When the two assistants left them, Drew looked down at Lisa, then gently traced one of her curls with his finger.
“I’m sorry I took my bad mood out on you earlier. It’s ridiculous of me to be playing the jealous husband at this stage.” He gave her a half smile. “Will you forgive me?”
“There’s nothing to forgive, Drew. We’re both under a great deal of tension. We just show it in different ways.”
“I know. You flirt with other men—oops, sorry. I was just trying to make a joke. I’m afraid my sense of humor has gone on strike lately.” He glanced around at all the activity around them. “At least let’s try to hang on to the friendship we’ve shared these past five years, okay?” Drew squeezed her hand and it felt to Lisa as though his words had caused an unseen hand to squeeze her heart as well.
“I’d like that very much,” she replied softly.
“Okay, places everybody. Let’s get it right this time, all right, people?” Tom’s voice sounded strained.
He’s probably wondering if the whole picture is going to be this difficult, Lisa thought with a slight smile. Not if she could help it.
The second shot went much smoother. Drew was more relaxed and flirtatious, and Lisa responded to his lighter mood.
Hours later Drew and Lisa were walking toward their rooms to change for dinner when Drew said, “If you aren’t too tired tonight I was wondering if we could rehearse the scene where Conchita slips out to meet Reynaldo in the orchard. There’s a full moon tonight. We could block out the scene and go over our lines at the same time.”
Lisa knew very well what scene he referred to. It was the first time Reynaldo kissed Conchita. She wondered how much rehearsing he had in mind. She knew she wouldn’t be able to handle her reaction to him on a moonlit night in the privacy of the orchard!
She reluctantly shook her head. “Not tonight, Drew. I’m really beat. Perhaps we could go over that scene in the morning. At least we could run over the lines and skip the action.”
“The only action in the scene is the kiss,” he pointed out.
“Oh.” She could feel the heat in her cheeks.
He shrugged. “It was just an idea.” He stopped at her door. “Are you coming to dinner?”
She nodded. There would be no more dinner for two in her room. She couldn’t handle that.
“I’ll see you later, then.” With a nonchalant wave Drew went into the room next to hers.
With a sigh, Lisa let herself into her room. Being friends wasn’t going to be as easy as it had first sounded. There were unsuspected pitfalls she would have to constantly be on guard against. But she knew she much preferred a friendly Drew to the cold stranger she’d seen for the first time earlier in the day.
Lisa was awakened the next morning by the gentle patter of rain tapping against the windowpanes. Glancing sleepily at her clock, she discovered she had another hour before her alarm would go off and she turned over, pulling the covers more closely around her shoulders.
Rain. Drew had always enjoyed the rain. She remembered one time…
“Let’s go for a walk on the beach,” Drew suggested one afternoon soon after they’d arrived home from the studio.
Lisa was changing her clothes and she paused, surprised at the suggestion. “In the rain?”
“Of course. Haven’t you ever gone walking in the rain?”
“No. I thought Gene Kelly was the only one who did that sort of thing.”
“Try it. You might like it.”
He leaned against the doorjamb, his endearing grin making him look like a small boy asking if he could go outside to play.
Lisa found a scruffy pair of jeans and a sweatshirt in one of her drawers. “All right. I just hope you’ll be kind and solicitous to me when I catch cold,” she warned him.
“It will never happen.” He walked over and pulled out two hooded windbreakers. “These have been waterproofed.”
Lisa didn’t have the heart to point out that the windbreakers would not keep their legs and feet dry, but she no longer cared. She was content to follow Drew’s lead and accept any consequences that might occur.
Once they got outside Lisa realized the rain wasn’t heavy, nothing like the Midwest downpours that pounded against every surface. This was a gentle, soothing patter against the hood of her jacket, whispering secrets that couldn’t quite be understood.
Drew was right. The world appeared different in the rain. A slight mist rolled off the quiet ocean waves as though they were steaming. “Well? What do you think?” Drew asked her after a while.
