by Tobin, Val
Face grim, Cope hung up the phone and turned to the security team. “You two can return to the office. I’ve been instructed to take Miss Grayson home, and I’ll do that now.”
“You okay, Cope? What did Newt say?” the woman asked.
“We’ll talk later, Amanda.” Cope touched the security officer’s arm, lingering on it in a way that aroused a hint of irrational jealousy in Dani.
Amanda gave Cope a half-smile, reassuring, promising to see him later. Again Dani felt a little stab and wondered why it should bother her. She recalled his strong arms carrying her, the offer of his jacket to sit on, and intimacy that had grown between them. A stubborn desire to hang onto that jolted her, making her want him in a way she’d never wanted anyone else.
When security had left, Cope asked Dani to wait while he retrieved his jacket from the shore. He walked down while she watched, squinting in the fading light. Cope moved like an athlete, and when he bent over to pick up his jacket, Dani ogled his ass, glad he couldn’t see her.
Back in the limo, Dani opened another bottle of water and took a swig while Cope tossed his jacket into the front passenger seat and climbed into the car.
“I’m sorry, Cope. It’s my fault. I’ll explain everything and make sure they know you’re not to blame.”
“Don’t worry about it, Miss. It was my choice to turn off the phone, and my neglect that kept it off.”
Was it wrong that it hurt he referred to her as Miss? Under the circumstances, she didn’t blame him, but wanted him to say her name again. Next time, I’ll correct him.
When Cope took her home, he walked her up to her apartment unit, carrying her bags. They said good night, and before he walked away, Dani learned his first name was Robert.
***
“They fired him?” Dani couldn’t believe what John had just said. “What do you mean they fucking fired him? It was my fault. Why are they punishing him?” Hot anger making her restless, Dani paced the living room between the couch and the loveseat and then circled the coffee table. “God dammit, John, Cope needs that job.”
“I’m sorry, Dani. I have no control over that. Copeland deserved a reprimand. The man went against policy. Do you have any idea the panic we were in when neither of you could be reached? Then they located the car parked on the bluffs by the ocean? I was afraid you’d been kidnapped and Copeland was at the bottom of the sea with a bullet in his head and cement shoes on his feet.”
“That’s very imaginative. You should write novels. Cope checked in with you when he picked me up from the airport. He told you I wasn’t going home. What more do you want?”
A frustrated sigh told her John was reaching the end of his patience. “You feel responsible for what happened. I get that. And yes, he told me you were going for a drive. Next thing I know, we can’t reach either of you, and the car is out in the middle of nowhere.”
“At his parents’ place.”
“I didn’t have time to check the deed on the property, Dani. I’m glad you were both fine, but that’s where the problem arises. Copeland shirked his responsibility, and you’re an important client. That’s the end of it. He’s out.”
Dani disconnected the call and tried the limo company. At first, the owner, Dale Newton, or Newt, as his employees called him, tried to placate her. His voice sounded reasonable, as if she was missing the point, but would soon get up to speed. When Dani refused to accept his decision as final, an edge crept into his voice, and he sputtered at her until she wanted to slam the phone down.
“Newt,” she interrupted. “I don’t want anyone else to drive me. Get him back.” She paced again, faster, covering the hallway, the living room, drifting around the bedrooms. The thought of losing Cope, of not seeing him every day, though she’d taken him for granted for months, put her in a panic.
“You can’t fire him. It’s not his fault. I told him to turn off the phone, and I distracted him from checking in. It won’t happen again. Please, Newt. Don’t do this. He’s a good driver, and he takes his job seriously.”
When Newt spoke again, it sounded like he was talking through gritted teeth. “The decision’s final, Miss Grayson. Sorry. We gave him his papers, and he’s gone. Your new driver has years of experience, and he’s just as capable as Cope. You won’t notice the difference. Don’t blame yourself. Cope should know better than to allow a client, even an important one, to distract him.”
