Illusions of Love

by Michelle Betham

  ‘I know what you did to her,’ Dominic said, his hands still deep inside his pockets, his eyes still staring straight ahead. ‘She told me.’

  Michael sat down next to him, saying nothing. What could he say?

  ‘It’s hard, y’know…’ Dominic continued, ‘… to keep a lid on it all, all these emotions that are flying round my head right now. It’s hard…’

  ‘I can understand…’

  He finally turned to face Michael. ‘No. No, I don’t think you can. You were supposed to love her.’

  ‘I did love her… I still do…’

  Dominic shook his head, his attention now focused on the traffic and the tourists, anything but this man next to him. ‘How could you do that to someone you love, huh?’ He looked at Michael again, right into blue eyes that were so like his own. But he would never be like this man. Never. He would never hurt anyone the way Michael had hurt India. ‘How could you do that?’

  Michael didn’t really know what to say. He’d been over this so many times, he was tired of explaining. But didn’t Dominic deserve some kind of explanation?

  ‘Actually, do you know what?’ Dominic said, pushing a hand through his hair as he stood up, looking at Michael. ‘I don’t want to know. It’s over. For India’s sake, this is over. Finished. She’s with me now, okay? And I’m going to love her like she deserves to be loved. I’m going to keep her safe; I’m going to make her happy.’

  Michael stood up too, facing Dominic. He was right. This was over. It was all over. He wasn’t going to fight it anymore. He was ready to finally let her go, even if handing her over to his son felt like the wrong thing to be doing. It was just something he was going to have to deal with.

  ‘Take care of her, okay?’ Michael’s voice was quiet, the air of defeat hanging heavy in the atmosphere, tears he hadn’t expected to cry welling up behind his eyes. ‘You… you just take care of her, do you hear? Because… because she deserves someone special. She deserves that.’

  ‘Yeah. She does,’ Dominic said, looking at Michael one last time, right into those piercing blue eyes. ‘She really does.’ And then he just walked away, leaving Michael with nothing but a feeling of confusion and painful emptiness. And there was nothing he could do to change that.

  ***

  Jimmy watched from his seat at a secluded table in the Patio restaurant as a busy lunchtime service got underway. He watched as Vince and Charley walked around the huge oval pool, hand-in-hand, and although he could still sense a slight air of tension hanging over them, they appeared to be back together, and that was all that mattered to Jimmy.

  He watched as India had lunch with Kenny Ross and Dominic MacDonald, laughing and smiling and looking every inch the beautiful, successful movie star that she was.

  He watched as Michael Walsh walked into the restaurant with his much younger girlfriend, TV presenter and actress Layla Boyd, looking like a couple who’d just embarked on some kind of new and exciting relationship. The famous director seemed the most relaxed he’d ever been, despite his recent heart attack, and who wouldn’t, with a woman as pretty as Layla by his side. Jimmy was almost disappointed she’d given up her short-lived glamour model career when she had because he could have made her a star – in his world. Just like he’d made Charley a star. And maybe Layla would have shown more appreciation for what he could have given her, shown him far more respect than Charley had ever shown him.

  He watched as Reece Brogan and Martha Turner joined their daughter at her table, Reece leaning over to kiss India, ruffling her hair and making her laugh before they sat down, picking up their menus, signalling to a passing waiter who seemed more than happy to deal with this table full of famous Hollywood faces. And why not? He was probably guaranteed one hell of a hefty tip this afternoon.

  Everyone was happy, or getting there, at least. Everyone seemed to be settled and smiling and getting on with their privileged and successful lives, and that was exactly what Jimmy had wanted.

  Sitting back in his chair, tipping his Stetson down over his eyes, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, quickly punching in a number. Things had worked out perfectly. He couldn’t have wished for anything more. Everyone was in one place, which is just what he’d needed. Everyone was in one place right now, and tonight they’d all be in one place for one last time. One last time…

  CHAPTER 39

  Vince looked around the club as it started to fill up with cast and crew – everyone from producers to casting agents, movie stars to make-up girls, all of them excited and ready to enjoy the wrap party for a movie the making of which hadn’t exactly been plain sailing.

