Falling Into Drew

by Harriet Schultz

  Grant just raised his heavy brows. “Really. Well, that’s nice to know. I’ll let you two get back to your lunch. My regards to Ted.” Then he nodded toward Charles. “Morrison,” he said, and walked away to join his own party.

  “What was that about?” Sloane would have lifted her eyebrows in question if she could, but she continued before Charles could answer. “His daughter, Abigail, is lovely. She’s the kind of woman who would be an ideal wife for you and now you’ve upset her father. Really, Charles. And for what? Some Irish skier.” She patted the corners of her mouth with the crisp white napkin she’d removed from her lap and then laid it on the table to signal that lunch was over.

  “That Irish skier is my closest friend. You will not insult him or my girlfriend. Her name is Elizabeth Bradford and not that actress.” He threw his napkin on the table and strode toward the exit before he made a scene, something that would be even worse than marrying an actress.

  Once outside, he drew a deep breath and uttered a string of curses, concluding with, “What a fucking mess.” He texted his driver and minutes later slid into the back seat of his town car.

  “Where to, Mr. Morrison?”

  For a decisive man, he was suddenly unsure of himself. Did he need a hard workout to burn off some of his anger? Or would it be better to drown his sorrows in whiskey? Should he call Drew and fill him in or warn Kate? He finally decided that since Liz knew all the characters involved, her take on this might be the most useful, although maybe not the most objective since she was Kate’s BFF.

  His driver waited patiently for instructions, the car idling at the curb. Charles finally gave the address of the studio where Liz’s soap was taped and hoped she’d be on a break between scenes.

  The guard at the door recognized Charles as someone who occasionally showed up with one of the actresses. “I’ll have to check to see if I can admit you,” he said, and sent a quick text to someone inside. “You’re clear. Wait here to be escorted in.”

  Charles wasn’t a patient man at the best of times and this wasn’t one of those. He alternated between fidgeting and glaring at the locked door that his ‘escort’ would come through. The five minutes seemed like an hour and, as the door creaked open, he was relieved to see that the person sent to lead him inside was Liz. Her legs were bare and a short robe covered the rest of her making him wonder what kind of scene she’d been filming. He quickly decided it was better not to know. He never watched the soap because Liz’s character had a lover — a handsome, buff actor — whose mouth and hands were sometimes on her. It would be torture to see.

  “Charles!” She hugged him tightly and lifted her face for a kiss. “You look like hell. Is something wrong? Is it Kate or Drew?”

  “No, or at least not yet. Is there somewhere we can talk?”

  “Sure. I’m actually finished for the day. Normally I’d stay to run lines for tomorrow, but I can skip that.” She took his hand and led him down a narrow hallway to her dressing room. A rack of clothing that looked very unlike the Liz Bradford he knew lined one wall and a table with a large lighted mirror above it held enough cosmetics to stock a store. “You can sit over there.” She pointed to the one chair that wasn’t piled high with costumes. “Now spill,” she said as she changed into jeans and a sweater.

  “I fucked up.”

  “And…?”

  Charles avoided her gaze and didn’t answer.

  “Look, if you’re not ready to talk about this, we can…”

  “No. I need your advice. I was at lunch with my mother and Kate’s publisher — a man who travels in the same social circles as my parents — stopped by our table to say hello. She introduced us, since she wants me to marry his daughter. Anyway, he mentioned Drew’s book and I…damn, I still can’t believe I did this…I told him the book wasn’t going to happen.”

  “Oh, my. That’s bad.” For now she decided to ignore the startling ‘marry his daughter’ comment.

  “No shit. It’s beyond bad. I betrayed a friend, my best friend, and the woman he…the woman he’s with.” Charles told himself there must be something wrong with his brain-mouth connection. He’d always kept confidential information private and now he’d not only told the worst person he could that Drew’s autobiography was a no go, but almost told Liz that Drew was in love with Kate. He jumped up to pace from one end of the small dressing room to the other, running both hands through his thick, black hair. He wanted to punch a wall or more likely himself if that were possible.

