Man Trouble (36 page)

He picked up on the second ring. “Hello!”

“Carter?” Molly had to make an effort to keep her voice sounding normal. “Hi, it's me. I was wondering if you want to go out and get a drink.”

“Molly! Sure, yeah, I just finished with my meetings. Sorry about missing you for lunch—I have something big going on. Very big. I'll tell you about it later. Do you want to meet in the lobby bar?”

“I'll see you in a few minutes,” Molly said.

The Plaza Hotel was only a short taxi ride from the Berenger Grand, and when Molly walked into the crowded bar, she saw Carter sitting at a corner table, holding a snifter of something that looked like cognac.

“Busy day?” she asked, sitting down.

He nodded.

“What kind of meetings did you have?”

“Oh,” he said vaguely.
“Vanity Fair,
a couple of others…”

“Inside Edge?”

He looked startled, then wary. “Well…”

“Don't you dare lie to me, Carter,” Molly said. “I know what you did.”

“Oh,” he said, as if he were a schoolboy who had been caught stealing candy. Then, to Molly's shock, he grinned at her. “Okay, so I thought it would be a good idea to approach them, right? Just to gauge the interest level, to see what the offer would be. No commitments, though—”

“They're breaking the story tomorrow,” Molly said through her teeth. “How does ‘no commitments’ fit into that? Don't try to tell me that you don't know about it. You taped me. You betrayed me!”

“No, no!” Carter said quickly. “I didn't betray you. We're splitting the money, just like we talked about. They're paying half a million for the story, and another two-fifty if you agree to do an in-depth interview next week. It's the best deal we're going to get, believe me. This is big! I know you had mixed feelings about going public—”

“Mixed feelings!
I never had mixed feelings—I said no! How dare you do this, Carter! How
could
you? I trusted you. I thought you were my friend.”

“I am your friend. I know you're upset, and this is a little bit of a shock, but it's the best possible move, I'm telling you. I'm trying to look out for you. Otherwise, you'll walk away from this fake engagement with nothing, and that isn't fair. It isn't right.”

Molly fought back a wave of furious tears. The crowd of people around them made it necessary for her to keep her composure, which was exactly why she had wanted to meet Carter in the bar. In private, she might have tried to strangle him. It was not her safety that Tom Amadeo should be worrying about—it was Carter's.

“You aren't looking out for me at all,” she said. “You never were. You only care about yourself. That's why you told the press that I was Sandra St. Claire—it wasn't Jake who wanted to force me into agreeing to the fake engagement, it was you! You wanted the
access,
the
scoop…
you didn't care that you ruined my life in the process.”

“But I didn't ruin it,” Carter said. “Right? You never belonged at Belden, you said so yourself. But you weren't getting any closer to figuring that out; you were miserable, wasting your time clinging to the idea that you had to be an academic. I helped you figure out that you were really meant to be a novelist.”

“You helped me?” Molly repeated. She felt sick. Was he lying to her, or had he really deluded himself into believing that he had acted in the name of friendship?

“I know it was painful for a while,” Carter continued, “but it was the right thing to do. You're happy now! You should thank me. Not just any friend would have the integrity to risk the whole friendship to help you. I did, and it worked, right? So you should realize that you can trust me now. I know what I'm doing with
Inside Edge.
This is the right decision.”

“It is not,” Molly said. “And it wasn't your decision to make. None of the things you did ever had anything to do with my wishes. Even if I was making mistakes, it was my life! They were my mistakes! You had no right to interfere.”

“I made it better,” Carter said sulkily. “I don't see why you're mad at me.”

“Because I almost did something terrible to Jake because of your lies! And then, when I refused, you went ahead and did it yourself. You're going to destroy him, Carter! How can you justify that? He never did anything to you.”

Carter looked uneasy. “I told you, he's fair game. You're too emotionally wrapped up in the situation to have a clear perspective, but I do. He's using you. He doesn't love you, and he's not going to—”

“How do you know?” Molly demanded. She felt a hot surge of misery in her chest as she remembered what Jake had said. He had loved her. And now he believed that she had betrayed him. “How do you know that he doesn't love me?”

