Injury (13 page)
Authors: Val Tobin
Cope stood and strode across the living room, stopping when
he reached Dani. “Why didn’t you tell me you own Star Power Investments?”
Stomach dropping, Dani gasped. “Where did you hear that?”
“The news, Dani. It’s all over the fucking news that my
girlfriend is setting me up in business.”
Frightened of his raised voice, Dani backed away from him.
“Cope, I didn’t think it should matter. I had minimal influence on the deal.”
“But you were involved, and you knew I was dealing with
them, yet you didn’t say a word to me. Don’t you have any respect for me?”
“Of course, I do,” she whispered.
Cope turned away from her. “Do you have a girlfriend you can
call?”
Dani put a hand on his shoulder, fear making her nauseated.
“Why? Where are you going?”
His shoulders shrugged, throwing her hand off, and he
returned to the living room couch. “Call your girlfriend so you’re not alone. I
need time to think. I’ll call my lawyer to see if I can back out of the
contract.”
“You can’t.” Voice still a whisper, Dani’s face flushed with
shame.
“I can’t?” Cope’s eyes narrowed, and his mouth twisted into
a scowl. “Why not?”
“The process is in motion. Since Star Power transferred the
funds to your account, you’d lose a lot of money if you tried to back out.
Please, don’t go. We’ll discuss it.”
“Call your friend, Dani. Now.” Cope stood and paced between
the coffee table and the door. “I don’t want to leave you alone—not after what
happened to you earlier. But I can’t stay. So I’ll wait for your friend to get
here, and then I’m leaving. Do you understand?”
Numb, Dani picked up her cell phone and called Liz, who
promised to be right over, no questions asked. Dani’s throat threatened to
close, and knees shaking, she sank to the couch.
“Sit, Robert. Please? Don’t just stand there.”
“I’ll wait here.”
Breath hitching, Dani tried to hold back the tears until he
was gone. Gone. She’d feared all along that what she had with Cope was too good
to last. “Won’t you let me explain?”
“Not now.” His face softened as their gazes locked, and a
spark of hope kindled inside her. But not for long.
“I love you. But I can’t be with a woman who manipulates and
lies to me. You went behind my back. You knew I didn’t want help from anyone,
even my parents, but that didn’t matter to you.”
“No, you don’t understand. I love you, too.”
He held up a hand, stopping her. “Not now. I can’t bear your
excuses right now. Respect me enough to give me that much.”
The intercom buzzed. Cope pressed the button and asked who
was there. When Liz responded, Cope told her to come on up. The doorbell rang,
and he pressed his eye to the peephole, exaggerating his moves. Any other time,
Dani would have found that amusing. Now, it broke her heart.
He opened the door, and Liz stepped inside, immediately
rushing to Dani’s side. “Oh, honey, are you okay?”
Dani directed her gaze at the floor and nodded, but the
tears overflowed her eyes and streamed down her cheeks.
“That bastard. I hope they lock him up forever.”
Through choked sobs, Dani said, “I’m not crying because of
Greg.” She lifted her head to look at Cope—beg him to stay—and saw he wasn’t
there.
“Oh, God, Liz, what have I done? He’s gone.” Dani tumbled
into Liz’s arms and let the tears flow.
***
Liz stroked Dani’s back while she choked out her story. “I
let the team decide whether to lend him the money or not. If it wasn’t a viable
investment, they could’ve said ‘no.’”
“Did you tell him that?”
“I tried. But he refused to let me talk. What am I going to
do?” She didn’t want to beg him, but she also didn’t want to lose a
relationship with potential.
“How’d he find out you own the investment company?”
“The news, which makes it so much worse. God knows what they
said.” Dani and Liz exchanged glances.
“One way to find out,” Liz said.
Dani grabbed the remote control from the coffee table and
flicked on the television. The news channel appeared, but they were showing a
global news story. The two women waited for breaking news to scroll around
again.
When it did, Greg Henderson’s arrest was the lead story.
Reporters following Henderson and hanging out in front of Dani’s apartment
building had caught him entering the complex and being led out again by the
police. The anchor, Lisa Knowles, an older woman in a navy business suit, face
neutral, described the litany of charges: attempted rape, assault, resisting
arrest, and assaulting a police officer. Henderson had apparently punched the
police officer leading him away.
The video footage flicked to Dani and Cope kissing in front
of the limo outside the restaurant at which they’d had their first lunch date.
Tears blurred Dani’s vision, and she reached for a tissue. Knowles mentioned
Dani’s relationship with Cope while a montage of images on the screen flashed
behind the newscaster.
