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‘You are. Now relax and have a glass of wine. I need to update you on where we are with project Charles.’ He put up his hand before she had the chance to come back at him. ‘Before you say anything, Dan phoned me just after I’d got back. I had planned on us both catching up with him this evening, but it didn’t happen that way.’
He looked so pained, she had to smile. The tongue-lashing she’d given him had obviously struck home. ‘You’re forgiven.’
‘The bad news is the police don’t have any evidence to convict Charles, so I’m afraid they’ve rubbed their hands of the case.’
She hadn’t really thought they would be able to do anything, but her heart still sank at the confirmation. ‘Is there any good news?’
He smiled and her heart did a slow flip. Honest, sincere, impossibly cute, though he’d hate to be told that, his was a smile totally without guile. And though his teeth weren’t quite straight, and weren’t quite brilliant white, it had the ability to make her heart yearn for more. More smiles, more closeness. More of everything.
A waiter hovered and they quickly gave him their orders. ‘So,’ Nick continued when they were on their own again, ‘Dan says he can’t get Charles through the criminal courts, but he can go through the civil courts instead. There the standards of proof aren’t as high. They usually use the preponderance of evidence standard.’
Lizzie looked at him blankly. ‘Err, the per — What? Stick to straight English, please.’
‘Sorry,’ he acknowledged the slip with a wry grin. ‘If you hang around with lawyers long enough, some of their language starts to stick. In a criminal case, it has to be proven beyond all reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty. In a civil case, usually it only has to be established that, on the balance of probabilities, the defendant is guilty.’
‘I see, I think. But how does that help me? He won’t get convicted, will he, even if we can prove that, in all probability, he did it?’
Nick’s face turned grim. ‘It’s true there isn’t enough evidence to convict him, but if Dan can prove Charles was guilty in a civil case, he can at least clear your name. You’ll also have the satisfaction of making him a social pariah, ensuring he never works in Los Angeles again.’
Umm. She must be a hard bitch because she was really warming to that idea. ‘Does Dan honestly think there’s a chance?’ She was almost too frightened to hope.
Nick reached across to clasp her hand, his grip warm and reassuringly strong. ‘Yes, he does. Apparently Charles has form. It seems you aren’t the first person he’s tried to blackmail. Thanks to your list, Dan was able to track down an actress who finally admitted Charles had tried the same trick on her. It didn’t hit the press because she paid him off. Dan said she took a bit of convincing, but having seen what Charles has done to you, and knowing he’s probably got another victim already in his sights, she’s agreed to testify. Dan’s certain there’ll be others.’
Nick paused as they were served their food.
‘I thought models ate carrots,’ he whispered when the waiter had walked away, nodding over at her rather huge portion of lasagne.
‘We do. But right now I’m not modelling and I’m making the most of it.’
He chuckled. ‘Well, hell, eat away. You could do with putting on a few more pounds.’
She knew he meant the words kindly, but they still stung. It was a fact that dress designers loved thin girls, but men preferred curves. ‘So, you were saying. Charles has done this before?’
‘Yes, and there’s more. A background check on him revealed he’s got a record for having drugged a previous girlfriend, back in his home town of Denver.’
Funny how that knowledge didn’t surprise her. ‘Well, at least I wasn’t the only dumb blonde taken in by him.’
‘You may be blonde, but never dumb,’ he told her quietly. ‘None of this was your fault.’
‘Thank you. Though I can’t help thinking I should be more careful with my choice in men.’
Something flared in his eyes. ‘I agree.’ He looked like he wanted to say more, but instead he took a sip of wine and moved the conversation back to his discussion with Dan. ‘Anyway, Dan says he has enough to build a case. If he can also add some witness statements from your previous boyfriends, confirming three in the bed sessions are totally out of character for you, we could be home and dry.’
It was good news, but her desire to eat had vanished. It would mean more dissection of her sex life, even though this time those doing it would be on her side.
‘It will all be over soon.’
She looked up to see his gentle brown eyes gazing back at her. ‘I know.’ With a small sigh she pushed her plate away. She’d had enough, in every sense.
Suddenly the hairs on the nape of her neck stood to attention as, from behind Nick’s shoulders, she spotted two men approaching their table. They were grinning in the cocky manner of men who thought they were funnier, cleverer and better looking than everyone else. ‘You look just like that blonde model,’ the taller, heavy set one announced. ‘What’s ’er name?’ He turned to his friend. ‘Elizabeth someone or other.’
‘Yeah, the one who likes to have pictures taken of her while she’s having sex,’ the other one replied loudly.
Opposite her, Nick stiffened. He made to stand up but she placed a hand on his arm, stopping him with a look. ‘I’m flattered you think I look like a model,’ she told them both with a sweet smile. ‘But I’m just an ordinary girl out on a date with my boyfriend. So if you don’t mind leaving us alone?’
They gawked at each other and Lizzie was half afraid they’d simply grab her wig and pull it off to prove they were right. Thankfully they thought better of it and stalked away.
‘That was close,’ Nick muttered when they were out of earshot. ‘You’re good. Maybe you should pursue that actress idea, after all.’
