Addiction is a disease that can quickly consume a life.
Conversation around the table is light, with Grace asking many questions about work. I tell her what Frank has assigned me to do, and she laughs, knowing I have absolutely zero interest in any sports.
“What, so you will be with Ryan, interviewing him?”
I’m surprised the question comes from Bethany, and when I face her, I can’t quite place the look that crosses her face. “Yes, according to Frank.”
“As I told you on Friday, you are the best person for this. The most professional.”
“Oh, I’d love to see Felicity’s face fall when she gets told this news.” Bethany smirks. And it’s the first smile I’ve seen on her face today. Frank and Grace laugh, and it’s not long before I’m laughing too.
Bethany manages to eat a little, although she spends her time pushing the food around the plate. “You look tired,” I tell her.
“I am, but Mum’s the one you should be worried about,” she says as Frank and Grace are now out of earshot and loading the dishwasher.
“And why is that?”
“Because we all know how this will end, eventually.”
“Beth, please, if you get help now…”
“I don’t even want help. But I do want this baby kept away from me when it’s born. I might be too far gone, but I still remember everything you went through. I still have your haunted image in my head. I can’t live without the drugs and I know one day it will end my life.”
“You have a baby to live for. To fight for.”
“I don’t want to fight.”
Tears fill my eyes hearing the same words my own mum muttered. Those words still hurt me. I wasn’t enough for her.
“Hey, I’m sorry,” she says, taking my hand. “Promise me you’ll always be there for Mum?”
“I’ll always be there. Now…” I need to change the subject. “When are you due?”
She shakes her head. “I don’t even know. That’s how much of a fuck up I am. Mum has made a doctor’s appointment for me, so I’m sure we’ll find out then.”
“Do you know the father?”
“Yes, but he doesn’t know anything about me being pregnant. He quickly pushed me aside when he realised I was hooked on drugs. It’s not fair on him. It was only a one-night stand, but I had hoped it would be something more.”
“Oh, Beth!”
“Ellie, I don’t deserve your sympathy. Hopefully Mum and Dad will bring up this baby. I’m happy to sign over all my rights to them and leave. Then none of them will ever see me again.” Her voice cracks and tears roll down her cheeks. I wrap my arms around her and hold on to her as she cries. She seems composed, knows everything that is going on, which makes it even harder to understand why she won’t fight. Why is she just going to give up?
I don’t understand and I’m not sure I ever will.
“I’m tired. I need to lie down.”
“I’ll help you,” I say, standing.
Grace enters the room a small smile on her lips. “No, Ellie. You go and sit with Frank. I’m sure you’ve got some stuff to talk about. I’ll help Bethany,” she says, standing beside her daughter. I nod with a smile and leave the kitchen.
Frank is in the front room with a glass of brandy in his hand. “Are you okay?” I ask, taking a seat beside him on the brown leather sofa.
“Truthfully? I don’t know, but I know I have to be.”
“You know I’m always here when you all need me.”
“My sweet girl, I know that, but you’ve already been through so much. It’s not fair on you.”
“And that is why I’m the best person for the job,” I say with a smile, trying to cheer him up.
“Now, speaking of jobs that leads us on to your assignment. We’ll meet with Ryan and his PR manager tomorrow morning in the office at nine a.m. All accommodation when you travel will be paid for, hotels etcetera. His PR wants the country to see the real Ryan and not the playboy other tabloids have printed about.”
“Playboy?” Brilliant. Just what I need, although with his behaviour, I should’ve known. An arrogant prick who thinks he can get any girl he likes with a click of his fingers, or in my case, a kiss in the bathroom. I shake this thought from my head. Frank has picked me to do this because I’m professional, and that’s how I intend to be for our meeting tomorrow.
“Yes, his reputation off the track isn’t quite as good as on.”
I wonder why?
“You also mentioned Colton Donavan. Why?”
