Twisted Arrangement 2 (10 page)

“Hardly,” Emma replied, demurely. “Mr. Ransler, Mrs. Ransler. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. Josh has told me a lot about you. And, of course, Mr. Ransler I’ve seen many of your films.” She extended a slim hand. William shook it briefly. Maisie held on a little longer.

“Well, you’re just as pretty as you sounded on the phone.”

Emma blushed. Josh liked how awkward she became when people complimented her. She knew she was good at her job, and smart, and he thought she knew how attractive she was too. But she still always seemed so surprised when people pointed it out.

Josh felt a chill run up his back as he realized William Ransler was studying both him and Emma. Perhaps trying to read their body language? He wished she’d relax against him a little more. He tugged her a little closer to his side. Emma flashed him an inquisitive green look. He smiled. The corner of his mouth wobbled a little. He wanted to kick himself. He couldn’t let her know how nervous he was.

Miraculously, though, she touched his lapel with light fingers and stretched up to whisper in his ear. “Relax. When this is all over, there’ll be wedding bells. I promised, remember?”

She thought he was anxious about convincing Ransler to work with him. And she was right, in a way. Josh’s gaze flew to Ransler’s, wondering what the other man had made of their little exchange. Had he heard Emma’s whispered comment? If he had to guess, based on the slight widening of Ransler’s eyes, he’d say the man had indeed heard her. Josh’s grin was genuine this time.

Emma reached for Ben’s arm and tugged him forward into their little group. “And this handsome fellow is Josh’s right hand man...” Emma paused and Josh realized from the startled flutter of her lashes that she didn’t know Ben’s last name. Crap. That was something a fiancé would know. Ben stepped smoothly into the slight hesitation, grasping Ransler’s hand in a firm grip.

“Ben Cummings, Mr. Ransler. I’m a big fan.” He turned his dimpled smile on Maisie Ransler. “Mrs. Ransler. I’m sure I’m a big fan of yours as well.”

Maisie chuckled. Emma shook her head. “Watch out, Mrs. Ransler.” She turned sparkling eyes up to Josh. “I think he’s an even bigger flirt than Chewie.”

“Who’s Chewie?” Ben and Maisie asked at the same time. Josh felt a momentary bubble of cold panic in his throat. He’d hoped to keep the topic of conversation away from personal things. That way they were less likely to veer into dangerous territory.

“The puppy,” he said to Ben, hoping his voice didn’t sound as strangled as he felt. “Emma named him.” That actually sounded pretty couple-like. And she’d brought it up. Even better. “That overgrown rat adores her.”

Ben snickered. “Let me get this straight.
Emma
named the dog ‘Chewie’? Not you?” This is why he hadn’t wanted to have this conversation. Emma had no idea Star Wars was his favorite movie. If she said as much, Ransler would definitely be suspicious. The man was just looking for a reason to doubt Josh right now.

“Josh is not the only person who’s seen the Star Wars movies, Benjamin.” Emma pursed her lips in that disapproving librarian way. Josh fought the urge to kiss her. “There are a lot of girls who like them too.”

“Do you two like a lot of the same movies?” William Ransler fired the question at Josh. It seemed casual, but Josh saw the calculation in those piercing blue eyes. Josh’s heart turned inside out in his chest. He didn’t know what kind of movies Emma liked, apart from Star Wars.

Then he remembered she watched Doctor Who too. When she’d been planning the ball he’d make a TARDIS joke and she’d been the only one in the room to get it. He might be able to pull this off.

“You can’t tell by looking at her, but Emma is a bit of a sci-fi nerd. It’s one of her best qualities.”

Emma’s smile faltered a bit at the corners. He’d surprised her. From the corner of his eye he saw Ben’s eyes narrow. He hadn’t explained his plan to his best friend, but Ben was clearly picking up on the ruse. Josh wasn’t worried about Ben figuring it out. Ben had his back. Emma or Ransler, on the other hand, would be a disaster. Cold sweat trickled down Josh’s spine. But Emma didn’t let him down. She rolled her eyes at Maisie.

“I could hardly wear Leia buns to a press luncheon. Besides, he’s one to talk about not looking the part. He’s seen
Step Up
twenty-three times.”

William Ransler blinked in surprise. Maisie and Ben broke into laughter. “Twenty-three times?” Maisie giggled.

