Читать книгу Hollywood Hills Collection - Lynne Marshall, Amalie Berlin - Страница 36

CHAPTER FOUR

THERE WAS A light knock on Damien’s open office door and he looked up in anticipation, hoping to see Abi. Disappointment lodged in the back of his throat when he saw Freya standing there instead. He should have known it wasn’t Abi as her scent, already familiar to him, always preceded her.

She smelt of fresh peaches and sunshine, she smelt like the month of July, of summer, and her amber eyes blazed with warmth in contrast to her cool, pale skin. He wondered if she tasted of peaches as well and for a moment last night he’d thought about finding out. He’d been tempted to kiss her. Caught up in a moment of madness, he’d been tempted to press his lips to hers and taste her.

For one crazy moment he’d forgotten about his daughter, he’d forgotten about his issues with his ex-wife—all he’d been aware of was Abi. He’d been drawn to her. There was something between them, a connection that he hadn’t felt with anyone for a long time. He didn’t think he was imagining it, he was certain she felt it too. He was certain he’d seen desire in her golden eyes and he’d definitely seen her lean towards him—or had he leaned towards her?—but then reality had forced its way between them in the form of an impatient five-year-old. Although that was probably just as well. He couldn’t jump in, despite wanting to. All his energy was directed at his work and his daughter, and he had no room in his life for anything else.

But he couldn’t keep thoughts of Abi out of his head. So much about her was already familiar and he was still trying to process how that could be after only a few days. How was it that she had worked her way into his subconscious so swiftly? There was something ethereal and mystical about her. She was weaving her magic over him, casting a spell.

‘Are you okay?’ Freya asked, and Damien was aware only then that his thoughts were drifting.

He shook his head to clear it. ‘Yes, I’m fine. What can I do for you?’

‘I just wanted to check on how Abi’s first day went. Did you have any problems? Is there anything I need to know about?’

‘No, everything’s good.’ Everything except his equilibrium but that wasn’t Freya’s department.

‘What do you think of her?’

‘Is this where you want me to say, “You were right”?’ he asked, but Freya didn’t reply, just smiled at him and raised an eyebrow. Damien decided he wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction of the truth. ‘You chose well, she’s extremely competent,’ he said.

‘Oh, I know that,’ Freya responded. ‘I meant what do you think of her as a person? She’s cute, isn’t she?’

‘I hadn’t noticed,’ he lied. He didn’t want to notice cute women. He had enough going on in his life without complicating things by adding women into the mix. But his brain was defying instructions and he was spending far too much time contemplating Abi Thompson. He couldn’t admit the truth, not to Freya. He knew she would want to meddle. She was happy in her new relationship with Zack and Damien knew she thought everyone around her should be so lucky. He didn’t need her interference.

‘Really?’

‘Really.’

He was happy on his own. He didn’t need, or want, a woman at this point in his life. He’d made a mess of his marriage and he knew it had made him gun-shy. He’d got so many things wrong, starting with his judgement of Brooke’s character. He’d been badly burned and he hated the knowledge that his marriage had failed; he hated not making a success of things. His focus now was on his daughter and that was how things should be. That was how things had to be.

‘So, if you’ll excuse me I have a meeting with Mila shortly and I need to get a few things ready.’

Freya didn’t argue but she did give him a look that implied she hadn’t believed a word he’d said. That didn’t bother him. She could believe what she liked. It didn’t mean she was right.

* * *

Abi had struggled to get out of bed that morning. She’d lain awake for hours, tossing and turning, willing herself to sleep, but her mind had been buzzing with thoughts of Damien. When she had slept she’d been so wired that the extra adrenalin had given nightmares permission to intensify. Several times she’d been woken by dreams that had seemed even more vivid and real and dreadful than normal. She’d thought she was getting used to these dreams, she thought she’d learned what to expect, but last night had been particularly horrific and she was exhausted as a consequence.

When she arrived at the office, bleary-eyed and fuzzy-headed, she was informed by Jennifer that her day’s schedule had been slightly revised and Damien wanted to see her.

Walking into his office, Abi saw a very attractive woman sitting in the chair by the window. In the chair Abi had sat in just yesterday. She stood as Abi entered the room.

She was about Abi’s height with hazel eyes and amazing hair, thick, long and dark with mahogany highlights. She looked very ‘together’, sensible, calm, unflustered, serene and rich. She looked like old money and Abi fancied that she even smelt like money.

