Getting It Right This Time (26 page)

“Has Kate called things off?” she said. “Is that what this is about?”

Mark’s hands curled into fists at his sides. “Why did you do it?”

“Do what?”

Ignoring her, he squeezed his eyes shut in a bid to curb the urge to wrestle her from his office.

“Why did you show those tickets to Kate? Why did you make out that there is something to our relationship other than professional? I don’t get it. I’ve worked my ass off showcasing your talent.

I believed in you. Trusted that you trusted me. What more did you want me to do?”

Her expression bore none of the hardened determination, ruthless or unyielding resolve Mark had come to know so well. Now her gaze was soft with concern, the set line of her jaw loose and trembling.

“Do I have to spell it out to you? Even now, after everything? I’ve never said it outright but I thought you understood me at Liam’s. I love you, Mark.”

He bit back a laugh. Was she serious? Did he expect him to fall for even an ounce of this woe-is-me bullshit from a woman whose ambition was on a par with a heavyweight boxer’s fist pummeling his opponent’s face? God, she was more psychotic than he’d given her credit for. He shook his head and looked to the carpet.

“You are truly unbelievable.”

“What do you mean?”

Snapping his head up, Mark threw his hands in the air. “You have got to be kidding me with this shit. You’re possibly the best actress this side of the Atlantic and you expect me to believe everything you have done was done in the name of love?”

She leapt to her feet and came toward him with her arm outstretched as though to touch him.

“Is that so hard to understand? Kate isn’t right for you. She has a child.”

He moved back. “So?”

Her lovey-dovey smile vanished, and an ugly sneer appeared. “Oh, my God, she really has got you under her spell, hasn’t she?”

Mark’s hackles rose like the hair on a dog’s back. “Be very careful what you say, Marcia.”

Their eyes locked, time stood still. The only sounds were the calls and shouts of a busy office on the other side of the door. Mark drew strength from it. The Johnston Agency was all his, built from scratch. Why did he ever hold so much importance on Marcia making it to the top? Because he’d been a man as driven by ambition as she was, that’s why. Yet, after eight short weeks, that man had vanished forever. Crushed beneath the prospect of real love--of the hope for a future so amazing, so tangible, he felt it in every inch of his body.

“What are you thinking, Mark?” She laughed. “You’re thinking this is worth fighting for, aren’t you? This so called romance with Kate is going to last.”

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He met eyes colder than ice water. “And it will.”

She came toward him, stopping inches away from him. Her gaze travelled over his face like a lover’s. “You’ve taught me to do whatever’s necessary to get what I want. And that, my darling, is exactly what I intend on doing.”

A slow smile curved Mark’s lips. “Tell me when I have told you resorting to violence or having an innocent person victimized by the press is the way to get what you want? After everything you’ve set up with Underwood, I should call the police right now and have you arrested for unlawful harassment, stalking of a mother and child…”

Her eyes flashed, her mouth twisted. “You do that, and I’ll really go after Kate and her precious little girl.”

Rage slit through the last thread of Mark’s self-control like a sharpened knife. He grabbed her arms. “I don’t think so, Marcia. I’m warning you, this ends right here, do you understand me?

If I as much as see you walking on the same street as either Kate, Jess or me, I will have you thrown in jail. Do I make myself clear?”

“Let go of me.”

He shook her. “Do I make myself clear?”

“Mark, I will scream if you don’t let go of me right now.”

He dropped her arms and spun away from her, inhaling lungfuls of air. What was he doing?

He’d never grabbed a woman in his life. She would not turn him into a monster. It gave her too much power. He turned back around.

“I shouldn’t have grabbed you, I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “I think it’s best we accept we can no longer work together. Just go. I’ll speak to my solicitor and we’ll have the contracts looked at. Just get out of here before either of us does or says anything more damaging.”

She smiled, clicked her fingers. “And it will be sorted out, just like that.”

Mark glared at her, his heart racing. “Yes. Exactly like that.”

She crossed her arms. “Don’t be stupid. I’m worth a fortune to you.”