“Colton is a huge name stateside, and I’ve been informed that the two of them might race. It’s not guaranteed, but if it happens then this would be huge for Ryan.”
“Okay.” We talk for another half hour before Grace joins us. She looks wiped out. “Guys I’ll go, give you some time on your own.”
“You don’t have to,” Grace says.
“No, I know that, but I remember how this goes. You might get an hour or so before she wakes up screaming in pain, looking for a fix.”
“Sorry, sweetheart.”
“Nothing to be sorry about, Grace. If you want me to look after Beth at any point this week so you can escape for a bit, you just need to say.”
“Ellie Cooper, I don’t know what we’d do without you in our lives.”
“You never have to find out. Frank, I’ll be in the office early.”
“Okay,” he says before taking a large gulp of brandy.
“I’ll see you out,” Grace says.
“No, stay where you are. I’ll call you tomorrow or Tuesday.” I give them both a kiss and leave with tears in my eyes.
Neither of them deserve this. They have been nothing but the best parents, and not just to Bethany.
She’s lucky she has them.
And I’m lucky I’ve always felt welcome, wanted, and loved by the two people who have unofficially adopted me as their second daughter.
Chapter 5
I’m so tired, and I’m certain I look like total crap from the lack of sleep last night. Spending the night tossing and turning wasn’t much fun. I wish I could say I hadn’t given much thought to Ryan and this meeting, but like every other night since last week he’s been in my thoughts and dreams.
He should be here anytime.
My head has also been full of Bethany and my mum. Stupid things keeping my mind awake, like, is my mum to blame for Bethany? Or was it really just that she got in with the wrong crowd? I don’t suppose I’ll ever find out, but I’d hate to think that the woman who gave birth to me caused this pain for her best friend.
I couldn’t get any of them out of my head, but now that I’m here in work, I’m so apprehensive about coming face-to-face with Ryan after last Friday night. I know I should act professional, and I will try, but how will he be with me? He kissed me, and I let him; a complete stranger.
Will he even remember it or me? Probably not, seeing as my research on him has shown me he loves spending time with women. In my opinion, the playboy description of him is spot on.
I catch my reflection in the windows and you’d really never guess I had agonised for over an hour this morning about what to wear. I pulled almost every item from my wardrobe trying to find the perfect outfit. Dresses and nice skirts… but that’s really not me. I’ve never got dressed up to come into the office, I need my comfort. So, I stayed true to myself with my faithful gutties, tight jeans, and a white t-shirt. My unruly hair is pinned up, because today, my curls are uncontrollable and Dani had left really early this morning so I couldn’t even ask her to salvage it for me.
The door to the meeting room opens. “You’re late,” I say as Frank walks in and takes a seat.
“Sorry, boss,” he says, his voice laced with humour, and that’s a positive sign. “Are you okay this morning?”
“Yes and no. I couldn’t stop thinking about Beth last night.”
“Well, she managed to sleep right through but woke up screaming for a fix about an hour ago. That’s what kept me.
I was trying to calm her down. I even considered just locking her in her bedroom, but I thought better of it. So, I’m here now, and at least I got here before Ryan and his PR.”
“Are you going home after this meeting?” Poor Grace. Frank should’ve cancelled this meeting to be home; she’ll need him both physically and mentally if Bethany gets aggressive. I remember Mum being aggressive at different times, especially to Frank and Grace when they had to intervene and remove me from her care. It’s a memory I wish I didn’t have, her lashing out with her fists at her best friend.
“I have a few small things to do and then I’ll go and give Grace a break.”
“I’m not one to tell you how to do your job.”
“But you’re going to,” he says, narrowing his eyes at me.
“Yes. You have an office full of reporters. Delegate, or give me today’s workload and get home. I’m sure we can manage without you.”