Damien looked as neat and tidy as always and the two of them made a striking pair.

‘This is Dr Mila Brightman from the Bright Hope Clinic,’ Damien introduced her. ‘Do you remember I mentioned the joint venture that Freya has been working on?’ he said as Mila shook Abi’s hand.

Abi nodded. Freya had also talked about this and she remembered some basic information. The Bright Hope Clinic was located in Southern LA, demographically an area that was the polar opposite of The Hollywood Hills. It had been established to provide medical services to underprivileged children, both in LA and abroad, and Freya had recently established a project allowing the Bright Hope Clinic to access The Hills’ facilities and staff on a pro bono basis. The first joint patient had been operated on just recently, a little boy who had undergone complicated heart surgery. Abi had heard all about Paulo and the success of the surgery. Freya had been hugely excited and was planning a function to celebrate the partnership between the clinics and to garner some good publicity. She intended to promote The Hills and attract sponsorship for the Bright Hope Clinic at the same time.

‘I heard about Paulo. That was quite a success story,’ she commented, but she didn’t mention the forthcoming party—she had no intention of attending that if she could possibly avoid it.

Mila was beaming. ‘It was incredible! He is an amazing little boy with quite a spark, and to have such a great result was brilliant. You know no one expected him to survive the surgery? No one would touch him and to think he not only survived but is thriving is fantastic. Just imagine the amazing things we might be able to achieve together.’

‘The Bright Hope Clinic is Mila’s project,’ Damien explained. ‘She established it, it’s her baby, and she has another patient who needs our assistance.’

Abi was keen to hear more.

‘I was hoping you could help,’ Mila said, as Abi took a seat. ‘Damien tells me you’ve had a lot of experience with burns victims?’

‘Unfortunately, yes. In Afghanistan.’

‘We have a patient, a seven-year-old boy with third-degree burns to his arms and chest, sustained in a house fire. Dylan tried to put the fire out but was trapped and received extensive burns before the fire brigade could retrieve him.’

‘When did this happen?’

‘Four days ago. His mother was referred to us with an enquiry about skin-graft surgery. They don’t have any medical insurance but I don’t have any doctors who are skilled in this area. I am hoping that it is something you might be able to do here.’

From what Abi had been briefly told this would be exactly the type of case that Freya was keen to support and Abi was happy to help if she could. ‘I’ve had lots of experience with burns victims but they’ve been adults,’ she told Mila.

‘The principle is the same surely?’

Abi nodded. The only issue she could envisage was dependent on the size of the area that needed grafts and whether or not a seven-year-old would have enough skin for donation, but she wouldn’t know that until she’d examined the patient. ‘When can I see him?’ she asked.

Damien answered. ‘He’s being transferred by ambulance as we speak,’ he said.

Abi looked at him quizzically and he shrugged his shoulders in reply. His tailored jacket lifted and then fell again to hang perfectly from his broad shoulders. ‘I thought it might be a case you’d be interested in taking on,’ he explained. ‘It’s not cosmetic surgery. As such, it’s more along your lines, and I was pretty sure you’d agree to Mila’s proposal.’ He smiled at her and she knew that he wouldn’t have much trouble getting her to agree to a good number of things.

But he was right. She’d enjoyed being in Theatre yesterday but this type of case, as opposed to cosmetic surgery, was exactly what she would prefer to be doing. A successful outcome would not only be a huge thing for the patient but it would cement her place at The Hills. It would be a challenge but one she was ready for. But she wasn’t going to commit that easily and certainly not just because he’d smiled at her.

‘I need to assess him first. I need to see whether there is anything I can do before I agree to take him on.’

‘Of course,’ Mila said as she stood. ‘A consultation is all I’m asking for at this stage. Shall we go and meet the ambulance?’

Abi and Mila left Damien’s office together, leaving him behind. That was a good thing. She needed to focus, to concentrate on this new case and if Damien had chosen to come with them she knew he would only distract her. But she would swear she could feel his dark-eyed gaze following her out of the room, although she knew she was being completely fanciful. Why would he follow her movements when he could watch Mila instead? Mila was far more glamorous.

‘Thank you for agreeing to see Dylan,’ Mila said as they stepped into the main corridor and headed for the ambulance bay. ‘My clinic is important to me. I want to be able to provide medical care for people who can’t afford it but it’s an expensive exercise and there will always be some things we just can’t do, but with Freya’s help and with the support of The Hills we will be able to achieve more.’

