The Romance of Nick and Layla (Parts 1-3) (26 page)

"Sure thing. Bye Miss Garrett!"

"Bye Molly!" I love Molly. I searched through the address book on my phone. Dial. Connect. "Mister Waterhouse please? Thank you. Hi this is Layla Garrett calling you back. Yes my babysitter can watch my son for a few extra hours so I’ll be over shortly. Any idea how long this will take? Thank you so much. Buh bye now."

"Everything okay?" Jess asked as she returned to our table and picked up her blazer from her chair.

"Well, that’s an interesting question."

"Why’s that?"

"That was my lawyer. He wants to meet with me."

"Really? When?"

"Pretty much right now."

Her eyes got a bit bigger. "What’s the rush?"

"Opposing council is in his conference room."

"Layla are you being sued or something?"

"No, this opposing council is from a former court hearing."

Her face dropped. "Wait a minute."

"Yeah, and I guess Nick is with him. And they’re all waiting for me. Right now. So I’m thinking of getting a more cream-based blush. What do you think?"

"Layla..." she warned.

"I know, I know. I shouldn’t avoid it. I mean, obviously the compressed powder blush is so much better for your skin."

"Not what I meant."

"You ever notice how Sephora doesn’t have sales? What’s up with that?"

"Sweetie are you okay? You’re looking a bit pale."

"Because I ran out of blush this morning." You know that feeling when your eyes suddenly stick to one spot and you can’t move them and it’s like your whole face freezes along with your eyes? That pretty much described me at that moment.

"Maybe I should drive you there. You look like you might go into shock."

"No, I’m fine." Snap out of it, Layla! "What? God I’m such a flake. Okay. There’s only one adult way to handle this."

"I agree completely. I’ll drive you over there, you’ll walk into that conference room and sit down and hear whatever Nick and his lawyer have to say and..."

"No, no. I meant I should buy a new outfit."

"Excuse me, what?"

"I can’t let him see me like this!"

"You’re wearing a five-hundred dollar blouse."

I looked down at the silk cream blouse and shrugged. "It was on sale."

She rolled her eyes. I must admit that Doctor Jess Brown was less Doctor and more Jess when she wasn’t tucked within the four walls of her therapy sanctuary. "You want to go and buy a new outfit right now? When they’re waiting for you? Right now?"

"Doctor Brown, you once told me to be the victor, not the conquered. I’ve waited fourteen months for Nick Hudson. He can wait an hour for me."

A smile crept on her face and she nodded her head. "You’d look amazing in a blazer."

"You think so?"

"Make him sweat."

Awwww. "Thanks sweetie."

Jess pulled up in front of the glittering offices and idled the car. "Are you sure you can handle this?"

"Yes. I mean five-inch heels can be tricky if you have really weak ankles but.."

"Layla! Just be strong, okay?"

I took a deep breath. "Will you come in with me?"

She looked surprised. "To see Nick and the lawyers?"

"Yeah I don’t really feel like being by myself and I’d really like to have my best friend with me. Plus you're my therapist and can account for me if I lash out and throw a vase at him."

"Sure. Throw some change in the meter and we’ll do this together."

"Thanks. You’re awesome."

"Hey, that’s what I majored in."

I’d like to think our entrance was of movie-star quality. We certainly looked the part; Jess alone looked fabulous in her navy pinstripe blazer and skirt with a white camisole and flats. For me we had found a great black blazer with matching slacks with a long, skinny cut, a silky gold camisole and five inch gold metallic heels. We looked like a lesbian power couple. Fabulous.

Chanel glasses strategically covering my face, my arm linked supportively in Jess’ arm, we walked through the glossy foyer of my lawyer’s office. We made our way up to the ninth floor and I inwardly smiled as people’s heads turned.

The conference room was just a turn around the corner. I stopped Jess and lifted up my glasses to give her a look. "I can do this, right?"

"You’re Layla Garrett. You are a successful contributing editor to the world’s leading lifestyle magazine and you have a beautiful son named Tyler waiting for you at home. You have your life. Don’t let anyone take it from you or tell you otherwise."

I sighed and put the glasses back on my face. And then smiled. "Yes I am."

