The Heartbreak Cafe (43 page)

The
baby…

While
juggling all of that stuff sounded fine and do-able when she had
Charlie behind her, Ruth knew deep down that LA was no place for a
single mother.

Erik’s
email was brief and to the point.

I don’t
know what the hell is going on with you, but for everyone’s sake I
hope it’s just hormones. We have forty-eight hours until the TV
studio hits us hard with a lawsuit so I suggest you get your ass
back here pronto. Oh, and Peter Jackson just called and he’s still
interested – for now.

Ruth
stared down at her stomach, realising she had a very big choice to
make.

Movies,
or motherhood?

Nina’s
due date was getting closer by the day and she knew she needed to
solidify her plans before things were out of her
control.

After
bumping into Steve in Dublin she was even more convinced that Jess
was right; maybe there was a better solution – one that would work
for everyone.

She
followed Trish into the room that she felt they’d been living in
for months. Trish was nearing the end of her research and Nina was
glad, she was tired of spending most of the summer sitting in a
windowless room for hours on end.

‘
I tell you, I’ll be happy to get this out of the way once and
for all,’ Trish said with a roll of her eyes. ‘Problem is, I think
it’s all a bit well …boring.’

Nina
looked at her. ‘Well how interesting can a photographic history of
Lakeview actually be after all?’

‘
I know, but with the old timers’ stories and the stuff from
the archives, I really thought we could come up with something
fresh and interesting. Instead it’s reading like an old fashioned
tourist brochure.’

‘
Yes, but everyone will buy to help the charity in any case.
Especially if there are photos of themselves in it.’

‘
Hmm, there are still only so many black and white photos of
old buildings I can use. I need something to hang it all together,
a theme as such, but at the moment the theme might as well be
“Lakeview – a place where nothing much happens.”’

‘
I thought history was the theme,’ Nina ventured, not really
understanding what her friend was hoping for. And at the end of the
day it was a charity book for the locals, not a potential Pulitzer
winner. ‘What about the Ruth bit? That’ll be interesting, won’t
it?’ she asked, referring to the section on ‘local heroes’ in which
Ruth was the only person featured.

‘
Yes, but I’d hoped to interview her properly for that. Fat
chance now that she’s gone back to LA.’

‘
No, she’s back.’

Trish’s
head snapped up. ‘What?’

‘
She’s back – for Charlie, I suppose. I saw her yesterday.
Why?’ Nina’s brow furrowed at Trish’s troubled
expression.

‘
Oh no reason. Did you see the pictures?’

‘
Yes, I felt so sorry for her. Everything’s been so quiet for
her here lately it was horrible that they tracked her down like
that.’

‘
I’m not talking about the ones of her and Charlie outside the
shops,’ Trish said. She reached into her handbag and pulled out a
newspaper. ‘I mean these.’

Unfolding
the newspaper, Nina was horrified to see a snap of Ruth and Troy
Valentine locked in a passionate embrace. ‘What? When did this
happen?’ she asked wide-eyed.

‘
A couple of days ago I think – while she was in
L.A.’

‘
But why would she be snogging Troy Valentine? What about
Charlie?’

‘
Who knows?’ Trish shrugged. ‘All I heard was she flew back to
LA to talk about some big movie role. Did she say anything when you
met her yesterday?’

‘
I didn’t meet her. I was heading home from the café when I saw
her pass by in her dad’s car. So what all this about a movie role?
Is she going back to LA then? And how come you know so much about
all this?’

‘
Oh, just something I heard on the grapevine. But I’ll tell you
one thing, when she’s accepting that Oscar, I hope she gives us
some credit for putting her back on the Hollywood map.’

‘
Trish, what on earth are you talking about?’

She
smiled. ‘Well … as a true journalist, I couldn’t exactly let a good
story go to waste, could I?’

Nina
looked at her. ‘Oh no. What did you do?’ But already she
understood. Trish had leaked the story about Ruth’s pregnancy. ‘Ah,
Trish, how could you? She trusts you, she told us about that in
confidence and you betrayed her.’