“We’ll see how this meeting goes. Ah, looks like they’re here.” I look through the glass partition wall to see some of the staff have stopped what they were doing and Felicity standing, open mouthed, as Ryan walks past her. He’s following behind an older gent, who I presume is his PR manager. Ryan walks with confidence, grinning, knowing he’s captured everyone’s attention as he looks around the office. Yes, I was right. Arrogant git who loves to be the centre of attention.
This should be interesting.
A flush of adrenaline tingles through my body at the sight of him. I square my shoulders, take a deep breath, and wait for them to enter. “Les, great to see you again,” Frank greets the first man with a warm handshake.
“And you. I appreciate what you’re doing for me. This must be Miss Cooper? A pleasure to meet you,” Les says, shaking my hand firmly.
“Ellie, please,” I say with a smile before I look toward Ryan.
“Ryan, this is Frank and Ellie.” Les stands aside to let Ryan see us.
Any lingering thoughts I had of Ryan knowing who I was last Friday night disappear as his posture suddenly stiffens and his eyes widen in surprise when he sees me. With a smile and a quick shake of his head, he regains his composure and shakes Frank’s hand firmly. “Pleasure meeting you.” Hearing his voice sets my heartbeat racing.
“Ellie.” He holds out his hand to me. “It’s lovely to see you again, and even nicer to know your name.” Frank looks on, and I can see the question on the tip of his tongue, but Ryan beats me to it. “I ran into Ellie at the function, literally, just before I left the event.”
“Ah, I see. I was looking for you to introduce you both,” Frank replies, happy enough with Ryan’s brief explanation. Ran into me, my backside. He bloody followed me into the ladies’ bathroom and openly admitted that to me. “Now, if you’d all like to take a seat and we can discuss business.”
Everyone sits down, and if I’m honest, I’m not paying too much attention to the conversation until the door bursts open and in rushes Felicity, smiling. She looks like her normal, immaculate, spoilt self.
“Sorry I’m late. I had a few things to do first,” she says, pulling out a chair and sitting herself at the table, swishing her hair.
“You’re not late. You weren’t invited to this meeting,” Frank tells her with a no-nonsense attitude.
“B…but, I’m the sports reporter,” she mumbles, glaring at me as though I’m the one telling her she shouldn’t be here.
“That may be so. But this assignment requires the most professional reporter in the office.”
“And you think she’s it?” She stares at me. “Wait until I speak to Daddy.” She pushes her chair back and it scrapes across the floor. She stands still, her evil eyes on me.
“Go on. Run along and speak to him, but he and I agreed Ellie would be more suited to this than you. Now, if you don’t mind, close the damn door behind you.”
It’s not like Frank to speak to anyone in the office using that tone of voice, especially not in front of clients but I can understand why. Felicity would drive even a saint insane.
She hesitates for a moment. Her venomous eyes draw me daggers before she turns on her heel. “Bitch!” I’m sure I’m not the only one who heard her word aimed at me.
“Sorry about that,” Frank says his tone even and back in control. “Now, back to business.”
Ryan smirks, obviously finding the whole situation highly amusing. Well, I suppose it is. I can appreciate the smug look being wiped from Felicity’s face. She’s usually the one getting her own way. I can’t wait to tell Dani about this, we’ll both have a good laugh at this.
I sit and listen, taking notes on what Les hopes to achieve for Ryan. My job is to report on facts and the personal side of Ryan. Les wants not just our country, but the world to see the softer side to the man with the reputation for being a playboy. Les talks about the work he does for charity, especially children’s charities. My thoughts go straight to what Dani told me about Colton and what he does. It appears to me these two might have a bit more in common, other than the fact they both drive fast cars. There’s definitely a story to report on that.
“Okay, so when is the first day I have to be available?” I ask when Les stops talking.
“Now,” Les tells me.
“Is that really necessary?” A sudden wave of coldness grips me and my body tenses. Albeit momentarily before I regain my professional composure. My eyes glance to Ryan who is sitting back in the chair, one leg crossed over the other, cocking his head to the side with a look that says, yes, it is really necessary.
