Copyright © 2011 Christle Gray
Cover Art by Kendra Egert
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Author’s Note. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to a person or persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is purely coincidental.
Second Chances
By Christle Gray
Dedication:
This book is dedicated to my wonderful husband, Ken. You continue to be the great love of my life. Thanks for being my hero.
Acknowledgements:
Thank you to all of my author buddies who push me to do better and keep on writing. This would be a lonely journey without you!
Chapter One
“Sophie, must you preen in front of every single photographer here?” David McDougal’s Scottish brogue thickened with his frustration as he ran his hand through his hair while Sophie circled his waist with her arm and smiled brilliantly at the man with the camera.
As the flash momentarily blinded David, spots danced in front of his eyes. He blinked rapidly until his vision returned to normal. Sophie stood in her gold beaded evening gown glaring at him, her bright smile vanishing as soon as the photographer was out of sight.
“Must you be so naff? Why can’t you just relax and try not to embarrass us both?” She carefully inspected one of her well-manicured nails. “And I don’t preen.” Her bottom lip protruded as she pretended to pout. He used to find that expression adorable on her. Now, it bordered on irritating.
David took a large sip of scotch and loosened the collar of his shirt. “You know how I feel about events like these. And given our ‘situation,’ I like them even less now.” Though they had agreed to call off their engagement a month ago, Sophie had convinced David to keep up appearances in public.
The crowded room had been totally festooned for the occasion, massive red flower arrangements adorned the tables while glasses of champagne and expensive appetizers floated on trays carried by waiters in tuxedoes. England’s most prestigious were in attendance to give money and buy art at London’s Royal National Gallery. Others were here purely to be seenlike Sophie.
She ceased the appreciation of her manicure and turned to face him. Her slender fingers gripped the lapels of his silk suit. “We only have to pretend for a short while, darling. Just until I finish the filming for this movie. Then, we can get everything sorted.”
She ran her fingers slowly along his jacket collar and smiled at him sweetly. “This is what’s best for both our careers, not just mine. The wrong kind of press could ruin things for us right now.”
David sighed as he stared into her cold blue-gray eyes. He hated that she was right. Bad press could hurt the both of them. But lying to his friends became more taxing with each passing day. He was stuck.
“I know, I know,” he grumbled. “Just don’t expect me to do such a bang up job of pretending if you drag me to many more of these social functions.”
Sophie shook her head, her blond hair not moving an inch from its elaborate French twist. She patted David’s shoulders condescendingly. “It’s no wonder your career was headed nowhere before you met me. Networking is essential to getting ahead, my darling.” She swiveled her upper body and snapped up a glass of champagne from a passing waiter’s tray.
David stiffened his shoulders and bristled at her comment. Just because he hadn’t been on the fast track to stardom when they met, didn’t mean his career was headed nowhere. He would have found his own way, eventually. But Sophie never saw it from that perspective. Just another reason he knew they were wrong for each other.
Sophie sipped her champagne, staring out over the rim of the glass at the people, as her diamond earrings caught the light. The gems sparkled along with the large engagement ring she still wore on her left hand. David had wanted her to wear his grandmother’s ring, but Sophie had insisted that she have a ring more befitting her status. Now the gaudy thing mocked him as it flashed upon her finger.
Sophie smiled and nodded as people passed by, totally absorbed in the activity around her. He might as well not have been there for all the attention she paid him most of the time.
Leaning over, her eyes glimmered with interest. “My new assistant said there would be reporters from OK! Magazine here tonight. We should try to hunt them down and get an interview to go along with the photos.”
David’s shoulders slumped. This woman never quit. Not wanting to face another round of flash bulbs and fake smiles, he downed the rest of his scotch. “You go right ahead and find that reporter. I appear to need another drink.”
Sophie’s blue eyes darkened as she narrowed them into slits. “But we should talk to the reporter together. Don’t you bloody disappear on me.” The threat of a tantrum was clear in her voice.
“I think people would forgive us if we didn’t spend every blooming minute together, Sophie.” He stalked off toward the bar, not caring about her reaction.
“I will find you later,” she called after him.
David wove through the maze of people as he made his way to the bar. For the first time this evening, he could actually breathe. Sophie suffocated him with her demands.
As he reached the bar, David raised his glass toward the bartender so the man could pour him another scotch. He leaned casually on the counter as he waited. When the bartender handed him his glass, David turned to see his good friend and agent Bernard Stone at his side.
“David, my good man, there you are.” Bernard smiled and clapped David on the back.
“Why exactly are we here again, Bernard?” David fingered the collar of his shirt as he slowly glanced around the room filled with people talking, laughing and drinking. Their pricey suits and lavish evening gowns provided just as much ornamentation for the event as the decorations themselves.
“It’s good for you to be seen out in public, David. And it’s a charity event, so it’s good press, both for you and Sophie.” Bernard gave him a head nod as a tall, twenty-something blond walked by and winked flirtatiously.
