‘Thank you.’ He kissed her forehead, which tasted salty.
‘And I won’t tell anyone about the pregnancy.’
‘I appreciate it.’ Robert embraced her. Over her shoulder his eyes hardened. ‘And the thing about Lana and I growing up together … no one needs to know about that, OK? It just complicates things.’
Elisabeth smiled tightly. ‘Makes no difference to me.’
‘Oh.’ He put a hand to his head, remembering. ‘Bellini said you wanted me.’
She balled her fists. ‘He did?’
‘Just something he mentioned. I know I’ve been difficult to catch. What is it?’
‘Nothing.’ She looked away. What the hell was Alberto playing at? Did he think he could force her into a confession?
Oh, Robert, darling, before you go, I’ve been having mind-blowing sex with another man. Who? Well, you’ll never guess …
‘Are you sure?’
She laughed it off. ‘Of course. I don’t even know what he’s talking about.’
Robert frowned. ‘OK.’
‘You’d better get back to Lana,’ she said, turning the tables. She grabbed her things and headed for the door.
‘Elisabeth?’ he called.
She turned.
‘Thank you.’
With a brief nod she stepped out and closed it behind her. She had to find Alberto, straighten out whatever game he was playing. It worried her more, she realised, than any revelation concerning Lana’s arrival.
As she summoned the elevator, Elisabeth knew that she was delivering Robert into the arms of another woman. What’s more, she was walking in the opposite direction.
Rita Clay arrived at the Orient in a gust of efficiency. She wasn’t happy about making the journey and even less happy at the position Lana had put them in. However, now wasn’t the time. They had a contract to unpick.
A staggeringly handsome man met her in the foyer, delivered a firm, no-nonsense handshake and asked about her flight from LA in a warm, straightforward manner. When Lana had told her where she was, Rita hadn’t been surprised. She had mentioned Robert St Louis before and it was clear a past was brewing between them. There had been more to this than a brief fling.
‘It’s kind of you to let her stay,’ said Rita as they walked through the lobby. ‘Has she been frank with you about her situation?’
‘Yes,’ said Robert. ‘I know about the baby, and my fiancée Elisabeth does, too.’ At Rita’s alarmed expression, he clarified, ‘Lana explained the nature of her marriage but that I’ve kept to myself. You can be assured that nothing we discussed, or will discuss, will go any further.’
Rita knew she could do business with this man.
Upstairs was spectacular. When Lana found a hide-out, she sure found a good one: the Pagoda Suite was one of the most opulent she had ever laid eyes on.
The women embraced. Rita rested a hand on her client’s stomach and they both smiled at the wonder of it. Despite everything, Lana was still carrying a baby.
Immediately they got down to discussions, which pleased Rita–there would be time for pleasantries later. Robert, who had cancelled the following morning’s meetings, poured drinks in preparation for the night ahead.
‘How’s Cole?’ asked Lana.
Rita extracted some papers from her bag. ‘Fuming.’
‘Shit.’
‘You could say that.’ Rita looked at her directly. ‘You realise he knows about the baby?’
‘What?’ Lana gasped. ‘How?’
‘He found the test.’
‘In my bathroom?’
‘Yes.’
‘How did he …? I mean, it’s private. I’m the only one with access.’
‘It seems not.’
Lana was appalled. ‘It’s against the terms of the contract!’
‘So is your pregnancy,’ said Rita.
Lana shut up.
Robert looked between them, baffled by what he was hearing.
He knew contractual partnerships existed in Hollywood but he’d never really thought about the logistics. It was impossible to think that Lana, with all her heart and soul, was caught up in one.
‘But Cole finding out like this will play in our favour,’ Rita continued. ‘Think of it like reading something bad about yourself in a friend’s journal. You shouldn’t have looked in the first place, right? It’s leverage.’
Lana sat back, shaking her head. ‘I’m shocked he didn’t come with you.’
Rita laughed drily. ‘Believe me, he wanted to. In the end I persuaded him I had a better chance of bringing you back by myself.’ Her eyes flicked to Robert, his handsome face composed. ‘Probably a good idea.’
‘So what now?’ asked Lana.
Rita passed her a file. ‘Our argument,’ she said. ‘I’ve spoken with Rachel Manelli, she’s prepared to represent you.’ Rachel Manelli was the sharpest lawyer on the west coast–she specialised in acrimonious divorces, especially where delicate PR was paramount.
‘Wow,’ said Lana, ‘this is really happening.’
Rita nodded. ‘You made it happen, kiddo.’ She fished a cigarette out of her bag and prepared to light it. Remembering Lana, she went to the window, opened it and leaned out. ‘For the moment Cole thinks you’ll go back to the marriage,’ she said, blowing out smoke, ‘and I’m happy for him to continue thinking that.’
Robert frowned. ‘But how would he …?’
Rita raised a sharp eyebrow. ‘A man like Cole has ways. At a guess he’ll want to keep the baby, pass it off as his. But then you’ve got to prepare yourself for the other possibility.’
Lana shook her head. ‘What’s that?’
‘That he’ll request you get rid of it.’
‘That’s not happening.’
Rita pulled on her cigarette. ‘I know. That’s why we’re not giving him the option.’
Lana examined the papers.
‘I’m already on to Katharine,’ said Rita. ‘We’ll get you through the hoops; clean up the story as far as we can.’
‘What about the premiere?’ asked Robert.
‘There’ll be speculation,’ said Lana, ‘there always is. We’ve played up to it before, on Cole’s direction.’ A dry laugh. ‘Except this time it’s for real.’
‘I mean with your husband,’ he said gently.
Lana let out a long breath. ‘I guess we’ll keep the marriage together until after then.’ She looked to her agent. ‘Right?’
‘Right. Cole won’t argue–it’d be a publicity nightmare for him as well. Maybe worse.’ Then she asked, ‘What about Parker Troy?’
Lana was surprised. ‘How did you know?’
‘I’m a mind-reader.’ Rita tried a smile. ‘You had a glow about you on set, kept wanting to buy time. When