We turned the corner and I immediately spotted three figures sitting inside the glass-enclosed conference room. David Waterhouse looked up at me as we entered in the room, followed by Nick’s lawyer, and then Nick. With a shaved head.

"David Waterhouse, this is my friend and colleague Doctor Jess Brown. Jess, this is my lawyer, David Waterhouse."

"Pleasure to meet you," he offered with his hand. They shook hands and he gave her an extra smile. A flirtatious smile. Note to self, David Waterhouse is cute and Jess is single.

"Likewise. Miss Garrett asked me to join her in both a personal and professional manner this afternoon. I hope it’s okay if I observe."

"Of course, please have a seat." David held out chairs for both of us and then took a seat across from Nick’s lawyer. I removed my glasses, slid them in my purse and looked up at Nick.

He did not return my gaze.

"Mister Davis has requested this meeting on behalf of his client, Nick Hudson. Mister Davis, my client is here, proceed when you’re ready."

"Thank you, David." I didn’t like Larry Davis. There was something shifty about him. But Nick trusted him. "My client has expressed his interest in filing for partial custodianship of his and Miss Garrett’s child."

What the hell?

"This meeting has been arranged, albeit last minute in order to accommodate Mister Hudson’s schedule, to come up with a suitable arrangement as decided by both parents for the custodianship of Tyler Garrett. We have a proposal drawn up for Miss Garrett to look over and make any changes she deems necessary according to her personal schedule of time."

As he blabbed on and on I felt my eyes drift onto my ex-husband in the most insulting and incredulous fashion I knew how. What was he doing? Trying to take custody of my son? I felt a hand at my elbow and looked to see Jess giving me a look. I couldn’t read it though. What did she want me to do? Remain calm? Speak up? Slap Nick silly and then decapitate him and hide his head in the trunk of my Lexus? What?

A packet of paper was pushed into my line of view. And there it was in bold print. Nick wanted custody of my son.

"Are there hidden cameras in this room?"

Everyone stopped talking and looked at me suddenly. Larry fat-ass Davis gave me a questioning look. "I beg your pardon?"

"Is this some sort of joke? Is Aston Kutcher going to come out any minute and tell me I’ve been had?"

"Layla," my lawyer started.

"Because surely Nick could not be trying to get custody of my son." This time Nick did look up at me.

"Our son," he corrected.

Oh. No. He. Didn’t. "Excuse me, Nick? Who’s been taking care of Tyler the last year? Me. Who’s been with him every day for the past year? Me. Where has his father been? I have no clue. And now you want to take my son away from me?"

"Miss Garrett this is only a matter of partial custody. You and Nick would each have an equal share of time with your son."

I stood up, completely infuriated. "My son is not a timeshare! And I’m not going to let this man take him from me and cart him all over the world like luggage. No way in hell. You should know better, Nick."

"We’d be willing to take this matter in front of a judge." Larry Davis was threatening me. "Mister Hudson has a very strong case for custodianship, even partial."

"No. Nick has a strong case of emotional outbursts, most of them angry. He has a strong case for screwing Playboy sluts. When it comes to Tyler, the only strong case he has is the fact that he’s related to him by blood. He’s been gone for the last year. He never called."

"Nick’s prepared to increase both his child support payments, which he has been paying voluntarily, and his personal allowance checks to you, Miss Garrett. Which we know you’ve been cashing."

The nerve of the man. "Writing a check does not make this man a father. It makes him rich. I’m not signing anything. Let’s go, Jess. This meeting is over." We stood up and headed for the door.

"I have a right to be with my son, Layla," Nick said, standing up.

I turned to look at him. "Have I moved in the last year? Has my phone been disconnected? No. You’ve had plenty of opportunities to see your son and you made zero. Don’t insult me by dragging me to my lawyer’s office and giving me this insane and absurd trash about you wanting to suddenly be a father. You had your chances. You fucked up. You’ve always been welcome to visit our son. It was your decision to go back into music. It was your decision to move out of my house. It was your decision that your career was more important than your son. So as far as I’m concerned, you can go straight to hell. David, I’d like to file a restraining order against my ex-husband. I don’t want him anywhere near my property. Or my son. I’m done. And I’m leaving."

I stalked out of the conference room, Jess by my side.