“Fine. Just tell me where I can reach him.”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t give out personal information. Be aware, though, that you’re fighting harder for his job than he did. He’ll find something else. Don’t worry about Cope.”
“It’s me, Newt, not a stranger asking for his phone number. I’m sure he won’t mind. I’d have asked for it from him yesterday if I’d known you’d fire him. Please, give it to me so I can call him and apologize.”
“I’m sorry, Miss Grayson. It’s against—”
Dani pressed “End” as forcefully as her thumb could manage, cutting Newt off, but getting no satisfaction from it. Luanne. Luanne could track down Cope.
The assistant picked up on the first ring, and Dani didn’t even have to disconnect before Luanne had somehow located a phone number.
“Thanks, Lu. You’re a life saver.” Dani entered Cope’s number into her phone, disconnected from Luanne, and called him.
The suggestion to lend him money was barely out of her mouth when he turned her down flat. Dani no longer paced the apartment. She’d curled up on the sofa, but now sat bolt upright, wondering if Cope had lost his mind. “What do you mean, ‘no thank you?’”
“I mean, it’s okay. You don’t need to lend me money. I’ve already said no to my parents. I’ll do this myself.”
“Cope, it’s just a loan. It’s my fault you lost your job. Let me make it up to you. At least meet me for lunch, and we’ll talk about it.”
“I’m busy. Maybe another time. I’m putting together business proposals and meeting with investors. When I’m up and running, I’ll call you. Don’t worry about it, Dani—Newt was right to fire me. I’d have done the same with any driver who pulled what I did. It was negligent. I’ve learned my lesson.”
“Cope, I own an investment company. I had to do something with my earnings, and I invest in start-up companies. They’ll look at your proposal. Consider it good networking.”
“No, I don’t want to owe you, and I don’t want people to think I used you for your money.”
“No one will think that. I want to help you.”
“Thank you, but I’ll be fine. Take care, Dani.” The line clicked, and he was gone.
She leaned back against the cushions, considering what to do. At least he’d called her “Dani” and not “Miss.” There had to be a way to help him.
An idea struck her, and she called Luanne. “Lu, call Star Power Investments and tell William to call me. I want to talk to him about Robert Copeland.”
Luanne promised to make the call, and Dani hung up the phone. One way or the other, she’d lend that money to Cope, even if he didn’t know it was her money. William Haz, the president of her investment company, could help with that.
The alarm sounded on her cell phone, alerting her it was time to leave for the meeting with the film studio. Happy with her scheme, Dani loaded a copy of the script for the new movie into a faux-leather bag and headed out the door.
Chapter 9
The limo pulled up to the building on the studio lot that housed the administrative offices for Danger Play. Dani waited for Mark, the new driver, to open her door, and then stepped out into the sultry afternoon heat. Four-inch heels making her taller than Mark, Dani looked him in the eyes and smiled at him, letting him take her hand to help steady her.
She walked through the revolving doors and into the lobby. The receptionist greeted Dani by name, smiling and making nice. The employees here were always welcoming and cheerful, but professional. They didn’t act star-struck, and Dani appreciated that.
When sh
e reached the conference room on the tenth floor, she noted that Greg Henderson wasn’t there. She threw a puzzled glance at the executives, who sat across the room on the other side of the large round table. Danger Play’s three owners, the film’s producers, sat clustered together. The two men and one woman stood when she entered.
“Welcome, Dani. Good to be working with you again,” Priscilla Houston said.
Dani clasped the hand Priscilla offered and shook it. Ten years older than Dani, Priscilla oozed confidence, the hand holding Dani’s firm and smooth. Dani had enjoyed working on Injury and learning from Priscilla how to maneuver her way around a male-dominated world. Priscilla had even helped Dani extricate herself from the relationship with Greg when it went south. On the heels of that thought came Dani’s realization of the reason for Greg’s absence.
