No Matter What (63 page)

CHAPTER 32

India watched from the terrace of the breakfast restaurant as Michael signed autographs and talked to the growing crowd around the poolside, making them laugh just like he did her and she smiled, pulling her sunglasses down over her eyes and moving her chair further underneath the umbrella.
 
It was a beautiful, sunny but extremely hot day and she was glad they were filming inside this morning.

She’d now started shooting her movie with Kenny but she and Michael had still managed to spend a lot of time together over the past few days, and it had been wonderful having him around after so long apart.
 
The only problem was that she got used to it, she always did.
 
She got used to sleeping with him, got used to waking up with him there and it only made the fact that they were going to be separated again very soon that much harder to deal with.
 
He was going back home to
L.A.
tomorrow and she was trying really hard not to think about it.
 
She knew that, after a couple of days, the routine would set in again and she’d just get on with it, as they always had done, but the actual leaving each other was always the hard part.

She was thinking of asking Bobby to stay with her in the villa, mainly for company and the fact he could always take her mind off missing Michael and that was a distraction she really needed.
 
She was good at giving out this strong, independent vibe but inside she was really still someone who just wanted to be looked after by the man she loved.

She took a sip of her grapefruit juice and sat back in her chair, continuing to watch Michael as he chatted to another group of people, getting his photograph taken with an excitable middle-aged woman, making her squeal out loud as he kissed her cheek.
 
India
laughed quietly.
 
He was such a flirt in these situations and she loved watching him in action.
 
He was looking good today too, his newly-acquired tan showing up well against the white of his shirt, that smile of his almost never off his face.
 
She just wished they could go back to the villa and finish what they’d started half an hour ago.
 
If she hadn’t got out of bed when she had she may never have got up at all.
 
Well, not until Bobby came looking for her, anyway.
 
If she was even just seconds late for anything he’d send out a search party.

“You do know you’re due in make-up in a matter of minutes, don’t you?”
 
Bobby appeared from the French doors behind her and sat down opposite, pouring himself a glass of juice.
 
She couldn’t help smiling.
 
She loved the way he didn’t treat her like a movie star and act like some sycophant around her.
 
What you saw was what you got and that’s what
India
loved about him.
 
You always knew where you were with Bobby Castle.
 
Straight talking was his speciality.

“I know, Bobby.
 
Stop nagging.”

He looked at her, and then looked behind him to where Michael was now crouching down talking to a couple of little kids whilst their mum watched on in awe.

“I’m not nagging,
India
; I’m just reminding you of the time because, when Mr Walsh is on the scene, you seem to lose the ability to use a watch.”

“Stop calling him Mr Walsh,”
India
giggled.
 
“It sounds so formal.”

“I like to think of him as an authority figure,” Bobby winked and
India
giggled again.

“Do you
fancy
my husband?”

He sat back in his chair and crossed his legs, taking his large black A4 book out of his bag and opening it, clicking his pen.
 
 
“Now, that would be telling, wouldn’t it?”

“Bobby!”

He leaned forward and stole a blueberry from her plate.
 
“Oh, come on angel, you know Kenny’s always been my man.”

She slapped his hand away from her plate, still laughing.
 
“You’re impossible, do you know that?”

“All part of my charm, missy.
 
Now, let’s see, who’s been calling you this morning ...”

India
groaned and leaned forward, her chin in her hands as she rested her elbows on the table.
 
“It’s not even 8.30, Bobby.”

He looked at her with his stern school teacher face.
 
“You’ve been in this industry long enough to know that 8.30am is practically the middle of the day, so don’t give me that.”

She stuck her tongue out at him.

“I saw that.”
 
He put his glasses on and started scanning his list as
India
turned her attention back to watching Michael.
 
He was now trying to make his way over to her but kept getting sidetracked by more fans.

“And, you see, this is where we have the problem,” Bobby said, without even looking up.

“What?
 
What problem are you on about now?”

“Mr Walsh.”

“Mr Walsh isn’t a problem.”

He looked at her again; his glasses resting on the tip of his nose, making him look even more like a school teacher.

“Angel, you’ve had a honeymoon period that’s lasted years, that in itself is weird.
 
By
Hollywood
marriage standards you should be fighting at least once a day and throwing things at each other by now but instead, he walks into a room and you turn into a lovesick teenager.
 
I notice these things.”

“You don’t say.”

He raised his eyebrows and pushed his glasses back up his nose.
 
“I dread to think what you two get up to behind closed doors.”

“I’m surprised you don’t know.
 
You seem to have a handle on everything else.”

He looked up at her again and they both burst out laughing.

“Bobby, will you come and stay with me in the villa?
 
When Michael’s gone back to
L.A.
?
 
Please.
 
I really need the company.”

“What
would
your husband say?”

“I don’t think Mikey sees you as a threat, somehow.”

“I could get offended at that remark.”

“Oh, shut up and tell me you’ll stay with me.
 
We can watch movies, eat chocolate and drink champagne any time we want to.
 