Ben nodded, still chuckling. “He watches it before the Oscars any year one of his films is nominated for something.”

“Once for each nomination. For good luck.” Josh smoothed his suit coat, trying to marshal his face. He wasn’t actually embarrassed about the revelation. Several people knew about his Oscar ritual. It was a joke among his friends, though it had worked more often than not. Josh’s films had won 17 of those 23 nominations. But how did
Emma
know about it?

“There’s one movie we absolutely agree is amazing, though. Apart from Star Wars, of course,” Emma added. William Ransler was studying her like a scientist with a slide. Josh wanted to bristle, tell the guy to back off, but he couldn’t without blowing his secret.

Ransler slowly raised one brow. “Oh? What’s that?”

“
Concerning All of Us
.” Emma’s smile was small and beautiful, and very pointed. Josh could have laughed. Maisie Ransler did.

“Ooh, watch out, Willie. You’re in for it now.” She poked her husband in the side.

William Ransler inclined his head in acknowledgement. “I agree the script is very good. Whether the film will be remains to be seen, however.”

“I’m sorry to argue with you, Mr. Ransler, but that’s just not true. Even without you on board, that movie is going to be great and you know it. The only question remaining is whether or not you’re going to let someone else take the role that could win you an Oscar.” Emma glanced up at the stage and tapped Josh’s arm. “You need to get up front.”

Ben was looking at Emma as if he’d never seen her before. Josh could understand. For a moment there, the reserved, cautious Emma had disappeared and a sassy, confident woman had slid into her place. He wasn’t even thinking about Ransler or his charade when he took her hand and kissed her briefly on the wrist.

Emma flushed but didn’t say anything as he inclined his head to William and Maisie. “Excuse me. Duty calls.”

As he slipped by Ben, the shorter man muttered, “Man, can I marry her?” So he had figured out what Josh was doing. Josh was sure he’d hear about it later.

“No,” Josh shot back, for Ben’s ears only. His friend was chuckling as Josh strode toward the stage.

Emma didn’t try to hold back the small smile that lifted the corners of her mouth. She felt she’d earned it. The announcement and Q&A had gone perfectly to plan. The Eugenie Markham Foundation, Josh, and the film were all going to see some great press after today’s function. She could already envision the headlines. What other rich, successful Hollywood producer would donate both land and an entire building to a charity in the name of his film’s central historical figure? She couldn’t think of one.

Granted, Josh got something out of the deal as well. The press alone would help his film, but the maneuver was likely to buy William Ransler, and that was the real goal. This was a huge gesture coming from Josh. As Eugenie had announced, Josh was setting up an internship program for any of Eugenie’s girls who were interested in careers in the film industry. Plus he’d be serving on the Foundation’s board for the next three years. This wasn’t just an empty gift for some front-page news.

Josh could be pretty remarkable at times. He had more money than he knew what to do with, of course, but Emma was starting to think he really
wasn’t
like all the bored, rich trophy wives and their lazy, greedy husbands that she usually came into contact with while event planning. Maybe she was wrong, though. Maybe his obsession with finding Madame Butterfly really
was
just to retrieve The Watch. If it had been any of her other clients, she wouldn’t doubt it for a minute. Their obsession with possessions was total. They wouldn’t hesitate to hunt someone down, or worse, for something as trivial as a watch.

She sipped another glass of champagne and studied Josh from across the room. He’d barely made it two steps from the stage. Reporters and philanthropists alike were thronging him and Eugenie, all smiles and handheld recorders. His blond head bent as he spoke with a slender Asian girl. Emma recognized Mia Miyamoto from the Sun Times. Mia had recently lost her mother to cancer, poor girl. That had been among the information Emma had collected in prep for the luncheon.

As Emma watched, Josh touched the woman’s shoulder briefly. Mia nodded quickly, head bent, dark hair shielding most of her face. Emma thought she saw the girl wipe away tears. She was a bit surprised, though she supposed she shouldn’t be. She’d delivered the folders with all the press information to Josh days ago. She’d just never expected him to read them all. He was always doing the unexpected. Like his comments earlier during the bizarre introductions to William Ransler. How did he know she was a sci-fi nerd?

Josh was clearly offering Mia some words of comfort and consolation now. Emma felt a tiny bubble of warmth in her heart. The proud smile spread into something wider and softer.

“You two work well together.”