He looked at the ceiling. “I don’t give a damn about the money anymore. I am not letting Kate and Jessica get away a second time. In fact, standing here with you is wasting precious time that I could be spending with them.”

“I’ll go to a rival agent,” she said, her tone becoming higher in its pitch, more stringent in its false bravado. “I’ll talk to Karen and Simon. I’ll take their business from you too. Then what will you have? A few mediocre actors and others like them waiting on the sidelines before they shove their appreciation right up your ass when they up and disappear to LA.”

He smiled and arched an eyebrow. “Finished?”

She glared at him. “You’re a pathetic piece of…”

“Do you know something?” He walked to the door. “I’ve had enough of this. By the time I’ve finished, you’ll have to move to Bollywood to get work.”

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She stormed toward him and with eyes shooting pure venom, she said, “You’ll regret this.

You’ll regret this for the rest of your life.”

Once she’d marched through the door, Mark flung it shut behind her. Taking a moment to calm his heart rate, he paused before striding back to his desk, more than ready to take out his next obstacle. He picked up the phone.

“Liam? Get me Underwood on the line.”

* * * *

She knew her mood was due to the fact she was insanely in love, and after the time she and Mark had shared two short nights ago…her physical and mental state was decidedly blurred. It didn’t matter. Life felt fantastic.

She turned back into the shop.

“Coffee, Jo?”

Her assistant looked up from the appointment book. “Lovely. I’ll just re-confirm this cancellation and I’ll be right with you. Why don’t I pop to the baker’s and get us a couple of muffins to go with that coffee?”

Kate grinned. “Sounds good to me. See you in a minute.”

Humming to herself, she wandered into the kitchen and a few moments later, heard the bell tinkled above the door, announcing Jo’s departure from the salon. Flicking on the kettle, she spooned coffee into two mugs as she pondered the plausibility of her, Mark and Jess maybe getting away for the weekend sometime soon. Jess hadn’t been on a proper break away ever.

When James was alive, he’d not seen the point of taking one as he believed they were in the perfect holiday destination with snow in the mountains and sunny beaches down below. Any break Kate or Jess needed was right at their doorstep according to him--the idea of a change of scenery never occurring to James as he would never have sacrificed even a weekend without his board. And then when he’d died…

Kate swallowed. Her shock, her worry for Jess and her grief obliterated any thoughts of holidays and replaced them with building the strength they both needed to return home. The tinkling of the door a second time nudged Kate from her thoughts and forcing a smile, she poured boiling water into the mugs.

“Coffee’s served,” she called. “Where are those muffins?”

Silence.

“Jo?”

Further silence.

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Frowning, Kate put down the kettle and walked along the corridor into the reception area.

It was empty. She peered over the counter, thinking Jo might be hunkered down behind it where various lotions were stored. But she wasn’t there. Wondering if she’d actually heard the doorbell, Kate turned and her gaze fell on the gossip magazine sitting like a glaring, tasteless script of impending doom on the magazine table.

Moving in slow motion, Kate picked it up. Her hands trembled as she gripped the magazine hard enough that the edges crumpled. Blood pounded at her temples as she read the bold printed headline for the fifth time--
JOHNSTON’S NEW FAMILY ENJOYS LUNCH WITH HIS EX-LOVER
.

Nausea swirled and surged into her stomach, pushing upward until it stung bitter in her throat.

Even though Jess’s face was blurred, all Kate saw was her beautiful daughter being used to sell magazines. Anger turned to rage and red-hot heat burned at Kate’s cheeks as she raced to the door.

She leapt out into the street, her head turning left and right. Although dressed casually in jeans and a t-shirt, Kate would’ve recognized Marcia’s self-important swagger anywhere.

“Marcia! Marcia Langton!”

With no regard for the security of the salon, Kate took flight. Marcia turned. Kate hurled toward her. Marcia smiled, waved and ran. Kate gave chase but knew she’d never catch her with the head start Marcia already had.

“If I see you again, I’ll kill you,” she yelled. “Do you hear me?”