Mila might come from a wealthier background than her but Abi sensed that despite that difference they had one thing in common—wanting the best for their patients. It was a common thread among those in the medical profession—patients came first—and Abi had seen it already at The Hills.

As they headed for the ambulance bay Abi could see James Rothsberg—head of The Hills and also Freya’s brother and Abi’s new boss—walking towards them. Abi felt Mila tense at her side as he approached them and Mila’s pace slowed, not enough to stop her movement altogether but Abi got the sense that if the corridor hadn’t been long and straight but had presented Mila with an alternate route to take, she would have taken it. She got the feeling that Mila was looking for an escape.

Abi saw James’s eyes widen in surprise as they approached him and he stopped short a few steps before he reached them.

‘Mila! What are you doing here?’ He looked uncomfortable and appeared to be unsure how to greet her. He didn’t seem to notice Abi at all. He certainly didn’t acknowledge her, having eyes for Mila only.

‘I needed to discuss a patient,’ she said, as Abi tried to blend into the background. ‘I have another patient that I’m hoping can use your services.’

‘Already?’

Abi could hear the note of surprise in James’s voice, or was it cynicism?

Mila obviously heard it too as her reply was frosty. ‘I wasn’t aware there was a time limit. Freya assured me you were okay with the collaboration.’

‘Of course.’

He didn’t sound okay. Abi could sense the tension between them. It was almost palpable and Abi could visualise the sparks snapping backwards and forwards between them. She wondered if she should give them some privacy but she was expecting the ambulance to arrive at any moment with Dylan, and she wanted Mila with her when they greeted their young patient.

In her peripheral vision she saw an ambulance pulling to a stop. James saw it too.

‘Well, I guess I’ll leave you to it,’ he said as he stepped away. ‘It was good to see you,’ he added, but Abi wasn’t at all sure that he meant it.

Mila also seemed a bit unsettled and looked a little lost when James walked away. She was no longer quite so unflustered and serene. Abi wondered what the story was—she was positive there was one.

Mila was still watching as James walked away. The rear doors of the ambulance were being opened and Abi started to move towards the exit. Her movement drew Mila’s attention back to the matter at hand and Abi forgot all about Damien and the Bright Hope Clinic and the tension between Mila and James as she focused on her young patient.

* * *

‘How did Dylan’s skin grafts go?’ Damien asked as he stuck his head into Abi’s office.

Abi had performed the surgery the previous day but this was the first chance Damien had had to follow up the case with her. She swivelled her chair around to face him and stretched her legs out. She was wearing one of The Hills’ white coats over a cream silky blouse and a black skirt that finished just above her knees. Her legs were amazing and Damien had to remind himself to keep his eyes fixed on her face and not to ogle her slim calves.

‘The procedure went well. Now it’s just a matter of waiting to see if the grafts take and keeping my fingers crossed that Dylan doesn’t get an infection.’

She looked pleased with herself and so she should. Mila had observed the surgery and Damien had heard from her how impressed she had been with Abi’s ability. It seemed as though Freya’s decision to offer Abi a position at The Hills had been a good one. She was a competent surgeon, more than competent, and he was enjoying the development of their professional relationship, but he couldn’t pretend he hadn’t noticed her other attributes. She was beautiful in a fragile, delicate way but he sensed an underlying strength and he was keen to find out more about her, which brought him to the other reason for his visit.

Freya’s party was only a day away but, according to Freya, Abi was making excuses to avoid attending Saturday night’s function. Damien hadn’t been particularly keen on attending either but when Freya had made it clear that she expected all senior staff to make an appearance at the publicity event he’d decided that one way to make the evening more appealing would be to have Abi there too.

He knew he should attend, it could be good for business, but since he and Brooke had split he’d avoided as many of these social gatherings as he could. He’d had enough of dressing up and parading around and chatting to people who didn’t really interest him. He much preferred to spend his weekend nights lying on the couch, watching a movie and sharing a bowl of popcorn with Summer.

But that revelation had given him a brief glimpse into the future and he hadn’t liked what he’d seen. He was in danger of becoming a sad, lonely old man. While, if anyone asked, he would tell them he wasn’t interested in dating he didn’t really want to end up old and alone. Summer wouldn’t be with him for ever and he knew he should make more of an effort but there wasn’t normally much incentive to do so. Women were trouble. Until now.

