“Why the sudden change with the house? According to my contract with you, I must stay her fiancé for two more weeks.”
“What’ll it be?” Debbie came over with pen and pad of paper in hand.
Babette smiled up at Debbie and handed her the menu. “Apple fritters and a cup of coffee.”
And that was the exact moment I figured out Babette Gotti. The act she put on for everyone.
I shook my head at Debbie and handed her the menu before she walked off with Babette’s order.
“The coffee’s divine. You’re really missing out,” she said.
“You’ve been lying to us this whole time, haven’t you?”
Her gray eyes flickered up to meet mine, and I didn’t flinch. For that one second, her perfect act slipped, and she revealed the frightened, desperate woman she always hid. “I never lie. I don’t have to.”
“You always lie. That’s your life, one big lie.” I puffed out a laugh. “You can call it a bluff or redirecting or any number of pleasant-sounding words you want to spin together to make yourself feel better, but in the end, it’s still a lie. My father was a crook. I was raised by professional liars. I know how to spot one and I’m looking at one right now.”
Despite what I said, her steely mask went right back in place.
“And what lies have I been telling? That I’m not a Hollywood agent? Because last I checked, when I called any casting director in the movie industry, and that includes Bollywood, they answered my call.”
I waved off her statement. “Not about your career. But everything you built it on. Does Iona know how much you lie to her on a regular basis?”
She thought I was pulling this out of my ass. Little did she realize that being raised by parents who knew how to twist anything into their favor, a kid learned a thing or two or twenty.
I should have realized it the day I met her. When I was about to walk off and she hooked me with the deal to get my house back. Only someone accustomed to using people to get what they wanted did things like that—the ol’ bait and switch, switching things last minute to catch the sucker’s eye. And to her, I was that sucker.
She could say it was all for Iona, but the truth was, it was for her.
“Most people in this world are too blind to their own happiness, Dr. Ferguson. It’s usually right in front of them and they can’t see it. That’s where I come in. I make sure the movies you watch, the shows you binge on, come together in a way that gives people a chance to escape their unhappiness if only for a few hours. I don’t just represent actors and actresses; I whisper in director’s ears and meet with writers to polish their scripts. Life is hard for everyone, big or small, wealthy or poor. But there is one thing we all enjoy—entertainment. It’s the one thing that can make us smile on our worst days. I have a hand in that. And, if I have to twist things a bit to bring happiness into their lives, then so be it. But I am not a crook.”
Her little speech was emotional and smart. Like the industry she worked for, it kept me entertained. But I wasn’t as innocent as she thought I was. Speeches like that were a dime a dozen with my father. He actually believed the crap that came out of his mouth and I was sure Babette believed it, too.
“You knew I was buying that house, didn’t you? Before you or Iona ever came to town a month and a half ago. Was Iona in on it the whole time?”
Now came the anger. I knew the steps of a liar. The first step was defense and the next anger.
But Babette surprised me. There wasn’t an ounce of bitterness in her gaze. She deflated and leaned back. “No, she wasn’t. She has no idea. Well, I think she’s starting to figure it out. Anyway, I know a lot of things. Things I sometimes wish I didn’t know. But you have to understand, I only did this to help Iona.”
She called her by her real name. Was she for real or was this another deception to distract me from the truth?
“The only thing that can help Iona or anyone is the truth. I learned that long ago with my family. They spun so many lies that they buried themselves in deception. It ate away at them, caused them to do terrible things to my brother and me and to themselves. Don’t live like them, Ms. Gotti.” I reached my hand across the table and she took it. “You deserve better.”
If Iona trusted her, then I wanted to make sure Babette did right by her. I could never get through to my mom or dad, but maybe I could get through to her.
She nodded and we sat in silence. Debbie interrupted our moment with Babette’s order.
“You okay, honey?” She placed her hand on Babette’s shoulder and gazed at her with the loving concern she showed all her customers.
“No, I’m really not.” Babette let out a hard laugh, almost like a cough. “It’s Magic Mike.”
“What?” I asked in confusion.
“Nothing.” She shook her head. “I thought I had the power to control it all, and I’m starting to realize that I don’t.”
“No one does. Look at dogs. They live in the moment. Everything is a surprise to them. That’s how life should be. Enjoy each moment as it comes knowing that if the moment is bad, there will be a good moment soon enough.” Debbie dished out her sage wisdom that could only come from running a diner for a few decades.
“You’re right. It’s time to come clean.” Babette took a deep breath before she said, “I never bought the house. That was a lie.”
My eyes widened. I had hoped she never bought it, but I never believed it was true.
“So, the realtor and the previous owner, they didn’t swindle me?”
“Now, I didn’t say that. I saw how much you paid for that house. I could have gotten it for at least twenty thousand less. But, no, they didn’t cheat you and run off with your money.”
“Have you told the sheriff? Because I think he’s got a case open.” He never told me straight out, but he had mentioned his hunch and asked Austen about my property, so he must have put something together.