Emma jumped, sloshing a bit of champagne on her fingers, and spun at the sound of Maisie Ransler’s voice. The statuesque redhead stood behind her, head cocked slightly, her freckled face wreathed in a bright, friendly grin. “You and Josh,” Maisie clarified.

“Oh, ah.” Emma cleared her throat. “Y-yes, I guess we do. Surprisingly enough.” Unlike her husband, Maisie was easy to talk to. William Ransler’s piercing gaze made Emma feel as if he could see into her like an x-ray machine. Maisie, on the other hand, was warm and relaxed. And Emma felt like she knew her a little bit, since they’d talked on the phone.

“Because you’re not in the business, you mean?” Maisie sipped what looked like a dirty martini with three olives. Emma eyed it with interest. It was one of those drinks that always sounded good, yet she’d never tried one.

“Precisely. Is that any good?” She indicated the glass with an incline of her head.

Maisie extended the glass. “Delicious. Want to try? And sometimes, that’s just what they need.”

“Oh, no--” Emma protested.

Maisie thrust the glass into her hand. “Try it.” The older woman plucked the nearly full champagne flute from Emma’s other hand and set it on a nearby table. Emma took a small sip. The flavor of the vodka, vermouth, and olive juice mingled on her tongue. She swallowed slowly, enjoying the warmth that bloomed in the alcohol’s path.

“It’s very good. Thank you.” She handed the glass back. Maisie took it, but linked her arm through Emma’s and drew her toward the bar.

“Let’s get you your own. You deserve it after this shindig. You guys did a bang-up job putting this all together in such a short time.”

Emma relaxed against Maisie’s side. “Well, it was very important that we announce the dormitories now so that...” She trailed off, realizing she was about to reveal Josh’s plan. Maisie patted her arm.

“So Josh could lure my husband here and convince him to do this movie. I know. Don’t worry. But that was my point earlier, about how well you two work together. Doing all this in just a few week’s time. You must have been in each other’s hair constantly. I think William and I would drive each other crazy if we spent that much time together.” From the sparkle in her eye, it was clear that wasn’t true.

Emma flushed a little. Maisie Ransler talked as if Emma and Josh were a couple. William Ransler’s questions, too, had sort of implied he thought they should be. But she could hardly blurt out ‘Oh, we’re not together.’ How embarrassing would that be? Emma brushed at an invisible bit of lint on her dress.

“Yes, well, Josh has a knack for knowing what people are capable of. He has strong opinions, but he leaves me to do the stuff he knows I’m good at without his interference. I wish I could say the same of all my clients.”

“That so?” Maisie cocked a ruddy brow and smirked. Emma’s brow knit. She felt as if she’d missed a joke.

“Of course.”

They’d reached the bar. Maisie rattled off an order to the bartender and then turned back to Emma. “How did you two meet?”

Emma scanned the crowd, searching for Josh. There was that tone again, as if Maisie was implying a romantic aspect to Emma and Josh’s relationship. There had been a dance, a heated encounter in his bedroom, a theft, and an almost kiss. Not a romance. “He hired Picture Perfect to plan his masquerade ball. I was assigned to his team.” Hardly romantic.

The bartender set the martini down and Maisie slid it over to Emma. This time both brows rose. “Do you know how William and I met?”

It was actually one of the better-kept secrets in Hollywood. It was common knowledge that Maisie was from a small town that William had visited while filming a movie 17 years earlier, but she hadn’t worked on the film. Very few, if any, people knew the exact circumstances of their meeting. Emma shook her head, a little awed at the thought of hearing the story. “No.”

“One night I’m out with some people from my college in the town over and they’re having a bit of fun at my expense about how naive and...uh,
inexperienced
I was. I was shy and socially awkward and made up this whole story for them about having a serious boyfriend because I was so embarrassed.” Maisie’s fair cheeks turned a bit pink.

“You didn’t,” Emma groaned. She’d done the fake boyfriend thing in high school once. It never ended well.

“I did. I even insisted he’d promised to meet me out that night, when they started pressing. With every snicker the lie got bigger. He was gorgeous of course, and rich, blah blah blah.” Maisie slid one of the olives off her toothpick and chewed it thoughtfully.

Emma covered her face with her hands, peeking through her fingers. “And then what?”

