Taking Chances (18 page)

‘Are you sure you don’t want me to come in with you?’ he said.

She nodded. ‘Sure. But thanks for offering.’

He tightened his hold on her hand. ‘I’m going to be honest with you,’ he said gently. ‘Aside from the work issue, I think another reason you never get asked out on a date is that you just don’t give any other man a chance.’

She turned to look at him, an amused, though slightly sad expression in her turquoise eyes.
‘Is
there any other man?’ she said, and with a quick smile that only suggested she might be joking, she opened the door and got out.

Ellen ran into her office, yelled out ‘OK,’ and snatched up the phone as Maggie put the call through. ‘Matty, hi, at last,’ she cried, dumping her briefcase and shrugging off her jacket. ‘Sorry I didn’t get back to you before, but it’s so crazy here, and now with Michael flying off to England … Anyway, how are you? How did it go with Tom when he drove you home the other night?’

‘Well, we talked about you, and then about you, and then some more about you,’ Matty answered.

‘What do you mean?’ Ellen said, stopping what she was doing.

‘Oh come on,’ Matty laughed, ‘you’ve got to have noticed, the man doesn’t have eyes for anyone else. Oh, he’s polite enough, but it’s pretty plain he’d rather be talking to you, and if he can’t talk
to
you, seems he’s just as happy talking
about
you.’

‘Matty, you’re completely wrong,’ Ellen informed her, going to the computer screen and calling up her messages. ‘The only reason he talked to you about me was that I’m all you’ve got in common right now. Didn’t you bring up about the script?’

‘Sure, and you’re doing a great job, he tells me. He really admires how professional and insightful you are and thinks, when the time comes, you should get first billing on the writer’s credit. Of course, that’s not all he wants to offer you, but we didn’t get that far. Now answer me this, how the hell do you stand to be alone with him, in the same room, and keep your hands off him? He’s so damned gorgeous.’

Ellen was laughing. ‘He and Michael are good friends,’ she reminded her cousin. ‘And whereas I grant you Tom is an extremely attractive man, I happen to be very much in love with Michael. Hang on.’ She put a hand over the mouthpiece and spoke quickly to Maggie who’d just come in the door. ‘Get the proofs over to the Four Seasons for Tom to see,’ she said, ‘and then courier a set over to England for Michael. Are they any good?’ she added, as Maggie dropped a large package on the corner of her desk.

‘Haven’t seen them,’ she answered. ‘The messenger just brought them in. Ted Forgon’s in his office. Said he’d like to see you if you’ve got a moment to pop in.’

Ellen looked at her watch. ‘I’ll try,’ she said. ‘Matty, you still there?’

‘Still here. So when’s Michael back?’

‘Friday. Great timing on Clodagh’s part to go and fall over now. I mean, this isn’t exactly my idea of fun being left alone with Michelle and Robbie. Tom joined us for dinner last night, so we reminisced about Rio and Sarajevo, at least they did and I listened. Then we talked about Pakistan and the refugee camps and all the problems the Afghan women and children are facing there right now. You can imagine how much I had to contribute to that. Then we caught up with all the gossip on their fellow let’s-risk-our-lives-to-do-good-ers. That was particularly fascinating, as I just love hearing all about people I’ve never even met and am never likely to. In the end I went to bed and left them to it. So let me put
you
right about something, Matty, if Tom’s got a thing for anyone round here, it’s very definitely Michelle.’

‘What about Michael’s brother? Where’s he while all this is going on?’ Matty wanted to know. ‘Aren’t he and Michelle supposed to be an item?’

‘Cavan? He’s still in Pakistan. I expect Michael’ll have to rush off to rescue him from a guerilla kidnapping or political imprisonment any time now. In fact, my money’s on the week of the wedding, what say you?’

‘Boy, you do sound stressed,’ Matty remarked. ‘What are you doing for lunch? My treat.’

‘Matty, I’d spring for champagne cocktails and three courses at the Ivy right now, given half a chance. Instead, I’ve just sent Olivia to get me a chicken burrito which I know is disgusting, but I feel like indulging myself even though I won’t have time to eat it before I go pick up Robbie to take him to the dentist. And does any kid stay in school for an entire day any more, is what I want to know?’

‘I thought the dentist was yesterday?’

