HOT SET: Playing with Fidelity (A romantic suspense novel) (29 page)

Kate
smoothed open the morning paper to the entertainment section to see a large advertisement for the movie
The Ancestor Rock
with the words, ‘COMING SOON’ under the rectangular mini-poster. The picture was of Rhys running while pulling her along in front of a background of petroglyphs. The picture of her looked slightly manic so she quickly turned the page to find the reviews.

Jett Jenson, a well-known movie reviewer known for his brutal honesty, had been to the
press preview the night before and she read the review with clenched fists.

Anticipation was great at the preview of the film The Ancestor Rock. Production had been plagued with issues: stars being washed away in floods, one in hospital with a virus, money issues, location problems... Going off the reports and the low-budget status, most of the reviewers were expecting a low-quality product, despite the powerhouse of Rhys Bradford in the lead.

This was an advantage because the issues had deflected from the story line, which was in one word: spectacular.

The Ancestor Rock is based within the world of anthropology. Borrowing from the success of Indiana Jones, rather than hunting for ancient artifacts, this plot is looking for ancient petroglyphs that some believe lead to the spirit world. A team of archaeologists traipse into Central Australia in an attempt to find them, while being chased by others after the same prize.

Stephen Connor is the head
anthropologist, a bumbling and unlikely hero played by the charismatic Rhys Bradford, dressed strangely like a 19
th
century peasant. Newcomer to the Australian movies is Kate Johnson, better known as Bronny Trin from Pacific Beach, who takes on the role of Isabel Maxwell in a strong performance that we hope to see repeated in further films.

“Wow,” said Kate. She wasn’t expected that review. She kept reading.

A great support cast, including Shane McMasters as the ruthless Dr Kinnen, Nadia Bock in her first big role as grad student Felicity Vaughn and the welcome return of the colourful Trystan Smith as Dr Golubic who provides most of the comic relief.

The scenery of Ulu
r
u and the Macdonald Ranges provides a stunning backdrop to the fast-paced story line that keeps you both laughing, on the edge of your seat and occasionally groaning at the cheesy-ness that just fits.

Special mention to the kiss scene that lea
ves the famous Spiderman upside-down tryst in the red dirt. You’ve got to see this one to believe it.

“Oh-ohh.”

This movie won’t win an Oscar, but it’s still a ride worth taking.

He’d given it four stars.

She would have been pleased but all she could think of was that they’d used THAT kiss.

“Ohhhh, crap.” Mark was going to go off his rocker.

Kate
wanted to dwell on it but she was back working on
Pacific Beach
and she hurried to her bedroom to change out of her dressing gown.

Kate
sat nervously next to Mark in the large office of one of Australia’s preeminent fertility specialists. She couldn’t believe it’d been nine months since making the appointment, so much had happened, she was like a different person.

The night before, she’d cautiously raised the appointment with Mark. They’d been almost living separate lives for the last two months but
Kate still hadn’t given up hope they’d work it out.

“
Sounds good, I’ll make sure I have no appointments then.”

It was the most civil answer he’d given her in
weeks.

The room had a gorgeous view of the harbour, effectively exhibited through floor to ceiling windows. The doctor’s glass desk sat in front of a charcoal-coloured wall directly in front of a small Albert
Namatjira painting in a gold frame lit from above by a small spotlight. Apart from a small bookshelf and two plush visitor’s chairs, the room was empty, designed so the impressive view was its decoration.

Dr Ling Lennard was a woman of severe lines. She was in her late 40s with a youthful complexion so many woman of Chinese heritage enviably possess, a sharply cut, glossy black bob that sat exactly on her shoulder blades, rectangular, black-rimmed glasses, a sternly cut black suit and a single, square cut diamond on her ring finger. By judging solely on looks, she didn’t appear to be someone who treated vulnerable humans on a daily basis, until you made eye contact.

Kindness and compassion radiated tangibly from her black eyes, hidden partially behind her no-nonsense eye wear. Infertile and childless herself, she empathised completely with the hundreds of couples who sought her assistance and was determined no one should miss out like she did. This is what made her so sought after and why her waiting list was so long.

Right now, those caring eyes were looking into
Kate’s distressed ones. She was giving them the bad news in simple language, knowing the words were hard enough to hear without translating scientific jargon.