“Thank you. Nice to see you again.” Dani shook hands with the two men, Kevin Patterson and Jack Kellerman. In their early fifties, both looked like they indulged in everything that could be considered an indulgence. Kevin’s slight tan might signal liver damage rather than sun worship. Dani didn’t think he’d looked that tan before, though this was California, the land of sun and sand.
They motioned her to sit, and she took a chair next to Priscilla. Jack Kellerman got right to the point. “We wanted to speak to you in private. John mentioned to us that your prior relationship to Henderson made you hesitate accepting this contract. The first we heard of this was after you’d signed onto the picture. We’re worried that problems between you and Greg might jeopardize scheduling. If you had concerns about working with him, why didn’t you bring this to our attention before signing the contract?”
“It won’t be an issue, Jack. I’m able to leave my personal life off the camera. When shooting starts, I’ll be Felicity Sanderson, not Daniella Grayson. Felicity loves Charles Boyle, and that’s who Greg will be. I signed because I don’t see a problem here.”
The executives exchanged glances, and Kevin spoke next. “What about Henderson? How’s he feel about this?”
“Did he sign a contract with you?”
“Yes.”
“Did he say he had any issues about working with me on this project?”
“No.” Kevin raised his brows, looking progressively more amused as she continued firing questions at him.
“Did you talk to Greg at all about working with me?”
“No, Dani. We came to you first to ensure the star who’s carrying the picture can perform when we need her to.”
“Then relax because I’ll be fine. Pris, you helped me during the last picture. You knew the problems Greg and I were having by the time the filming wrapped and the tour started. You traveled with us on some of those junkets. Did I let my personal life seep out into the public view?” Dani gazed into Priscilla’s eyes.
“No, Dani, though the two of you made us nervous, and, as I recall, were hauled into the office for a reality check,” she said. “That was then. Now, we want to hash things out before filming starts. The contracts have been signed, but if we thought you two couldn’t work together, we’d tear up at least one of them—both if necessary. This is a business. It doesn’t matter how much the public wants a sequel. Without you and Greg on board, I don’t think it’ll work, and funding it would be a waste of our money.”
Priscilla threw a pointed glance at Kevin, then turned back to Dani. “Others might have a different opinion about whether it could go forward with one of you missing, but I think we need you both. That’s why we had to be sure you can work with him, particularly the love scenes.”
The sound of a man clearing his throat made them look up. John stood just inside the door, watching them. Zeroing in on Kevin, he said, “You ganged up on my client?”
“Not at all,” Jack replied. Priscilla and Kevin remained silent. Jack continued. “We had to talk to her in private, feel her out about the Greg Henderson situation.”
“What situation?” The voice floated in from the hallway, and Henderson followed it in.
“Your messy breakup, Greg. Nothing personal,” Jack said. “All is well, according to Dani, so now we discuss the schedule for the next few months. If everything goes smoothly, the preliminaries will be completed in a few weeks, and filming will start right after. Do you have your scripts with you?”
Dani reached into her bag and pulled out the large manila envelope containing the script to Injury: Band-Aid Solution. She looked Greg directly in his blazing blue eyes, purged the repulsion out of her soul, and said, “Shall we get started, Mr. Boyle?”
***
After the meeting, Dani stuffed her notes and script into her bag and said her goodbyes the moment John indicated he was leaving.
“Walk with me, John.” She linked arms with him and steered him into the hallway. Aware that Henderson’s gaze followed the two of them out the door, Dani moved as quickly as she could, considering her four-inch heels.
“Greg, wait, I want to talk to you.” When Kevin spoke, Dani glanced over at Henderson, who’d stood and was stuffing his things back into his briefcase, face anxious.
He wants to talk. Grateful for Kevin’s intervention, Dani picked up the pace, tugging John away from the conference room.
John waited until they were at the elevator before he spoke. “I have a bad feeling about this, Dani. You shouldn’t have told them everything was fine.”
“What’s wrong?”