Until Abi had come into his world he would have been quite happy to remain a hermit but now the thought of being able to escort her to the function appealed to him and therefore so did the function. Now he had some incentive.

‘Dylan’s case was an interesting one for you?’ he asked, posing the question while he tried to think of a way to segue into his proposition.

She nodded and her unusual amber eyes glowed.

‘Do you feel like celebrating a successful first week on the job?’ he asked.

‘I won’t know how successful I’ve been until Dylan’s bandages come off next week.’

‘Freya has organised this cocktail party for tomorrow night. It’s part promotion, part celebration and we are all expected to attend, but I’d rather poke myself in the eye with a sharp stick. She tells me you feel much the same.’

Abi nodded. ‘Having to mingle with a room full of strangers is my idea of purgatory,’ she said.

‘In that case, I have a suggestion.’ He took a deep breath as an unfamiliar burst of nerves made his heart jump in his chest. ‘Seeing as this party is supposed to be spotlighting the joint venture between The Hills and the Bright Hope Clinic and you’ve just had your very first joint-venture patient, I think that if I have to go, you should come with me.’ He shouldn’t be doing this but he was. He wanted to find out what made her tick. She was intriguing, a mixture of strength and fragility, a complicated combination—her army background combined with her delicate looks. Was she made of steel or spun silk like a spider web? Whichever it was, a mesh or a web, he was ensnared. ‘I’ll pick you up and I promise we’ll just make a brief appearance and then we can escape. I’m going to use the babysitter excuse.’

‘You have an excuse worked out already?’

‘It pays to be prepared.’ He grinned and was relieved to see an answering smile from Abi. ‘And if you let me give you a lift, you’ll have an excuse to leave too.’

She laughed and Damien felt the warm glow spread further through his body. He hadn’t heard her laugh before and the sound burst from her, rich and joyous and completely unexpected. She sounded confident and full of life. Her laugh had wiped out all traces of fragility, leaving a sense of excitement and anticipation, and he knew he was going to do everything he could to make her laugh again.

‘I’ve run out of excuses,’ she said once she stopped laughing. ‘I even tried telling Freya I have nothing to wear but then she offered to lend me a dress. So I think I will use your excuse. I would love a lift, thank you.’

* * *

Abi hesitated in the entrance and fiddled with the small diamond studs in her ears. She had sold all the jewellery Mark had given her during their ill-fated relationship when she’d discovered his deception. She’d only ever liked it because he’d given it to her but it hadn’t really been her style—it was too ostentatious for her. She had simpler tastes and once she’d discovered the truth about Mark the jewellery had made her feel cheap and naive. She’d used the proceeds to buy herself a simple pair of diamond studs. They were the only decent jewellery she owned.

‘Are you coming in?’ Damien asked.

She hadn’t been sure if accepting Damien’s offer of a lift had been a wise decision. She still wasn’t sure but after discussing the facts with her psychologist she had decided not to rescind his invitation. Caroline had convinced her that she needed to start socialising and she had suggested that this cocktail event would provide a perfect opportunity. It was in a safe, familiar location with a large number of people she already knew and there was no need for her to stay for hours. She could make an appearance and once she’d had enough she could leave. Abi wasn’t totally convinced but she had agreed to give it a go, though she had known she wouldn’t have the courage to arrive on her own. Damien’s invitation had seemed like the lesser of two evils.

‘Shall we?’ Damien asked.

He was still waiting patiently for her. She needed to get moving, they couldn’t stand outside all night. She ran her hands down the front of her dress, Freya’s dress, in a self-conscious, nervous gesture.

‘Don’t worry, you look gorgeous,’ he said.

‘Really?’

Abi had been worried about this dress. She’d never owned or worn anything like it but she had no option. It was a simple sheath with thin spaghetti straps but its simplicity belied its eye-catching silhouette. The dress was made of gold sequins that matched her eyes and it shimmered and sparkled as she moved. It looked expensive and it was. There would be no hiding in the corner in this one. She had draped a black wrap over her shoulders in an attempt to tone the outfit down but she still felt very conspicuous. ‘I was worried it might be too much. It’s not too revealing?’

Damien shook his head. ‘It’s perfect.’

