sheridan’s mother both wrote
and produced the award-winning show. Even when they
were off air, she was constantly pushing her daughter for
a better performance. ‘People talk as if reality shows are
a new thing, but we’d been doing it for years,’ he added
as an afterthought.
Sheridan squeezed his hand in thanks. ‘Good. I’ll
leave you to it. Don’t get caught.’ She rose from her stool.
Mike stretched his long limbs as he stood before her.
‘Do you have to go so soon? It would be nice if we could
spend time together. Talk about the old days.’
‘I’m sorry, honey, but I’ve got to get back. Daniel
will be wondering where I’ve gone.’ Now she had got
what she wanted, Sheridan couldn’t wait to escape Mike’s
company.
‘We did the right thing, didn’t we?’ Mike asked, his
face haunted with past memories.
‘What’s done is done,’ Sheridan replied. ‘Put it out of
your mind. You’ve been to prison. You know I’d never
survive it.’ Sheridan felt no guilt for what she was asking 67
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Caroline Mitchell
him to do. She was doing this for her family. She had
no regrets.
* * *
‘Bloody hell!’ Daniel stared at his newspaper open-mouthed.
‘Don’t swear in front of Leo,’ Sheridan said, before
signalling to the nanny. ‘Isabella, clean his face, will you?
It’s almost time for school.’ She turned to her child, who
was sitting between them at the kitchen table, evidence of
his peanut butter and jelly sandwich sticking to his face.
It was hardly the breakfast of champions, but he refused
to eat anything else.
Sheridan was less than happy. Having dismissed
Samantha, her PA, to wait in the living room, she ex-
pected some family time with Daniel and Leo. It was
not often the three of them got to sit down for breakfast
together. If Daniel wasn’t glued to a manuscript, he was
on the phone to his agent. Why couldn’t he give them
his undivided attention for twenty minutes in the day?
‘Time for bluddy school!’ Leo giggled, his blue eyes
twinkling with delight. He had his father’s dimples, pressed firmly into his chubby cheeks. He was intelligent enough
to recognise one of Daddy’s bad words and was happy to
repeat it when it popped up.
‘See?’ Sheridan snapped at her husband. ‘I told you he
had a foul mouth. I’ve got you to thank for that.’
She turned her attention back to a clean-faced Leo
and straightened his tie. She adored his school uniform.
It made him look like a miniaturised little man. But she
hardly wanted such vulgar language completing the image;
the prestigious Saint James Christian school demanded
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more of its pupils. It was the number one elementary
school in New York with an overall average grade of
A+. At $48,000 a term, Sheridan expected nothing less.
Education was important to her, particularly as she’d been
home-schooled herself. If the press knew about her fake
university degrees, they would have a field day.
She gazed into her son’s eyes. ‘Now listen, darling,
Daddy said a bad word. You mustn’t say that to anyone,
do you hear me? You’re a good boy.’
Leo slid down from the kitchen chair, his face sullen
from the reprimand. ‘I love you, Mommy,’ he recited.
‘That’s nice, darling,’ Sheridan said, patting him on
the back. It was Leo’s immediate response whenever he
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