“You’re right. This is nice.”
“Stick with me, kid, and I’ll show you all the wonders of the world.”
When they returned home they took the chill off by hopping into the hot tub. The steamy water felt good on her chilled limbs, and with a luxurious sigh, Lisa relaxed.
“Don’t go to sleep,” Drew admonished. He tugged at her hand until she floated over to him. Then he positioned her on his lap until she was facing him, her thighs tucked around his hips. The intimate position would certainly keep her from falling asleep. Being that close to Drew, she quickly discovered that the hot water had no effect on his aroused condition.
“Drew?” she murmured as he slowly lifted her so that her breasts were at his mouth level.
“Hmm?” Clearly he was not concentrating on the conversation. When he lowered her back to his lap, he was inside her and Lisa moaned….
Suddenly she sat up in bed. How in the world was she going to ever get over the man if she kept thinking about him all the time? Her thoughts seemed to be more undisciplined just as she drifted off to sleep at night and when she first awoke each morning. She felt as though thoughts of Drew hovered just on the edge of her consciousness during the day when she kept busy, but when she became quiet they flowed over her, filling her mind with images of happy times, loving times.
Lisa threw the covers off of her and strode to the bathroom. She hoped that Tom had a busy schedule planned for them that day.
“The rain wasn’t planned in my production schedule today,” Tom announced over breakfast. However, there are a couple of indoor scenes that we could work on instead. I’d like to do the one where Conchita and her sister are discussing Conchita’s love for Reynaldo, and her sister is trying to convince her that marriage with Roberto is imperative.” He looked around. “Lisa, you and Pamela go directly to wardrobe after breakfast. We’ll try to get that scene finished by noon. Maybe the rain will let up by then.”
But it was midafternoon before the filming was completed, and the rain seemed to have worsened, if anything. Lisa returned to her room to change clothes. Drew had not had lunch with the cast, and she caught herself wondering where he was. Shaking her head with disgust, Lisa found one of her more colorful sundresses and decided to go to the lounge and have a drink. Perhaps that would relax her.
The first person she saw when she walked into the lounge was Drew. He wasn’t alone. The woman sitting close beside him was slender, beautiful and had a flaming head of hair that seemed to brighten the room with its color.
Nobody has hair that color, Lisa decided waspishly. She started over to a small table by the picture window overlooking the pool.
“Lisa! Come join us.” Drew motioned to their table.
Is that the type of person he wants to be the mother of his children? Lisa wondered with asperity. With reluctant steps, Lisa approached the table.
Drew stood up and pulled out a chair across from him. “Sit down, Lisa. How did it go today?”
Lisa glanced at the other woman, who gave her a friendly smile. “It was tedious, but we got through it.” She looked from Drew to his companion, waiting for an introduction.
“Lisa, this is Belinda Montgomery. She’s here on vacation from Houston.”
Lisa nodded. “Hello.”
Belinda glanced at Drew with what to Lisa was an unforgivably intimate smile. “Drew and I were just talking about you, Ms. Renee.” She gave Lisa a practiced smi
le that caused Lisa to wonder how much dear Belinda’s father had paid the orthodontist to produce such a masterpiece. “I’ve seen all your pictures and think you’re just wonderful.”
Belinda’s air of appreciative awe suddenly made Lisa feel she’d aged forty years and was being honored for her multitude of years in the movie industry.
“Thank you,” was all Lisa would allow herself to say.
“Would you like a glass of ginger ale?” Drew asked Lisa.
“Yes, please.”
Drew gave their order to the hovering waiter, and Lisa noted that the other two were drinking an exotic rum drink. She wondered when Drew had decided to switch from ginger ale!
“How long have you been here, Belinda?” Lisa asked in her most polite voice.
“I just arrived last night.”
“Alone?” Of course it wasn’t any of her business.
“Oh, no! I’d never have the courage to travel in Mexico alone!” Belinda exclaimed.