Slowing down until her feet were like lead blocks against concrete, Kate stared after Marcia until she was swept up in the sea of shoppers. People stopped on the busy street to stare. Some held their shopping bags against them like shields.

Turning, Kate jogged back to the salon and went inside, closing the door behind her. She squeezed her eyes closed and tipped her head back. It was pointless chasing Marcia anyway. It wasn’t her who’d taken the picture even though she now knew Mark’s suspicions were right.

Marcia must have set the entire thing up that day in the café. What was she going to do?

Kate pressed her hand to her stomach. It was over.

She’d been seduced by the romantic notion she and Mark could build a life together, convinced they could live beyond the fact Mark was constantly in the limelight, that he spent every day of his working life with stars--stars like Marcia Langton who thought of nothing and no one but their next big fat pay check, or film premiere.

Growling like a lioness sensing danger to her cub, she ripped the magazine into pieces, tears burning the back of her eyes. The doorbell tinkled for a third time. Kate opened her eyes and when Jo strolled in her habitual smile dissolved.

Kate’s shoulders slumped. “I’ve had it, Jo. I can’t do this.”

Dropping the muffins and her purse onto the table, she came forward and wrapped Kate in her embrace. “Don’t cry. Everything will be all right.”

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Getting It Right This Time

Kate closed her eyes as the tears came fast and furious. She felt her happiness, her new-found hope wither and die inside her like a blooming flower wilting in the face of the sun’s unforgiving glare. She couldn’t fight the world’s media, she couldn’t fight the fact Mark would always be news.

Her relationship with James changed from exciting to excruciating when he became so embroiled in his own success Kate and Jessica were forgotten.

And now she found life cruelly repeating itself and could only blame herself. Mark claimed he’d always loved her, but that wasn’t enough to stop the inevitable fallout that would come in time. Well, this one wouldn’t take her or Jess down with it. The best thing she could was put as much distance as possible between Mark and her daughter--before Jess’s heart split in two for the second time. Her own pain she could handle but adding Jess’s was too much to contemplate.

Stepping from Jo’s arms, Kate swiped at her face, forced a small smile. “I’m okay. I’ve…”

She paused as her gaze fell on the shredded paper littering the floor and table like multicolored pieces of disappointment. “I’ve got to go away for a few days, Jo. I can’t be here right now.”

Jo followed Kate’s gaze. “They’ve got Jess, haven’t they? They’ve taken her picture.”

Kate nodded. “Listen, I’ll ring the agency and get a temp to come in to handle the reception.

Call as many clients as you can and see if you can re-schedule the less urgent--”

Jo smiled and cupped Kate’s face in her hands. “I’ll be fine. Go. Do what you have to do.

Call me when you can. I’ll be fine. Just worry about that beautiful girl of yours.”

Kate drew Jo’s hands from her face and hugged her. “Thank you.”

And then she sprinted from the room and into the kitchen. With shaking hands, she snatched up her coat and bag. With a final look around, she blew Jo a kiss as she marched through reception and out to her car.

Less than two hours later, she’d packed enough clothes and toiletries to last three or four days. Once she left Foxton, she hoped Underwood would have the sense to realize that it was over between her and Mark and move onto the next unsuspecting victim. Kate prayed the man at least stayed away from any children next time, but didn’t hold out much hope of that particular plea being answered.

Leaving the suitcases at the front door, Kate picked up her phone, rang the Carrington Hotel and booked a room. And then she rang Lucy at the nursery.

“Hi. It’s me.”

“Well, hey you. No need to ask where you’ve been hiding yourself,” Lucy whispered. “Jess tells me she spent the night at Nanna’s the other night. You naughty, naughty--”

Kate squeezed her eyes shut. “Luce--”

“I’m teasing! I’m so happy for the pair of you--”

“It’s over.”

“What?”

Kate sighed. “None of it matters anymore. Listen--”

“What do you mean? What’s happened?”

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“I’ll be there to pick up Jess in twenty minutes. Can you have her ready at the front door for me?”

“Wait. Slow down, will you? Are you crying?”

Kate brushed away her tears. “No. Look, I have to get out of here for a few days.”

“Why?”