David sighed and stared into his new glass of scotch. Quiet evenings at home with a movie and a beer were his preference, not this “who’s who” kind of party he was forced to attend more frequently than he wished. The down side of his acting career.
“Where is your gorgeous fiancé, by the way?” Bernard stared at David expectantly.
“Sophie is around here somewhere, dazzling someone, I’m sure. She has been so busy with filming, she wanted to live it up a little. Our schedules match up so infrequently these days.” David took a sip of his scotch and turned his attention back to Bernard.
“Well, that will change once you two get married, I’m sure.” Bernard swirled the olive around in his martini glass and took a drink. The man’s eyes darted around the room just like Sophie’s.
“Aye, I’m sure too,” David agreed, though less convincingly.
As he scanned the room again, the glass missed his lips and the amber liquid sloshed, landing almost all of it on the front of his suit.
A woman in red filled his vision, her black hair pulled back from her face, a few tendrils escaping to fall free. She appeared to be about five foot six, with fair, alabaster skin and never-ending curves. Her large, dark eyes flicked back and forth across the room in w
hat he assumed was a nervous gesture. Next to her a very petite woman in blue seemed to be doing a fine job of chatting up the people around them.
He leaned over to Bernard. “Do you know who that is over there?” He tried to point inconspicuously across the room.
Squinting in the direction of David’s finger, recognition dawned slowly across Bernard’s face. “I believe that’s Ingrid Pierce. She’s a tiny devil, that woman. One of the sneakiest public relations agents around. Tries to steal my clients, she does. You just need to stay away from that witch in blue.” Bernard huffed, his pudgy face turning a bit red.
David chuckled at Bernard’s reaction. It seemed this Ingrid Pierce woman apparently knew how to get his friend up in arms, and rather quickly at that. Bernard was a good bloke, though he could be a bit stodgy at times. He did have a more relaxed demeanor than many other agents David had dealt with in his career. Most people said that meant Bernard was losing his touch, that he was falling behind the times, but David disagreed. Actually, he liked Bernard so much more for that very reason. Bernard wasn’t pushy and insincere, and even though he looked like he slept in his suits most days, David considered the man to be a good agent.
“Not the one in blue, the woman in red, next to her.” David shook his head and grinned as he watched Bernard’s face slowly fade back to its regular color.
Bernard squinted in the direction of the women once again, and shook his head. “Don’t know the one in red, but if she’s friends with Ingrid, she can’t be good news.”
Good news or not, David didn’t care. He was intrigued by her, and for some reason he wanted to meet her. “Introduce me, Bernard. Introduce me to Ingrid and maybe she will introduce her friend.”
David set his glass on the bar and moved toward the two women, not waiting for a reply. When he looked back over his shoulder Bernard stared blankly ahead for a moment, apparently confused by David’s actions.
Not usually so bold, David typically hated these types of events. He generally put in a brief appearance, smiled politely to everyone to appease Sophie, and then quietly went home. Acting was his passion, but not the superficial social niceties that were required of him at times.
Smiling to himself, David continued across the crowded room, finally hearing Bernard lumber up from behind.
~~~
Kristin Shepherd sipped her cosmopolitan as she watched people mingling around the gallery. It had been a long time since she’d had anything but wine, and the alcohol helped to calm her nerves.
People smiled and talked all around, including her best friend, Ingrid. Being the social butterfly that she was, Ingrid chatted away with everyone in her vicinity, her petite frame dazzling in a blue sequined dress. Her friend possessed the talent of knowing how to network at these functions.
Kristin sighed, coming tonight was a mistake. She never had a good time at social events like these anymore. Grief had wrapped her heart in a lock, and gazing around at handsome men at parties sure wasn’t the key. In fact, it just confirmed how alone she truly was.
Her gaze fell on a very tall man across the room whose eyes were directed her way. She caught her breath and quickly turned her head so she could look at him without him noticing.
The well tailored taupe-colored suit hugged him in all the right places. Heat flooded her cheeks.
How long had it been since she had noticed a man that way? It had been years since she last noticed the curve of a bicep, muscular legs, or strong shoulders. She cleared her throat and pressed her shoulders back. His dark brown hair fell just above the open collar of his crisp white shirt and her fingers craved to touch it.
He spoke to a pudgy-faced older man in a less expensive-looking gray suit, while the tall man gestured toward her.
Kristin turned quickly and managed to grab her friend Ingrid’s attention. “Do you know either of those men over there?” She motioned across the room with a tilt of her head.
Ingrid cast a fleeting glance behind Kristin’s shoulder, the blue sapphires in her ears matching her bright blue eyes. “The short bloke is Bernard Stone. He works in my field, but I’m much better at dazzling the public for the important people I represent.”
