No Matter What (80 page)

He pulled her close, gently kissing her.
 
“Talk to her.
 
That’s all you can do.”

She smiled at him, suddenly just wanting to get up to the apartment and snuggle up in front of the TV.
 
“Come on.
 
Let’s go home.”

Whatever happened would happen, that’s all Charley could hope for.
 
Neither she nor
India
were the people they had been ten years ago but surely something was always going to be there.
 
And when
India
got back from
L.A.
she’d find out.
 
Because if she could only get her friend back then her life really would be perfect, and that’s all Charley had ever wanted.

***

“You look happy,” Martha smiled at
India
.
 
She was back on Michael’s movie set to spend a bit of time watching her husband and father at work, looking relaxed and casual in a white strapless mini dress teamed with baseball boots and a bandana tied around her blonde hair.
 
It wasn’t long until she had to be back in Vegas now and she wanted to spend as much time as possible with everyone before she left.

“I
am
happy,”
India
smiled back, hugging her step mum-to-be.
 
“I’m very happy.”

“Any particular reason why?”

India
really wanted to tell Martha about her and Michael trying for a baby.
 
She was another person she found it difficult to keep anything from, especially something like this, because Martha was the closest thing she’d had to a mum in a long time.

“Ok, listen
 
... if I tell you something will you promise to keep it to yourself?
 
I mean, you can tell dad, I suppose, although he’ll probably start fussing the minute he finds out ...”

“Now why would he do that?”
 
Martha looked at her, her expression changing suddenly.
 
“No.
 
You’re not ...?”

India
shook her head, looking round to make sure nobody was in earshot.
 
The last thing she wanted was this getting out in the open.

“No.
 
Not yet.
 
But we’re trying.
 
We’re trying very, very hard.”

Martha smiled a huge smile.
 
“Oh
India
, honey, that’s great news!
 
I thought you’d totally given up on the idea of kids though.
 
You always seemed so against it.”

India looked over at Michael as he laughed with Reece over something the assistant director had said, and she smiled too, inwardly hugging herself because she just felt stupidly happy right now.
 
Probably due to too much sex but she was determined to get as much out of Michael – literally - as she possibly could before she went back to Vegas.
 
She wanted to have the greatest chance of falling pregnant as soon as she could and that meant making love as often as they could while they had the chance.

“I was, Martha.
 
The idea made me feel sick but, coming here ...” She looked at Martha and smiled again.
 
“The time felt right.”

Martha quickly squeezed her hand.
 
“And Michael?”

“Oh, Michael’s like a kid at Christmas.
 
You know how much he’s always wanted a baby.”

“And what about you?
 
Do
you
want one as much as he does?”

Martha knew only too well that babies had been the one thing in Michael and
India
’s relationship that had caused the most tension between them.
 
She just wanted to know that
India
felt as happy about this as Michael, although she certainly looked as though she did.

“I do now, Martha.”

“Ok sweetie.
 
I’m just acting like your mom now, I can’t help it.
 
You do know I’m going to have to tell your dad though, don’t you?
 
This is his grandchild – actually, it’s
our
grandchild you guys are trying to make here.
 
Oh my God ... I’m gonna be a grandma!”

India
couldn’t help laughing.
 
Martha was certainly going to make a very glamorous grandma that was for sure.

“Your dad is gonna be so happy.”

“He’s going to spend most of the time fussing round me, I can see it coming.”

“Oh, let him have his fun, sweetheart.
 
He missed out on a lot with you so he’s bound to want to spoil his grandchild.
 
Just humour him, ok?”

India
smiled.
 
“Yeah, ok.
 
Oh, and Bobby’s the only other person who knows about this and that’s the way it has to stay.
 
The last thing we need is this becoming headline news, especially as there isn’t even a baby yet.”

“My lips are sealed, honey.”
 
Martha kissed her cheek and gave her hand another squeeze.
 
“I’ll see you later, ok?”

India
nodded, her attention distracted for a second by the arrival of Layla Boyd, who floated past her in a cloud of expensive perfume and hairspray, oozing
Hollywood
glitz and glamour with every step of her four inch heels.
 
She stopped suddenly and turned to look at
India
over her shoulder, throwing her a smile faker than her breasts before gliding off in the direction of her trailer with her newly acquired entourage in tow.
 
 
India
couldn’t help laughing, in amazement more than anything else.
 
She was absolutely positive
they
hadn’t been around when she’d been here a couple of days ago.

“Where the hell did they all come from?” she asked, as Bobby appeared by her side.

“Daddy probably bought them for her,” he replied, checking his ‘phone for messages.
 
“I’ve also heard rumours she’s addicted to the shopping channels and spends most evenings giving her various Platinum credit cards a hammering whilst downing bottles of Sambuca.”

India
looked at him, a smile twitching at the corners of her mouth.
 
