Love in La La Land

by Lynn Forth

  Her father and Milly were coping well, and Jane worried that her notoriety around the hospital might be detracting attention from Charlie.

  Every minute in that hotel suite, every moment in America, was proving to be a torture to her. She had to get away. Although broken-hearted, she was determined to survive, but knew she couldn’t move on while constant reminders of Jack were around her.

  During one more long, tear-filled night, she had tried to convince herself that she had been seduced as much by the place as the person. Only by returning to England, to real life, could she start emerging from the Hollywood bubble.

  Each time she thought of Jack, her heart constricted with pain. She could still see him that first day at the studio gate, emerging from the shadowy interior and standing there tall, charismatic, ruggedly commanding in his aloof cynicism.

  Then gradually, the real Jack had revealed himself to her. She felt privileged to have seen the tender, intelligent, funny, protective man who hid beneath the Hollywood carapace he showed to the world.

  She could no longer deny her true feelings about him. It was this real Jack she had grown to love with an intensity she had never thought possible.

  But to no avail. He must now think she was a hypocritical gold-digger, willing to sell her story for money.

  To her shame, she had to admit he wouldn’t be far wrong. Not the Scott story, but she had desperately wanted to sell her other book…for the money. What else had she been doing when she had agreed to all that primping for the party?

  When Scott had said he could use his influence on her behalf, she had ignored her instincts and stayed at his house. Even though she knew he wanted to bed her. By staying, had she given him ideas that she might eventually agree to sex in exchange for his influence? She, who prided herself on her integrity, had compromised herself and fallen far short of her much-vaunted principles.

  Jack knew all that. He probably thought it was just a short step from selling her book, to selling her kiss-and-tell. She just hoped against hope that Jack would at least think she had done it for Charlie. But would that make it more forgivable? As there had been no word from him, evidently not.

  These thoughts whirled about her head, tormenting her as she finished her packing. She carefully folded her favourite blue dress – the one she had worn at that first meeting – and placed it tenderly in her case. A long sigh escaped her, deep and heartfelt.

  Suddenly, she was aware of a figure standing in the doorway, gazing silently at her.

  Startled, she lifted her head to see Jack watching her with an indefinable expression on his face.

  Once again, his tall frame filled the doorway, his steady brown eyes gazing at her, just as he had done when she first saw him in the studio security booth. It seemed so long ago now and, in spite of herself, her heart still lurched at the sight of him.

  Suppressing her immediate instinct to run into his arms and pour out explanations in a torrent of emotion, her pride took over and she turned away. He mustn’t see the yearning in her eyes. With shaking hands, she continued to pack her dress.

  Although she knew she had lost him, she could not let him know how devastated she felt. Gathering all her inner self-control to stop her voice from trembling, she knew she must make a last-ditch attempt to convince him of her innocence.

  She turned to him again and, with lowered eyes, said firmly, ‘Jack, I know you must have seen that dreadful article about me and Scott. You probably think I did the interview to raise money for Charlie’s operation.’ She cleared her throat nervously before going on. ‘Yes, I did say I had to raise the money somehow. But you need to know, I have put my London apartment up for sale. That’s how I am raising the money.

  ‘There’s no way I could ever do it by selling a fake story. I know you won’t believe me. I know it looks bad. But I have to tell you, I really, I honestly didn’t have anything to do with that article. I—’

  ‘I know you didn’t,’ he said quietly.

  ‘What? You believe me?’ Shocked, she lifted her head and gazed into his smiling brown eyes.

  ‘Of course I do, my darling. I knew you wouldn’t raise money like that, even though your family needed it.’

  Jane felt her knees buckle with relief. In two strides, Jack was across the room, engulfing her in his outstretched arms. She clung to him, sobbing with relief.

  ‘Oh Jack, I was so frightened you believed those lies. I didn’t know how I could convince you.’

  ‘It’s all right, sweetheart. I don’t need convincing. I never did.’

  She felt him smooth the strands of hair from her temple, and softly stroke her trembling shoulders. But she couldn’t let it go. Still tearful, she gazed up at him.

