No Matter What (81 page)

“
Jesus
,
India
...”

“What?
 
Aren’t you pleased that I’m finally going to give you a grandchild?”

Reece stood up too, pushing a hand through his hair.
 
“If I thought you were doing it for the right reasons I’d be over the moon.”

She turned away again, folding her arms.
 
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“
India
, sweetheart, come on.
 
Look at me.”

She took a deep breath and turned back to face him, her arms still folded.
 
“I need this baby, dad.”

He came over and took her in his arms, kissing the top of her head as he held her.
 
“Why?”

“Because I’m frightened that if I don’t do this I’ll lose Michael.
 
And I can’t bear that thought.”

Reece tilted up her chin so she looked at him.
 
“Is this because of Kenny?”

She didn’t say anything, just looked at her dad, knowing he knew the answer already.

“You have to be careful,
India
.
 
Having a baby isn’t something you do lightly ...”

“I know that.”

“Do you?”

She was desperately trying not to cry.
 
Her father knew her weakness, he knew the way she thought, he could see through her so easily and that scared her.

“I want this baby, dad.
 
Please don’t spoil it.”

He pulled her closer and kissed her forehead.
 
He loved his daughter so much but he worried about everything she did every day of his life.
 
She could be impulsive in a way that could sometimes be dangerous.
 
Like now.

He smiled at her, knowing the lectures were pointless but still wishing things were different.
 
“If you’re sure – really sure – that this is what you want then I’m happy for you.”

She looked up at him, needing his support and wanting him to be there for her, but he’d hit a nerve and she knew he knew that but she was convinced, totally convinced, that once this baby was on the way everything would feel different.
 
Including the way she felt about Kenny.

“I’m sure.
 
It’s what we
both
want.”

He kissed her forehead again, hugging her tight, really wanting to believe her but knowing she was holding back from telling him everything and there wasn’t anything he could do about that.
 
He couldn’t force her to talk to him.

“Have you been to see Dr Goldman?” Reece asked, turning from nagging dad into protective father because he knew that if he continued with the interrogation he was only going to push her away.

She shook her head.
 
“I didn’t even think about that to be honest.”

He wasn’t sure she’d thought about anything, really, but all he could do now was make sure she was taken good care of.
 
If she was going to go through with this then he was going to make sure she had the best of everything.

“I’ll give him a call and get him to come over and see you at home this afternoon.
 
Where are you going to be?
 
Malibu
or Hollywood Hills?”

“I’ll be in The Hills.”

“Good.
 
That’s settled then.”
 
He gave her one more hug.
 
“I’d better get back out there.
 
You ... you take care, ok?”

She nodded, watching him leave and knowing he knew there was more to this than she was letting on.
 
But this was the right thing to do, and he’d see that.
 
She’d prove to everyone that this was the right thing to do.

After hanging around the trailer for a few more minutes she went back outside, walking over to one of the catering vans to grab a coffee, where she took a few minutes to just stand and watch everything going on around her; all the activity and noise of a movie set.
 
Familiar ground to her now.
 
She’d be back on her own movie set in a couple of days, and if it wasn’t for the fact she’d have to face Kenny she’d be looking forward to it.

“How are you,
India
?”

India
turned round to see Layla Boyd sidle up next to her, flicking her long and very blonde hair over her shoulder, smiling that false, almost sickly smile of hers.

 
“I’m fine.
 
Thank you.
 
Yourself?”

“Oh, I’m doing just great.
 
Your husband is a dream to work with.”

“Is he now,”
India
said dryly, wondering if there was a point to this conversation because she was bored of it already.

“He spends so much time with me and he’s such a professional.”

“Isn’t he just.”

“He’s always willing to give me a little - how shall we put this - one on one time.
 
Just to make sure I’m performing at my absolute best.”

“Well, you must be keeping him extremely busy then, Layla.”
 
India
was starting to get a little agitated now.
 
She could see exactly what Layla was trying to do and she wasn’t going to let her get to her.

“When are you going back to Vegas?” Layla asked, trying to work out just what
India
had meant by that last remark.

“Soon,”
India
replied, staring straight ahead of her now.
 
“Not that it’s any of your business.”

“You know, I just love your accent.
 
It’s so – quaint.
 
Where is it you’re from again?”

India
turned to stare at her.
 
This girl was unbelievable.
 
She wished Bobby was here to see this.
 
“
England
.”

Layla giggled.
 
“I know that, silly.
 
I meant which
part
of
England
.”

India
had known what she’d meant, she just couldn’t be bothered to play along.
 
