The New Year Resolution (14 page)

The swarm followed them through the airport and onto the pavement. Airport security had gathered and were watching them warily, ready to leap into action at the first sign of violence.

Ryan got on the phone and made a call. Minutes later the Mercedes drove up and a door swung open.

“Get in,” yelled a voice from inside.

Ryan and Nicole dived into the car, which then sped off into the safe obscurity of the highway.

“Well, I can’t say that’s ever happened to me before,” giggled Nicole, feeling rather overwhelmed.

Ryan didn’t smile. “I’m sorry about that,” he murmured. “Chris, what the hell...?”

The man in the back seat replied, “I couldn’t stop it, Ryan. Somehow you returning to SA leaked out and the office was inundated with calls from newspapers wanting confirmation. The new temp we hired last week gave them all the details.”

“Sack her,” growled Ryan, unimpressed.

“Hi, I’m Nicole,” said Nicole, leaning across Ryan to introduce herself to Chris.

“Chris. Ryan’s PR assistant.” He clutched her hand as the car flew around a corner and onto the highway.

“Ex-PR assistant,” grumbled Ryan.

“Come on. This wasn’t my fault.” Chris looked seriously concerned, until Ryan cracked a brief smile and punched him on the shoulder. “You know I’m kidding, but seriously, I thought this shit was over.”

“No way, buddy. Now they’ve got wind of your new girlfriend, its only beginning.”

“I’m not his girlfriend,” said Nicole at exactly the same time as Ryan blurted out, “She’s not my girlfriend.”

Chris held up a hand and snorted. “Okay, whatever.... I’m just saying they’re hungry for information.”

Nicole looked horrified. Not about her, surely? She turned and gazed out of the window. This certainly put a different spin on things.

Ryan swept a hand through his hair. “What a disaster!”

In more ways than one. Now their secret liaison was not so secret anymore. Nicole would be dragged into his love/hate relationship with the international press who were bound to make a meal out of it. She was intelligent, beautiful and sexy. They would plaster her picture all over the papers. Tomorrow she’d be in every gossip magazine in London.

This would make their fling impossible to hide. Plus, it would mean their agreement not to continue seeing each other would be noticeable. A breakup, just as the press publicised their relationship. How nice.

Vincent Mahler would no doubt read all about it and call him up. Ryan Jackson involved in another scandal? Hopefully it wouldn’t make his benefactor pull out of their deal. The thought made his blood run cold. After all they’d been through to get this signed off? This was the last thing he needed.

“We need to discuss strategy,” he told Chris. Then he glanced at Nicole. “I’m really sorry, but this could affect the deal with Vincent. If we don’t see each other again the press are going to assume you were a fling, or we’ve broken up, and it’s going to get nasty.”

“You mean Vincent is going to know we lied to him?” confirmed Nicole, an edge to her voice.

“I can’t have him pull out now. Not when we’re so close.”

“You’re so close, you mean. This has nothing to do with me.” Nicole’s eyes were as cold as Ryan had ever seen them.

“You’re involved now,” cut in Chris, not picking up on the vibes radiating between Nicole and Ryan.

“No, you’re mistaken,” Nicole corrected. “I am not involved. I was asked to play along while we were on the island. It’s now over. I’m home and I want to return to my old life. I’m not interested in continuing with this façade any longer.”

Ryan was silent. He understood where she was coming from but suspected it wasn’t going to be that easy. He knew firsthand how the media operated. Once they got their teeth into you it was a good few months before you became old news. Even then, if you ever did anything publically again, the old news stories were dredged up and you relived everything all over again. Nicole wasn’t going to be able to return to her old life now. But he didn’t say as much.

“I respect your decision, of course,” he said diplomatically, “But can I ask you not to say anything about us not being together to the press? If Vincent got wind of it, it could destroy my chances of building the wind farm. He has to be under the impression we’re still together. At least for a while anyway, until I can talk to him about it.”