Actually, you can do that in every room in that villa, TV’s everywhere, you’ve seen nothing like it.”

“Can we play at being Tom Cruise in ‘Cocktail’ behind that bar on the terrace?”

“Of course we can,” she smiled, folding her arms.
 
“You can give me Slow Comfortable Screws and Sex On The Beach every night, if that’s what you want.”

“I think I’ll leave that to Mr Walsh, if you don’t mind.
 
I’ll pack my bags tonight and be over as soon as the husband’s out the door.”

They high five-d each other as Michael came over.

“What are you two plotting?”

“Bobby’s going to move into the villa to keep me company.”
 
India
kissed him quickly as he sat down next to her.
 
“When you’ve gone, that is.”

“Obviously,” Bobby smiled, and Michael smiled back.

He liked Bobby.
 
He was good for
India
.
 
Not only was he an excellent P.A., but he distracted her from Kenny Ross and anyone who could do that right now was Michael’s best friend.

“Is that ok with you, baby?”
India
asked, putting the tip of a strawberry into her mouth, an action that Michael found incredibly erotic.
 
Probably
too
erotic for this time of the morning.

“Yeah ... yeah, of course that’s ok with me.
 
India
, honey, please don’t do that.”

She looked at him, all wide eyes and innocence, picking up another strawberry and repeating the action.
 
Deliberately.
 
“Don’t do what?”

“That ... what you’re doing now, don’t do that.”

“Why?”

He raised his eyebrows but
India
just looked at him, sending out silent messages until his resistance was totally worn down and he leaned forward, taking the strawberry out of her hand and kissing her mouth, and
India
just melted as his lips moved against hers.

“Right, that’s it, I’m out of here before you two start re-enacting ‘9 ½ weeks’ on the buffet table,” Bobby said, picking up his bag and ‘phone.
 
“Make-up in fifteen minutes, missy.”
 
He started to walk off then turned round and smiled at them.
 
“Y’know, if you walk fast you may be able to make it to the villa and back with time to spare.”
 
And then he walked off, tapping his watch for
India
’s benefit.

“You gotta love him,” Michael said, his hand sliding up
India
’s thigh.

“Yeah, I do.”
 
She smiled at her husband, stroking the back of his neck.
 
“But I love you so much more.”

“You do, huh?” he grinned, his hand sliding further up her leg.

“Yeah ... I do.”

Their mouths met again, a kiss that
India
didn’t want to break away from, even though she knew any paparazzi in the vicinity would be photographing them if they were anywhere near.
 
Which they probably were.

“You know what Bobby was saying, about walking fast to the villa?” Michael whispered, every single inch of him aching to have her.

India
nodded, her forehead resting against his, her fingers still stroking the back of his neck.

“Well, I think it was good advice.
 
Don’t you?”

***

Charley knew she had to be careful when leaving Vince’s apartment.
 
To all intents and purposes she was dating the boss and she knew it wouldn’t go down well with the other girls.
 
They may be preoccupied with the appearance of Kenny Ross right now but any one of them would also give anything to be Vince Maine’s girlfriend.
 
She’d heard them talking about it often enough.
 
Those that wanted to break into acting and get their faces known in
Hollywood
were particularly keen to snare him, with his connections to Michael Walsh and the fact he co-owned a movie production company.

Vince was a good looking man, tall, dark haired, now in his mid-forties and with a notorious reputation as a staunch bachelor, but he’d made his move on Charley and she couldn’t say no.
 
Despite having been involved in no relationships since Jimmy, and vowing that she never would again, Vince had won her over.
 
Eventually.

She’d seen him standing by the side of the room during her first few outings as one of the lead showgirls at The Maine Resort.
 
She’d noticed him watching her and, at first, she’d just thought it was because he’d recognised her from the brief times they’d met before.
 
Which he had, Of course.
 
He’d finally put two and two together and realised why she’d seemed so familiar to him.
 
So he’d sought her out after one of the shows one evening and asked her if she would join him for dinner, because he’d been curious.
  
He’d wanted to find out more about Charley Miles and, despite initial reluctance, she’d been won over by his smile.
 
From the minute he’d started talking over dinner she’d known his sincerity was real, his charm wasn’t an act.
 
But she’d still played hard to get, reluctant to start anything, especially with Vince.

But Vince wasn’t one to give up.
 
He’d been fascinated by Charley.
 
He knew the history, he was only too well aware of the circumstances surrounding her and
India
and the past that had pulled their friendship apart, but he was totally fascinated by her.
 
And he couldn’t let it go.
 
He’d sent her flowers, left messages on her ‘phone and turned up to watch the show she was in at every opportunity, such was his need to get to know her better.
 
 
It was then that Charley had realised that she liked it, she liked the attention, she liked the fact he wasn’t willing to give up on her without trying his hardest.
 
But it was still early days.
 
Very early days.
 
They’d only been dating a matter of weeks and it was nothing serious.
 
But she had a feeling it could be.