Torn (27 page)

Tyler held his breath as one black suede pump, then another, stepped onto the rug-covered sidewalk. He saw her hands first as they clasped onto Jake’s. Morgan half-hoisted his wife to a standing position, who swayed to catch her balance.

His mouth went dry. His eyes zeroed in on that ripe belly, then raised to meet her chocolate gaze. Their eyes met. Locked. Then Tyler couldn’t breathe even if he wanted to.

The blood rushed to his head, filling his ears. The street and the theatre and the press of the crowd sucked itself into one tunnel… with him on one end, and Chelsea Morgan on the other. Her full, burgundy lips move to form his name.

Camera bulbs flashing, He took one step toward her, then another, and another, until he stood in front of her, a slaphappy grin on his face. The breath he was holding exhaled to form one word. “Chelsea.”

~ * ~

Julie Bishop, after an impromptu interview with
E! Entertainment Television
, turned in time to see her best friend practically run back down the aisle to the latest arrival.

“Oh, crap.” The words were muttered under her breath, but her tall escort tipped his head down anyway.

“What?” Dennis asked, his hand at the small of her back –– support in the form of a gentle caress. He looked up to follow her gaze, cocked an eyebrow. “Who’s that?”

“Chelsea Morgan and her husband, Jake.”

“The woman you found in Montana to replace… Whatshername?” Dennis tipped his head, switched to raising his other brow after lowering the first. “Why does Ty look like a lovesick sap?”

Julie sighed, resigned. “Because he
is
a lovesick sap.”

Dennis’ amber gaze widened and both brows flew up.
“That’s
his new girlfriend?”

Julie’s fingers rose to rub her forehead. “Sort of.”

Her escort’s brows straightened and he scratched his head, looked from Julie to Tyler to Chelsea’s blatantly pregnant belly to Jake, and then back to Chelsea. “She looks a bit spoken for, don’t you think?”

“You’d think,” she replied, her voice dry. What Julie was thinking was that she’d love to just jump up and down in a mini-temper tantrum right about now. Ty was
supposed
to be playing this cool. It’s what they’d spent the last week discussing. Instead, he was behaving like a dog tempted by a bone.

On top of everything, by standing there, staring at Chelsea as though she was manna from heaven, Tyler was blocking A-List traffic. Camera shutters exploded as Bokeem Woodbine and his wife paused on the Red Carpet for an interview, followed by shortly after by Ving Rhames, Gary Dourdan, Brad Pitt and George Clooney. Drew Barrymore, Halle Berry, and Vivica Fox also posed, looking beautiful in their haute couture. In other words, the stars were out.

Each one of the new arrivals had to file past the statue of Tyler and Chelsea, and each one turned to look puzzled at Tyler when their greeting wasn’t acknowledged.

“What’s the deal?” Bokeem, asked by way of greeting as he kissed Julie’s cheek.

Quickly, Julie and the tall, handsome actor posed for a picture, then she muttered, “You don’t want to know. It’s a long story.”

Another taxi pulled up and out popped Spike Lee, dressed in a N.Y. Knicks jersey. Immediately, the L.A. Laker crowd’s attention shifted to the man almost more known for his basketball heckling than his movie directing and in the spirit of the game, both sides jeered and teased the other as Spike walked up the aisle to the theatre.

He stopped when he reached Julie and the small crowd of celebrities that had gathered around her to watch the spectacle that was Tyler Benson practically throwing himself at some unknown woman. “So you beat me to it,” Spike said, shaking his head as he grinned at the other movie director.

Julie straightened, her narrow shoulders sweeping back. “Hey. I told you a million times that you needed to do for Cleopatra like you did for Malcolm X. But oh, no…”

Spike laughed, nudged his glasses higher up on his nose. “I was getting to it!”

“Yeah? In what century?” she countered.

“Oh, man,” Dennis murmured, stopping Julie and Spike in mid-banter, and lowering his head to pose with the two directors as reporters and cameras captured their images. “Here comes trouble.”

Heads turned to watch as a white Rolls-Royce coupe came to a silent stop at the curb. Light bulbs popped and flashed as Jennifer Green –– the former Mrs. Ty Benson –– stepped out of the luxury automobile.

“Oh, no, she
didn’t
,” Julie breathed in disbelief.

