Second Chances (15 page)

“Is everything all right, ladies?” His eyebrows arched with a question.

The cool actress leaned back and flashed another bright smile. How could someone smile so sweetly while having eyes so cold? Kristin was too stunned from their conversation to speak.

Sophie turned and kissed David’s cheek quickly, and her gaze moved past him across the crowded room. “David! Look, it’s Martha Eddington over there. We simply must go say hello.” She waved at the woman across the crowded room.

The actress stood and pulled David unwillingly to his feet. “Excuse us, won’t you?” She attempted to tug him across the room with her.

David carefully removed Sophie’s hand from his arm. “You go without me. I need a moment with Kristin.”

Sophie crossed her arms and turned those icy blue eyes on Kristin once again. “Just make sure that moment is a brief one, love. My time here is limited, so I have an agenda to keep. And you know how irritated I can get when my plans go astray.” She huffed, pivoted and marched over to the woman she’d waved to.

Kristin stood and David took her hand, moving closer. His other hand tilted her chin to meet his eyes. “This isn’t exactly how I pictured this evening.”

Kristin stared deeply into the dark depths of his eyes.
Her either
. But then again, what
had
she expected? “And what exactly had you pictured?”

“Something quite different.” His thumb traced over the space just under her bottom lip.

David’s touch was soft, intimate. A simple gesture, but it contained so much. Too much to handle right now. His eyes flashed a mixture of apology and…desire?

Kristin took a step back and his hands lowered to his side. She turned her head and caught Sophie shooting daggers her way with those cold blue eyes. Deep down, she was certain the actress was capable of much more than anyone ever expected. What did Sophie mean when she said she’d see them both ruined? Kristin returned her gaze to David.

“You need to deal with Sophie before we can deal with whatever we are to each other.” Sophie was ruining both of their lives. She swallowed the despair in her throat.

“I know.” He ran his hand through his hair, and then stuffed his fingers inside his jeans pocket. “I just didn’t think I would have to do it tonight.”

“Do what tonight?” The sound of the fake sweetness in Sophie’s voice made Kristin’s spine prickle with irritation.

Sophie returned from her conversation on the other side of the room, all smiles. Her eyes betrayed her true feelings whenever they fell on Kristin. Yet again, they pierced Kristin like icy blue knives.

Of course she would be angry at David for spending time with another woman in public, given the situation, but there was there jealousy churning around inside that deadly glare as well.

Sophie possessively wound her arm around David’s again. Her diamond engagement ring glinted in the soft light of the room. “I’ll ask again. Do what tonight?”

“Nothing,” David murmured.

“Well then, I would like to spend some time with David this evening, so could you excuse us? I only have a small amount of time before I have to be back in Glasgow, and my friends over there would like us to come say hello.”

David rolled his eyes. “Sophie, I said”

“Just go, David,” Kristin interjected. She’d had enough of dealing with this woman. This evening had become a complete bust. Kristin had expected a long talk while she and David tried to define what they meant to each other. Instead, she’d gotten blasted with a good dose of Psycho Sophie and constant interruptions.

David’s eyes widened in surprise. “But”

Sophie tugged on his arm triumphantly. “See, now I wasn’t being rude, so you can stop being cross with me. Let’s go say hello to Anthony and Lola.”

Stunned, David allowed Sophie to pull him along with her toward a large and boisterous crowd.

Kristin moved to sit at the bar, her gaze glued to Sophie and David. She should just leave, instead of torturing herself like this. Sophie had flustered her with the threats she’d spouted out of David’s earshot. Is that why she had sent him off with the woman, instead of just dealing with her desires and needs for the evening?

Sophie laughed loudly as she worked the room, dragging David along with her. Her hands touched others and waved, but she always kept one hand on David’s arm. Her intimate touches on his arm, circling his waist, and stroking his hair made Kristin sick to her stomach. Her possessiveness was a show so no one would forget who he was with. As if they could.