‘So did I. I got it wrong. Yesterday was tetanus and whooping-cough shots. Today is the dentist. And Michelle can’t take him, because she’s got an important lunch with the charity officials, then she’s got to go shopping to buy herself something to wear for the big night. Meanwhile, Tom is helping her work on her speech, so I get an extra couple of hours back in my schedule because he can’t see me until Michelle’s speech is done and delivered. What’s more, in Michael’s absence, Tom will be escorting her to the charity gala on Thursday night while I stay at home and babysit Robbie, because it’s Lucina’s night off. I didn’t actually know that Michael was supposed to be escorting her, that was obviously something he forgot to mention. Hang on, Maggie’s back.’

‘Mark Gladley’s on the line,’ Maggie told her, ‘he said he can reschedule the screening for Tuesday week if that
suits
you better. He needs an answer now though.’

‘Well?’ Ellen said. ‘Does it suit me better?’

‘It could, but I’ll need to check with Ken at Glitz and Glamour,’ she said, referring to the company that was organizing the wedding. ‘And I need the diary of your dress fittings.’

‘It’s right here,’ Ellen said, delving into her briefcase and bringing out an untidy stack of notes.

‘And Michelle just called,’ Maggie continued. ‘She said to let you know that she’s sent flowers to Michael’s mother on your behalf, just in case you’d forgotten.’

Ellen’s eyes widened with amazement. Outrage was a beat behind it.

Maggie winced. ‘She also said, as she doesn’t know LA very well she’d really appreciate some company when she goes shopping this afternoon, if you can make it. I said you’d call her back.’

Ellen looked about to explode. ‘What is it with that woman?’ she seethed. ‘Call her back and tell her she’s got more cheek than a Sumo’s backside, and enough goddamned people running around after her, so the hell does she get me too. And while you’re at it, ask her if she understands that other people have schedules. Or is it that hers is so full up with worthy causes that no-one else’s counts?’

‘What about the flowers?’ Matty said down the phone. ‘You’re surely not letting her get away with that?’

‘Like hell I am!’ Ellen raged. ‘Maggie, find out which florist she used, get on to them and cancel the flowers she sent for me. Tell her I organized mine and Michael’s when I took Michael to the airport.’

‘Did you?’ Matty asked.

‘No, but she doesn’t need to know that,’ Ellen retorted. ‘I’ll just remind Michael to do it while he’s in London. With any luck he’ll manage it before Michelle’s get there.’

‘Anything else?’ Maggie enquired.

‘No,’ Ellen snapped.

Maggie exited quickly, leaving Ellen to wonder exactly what she would say to Michelle on the phone, though not really caring. ‘Do you see what I have to put up with?’ she said to Matty. ‘Now tell me I’m not overreacting here, the way Michael thinks I am. I mean, would you stand for this kind of shit?’

‘Not a chance,’ Matty assured her. ‘But I’m not about to become Michael’s wife and Robbie’s stepmother, so you’re going to have to find some way of dealing with her. Which reminds me, is everything OK between you and Robbie? He seemed kind of distant the other night.’

‘With me, not you,’ Ellen pointed out and sighed. ‘I guess it’s kind of tough having me and his mother under the same roof, and his mother is a novelty these days, whereas I’m just the one who reminds him to brush his teeth and forgets to pack his favourite cookies for lunch. The latest, this morning, is that he doesn’t want me and Michael to get married. I tell you, if she weren’t so goddamned holy and decent, I’d swear Michelle had put him up to it, but even I, who would like to see the woman on the fastest jet plane out of here, find it hard to suspect her of something like that.’

‘What did you say to Robbie?’ Matty asked.

‘What could I say? I ignored it. It was probably the wrong thing to do, but we were right outside the school gates and I was already late for a nine o’clock with the site managers at Paramount.’

‘How’s that going?’

‘OK. We could be moving the production offices over there some time in the next couple of weeks.’

‘What about you and Michael?’

‘We’re staying here. Listen, I’ve got to go. I daren’t be late for Robbie again, and Ted Forgon’s just asked me to pop in and see him.’

‘How is the old goat?’ Matty enquired.