“
Kate, the results of your tests suggest you have what is called a poor ovarian reserve. This means the follicles in your ovaries which form eggs are very few in number. Your irregular cycles are due to your body ovulating infrequently as a direct result of the limited follicles.”

“
So, I can have children, though? I do ovulate?”

“
You should be fine carrying the baby and yes, you are still ovulating but it’s just impossible to predict when. It might be once a year, it might be three times a year but it’s definitely not monthly; there’s no real way to tell. It’s not all bad news though, there hormones you can take which stimulates the follicles, encouraging them to release the egg. Many of my patients have success by using this hormone alone.”

“
Are you saying I can’t fall pregnant naturally? Without these drugs?”

“
The chances are highly improbable to nearly impossible. I’m so sorry.”

“
And these drugs will help?”

“
They are one of several options available to you both, yes. You could also try direct insemination and even IVF as a last resort.”

Kate
looked at Mark who was staring stony-faced out the window.

“
Mark? Mark?”

“
Oh, sorry. So Doc, what you’re saying is that Kate’s infertile.”

“
No! Not at all! She just doesn’t ovulate predictably.”

“
But my wrigglers are okay?”

“
Yes, you have a strong sperm count.”

“
So, it’s her fault. Figures.” He pointed at Kate who just looked away.

“
It’s no one’s fault and quite frankly, Mr Johnson, your attitude is not helping.”

“
Then, I guess there’s no need for me to be here.” He stood.

“
Mr Johnson, could you please remain. There is more to be done here.”

“
No, I’m late for a client.” He closed the door behind him with a click. Both women were aghast at his rudeness.

“
I’m sorry, Dr Lennard. He’s been acting so strangely lately and I don’t know why.”

“
Well, if you’re going ahead with this process, you need to be a cohesive team. Children need that from their parents.”

“
Yeah, I know. If we go ahead, what now?”

Dr Lennard wrote out a couple of scripts.

“Start with these and on your way out, make an appointment for a month’s time and we’ll get started. Remember Kate, stress can make falling pregnant harder.”

“
Okay, thank you for your time.”

The last two weeks had been full of publicity interviews for
Rhys and Kate in the lead up to the opening night. Six cities in ten days and they was exhausted.

The
kiss was huge news. Every interviewer asked Kate about it. She responded the same way each time: by thanking the person for their nice comments and explained she hadn’t seen it, yet. She wanted to wait for the official launch. It was never enough for the interviewer who tried to trick her into releasing juicy gossip about an off-screen affair. Kate would just smile.

In
another room, Rhys was doing the same. He didn’t want to talk about the kiss either. He’d deflect the conversation into another part of the movie and would discuss the dramatic wilderness of the Australian outback and how much he loved it.

No one got anything more and the public
were not impressed. But, in contrast, they were getting a lot from the publicists who were salivating at the free publicity. Photos of the kiss had been leaked to the media from ‘an insider’, the right retraction noises made by the distributor, and it roused the hype they wanted.

Soon,
the kiss was getting more attention than the film. A married Australian actor having an affair while on set with a big-name Hollywood star who already had a stunning girlfriend… it was the stuff of dreams. And the movie hadn’t even been officially released yet!

Kate
just wanted it all to go away.

Mark was getting questioned by clients who’d read the reviews and he’d just shrug and say it was her job. At home, though, he was far more vocal.

Kate was so tired of the abuse and why she was putting up with it. But, she still held onto the image of the loving man she’d spent years with and knew there was more going on here. If only he’d seek help. She was on the verge of suggesting marital counselling and if he didn’t concede, she would start thinking about leaving. The thought broke her heart.

Launch night was in Sydney at the Fox Studios cinemas. Amelia had flown in to support Rhys and the red carpet was bright with photographers and public alike.

Mark stepped out of the hire car first, dressed smartly in a
Marc Jacobs grey suit and black tie. Kate had told him he didn’t have to come, but he’d insisted. He wasn’t going to miss her first big movie launch for the world. He seemed sinister when he’d said that and Kate shivered.

He reached in to help
Kate from the car. She stepped out onto the pavement to a blinding flash of lights and yells. She was wearing a black lace, strapless Collette Dinnigan that belted just above her waist and dropped in a long, flowing skirt that ballooned slightly at her thigh before narrowing to just touching the floor. Gold embroidery flowed along the heart-shaped bodice and along the waist line. Her black heels resembled Roman footwear that strapped up her leg. Her hair had been set into 1920s curls that tumbled over one shoulder, exposing one ear that was weighted heavily with ruby chandelier earrings on loan from a local jeweller.