Cope at a restaurant; Dani coming out of a store; Cope and
Dani exiting a restaurant; and Cope entering the building where his limo
service headquartered. The camera closed in on the scene, the image freezing
while Knowles described Cope’s business and his backers at Star Power.
“Star Power, owned by Robert Copeland’s girlfriend, Daniella
Grayson, funds the venture.” The camera panned out, and Knowles turned to her
co-anchor, a middle-aged man with a cleft chin. “Must be nice to have friends
in rich places, am I right, George?”
A chill went up Dani’s spine, and she felt sick.
“Can you call someone a sugar baby if they’re older than
their benefactor, Lisa?” George laughed, and Knowles chuckled in response.
“You wouldn’t think this guy needed to be a kept man since
his parents are wealthy. I guess if Mom and Dad don’t help you get your start,
there’s always a rich girlfriend.”
Bile rose in Dani’s throat, and she fought the urge to
vomit. No wonder Cope was so angry with her. The media had twisted her
intentions and made him look like a gold digger. “Oh my God, Liz. Oh, God.”
Dani buried her head in her hands and sobbed.
Liz placed a hand on Dani’s back and with gentle strokes
tried to soothe her.
In the days following Henderson’s arrest, the publicity
machine geared into overtime and Dani saw her face, Henderson’s face, and
Cope’s face everywhere she looked. The headlines made her cringe and brought
tears to her eyes. The media referred to Cope as “sugar baby” and “kept man,”
running with the terms flung out so carelessly by the newscasters on that first
day.
Work on the film occupied Dani’s days—and even her evenings
when the shoot ran long. Her nights were lonely and cold, despite the heatwave
that gripped the city. Cope didn’t call, and Dani, though tempted to text or
phone him, held back, giving him his space. She distracted herself by spending
more time at the organization for abused children where she volunteered.
Dani kept tabs on Cope and the progress he made getting his
limo service open for business through Star Power. The media noticed their
separation and reported on it. A tabloid printed pictures of Cope at a
restaurant with a sexy blonde woman. Katherine. Dani found the paper on a table
in the lobby of her apartment building when she returned from work late one evening.
She snagged it, read it, and then shredded it while the tears streamed down her
face. Again.
That moment was the closest she came to raiding her liquor
cabinet. She went as far as opening the door and removing a bottle of tequila.
A memory of Greg Henderson staggering into her apartment and ruining his career
popped into her head, and she put the bottle back. Determined to avoid turning
to alcohol, Dani locked the bar, forced herself off the floor, and stumbled to
the kitchen to find something to eat.
A small salad would put healthy food in her body, and she
thought her stomach could accept it without rebelling. Her appetite had been
abysmal since Cope left. While she ate, sitting at the kitchen table, resisting
the temptation to turn on the news, she wondered what she would do if Cope
refused to see her again.
Their time together had been so blissful—at least, according
to Dani. How could he be so angry with her he’d give that up? Maybe it hadn’t
been as blissful for him. If it was so easy for him to leave her, better it had
happened before they’d made a serious commitment to one another.
How sad that the one time they’d said the ‘L’ word to each
other it’d been when he’d walked out on her, perhaps forever. Dani dropped her
fork onto the table when the tears dripped into her salad, covered up the
barely-touched greens, and stuck it in the fridge.
She glanced at the clock, which read 9:06 PM. Dani went to
her purse and grabbed her phone. If Liz was available, they could meet up and
go to a club. It’d been ages since Dani had gone out.
Her girlfriend wasn’t home, but Dani, craving people,
decided she’d go to Vibrations alone. The club was one she’d frequented before
she’d dated Cope, and she’d know enough of the regulars there to feel
comfortable. If she stayed home, she’d mope and wallow in self-pity, and she’d
had enough of that shit.
An hour later, Dani entered the club. Music throbbed around
her and she made her way to the bar, waving to the people she knew. Soon, a
group formed around her. After ordering a cranberry spritzer, Dani sat in a
booth with a group of acquaintances she didn’t realize she’d missed until she
saw them again.
“How’s the film coming along?” said Eric
Wayan
,
the young man sitting on Dani’s right. A scruffy beard offset his bright blue eyes
and handsome face. Perhaps he was trying to give the illusion of fullness to a
slim, tapered face. Dani didn’t like the bearded look, but Eric’s was neat and
trim and gave him a bad-boy appearance that attracted her.
Dani smiled. “Great. We’re shooting every day. I can’t stay
long tonight, but I had to get out.”
“Care to dance?” He stood and offered her his hand.
Why not?