She bit her lip and if I wasn’t mistaken, a hint of pink covered her cheeks. “It’s not what you think. That your furniture disappeared, or the realtor and previous owner disappeared, I had nothing to do with that. I will always own up to my mistakes and as much as I’ve pushed this, I would never go that far. I still believe what I did was for the best.”
Some people would never learn. At least she told me the truth. I wish she’d realize that lying was never good for anyone.
“But why did you do that? Make Iona come back here and live in a home that she had no right to? Lie to her and say you owned it, when you didn’t.”
Babette smiled and glanced up at Debbie. “He doesn’t understand . . .”
“The one thing I’ve learned in my years, that most men are blind to what’s truly important in life. Tyler, I love you like you were my own son, but you’re a fool.”
My eyes widened. “I’m the fool? But she’s the one who lied.”
“I wasn’t lying when I said I did it for Iona. I love that girl as if she was my daughter, much like Debbie loves you like a son.”
I waved my hands in the air as I gave up trying to understand their logic. “Still not answering my question.”
“Hello Kitty,” Babette said, and Debbie hummed, nodding her head in understanding.
Were they communicating telepathically? What was going on?
“Okay . . .” I said as I gave up.
“Have you never watched I.D.’s vlogs before. The ones from ten years ago.”
“Of course, I have. I was her very first subscriber.”
“Then you remember her Hello Kitty obsession. Every episode featured some Hello Kitty product.”
I smiled a little at the memory. There was a reason I kept that Hello Kitty key chain. She gave it to me the night we lost our virginity together. I remember lying in the grass after, looking up at the stars and she suddenly sat up in worry. She was afraid she’d lost her keys while we were fooling around and taking off our clothes. Iona rummaged in her purse, but it wasn’t there. Luckily, we found them, and she to
ld me to hold on to them because I was good at keeping things safe.
When I tried to give back the key chain, she told me to keep it as she was moving soon. I was so hurt that she was still moving out West despite what we shared that I never spoke to her again.
“Yeah, I remember.”
“Then she stopped using Hello Kitty. I thought the company had reached out to her and told her that she couldn’t use the products in her videos, but that wasn’t the case.”
“Still not following what Hello Kitty has to do with anything.”
Babette leaned forward and took my hand in hers. “You were the reason. She mentioned it once when I asked her about the product placement. She mentioned she’d use anything but Hello Kitty. That it reminded her of someone and hurt too much to think about.”
“But that was her thing . . . wait.” I slapped my forehead when I realized what an idiot I was. “Her sixteenth birthday I gave her that Hello Kitty key chain for when she got to drive a car. Not that her mom owned a car, but I knew one day Iona would have one. I had forgotten I gave her the key chain.”
“That’s why I looked you up. I’ve been in Iona’s life for eight years and in that time, she’s grown but when her mother passed last year, it changed her. Did you know she was unconscious for a day after the accident?”
“No.”
The reports said she was in the hospital for a few days but there weren’t any details. I even thought about flying out West. Despite everything, I wanted to make sure she was okay.
“When she first woke up, I was there. She didn’t ask for her mom. Which in a way I was relieved because I was the one who had to tell her that her mom never made it.”
“I was so sorry to hear about the accident. Her mom was a good woman, and it hurt to hear she had died in such a brutal way,” Debbie said.
“Her mother wasn’t killed by the accident. She was dying of alcohol poisoning. Iona was racing her to the hospital when the tire blew, and she skidded off the road and into a pole.”
“What? But the papers said—” I said before Babette interrupted me.
“The gossip hounds and reporters will say anything to get money. I was there in the hospital when the doctor told Iona the cause of her mother’s death.”
“Everyone thinks she killed her mom in that car.” I felt sick to my stomach that she’s had to deal with those twisted tales all while grieving for the woman who raised her.
“She asked for you,” Babette said as she squeezed my hand.
“What?”
“When she woke, she didn’t ask for her mom. She asked for you. I think she was still a little out of it. So, when . . ."
My eyes widened at Babette’s confession. The last person I suspected would mention love was her.
“So, you arranged all this. The house. The engagement. All of that just so we would fall in love?”
“In a way, yes. She was alone and losing her mother almost broke her. I wanted her to have someone in her life who truly cared for her. Someone who knew the real her. The people in Hollywood would never really know Iona.”
I narrowed my eyes. “You thought that would work?”
“It did.”
I glanced up at Debbie, who nodded, daring me to question Babette’s methods.
“The woman doesn’t believe in love. Your theory was only partly true. I am in love with Iona and told her several weeks ago, but she doesn’t feel the same.” I sighed and glanced toward the window. It was hard to watch the people go by the diner with smiles on their faces. They knew love, but perhaps it was never to be for me.
Iona was the only one I wanted but if she hadn’t fallen for me by now, I didn’t think she ever would.
“Perhaps being unconscious from the accident did something to her. Permanently changed her,” I said and looked at Babette.
I hoped she’d disagree and tell me it was never too late to get Iona to love again, but what I saw in her eyes confirmed my beliefs—it was too late. When Iona crashed the car, it killed her heart.
TWENTY-SIX
Iona
“I’m so tired,” I said with a yawn.