  Epic @ The Amber Palace was – as its name rightly suggested – the biggest club within the hotel complex. It was a place that was both contemporary yet somehow cosy, despite its size, and it was a club that was fast becoming one of the ultra-fashionable places to be seen in Vegas. With its brown, cream and dark red colour scheme interspersed with elements of chrome and black, oversized sofas and mirrored walls, Vince had managed to mix modern with “old school” to create a place that attracted both the young and the not-so-young – people who just wanted a good time with a great mix of music that spanned the brand new to the classics, hip-hop to disco, rock to romantic ballads, depending on the mood. But he had the best DJ’s in the state of Nevada to call that one.

  Along with innovative lighting and a drinks menu that definitely stood out from the crowd, Epic also had the added benefit of an outdoor terrace and bar area. This space boasted low-level lighting that gave out a slightly more relaxed atmosphere, but there was still very much a party-feel to the place due to the multitude of concealed speakers hidden within the palm trees and exotic plants of all colours and varieties that meant the music spilled outside for those who wished to party out in the open air.

  Vince was very proud of this club. It was one of his favourite places to hang out, out of all the bars and clubs in all of his hotels. He just hoped tonight would be a great night, a night to mark the end of a rough time for all of them. A time to, maybe, kick-start some new beginnings. God knows they needed them.

  ‘Hey, kiddo. I didn’t see you there,’ Vince smiled as Charley walked over to him, looking elegantly fashionable in a beautiful knee-length turquoise dress that complimented both her tanned skin and her long dark hair that fell down her back in a cascade of curls. ‘Oh, boy, you look stunning. You look absolutely stunning!’

  Charley smiled too, wanting to reach out and take his hand but she held back, still a little nervous after everything that had happened, still wary of showing too much affection towards him in case he thought it just a touch too early.

  ‘What’s the matter?’ Vince asked, sensing something was up. ‘Everything okay?’

  She nodded, breathing an inward sigh of relief as he reached out and slipped his arm around her waist, pulling her against him.

  ‘You still worried about Jimmy?’

  She nodded, leaning into Vince. ‘Just because he’s been lying low for a while doesn’t mean to say he’s forgotten all about me.’ She took a couple of beats, trying to decide whether or not to tell Vince about the recent phone call she’d received from Jimmy Cash. Was tonight the right time? Was any time the right time?

  ‘Come on, something’s on your mind and I told you, didn’t I? I told you to talk to me, Charley. Don’t bottle it up, don’t hide things from me. I can’t help you if I don’t know what’s on your mind.’

  She sighed, pulling away from him slightly. ‘He called me.’

  ‘Who did? Jimmy? He called you? When?’

  ‘A couple of days ago.’

  ‘A couple of… And? What did he say to you? Come on, Charley. What did he say?’

  ‘He said something about it almost being over… that we should all take care…’ She trailed off, not knowing what else she could say.

  ‘Is that all? Charley? Look at me, honey. Is that all he said?’

  Charley nodded. ‘That’s all he said. What did he mean,
Vince?’

  Vince shrugged. ‘I have no idea. But, look, there’s not much we can do tonight, okay? Security are everywhere, nobody’s gonna get in here that shouldn’t be in here, I promise you that.’

  She couldn’t help smiling. ‘If your name’s not on the list you’re not getting in, is that it?’

  ‘Yeah. Something like that,’ Vince laughed, pulling her in for another hug, kissing the top of her head as his expression changed slightly. This wasn’t over yet, that seemed more than apparent but, like he’d told Charley, there wasn’t much they could do tonight, apart from alert security and ask them to be twice as vigilant. But the one thing he didn’t want was for Charley to see he was concerned. She needed to think he was on top of this. She needed to know he was capable of stopping it all. ‘Let’s just try and have a great night tonight, okay? We can worry about everything else in the morning.’ He pulled back slightly, kissing her quickly and giving her what he hoped was a confident smile. ‘We’ll sort this, Charley, I promise you. We’ll sort this out.’