"Layla!" I heard Nick shouting after me. But I kept walking and pressed the button on the elevator so hard I broke a nail. "Layla!" People were turning around and staring.

"How dare you?!" I spit at him. "Who the hell do you think you are dropping that on me?"

"He’s my son, too!"

"Well if you had made any attempt to see your son or talk to me within the last year you and I might have been able to reach an agreement on our own. But to insult me by calling your lawyer and drawing up paperwork is absurd. As far as I’m concerned you don’t have a place in my son’s life."

The elevator doors opened and Jess and I entered. I slid on my Chanel sunglasses and looked at Nick as the doors closed, hiding him from my view.

"Well that was...." Jess started. She sighed and offered me her hand. "Are you okay?"

"I think I might throw up actually."

"What are you going to do next?"

Chapter Thirty-Nine

It was never-ending. The press kept calling every fifteen minutes, there were paparazzi outside my house and every five minutes it seemed like I was given something new to stress about. It’s amazing how fast the world knows about your public life when your ex-husband is in the very public eye.

Jess, bless her heart, had taken the day off to keep me occupied as I contemplated boarding up the windows to my house so those scumbag lowlifes with cameras couldn’t peak in anytime they wanted.

"I’m considering moving."

"Really?" Jess placed a Diet Pepsi down on the coffee table and joined me on the couch. "Out of Santa Monica?"

"I hear Calabasas is nice."

"Do you think that’s wise? With everything that’s been going on lately?"

"Well as much as I hate to think of these people driving me out of my home of the last few years I have to think about my future, about Tyler. I want him to grow up living a normal life, no matter who is father is. The nerve of that man."

"Yeah that was quite unexpected. I wonder what persuaded Nick to do such a thing?"

"I don’t know. I’ve been on tour with Nick. He barely had time for me. I mean, what makes him think he’ll have time to tend to Tyler?"

"They’re getting louder!" Jess moved to the window and pulled back the curtains. "Oh my God. Layla, you better prepare yourself."

I looked up and immediately saw the ripple of concern on her face. "Why? What’s going on?"

"You have company."

The doorbell rang. "Who is it?"

She turned and gave me a grave look. "I’ll give you one guess."

I opened the door and was only half surprised to see Nick standing behind it. "Are you aware that you’re in violation of the T.R.O.? I could have you arrested right now."

"Go ahead. In any case I’m coming in." And come in he did. I slammed the door behind him.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I demanded.

"I’m here to see my son."

"Well that’s just too damn bad because Tyler isn’t here."

"What? Where is he? Where’s my son, Layla?"

"Oh, cut the crap, Nick. You obviously came here for a reason so just say what you want and then leave. You have five minutes and then I’m calling the police."

"I cannot believe you filed a restraining order against me, Layla. Of all the low things to do."

"Well you’re the expert on low things. You’re trying to steal my son from me."

"I am not trying to steal your son! Damn it, Layla he’s my son too!"

"Oh yeah? Well you haven’t been much of a father to him lately have you, Nick? You think just because you send me a check for a few thousand dollars a month that it entitles you to be father of the year? Think again."

Nick looked at Jess. "Could I have a moment with my ex-wife, please?"

Jess looked at me and shook her head. "Layla, if you need an alibi...."

"Thanks, Jess, but I’ll be fine. Nick will walk out of here with all of his limbs in tact."

"Call me if you need anything."

A minute later she was gone and it was just me and the bastard. "What do you want Nick? What is this really about?"

"It’s about us. I want you back."

I burst out laughing. I don’t know what came over me but all of a sudden I just started to laugh hysterically. "Lord have you become the comedian! You want me back? As what your trophy wife? Is there an awards show you need to attend? No, thanks. I’ve been there and I’ve done that I will not go down that path again."

"I'm going on tour in Europe and I want Tyler to be there with me. But I want you to be there, too. As my companion. One way or another, Layla, my son will be going with me."

"Oh shut up Nick. I’m not blind, okay? I read the entertainment magazines, I watch the TV shows and I go on the Internet. I know how and with whom you’ve been spending your personal time with for the last year and believe me, I’ll rot in hell before I’ll be the follow up act to some brainless, idiotic moron sex tape whore or some Playboy slut. I’m better than that. My son deserves a better life than that."