Nicole frowned. “I really don’t like this subterfuge, Ryan. I suggest you talk to Vincent ASAP and clear the air. He needs to know the truth. In the mean time, don’t worry, I won’t talk to the press.”

Ryan could see she hadn’t grasped the full impact of what that little demonstration at the airport had been about. She thought it was over, that she’d be left alone. Nicole wasn’t used to being a celebrity. She had no experience to draw on. Ryan knew it was only a matter of time before they figured out who she was and began hanging around her house, asking questions. Trying to get shots of her in her bikini, with her child.

Christ, the child.

Sighing, he leant back against the car seat. This was a total disaster. How on earth would Vincent react when he saw a picture of Nicole with her daughter? He’d know then he’d been duped.

“I think you’re right,” he said wearily. “I’ll have to talk to Vincent as soon as I can. He isn’t back for another two weeks, so I’ll have to wait until then.” Hopefully it wouldn’t be too long to wait. One photograph was all it took and his plans could be in tatters.

Damn. This had seemed such a good idea at the time, now it was backfiring spectacularly.

The driver dropped Nicole off outside her house in Pretoria. Ryan was relieved to see all was quiet. It was late afternoon, and the warm breeze shifted the Jacaranda petals across the pavement and lifted Nicole’s blonde hair off her shoulders. He offered to help her inside but she declined.

“My mother and daughter are waiting for me,” she said, with a small smile. Obviously she didn’t want to introduce them to him.

“I apologise for all this,” Ryan murmured, as she unlocked her front door. “I hope we can remain friends.”

“No problem,” said Nicole, lightly. Ryan wondered if she’d be quite so compliant in a day or two when she had to battle reporters to get out of her driveway.

“Just make sure you sort it out with Vincent. I don’t like lying to him. He doesn’t deserve it.”

“I will,” promised Ryan, hoping he could get to Vincent before the news did. “Take care, Nicole.”

Nicole gave him a shaky smile, before opening the door and disappearing inside. A few seconds later Ryan heard a small voice yell, “Mummy!” and the pattering of little feet on the floor. Nicole was home. Back to her life, in which he had no right to demand a part.

“Who is he?” Nicole’s mom stared out of the lounge window at the small crowd of journalists gathered on the lawn. “An actor, or something?”

“No, nothing like that,” Nicole replied, wondering how on earth they’d found out where she lived. The airport was one thing, but to surround her home like this....

The telephone rang. Nicole answered.

“Nicole, this is
Heat
magazine. We were wondering if you’d care to comment on your affair with Ryan Jackson?”

Nicole hung up.

“They’re everywhere,” she wailed.  “How am I going to get to work tomorrow?”

“They may have gone by then,” Nicole’s mom reassured her, but she didn’t look too confident.

“And I’ll have to take Olivia to school....”

Nicole collapsed onto the couch, her head in her hands. “This is a nightmare. If I’d know this would happen I’d never have agreed to go with him.”

“I thought it was supposed to be a secret?” pointed out Nicole’s mom.

“That was the idea, yes,” mumbled Nicole. She glanced at the now drawn curtains. “Except I don’t think it is anymore.”

There was a hoot and Nicole’s mom peeked out from the behind the curtains. “A black Mercedes has pulled up,” she announced.

“Oh no. It’s got to be him.” Nicole got up and joined her mom at the window. Yup, that was him all right, giving the press a field day. Cameras clicked and microphones were shoved under his face as Ryan Jackson got out of the car.

Nicole and her mom watched as Ryan coolly held up a hand and almost strolled towards the front door. He clutched a teddy bear in his right hand, and used the left to fend off journalists.

“What is he doing?” hissed Nicole, frowning at the bear. “He’s only going to make things worse.”

The doorbell sounded.

“You could not answer it,” suggested Nicole’s mom.

Nicole gave her a look. “I think they know we’re here.”

On the second ring, Nicole opened the door a crack. “What do you want?” she asked, none too friendly.