‘Thank you.’ His compliment sent a thrill of pleasure through her and boosted her confidence. She wanted to tell him that he looked amazing too but she couldn’t summon the courage. He was in a black evening suit, single breasted, cut to his slim frame, drawing attention to the blackness of his hair and eyes. She wasn’t a girl who was taken in by a man in uniform, years of army life had made her immune to that, but a man in a dinner suit with a crisp white shirt and a bow tie that had been tied on, not clipped, was a different story. Especially when it was carried off as well as Damien did. He could have stepped off the cover of a magazine.

He placed a hand in the small of her back and ushered her towards the door. A security guard was stationed there and Abi felt herself relax, knowing no unexpected guests would have gained entry.

Together they stepped into the clinic foyer, where Abi stopped and looked around her in awe. The foyer was normally spectacular, reminding her of a modern art gallery, but Freya had outdone herself tonight. Chandeliers had been hung from the ceiling, enormous crystal vases held oversized flower arrangements, a string quartet played in the corner and young, beautiful waiters, whom Abi suspected would be models or actors, served French champagne.

The party spilled from the reception area into the internal courtyard, although the room was not yet crowded. Abi was relieved to see that she and Damien were among the first to arrive. She wasn’t brave enough to walk into a room full of people, it was far better if the room filled up around her.

Freya had timed the party to begin at sunset and the view of the city sparkling below them as the lights began to come on was spectacular. Freya was greeting guests just inside the door. Abi knew it wasn’t technically Freya’s party but that was how she thought of it. She had talked of nothing but work and the party all week and even though the party was a publicity event for The Hills and for the Bright Hope Clinic, Abi couldn’t help but associate it with Freya.

Even the guests looked as if they could all be Freya’s friends. Everyone looked rich—some looked like new money, others like old, but Abi was neither. She had grown up poor, something she doubted any of these people were familiar with. Although she looked the part tonight she still felt a great divide between her and everyone else. There wasn’t anything she could do about it but she didn’t like it and she worried that the guests would see through her smoke-and-mirrors dress to the girl who had grown up poor, raised by an alcoholic single mother.

‘Abi, let me check your wrap.’ Damien’s voice interrupted her thoughts. His hands were on her arms and she could feel the warmth of his fingers spreading through her body as he started to slip the wrap from her shoulders.

She wanted to go with him to the coat check. She didn’t want to wander unaccompanied among the other guests, and she didn’t want to introduce herself to strangers. She was about to follow him when Mila appeared by her side.

‘Good, you’re here,’ Mila greeted her. ‘Come with me, there’s someone I want you to meet.’

‘I’ll catch up with you later,’ Damien said, as Mila tucked her arm into Abi’s almost as if she was afraid Abi would run away if she didn’t keep hold of her.

As Mila led her through the crowd Abi felt as though she’d been dropped into a movie set, a glamorous, old-school Hollywood movie. It was good in a way as it didn’t feel like real life. Perhaps if she could pretend it was make-believe she would be able to relax and enjoy the evening.

Mila stopped next to a solid, muscular man with cropped dirty blond hair and brown eyes and introduced her. ‘Here she is. Abi, this is Tyler Richardson, my boyfriend.’

Abi was taken by surprise. After witnessing the exchange, and the tension, between Mila and James earlier in the week she realised she hadn’t expected Mila to have a boyfriend. Maybe Tyler was the source of the tension she had felt.

‘It’s good to meet you.’ Tyler took her hand and shook it hard. He seemed laid back and relaxed but she couldn’t figure out why he’d want to meet her. ‘I wanted to thank you,’ he continued.

‘Thank me? For what?’

‘For taking on Dylan’s care.’

Abi frowned, unsure what connection Tyler had with her patient.

‘I’m a fireman,’ he explained, as Mila excused herself to visit the bathroom. ‘I was in the crew that went to the scene of Dylan’s accident. I pulled him out of the house.’

‘Oh, I see. Is that how he ended up at the Bright Hope Clinic? Through you?’

‘I called in at the hospital to see how he was doing and spoke to his mum and mentioned that Mila’s clinic might be able to help. How did the surgery go? How is he?’

‘I’m not sure how much I can tell you without breaking confidentiality,’ Abi replied.

‘That’s okay. It’s just that when we are able to save someone it’s nice to know how they’re doing. Sometimes we never hear anything. We rescue someone and then...’ he spread his hands wide ‘...nothing. The nurses in the public hospitals will often give us a bit of an update. Hearing that someone survived and is doing well helps make our job worthwhile, it helps to make up for the ones that don’t go so well. But once he was moved out of there it was almost impossible to find out anything.’

