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“Well, what do you think?” Odele asked in her raspy voice, nodding to the cell phone still clutched in Chiara’s hand.
“You fed this story to Gossipmonger?”
Odele nodded. “I needed a way to hint at a possible end to your dalliance with Rick now that your father is going to rehab, while still keeping you in the public eye.”
“I’m still wrapping my head around the fact that you didn’t know Rick was a wealthy producer!”
Her manager shrugged. “He’s a wily one, I’ll admit. I thought I knew everyone in this town, but I guess I can be forgiven for not being acquainted with every silent investor in a film production company. Once you told me about the pile that he built in Beverly Hills, I realized I should have had him on my radar, though, I’ll give you that.”
“We don’t need to rush to bring the ax down on the Chiara-Rick story, do we?” Chiara set down her phone, her heart heavy.
Odele was right. She no longer had to worry about her father making bad headlines, and she had Rick to thank for helping to engineer the resolution to that situation. It also meant she no longer needed Rick. Wasn’t the entire purpose of their fake relationship to divert attention from her father’s negative publicity?
Odele gave her a keen look. “No rush...but planning ahead wouldn’t hurt, sweetie. Drop a few suggestions in the press that all might not be happily-ever-after. So when the story does end, it won’t seem abrupt and it’ll be a soft blow.”
For whom? Chiara stifled the question even though she couldn’t tell if Odele was referring to the hit to her or to her public image. Did it matter? The two were intertwined. She and Rick weren’t a relationship, after all, but a story.
Chiara worried her bottom lip with her teeth. “Has Rick seen this headline?”
Odele adjusted her glasses. “Of course. I ran into him earlier when you’d momentarily left his side. He knows the script. He’s known it from the beginning.”
Chiara blanched and glanced down at her coffee cup. So he had seen it, and judging from Odele’s expression, it hadn’t ruffled him. He knew the bargain they’d struck.
Chiara squared her shoulders, seeing with clarity the road ahead—the path that had been there from the beginning. If she made the first move for a clean break, it didn’t even have to damage Rick’s reputation. She was familiar with how these things worked. A face-saving explanation would be issued. She could even see the headline: Snow White and Prince Charming Go Their Separate Ways.
She was doing Rick a favor. He’d never wanted to be tied to an actress...a celebrity. He could take his bow and retreat behind the curtain to his nice quiet life—on his large estate in LA. She was being fair.
But the two of them definitely needed to talk. Soon. Right now. Before she fell apart...or at least deeper into the warm cocoon of their relationship, where it was her love and his...what? He’d never come close to saying he loved her. Her heart squeezed and she blinked against a sudden swell of emotion.
She was a highly rated actress—she could do this.
She had sudden flashes from interludes in his arms. They’d been wonderful...but there’d been no promise of forever, and tomorrow started today. The next chapter.
Chiara looked at her watch. Rick was supposed to meet her here when he was done. And now she had more than enough to say to him...
She forced herself to continue her conversation with Odele, but twenty minutes later when her manager left to make her next meeting, Chiara was relieved...and then nervous as she waited for Rick to show up.
After a quarter of an hour, he walked in, looking casual...relaxed...happy. And as attractive as ever in gray pants and a white shirt.
Chiara swallowed when he gave her a quick peck on the lips.
He sat down across from her at the small table and then lounged back in his chair.
“How did your meeting with Dan end?” she asked brightly.
“Fine. The editor showed up and we discussed plans for the rough cut.” He cracked a grin. “Dan’s grateful to you for not needing many retakes and keeping us on schedule. Everything’s looking great, and with any luck, the box office receipts will reflect it.”
They talked about the postproduction work for a few more minutes. Then when the conversation reached a lull, she jumped in and said, “So you must be relieved.” He looked at her quizzically, and she shrugged. “Odele’s latest planted story in the press.”
“I don’t give a damn about Odele’s PR moves.”
His words surprised her, but then hadn’t he always been anti-publicity?
“Okay, but we need to talk—” she wet her lips “—because the reason we got together as a couple no longer exists.”
She willed him to...what? Get down on bended knee and pledge his eternal love? She’d said all along that she didn’t believe in fairy tales.
She smiled tentatively. “Thank you for helping me resolve the impasse with my father. He loves your idea of the two of us partnering to combat his gambling addiction.” Her expression turned wry. “Odele likes it, too, of course. She thinks it would be a good way to turn a negative story into a positive one. I could even take it on as a charitable cause.”