  ‘I would never do anything like that. Never.’

  ‘I know. I never doubted you.’

  ‘But, Jack, it does look bad. Who would do a thing like that and make up all those lies?’

  ‘Scott.’

  ‘What?’ She couldn’t believe she had heard him properly.

  ‘Scott was the source of the article.’

  ‘I don’t understand.’ Jane frowned. ‘Why would he do that? Why would he give them such a scurrilous story?’

  ‘Jealousy,’ said Jack simply. ‘You were right. He really doesn’t like me, and probably resents the way his mum talks about me. When he began to realise how much I was attracted to you, he saw it as a competition to see who could win you first. Hence the bet, which…’ his eyes anxiously searched her face, ‘…I never took up. I hope you believe me on that.’

  ‘Of course, I believe you.’

  Jane saw his shoulders slump in relief. But she was still puzzled.

  ‘So, he gave them the story to get back at you?’

  ‘Well, both of us really. He was really angry when he discovered you had left his house, and suspected you had gone away with me. Which, of course, you hadn’t. But I don’t think he could envisage anyone leaving his house because they just didn’t like staying there. That really was beyond his comprehension.’ Jack gave a derisive laugh.

  ‘The paps are his spies, and they have been feeding back information on us all the time. I’m cross I hadn’t noticed them following us. He sent them out searching, and they knew you weren’t at my place. Then he discovered I was chartering a private plane to San Francisco, so he thought we were escaping there. And, of course, that paparazzi snapped us boarding the plane, so he was convinced we were together. He was livid, but he saw a way of getting his own back and spoiling what he saw as my victory.’

  She saw his eyes darken as he went on, ‘I suspect Bruno had a hand in all of this. I’m not sure Scott is bright enough to plan such an underhand scheme all on his own.’

  He shook his head, clearly bitter that his own father could be so unscrupulous.

  ‘I have no proof of Bruno’s involvement. He’s always very careful to erase any tracks. But anyway, it was Scott who contacted a journalist he knows, and together they concocted the magazine story.’

  ‘Of course,’ she nodded, finally understanding how so many of the small details in the story had been correct. ‘But I still can’t understand why it was written like a kiss-and-tell by me.’

  ‘Think about it, Jane. Having a story like that, which basically is saying what an irresistible love god he is… Well, it can’t harm his image, can it? From his point of view, it’s a perfect story. Not only does it damage our relationship, which gets back at me, but all the while it enhances his sexy reputation and publicises the film.’

  Jane slowly grasped the full implications of the revelation, nodding her head at the cleverness of Scott’s plan.

  ‘And by pinning all the blame on you – a flame-haired temptress – it’s easier for him to ask Savannah to take him back, which I think is what he really wants.’

  Marvelling at the ingenuity of the whole thing, Jane was still horrified at the terrible tissue of lies.

  ‘But how could he lie like that?’

  ‘All too easily, unf
ortunately.’

  There was a silence as they both contemplated Scott’s unscrupulous lack of integrity, a world that was alien to them but clearly totally normal for Scott.

  She raised her head from his chest and looked at his frowning face.

  ‘How did you find out it was Scott’s doing?’

  ‘It didn’t take too much digging, if you know who to ask.’

  ‘So, is that where you’ve been? I thought you must have been angry with me when you left so suddenly with no word—’

  ‘What do you mean, no word? What about the note I left?’

  ‘What note?’

  ‘My little billet doux under the pillow.’ He grinned a little sheepishly.

  ‘I just got your text saying you had returned home. Nothing else. Didn’t you get all my frantic messages?’

  ‘Yes, I got one or two, but I’ve been in the air for a lot of the last twenty-four hours and I assumed once you got back here, you would get the note.’ He looked around the room. ‘I left it so you would be bound to find it as you snuggled down. Did you sleep in there?’

  Jane didn’t like to say she had hardly slept at all for the last two nights. How could she tell him of her torment in finding him gone, about all her doubts and suspicions? There was no way she could have slept in that bed which held such wonderful memories.