  “And now you’re asking me what to do?”

  “I guess,” he groaned. “Should we warn them?”

  “We?” she said, raising one expressive eyebrow.

  “Right. I fucked up so I have to be the one to tell them. I don’t want Kate to be blindsided when her boss contacts her. I’m pretty sure that’s going to happen, and soon.”

  Charles’ tall, muscular body seemed too big for her compact, crowded space. He looked like a caged animal. “Come on,” Liz said, taking him by the hand. “Your car’s outside, right?”

  “Of course.”

  “Let’s go somewhere and figure this out. See if there’s a way to salvage the situation.”

  “No. I’m responsible so I have to deal with it. I’ll call Drew the minute we’re in the car. He’ll be pissed, but he’ll know how to break it to Kate.”

  CHAPTER 19

  “You don’t have to drive me to the airport. The concierge said there’s a bus that goes directly to Shannon from Galway.” Kate carelessly tossed the clothing she’d unpacked the day before into her suitcase. She’d been repeating the same thing to Drew ever since she booked her flight to New York, but he’d made up his mind to drive her to the airport anyway. Drew O’Connor could be a stubborn mule and his unreasonableness added to her frustration.

  “I’m taking you to the airport. We can either go by car or I’ll ride with you on the bus. Your choice,” he said, tucking his hands in his jeans’ pockets.

  “Some choice,” she muttered.

  “I get that you’re independent and I respect it. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t need anyone else. I want to spend as much time with you as I can, since I’m disappointed that you have to go.”

  “I’m not happy about it either. I hoped you might let me see where you grew up. It could help me understand you.”

  “Am I that much of a mystery?”

  She simply raised her brows and gave him the kind of look that wordlessly said you’ve got to be kidding.

  If she only knew, Drew thought. There was no way in hell that he could bring her to that place, not unless he told her…but no, not yet, maybe not ever. She’d run and he wouldn’t blame her. He couldn’t risk it.

  Once she finished packing, Drew took her bag and they rode the elevator to the lobby. He slung one arm across her shoulders as they crossed the large space and when Kate turned to smile at him, she spotted a flash of red. There was no mistaking the hair of the woman who’d flirted with Drew the day before. The redhead also noticed her and smiled when she saw the suitcase. “Christ, does she live here or do you have a stalker?” Kate said.

  Drew had been oblivious to the women’s silent interaction. “What? Who?”

  “That redhead. She’s watching me leave and looks pretty happy about it.”

  “Kate…babe,” he sighed, as they left the hotel and he hefted her suitcase into the car’s back seat. “I’ve never liked redheads. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m partial to brunettes.”

  “And blondes and…” She told herself to shut up and not let jealousy ruin the couple of hours they had left. “I’m sorry. I’m upset that I have to leave and worried about my meeting tomorrow. They’re probably going to fire me.”

  Drew easily navigated the free for all of two roundabouts and soon they were on the motorway headed south toward Shannon’s airport. “Charles offered to go to the meeting with you. Are you sure you don’t want him there? He blames himself for this whole fiasco.”

  “No. I’m a b
ig girl and a professional. I think we all made mistakes, but if I’m honest? I would do it again if it meant that I could be here with you.” She looked out the window so that he wouldn’t see the tears filling her eyes.

  “My feelings exactly. If — and I’m only saying if because they’d be idiots to do this — but if they let you go, I want you to be on the next plane back.” He began to tap his thumb against his bottom lip. She had a sudden vision of him as a little boy, thumb firmly in his mouth and maybe even dragging a blanket or teddy bear around. The boy in her imagination didn’t look happy. Neither did the man beside her and she was powerless to make it better.

  Drew found a space along the crowded curb outside the airport’s departure area. He lifted her bag from the back seat and pulled up the handle. “I don’t want you to go,” he said before wrapping his arms around her as if that act could keep her from leaving.