Jennifer stopped next to Jake, who stood on Chelsea’s right and angled herself so that she formed a triangle between Tyler and Chelsea’s husband. Her blue eyes glinted as they rested on Chelsea’s extended abdomen before pointedly looking at Tyler. Then she flashed a high-watt smile at Jake Morgan. “Lovely evening, wouldn’t you say?”

Chelsea’s eyes widened as Tyler straightened, a small scowl distorting his handsome features. “What are you doing here?” he asked, his voice low.

Jennifer’s smile burned brighter. “Slumming, of course.”

In front of the theatre, Julie’s forehead fell into her palm. “Terrific. Tonight only needed
this
.”

~*~

Chelsea Morgan turned to her husband and placed a hand on his forearm. She pointed in the direction of the theatre doors with her chin. “Let’s go in, honey. Julie’s waiting.”

Actually, Julie was making her way inch by slow inch down the vibrant carpet to the foursome. Already she could hear the members of the press whispering speculations over what possible drama was being played out in front of their collective eye. Her goal was to reach the four under scrutiny and diffuse whatever mine Jennifer Green, formerly Benson, had in that petty brain of hers.

Damn Jennifer. That conniving, manipulative bitch. She was a better actress than Julie gave her credit for. She actually managed to convince Ty that she gave half a shit about him. She’d conned him into sharing his innermost heart with her –– thus giving her knowledge the vindictive heifer had
no
business knowing. Hell, she even granted Ty the divorce he wanted without Ty having to lift a finger, or call his lawyer.

And Tyler… Poor Ty. Always wanting to believe that Jennifer was a good person. Always wanting to trust her. He
never
should have opened his mouth and told her anything. His past experiences with the she-wolf should have clued him in. But no. He was one of the few that always wanted to believe the best about someone, no matter what. Julie smiled to herself, even as she mentally shook her head. Such a sweetheart he was.
I just hope that trait doesn’t come around to bite him in the ass.

~ * ~

Chelsea, her hand firmly clasped in her husband’s, took a step towards the theatre entrance, Jake at her side. She was stopped by Jennifer’s hand on her shoulder.

“Wait, Chelsea. I didn’t have a chance to congratulate you.” The older woman glanced at Jake and her smile widened. “Or your husband. I mean
twins
! What are the
odds
. Do you know if you’re having boys? Girls? One of each?”

“No.” It was Jake who answered Tyler’s former spouse. “The babies haven’t been exactly cooperative on the ultrasounds, so nope. Not yet.” He shrugged and smiled. “From the rate they’re going, looks like we’ll have to find out at their delivery, right babe?”

The last question was directed at his wife, who glanced quickly at Tyler through her lashes before answering. “Right, Jake.”

Tyler saw her glance and forced himself to relax, his fingers uncurling, his hands flexing at his sides. He was going to kill Jennifer. She had specifically told him that she would not be coming to the premiere… and yet, here she was, looking very much like the Cheshire cat from
Alice Through the Looking Glass
. Almost as annoying as her presence, was the fact that by being here, she’d proven Julie right.

The night he and Julie hung out at
The Pink Triangle
, one of the things they’d discussed was his decision to tell Jennifer the story. All of it.

Julie’s mantra that hour had been:
I think you just made a big mistake, telling Jennifer. I think you overestimated her capacity for compassion, and underestimated her capacity for being a vindictive bitch who always has to have things
her
way.

Shit.

Damn it.

The way she was eyeing Chelsea now –– like an entrée –– scared him. And the trapped shadow in Chelsea’s eyes as she stared at his ex-wife –– not to mention the fact that Jake hadn’t taken a swing at him yet –– told him Chelsea hadn’t spilled the beans… so to speak. Which meant that Jennifer was now the one in control. And Jennifer in control was
never
a good thing.

~ * ~

Tyler wrapped a hand around his ex-wife’s arm and squeezed none too gently. His lips, in a thin smile, parted as he opened his mouth to speak. “Jennifer ––“

Screams of delight filled the air, and the two pairs turned to see what had caused it. Mick Bailey and his live-in lover of three years, actress Lara Jones, had arrived and were making their way over to the four.