She’d
decided to have fun tonight, even with that hollow space in her gut where
Cope’s love used to be. “Okay.” Dani tossed back the rest of her drink and
followed Eric out onto the dance floor.
Somehow, she had fun. While she didn’t get Cope out of her
head, Eric at least made the evening a pleasant distraction. He kept her
dancing and made her laugh. At midnight, Dani noticed the time and realized
she’d killed the night. With an early-morning shoot, she’d better get home.
“I have to leave.” Hoarse from screaming over the music all
evening, Dani gestured at the doors to make sure Eric got the message.
“Okay. Would you like me to drive you?”
Dani shook her head. “I have my driver here.”
“Can I see you again? Will you go out for dinner with me
tomorrow?”
About to refuse, Dani considered that if she stayed in
tomorrow, she’d spend the evening lost and heartbroken. Far better to get out
and keep busy though she wondered if that meant she was using Eric. “Okay, but
it’s not a date.”
Eric smiled. “Is there something wrong with dating me?”
“I’m getting over a breakup. I don’t want to give you the
wrong idea.”
He took her hand and pressed it to his cheek. “It’s okay,
Dani. I know you and your boyfriend just split up. His loss. I don’t want to
replace him. No pressure on you, all right? Just me taking you out for a nice
dinner—no strings.”
His hands were warm and soothing. Dani inhaled deeply, paused,
and then exhaled slowly, trying to rid herself of the feeling that a date was
admitting that what she’d had with Cope was over. The thought brought tears to
her eyes again, and she bit her lip and held her breath, attempting to get
control of her emotions. “Yes. I’ll go out for dinner with you tomorrow. Text
me the details, and I’ll meet you at the restaurant.”
“Why don’t you give me your address and phone number, and
I’ll come and get you? I’ll drive.”
Dani considered. John and Cope had wanted her to take the
limo wherever she went, and Ryan Pearlman, the bodyguard Cope had selected,
followed her into whatever establishment she entered. She glanced over at the
bar, where Ryan sat waiting for her, nursing a coffee.
But Henderson was in jail—no possible threat there, Cope
didn’t give a shit, and John, well, she’d worry about John’s reaction if he
ever found out. Fuck the bodyguard. “Okay. Give me your cell phone.”
Eric handed her his phone, and she input her information. He
agreed to pick her up at eight o’clock, and Dani signaled to Ryan that she was
ready to go.
Back in the car, Dani kicked off her sandals and massaged
her sore feet while Ryan drove home. Tired but feeling lighter than she had in
days, Dani reclined in her seat and stared out the window.
Up ahead loomed Cope’s building. She wondered what he was
doing tonight and thanked her good sense she wasn’t drunk. Even sober she
wanted to pick up her phone and call him. If she’d been drinking, he’d have
gotten a call similar to the one Henderson had given Dani—rambling,
half-incoherent, and ingratiating.
As the car sailed past Cope’s skyscraper, Dani pressed her
nose against the window and wished with all her heart that that was her
destination.
The date started out well enough. Eric picked Dani up in a
sleek Corvette convertible. After riding around in limos for so long, Dani
thrilled at the wind whipping her hair, and the sultry, humid evening charged
with excitement. Eric’s fair hair and tan complexion contrasted with Dani’s
dark locks and pale skin. When she had caught their reflection in the lobby
doors, she’d felt a measure of smugness. If their pictures made it into
tomorrow’s papers, they’d look spectacular.
But the moment they arrived at Genius, the evening took a
turn for the worse. Dani hadn’t expected Eric to select this restaurant, but
why wouldn’t he? It was trendy and popular, frequented by celebrities. He may
have seen pictures of her here with Cope, but Eric wouldn’t know this was where
she’d had her first lunch date with the former limo driver.
Flashbulbs popped and voices called her name. Her hand
tucked into the crook of Eric’s arm, Dani walked toward the restaurant’s
entrance without pausing. She wiggled her fingers in greeting at the fans who
called to her and ignored the reporters.
The couple stepped into the darkness of the restaurant, and
when her eyes recovered from the camera flashes and adjusted to the low light,
Dani scanned the dining room. And there he was: Cope—with a date.
Dani’s heart drooped and sorrow overwhelmed her when Cope
lifted his head and met her gaze. His eyes betrayed surprise, then they widened
in shock when he registered Eric next to her. The woman with him—Katherine, his
old friend, Margaret’s favorite—leaned over, laid a hand on his shoulder, and murmured
in his ear.
That broke the eye-lock Dani and Cope had established, and
Dani wondered how long her prison term would be if she went over and slugged
the bimbo.
“Is everything okay?” Eric said.