It was only ten o’clock in the morning, yet if my head hit a pillow, I’d be out cold within seconds.
Sitting on my living room couch, I tried my best to keep my eyes open as Cara went over our agenda for the day.
Did I get a full night’s rest last night? Yes. Did I get up super early this morning? No. The reason for my tiredness was the same reason I was avoiding Tyler—I was pregnant.
“Should I reschedule the interview with Gloss Magazine? And you’re to meet with the sheriff later this afternoon. Something about the parade,” Cara said in an irritatingly chipper voice.
I never realized just how grating the sound of happiness was until I became pregnant. Hearing people laugh only made me want to punch them. And don’t get me started on upbeat music. If I heard that, I’d throw up. Literally, upchuck.
“Are we telling the magazine yet about the you-know-who in the you-know-where?” Cara lowered her voice and pointed to my stomach.
I told her I was pregnant when I arrived home from the doctor’s five days ago. I wanted to make sure she wouldn’t schedule me for anything come summer.
That’s if this baby made it that long. My hands began to shake. When I thought about the due date, every fear I had about this pregnancy overwhelmed me. All the things that could go wrong turned my dreams into nightmares.
I woke up every morning in tears.
“No. Only you and Babette know about the bun in the oven.”
Cara’s head went back. “You haven’t said anything to Tyler? But he’s the father. Oh, wait . . . is he the father?” she whispered that last part.
I was thankful, Jake was outside waiting for the people from Gloss Magazine. I didn’t want Jake to find out before Tyler. Tyler should be told, I knew that, but every time I started to tell him I’d picture waking up alone with Tyler once again, gone from my life.
“Of course, he is but I want to do it right. You know, maybe film it or something. Like those cute little reaction videos they have online. Something like that.”
No, I didn’t. Tyler would hate for me if I used our baby for attention, but I had to come up with a reason so I didn’t have to tell Cara the truth. And that truth was that I was afraid I’d never see Tyler again if I told him.
By this time next week, I won’t be here anymore. I had a plan. I’d fly Tyler out West once or twice a month, and I’d come visit here the other weekends. We’d see each other every week. Once I started to show, I’d tell him I had to be on location and couldn’t see him for a while. And, maybe once the baby was born, I could bring the subject up with him. Ease him into it. If he wanted to be a part of the baby’s life, that would be great, but if not, then I could still see him and take care of my baby.
It wasn’t a perfect plan. Perhaps, it wasn’t even a decent plan. Okay, I’d admit it was a terrible plan, but I needed time to think about it.
How do people come to terms with having a baby when it happens so quickly? I mean, one second, I was walking around carrying unfertilized eggs and the next minute, bam, a sneaky sperm swam its way up my cervix and dove into my egg like it was invited to the party. Technically, it was, but I was hoping it would stay out of the VIP section.
“That sounds like a great idea. It will really win people over. That’s why I set up this interview. More for him than for you.”
All thoughts of my baby dissolved from my brain. Why would Tyler need to win people over?
“What?”
Cara chewed on her bottom lip. “Promise you won’t be mad . . . ?”
“How could I ever be mad at you, Cara? You’re the sweetest person on the planet.” I waved her over to the couch.
She hesitated, taking a step and pausing before finally settling next to me. “Let me preface this by letting you know that I was hurt by what you said about me, and that’s why I did it.”
My mind raced trying
to think of what I might have said to hurt her. Maybe this had to do with me assuming I would do the web series she came up with.
“I’m sorry I thought you meant me for the series. I honestly believed—”
“No.” She held up her hand. “It wasn’t about the series, though that sort of rubbed salt into the wound. This had to do with you wanting to fire me.”
“Fire you!” I said that louder than I should. “I never said that I wanted to fire you. Whatever gave you that idea?”
Cara tilted her head and her brow creased. “It was in the Hollywood Rag.” She grabbed her phone and turned it on. After a few swipes and taps, she held up the screen.
I.D. Needs Help. Assistant Tossed to The Curb.
I took the phone from her and tapped on the article. The post was filled with lies about my life and how I treated Cara. There was a picture of me grabbing her and she looked like she was flinching in pain or fear.
“I remember that picture. That’s when we were on the Hell Fire set. That paparazzi took a picture and you chased after him. Was this the article that started the whole thing about me being abusive?”
“No, but it’s from the same journalist. If you can call him that . . .” She rolled her eyes.
“What else has this guy written about me?” I clicked the link to his name and article after article—in every celebrity gossip website you could think of—popped up. Most were about me.
“It’s like this guy’s obsessed with me.” I tried to find his picture, but there weren’t any.
I knew the gossip writers would resort to hearsay, but they never targeted just one famous person. They would find out what they could about anyone. But this guy only dug up dirt on me or anyone I associated with. It was like he had it out for me.
“None of what’s written in these things are true. Why didn’t you ask me about it?”
“I wanted to but then the movie shut down and you came out here. When I got the phone call from the mayor, it solidified in my head that you wanted nothing to do with me.”
Lost and Found (books 1-3): Small-Town Romantic Comedy Page 40