  ‘No, I came back to this room.’

  ‘Oh.’ He looked stunned. ‘So, you don’t know where I’ve been? Or what I’ve been trying to do?’

  ‘No,’ she admitted, embarrassed. ‘I just thought…’

  Suddenly all the tension left her limbs and she was shaking with relief. He hadn’t left her, and here he was holding her so tightly and kissing her so fervently.

  ‘My darling, I’m so sorry. You can’t have thought I’d leave you? Not after our wonderful night together. Don’t you know how much you mean to me?’

  Tears sprung to her eyes at his words.

  ‘Oh Jack, I’ve been in torment, thinking you had believed that magazine story and that, well, it was all over between us.’

  ‘Darling, I’m sorry it caused you so much pain, but I hope you know me better than to think I would just walk away from one of the best things that’s ever happened to me. Yes, I was angry when I read it, but that sort of muck-raking story is frankly not worth bothering about.’

  Jane pulled away slightly.

  ‘But it is, Jack. It bothers me that those awful unprincipled people can peddle such muck. I hate the fact that people might believe those lies. Surely there’s something we can do to show that story isn’t true?’

  He shrugged. ‘Well, we could, but unfortunately it just wouldn’t be worth it. It would only create more publicity for you, for Scott, and for me. I can, and I will, make sure that important people know the truth, and that will eventually get round. Unfortunately, I think contacting the magazine for a retraction would be a mistake. They would love to prolong the story, and who knows what other lies they might print?’

  Jane gasped in horror.

  ‘So, if you can bear the injustice of it all, then I think we just forget it.’ Jack sounded calm, but his jaw was clenched in distaste, and Jane could see how much this strategy – no matter how wise – still enraged him.

  He shook his head slightly, as if to dispel his bitter thoughts. ‘Sorry, my love, but it’s just the way it is in Tinseltown. I have learnt the hard way to grit my teeth, keep my head down, and just get on with it.’

  Before she could protest, he shrugged in resignation.

  ‘I know it’s a bitter pill to swallow, but let’s put all that behind us. The most important thing is that we know the truth, don’t we? And we know how much we want to be together. Their mean tricks can’t pull us apart, can they?’

  His clouded eyes searched her face, and finally Jane smiled. The story still niggled at the back of her mind, but she couldn’t deny her elation at being back in his protective arms, hearing how much he wanted to be with her.

  ‘Don’t you want to know what I’ve been up to? If you didn’t read my note, get ready for a surprise.’

  Jane parked her annoyance to the back of her mind, and took in Jack’s beaming smile. Was that excitement in his eyes?

  ‘Ask me where I’ve been,’ he said.

  Jane laughed. He was like a big kid.

  ‘OK, Jack, where have you been?’

  ‘Wyoming.’

  ‘Wyoming?’

  ‘Well, Laramie, actually. No, not even Laramie itself. Two hundred and fifty dusty miles north of Laramie, as the crow flies; a darned sight longer than that by car.’ His eyes were twinkling.

  ‘Look, Jack, if that supposed to mean something, it’s lost on me. My geographical knowledge of American states is a bit patchy, to say the least.’

  He scooped her up and plonked her on the bed, next to her unfinished suitcase.

  ‘It’s where Merle lives.’

  ‘Merle McQueen? The one starring in our film?’

  ‘Oh, so it’s our film now, is it?’

  She blushed. ‘Well, your—’

  ‘No, I’m only teasing. It’s just you’ve always called it my film before.’ He grinned. ‘And yes, the very same Oscar-winning Merle McQueen, who is indeed starring in our film.’

  ‘Um, so she invited you to Laramie?’

  ‘Nope, she didn’t invite me. I took a chance and landed up at the door of her extensive cattle ranch. And got menaced by a shotgun for my pains.’

  The smile on his face told her he was plainly enjoying prolonging the tale of his adventure.

  ‘Right, Jack, unless you spit it out right now where you’ve been for the last couple of days, I will…um…I will…’

  ‘Yes, Miss, what will you do?’