Kate
took Mark’s hand and waved at the banks of people with the other, smiling and going through the moves expected of the red carpet privileged. She turned to show off her dress and responded to questions about her outfit and how she felt about the movie while Mark stood patiently behind her. She was ushered before an oversized display listed with sponsor’s names and stood in various poses for the press, the dazzling flashes leaving large spots in the retinas. It was then she saw Rhys with Amelia further ahead through the crowd, her short yellow dress standing out amongst the sea of black and grey.

“
It’s time to go in Ms Johnson,” said a suited man wearing a headset.

“
It’s Mrs Johnson,” Mark corrected. Kate’s smile dropped.

The usher blinked for a moment
. “Yes, my apologies, Mr Johnson. Mrs Johnson, would you mind coming this way, please?”

“
Mark, that was really rude,” she whispered, keeping her smile in place for the hundreds watching.

“
Not as rude as calling you, Ms.”

“
He was being politically correct.”

“
Do you really want to discuss this now?”

She sighed,
“no, of course not.”

They were shown their seats, the best in the house. To her delight, Jane was sitting next to her and she pounced on her friend in delight. She hadn’t seen Jane since her wedding six weeks earlier and they caught up briefly.
Rhys was seated in the row behind and a few seats up and Kate greeted him with a nod which he returned. His hair had been cut into a short back and sides and spiked trendily from his brow, trademark stubble still in place. Amelia stared calmly back, not responding. She slid her hand under Rhys’s expensively suited arm and tugged her short daisy-yellow mini dress lower before crossing her long legs inwards towards her boyfriend.

The lights flashed a few times and the packed theatre settled into their seats, the loud cacophony diminishing into a low murmur.
The lights went down and the previews started.

T
he opening credits rolled in front of footage of a helicopter flying along rugged ranges, lifting and swooping in valleys and over peaks. The material was amazing but still didn’t do the Macdonald Ranges justice.

It was weird for
Kate seeing her face blown up onto the big screen but she was able to settle back and enjoy it nonetheless. Being the first time she’d seen it all together, it was easy to distance herself.

That was until the movie started rolling towards Scene 27. Mark had taken her hand and was caressing her fingers with his thumb. The scene
began with Kate running frantically through red-earthen bushland, breathing heavily, her hair bouncing behind her. She broke into a clearing and ran up to a tent pitched in the middle. The camera swooped in behind her and followed her in before panning around to the open side of the tent. The camera work was performed so seamlessly, it was hard to believe each location was filmed thousands of kilometres apart.

“
Stephen?” she called and on screen Rhys pushed himself up. Sitting in that dark theatre, surrounded by two hundred people, Rhys and Kate felt very alone and she risked a tiny glimpse over her shoulder at him. He was staring stonily at the screen, his hand clenched on his leg. On the screen, Kate moved backwards away from his face and the theatre went deathly silent. Not even a rustle of clothing broke the stillness.

And then, they were kissing, gently at first and quickly with an intensity that blew the chemistry out of the screen
. Kate’s eyes widened in horror as Rhys opened her mouth wide and slid his tongue in. Mark’s hand had stopped caressing hers and he was now holding her leg, squeezing her thigh painfully. She shifted from the pain and dropped her head to stop watching the erotic kiss; her erotic kiss.

Rhys
was feeling a similar reaction to Kate. The huge image of them locked together made him feel sick, but only because thousands of people would also see it and lust over it. It took every ounce of control to stay in the theatre, and his teeth were clenched tightly. He dropped his eyes to look at the back of a patron’s head until the scene ended. Amelia was hanging on very tightly to his arm. Too tightly.

Every single person in that theatre knew they hadn’t been acting. No one could fake that level of chemistry and passion.

The movie ended to a standing ovation. Rhys, Kate, Mac, Cally and the other team members had their shoulders clapped and their hands shaken with lots of congratulations flowing. It was officially a hit.

People filed out of the cinema and across the forecourt to a large
convention hall where the after party was being held. Booze flowed, people talked too loudly and the huge banquet tables were overflowing with expensive food. It was
the
party to be at.