“Do you mind if I come inside?” asked Ryan. “It’s a little crowded out here.”

Nicole sighed and opened the door just enough for him to squeeze through. As it was, his broad shoulders scraped on the door frame, forcing him to turn sideways. The bear was the last thing to enter the house before Nicole shut the door with a bang.

Once inside Nicole and Ryan stood and stared at each other. It had been two days since he’d dropped her off and he still looked every inch as delectable as when she’d left him. Why couldn’t he have developed acne or something? Anything to stop her from wanting him so much. And what was it with the bear? A gift for Olivia? Why? He didn’t even know her. What made him think she wanted them to get acquainted?

Nicole’s appreciative look changed to one of suspicion. What was he up to now?

As Nicole was eating him up with her eyes, Ryan was pretty much doing the same thing.

Her legs looked fantastic in those faded jeans, and the tight T-shirt she wore really emphasised her breasts and tiny waist. He felt the urge to stride over, gather her in his arms and kiss the hell out of her petulant lips, but he refrained, of course. This was neither the time nor the place for that. The days when he could accost her whenever he liked were over.

“Mummy, are we having a party?” came a little voice from down the passage. It was followed by rapid footsteps and a rhythmic squeak as a pretty, little blonde three-year old wheeled a doll in a pram into the lounge.

“No sweetie. This is a friend of mine.” Nicole smiled at the little girl. Ryan was aware she purposely didn’t introduce them.

“Hello,” said Olivia, taking matters into her own hands. “I’m Olivia. Who are you?”

Ryan smiled and held out the bear. “I’m Ryan. I’ve brought you a present. Do you like bears?”

Olivia nodded eagerly and clutched the bear to her chest. Nicole looked like she was about to intervene, but then thought better of it.

“Mom, would you mind taking Olivia to her room while I talk to Ryan?”

“I’m so sorry, I’m Ryan Jackson. I didn’t see you there.” Ryan hurriedly cut in, walking up to Nicole’s mom and shaking her hand. “And I apologise for all this mayhem.” He nodded to the window. “I know how frustrating it must be.”

Nicole’s mom shook Ryan’s hand, her eyes darting from Ryan to Nicole and back again. “I think I’ll wait in the bedroom,” she said, picking up Olivia, the doll in the pram and the bear and carrying the lot of them down the passage towards the bedroom.

“Bye-bye, Ryan,” called Olivia in her sing-song voice.

Nicole glared at him.

“You look good,” he remarked, attempting a smile but fearing he’d grimaced instead.

“Ryan, what are you doing here?” Nicole cut straight to the chase.

“Aren’t you pleased to see me?” he asked, teasingly.

“Of course, but I thought we had an agreement. After the holiday everything returns to normal. You don’t bother me. I don’t bother you. Now you’re here, you’ve met my mother and my daughter, and I want to know why?”

Her no-nonsense tone bought him down to earth. He didn’t like the way she said “bother”, like he was being a pest. That had never happened to him before. It was usually the other way round. But he had wanted to see her, so he persevered.

“I was worried about you,” he said, dropping his gaze to the floor. “I wanted to make sure you were okay. All this,” he motioned to outside the door, “can come as a bit of a shock.”

“That’s very kind of you, but as you can see, we’re fine – if you don’t count the journalists and cameramen outside.”

“Yes, I’m sorry about that. It was never meant to happen.”

“No. I know. Did you manage to speak to Vincent?” Nicole eyed him suspiciously.

Ryan flinched. How he wished he could – before any serious damage was done to the project.

“No, Vincent isn’t back from Medjumbe until the end of next week. I have no choice but to wait and hope he doesn’t hear anything in the interim.”

Nicole nodded. “So if you aren’t here to tell me about Vincent, why are you here? And don’t make out like you were worried about me, because I know that isn’t the case.”

Ryan gazed into her clear oval eyes and found himself having doubts. She was so cold. He had known it would be difficult meeting her again but he hadn’t expected quite such a frosty welcome.