Abi could understand that. Tyler wasn’t so different from her, trying to make a difference, trying to save lives. Hearing good news always lifted spirits. What could she tell him? She was happy with Dylan’s progress but it was early days. The bandages wouldn’t be removed for another couple of days so it was impossible to tell how successful the grafts had been. The only positives at this stage were that she’d been able to do the grafts and that Dylan’s temperature was normal, indicating the absence of infection. She compromised. ‘It’s still early but I’m happy at this point. He’ll be with us for another week. Do you want me to ask his mum if you can visit?’

Tyler nodded. ‘I’d like that, thank you.’

Abi smiled at him. She knew exactly where he stood, and she was still smiling when James approached them.

James Rothsberg was a handsome man, tall and fair-haired with blue eyes and great bone structure—Abi always noticed bone structure, she was trained to do that—but although he was good-looking and of a similar build to Damien, he wasn’t nearly as striking. Damien was sleeker and leaner but their contrasting colouring made her think of positives and negatives, and Damien was the positive. She couldn’t ignore Damien and even now her eyes searched the crowd, looking for his familiar figure. There was something about Damien that captured her attention, something that went beyond the fact that he was tall, dark and handsome. She’d have to be careful and keep her guard up around him if she didn’t want to make a fool of herself.

‘Abi, one week gone. How are you settling in?’ her new boss asked.

‘More smoothly than I expected,’ she said. She’d been busy. The film industry awards were a week away, which had bolstered her patient list, and Dylan’s case had kept her on her toes, but she’d enjoyed her first week.

But James barely listened to her reply before offering his hand to Tyler. It seemed she wasn’t the only one whose mind was wandering.

‘Did you come with Abi?’ he asked Tyler.

‘No, Tyler is with me.’ Mila had reappeared and answered before Tyler had a chance.

Abi could tell from James’s expression that Mila’s answer wasn’t the one he’d been hoping for. Although the air around them was chilly at the moment, it was obvious that at some point these two had been more than acquaintances.

James made polite small talk for a few minutes but Abi noticed that when Mila headed to the opposite end of the room to prepare for the speeches, James’s eyes followed her.

The string quartet finished their set and lapsed into silence as Mila and Freya stepped up onto a raised platform that had been positioned in front of the reception desk. As the speeches began Abi felt Damien’s presence at her side. The air stirred whenever he was near; it seemed to move differently around him. She turned to her right.

‘Are you okay?’ he asked. ‘Having a good time?’

She wasn’t really. She still felt uncomfortable and out of place, although she was better when Damien was near. Her world seemed to make more sense and her doubts and fears lessened, even though she still felt off balance, but she knew that was because of the effect he had on her rather than her own uncertainties and insecurities. But she nodded, trying to project confidence as she listened to the speeches.

Mila took the microphone first. She spoke passionately about the aims of the Bright Hope Clinic and about Paulo, who had been the first joint-venture patient between the two clinics. After the success of the first operation Freya had plans to ramp up the cooperation between the two clinics but she needed funding. Her speech emphasised the success of the first surgery and encouraged the wealthy LA guests to contribute to the charitable organisation she and James were establishing. That would give Mila access to the funds she needed, as well as bring good publicity for The Hills.

Both of them spoke very well about their vision for the partnership but Abi knew it was easy to talk in public when you were invested in and knowledgeable about your topic, and while she was interested in the project she could listen to Freya without watching. There were other things that had caught her attention, like what was going on between Mila and James. James’s eyes were still glued to Mila. It was easy to see why, she was a beautiful woman, but Abi could feel that it was more than that.

‘Ready to go?’ Damien asked, as the speeches wrapped up.

He had his car keys in his hand. Abi could hear them jingling in his fist. They had agreed to leave as soon as possible after the speeches. Abi had known she would have had enough of the crowd by then, and Damien wanted to get home at a reasonable time to relieve the babysitter. Abi also wanted to get home to Jonty. Irma and George were away for the weekend, visiting their daughter, so Jonty was home alone.

She nodded. ‘Give me a minute to grab my wrap.’