Good! Lisa thought.
“My mother and father brought me down with them.” She leaned forward slightly in a confidential manner, causing the loose folds of her blouse to gape, no doubt leaving a very scenic view for Drew. “You see, my divorce just became final and my folks didn’t want me sitting at home moping, so they decided to bring me down here hoping I might meet some interesting people.” She glanced at Drew through lowered lashes. “We had no idea they were making a movie down here. I was never so surprised in my life to see Drew Donovan walk through the lobby today!”
Belinda’s ingenuous explanation set Lisa’s teeth on edge. Good old Drew—the answer to every sad divorcée’s prayer! What did you expect, Lisa, you ninny? Do you think he’s going to allow you to vet all his girlfriends? He thinks you don’t want him, so it shouldn’t really matter to you who he sees!
With fresh determination, Lisa said, “You really must get Drew to show you some of the sights around the hacienda. This is really a beautiful place, and I know you’ll enjoy it.” There. That was gracious enough, wasn’t it?
She wished she knew why Drew appeared to be so amused. He was enjoying this scene—darned if he wasn’t. I refuse to allow him to get the best of me.
With an innocent smile, Lisa added, “You really should get him to show you the hacienda hot tub. I know you’ll enjoy that too.”
Drew picked up his fresh drink and gave her a small salute with it. “Touché.”
“Oh, do they have a hot tub here?” Belinda asked with anticipation.
Drew touched the end of her nose with the tip of his finger. “We can always find out, can’t we?”
Belinda looked a little confused. “But I thought she said—”
Drew interrupted her. “Did Tom indicate what our schedule is for tomorrow?”
“No. He said he’d announce it at dinner.”
“I’ll have to run him down then to find out. I’m taking Belinda to dinner tonight.”
“Oh, how thoughtful of you. I’m sure she appreciates your kindness.”
Belinda beamed. “Oh, he’s just been marvelous. I still can’t believe my luck.”
“Neither can I,” Lisa muttered into her drink.
Belinda looked totally bewildered when Drew burst out laughing.
Eight
“Adele, I’ve been trying to reach you for days,” Lisa said agitatedly into the phone. “I’ve never known you to disappear like that before.”
Adele’s voice sounded hollow, as though she were talking down a long tube. “I just needed to get away for a while, Lisa, that’s all. I didn’t have any irons in the fire, so decided I deserved a rest.”
Lisa sank down on the side of the bed. “Speaking of irons, you must have done fairly well for yourself on this film, didn’t you?”
A note of wariness crept into Adele’s voice. “What’s that supposed to mean? You know exactly what my commission was on your contract. There aren’t any surprises in there.”
“Oh, I’m not talking about me, Adele. I’m just admiring how you got Lauraine Snelling’s screenplay sold—by promising that Drew and I would do the film.”
The hollow sound of silence echoed over the line between Cuernavaca, Mexico, and Burbank, California.
“How did you learn I represent Lauraine?” Adele finally asked.
“Tom was obliging enough to explain the arrangement.”
“Good ol’ Tom,” Adele said with a sigh.
“Yes, good ol’ Tom. What would we do without him?” Lisa asked in a saccharine tone.
“You’re probably waiting for an explanation,” Adele began tentatively.
“Oh, I don’t think so. I believe the setup’s rather self-explanatory. You probably made enough on this deal to retire, Adele.”
“That isn’t the reason I did it.”
“Whatever you say.”
“I thought you and Drew needed some time together so maybe you could work out your problems.”
“How considerate of you to think of us, Adele. I’m touched, I really am. And if throwing us together caused us both unnecessary pain and suffering, well, it just helps to build character, right?”
“You both had the option to refuse. Nobody stood with a gun to your head and forced you to sign the contract.”
“No, but you used my feelings for Drew. You knew I’d want to help him out if he were in trouble.”
“Yes.”
“But he wasn’t in any financial trouble, was he, Adele?”
“None that I know of.”