  ‘Okay,’ she smiled, kissing him back, believing every word he said because she trusted him. She loved him. ‘Let’s just have a great night.’

  ***

  ‘Wow! Layla’s pregnant, huh?’ India sighed, sitting down on the stairs. They were just about to leave for the party when Layla had called her with the news, wanting her to hear it from her and Michael before they announced it publicly, once they were back home in L.A.

  Dominic sat down next to her. ‘Does it bother you?’

  ‘No!’ She didn’t miss a beat when answering that question. The only thing she felt was surprise, surprise that it didn’t bother her. ‘No. It doesn’t bother me. In fact, I’m relieved.’ She looked at Dominic, smiling as she reached out to take his hand. ‘I’m relieved because this means that, finally, he’s got someone else to focus on – another child, a new life… a whole new start...’

  He squeezed her hand, leaning in to kiss her mouth slowly. ‘A whole new start for all of us, India.’

  She looked at him, into those beautiful eyes that were still just a touch too much like his father’s, but she guessed that was something she was still having to get used to. ‘Everything’s so complicated though, Dominic… finding out Michael’s your dad, getting involved with me…’

  He reached out to gently stroke her warm cheek, leaning in for another slow, deep kiss. ‘A new start, India. And anyway, if everything was easy it would be boring, wouldn’t it?’

  She couldn’t help smiling, closing her eyes as he held her tight and suddenly she wished they didn’t have to go to this party. She didn’t really feel in the mood anymore. It was nothing to do with the news she’d just heard, she was fine with that. Michael making a new start with a new family – once upon a time that would have been news that would have floored her but now, well, it could only be a good thing in the long run. But right now, India just wanted to be alone with Dominic. And maybe that was a knock-on reaction to the news, but she wasn’t going to waste time analysing it. She needed to be alone with Dominic to try and work out just what it was they had together because, despite everything she felt for him, she still wasn’t all that sure. Her feelings were all over the place and she needed to work out why. Before things went too far.

  ‘Come on, beautiful, ‘ Dominic sighed, still holding her hand as he stood up, pulling her up with him. ‘We’d better get to this party.’

  ‘Do we have to?’ India groaned, trailing behind him like some petulant child.

  ‘Honey, we’re the stars of the show. We don’t show up, not really gonna be much of a party, is it?’

  ‘I hope you said that with your tongue very firmly in your cheek,’ India smiled, checking her reflection in the mirror one last time before Dominic opened the door, held out his hand for her to take again, and led her out into the Las Vegas night, and a party they’d never forget…

  ***

  Kenny leant back against the wall, swigging from a bottle of imported beer, killing time more than anything because he didn’t really intend to stay too long at this party. He wasn’t exactly in a party mood, and although it was the wrap party for his best friend’s film, he didn’t feel much like hanging around watching her acting like some love-sick puppy around Dominic MacDonald all night. No, he planned to stick around for a while, show his face, let India know he was here supporting her, then he was going to sneak away and check out some of his favourite Vegas haunts.

  Taking another long swig of beer he noticed India arrive, hand-in-hand with Dominic. She was all smiles, and she looked amazing in a simple yet stunning outfit of skinny black jeans, skyscraper-heeled ankle boots and a white sleeveless off-one-shoulder top, her blond hair piled up on top of her head in that messy-yet-styled look that was practically her trademark. She looked like a beautiful rock chick – his beautiful rock chick. Or that’s what she should’ve been, anyway. If he’d been strong enough to fight for her almost twenty years ago.

  He shook those thoughts from his head as he saw her run over to him, putting his beer down on the ledge behind him and opening his arms for her to run into, picking her up and swinging her round.

  ‘Hey, sexy! How’s the Queen of Rom Coms doing tonight then?’

  She straightened her top as he put her down, leaning over to kiss him quickly on the lips. ‘I’m doing fine. You heard about Michael and Layla?’

  ‘The baby? Yeah, Reece told me. Is that…’ He looked at India as she started fiddling with her leather wrist cuffs. ‘Is that, good news?’