‘I’ll get it for you, I have the ticket.’ Damien pulled the stub from his pocket. The storeroom behind the reception desk had been doing double duty as a coat check for the evening, manned by their regular receptionist, Stephanie, and Abi could see James making his way towards the desk and to Mila, who had just stepped off the platform at the conclusion of the speeches.

Curiosity got the better of her. ‘It’s okay,’ she said as she took the ticket from his fingers. ‘I’ll only be a second.’ She wanted another opportunity to examine Mila and James.

She headed for the coat check. James and Mila stood at one end of the reception desk, looking tense. Freya had disappeared into the crowd before James had crossed the room, leaving Mila and James alone. Not wanting to disturb them, she approached the desk from the opposite end but their conversation carried to her.

‘Mila, can I talk to you?’ James reached out a hand but Mila stepped back.

‘It’s not really a good time,’ she replied, and again Abi got the sense that if there was somewhere that Mila could run and hide she would do so.

Abi handed Stephanie her ticket. She kept her face averted from Mila and James as she waited for Stephanie to fetch her wrap but it didn’t stop her from being able to overhear their conversation. She didn’t like to think of it as eavesdropping but she was fascinated by the tension between them.

‘I’m sorry for everything,’ James said, but he didn’t elaborate on what ‘everything’ was and Mila didn’t question him; she obviously knew what he was talking about.

‘You want to apologise but you don’t want to explain?’ she said.

‘I can’t.’

‘Can’t or won’t?’

Mila waited for an answer but James was mute. Stephanie returned with Abi’s wrap as Mila said, ‘It doesn’t matter any more anyway. It’s ancient history.’ She brushed past James as she added, ‘Tyler is waiting for me. I have to go.’

Mila’s path took her within a couple of feet of Abi but she didn’t look at her. Abi thought she could see tears in her eyes.

Abi glanced at James. She couldn’t help herself. She wanted to see his reaction. He wasn’t looking at her either so Abi followed the line of his gaze. His eyes were on Tyler, who was on the other side of the room, chatting with Freya’s boyfriend, Zack. It didn’t look as if Tyler was waiting for Mila. Why had she made that excuse? And what was James apologising for? There was definite history between them but from James’s expression Abi was guessing that he didn’t want it to be history. He’d looked jealous.

‘Do you know if everything is okay between Mila and James?’ she couldn’t resist asking Damien as she sank into the soft leather of his car seat as he wound his way down through the Hollywood Hills and back to Pacific Palisades.

‘Mila and James?’ he queried. ‘Why?’

‘There just seemed to be a bit of tension between them and I wondered what it was all about. Whether there is an issue with the joint venture?’ She added a reason in case Damien thought she was being too inquisitive.

‘The joint venture was Freya’s idea but as far as I know James is behind it. They’re both very conscious of giving back to the community, even though Freya is the one driving it. I’m not aware of any issues.’

That didn’t mean there weren’t issues, it just meant that, as a man, Damien possibly hadn’t noticed anything.

But her own fabricated question made her wonder if she was mistaken. Perhaps it was simply a conflict over the joint venture. Perhaps it wasn’t jealousy but a financial issue. Not love but money?

Damien pulled into her driveway and as he killed the engine Abi could hear Jonty barking. She frowned. He wasn’t a noisy dog usually. He hadn’t barked when she’d come home from work this week but then he’d had George and Irma there. Perhaps he recognised the sound of Damien’s car and was excited to think he finally had company.

‘Is that Jonty?’ Damien asked, as he got out of the car and came around to open Abi’s door.

Abi nodded and as she stepped out onto the driveway Jonty came tearing around the corner of the converted garage and skidded to a halt by her side.

Abi scratched behind his ears. ‘Hello, boy. What’s got into you? Did you miss me?’

Damien walked Abi around to her door which was on the side of the garage and opened up to lead onto the internal stairway. Jonty was barking again as Abi pulled her keys from her handbag. ‘Shush,’ she said as she pushed the doggy door with her foot, thinking that perhaps once Jonty was inside he’d stop barking, but the doggy door didn’t swing open.

‘That’s strange,’ she said.

‘What is?’

‘The doggy door is locked. I’m certain I wouldn’t have locked him out.’ Jonty had stopped barking but he was pacing and whining at her feet as she slid her key into the lock.

‘Wait.’ Damien put his hand on her wrist and her skin thrummed with the heat of his touch. As she turned to look at him she heard a noise upstairs in her apartment. The sound of something falling over.

There was somebody in her apartment.