A Cheshire cat grin spread across Ingrid’s lips, in what seemed like recognition as she fluffed her short light brown hair. “I believe the tall bloke is David McDougal. He’s a client of Bernard’san actor I think.” She nodded. “Yes, he’s an actor, mostly theater and telly, some films. I believe he’s Scottish. Would you like to meet him?” Ingrid turned to her friend and arched her eyebrows, her gaze questioning.
Kristin shook her head rapidly and backed away from her friend’s offer. She wasn’t ready for something like this, even if this man had somehow grabbed her attention. “No, I was just curious. I hadn’t seen him before.”
Ingrid flashed a dazzling smile as her blue eyes twinkled. “Well, that’s too bad, love, because he’s coming our way.”
“What?” Kristin’s head snapped back toward where the two men had been standing. Sure enough, they were making their way through the crowd, approaching swiftly. Her throat suddenly went dry, and her heart sped up. Downing her cosmo in one long drink, she hoped to gather the courage for whatever was about to happen. She discarded her empty glass on the tray of a passing waiter.
Kristin’s heart was pounding as the handsome actor made his way across the room to where she was standing. Why did the sight of him affect her so much, and why did his lean frame hold more than a passing interest for her? Thoughts like this hadn’t entered her mind in years. Shrugging off the schoolgirl hormones, she took a deep breath and squared her shoulders.
Ingrid shook Bernard’s hand. “Bernie, how sporting of you to bring your clients right to me instead of waiting for me to take them from you.” Her lips lifted into a smirk.
Bernard huffed and stuck out his chest. “I am doing no such thing. David is my friend as well as my client. I am just being socially cordial, which is more than I can say about you, you…” Irritation seemed etched in the stiffness of his shoulders.
“Now, now, Bernie, darling,” Ingrid purred and stroked Bernard’s arm in feigned sympathy. “This is no place for a fight. We are here for a charity cause, so why not let us strike a truce for this evening?” Ingrid’s smirk transformed into a devastating smile, and Bernard’s shoulders visibly relaxed.
“Very well, this is one of my closest friendsand clientDavid McDougal.” Bernard waved with his free hand toward the man in the immaculate suit.
Ingrid released Bernard’s arm and shook David’s hand, then turned to Kristin. “I am Ingrid Pierce, sworn enemy of Bernard Stone.” Ingrid winked, which caused Bernard to smile. “And this is my good friend Kristin Shepherd.”
Kristin smiled and shook Bernard’s hand, then turned to David. As she took his outstretched hand, a small electric current traveled through her body at his touch, making her insides tingle.
Startled at the sensation, she glanced into his face and found herself immersed in the darkest, most piercing eyes she had ever seenebony pools that she was sure she could get lost in. Not wanting to drown, she released his grip, probably a little too quickly.
“Pleased to meet you both.” David smiled widely, but his gaze never broke the direct contact with Kristin’s. Small shivers traveled along her spine as his light brogue washed over her.
A small dimple deeply indented his right cheek when he smiled, a smile that brightened the room around her as well as his handsome face.
Kristin took a deep breath to try to regain some amount of internal control. She didn’t want Ingrid to catch on to whatever was happening between her and David. All she needed was for her friend to latch onto her attraction to him, as it would strengthen the age-old argument of Kristin entering the dating scene again.
When she glanced over at Ingrid, the devious glimmer in her friend’s blue eyes made her realize it was too late. “Bernie dear, I do have something pressing I need to discuss with you. Let’s go find some drink
s, shall we?” Ingrid didn’t miss a beat as she grabbed Bernard’s arm and led him away.
Ingrid turned and winked at Kristin. “I’ll be back in a moment, love.”
Kristin now had no choice but to deal with her attraction as she turned to David, and his gaze encompassed her once more. The intensity was mesmerizing, like he could see through her to those places she chose to keep safely hidden from the world. That kind of vulnerability came unexpectedly, and small spikes of fear danced around her already-racing heart. But then he blasted her with that smile again, and melted away a little of her apprehension.
“He actually hates being called Bernie.” David motioned his head in the direction Ingrid and Bernard had wandered off. “He would only let a woman he fancied get away with that.”
“Ingrid can be quite good at getting away with things others might not be able to.” Kristin’s voice sounded small and shaky to her own ears. “She has this overbearing honesty that is somehow charming on her, but unattractive on most other people.” Her fingers played with the strap of her purse from nervousness.
“A quality highly desired in an agent, I’m sure.” He stood there with that dimpled grin, tempting her.
Kristin couldn’t help but smile. “So, if Bernard works in the same field as Ingrid, and you are his client as well as his friend, then you must be, what, an actor? An entertainer?”
“Aye, an actor. A little telly and film, but my first love is the theatre. I do love to ‘tread those boards’ as often as possible. I’m currently working in a play at the Royal National Theatre, in fact.”
As David spoke, his eyes never left her face. What was he thinking? Could he be toying with the same turmoil that she was? His gaze flicked briefly to her mouth, and she couldn’t help but wonder if he thought about kissing her.
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