To be honest, he hadn’t done it all for her. Okay, none of it had been for her at the start. The fact that she’d gotten a job as a result played right into his plan to make her his ticket off the show. Then Fortune smiled her direction and gave her the opportunity to prove herself before the camera. Which she’d done superbly. And now here she was, famous enough to attract the attention of a journalist out to knock her down a peg. Except, Reese didn’t appreciate the significance.
Nah, too soon to talk her down from her current mood. He pulled his hand back and headed away. Where to? He had a little over an hour to kill before his weekly rehearsal with Leonie and nothing at the moment to occupy those minutes. But he couldn’t stay here. He didn’t want to run into his aunt until it was absolutely necessary.
A drink was out of the question, he had to remain sharp for Leonie’s drill, but a late afternoon snack at the deli down the street might just do the trick. Since he’d confessed about his improving ankle to Reese, he swiftly made his way down the sidewalk, although he brought his crutches along just in case. To his surprise, he found Jasper planted in a booth right inside the deli’s front door. “What are you doing here this late in the day?”
The older man scowled. “I’m in temporary retreat.”
Nick sent him a confused look.
“Hiding out from your aunt. I’m worn out after having spent the better part of the day attempting to cool her heels about that confounded piece in FoodNation. She wanted to let Reese go, so I threatened to leave myself if she did.”
“Them’s pretty strong words.”
The beleaguered director heaved a sigh, took a sip of coffee. “Surprised myself even. She thought I was bluffing. Which I probably was at the time. But the more I’ve thought about it, who knows? Keeping up with Leonie’s control issues is getting to me.”
The two of us should form a club.
“How’s Reese doing? I haven’t had a chance to get back to her, what with Leonie breathing down my neck.” He set his coffee mug on the table and took a bite of the piece of apple pie in front of him.
Nick glanced up from his menu. “Still not happy, but that’s to be expected.” He didn’t mention Reese’s snit, because then he’d have to tell Jasper about his plans to leave the show. Despite his fondness for the man, he wasn’t ready to confide in him yet. Instead, he added, “She complained of a headache or something, so I left her to deal with it.”
Jasper kneaded his smooth-shaven chin with the palm of his hand. “She’s tough. She’ll get past this.”
Nick slammed his hand on the tabletop, surprising both of them. “Damn Leonie! If she’d just get to know Reese better, she’d stop being so jealous of her.”
Jasper shot him a doubtful expression. “Do you really believe that? Leonie feels threatened by Reese. Can’t say whether it’s professional jealousy or how well Reese works with you in front of the camera. But I don’t see Leonie changing her mind about Reese any time soon.”
Not the reassurance he’d been seeking. “You think I’m kidding myself?”
“You and I both care for your aunt, despite, sometimes even because of, her shortcomings. But we can’t let those feelings blind us to who she really is. Or naïvely expect her to feel or act a certain way.”
“You’re probably right. I tell myself she’ll change. It’s easier than confronting her.”
Jasper played with the small wedge of pie that remained on his plate. Returning his attention to Nick, he asked, “Would that be so bad?”
God knows I’ve tried. “She doesn’t tend to listen.”
“Any theories why that is?”
Nick picked up one of the extra napkins on the table and ripped it apart. “She’s self-involved and doesn’t care about anyone else’s opinion?”
“She’s certainly all that. I’ve let her walk all over me for years. After my wife’s death, I needed something to do to keep from losing my mind. I didn’t care what. This job was my salvation.”
“You think that’s the story with me, the walking all over me part?”
Jasper finished the pie. “We-ell, you don’t appear to challenge her much. Or at least follow through when you do challenge her.” Replacing the fork on the plate, he asked, “Ever wondered why that is?”
“Surely Leonie has told you about my early years, when my mother found touring Europe preferable to child rearing. Leonie took me in. She may not have known any more about parenting than my own mother, but she stuck around. In my book, that earns her my loyalty.”
