She ran a brush through her long, dark curls and applied pillar-box red lipstick to her full mouth as a sudden wave of guilt washed over her. She stared at her reflection in the mirror. The only regret she sometimes felt was that Terry had got caught up in all of this. At the time she’d been so consumed with the need to fulfil her dream that she’d been willing to step over anyone to achieve that. It was just bad luck that that person had been Terry. She’d tried contacting him but he was refusing to speak to her, and it had obviously damaged her relationship with India, although India was nothing but polite and friendly whenever they bumped into each other, which was rarely these days. They just didn’t hang out with the same crowd.
She looked around her cluttered dressing table for her perfume and thought about Terry again. She wasn’t sure she’d ever really felt that much for him when she thought about it, which, in reality, wasn’t all that often. So she tried not to let it get to her too much, concentrating instead on how far she’d come.
Brad Mason was the man who’d given Charley her big break in L.A. After that initial meeting at the ‘Rock Stars & Demons’ premiere he’d kept in touch with her while she’d tied up loose ends in the U.K., but when she’d finally arrived in the U.S.A. he’d wasted no time in making sure she got to work. But even Charley had to admit to feeling a certain amount of shock when she’d realised that Brad wasn’t exactly the next Steven Spielberg but rather the boss and owner of one of America’s biggest porn companies. She’d been a touch naive, she realised that now, but when she’d heard about the amount of money she could make, and spoken to some of the girls who already worked with Brad, she’d decided it could do no harm to see what happened.
Brad had started her off with what she was used to in the beginning – glamour modelling. He’d eased her in gently, starting off with semi-nude and topless pictures until she’d been comfortable enough to go naked. He’d told her the more she took off the more dollars she earned and that had gone a long way in persuading Charley that this was the way forward.
Eventually, she’d found herself loving being in front of the camera. She craved attention and she got it in spades from Brad and every photographer she worked with. Before long she was a force to be reckoned with in the world of soft porn modelling and she adored the notoriety that came with that. Men loved her, recognised her and wanted to be with her and even if it was for all the wrong reasons it didn’t bother her. It was enough just to be in demand.
She’d reached the top of her game within a year, which was when Brad had decided to move Charley into movies. The porn industry was one she’d never dreamed of ever going anywhere near but within months she’d become the star of the show, one of Brad’s hardest working actresses and highest earners. To Charley it was easy money. But did she really have everything she wanted?
She looked in the mirror again, studying her face. It was a face that was incredibly beautiful in a dark, exotic kind of way, a face that people knew now, and wasn’t that what she’d always wanted? Yes, of course it was. But one thing was still missing. Or rather, someone. Kenny Ross. She still wanted Kenny Ross, and all she had to do was make Kenny Ross want her. And how hard could that possibly be?
***
“Doesn’t it make you feel uncomfortable?” Kenny asked as they parked up near the beach house where the party was being held. Already they could hear the music and see the light from the fires lit outside casting a beautiful glow across the sand.
“Doesn’t what make me feel uncomfortable?”
Kenny stopped the jeep and looked at her. “Those scenes with Michael Walsh, kissing him and stuff. He’s old enough to be your dad.”
India jumped out of the jeep. “Only just, Kenny, and no, it doesn’t make me feel uncomfortable. It’s my job.” She smiled at him. “Are you jealous?”
He laughed as he shut the jeep door. “No.”
She slipped her arms around his waist, quickly kissing him. “Come on. I need a drink.”
The small beach house was just like the one India had lived in when she’d first arrived in California. How far she’d come in just a couple of years. Tonight it was full of surfers and bikers, people she and Kenny loved to mix with, people who never treat them as anything other than friends. They were a crowd that was both relaxed and laid back but they could also be wild and crazy; it just depended on the mood of the evening. Tonight seemed mellow and cool, and India was glad of that. She’d had a busier than expected day on set and she really just wanted to chill out.
She grabbed a beer and left Kenny talking to some of the surfer guys while she took a look outside. A few people were hanging out by the fire where a barbecue was being fired up and she exchanged a few hellos before leaving the crowd behind, walking down to the oceans edge, suddenly craving just a little bit of time out.
She was finding it hard to stop worrying about Terry. She knew he was having a hard time of things, she wasn’t stupid. He wasn’t telling her everything and she realised that was only because he didn’t want her to worry about him, but didn’t he realise she could get English sports news out here? She knew he’d been dropped from the first team, and she knew his fitness wasn’t what it should be. Maybe he needed a break, a bit of a holiday. She’d give him a call in the morning; see if he wanted to come out for a visit. It might do him some good, as long as he didn’t bump into Charley. He could do without that. She wished her brother was here so much sometimes. She missed having that shoulder to lean on, that safety net that a big brother could often bring, and she wanted to be there for him when he needed her most instead of thousands of miles away.
Closing her eyes, she let the warm night breeze brush against her face. She’d sort something out. Terry deserved some good things happening in his life and she’d try and make sure he got them. It was the least she could do.
“Are you avoiding me?”
The sound of Kenny’s voice made her smile, his arms falling around her waist as he came up behind her. She leaned back against him.