“And what did Morey tell Drew to get him to sign?”
“Why don’t you ask Drew?”
“Because I want you to tell me.”
“I’m not really sure what he said to him.”
Lisa could hear the note of regret in Adele’s voice, and she hardened herself against forgiving her. What she had done was inexcusable. She had lied. Regardless of her motives, she had lied, and as a result of her lies Lisa had to suffer through the following weeks, see Drew every day, film a torrid romance with him, and all because some meddling busybody had decided she knew what was best for the two of them.
“Adele, when I get back to the States, you and I are going to have to sit down together and have a serious talk. I have enjoyed having you as my agent. You’ve helped my career, you’ve helped me personally, and I can’t forget that. But no one has the right to play God in another person’s life. No one.”
“I’m sorry you feel that’s what I’ve done, Lisa. I’ve seen you suffering for the past year. I’ve seen your love for Drew eating at you and I had hoped that spending some time together would help the two of you to sort through the past and find a workable future together.”
“Not to mention that you helped out another client at the same time.”
“That’s true. I had seen some of Lauraine’s work. I asked her if she thought she could write something for the two of you, and that’s what she came up with. I thought she did an excellent job.”
“So do I,” Lisa admitted. “She’s got quite a career ahead of her.”
“If you and Drew hadn’t taken the parts, I think eventually the movie would have been made anyway. But since it was written especially with the two of you in mind, I hoped you would do it.” Adele paused. “Lisa, I want you to know that the money had no consideration in what I did. You are more important to me than the commission I made from representing you or Lauraine. I apologize if I hurt you. That was the last thing I wanted to do.”
“It isn’t so much me, Adele. You’ve hurt Drew, and he, of all people, is the innocent one in all this.”
“Do you mean you consider yourself guilty of something?” Adele asked in amazement.
“Not in any way I can control, but if you’d only told me what you were doing, I would have explained why it won’t work. As it is, Drew has agreed to the divorce, so all your plotting and planning came to nothing.”
“You don’t intend to even try to work things out with him?” It must have been the long distance line, but Li
sa thought she could hear pain in Adele’s voice.
“I can’t, Adele. Please take my word for it that it’s better this way—better for both of us.”
“I don’t have any choice, do I? How are you going to be able to work with him during the next few weeks?”
“With the greatest difficulty, I assure you. But don’t worry, Adele—every time I am faced with it, I’ll think of you and your pathetic story about how much Drew needed to make this movie. I’m sure that will make me feel better.” She placed the phone back into the cradle very quietly.
Why didn’t she feel better now that she’d given Adele the tongue-lashing the interfering woman deserved? Because she knew she’d hurt her and she had accomplished nothing else. The contract still stood, the film was in progress and she still had to face Drew day after day, pretending indifference. And she recognized that Adele had sincerely wanted to help.
Lisa crawled into bed and lay silently staring at the ceiling. Never had she felt quite so alone.
“All right, everybody. This is the scene where Conchita has slipped away to meet Reynaldo in the apple orchard. She’s never been so bold before, but she wants him to know that she loves him.” Tom stood in the middle of a loose circle of people. “I want the small camera to follow her through the archway and down along the path to the trees.”
He motioned to Lisa. “Are you ready?”
Lisa nodded. She hadn’t seen Drew since that afternoon she’d seen him with Belinda. Tom said he’d asked for a few days off and luckily they had been able to film around him, but now most of the scenes would be between the two of them. Lisa wondered where he had been, and if he had been with Belinda, but knew she had no right to ask.
She glanced over at Drew. She would never get tired of looking at the man. The black suede pants he wore emphasized the strong, muscular build of his legs and the black riding boots carefully molded his calves. His midnight-black silk shirt was half unbuttoned, the sleeves blousing to a tight cuff. A gold medallion hung around his neck. The evening sun picked up glinting highlights from his tawny hair, and Lisa knew that every one of his fans would see him and wish they were the one in his arms.
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