“Loyalty’s one thing, Nick. But that doesn’t mean lifelong subservience.”
He stiffened. “I’m not Leonie’s indentured servant, Jasper. It’s just easier not to cross her.”
“Yeah, right.” Jasper grabbed his wallet, threw down a few bills. “Next time you decide not to, uh, cross her, ask yourself why.” He rose, leaned in for one last comment. “We both need to pick our battles. Decide which are worth fighting. See you tomorrow. I’ve got a five o’clock meeting with the station manager.” He was out the door, leaving Nick alone to ponder his parting comments.
Later, back in his dressing room preparing for his evening session with Leonie, it occurred to Nick that it was almost like Jasper had read his mind. He should just stand up to Leonie and tell her he was leaving the show. And forget about Reese replacing him. He was coming to care too much for Reese to put her through any more indignities like she suffered today. But his reluctance to disappoint Leonie, like he’d told Jasper, that tie that went back to his childhood, continued to hamstring his actions in the present day.
He caught sight of his crutches leaning against the outside of the booth. The fact that he no longer needed them reminded him once again that the time was fast approaching when a decision had to be made. Stay on to co-host with Reese, or leave, whether Reese was chosen to succeed him or not. He straightened, flexed his arm muscles, then braced his legs against the floor. His tangible crutches no longer necessary, it was time to eliminate the emotional supports in his life as well.
Maybe not today, though. Or tomorrow. But soon. Soon.
****
A far-off noise woke Reese with a start. The last vestiges of sunlight strained to penetrate the shades of her dressing room window. She pressed her fingers to her forehead. The headache seemed to have abated.
The time on her phone indicated it was after eight o’clock. She’d been out for hours, but sleep had been good. Not that she’d forgotten about her problems with Nick or the piece in FoodNation. All that came rushing back to her like the waves of heat and steam that accompanied the opening of a hot oven. But she felt stronger, the sucker punch delivered by the article gone. She might just be able to cope with the Byzantine twists and turns of life here on And He Cooks Too.
Besides ridding her of the headache, sleep had also helped her define her intentions. She wasn’t ready to quit the show yet. She hadn’t entirely forgiven Nick for manipulating her into coming on board, but in fairness, he’d only given her his card, she was the one who contacted him when her restaurant options appeared to have dried up. And, she had to concede that she had benefited from the experience. Since Nick’s ankle was doing better than he would have had her believe, the time was fast approaching when she would have to make her break. Co-hosting allowed her to develop her on-camera persona without the responsibility of carrying the show. But in the long run, that’s what she wanted. She didn’t need Leonie controlling the creative part.
Her stomach grumbled. Several hours since she’d eaten. She should go home. Everyone else would have cleared out by now.
Though not frightened by the deserted studio, she made her way along the corridor in silence. She could have fumbled around to find the lights, but there was just enough illumination coming through the glazed over windows at the end of the hall for her to navigate in reasonable safety.
She’d traversed the full length of the corridor and was about to pass the door to the studio when she heard muffled voices. Great. Who was st
ill here? She remembered Leonie’s rule about no one remaining late the night before taping. Someone else had disregarded that dictate.
She slowed her steps, proceeded even more quietly. The voices grew louder and more distinct as she neared. The door to the studio stood open.
“I told you to get rid of that woman,” a female voice she recognized as Leonie’s said. “She let down her guard with that reporter so now even Jasper can’t deny she was out to get me.”
No surprise there. Reese had known Leonie would attempt to get as much mileage from the article as she could.
“Jasper said nothing of the sort,” Nick returned.
“Don’t be naïve, Nick. He knows he made a mistake hiring her. He simply won’t admit that point to me.”
“Brother, Leonie—don’t you ever stop?”
Was that annoyance she heard in Nick’s tone?
“This is my show, Nick. Not yours. Or Jasper’s. And certainly not Reese Dunbar’s.”
“Reese has been good for the show. Look how much she’s helped the ratings.”