“No. Why would I want to do that?”
“A bit of time out, huh?”
She turned round and looked at him. “You won’t ever leave my life, will you, Kenny?”
She suddenly seemed quite vulnerable and he just wanted to protect her, wrap his arms around her and keep her safe. She’d had a lot of change in such a short time and he’d never really seen how much it had affected her until now.
Stroking strands of blonde hair from her face he kissed her gently, the familiar warmth of her body against his making his heart beat faster.
“You’ll have to do a hell of a lot to get rid of me,” he smiled.
“Because I need you, Kenny. I really need you.”
“And you’ve got me, baby. I promise you that.”
He pulled her close again, feeling her fingers stroking the back of his neck as they kissed. Then she pulled away from him and gave him that beautiful, almost child-like smile of hers, taking his hand as she proceeded to drag him back up the beach.
“Come on. There’s a party happening back there and I really need to cut loose for a bit.”
He smiled at his best friend, his lover, his partner in every way. Why couldn’t he tell her there was another side to Kenny Ross? Why couldn’t he let her in, show her how much she really meant to him? Sometimes he hated himself for being so weak but he was scared of opening up. He was scared of losing her. But one day he’d have to reveal the true him because he’d fallen in love with this angel from England, and no way was he losing her now so he’d tell her. He’d tell her soon.
Returning to the party, which now seemed to have totally spilt out onto the beach, the sound of rock music filled the night air and the mood seemed to have changed from the laid back feeling of a few minutes ago to that of the wild and crazy. People were dancing, the drinks were flowing and India found herself suddenly needing this atmosphere. She wanted to break free and let herself go for one night.
Kenny sat down on the sand, pulling his knees up to h
is chest as he watched her talking to their friends, laughing and dancing. Wearing just denim cut-off shorts, biker boots and a white t-shirt, very little make-up and her long blonde hair pulled loosely back, she looked comfortable but amazing. Sometimes he had no idea what they were doing or where they were heading and if he let himself think about the future it scared him. Before she’d walked into his life he’d always thought he’d had it all planned out but now - now he wasn’t so sure anymore.
He pulled himself up and went back inside the beach house in search of a drink. It wasn’t his way to over think things, it didn’t help anything or even make it any clearer so, finding beer in the kitchen, he grabbed a couple of bottles and was about to venture back outside when he heard a voice he thought he recognised coming from the living room. He moved closer to the door, listening harder, just to make sure, because he was positive it was Charley.
He started to move into the living room to say hi until he saw what was going on. Darting back inside the kitchen doorway he leant against the wall for a few seconds before carefully taking a quick look back outside, making sure he wasn’t seen. Yes, it was definitely Charley. She was with a couple of people he didn’t know that well but knew well enough to know they could be trouble. She was kneeling down beside the low glass coffee table with the two other men and, even though she now had her back to him, he could plainly see the rolled up dollar bill and the white powder in front of her. People dabbled, Of course they did, anyone would be stupid to think this didn’t go on, but he knew now that she was mixing in circles that could lead her down roads she should be keeping well away from.
He sighed heavily, taking a long swig of beer, walking out onto the porch, back to the party outside. Should he tell India? She was worried enough about her friend being in the business she was in without adding a possible drugs habit on top of that.
He noticed India sitting back down by the fire, her face flushed from the heat and the alcohol. No, Charley could fight her own battles. What India didn’t know couldn’t hurt her.
He went back over to her, sitting himself down beside her, handing her a bottle of beer and she moved closer to him as he slipped his arm round her shoulders.
“You ok?” he asked, kissing her forehead.
She nodded, kneeling up in front of him and kissing him quickly.
“I’ve got an idea,” she smiled.
“Oh yeah?” he smiled back, pulling her onto his lap, her legs wrapping around his waist, her arms sliding round his neck.
“Let’s go to Vegas.”
“Vegas?”
She nodded. “Let’s go to Vegas. And get married.”
CHAPTER 12
Reece hadn’t heard from India in a couple of days. He knew he was probably being slightly irrational, she was a big girl, more than capable of looking after herself but he couldn’t help worrying. They always spoke on a regular basis, always. If something was wrong ...
He shook all those thoughts out of his head and picked up the ‘phone, dialling the number of Max Madison, his lawyer. As he did so he picked up the letter that was lying by the ‘phone and crumpled it up in his hand.
“Max? Max, it’s Reece.”
“It’s all sorted, Reece. But, are you sure you want to do this?”
“I’ve got no choice, Max. It’s the only way. The only way I can see, anyhow.”
“How do you know they won’t just keep coming back for more? They’ve done it once and you gave in, and now you’re doing it again. We could look at other avenues, try and find another solution.”
“It’s the only way, Max. Money’s all they understand. If they don’t come to me they’ll go to India and I can’t risk that.”
He heard Max sigh down the line. Maybe he had handled this all wrong, but what was he supposed to do?
“Do you even know if it’s true, Reece? How do you know they aren’t lying? Just making it up to extort money from you?”
“It’s true. I know it is.”