“Then William walks in, done filming for the day. And I see a handsome young man in the kind of clothes a working rancher would wear. Clothes like my Pa and his hands wore. I had no idea who he was. I didn’t really watch movies. I’d been sheltered a lot, growing up. So I say, ‘That’s him now.’ And of course, they all laugh because they all know who he is.”

Emma could picture the scene. Her cheeks burned in mortification on Maisie’s behalf. “Oh no! What did you do?”

Maisie chuckled. “Well, they all said, aren’t you going to bring him over? So, I stride on up to William and I say ‘’Scuse me, mister, would you mind pretending to be my boyfriend for tonight so my friends stop pickin’ on me?’ He just blinked at me for the longest minute and I thought for sure he was going to laugh in my face and walk away and I’d die right there.”

“But he didn’t.” Emma was as rapt as if she’d been watching one of Ransler’s movies.

“He slides his arm right around my waist and starts walking me back to the table and says, out of the corner of his mouth, ‘Quick, tell me everything I need to know about you.’ By the time we got to my friends, he knew all about me, but all I knew was that his name was William. You could have knocked me over with a feather when I realized they all recognized him and he was a movie star.”

Emma pulled one of the olives off her own toothpick and popped it in her mouth. “And your friends? Did they ever find out?”

Maisie shook her head. “Never even suspected. He had ‘em all convinced. Of course, it helped that we really did start dating after that night. He said I owed him, on account of how he doesn’t like to lie.” Her grin was toothy and full of love. Emma sighed.

“So
that’s
why no one knows how you got together. Because you’ve just... always been. That’s so romantic.”

Maisie drained the last of her martini. “That’s what the girls say. You know what I always remind them, though? It’s not the circumstances that make it romantic. It could have gone a lot differently if William wasn’t the man he is. When I think of how it started, this whole life I’ve got, my girls and everything, you know what I think of, Emma?”

Emma shook her head, staring at Maisie Ransler the way she used to look at the Disney Princesses when she was a little girl. Maisie cupped her elbow in one warm hand. “It all began with a desperate girl telling a lie and getting herself in over her head. And if it had been any other man, it would have ended there. But it was the right one. And now...” Maisie’s soft brown eyes were glowing as she stared past Emma.

She didn’t need to turn around to guess who Maisie was looking at with such passion. The older woman patted Emma’s cheek. “I’ll see you later, sweetie. We’ll talk more.” Maisie glided away, intent on her husband.

Emma sighed, her heart beginning to return to its normal rhythm after Maisie’s thrilling story. ‘
It all began with a desperate girl telling a lie and getting herself in over her head
.’ The words sent an icy finger down her spine. Maisie hadn’t only been describing her own story. But the difference was, Emma’s lie was a whole lot bigger. And there was no way Josh was going to ride to her rescue if he ever found out.

The sobering thought served as a reminder that she was supposed to be pumping Ben for information. She spotted the stocky brunette off to the side of the stage, talking to Josh. The conversation looked intense. This was her chance. Emma tried to hurry over without looking like she was hurrying, and snaked slowly beside one of the towering shrubs that flanked the stage.

“.... you it’s not her. I feel it in my gut.” That was Ben. He sounded as if he was gritting his teeth.

Josh’s voice sounded equally tense when he replied. “How could it not be her? I thought you agreed she was the most likely candidate.”

“That was before I had all the facts,” Ben replied. Emma’s blood turned to ice. Did he know? Was he about to tell Josh who she was? Her stomach did a lazy roll, the martini she’d drunk threatening to make a reappearance. Ben continued. “I tried to grab you before the announcement, but you had Emma and the Ranslers there. Anyway, Fiorentino, I think I figured out why she’s disappeared. Her records up in New York, I told you they were all missing or sealed. I couldn’t get to them. Well, I finally did.”

She heard the soft thump that might have been Josh punching Ben lightly on the shoulder. “And?” he growled. “I need to get back to Ransler. Who knows what ideas he might get in his head if I’m not around to curb them.”

“Ideas about Emma?”

Her skin prickled. She didn’t like Ben’s sly tone of voice at all. What kind of ideas might William Ransler have about her? Josh sighed. “Carla Fiorentino,” he insisted.

“Is her maiden name,” Ben shot back. “She married Frank Lazenby five years ago, when she was 18. He was 37. A year later she’s convicted of grand larceny. She apparently stole a $2500 diamond bracelet and pawned it.”