by Maggie Mundy
“Well, he’s right. I am the mystery woman, and I knew you were famous when I decided to get involved with you. I don’t care what people say about me, as long as Tommy is safe. So what do we do now?”
“If it’s okay with you both, I’d like to stay tonight, then tomorrow I think you and Tommy should come and live at my house. It will be safer from the press and Steve if he should turn up. Sasha, if you want to come as well, that would be fine. The house is huge and there’s only my brother Jack and me.”
“I’m fine with a move from this little place to Bel Air. We’ll have to sort out the rental stuff, though.” Sasha smiled and looked excited at the prospect.
“I don’t think Tommy and I have much choice apart from getting on a bus and disappearing, and I’ve a feeling neither of you are going to let me do that. I’ll need to talk to Tommy when he wakes up.”
“I’ll get whatever you need to make it better for him, and I’ll get the lease fixed. That’s one good thing about having money. You can pay people to sort things out for you.”
They said good night to Sasha and made their way down the hall. Cassi stopped outside of Tommy’s room and Declan stood by the door. She went in, bent down, and kissed her little boy on the head. She hoped she was making the right decision for both of them. Back in her room, Declan sat on the edge of the bed and started to take his boots off. This was her place and yet it seemed so right to have him there.
He got up, walked across, and embraced her.
“You weren’t really thinking about getting on a bus and leaving, were you?”
“No. It crossed my mind for only a second because it was the way I escaped before. The thing is, life catches up with you eventually, whether it’s an ex or a new partner. I don’t want to run with Tommy anymore, and if my picture is going to be in magazines, where could I go anyway?”
They both undressed and got into bed. He pulled her close. It was strange having him here, but she didn’t want anyone else.
“We will get through this, Cassi. I’m not going anywhere, and before it all goes crazy tomorrow, I want you to know something, I love you. I know it’s probably too early to say such things, but it’s what I feel. You don’t need to say anything. I just want you to know.” She turned back toward him. He kissed her on the lips, then cuddled into her back with his arms wrapped around her.
She couldn’t answer, but took comfort in his closeness. She felt calm and safe in his arms. Cassi wanted to say she loved him, too, but now that the moment was here, she was scared. Could people like her get a dream come true? She couldn’t get out of her mind the thought that something bad would happen like it did in the past. As time went by, his breathing became slow and she found herself drifting off to sleep.
There was a knock at the door, and Cassi could see from a crack in the curtains the sun was coming up. Declan sat up as she got out of bed and answered the knock. Sasha stood there shaking her head.
“And so it begins. You should have a peep through the curtains. I think we have visitors.” The doorbell rang.
“Don’t answer it,” Declan called out from inside the room.
“Trust me, I’ve no intention of going out there,” Sasha yelled back.
Cassi went over to the bedroom window and took a peep outside to see at least four cars parked out the front. There were at least ten guys with cameras by the front gate.
“I should go and see Tommy while you get dressed. I’ll pack some things up, and maybe Sasha could bring more over later.”
Tommy sat up and yawned as she shook him. “Tommy. Do you remember Declan?”
Tommy nodded as he rubbed his eyes.
“Declan is on TV, and lots of people know him.”
“Is he famous, like Rory Raccoon?”
“Yes, just like Rory. Lots of people want to know us because we are his friends, and they’re outside of the house now. We’re going to stay at Declan’s house for a holiday. He has a swimming pool and a dog. Now you go to the toilet while mommy gets a bag packed for you.”
When he returned, she was stuffing clothes in a bag.
“Did you clean your hands?”
Tommy nodded and came over so she could dress him. “We’ll need your Rory toothbrush as well.”
Declan stood in the doorway and waved at Tommy.
“Mommy says you have a dog. What’s his name?”
“He’s called Duke and loves to play ball.”
“I’m hungry, Mom. Can I take my toys to Declan’s?”
“You can take a couple, and maybe we will come back for more later. If your tummy can hold on, Sasha says she’ll make pancakes at Declan’s”
“Yay.” Tommy jumped up and down.
“Now you pick up the toys you want while I get dressed.”
It was a weird thing to try and pick clothes to take. Not that there was anything too glamorous in her wardrobe anyway. She packed a case and looked around the room as she left. Was she ever going to come back? At this moment, she had no idea what the future held. In the living room, the others were waiting as the doorbell rang again.
Declan shook his head and then kneeled down next to Tommy. “Tommy, there are a lot of people out the front, and I need you to be brave for your mom. I think she’s a bit scared. Can you do it?”
“Rory Raccoon saved his mommy when the owl tried to catch them. He has super eyes. I can do it.”
Cassi took one look back at the house as she went out to the garage. She took a deep breath as Tommy held her hand. She could hear people talking out front as they got in the car. Sasha was in the front with Declan, and she sat in the back with Tommy.
“Here we go people,” Declan said as the door opened and he reversed out. The people by the front door, rushed over, and took photos as they moved down the driveway. The crowd blocked their exit, and a few even started to bang on the vehicle. Cassi’s heart raced. It was bizarre that people would want to know about her. Declan put down his window.