Max sighed heavily again. “You wouldn’t be the first to be caught out like this y’know. You’re handling it all wrong, Reece, and I strongly advise you not to go ahead with this transaction. We need to get proof, some concrete evidence.”
“Max ...”
“No. Let me handle this Reece. Please. We can make sure they stay away, stop demanding anything until we know. You’re crazy to do this your way. What if it gets out?”
“How do we know they won’t go to the press anyway? If we stall, they could still go ahead and tell the papers.”
“They won’t. You have my word. We’ll make sure that doesn’t happen.”
It was Reece’s turn to sigh as he threw the crumpled letter onto the floor.
“And how do we get this proof, Max?”
“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Let’s just deal with the problem in hand first. I’ll call you when things are sorted. It’s the best way, Reece.”
Reece put the ‘phone down and turned to face the wall, closing his eyes and resting his forehead against the cool surface.
“Mr Brogan ...” It was Rosa, his housekeeper. “Are you ok, Mr Brogan?”
He pushed a hand through his dark hair. “Yes, yes, I’m fine thanks, Rosa. I just need my coffee.”
He noticed she was carrying his usual stash of newspapers. He liked to catch up on what was going on over breakfast. It was his favourite indulgence of the day.
“Are those my newspapers?”
Rosa looked a little sheepish, almost as though she didn’t want to hand them over.
“Rosa, can I have my newspapers please?”
She slowly held them out and he took them, carrying them over to the breakfast bar, laying the top one out in front of him. It was then he realised why Rosa had been so reluctant to hand them over.
He closed his eyes for a second and let out a deep breath. What the hell had India gone and done now?
***
“... in a $50 midnight ceremony in The Maine Resort Hotel in Las Vegas, Hollywood stars Kenny Ross and India Steven were married ...”
***
Michael Walsh switched off the TV, swung round and punched the refrigerator door. He was angry and upset. He felt sick to his stomach. He’d given her some time off, a gesture to make her see how considerate he was, how much he cared about her and what did she do? She ran off to Vegas and married Kenny Ross, and as if that wasn’t bad enough they’d gone and done it in Vince’s hotel! His best friend’s hotel!
He turned round and leaned back against the fridge, closing his eyes for a second. This wasn’t in the plan, this shouldn’t have happened. What an idiot he’d been. He should have known getting her away from Kenny would be the most difficult thing he had to do, he just hadn’t imagined how difficult. He’d stalled for too long, he’d let them get too close and look what had happened!
He grabbed a cup of coffee and went into his study. Opening the drawer of his huge ornate desk he pulled out a large black photograph album, sat down and opened it up, flicking through the pages. In it were hundreds of pictures of India. Photos from magazines and newspapers, official casting photographs and ones Michael had taken himself – without India’s knowledge. He had every article, every press release; he’d built up quite a collection. Some nights he’d come in here, switch on the CD player, open a bottle of bourbon and just sit and look at her pictures, wondering what she was doing and wishing he was with her. He’d watch videos of her many TV appearances, he had all her movies in his own private cinema, and all the time, in the back of his mind, he’d always carried that hope that she would soon be his; it was what kept him going. But now …
He took the bottle of bourbon that was on his desk and added some to his coffee, leaning back in his chair, slamming the album shut. Now she was married. Pouring another small measure of bourbon into the black coffee and taking a large swig, he suddenly felt a renewed sense of hope. What did this marriage actually mean anyway? Kenny Ross had a reputation for avoiding any kind of commitment, w
ho’s to say that hadn’t changed? This was obviously a spur of the moment thing, a stupid idea that they’d got carried away with and it probably wouldn’t even last the month. Maybe it was the best thing that could have happened.
He slid the album back into the drawer and locked it, leaving his mug on the desk as he headed back into the kitchen. She was due back on set today, they had scenes together. She was back to reality, back to work, back to spending all day with him and that made him smile for the first time that morning. Later today Michael Walsh was going to get his chance to kiss India Steven, even if it was only for the cameras. Maybe then she would start to see something in him she hadn’t noticed before.
He held onto that hope as he looked at his watch, waiting for his car to arrive. The stakes had been stepped up yet again, the battle made even harder, but one day she’d see who she really should be with. Kenny was a phase. She needed to get him out of her system and then she’d be free to love him. No, all hope wasn’t lost, it had just got a bit more complicated, that’s all. And there wasn’t a complication Michael didn’t know of that he couldn’t get around.
***
Terry threw a handful of clothes into his suitcase, scrabbling through the drawer by his bed for his passport. He’d made up his mind. India marrying Kenny Ross in what was obviously a not-thought-through Vegas wedding had sealed his fate. Football didn’t love him right now and he didn’t particularly love football, so he’d taken some time out and stepped away from that world to go and spend some time in India’s, because it was obvious she needed him.
What had made her go and do that? Marriage was supposed to be something taken seriously and here she was, running off to Las Vegas with her movie star boyfriend, turning the whole thing into some kind of circus! He hadn’t even realised they’d been that serious. India had never told him how she really felt about Kenny and he’d always assumed it was just a bit of fun for the both of them. He blamed Kenny for all of it, of course. It had to be his influence; India had never been the kind of girl to act on impulse like this.
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