“That was already in the works. Long before Reese Dunbar showed up, the network was already showing interest.”
“Let’s get back to work. I want to get out of here at a reasonable hour for once.”
But apparently Leonie wasn’t finished, because she continued with, “From the day she first showed up, I’ve told you she was dangerous. She knows too much about cooking. Sooner or later, she’s going to figure out our secret.”
Reese drew back. Secret? Her better sense told her to flee before they discovered her eavesdropping, but curiosity about the secret overrode caution.
“C’mon, Leonie. Cut her a break.”
“Give her a break?” Leonie was near shouting. “It hasn’t been easy to stay in the shadows all these months and let you take credit for my work. But keeping this show on the air has been worth the sacrifice.”
Oh, pul-lease! Did Nick really buy that garbage?
“It hasn’t been easy for me either,” Nick shot back. “I put a promising acting career on hold to be your host, despite the fact that I can’t cook.”
She clamped a hand over her mouth to keep from gasping out loud. Nick…couldn’t…cook? He must have been joking. Attempting to throw Leonie off her rant. But Leonie didn’t react like it was a joke. “That’s exactly why we must continue these private rehearsals.”
They were rehearsing? Of course! That’s why no one was allowed to remain late the night before taping. She knew there was more to that silly rule than it being simply one of Leonie’s eccentricities.
More to the point, though, Nick was a fake. How had she missed that? She’d questioned his technique at times but written off her concerns to his simply having a different style than hers. Or Nick had sloughed off or talked his way out of her questions. The rat!
The fact that he had a hidden agenda when he invited her to join the show was bad enough. She hadn’t shared all her plans with him either. But he’d been lying all along about his cooking skills.
What else had he been lying about? Was their relationship a pretense too? Romance the lady chef so she wouldn’t think too much about his odd cooking style?
Her legs wobbled, as if attached to the rest of her body with rubber bands. Her hands shook so much she had to grab hold of the wallboard that ran the length of the hallway to steady herself.
She’d trusted him, shared deep, personal thoughts with him. Been intimate with him. First her father had let her down. Or at least so she thought. Henri had neglected to mention that he had a wife, Louis had gone back on his promise to promote her. And now Nick.
No man did this to Reese Dunbar anymore and got away with it. She had to have this out with Nick, now, before she keeled over from shock. She gobbled air, steeled herself for the confrontation.
She took a few determined strides toward the studio, then abruptly stopped in her tracks. Not now. Too much had already happened today. She needed time to think. Not just react, like she had at Solange and almost had earlier in the day with Melinda DuPre. She eased past the open door, continuing to use the side wall for balance, making sure they didn’t see or hear her, and escaped.
The full enormity of the ruse Nick and his aunt were putting over on everyone didn’t hit until, ensconced in a cab, she was almost back at her apartment. Up to that point, she’d been confused, in shock and in denial. Her breath came in gulps and her arms had gone cold, goosebumps dotting them.
She now understood the immediate dislike Leonie had taken to her, fearing she would see through their little scheme. And why Leonie had been so adamant about overlooking the decreasing food inventory on taping day. She and Nick had used it for their private rehearsals. Now that Reese knew the truth, she couldn’t stick around and knowingly participate in this fraud. Despite her vow not to repeat her impulsive exit from Solange, walking appeared to be her only option.
Nick was another matter. It was bad enough that he’d put one over on everyone else, but to knowingly lie to her about his cooking skills was inexcusable. Whatever had been growing between them, whether it was real or not, had died on the vine, because the trust wasn’t there anymore. Even if she could stick it out on the show, she could no longer be Nick’s co-host.
Looks like I’ll be starting my own show sooner than I planned.
“Are you okay, lady?” the driver asked from the front seat. “Your breathing don’t sound so good.”
“I’ve, uh, had a bit of a shock. I guess the reaction…is just catching up with me.”
“You want I should take ya to a hospital instead of the address you gave me?”