‘Getting more active now that the statute of
limitations
has started its countdown,’ Ellen answered. ‘Oh my God! I’ve just had a brilliant idea. Maybe I could get him on my side over the casting of Rachel. Michael might be running the show, but Ted’s the majority shareholder, he’s going to want an executive credit, and maybe even an executive input … I need to think about this, I’ll get back to you.’

An hour later, having performing some excellent groundwork on Ted Forgon’s ego ready for when she might need it, Ellen was leading Robbie across the schoolyard towards the car. All the other kids were back in class, ready for the afternoon session, and she was wondering if she could somehow work it for her and Robbie to take the rest of the day off and spend some time together. But with having to cover for Michael, as well as keeping up with her own hectic commitments, she was insane even to think it, for she didn’t even have time to be here now, much less to start treading the delicate path it would take to deal with Robbie.

‘Honey, don’t scuff your shoes,’ she said, as he dragged his feet round to the passenger side of the car.

Ignoring her he carried on scuffing, then flung his school bag rudely into the back before climbing in after it.

‘You going to get on your booster seat?’ she asked.

‘Don’t want to,’ he replied.

‘You’re not going to be able to see where we’re going,’ she reminded him.

He stayed silent.

‘OK, then put your seat-belt on,’ she said.

He didn’t move.

Leaning in, Ellen took the seat-belt, fastened it around him then got into the driver’s seat. ‘What did you do this morning?’ she asked, reversing the car out of its parking space.

‘Boring stuff,’ he answered.

Ellen glanced in the rearview mirror, but he was too
low
for her to see his face. She didn’t need to, though, she’d already seen his scowl and didn’t imagine it had disappeared. Despite her impatience her heart fluttered with misgiving, for the last thing she wanted was him to suffer the kind of confusion his behaviour was indicating.

‘Can we make friends?’ she said after a while.

No answer.

‘How about we go to the movies tonight?’ she suggested.

‘Mummy’s already taking me.’

They didn’t speak again all the way over to Sherman Oaks where the dentist had his office. And while they were there the only words Robbie addressed to her were, ‘I can do it myself,’ as she made to help him up in the chair.

As she watched the dentist checking him over she could feel her heart aching, for despite his awkwardness with her he was such a good boy really, did everything the dentist told him and gazed up at the man with such wide and fearful eyes that she wanted desperately to hug him. Right now though, that would be the last thing he’d want, and even though his shirt was hanging out and his socks were falling down when he got out of the chair, she didn’t dare to point it out.

‘Do you feel like going to the juice bar?’ she asked, as they got back in the car. Until lately this had been a Saturday morning treat when the three of them went grocery shopping together.

‘No, Dad’s not here,’ he said sullenly.

Ellen nodded and watched him climb up onto his booster seat for the return journey to school.

‘How about giving Spot ten minutes in the dog park?’ she said.

This time he nodded, and though it was going to make her horribly late for a meeting with the set designers, and then in turn for a script session with Tom, the house
was
on the way back to school, and if need be she’d take Spot on to the office with her rather than use up any valuable time returning him home.

The minute Spot got sight of the other dogs he was off on his usual mad social round, plunging right into the heart of a big-dog group and wagging his tail so hard it almost lifted his back legs off the ground. Ellen waved to a couple of people they knew, then carried her phone over to one of the picnic tables and began making the long list of returns Maggie had given her just before she’d left. She was about to start on the fourth call when she noticed Robbie sitting at another table, head bowed, legs dangling and looking for all the world as though he’d been abandoned.

Quickly clicking off the line, she picked up Spot’s lead and walked over to where Robbie was. The park was surprisingly full for the time of day, with every imaginable breed of dog strutting its stuff around the water trough, running to fetch frisbees and balls, or attempting to hump each other fast before their owners could intervene. It was Spot’s overactive libido that had got him into so much trouble in the past, especially as he had no particular care as to the size, sex, or even which end, of the other dog he assailed. Today, however, as though sensing Robbie’s despair, he soon came trotting out of the fray and took up position at his young master’s feet, where he kept a beady eye on park proceedings.

‘Do you want to talk?’ Ellen said.

Robbie shook his head.

She waited a moment, then said, ‘Well, I feel like you’re kind of mad at me, and if you don’t tell me what I did, I can’t say sorry, can I?’

After a while he mumbled something that she didn’t quite catch.

‘I didn’t hear you,’ she said gently.