‘
Oh come on, she’s a Hollywood actress, there’s no such thing
as “in confidence”. Besides, she loves the press!’

Nina
shook her head, not understanding her friend. Irrespective of the
fact that she was a journalist and it was part of her job this just
seemed so unscrupulous. ‘I think that was really mean of you. Think
of how she must have felt when she was ambushed by that
photographer here in her home town. And think of how Charlie must
feel.’

‘
Come on, it’s not like she’s dying! Hollywood are going crazy
over the story of her and Valentine’s baby, and my help may well
have led to her being offered a part that could win her a bloody
Oscar. She’ll be delighted.’

‘
I’m going to phone her,’ Nina said, reaching into her handbag
for her mobile.

‘
What? Why?’

‘
To see how she is, of course. Those pictures must have really
upset her. She can’t stand Troy Valentine now, and goodness knows
what Charlie thought when he saw them.’

‘
Ah Nina, leave it be …’

‘
Why? Unlike you, I actually consider her a friend, and I’m
worried about her.’

‘
I suppose I didn’t really think of that …’ Trish sat there, a
serious look on her face.

‘
Ruth? Hi, it’s Nina. Look, I just saw those photos and I was
wondering if you were …what? Sure …I’m just at the library with
Trish – where else?’ She smiled. ‘Yes if you want to that would be
great. OK … see you soon.’ She snapped the phone shut and turned to
Trish. ‘She’s coming here.’

‘
What – today?’ her friend replied, white-faced.

‘
Yep. I was right – she does sound upset.’

‘
Nina … maybe we won’t mention anything about …’

‘
You leaking her personal life to the press? What do you think
Trish?’

‘
Ah Nina, come on. I was only doing what any decent journalist
would –’

‘
No you weren’t, you were betraying a confidence and I think
you need to come clean and apologise.’

‘
But she’ll go through me! ’

‘
Well, you should have thought of that before, shouldn’t you?’
Nina knew she was being sanctimonious but she couldn’t help it.
Trish it seemed had made a habit of hurting other people for her
own ends and needed to be made aware of the consequences of her
actions. While she couldn’t do anything about poor Dave’s wife, at
least she should ensure Trish was confronted by the fallout of her
actions concerning Ruth.

The two
worked silently for a while, Trish idly flicking through some of
the older newspapers, until about a half hour later, Ruth
arrived.

She
seemed the worse for wear and looked very tired. All the usual
glamour was today absent. ‘Hi,’ she said glumly.

‘
How are you?’ Nina smiled, her gaze automatically going to
Ruth’s growing bump. ‘Wow, you’ve got even bigger since the last
time I saw you.’

‘
Unfortunately,’ Ruth huffed and sat down in a
chair.

‘
Are you OK?’ Nina asked gently. ‘You sounded a bit down on the
phone.’

Ruth
shook her head and bit her bottom lip. ‘No, I’m not. Not at
all.’

‘
What happened? Did something go wrong at your meeting with
Peter Jackson?’ Trish blurted out.

Ruth’s
eyes narrowed. ‘What are you talking about? How do you know
that?’

Trish
said nothing, just nervously looked around the room and Ruth’s gaze
quickly rested on the newspaper photo sitting in front of her. Nina
could see that all the chips were starting to line up. ‘You? You
were responsible for bringing them here?’

‘
Look, Ruth, I thought you would be happy about it OK?’ Trish
said guiltily. ‘I mean, everything was so quiet for you here,
whereas now the media are all over you.’

‘
Did it ever occur to you Trish that maybe I don’t care about
that? That maybe I was liking the quiet and that I wanted to be
left the hell alone?’ Ruth raged, ripping the newspaper page in
two.

‘
But why would you want that?’

‘
Because of Charlie – why else? But then that didn’t work out
either.’ She went on to tell them about Charlie’s reaction to
Troy’s staged photos and how he was still refusing to talk to her.
‘So congratulations Trish. You’ve ruined my life.’