“No. Uh, thanks. Could you crack a window, though? I need fresh air.”
“Sure thing. I don’t got no water with me, but we can stop at a grocery, if ya want.”
“No need. My breathing is better.”
And it was, although tears now rolled with abandon down her face. She swiped at them, willing herself to stop. They just kept coming. Why? Regret? She really had become quite fond of the show. Anger? At the incredible hoax Nick and Leonie were putting over on everyone? Feeling foolish and used? She’d known Nick Coltrane was trouble all along. Too damned good looking, too self-assured, too much into himself. Worst of all, she now knew, he was dishonest. She could overlook almost everything but that.
Okay. Fine. Her heart had been wrong. He wasn’t the one. She’d just been in need of sex, someone to relieve her body’s pent-up needs. And he’d been conveniently available.
She dragged the back of her hand across her face again, attempting to hold back the tears. By the time the cab pulled up to her building, she’d almost succeeded. She quickly paid the cabbie and dashed inside.
Reese had no sooner deposited her purse on the kitchen table than her cell rang.
“Hey, Sis.” Evan. “I’ve managed to borrow a friend’s video equipment for a couple days. We need you to come home to shoot some demos for your show.”
While she blew her nose, she debated how much to tell him about her decision to leave the show. In the end, she decided it would be better to drop the bomb in person. “As a matter of fact, I was planning a visit this weekend,” she told him, trying to keep her voice normal.
“Terrific!”
“I have some business to attend to first thing in the morning, then I’ll head out.”
“Can’t wait to see ya. Got some great ideas.”
I certainly hope so. As soon as the rest of the world learned she’d left yet another job, it would add credence to Melinda DuPre’s speculations. Only a really spectacular countermove would help her get past this current fiasco.
****
Early the next morning, Jasper slammed into Leonie’s office, nearly toppling a small statuette on her desktop. “She’s gone!”
“Who? Reese?” Nick shot out of a side chair he’d occupied near his aunt’s desk. This time, the statuette did topple.
Jasper slumped into another chair. “I don’t get it. She was upset yes
terday, but not enough to leave.”
“Are you sure she’s gone?” Nick wanted to know.
“Emailed me early this morning. She’d already come in to collect her things and left a letter of resignation in my office.”
“Coward,” Leonie muttered.
Both men twisted around to face the executive producer. “Leonie!”
To Jasper, Nick said, “Do you have it with you? The letter. I’d like to see it.”
Jasper screwed up his face. “Left it in my office. But I can pretty much quote it. ‘Jasper. I can work with overbearing egos, but deception is another matter. Please consider this my resignation. Sorry to dump on you. You’ve been great. Regards, Reese.’”
“Deception?” Nick repeated, staring pointedly at Leonie, a small muscle on his jaw twitching.
Leonie didn’t take the bait, replying instead, “Absolutely no advance notice. Just like her last job.”
“She’d just learned her boss had lied about promoting her,” Nick replied. “She has very high standards about the truth.”
Leonie raised a brow. “Really? According to that Internet article, her standards seem to have slipped a bit.”
“Leonie!” Both men echoed their earlier protest.
She sniffed. “I’m simply interpreting the facts according to FoodNation.”
Jasper rubbed his chin, regarded Nick. “Any idea what that reference to deception was about?”
Leonie rolled her eyes. “She was probably referring to her own chicanery. Letting us think she was just ‘taking a break from restaurant work’ when the real reason she was here was that she’d been blacklisted all over the city and couldn’t get a job elsewhere.”
Jasper appeared to give her words some thought. “I don’t think so. She didn’t like that Internet story one bit, but she was determined to put a good face on it.”
Nick’s throat had gone dry at Jasper’s mention of the word deception. Was that how Reese interpreted his succession plan? Was that why she’d run off? He thought she was different from other women. But apparently not. With the exception of Leonie, eventually, all women, including Reese, abandoned him.
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