  “I wish I didn’t have to,” she said between the kind of kisses that usually led to more.

  He forced himself to pull away and studied her face, his own filled with emotions he wasn’t ready to express. He kissed her forehead and whispered, “Come back to me.”

  “I will,” she murmured, then summoned some inner strength to smile and toss back, “Just try to get rid of me, O’Connor,” before disappearing into the terminal.

  The return drive to Galway seemed twice as long as the trip to the airport. The reason why was no mystery — part of him was missing and on her way across the Atlantic.

  How had this woman become so important to him so quickly? One of his relationships had lasted close to a year and his body had never ached when that woman’s work obligations took her away for weeks at a time. In fact, he’d relished the freedom her absence gave him.

  That woman had claimed she’d loved him, but a model with a face as famous as hers would never have dated him if he were a construction worker or salesman. It wasn’t arrogance to accept that he was easy on the eyes, but he’d always been aware that if fame and wealth didn’t accompany his looks, a woman like that wouldn’t have given him more than an admiring glance.

  Kate was different. Sure, the initial reason they were together was because he’d accomplished enough to make an interesting subject for a book. Yet with that project on indefinite hold or cancelled, she was still interested in Andrew O’Connor, the man, not the celebrity.

  It was humbling and scary. He’d thought he was in love once before and to say that situation had been fucked up was an understatement. He sighed and debated whether to bypass the motorway’s exit for Galway and the safety of the hotel or continue north to face his past.

  CHAPTER 20

  A sign with “Kate Porter” written in big black letters was hard to miss as she emerged from customs into the crowds of JFK’s international terminal. She assumed that Drew had arranged for a car to pick her up, but the driver who approached her looked familiar. When he opened the town car’s door, she wasn’t totally surprised to find Charles in the back seat.

  He raised both hands in surrender before she could say anything, “Drew didn’t ask me to meet your flight. In fact, he made it clear that you want to do this on your own, but Liz said she’d cut off my balls if I didn’t make sure you were all right. She’d be here too, but couldn’t get out of filming today.”

  “Are you done?” she asked, turning to look at him. Charles Morrison was always cool and confident, so his uncharacteristic nervous chatter didn’t help her anxiety.

  “Yes,” he answered. Unsure of what she wanted from him, Charles focused on how his driver expertly squeezed their car between two taxis before steering it toward the airport’s exit.

  “Thank you for picking me up. I’m on edge, exhausted, and,” she fidgeted, unsure of whether to confide in Drew’s best friend, “I already miss him.”

  Charles watched her eyes fill and pulled her against his side. She leaned her head on his shoulder. “You know, if Drew saw us like this, he would kill me, although in this case, I think he’d understand.”

  Kate relaxed against him. “You’re a good man, Charles Morrison.”

  “Not many people realize that, but you and Liz seem to be especially perceptive.” He grinned, then wiped away a tear that had leaked from her eyes and handed her a tissue. “I’m sure Drew misses you too.”

  “Yeah, well…it’s hard, but I need to put him out of my mind and focus on the reason I was ordered to come back here.”

  “Your editor is a bastard to do this, but my big mouth is the reason you’re not in Ireland with the man I love like a brother. I’ve made two special people unhappy and for that I apologize.” He held his hand up when she started to respond. “Let me finish. I’m positive that you can handle whatever the bigwigs will say to you today, but because of my part in this, I’m coming to the meeting with you. Do not argue because you won’t win.”

  “Okay,” she said quietly and then laughed when Charles’ eyes widened and his mouth opened in shock. She was sort of surprised herself, but unlike the man she’d left in Ireland, she had an open mind and he did have a point. Just then her phone pinged, signaling a text.

  “Drew?” Charles asked.

  “Yeah, give me a minute.” Her lips curved as she tapped a reply.