“Move yourself,” he shouted back, as he revved the engine and tooted the horn. It had the desired effect, though cameras were still flashing. Cassi kept her eyes on Tommy to see if he was coping. He just held his Rory Raccoon up against the window. Her heart burst with pride and she loved her little boy so much at that point. They drove off down the road and she glanced back to see people getting in their cars to follow them.
“They all know where I live, so I don’t know why they’re bothering. Great work with Rory, Tommy. I think you scared them off.”
They drove through the streets of L.A. to a more salubrious district, and she wondered if just moving an address would really change her life. Half an hour later, they pulled up at the gates of Declan’s house in Bel Air. As expected, there were a few more cars and people. He pressed a button. The gates opened and he drove in. Cassi let out a long, slow breath as she realized her hands were gripping the seat.
They pulled into the garage out of the way of people she thought would be climbing the walls right now. When they walked into the house, it was like walking into a five-star hotel. Not that she ever went inside posh hotels, but the village was highly sought after, so she was comparing.
A young man came down the stairs. He was a slightly shorter and more muscular version of Declan. It had to be Jack. She could also hear Duke barking.
The young man came straight up and offered his hand.
“This is Jack, my brother. This is Cassi, her son, Tommy, and her friend Sasha, who needs to make pancakes.”
“Hi there, Pinkie. The kitchen’s this way. You coming, titch?” Jack said, as he ruffled Tommy’s hair and winked at Sasha.
“The name’s Sasha, not Pinkie.”
Jack was already pushing it with Sasha, and Cassie wondered if he knew what he was taking on by teasing her. She would likely change her hair color to red by tomorrow as a warning to him. She also considered these brothers thought they could win her heart with a friendly wink, and it was true.
“Can I play with Duke?” Tommy asked.
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“Sure, but breakfast first,” Jack said, as he showed Sasha where stuff was in the kitchen.
“While they’re busy, I’ll show you your room.” Declan grabbed Tommy’s bag and started to walk up the stairs to the right of the massive lounge room. “There’s a studio downstairs to the left, and a gym.”
Upstairs, there was a wide corridor with doors leading off either side.
“This one on the right at the end is mine. I’ve also set up a room for Tommy. The third one can be yours if you want your own space, but I’d like to wake up with you beside me if I can.”
Declan opened the door to a room that was about half the size of the rental house.
It was modern and painted cream with a huge king-sized bed. Her mouth hung open. He took her hand and moved on down the corridor to the next room. He grinned as he opened the door. She couldn’t stop the tears coming to her eyes as she walked inside. The bed was smaller with a cover with Rory the Raccoon on it. There was a big mat on the floor that was a roadway with little cars and trucks on it. She could also see a huge bucket of Legos. She turned back to gaze at the wonderful man who had done this for her son.
“When did you do this?”
“After you told me everything and decided you still wanted us to be together, I felt I needed to do more to make it real. I got a friend to come in and make it look like a kid’s room. Do you think he’ll like it?” Declan asked, shuffling from one foot to the other with his hands in his pockets.
“He’ll love it, and it will make the move easier.” She threw her arms around Declan’s neck and kissed him. “I really appreciate what you’re doing. No one has ever done this before.” She couldn’t believe he’d gone to so much effort when she hadn’t even asked.
They moved on to his room. There were beautiful pictures on the walls, but some of his clothes were left on chairs. Cassi was glad it didn’t look pristine and tidy because it wouldn’t have been so inviting. She grabbed her bag from his hand and threw it inside.
“I think I’ll be very happy here.”
She planted another kiss on his lips. As they turned to go back downstairs, he took her hand and stopped her.
“I’m expecting my publicist to turn up at any minute. He won’t be happy. I’ve told him about us. He’s really good and he’ll try and deal with the press. I apologize now if he’s a bit blunt.”
“I don’t care. If he’s on our side, then I’m happy. I think I need everyone you can get to help me.”
They walked back downstairs to the smell of pancakes cooking, filling the house with a wonderful aroma that made her mouth water. Sasha was in her element, flipping and tossing the pancakes, and Tommy had maple syrup all over his face. Cassi realized she was hungry too. She helped herself to some while Declan made them some coffee.
The intercom from the gate buzzed and Declan went over to answer. As expected, it was James, his publicist. James’s suit was smart, and would have probably been six months’ worth of pay for Cassi. Her jeans and shirt from the local outlet seemed ordinary, but she was okay with that. She would feel a fraud in designer wear. She couldn’t bring herself to spend a load of money on just clothes. It wasn’t as if she was going anywhere special for cocktail dresses and ball gowns.
Declan did the introductions. James walked over and put out his hand and smiled. She was glad he hadn’t given her the onceover.
“Hey Sasha, do you and Tommy want to come and meet Duke?” Jack asked.
Tommy jumped down and ran toward the back door. Cassi looked to Jack as he turned back and mouthed ‘Thank you’. Then she sat opposite James with Declan beside her. She had a feeling she was going to like Declan’s little brother.