“Because you're not his type. I spent months researching him, remember?”

“Carter, I want you to stop the story. Call
Inside Edge,
and tell them that it was all a mistake.”

“I can't do that!”

“You have to do it.”

“No, no, Molly. You don't understand. In this business, you don't just hand someone a huge story, then grab it back. This is my whole career, this is everything. I have to go ahead with it. They're already getting the leaders ready—‘Tonight on
Inside Edge,
a shocking exposé of the truth about Jake Berenger, America's most controversial billionaire…'”

Molly exhaled slowly, trying to keep calm. She had to think clearly, had to come up with a way to stop him. “Is Elaine helping you?”

“Her?” Carter looked annoyed, as if his sister were a sore point. “I didn't even bother to ask. She's obsessed with the idea of getting you and Jake married. All she thinks about is her own reputation. Elaine is totally self-centered.”

Molly didn't even try to respond to that. She was just relieved to hear that Elaine was not also in on the scheme. There was only so much betrayal that she could handle in one day, and she already felt past her limit.

“Molly, listen,” Carter said. “You're all mixed up, and you don't know what's best for you, just like when you were at Belden. This deal is really good, and in April, when you're back in Chicago with me and Elaine, you'll be glad that you didn't just let Jake Berenger walk all over you. This is how the world works, believe me. You have to be strong, and take advantage of people who would do the same to you.”

Molly stared numbly at him. He couldn't use that argument to explain why he was taking advantage of her, so he'd told himself that he was helping her. It was an astonishing rationalization for his own ambition and ruthlessness.

She hesitated, as if she were mulling over his words, and then made herself nod slowly. “I don't know…” she said, feigning confusion. “Maybe you're right…”

“I am!”

“They would really pay more for an interview with me?”

“Definitely. And that's just the beginning. We can sell the detailed story to one of the tabloids, and then do a string of interviews, live, print, you name it. Molly, this could be
big!”

It was an indicator of Carter's level of self-delusion that he didn't question her sudden change of heart. And why should he? He had convinced himself that his plan was a great idea, so it would be easy for him to think that he had convinced her, too.

“Carter, wouldn't it be even bigger if I went on the show with you tomorrow? And broke the story myself?”

His eyes widened. “It would be huge. You'd do that?”

Molly forced herself to smile at him, although her heart felt heavy and sad.
So many losses, in such a short time. So many changes, and so many things that turned out so differently than I ever expected.

She nodded. “Yes. I'll do it.”

“They're going to be blown away,” Carter cried gleefully. He slapped the table, and his drink jumped. “I told them that I wouldn't be able to deliver you until next week.”

“Well,” Molly said. “Here I am.”

After Molly left Carter in the bar, she went to the Plaza's reception desk and paid for a single room at the hotel. Her luggage was all at Jake's apartment, but she didn't think it would be a good idea to go back there that night. She had her purse and her wallet, and she could manage without much trouble until the next day. If her plan worked, then by tomorrow night Jake would know that she had never meant him any harm. And if her plan didn't work…Molly pressed her lips together. It was a frightening prospect. If it didn't work, she didn't know how she would ever face him again.

She took her room key and went straight upstairs in the elevator. In the room, she sat down on the bed, picked up the phone, and called Elaine at home in Chicago.

“Molly, dear,” Elaine said warmly. “How nice to hear from you. Are you still in New York? How is Jake?”

“Not good,” Molly said. Briefly, and with as little emotion as possible, she explained to Elaine what Carter had done. There was a horrified inhalation on the other end of the line.

“No,”
Elaine exclaimed. “He hasn't!”

“He has.”

“That snake! How could he? You do know that he's only my half brother? Oh, I cannot believe that he would do something like this.” Elaine paused. “Hmm,” she said. “Actually, on second thought, I can believe it. But my shock is not the issue at hand. My dear, this is a crisis situation. Carter must be stopped.”

“I agree,” Molly said. “That's why I'm calling. I need your help.”

