Hollywood Sinners (33 page)

CHAPTER EIGHTY

C
ole ran his tongue across his bottom lip, deciding how to word what came next.

‘I’m going to say a few things,’ he told her, ‘and I don’t want you to come in until I’ve finished.’ He wiped his palms on his trousers and she could tell he was nervous. ‘All right?’

She nodded.

‘I want you to stay.’ He closed his eyes. ‘Despite what you’ve done, I want this marriage to continue. It won’t matter that the baby isn’t mine—I will still maintain you both as if it were.’ He fixed his gaze on her. ‘It is vitally important that you continue to be my wife. The father of this child will receive a handsome sum to stay out of our lives.’ He omitted the fact that an operation was currently under way to find out exactly who that was. The only place this guy would be staying was in the seat of a wheelchair.

‘Think about it, Lana, just for a moment. Here, as my wife, you have security. You have protection, money, support.’ He looked at her, drawing out his ace. ‘I know you didn’t have the best start in life. It doesn’t have to be that way for this child. This child will have everything he or she could possibly want. The best education money can buy. The best opportunities. This child will never be out in the cold, or hungry, or…’ his voice shook ‘...taken advantage of. If you don’t want to stay married to me for your own sake, consider your child.’

Lana was shocked. ‘Your generosity is more than I deserve.’ She meant it. ‘But I can’t stay, Cole. I’m not happy… This marriage is a fake. I want my child to know the difference: to have a real life, as close to an ordinary life as I can give.’

‘This
is
real life!’ objected Cole. ‘We’re rich, OK, and people know who we are, but it doesn’t change things that much.’

‘What we have isn’t normal.’

‘What’s normal?’

She grappled for the words. ‘Love, honesty, truth…’

He groaned. ‘Wake up, Lana; it’s a fantasy—a white-picket-fence fantasy. Don’t you see? Our marriage is like countless others, all over the world. Everywhere you look, people like us, in marriages like ours, and I’ll tell you why. We barely see each other, we barely talk, we keep secrets, we make out like we’re happy when we’re not.’ He waited. ‘Has it ever occurred to you that
I’m
unhappy?’ He held his arms out. ‘Has it? You forget I have feelings too, Lana.’

She opened her mouth to speak.

‘You forget because we’re estranged, just like the rest of them. But at least we
acknowledge
it. We’ve built a structure that enables us to operate in set parameters. That’s “normal”. Not your fantasy love story.’

‘“Operate in set parameters”? Cole, don’t you want more? Don’t you want passion?’

He laughed grimly. ‘Passion is nothing but weakness. Sordid weakness. You just have to step outside to see how it’s torn this town apart. Passion destroys.’

Lana shook her head. ‘I know that kind of happiness exists. You can’t tell me different.’

‘Only in the movies, Lana. We do a good job of convincing them, don’t we?’ He poured himself a Scotch and threw it back in one. ‘You want reality? Take a look around. This is it.’

‘I don’t believe that.’

A flash of the Cole she knew better. ‘I knew this would be the problem in taking a younger wife. All the damn naivety.’

‘I’m not naive,’ she countered. ‘I’m hopeful. There’s a difference, and there’s
our
difference. You’ve given up—I haven’t. That’s why we can never work, no matter what
parameters
you set.’

Cole’s expression closed, sudden and final as a light being turned off.

‘I am so sorry for what I’ve put you through,’ she went on. ‘You needn’t be so good as to offer me this and I’m aware of that. But it doesn’t change anything. After Vegas I want out.’ She touched her stomach. ‘This has changed me, Cole. When I first came to Hollywood I was set on this life—I
wanted
it. I wanted to be your wife. I wanted to get as far away from the place I’d come as I could. God. This marriage was all about the next role. The next role was all about
Eastern Sky
.
Eastern Sky
was all about the Award nomination. The nomination was all about…’

She shrugged. ‘Isn’t it funny—I don’t even know any more. It’s heartless. It doesn’t have a soul. And if you want to take me down, go right ahead. I probably deserve it. The thing is, I no longer care. It’s not what’s important, none of it.’

Cole looked at her sadly. ‘You’re living on another planet, Lana. This one thrives on business. Not your love-struck idle philosophies.’

Lana let his words settle but she could not adopt them as her own. With Cole she was forever arguing that black was white—they belonged to different worlds.

He came to sit next to her, defeated.

‘I promise to keep my word,’ she told him gently. ‘I’ll take the force of this, not you.’