Trish
looked shell-shocked. ‘I’m so sorry …I just didn’t think … I really
thought you would be happy,’ she whispered.

‘
No, I’m not happy. I’m miserable. My life is ruined and I want
to go back to Los Angeles. I want to forget everything about this
stupid place.’

Nina put
a comforting hand on her arm. ‘Ruth, it will be OK. Things will
work out, with Charlie, I know they will – and with the baby and
all.’

‘
No they won’t. He doesn’t want me or the baby. He made that
perfectly clear.’

Trish
sighed heavily. ‘Ruth, I’m truly sorry, I really am.’

Ruth
turned her face away, it was clear she wasn’t finding any of it
easy.

‘
Tell you what,’ Nina said, hoping to make peace, ‘why don’t we
pop down to Ella’s and get a coffee? It’s been a rough day already,
and I’m not sure I can take much more of all this.’ She indicated
the surrounding papers and boxes.

‘
You guys go ahead,’ Trish said in an absent tone. ‘I’ve got a
bit more to do here.’

‘
Oh you can come if you like,’ Ruth muttered, realising it was
up to her to break bread.

‘
No seriously,’ Trish continued frowning, looking with interest
at a newspaper clipping she held in her hand. She turned to Nina.
‘Remember I said that nothing interesting ever happens in this
town?’ She held up the paper and pointed to the headline. ‘Well
take a look at this…’

Jess felt
lost as she looked at Brian’s side of the wardrobe. Since his
decision to leave, most of his clothes had in the meantime been
transferred to a nearby hotel where he was currently
staying.

Staring
at the empty rails, Jess still couldn’t quite believe that this was
happening. Her husband, her soul mate and best friend was leaving
her. This was not supposed to be happening; and not what she’d
pictured when it came to their future.

All that
had happened over the last few months had shattered their lovely
life, and now she had no idea how to start picking up the pieces.
Even worse, it was all her own doing.

In truth
Brian had every right to feel betrayed and hurt by her actions.
What had she been thinking giving up the pill without telling him?
Or informing all their friends that they were trying for a baby?
What on earth had possessed her? Had she really been that desperate
to hold onto her friends that she was prepared to risk losing her
husband in the process?

She’d
tried in the meantime to talk to him about it, to try and explain
the reasons behind her behaviour but he wouldn’t listen. It seemed
that this time, she’d pushed him too far.

And the
worst part of it all was that she didn’t really have anyone to talk
to about it. She couldn’t realistically call up Deirdre or Emer to
discuss it; notwithstanding that Emer had her own problems, it
would mean coming clean about how Brian had all along been clueless
about their so-called decision, which would only lead to more egg
on Jess’s face.

It was
such a difficult situation to explain, and she was sure most people
would think she was barmy. As it was, she couldn’t quite explain
her behaviour to herself. The other day she’d been sorely tempted
to talk to Nina about it …

Nina,
Jess thought, perking up …she could confide in her about this,
couldn’t she? After all, she’d already revealed so much to her,
especially after their chat the other day.

She
picked up the phone and scrolled through it, trying to find the
number.

‘
Jess, hi,’ Nina said answering the phone, but Jess could
immediately tell that she was distracted.

‘
Hi – is this a bad time?’

‘
No no, it’s fine. I’m just at the library with Trish and Ruth.
I’ve been meaning to call you actually to say thanks for the other
day. You know – for the lift and the advice and
everything.’

‘
Actually, speaking of advice …’ Despite, herself Jess felt her
voice waver.

‘
Are you OK?’ Nina asked. ‘You sound a bit …sad.’

The
kindness in her voice was enough to set Jess off, and before she
knew it she was in floods of tears. ‘I’m sorry,’ she sobbed, giving
Nina the short version of what had happened. ‘I shouldn’t be boring
you with all this but I really have nobody else to talk to
–’