"That might be the case, but it's mine to make." With her disarming smile, she moved forward and took the woman's hands in hers. "I need to do this. And I would like you to understand why I have to."
She squeezed Sally's hands. "You've been so wonderful to me, putting yourself out there and working your ass off. I'm grateful, but now it's time for me to fight for my marriage."
She shook her head as Sally opened her mouth to speak. "I'm not willing to go into the specifics, because you know me better than to talk about my personal business, especially when it comes to Samuel, but this is something I need to do."
Sally stared at the extraordinarily beautiful woman who had been called "incomparable" in looks and sighed. She never had a husband and had never yearned for children the way some women seemed to do, but Eliza had come close to being adaughter. The young woman was not only extremely talented, but she had a very unusual quality in this fake and fickle business. She was genuine and really cared about people. She had never been one to arrive on location late and had never made impossible demands or even considered herself to be a diva. She gave back to charity and even volunteered at several homeless shelters and children's homes. She was frank and upfront about her past and was a straight shooter.
People admired her for always speaking her mind. Some might not like what she had to say, but they respected her. She did not sleep around, which was a shock to most people, considering her looks and the fact that in show business, it was an incestuous lot, not usually discriminating about who they took to their beds.
Eliza was different. She had values and was not easily influenced. Sally privately thought that was the reason Samuel had fallen in love with her. One could not help but take to Eliza. You either hated her or loved her, and most people loved her. She had numerous fans, quite a few stalkers, but nothing to dread or to wonder if one would become crazed enough to try to take her out. She was dedicated to her career, or had been until recently, and was a loyal and very generous person.
"Oh, I hate that I'm now going to wish you all the best."
With one final squeeze, Eliza let go of the woman's hand and felt tears at the back of her eyes. Sally was a friend, one of the closest she had in the business.
"It's not like you're getting rid of me completely." Picking up her leather jacket, Eliza shrugged into it and shook back her wealth of mahogany-brown hair, which shimmered under the harsh overhead light in the small and surprisingly dingy office. For all her success and money, Sally had never sprung for a bigger place or something plush.
"Why the hell do I want a sprawling office for?" she had scoffed. "I prefer to spend the money on a place to lay my head."
Sally walked her to the door and laid a hand on her arm. "If you change your mind-"
"I won't," Eliza told her swiftly, with firm resolve.
"Honey, you might think this is the best approach to save your marriage-"
"I think it's the best approach to save my sanity. It's not just my marriage. I want children, and I want them before I'm too old to enjoy them or before it's too late." Eliza placed a hand over Sally's. "I want this more than anything in the world, and you know me, Sal. I'm stubborn as hell."
Sally gave a shake of her salt-and-pepper head. "More's the pity," she grunted. Leaning forward, she kissed Eliza's cheek gently. "If you need anything-"
"I know. I'll be seeing you." Before either of them could embarrass themselves by shedding tears, she left. She had one more stop to make.
Dr. Blake Forsythe folded his narrow, long-fingered hands on the glossy desk and stared at the young woman across from him, his lined face intensely sober. He was a fan of hers and had been watching her detective series along with his wife ever since it started. He admired her beauty and intelligence and the fact that she was not one to put on airs. He had been dealing with celebrities for years now, attending to their various problems, and had never quite met one he so admired. Eliza Bell-Copeland was in a class all her own, and he vowed to do everything he could to see to it that she succeeded in what she planned on doing.
But he was going to be honest with her. There were risks involved, and she was going to need one hundred percent support from her husband. Samuel Copeland had yet to make an appearance, which was concerning.
"I already highlighted the risks," he pointed out gently. He might be more than a little biased where the young lady was concerned, but truth had to be told.
"You did, and I appreciate your transparency."
He nodded, pleased that she wasn't the least bit offended. He could sit all day and listen to her well-modulated voice, a voice that wooed fans old and young alike.
"I've also done my own reading," she continued. "It might not work at first, and the process can be a lengthy one. I know all of it."
"And your husband?"
Even though she tried to keep her expression neutral, he saw the hesitation, which told him a lot.
"You're going to need him, Eliza." From the very first meeting, she had insisted on him calling her by her first name.
"It would be impossible to accomplish without his input. I'm aware." She hesitated briefly, toying with the straps of her Louis Vuitton bag. Her face was on billboards all over town as thedetective who conquered crime. But inside his office, Eliza Bell-Copeland was just a patient, a desperate woman looking for a solution to her problems.
"That's why I want to be armed with all the pros and cons. Samuel thinks it's too risky and dangerous. I will be the one taking all the risks, and I want to do it." She lifted her chin with the curiously appealing dent in the middle. "I am going to do it."
His gray eyes regarded her steadily, and somehow he believed her. She had determination stamped all over her remarkably beautiful face.
"The sooner we start the process, the better," he advised.
She nodded before rising gracefully. He rose with her, coming around to take her hand in his. She had on oversized sunglasses, which she had removed as soon as she stepped into his office. His clinic was an exclusive one, and his staff discreet. Before being hired, they were required to sign a non-disclosure agreement, which was absolutely necessary due to the kind of patients he dealt with.