“Oh, I so wish that was true.”

“Who says it isn’t?” Bobby said, examining his nails.

India
sighed.
 
“You know, being around her makes me feel so unglamorous.
 
I mean, look at her.”

Bobby looked at Layla as she disappeared into her trailer.
 
“She screams tacky to me, angel.
 
And I thought you didn’t do glamour unless absolutely forced to?”

“I don’t.”

“So why should feeling unglamorous bother you then?”

“It doesn’t.
 
Usually.
 
Look, how do I get into these conversations with you?”

Bobby shrugged, rummaging around in his bag for something.
 
“
You
started it.”
 

India
looked over towards Michael, watching as he talked to the crew, smiling and laughing.
 
He was in his element.

“Isn’t he sexy when he’s in full-on director mode?” she sighed.
 
“I wonder if he’s got time for a quick one before he gets started.”

Bobby looked at her.
 
“Are you serious?”

“Why not?”

“From the state of him it looks like you’ve had him on the go non-stop for the past two days, angel … how much hotter does he look with a bit of stubble, though?
 
I’m surprised he’s got anything left to give you.
 
Anyway, who’s to say you haven’t hit the jackpot already?”

“Nobody,”
India
replied.
 
“Do you really think he looks hotter with stubble?”

“Oh, absolutely.
 
Quite rugged and sexy.”

India
looked at him, trying hard not to laugh.
 
“Ok ... am I turning into a desperate, obsessed mad woman, Bobby?”

“Of course not, angel.
 
Well, maybe a tad on the desperate side but that’s only to be expected.”

She looked at him.
 
“Bugger it!
 
I’m going to see if he’s got time.”

“That’s my girl.
 
Never one to let an opportunity pass her by.”

She smiled at him.
 
“Haven’t you got work to do, anyway?”

He kissed her cheek.
 
“Tons of it, princess.
 
And I’m on my way to get started on it right now.”

She stood on tip-toes and kissed him back.
 
“Love you, Bobby.”

“Love you too, angel.
 
See you later!”

While Bobby set off for the office he had in the grounds of
India
and Michael’s Hollywood Hills home,
India
found Michael now sitting by himself near one of the catering vans, which was busy serving breakfast.
 
The smell of bacon was extremely tempting but she had other things to think about, and eating wasn’t top of the list.

“Hey, beautiful,” Michael smiled, standing up as she came over.
 
“I wondered where you were.”

 
“Are you busy?”

“Well, I’m making a movie, honey, so kind of, yeah.
 
Do you want something?”

She moved closer to him, sliding a hand round the back of his neck, kissing him slowly.
 
“Just sex.”

“Now?”

“Well, we
are
trying to make a baby, aren’t we?
 
And I can’t do that on my own.
 
I need a bit of help from a rather handsome actor.”

“I can find you one if you like.
 
There should be one or two hanging around here somewhere …”

“Michael!
 
I’m being serious,” she laughed, punching him playfully.

“Oh, you mean
me
?
 
You want to have sex with
me
?”

“Not if you carry on like this, no.”

He looked at his watch quickly and pulled her closer, taking a quick peek down the front of her dress.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m trying to get turned on here, baby.
 
I’m in the middle of a movie set and you’ve just walked up to me and asked me for sex but without a little bit of help it’s not really gonna stand to attention on demand.”

“What if I tell you I’m not wearing any underwear?”

He looked at her.
 
“Aren’t you?”

She shook her head, smiling.
 
“I’m trying to make it easy for you.”

“Jesus ... ok, come on, let’s go.
 
They can’t really start without me, can they?”

It was fast, not the least bit romantic, but sexy as hell and
India
loved it. Michael had to go straight back out onto set afterwards but India hung around in the trailer for a while, wondering if staying still and lying down would help at all.
 
It probably wouldn’t but she was giving it a try anyway.

“Can I come in?”

Reece’s voice made her sit up quickly, crossing her legs underneath her as he came in.
 
“Sure.
 
Shouldn’t you be out there, though?”

“I’m not needed until this afternoon,” Reece said, sitting down on the sofa opposite her.
 
“Martha tells me you and Michael are trying for a baby.”

She looked at her dad.
 
His reaction was exactly what she’d expected it to be.

“We are.”

“Why?”

“Because we want one.”
 
She suddenly felt about twelve years old.

“I know
Michael
wants one, but
you
?
 
You’ve done nothing but put the barriers up on that subject for years and now, all of a sudden, you decide you
want
a baby?
 
Just like that?
 
You’re not choosing a new couch here,
India
.”

India
got up and walked over to the window, looking outside.
 
“I’m well aware of that.”
 
She turned round and looked at him.
 
“And we’ve already started trying so it’s too late to start lecturing me.
 
For all we know I might already be pregnant.”