Dani realized she was holding her breath and exhaled with a
small sigh. “Yes, everything’s fine. Why?”
Before he could reply, Francois, the maître d’ appeared and,
recognizing Dani, welcomed them. “Please, follow me. I have the perfect table.”
“I made a reservation,” Eric said.
“Yes, sir,” Francois replied. “This way.”
Dani smiled what she hoped was a radiant smile and threw a
glance in Cope’s direction, but averted her eyes when his gaze once again met
hers. Focused on following the headwaiter, Dani kept her hand on Eric’s arm.
When they were seated, Eric took her hand. “Are you
uncomfortable?”
“No. Why?” She played dumb, not sure if Eric knew she’d
spotted Cope. Self-conscious with Eric’s hand on hers, Dani forced herself not
to snatch her hand from his. If it bothered Cope, what did it matter? She had
as much right to be out with another man as Cope had to be out with another
woman. But did it have to ache so much?
“Your ex-boyfriend is here. Sorry, Dani. I didn’t expect him
to be here.”
“It’s okay, Eric. How could you have known?” Dani extricated
her hand from Eric’s and flipped the menu open, scanned it, and wondered what
she could order that would stay down. The sight of Cope with that woman had
made her lose her appetite.
A salad. She’d order a salad and mineral water. That, at
least, should land in her stomach without wanting a return trip. The waiter
appeared and took their order, and then Dani attempted to take an interest in
Eric. “How’s the marketing business doing?”
“It’s going well. I’ve just landed a new client.”
Eric worked for a PR firm doing Internet marketing and had
done well for himself. He’d worked his way up from a junior position and was
now director of sales. A long-haired woman requesting an autograph interrupted
their discussion. Dani scribbled her name on a piece of paper.
Francois appeared and confronted the woman. “I’m sorry,
ma’am, but we frown on customers disrupting meals to get autographs from
celebrities here. Please return to your table.”
The woman blushed and hurried away. Francois turned to Dani.
“My apologies, Miss Grayson. I’ll see that it doesn’t happen again. Security
will keep a closer watch on your table.”
“Thank you,” Dani said.
Francois nodded and left. Dani smiled at Eric. “They’re
great at controlling that here, but sometimes, someone slips past. Security
knows, and they take care of me. Sorry for the interruption.”
“It’s not your fault,” Eric replied. “It goes with the
territory. Must frustrate sometimes.”
Raised voices caught Dani’s attention, and she turned her
head in the direction from which it came. Cope argued with a woman. He’d headed
toward Dani’s table, and security had intervened. His indignant voice reached
Dani’s ears. “I’m not just a fan. We’re friends, and I have a right to speak to
her.”
Cope stepped around the woman trying to hold him back and
approached Dani’s table. Face flushed, frown distorting his handsome features,
and hands fisted, Cope looked like he wanted to slug something.
Dani glanced at the date he’d left behind at the table.
Katherine’s gaze followed Cope as he strode to Dani’s side. The stunned concern
on the blonde’s face made Dani smug and guilty at the same time.
Security followed Cope, looking questioningly at Dani, who
waved her hand to indicate it was okay. The woman nodded and said, “I’ll be
nearby if you need me, Miss Grayson.” She resumed her position at the side of
the room.
“Cope?” Dani said when he reached the table.
“Where’s Ryan Pearlman?” he said through gritted teeth.
He’d fought his way to her table to ask about the bodyguard?
“I don’t know.”
“What do you mean you don’t know?”
“Go back to your date, Cope. I came with Eric tonight. And I
don’t answer to you.”
Eric spoke up then. “Miss Grayson and I are on a date.” He
looked at Dani then. “Want me to call security back?”
Dani glanced at Eric and shook her head. “No, I’m sure Mr. Copeland
was just leaving.” She turned back to Cope. “If you think we have something to
discuss, call me tomorrow. Otherwise, your date’s getting annoyed.”
Face flushed with fury, Cope turned on his heel and returned
to his table. When he sat, he looked over at Dani again, and she felt her
insides churn at the obvious pain in his eyes.
The waiter arrived with their drinks, setting a mineral
water with lime in front of Dani and a glass of beer in front of Eric. When
he’d left, Dani gave Eric a weak smile. “I’m sorry for that, too.”
“Again, that wasn’t your fault. Let’s try to make the best
of it. I’m sure he won’t bother you anymore. You’ve made your position clear.”
The waiter arrived with their food, and Dani picked at the
arugula salad while Eric feasted on steak, potatoes, and mixed vegetables.
Throughout the meal, Dani stole glances at Cope’s table.