“You know what’s wrong. I see the way Henderson looks at you. Tell me what happened between you two. Why’d you leave him? Did he hit you?”
Dani managed not to flinch or give any sign John had guessed part of the truth. “We’re okay. I won’t date him. We’re filming a movie together, and we’re both professionals.”
“You are, Dani, but I’ve seen Henderson on multiple benders during a shoot. I’m hoping their handlers stay on top of it and keep him sober. Henderson showed up drunk more than once on Injury and dragged you down with him by the end of it. You’re lucky you got away with your life. For Christ’s sake, you ended up in rehab addicted to coke.”
“Don’t worry, John. I’m not getting involved with him. How many times do I have to tell you?”
“As many times as needed to remind you not to get involved with him.”
“Okay—” She stopped. She’d almost said “Dad”—joking, of course, but it wasn’t funny to her anymore. Dani sighed.
John pressed the button to summon the elevator and said, “I hear Cope is shopping around a business proposal for a new limo company.”
The mention of Cope’s name brought Dani a stab of guilt and a longing to see him. “He told me that, yes. I wanted to lend him the money, but he refused.”
“Too bad. I was sorry he got fired. That would be one way to make up for it.”
The elevator doors opened, and Dani and John stepped inside. As the doors closed, she spotted Henderson rushing from the conference room. Dani pretended not to see him, and the doors whisked shut.
“I’ve got something in the works,” Dani said as she pressed ‘G.’
“What’s that?”
“Nothing I want to talk about yet, but I’m hoping it’ll get Star Power on Cope’s radar. I’m a silent partner, so he won’t see I’m involved at all. If he applies on his own, I can push through his proposal and get him an interview. After that, it’s up to him.”
Chapter 10
Back in the limo, Dani checked for messages and found one from Cynthia, Will Haz’s assistant. She called Star Power without listening to the message, and Cynthia put her through to the company president.
“Dani, how are you? Good to hear your voice. We haven’t seen much of you at the office lately.”
“I’ve been busy. Thank you for the flowers and the card you sent after the news about my father broke. That was sweet.”
Will was thoughtful and a shrewd investor. Dani was grateful she’d found the perfect partner to run the company.
“You’re welcome. Copeland submitted a proposal to St
ar Power yesterday. It looks good. Honestly, if you hadn’t asked me to watch for it, I still would’ve considered it worthy of a meeting.”
“That’s wonderful. Tell me when he’s due to present. I’d like to observe.”
Will agreed, they said their goodbyes, and Dani disconnected the call. Soon, Cope would have a company of his own to run. It felt great to help out a friend.
On impulse and a sudden desire to see Cope again, Dani called him and asked him to meet her for lunch. When he cheerfully agreed, she found her heart beating faster at the prospect of seeing him again. She directed Mark to drive her home so she could get ready for the date.
***
Dani stepped into the dim, intimate dining room of Genius, the upscale restaurant she’d chosen for her lunch date with Cope. Outside, the paparazzi hovered with their cameras, but she didn’t give them a second thought.
The maître d’ approached and greeted her. “Welcome to Genius, Miss Grayson. Your party is waiting.”
Dani smiled as he led her past full tables and occupied booths. Voices mingled in a soft buzz, and a whiff of spice and roasted meat made her stomach growl. The host guided her to a secluded, candle-lit table at the back of the restaurant.
Cope smiled when he saw her and stood. He took both her hands in his, and grazed each cheek with a kiss, sending a shiver down her spine.
Dani stepped back and eyed his gray suit, noting the perfect fit, the notched collar, and the navy tie. “You look great.”
He flashed her a grin and pulled a chair out for her. “You look gorgeous yourself,” he replied as she lowered into the seat. “Did you do that for me?”
“Did you dress up for me?” Dani teased back.
Cope rested a hand on her shoulder. “Of course. I want to make you fall madly in love with me.”
They both laughed self-consciously, but when the hand left her shoulder, she instantly craved his touch again.