  ‘Um…’ She looked quickly around the room for inspiration. ‘I know,’ she said, ‘I’ll go and find the note you left, and that will tell me.’

  Wriggling out of his embrace, she sped across the lounge into the other bedroom. She was too quick for him, and by the time he caught up with her, she was flinging pillows to the floor.

  And there indeed was an envelope, addressed ‘To My Darling Jane’.

  She was just about to tear it open when he snatched it out of her hands, and held it aloft so she couldn’t reach it.

  Giggling, she made a leap for it, and missed. And then they were both laughing and panting on the bed together. Somehow, explanations could wait. Something far more urgent had come up.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  ‘So, why Wyoming?’

  Naked, tousled, and radiating post-coital heat, Jane snuggled into his firm chest and traced an idle finger round his nipple.

  ‘What’s kept you so long from asking?’ he smiled at her with teasing brown eyes.

  ‘I can’t think what distracted me. Can you?’

  She leant on her elbows and scanned his strong, handsome features. It was still hard to believe this gorgeous man – a man she had thought she would never see again – was lying here, gazing at her so…lovingly? Catching her breath in the sheer wonder of the moment, she totally forgot her question.

  ‘It’s an awfully big state,’ he said.

  ‘What is?’

  ‘Wyoming. Do keep up.’

  With a groan, Jane thumped him. ‘Oh, for goodness sake. I’m not going to have to drag it all out of you, am I?’

  ‘OK. Should I start at the beginning?’

  ‘You’d better, if you know what’s good for you.’

  He laughed. ‘Well, as you are definitely good for me, I will. Remember I was reading your book…’

  Jane suddenly sat up a little, ears alert.

  ‘Yes, it is good,’ he assured her. ‘It’s different, but certainly as good as your first, and I can see it would make a gripping film. So, I started phoning around to see what I could do. Not easy, because as you know Hollywood is full of writers making pitches, and I wanted more than just a vague, “OK, send it to me and I’ll see what I can do”. I wanted a strong commitment, and so
meone who would read it straight away. If I could get an option deal…well, you know, it would certainly help with Charlie’s medical costs.’

  Jane gasped. ‘Oh Jack, you shouldn’t have worried about that.’

  ‘Of course, I did. You were too stubborn to accept my financial help, so I thought this way you would know you had earned it yourself.’

  How well he knew her.

  ‘That’s why I had to leave so suddenly. Phoning around wasn’t working, so I flew back to see some producers in person. Unfortunately, the kiss-and-tell story hit just as I got there. So, of course, our names were linked together and I got a bit of a brush-off. People assumed I was pushing your book because we were in a relationship.

  ‘Feeling a bit stumped, I suddenly remembered how much Merle had loved your book. If only we could get her on board. But unluckily, she had flown back home to Wyoming. She’s not a big fan of La La Land. Likes to go back to her family and ranch as much as possible, to keep herself grounded.

  ‘You never met her, did you?’ he asked.

  Jane shook her head.

  ‘Pity, you would really like her. Straight-talking. Hates all the hypocrisy that goes on in the industry. But savvy enough to seem as if she’s playing the game.’

  Jane nodded. His description fit with the image she had of the actress.

  ‘Right, so I was in a bit of a fix. Merle’s home is strictly off-limits to film folk. When she’s there, she just wants to be a home bird. No visitors, unless invited. But I took a risk and flew out after her. Then drove for hours and ended up at her door yesterday evening. And as I say, I was met by a shotgun pointed at my chest.’

  With a rueful grin, Jack passed a hand through his hair. ‘Her husband is a big guy.’

  Jane listened in amazement. She couldn’t believe he had done all this for her.

  ‘Luckily, Merle was in, just cooking dinner. Well, I guess I struck lucky. The shotgun was lowered, and she invited me to stay and eat with them. Four great kids, and we seemed to get on OK.’

  Jane could see he was amazed and pleased by his reception, but she wasn’t that surprised. Probably Merle had recognised his integrity and decency during filming.