  She looked at him, a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth. ‘Yeah. It’s good news. Come on, Kenny. If these past few weeks have taught me anything it’s taught me that the past really does have to be laid to rest now.’

  ‘All of it?’

  She looked at him again, leaning back against the wall beside him. ‘No. Not all of it. You know which bits I’m talking about.’

  ‘Yeah. I do.’ He looked over towards the bar where Dominic and Reece were talking. ‘So, is everything okay then? With Mr Movie Star over there?’

  She looked over to where he indicated, saying nothing for a few seconds as she watched Dominic. He truly was one of the most incredible-looking men she’d ever laid eyes on, but did she love him? She’d told him she did, but did she really love him? And did it actually matter, in the grand scheme of things? After all, look where love had got her in the past. Maybe she’d just gotten sucked in by everything that had happened here in Vegas over the past couple of months, let her feelings run away with her.

  ‘Everything’s fine,’ she replied, not entirely comfortable with the fact she was feeling a touch unsettled all of a sudden. Maybe she just needed a drink to relax her.

  ‘Just ‘fine’? You mean, you’re not hearing those violins or experiencing ridiculous stomach somersaults every time he looks at you?’ Kenny was aware he was being slightly flippant, but he hadn’t been able to stop himself. He could read India like a book, and he was just curious to see if he could gauge anything from her reactions tonight.

  ‘Maybe,’ she said quietly, still looking at Dominic as he threw his head back and laughed at something Reece said. Her handsome co-star. Her ex-husband’s son.

  Kenny took her succinct yet vague reply as a glimmer of hope that maybe all was not the moonlight and roses he’d thought it was in this Walsh/MacDonald relationship, and then mentally reprimanded himself for wishing yet more confusion on his best friend. ‘I just want you to be happy, India.’

  His voice shook her back to reality and she turned to look at him – the one man who’d been there for her through thick and thin, the one man who always would be there, no matter what. No matter what. ‘I know you do, Kenny.’

  ‘It’s all I’ve ever wanted for you.’

  She smiled, playing with the collar of his jacket. ‘You look good tonight, has anyone told you that?’

  And he did look good, but then, Kenny always looked good. He always had done, and, despite being the wrong side o
f forty-five now, he still looked incredibly sexy dressed in dark jeans, black T-shirt and scruffy jacket. His dark hair was growing longer, the beard was back, and India couldn’t help staring at him. He was one hell of a great-looking guy, Kenny Ross. One hell of a great-looking guy.

  ‘What’s the matter?’ Kenny asked, his eyes locking onto hers, a million wishes flying through his head, but he only really wanted one of them to come true.

  ‘Nothing’s the matter. I’m just looking, that’s all.’

  In what was an almost involuntary action, Kenny reached out and touched her cheek, stroking it with the back of his hand, looking into her eyes, until she brought the moment to an end by taking his hand and moving it away.

  ‘I’d better get back to Dominic.’

  ‘Why? What’s the rush?’

  She looked at her very best friend, trying to work out exactly what was going on here. ‘There is no rush, Kenny, I… I just want to get back to him, okay? I mean, we’re the two leads in this movie, aren’t we? Me and Dominic. We’re supposed to be mingling.’

  ‘Then go mingle,’ Kenny said, indicating the room with a sweep of his arm, taking a swig of beer as he did so.

  India frowned slightly. What had just happened there? Why had his mood suddenly changed? It was like he’d just flicked a switch or something. ‘I’ll see you later, Kenny.’ She didn’t really feel like sticking around to analyse his behaviour. She just wanted to get back to Dominic. So, winding her way through the growing mass of people, stopping briefly to say hello to more than a few of them, she walked back over to Dominic, sliding an arm around his waist as she leant up to kiss him quickly. ‘My dad gone, then?’

  ‘Gone to find Martha, yeah. Is Kenny alright?’

  India shrugged, sliding a hand round the back of Dominic’s neck, smiling as she pressed herself against him. ‘I don’t want to talk about Kenny. In fact, I don’t really want to talk about anything; I just want to enjoy myself tonight. If that’s okay with you?’