Kate
had a thousand photos taken of her from every angle. She’d plastered on her smile so tightly, her cheeks were hurting. She was sitting at a table next to a glowering Mark, repeatedly standing up to talk to people, gracious with their congratulations. Mark decided he’d had enough and leant across.

“
It’s time to go.”

“
What? I can’t! Not yet. It’ll look bad if I go now.”

“
Well, I’m going then. It’s not like I’m going to be missed.”

He stood and walked
stolidly towards the entrance. Kate’s eyebrows raised in disbelief at his audacity. She grabbed her purse and followed.

“
Mark, please.” He didn’t stop. She reached for his hand and looking around, pulled him unwillingly to a dark service corridor behind a display. It was quieter here and they couldn’t be seen.

“
I’m so sorry Mark. I honestly didn’t know that was in the movie. There were so many other takes…”

“
What? You kissed him more than that?”

“
No, the other times were different. I thought they’d use the other takes.”

“
Yeah, so no one would know you’d been screwing Bradford!”

“
I’m not. Wasn’t! Please, Mark. You have to listen!”

“
No, you listen you unfaithful bitch.” He got right into her face and held painfully to her upper arm.

“
Ow!”

“
I knew this would happen. I knew this job of yours would lead to this. And now your little secret is all over the world, isn’t it. You dirty, filthy whore – you disgust me.”

And he pushed her roughly away from him and stormed out of the corridor and disappeared into the crowd.

In the semi-light Kate sunk against the wall, the tears welling up in her eyes and she rubbed her arm where Mark had hurt her.

“
You let him talk to you like that?” Rhys stepped into her little shelter. His black suit blended into the unlit corridor.

“
What? You heard him?”

“
Unfortunately, yes. Does he usually speak to you like that?”

“
No… yes… sometimes.” She looked away, ashamed. She rubbed carefully at her eyes, trying to preserve her make-up. “It’s not like you think. What are you doing here, anyway?”

“
I was following you to say goodbye and when I saw you go in here, I waited at the entrance.”

“
You’re leaving?”

“
Yeah, I’m leaving for L.A. in a few hours. I have a movie in Morocco next week to prep for.”

“
Okay.” She paused, having no idea what to say to him. “Well, I guess it was good to see you again.”

He paused.
“Good? Is that all?”

“
Well? What do you want me to say?” This was almost too much for her. To be yelled at by her husband and now Rhys was hassling her.

“
Say you’re going to leave that bastard.”

“
I am not going to leave Mark. You don’t understand, he never used to be like this, something is wrong and he needs help.”

“
He’s a grown man, Kate. He can look after himself.”

“
He can’t. I don’t… I can’t hear this right now. I can’t have you angry at me, too.”

“
I’m not angry! I’m frustrated!”

“
Yeah, well I’m not about to fix that, am I? I’m married, Rhys and one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen adores you. It’s a farce, what we have. Something a desert spirit conjured up for laughs. This thing we have is as bogus as that kiss.”

He stared at her in the darkness for a moment and lowered his voice.

“You didn’t fake that kiss any more than I did.”

“
Oh yeah. Well, maybe I’m a better actor than you give me credit for.”

They went quiet and
Rhys shifted while Kate looked at the green-lit exit sign at the end of the corridor.

“Don’t you have to go?” she said.

“I don’t want to leave it like this.”

“They’ll be other leading ladies, Rhys. You’ll forget about me soon enough.”

“No,” he shook his head. “I never will.”

“Sure you won’t.” Rhys was silent.

Kate snapped, “Well, then. Goodbye. Don’t you have to leave?”

He didn’t move. Rhys’s hands were clenched at his thighs, his face heavily shadowed.

“Well?” she repeated. “How’d you want to do it then? With a handshake? A pat on the back and a ‘see ya mate’?”

“No. Like this.”

Rhys grabbed her face, cupping his hands around her jaw and pulled her up into a brutal kiss, opening her mouth wide, slanting his lips hard over hers. Kate fought for a moment but when his tongue teased hers, she dropped her purse, grabbed his jacket and kissed him back, standing up on her toes to do it. He ravaged her ferociously, taking selfishly, pulling effortlessly from her the total truth. Lust drove him to push her up against the wall, tilting her head up and taking even more. She whimpered as his tongue circled her lips, the gesture so sensual, tears caught in her eyelashes. He took her mouth roughly again, his hands in her hair and his thumbs on her cheeks. He felt her tear slide down the side of his thumb.