“Yes. For this week, we only have a few things going on at the track. Ryan’s sponsors want to make the most out of our PR exercise. This would be great opportunity for you to see what goes on. Meet some of the team, you’ll get to meet the rest later on. Next week, we’re heading to Monaco…”
“Monaco?” I ask already knowing that it was expected I’d travel with them.
“Yes.” It’s Frank’s voice that fills the room and Les nods, agreeing with him, but it’s the childish smug look on Ryan’s face that has my stomach doing somersaults. He’s not going to make any time we have to spend together easy.
“You’ll be given full access to everywhere we go.”
“Frank, I’m not so sure. What if I’m needed here,” I say, thinking about him and Grace.
“Ellie, I’ll take care of everything here, and if anything changes at all, I’ll let you know and we can arrange a flight home ASAP. Got it?”
I nod and look away, but I catch the look of concern on Ryan’s face. He’s probably wondering what the hell is going on with the silly woman.
“Good. Everything is settled then. You can travel with us back to the track,” Les says.
“I’ve got my car here.”
“One of us will drop you back to pick it up. It gives us a chance to talk over a few things.”
Everyone in the room stands, and it’s now I see Ryan cast his eyes over my appearance, a curve forming at the corner of his lips. Yes, I do look completely different to last Friday night. “Frank, remember to call me.”
“I will as soon as I have any news.”
The gents all say their goodbyes and I walk behind Les into the main office area. Felicity is sitting at her desk in the far corner, and even from here, I can see the thunderous look on her face as she sits with her arms folded across her chest in a child-like huff. It’s not often she looks like that so for now I’ll enjoy this moment and consider it a small victory. Shivers lace my spine when Ryan, who is beside me, places his hand in the small of my back. I glance at him, wanting to tell him to remove it, but when his eyes dart across the room, I follow his gaze. Felicity gasps in horror as she watches him.
I shake my head, frustration coursing through my veins. I’m going to have my work cut out keeping Ryan Jackson in line for however long I’m working with him and Les.
This could be difficult.
“What the actual fucking hell is going on here,” Felicity yells. Now I can’t help but glance back to find Ry
an smiling at Felicity’s outburst on the other side of the office.
“You’re trouble,” I say in a whisper.
“You’d better believe that, Miss Ellie Cooper. With a capital T.”
Chapter 6
“Why hasn’t a photographer been assigned?” I ask Les as we walk towards the highly impressive building before us.
“We can always do a photoshoot if you think we’ll need one,” Les says. “But I’m sure we have more than enough footage of Ryan.”
“I’m sure you do, but if you want to show the world he’s not a playboy then maybe we should saturate the internet with home shoots, some that include his charity work. His car… you get where I’m going with this. I’m sure the world doesn’t want to see him with a different woman on his arm at every event he goes to.”
Les angles his head and nods in agreement, and I can see he’s taken me seriously. Well, he should. It was his bright idea for some good PR.
“It sounds to me that someone might be a little jealous of all the women she’s seen me with.” Ryan doesn’t even try to be discreet with his words.
“Ryan.” I can hear the warning tone in Les’ voice.
“It’s fine, Les. I’m more than capable of dealing with him. I’ve dealt with worse. And please, I’m not jealous. I’ve seen some of the women on your arm. If you’re happy to look as though you’re paying for hookers every weekend, then that’s up to you.”
I walk on before looking back over my shoulder to see Ryan stood in place, staring after me, somewhat gobsmacked. Les is laughing. “She’s put you in your place,” he says before catching up with me. “Frank was right. I had my doubts, but I do think you’re the right person for this job. Just don’t let him get to you. The week before a race, he closes himself off to focus. Some think he’s a moody git. Which he can be, but I like to think of it as his concentration.”
“I’ll try to remember that. Now, I’m excited to have a nosey around.”
Collision: A Driven World Novel (The Driven World) Page 4