“Hey, bud,” Mick reached over and threw an arm over Tyler’s shoulder. “Sorry we’re late.” He waggled his eyebrows and gestured with his head to his girlfriend. “Women and bathrooms. You know how it is.”

Lara, famous for her action-mystery movies, rolled her eyes and punched her man in the shoulder. She smiled at Chelsea and Jake. “You must be Chelsea. Mick and Ty have told me so much about you. I feel like we’re friends already.”

“They have?” Chelsea flashed a quick look at Tyler, whose grip had loosened on his ex-wife’s arm as Mick reacquainted himself with Jake. Tyler winked and her brow smoothed.

The actress slipped an arm around Chelsea’s shoulders and started walking her up the carpet, towards the movie theatre. “Yes, they have. Seems you’ve made quite an impression on our Ty.”

Chelsea threw a panicked look over her shoulder at her husband who was being similarly led by Mick. Jake moved his lips in a facial shrug, and Chelsea relaxed. “Tyler’s a good guy,” she murmured.

“Indeed,” Lara agreed, coming to a stop next to the fuming director. Her smile flashed white. Star-power. “Dennis! Julie! So good to see you again!”

As Dennis and Lara shared cheek-smooches, Julie forced herself to look away from the former Mrs. Benson, and smiled back at the other actress. “Likewise… And thank you,” she added, glancing at Chelsea who looked completely baffled by what was going on.

“No thanks necessary,” Lara stated baldly. “I couldn’t allow her to be fed to that piranha.”

The steel glint in Lara’s blue eyes caused Julie’s smile to morph into a smirk. It was obvious that Mick’s girlfriend was still angry with Jennifer for trying to pick up her man a year ago.
Way to burn bridges, Jen.

Dennis cleared his throat. “Are we just gonna stand out here all night?”

Just then, Mick and Jake joined them. “I agree with D,” Mick said, sending a discreet glance in Tyler’s direction. The other actor had his head down as he whispered something in his ex-wife’s ear that made the former missus bare her teeth.

If looks could kill…

Mick looked over at Chelsea, who looked nothing but miserable. Now that just wasn’t right. The poor woman was in her last trimester, at her own premiere. She should be walking on air. But something wasn’t allowing that to happen. Or
someone
, rather, he amended as Ty and Jennifer started walking towards them.

He didn’t know Chelsea very well, having met her only once in Montana and then through whatever Ty had said about her… But he
did
know Ty. And, from the looks he saw being shared between Jake Morgan’s wife and his buddy, Ty and Chelsea had something going on. He didn’t know what. He didn’t
want
to know what. But the rapacious look in Jennifer’s eyes spoke volumes.

Mick focused on the pregnant woman standing beside his girlfriend. He grinned at her, even turned on the dimples, hidden as they were under his beard. One look at that killer grin and Chelsea smiled back. It was weak at first, but when he winked, she laughed.

“That’s more like it!” he stated, taking his girlfriend’s hand. “You’d think you were going to a funeral rather than a premiere. From the buzz I’ve heard, you have nothing to worry about. Julie’s been going on and on ad nauseum over how flawless your performance was. Besides, look on the bright side…”

The Oscar nominee leaned in to whisper in Chelsea’s ear. “At least you don’t have a beard. I hate having to grow these damn things.” He sighed dramatically and shook his head. “The sacrifices one makes for one’s career.”

Chelsea laughed. “Oh, right. For twenty million a picture?
I’d
grow a beard!”

“Looks like you’ve been doing plenty of
growing
already.”

The catty voice stopped the laughter as Jennifer and Tyler approached the group. Tyler gritted his teeth and when Jennifer tried to stop and face Chelsea, his grip tightened on her arm and he dragged her towards the theatre. “Back off, Jen.” His voice was a low, dark growl, and one no one in the collected entourage had ever heard before, least of all Jennifer Green.

Mick and Lara looked at each other with raised brows as Chelsea joined her husband and reached for his hand. “How much longer do we have to stand out here?” she asked.

At the newcomer’s words, Julie snapped to attention, telling her brain to quit marveling over the tone of Ty’s voice. “You’re right, Chelsea. Let’s get this show on the road before it starts without us.”

The professional actors all looked at each other at the director’s words and started laughing: A premiere that began without its stars or director? That would be the day.