CHAPTER 34

“A
nd we'll tell you the shocking story behind hotel tycoon Jake Berenger's recent engagement to professor-turned-best-selling-novelist Molly Shaw. Was it really true love? Or did something else motivate the handsome billionaire's very public announcement that he was finally settling down? Join us,
tonight,
for an exclusive live interview with Molly Shaw, and get the real…
Inside Edge.”

“Feels like a funeral home in here,” Tom Amadeo said gruffly. “Do you mind if I turn on some lights?”

“Go ahead,” Jake said. He didn't care one way or another. A funeral home seemed like an appropriate atmosphere, since he was about to become a dead man.

It was just before eight
P.M.
, and they were in Jake's apartment. Tom had been pacing the floor, and Jake was sitting on the couch and staring at the enormous plasma television screen mounted on the wall. A group of dancing oranges was singing about a new juice drink, but in a few moments,
Inside Edge
would go live.

They had spent the day trying to stop the story, and had been spectacularly unsuccessful. The show's producers had brushed off the lawyers' threats, and Jake had been unable to get through to Sandy Kertzman, the president of Fox television, who had never ignored his calls before. It all added up to one clear message: They had something good, and they knew it. The identity of that good thing became very clear with the first trailers for the upcoming show.

Molly.

The show's opening montage of busy newsroom shots filled the screen, and Jake felt a wave of nausea. Even at that moment, he couldn't quite believe what she had done. Last night, after Molly and Tom had both gone, he had lain awake in bed, going over the scene in the bathroom. He had replayed it again and again in his mind, analyzing it logically, emotionally, any way that might give him more information. He had almost believed her when she insisted that there had been no interview, and that she had had nothing to do with the news show. She had sounded so horrified, and so sincere.

Jake had finally fallen asleep at two
A.M.
, but it was a restless sleep, and he was awakened by even the slightest noise as he subconsciously listened for the sound of the phone. But Molly didn't call, and he woke early, with a splitting headache.

As the day passed, and they learned that Molly would indeed be appearing on the show, it became obvious that everything she had said had been a lie. Her intention had clearly been to escape from the apartment after Jake had discovered her betrayal. She had been in a tight spot when he had cornered her in the bathroom, and she would have said anything, including confessing love for him, to get out safely.

By six
P.M.
, Jake and Tom had finally conceded defeat. Tom had begun working out an aggressive plan for damage control that involved discrediting Molly in every possible way. He intended to cast a shadow on her morals, her personal life, her past relationships, even her sanity. Jake was simply too numb to think about it. He sat, watching the screen, feeling like a condemned man.

It should have been a day of celebration. That afternoon, in a moment of stunning irony, Jake had gotten a call from Oliver Arias, who reported that all of the recent publicity had caused Berenger room reservations to surge. Bookings were up twenty percent, a stunning increase for a still-shaky market. The company would be having an outstanding fiscal quarter that significantly exceeded the forecasts. When Jake delivered the earnings results in two weeks, it was almost a certainty that the stock price would jump to a point where they were no longer vulnerable to Atlas's hostile offer.

Operation Family Man had succeeded.

Oliver had also wanted to propose a plan by the marketing department to develop a
Pirate Gold
weekend theme package at the Miami and Key West Berenger hotels, but Jake had not been in the mood for that discussion.

The opening music stopped. Tom paused in his pacing and moved to stand behind Jake like a sentry, his hands gripping the back of the couch. “O-kay,” he muttered. “Let's get this over with.”

The camera cut to a close-up of the anchorman. “Welcome to
Inside Edge,”
the man said, gazing levelly at the camera. “I'm Drake Daniels. Tonight: a bizarre conspiracy revealed. In this era of corporate greed and wrongdoing, the public demands the answer to one overwhelming question. How far would an embattled CEO go to secure his own success? Would he lie to his employees? To the press? To the American people? The answer…may shock you.”

Clips began to roll of Jake and Molly together at the Berenger Grand opening, along with a voiceover describing the surprise engagement of the celebrity billionaire to the professor-turned-novelist.

“…years as a confirmed bachelor, the playboy mogul has been associated with the most glamorous and desirable women in the world…”