His date no longer looked shaken, but rather appeared to be
having the time of her life. To Dani, the woman’s gestures of affection toward
Cope and bursts of giggles seemed contrived. A knot of jealousy formed in
Dani’s stomach at the sight. She remembered, in painful detail, the wonderful
times she’d spent with Cope, both here and at their respective apartments. She
tried not to recall the picnic on the beach. Her heart hurting, Dani gazed into
her salad, picked up a single leaf with her fork, and nibbled on it.
“Dani?” Eric’s said gently. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. I’m sorry. I guess I wasn’t paying attention.”
“You’ve barely touched your salad.”
Dani stared at her plate. “It’s delicious.” She took another
forkful and chewed it slowly.
“Why don’t we leave?” Eric suggested. “We can go to my place
where it’s not so distracting.”
Not sure how to respond to that, Dani glanced again at
Cope’s table. The two had finished their meal and were enjoying coffee and
dessert. One plate. Two forks.
Dani’s breath caught in her throat, and her stomach
threatened to reject the arugula she’d just swallowed. “I’d love to get out of
here, Eric. Okay. Let’s go to your place. Finish your dinner, and we’ll leave.”
“I’m done. Sorry, but I should have insisted on leaving when
I saw your reaction to Copeland’s presence. I’ve lost my appetite too.” For the
first time since they’d arrived, Eric showed irritation at the situation.
Dani flushed and lowered her gaze, unable to meet his eyes.
“I’m not mad at you, Dani. I don’t know what happened
between you and Copeland, other than what I’ve read or heard in the press, but
he was crazy to let you go. Now you’re not with him, he had no right to intrude
on our date.” Eric signaled the waiter and asked for the bill.
Tempted to check on Cope again, Dani forced herself to focus
on Eric. They chatted while they waited for the server to return, and Dani
concentrated on comprehending everything Eric said. At one point, Eric took
Dani’s hand, which rested on the table, and held it. Her gaze jumped to Cope,
who caught her glance and frowned at her.
Eric released her hand when he noticed where Dani was
looking. “Maybe it’s too soon for you to be going out with someone else.” The
irritation was back in his voice.
“I’m so sorry, Eric. His presence makes me self-conscious.
I’ll be all right away from here. I promise.” At least, she hoped she’d be all
right once they left the restaurant. Obligation made her want to stay with Eric
and salvage the evening though her heart ached. What she wanted was to go home,
curl up in bed, and cry.
By the time Eric paid the bill, Dani’s nerves had frayed to
a ragged edge, and it took concerted effort not to bolt out of the restaurant. Finally,
Eric stood and offered her his arm. Dani rose and, grasping the proffered arm
lightly with one hand, she let him lead her to the door. With every step she
fought the urge to see what Cope was doing, what his date was doing.
None of my business.
But how could he have moved on when he’d never even allowed her to explain her
side of what had happened? She’d asked herself that at least a hundred times
since Cope had walked out on her and pondering it escalated the hurt.
A crowd on the street greeted them as they stepped onto the
sidewalk. Dani cringed and huddled against Eric while the mob pressed in around
them. He put an arm around her, protected her, while they waited for the valet
to get the car.
Camera flashes exploded around them, and Dani wondered how
Cope would react to seeing her nestled against Eric. Afraid it would make Cope
abandon her forever, she wanted to step away from Eric, but the press of people
around them froze her to the spot. Relieved to see the car at last, Dani
allowed Eric to help her into the passenger seat.
Eric’s apartment turned out to be near Dani’s, and, though
followed by paparazzi, they arrived in less than twenty minutes. Silent through
the ride up in the elevator, Dani wondered how long she’d have to stay before
she could go home. The doors slid open on the fourth floor, and the two stepped
into the hallway, Eric reaching for Dani’s hand. She let him take it, and they
walked to his unit still in silence.
The door opened onto a large, one-bedroom apartment,
sparsely furnished. “I haven’t decorated much since I moved in. I guess I’m
waiting for the right woman’s touch.”
At those words, Dani’s head snapped around, and she stared,
wide-eyed, at Eric.
“Relax, Dani. I’m not implying anything. Have a seat, and
I’ll make coffee or tea. Which do you prefer?”
“Tea please. I’ll help you.” That would give her something
to do, and at least he wasn’t trying to get her to drink alcohol now they were
in his apartment. Was Cope taking Katherine back to his place now? Were they
going to sleep together?
Oh, God, I can’t
do this. I have to get out of here.
She couldn’t leave yet. They hadn’t even sat down. Dani
asked Eric where the teapot was while he filled the kettle. This would be a
long night.