“Well. It’s nice to finally meet you, Cassi. It would have been good if Declan let me know before. Like maybe straight after the hiking trip.”
Declan put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer. “It’s taken me a while to convince her I’m worth getting involved with.”
“I like her already if she thinks you’re hard work. Now we need to go into damage control. Tell me everything the baying wolves are going to find out. Knowledge is power. Then we can check online and see what the latest gossip is,” James said as he studied her.
“I can’t understand why people would be so interested. The reason I kept putting Declan off is because there is a person in my past. I don’t want to see or be involved with him again.”
James’s iPad was on his lap, and when she told him Steve’s name, he put it in.
“When someone becomes a celebrity, they are seen as public property and you, young lady, have just taken Declan off the market. Plus, people will do anything for a dollar and the juicier the scandal from your past, the more they’ll like it. If we put it out there already that you had a rough time, then they can’t use it as much.”
Cassi felt like she was going down the rabbit hole, and this was a world she didn’t recognize. She needed to put her trust in Declan and the others to keep them safe. She told James all about Steve, and Declan filled him in on what the private investigator said.
“The plan is, I do a press release now and I’ll set up an interview with one of the magazines this afternoon. It’s going to happen anyway, so let’s keep one step ahead. I’ve spoken with your agent, your manager, and the producer on Dark Storm. They reckon any publicity is good and you haven’t done anything bad.” James looked outside for a minute at Tommy throwing the ball for Duke.
“My partner, Pete, and I have a boy about the same age named Jason. I think the main thing is we keep Tommy safe and control as much as possible. Now I need to get to work. Just be strong and I’ll call with any commitments. Let me know if you plan on painting the town red though.”
They followed James over to the door and Cassi realized from this chat she needed to have a big talk with Declan and Sasha about what would happen next.
“Maybe you could bring Jason over for a swim sometime. The kids could have some fun once Tommy’s cast comes off,” Declan suggested.
“That would be great. I reckon you’ll be fine here because it’s a gated community, but I’ll call the security firm and let them know you’ll need more support. People can still get through occasionally.”
“I really don’t want to go down that track, but you’re right. Get them to send someone round and they can stay here in the short term until this blows over,” Declan said.
James left and Cassi walked over to the large window and looked outside. There was a lawn, a pool, and a sunken area with chairs, a bar, and sun loungers. To cap it off, she could see the ocean in the distance. Declan came up behind her and put his arms around her waist.
“It’s a strange way to live, but you do get used to it, and I’m here for you.”
“I’ll just have to take your word on that. I have to take Tommy to get his cast off tomorrow if the bone is all fixed. That will be our first test.”
James phoned back within the hour telling them he would be back later with a crew from a local magazine.
Jack drove Sasha to work, and later he would take her back to the rental property to get her car and more stuff. Jack took Tommy into the TV room to play games when the crew for the shoot turned up. Cassi found herself guided upstairs by Bec, a makeup artist. Away from the cameras, Cassi could relax for a moment.
“You okay. You look like a cat caught in the headlights of a car,” Bec said, as she put out her makeup on the dressing table.
Bec was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, and was slim and blonde. Unlike the woman who was going to interview her. She looked about fifty, petite, and was immaculately dressed and made up. The term barracuda came to mind, even though Cassi had never seen her show and was judging the woman unfairly.
“A few weeks back, no one knew me, and now I’m being interviewed for a magazine and show. It seems unreal.”
“I’m going to make you look great, and Charlie can do fantastic things with your hair. Deanna’s not that bad. She has had a tough life and te
lls it like it is. Your publicist chose well. There are a few reporters around town I wouldn’t talk to.”
“I’m not sure I’ll cope, but I guess I’ll have to. The idea that James is my publicist too is odd.” Cassi twisted her hands in her lap.
“Declan is liked by a lot of people and carries weight around here. Deanna was glad to get the scoop. Now let me teach you some tricks of the trade. You won’t always have me here when you’re going out for a big party.”
“I don’t want to leave the house at the moment, and to be honest, I’ve never worn much in the way of makeup.” She watched as Bec worked magic and made her look glamorous. It was nice to be spoiled for a bit, but she reckoned she would never be able to repeat the effect.
“I’ll come and help whenever I can if you can put in a good word with Declan and his brother. I’d love to get work on the show. The special-effects work would be fantastic. Not that I’m not grateful for this.”
Cassi would mention it to Declan. She needed normal and Bec provided it for a moment and calmed her down. A stylist walked in with some tops for her to try on and then Charlie with his gear. It seemed the days of dressing herself were gone for now.
Declan smiled at her when she walked down the stairs. She liked the white-and-peach blouse she was wearing, plus the jeans and pumps gave her some normalcy.
He took her in his arms and whispered, “You look damn sexy, and if these people weren’t here, I’d be taking you straight back upstairs and kissing every part of you.”
Cassi smiled and could feel the heat of a blush rise up her chest.
“Leave her alone, Declan. Whatever you suggested has made her go bright red.” Deanna called from the couch as she wagged her finger.
“I just told her she looked pretty,” he said, pulling an innocent face.