Sophie leaned over and kissed David on the lips, and Kristin’s stomach somersaulted and wrenched with fire. It was like someone had suddenly jabbed her without warning by sticking a knife in her chest. Even though the whole engagement was a farce, Sophie’s hands and lips on David had run through Kristin’s heart like a sword. The large empty hole inside her chest hurt more than she could have ever imagined. Kristin could bear no more of this. She had to get out of here and clear her head.

After she asked the bartender directions to the exit, Kristin slid from the barstool and walked briskly through a short hallway that led to a side exit onto a small parking lot. She stopped for a moment, and let the cool, fresh air encompass her like a blanket.

Kristin took a deep breath and stepped away from his grasp. His touch was too much too handle right now, and she needed a clear head. “Please don’t. I’m confused enough as it is.”

David dropped his hand. “I’m sorry. You know I had no idea Sophie was coming tonight.”

Grief at her distress deepened the lines of his brow as he tried to comfort her with hollow words. Even so, after everything that had taken place the past few days, a small part of her wanted nothing more than for David to wrap his arms around her and tell her he loved her.

Kristin tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear. “I know you were shocked to see her, probably almost as shocked as I was, but it doesn’t matter. This whole scenario and other things, just further illustrates why us trying to have or define any type of relationship right now is a bad idea.”

David slowly shook his head back and forth. “Don’t bow out of this. We have a connection, and we owe it to ourselves to explore what it is.”

Kristin rubbed her forehead. “David, I don’t know if I want to know what it is. Sophie has this hold on you that you are unwilling to break, and she acts like a psychotic ex-lover in her jealously over you.”

She dropped her hand and locked eyes with him. “And I think she has something to do with the problems I’ve been having at the gallery.”

His eyebrows pulled together in a look of confusion. “But what purpose could Sophie possibly have in causing problems for your business? How would she benefit from that?”

The anger finally simmered to the surface and rolled around in Kristin’s stomach again. Now he didn’t believe her? “She all but admitted it to me in there, asked how business had been with a smirk. I think she is completely obsessed with you, and will not let you go without a huge battle.”

David snorted in disbelief. “I’m not some grand prize to be won, and I really don’t see how she could have anything to do with your issues at Haven. She’s manipulative, but she’s so egocentric she puts all of her energy into her career. I’m useless to her in any other capacity than that.”

Kristin balled her hands into fists. “Fine, don’t believe me, then.”
Damn him
. He wanted to believe the best about his crazy-fake-fiancé-whatever-the-hell-she-was, then so be it. Tears welled behind her eyes as she spoke, threatening to spill out at any moment. She always hated to cry tears of anger as well as sadness.

David moved toward her tentatively. “Kristin.” His voice was tender.

Her hands clenched an unclenched at her sides. The hot anger rolled up from her stomach into her chest in a blaze. “Why don’t you just go back inside and continue your charade with Sophie? I’m sure she’ll be glad to see you.” She spat the words at him.

David took a small step backward, seemingly stunned by her sudden abrasiveness. Kristin could see in his eyes that her words had cut through him. Though he deserved it, the effect had been stronger than she’d intended.

Kristin spoke again, her voice softer, but still firm. “I just need some time, David. And so do you. Because we can’t possibly deal with whatever this is until you decide what you’re going to do.”

Kristin turned and walked to her car, the tears finally streaming down her cheeks, so she dared not look back. With every step, she secretly wished he would come after her and declare that he loved her so they could ride off into the sunset, though she realized how childish and unlikely that would really be.

When she reached her car, she turned around to find David gone. No fairy tales here, no riding off into any sunset. What a complete fool she’d been. Kristin quickly unlocked the door to her car and clambered inside.

Taking a deep but shaky breath, Kristin laid her head on the steering wheel. Her breathing was ragged as she fought to control the anger and the sadness that rushed to claim her. Sobs wracked Kristin’s body as she pounded her hands on the passenger seat.