He dropped his face in his hands and shook his head.

‘I’ll never reveal us,’ she went on. ‘Cole, I know this is desperate for you. I know the circumstances are impossible. I know it’s the hardest thing—’

‘You don’t know how I got here.’

She looked at him sadly. ‘You don’t know how I did.’

He laughed emptily. ‘Believe it or not, Lana, I am not a cruel man.’ He stared ahead, his expression unreadable.

She took his hand. It was small and cold. ‘I know you’re not,’ she said. ‘I do know that.’

CHAPTER EIGHTY-ONE

T
hey arranged to meet in a disused underground parking lot downtown.

Chloe arrived before him and waited nervously in the lot, thinking about what she would say. Her hair tied back, she wore muted greys and blacks: it was a safe place, according to Jimmy, and she guessed he’d know, but she’d felt paranoid the past week and wanted to stay firmly off the radar.

As she was beginning to think he’d blown her out, she saw Jimmy loping towards her across the empty lot in his familiar, clumsy gait. The pad of his footsteps echoed around the space.

‘Sorry, got caught up,’ he panted, immediately feeling his pockets for a cigarette packet. She guessed he was all out as his hands came up empty.

‘No worries,’ she said. ‘We should keep this brief.’

‘Yeah.’ He looked agitated.

‘I just wanted to make sure we were cool. You know, about everything.’

‘Sure,’ he said, eyes darting at every noise.

‘You’re married.’

‘So I am.’

Chloe nodded. ‘That’s all I wanted to say. We don’t need to speak about this again, right? To anyone.’

Jimmy was affronted. ‘You think I want to go shouting it from the rooftops?’ he hissed. ‘I’m happy with Kate.’

‘I’m glad.’

‘We’ve decided to give it another go, properly this time.’ He shrugged. He was so tall and cartoonish-looking that it was like a wooden puppet whose strings someone was operating from above. ‘I’m a changed man.’

‘Of course you are.’

He didn’t pick up on her tone. Instead he scuffed his trainers on the ground. ‘It was fun.’

‘Yeah.’ Chloe leaned back against the wall, folded her arms and looked away. It was stupid to feel even a note of rejection, but still she felt a twinge in all the vulnerable places. Though she didn’t want to pursue things, she still felt ultimately, perversely, discarded.

‘OK,’ he said.

‘OK,’ she said. She cleared her throat. ‘Good luck.’

Jimmy smiled. Briefly he wondered if there was an outside chance of a for-old-times’-sake blow job, but it seemed inappropriate to ask.

‘Goodbye, then.’ He bowed his head a little. If it had been a hundred years ago, Chloe thought, he would have doffed his cap. She nodded.

‘See ya.’ It was meant to come out casual but just sounded juvenile.

Job done, Jimmy turned and lurched off, hands buried in his pockets. Chloe watched him go, made sure he was out of sight before she followed.

It’s over.

She felt a wash of white relief, brighter still as she followed his trail and emerged into the LA sunlight. Now she could focus on the premiere without any distractions. Pulling a cap down over her ears, she headed for her Jeep.

Suddenly her phone buzzed in the back pocket of her jeans. The thought flitted across her mind that it was Jimmy, pleading a change of heart. It had better not be. She wanted to forget the whole damn thing had ever happened.

It was a text message, from a number she didn’t recognise. Thinking it was someone at the agency, she opened it.

Who’s been sleeping with my husband?

Chloe stopped. The person behind knocked into her, snatching her breath.

She stared at the screen. The words stared back.

Frantically she dialled Jimmy’s number. It went straight to answer phone. She tried again and the same thing happened.

A dizzy sensation throttled her. It felt like she was in water, feeling for the bottom but her feet didn’t touch the ground.

Hands shaking, she redialled. As it connected, another message came through.

I know who.

See you in Vegas, darling.

CHAPTER EIGHTY-TWO

K
ate pulled up on the gravelled drive, opened the door to the Escalade and dragged out a mountain of shopping bags. Acquisition of a new wardrobe topped off with a rejuvenating spa session, it had been the perfect morning.

As she headed up to the house, Kate caught her reflection in the window of Jimmy’s Mercedes. She liked what she saw. Her surgeon was a very clever man. His efforts, combined with daily work-outs, a good diet and once-a-week therapy, had worked wonders. She was still the old Kate diLaurentis, except now she wasn’t old.