  A moment later Charles’ phone rang. “Get your fucking hands off my woman,” Drew shouted loud enough for her to hear. Confusion filled Charles’ face for a second and then he pointed a finger at Kate and growled, “You…” but stopped short of calling her the name that came to mind.

  “Chill, Drew. Your woman told me how much she misses you and so I comforted her. No biggie.” He looked toward Kate and mouthed, “He’s got it bad for you.”

  “Give her the phone,” Drew barked.

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have teased you,” she said, although she was thrilled by the way he’d reacted.

  “No, you shouldn’t. Have you ever gone to a bullfight in Spain?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “Doesn’t matter. Picture me as the bull. If you wave a red cape in front of my eyes, I’m going to react.”

  “Understood,” she said, changing the subject.” What are you doing?”

  “I’m about to go downstairs to the bar, have a beer, get something to eat, and talk myself into going to visit my past first thing tomorrow.”

  “I thought you were looking forward to it.”

  “I am, or at least I was.” He paused as if considering whether to say more, then finished with, “I hope your meeting goes well, but if it doesn’t I’ll expect you to be on a plane tomorrow.”’

  Kate sensed he was holding back, but she kept her response light. “So I shouldn’t reset my watch to New York time?”

  He laughed and she could almost hear him relax. “No. Keep it on Irish time so you’ll think of me.”

  “I do that anyway,” she admitted, softly.

  “Okay, you two, that’s enough,” Charles said. “Three’s a crowd and I feel like I should leave my own car.”

  “He’s right. I ‘ll call you after my meeting, which is,” she glanced at her watch, “in two hours. I have to shower and change, so…bye, Drew. I miss you.”

  “Me too. Come back to me soon,” he said.

  “I will.” She’d been so focused on the conversation that she didn’t realize that the car was minutes away from her apartment building. She turned toward Charles. “Do you want to wait here or come upstairs? I’ll be a half hour or so.”

  “Here’s good,” he said, but before Kate left the car he covered her hand with his. “For as long as I’ve known Drew, he’s never acted so possessive about a woman. You bring out the animal in him.”

  “Thanks for telling me that,” she said, a smile lighting her face. As she walked into her building she pushed down the impulse to pump her fist and shout, “Yes!” Alpha men usually turned her off, but with Drew that behavior had the opposite effect.

  “Well, well, our traveling editor returns and you’ve brought Mr. O’Connor’s agent with you. I trust you enjoyed your visi
t to Ireland.” The snark in senior editor Ed Harper’s voice instantly put Kate on high alert.

  “Yes, I did.” Just like a witness on the stand in a courtroom, she wouldn’t offer more than asked. There were fewer people at the conference table than the day she’d pitched Drew’s book to a very enthusiastic staff. Charles sat next to her facing the heads of publicity and marketing. They glared at her as if she’d stomped on their favorite toy, breaking it beyond repair and perhaps she had. She recognized the man to their left as the lawyer who handled the company’s contractual issues.

  “Please fill us in on what progress you’ve made on this project since Mr. Morrison believes that his client wants to break our contract. Is that your impression, Ms. Porter?”

  Before Kate could answer Harper leaned forward and continued, “The photos of you two at JFK gave the impression that you might be more than co-authors — good publicity move by the way — and then you spent a few days over there with Mr. O’Connor, presumably working.” No one missed the sarcastic implication that work wasn’t Kate and Drew’s priority. The editor lowered his glasses with one finger, never taking his eyes off Kate. “So you understand why I might assume that you would know what your fellow author’s thoughts are better than anyone else.”

  Kate felt her face flush. Her heart rate accelerated and her throat tightened as if there were a noose around it. The people at the table were delusional if they thought she knew what the hell was in Drew’s mind. She reached for the glass of water in front of her and drank half of it before speaking.

  “I think I can…” Charles began, trying to deflect attention from Kate until she could pull herself together.

  “I believe I directed my question to our employee, Ms. Porter,” Harper snapped and turned his eyes in her direction. “Kate?”