Fury turned her cheeks hot as the tears flowed from her eyes for a few nerve-wracking minutes.

~~~

David turned back toward the theater and trudged along the short hallway once more, back into the bar. His heart was heavy with guilt. He had deserved Kristin lashing out at him. Her misery was caused totally by him.

The light inside the bar strongly contrasted with the darkness from outside and blinded him for a moment. He stopped and waited for his vision to clear.

Sophie slowly came into focus, chatting away across the room with her director, Reginald Carson. Her face brightened as she noticed David and beckoned him over. Good. It was past time he had that talk with her.

As David approached, he noticed a wariness in her eyes, despite her outwardly jovial expression. “David, darling, there you are. I was just talking to our good friend, Reg, here. Seems he’ll be directing a few runs at the Royal Shakespeare Company next year. Isn’t that fabulous?” Her hand flitted to David’s arm.

David flashed a brief smile at Reg. All these fake social niceties were taking a toll on him. “That is fabulous. Congratulations, Reg.”

Reg’s smile spread across his face from ear to ear and then he took a sip of his martini. “Sophie was just telling me that after you two are married, you might be interested in working on a play together.”

David tilted his head and turned his gaze on Sophie, who stared at him sheepishly from lowered eyes. “Was she, now?”

Reg nodded. “I, of course, would be delighted to work with the both of you at the RSC. A production of Romeo and Juliet perhaps?” He winked and raised his glass.

David couldn’t believe his ears. What was
wrong
with her? Did Sophie really think he would play along with this game forever? What’s next, a fake marriage?
That’s it
. It was time to put an end to this crazy charade.

“If you’ll excuse us, Reg.” David grabbed Sophie’s arm and roughly pulled her with him to a vacant corner of the bar.

“You’re hurting me,” Sophie spat at him in a low voice. She yanked her arm out of his grasp and rubbed it lightly.

David’s anger had reached its boiling point. His head vibrated in time with his pulse. “What in the bloody hell do you think you’re doing?” The ire in his voice carried some weight to it, even in the noisy bar. A few glances shot their way.

Sophie widened her eyes at his outburst, then stepped forward and took his hand. “Don’t be angry, David.” Her low voice was difficult to hear amidst all of the chaos in the bar.

He wrenched his hand away. “Angry? I’m furious, you banshee!” The Scotsman in him always reared up when he was upset.

Sophie shot a few glances around the room and smiled nervously. “Don’t do this, David, not here, not now.”

“When, then, Sophie? Tomorrow? Next week? Next month?
Ever
?” Full-blown rage encompassed David. His breath came raggedly from the fierce anger.

“Keep your voice down,” Sophie whispered hotly, stepping close to him again. “There’s no need to have a public argument end up in the papers. That wouldn’t do either of us any good.”

“And lying to everyone does?” He fought to keep his voice under control as he bent toward her ear.

“What has gotten into you? You never blow up like this, and especially not in public.” Sophie stepped back from him and crossed her arms. “Does this have anything to do with that little tart, Kristin, you were with earlier?”

David moved towards Sophie and grabbed her by the shoulders. “You leave her out of this.”

Sophie appeared startled for a moment, but recovered quickly, as her features evened out in a mask of pure control. A smirk blossomed across her mouth. “Well, well. Now we see what makes this Scotsman fight. Tell me, do you really think she’ll want to be with the has-been you’ll become if you cross me?”

David gritted his teeth. “You wouldn’t dare.”

Sophie gazed up at him, and her blond brow narrowed. “Try me. Now let me go.”

David released her and backed away. Maybe Kristin had been right about Sophie being unhinged enough to cause problems with the gallery.

He folded his arms across his chest. “Tell me, Sophie, do you have anything to do with issues that Kristin has been having at her gallery?”

The actress straightened her blouse. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. If your little distraction is having business problems, it sounds like she needs to be better at her job, instead of blaming others.”