It was one-thirty. Excellent. She would have lunch with the children, wear herself out sufficiently with the idle chit-chat they required, then head out to the pool for a swim. That should pretty much fill the day.

With great pleasure Kate extracted her purchases from their huge, crisp white paper bags, holding them up to admire the wisdom of her choices. This time only a few months ago she would never have had the confidence to wear anything like this. Buckled ankle boots, a gorgeous prom-style mini-dress, tangled piles of statement chain jewellery. Her new stylist had put her firmly on the fashion pulse.

Admittedly it wasn’t just her body that had changed, but her attitude too. Which was just as well: her new image was set to be unveiled at the
Eastern Sky
premiere, the perfect showcase for her imminent comeback. With Jimmy on her arm, silencing critics who suggested their marriage was in crisis, it meant maximum publicity—and all of it positive, for a change. She couldn’t wait to see the papers the next day, could imagine the headlines now: STUNNING KATE: NAUGHTY AT FORTY, etc.,. etc.

She repacked the purchases and poured herself a glass of iced water—excellent for suppressing the appetite, according to her dietician. The lawn sprinklers were on, drenching the garden in watery beads that glittered in the sunlight. Kate felt good.

The messages had been inspired. What she had planned for Chloe French was the ultimate humiliation—just as the girl had humiliated her—but this made for a fabulous prelude.

She heard the door go.

‘Kate, are you home?’

Jimmy entered the kitchen, a wide smile splitting his face. He was brandishing the most enormous bouquet she had ever seen. Unexpectedly he kissed her on the cheek.

‘You look beautiful,’ he said, standing back to look at her.

‘Thank you,’ she smiled, graciously accepting the flowers and the compliment. Reclaiming her husband’s attentions was certainly agreeable.

‘How was your morning?’ he asked, desperate to please.

‘No complaints.’ She nodded to the shopping bags and they smiled at each other, a little uncomfortably. It was as if they’d forgotten how to communicate outside an argument.

She turned her back to fetch a vase. ‘And yours?’

When she came back round, Jimmy was on his knees.

‘Jimmy, what—’

‘Kate, listen,’ he said, producing something from the pocket of his denim jacket. A small, square, velvet box. ‘I’ve fucked up. Believe me, I know that. But from now on, no more bullshit, no more lies. I promise you, I’ve changed. I love you. I want us to be happy again; I want our family to work. Can you find it in your heart to give me another chance? I’ve had more than I deserve but I’m not too proud to ask for one more. You can trust me, Kate—I give you my word.’ He opened the box to reveal a massive, winking cluster of diamonds. ‘Be my wife again.’

Kate was stunned. She didn’t know what to say. Many times she had imagined Jimmy realising the error of his ways, sometimes with a passionate declaration such as this, but she’d never once thought he’d actually manage it. It was pleasing, very pleasing. But after years of infidelity, could she really believe him?

That diamond
was
rather spectacular. Carefully she placed the vase down.

‘Jimmy, you hurt me.’ She shook her head. ‘Over and over.’

Jimmy gave the box a little lift, as if to remind her it was there. ‘I realise that, Kate, honest to God. But I want to show you that I
can
make it right. Let me prove it to you.’

‘The affairs are over?’ She tried to keep the bitterness from her voice. ‘All of them?’

‘All of them.’ He gazed up at her solemnly, like someone in church.

She was unconvinced.

‘Look,’ he said, ‘I’ll be truthful, so you know the lies stop here, now, today. I
was
seeing a girl. But I called it off, OK?
I
called it off. I didn’t want her any more. I realised I wanted you.’

Kate arched an eyebrow. ‘You didn’t want her?’

‘I didn’t want her.’ A beat. ‘We can work through this, Kate. Together, we can do anything. You, me and the kids.’ He put a hand on his heart. ‘You’re my woman.’

It was sweet, she had to give him that. And it all she’d wanted to hear since she’d first learned he was playing around. This was her opportunity to reclaim her husband—on her terms.

Now there was just one last thing to overcome.

Saying nothing, Kate drew up her skirt and peeled off her knickers, looping one foot through and then the other. She did it slowly. Jimmy, still on his knees, watched transfixed, the box open in his hand like a shell. He was like a boy at the seaside.

She plucked the ring from him, examined it and put it on the very end of her finger, holding it there with her thumb. Taking a step closer, she positioned herself in front of him.

‘If you want me back, Jimmy Hart,’ she murmured, hooking one leg over his shoulder and drawing him close, ‘I’m open to persuasion.’