“I’m from the North East of England, Layla.
 
And I doubt you’ll ever venture there in your lifetime.”
 
She
wouldn’t last five minutes
,
India
thought.

Layla looked her up and down and now
India
really wished Bobby was here. “You have such - individual style,
India
.”
 
She looked up at
India
and smiled again.
 
“When you look at Michael’s ex-wives you wouldn’t think you were his type at all.”

India
had had enough now.
 
“Alright, Layla, what’s your point here?”

Layla smiled at her again and
India
could have quite happily slapped her over-made up face.

“You have a very attractive husband,
India
.
 
But he’s had three failed marriages before you so what makes you think
you’ll
be the one to keep hold of him?”

India
was so not in the mood for this from some stupid little girl who was obviously playing some kind of game.

“Just be careful, Layla.
 
I know what you’re trying to do and it isn’t working. The innocent looks, the batting of the eyelids, the pretending to be the simpering blonde, it’s pathetic.
 
He won’t fall for it, I know him.”

“Oh, you know him, do you?”

India
stared right at her.
 
“I know him.”

“And what about Kenny Ross?”

Now
India
was angry.
 
Very angry.
 
She really just wanted to smack that self-satisfied smirk off her face.

“If I find out you’ve gone anywhere near my husband outside of this movie set, believe me, you
will
regret it, Layla.
 
That’s a promise.”

India
turned and walked away without looking back at her, not wanting to carry this on when she had far more important things to be worrying about.
 
Layla Boyd was just a sad and desperate young girl, someone who’d use anyone to get what she wanted but it wouldn’t work with Michael.
 
At least,
India
hoped not.
 
She really did.

***

Kenny was back in Vegas and it was just where he needed to be.
 
What had happened with
India
was on his mind constantly but here there was always something to try and distract him from that.
 
Or someone.
 
But after a reckless one night stand following a heavy evening of partying with some friends who lived in
Las Vegas
he didn’t feel any less bad about what had happened in
L.A.
 
Infact, he felt worse.
 
He couldn’t stop thinking about
India
, the look on her face as she’d spoken to him, but what he’d seen in her eyes hadn’t been final, far from it.
 
He had no doubt she loved Michael, he’d be stupid to think otherwise, you only had to look at them together to see the way they felt about each other, but she still had feelings for him, he was certain of that.
 
He’d seen it, he’d sensed it, and as far as Kenny was concerned there was still something far from perfect with her marriage to Michael.
 
He didn’t know what it was, he couldn’t say for definite, but something wasn’t quite right.
 
If only he could put his finger on just what that was then maybe he stood a chance of winning her back.
 
He’d stopped thinking of that as a stupid out-of-reach fantasy now and in his head he thought it could actually become a reality.
 
If only
India
could see that Michael Walsh wasn’t the perfect man she had him out to be.
 
If only Kenny could find out how to make that happen.

He sat down at The Terrace Bar of The Maine Resort and ordered another beer.
 
He’d spent the day filming scenes that hadn’t needed
India
and he was tired, but he hadn’t felt much like going to his suite and sitting up there alone.
 
At least if he was down here he felt part of something.

“You ok, Kenny?”

Kenny looked up as Vince sat at the bar next to him, ordering a whisky.
 
“I’m fine.
 
Just fine.”

Vince looked at him. “Yeah.
 
You sound it.”
 

Kenny looked into his beer, not really in the mood for a conversation. “How’s Charley?”
  

“She’s ok, thanks.
 
She’s working tonight.
 
Kenny ...”

Kenny looked at him, suddenly desperate for a cigarette and he hadn’t smoked in years.
 
“What?”

“When
India
comes back, she
is
going to talk to Charley, isn’t she?”

Kenny shrugged.
 
“I haven’t seen her for days, but the last time I saw her that’s what she said she was going to do.
 
It’ll be fine, Vince.”

“I’m glad you think so … what is
wrong
with you?
 
Something’s obviously on your mind.”

Kenny took a long swig of beer.
 
“Nothing’s on my mind.
 
I’m just tired.”

Vince decided to change the subject.
 
Something was obviously bothering him but he didn’t seem in the mood to talk about it.
 
“When does she get back then?
 
India
, I mean.”

Kenny looked at him, and from that one look Vince knew that whatever was on Kenny’s mind had everything to do with his ex-wife.

“Friday afternoon, I think.”

“Right ... look, maybe you should know that since
India
went to
L.A.
, me and Charley we’re ... well, we’re living together now.”

Kenny looked at him again.
 
“You’re moving pretty fast aren’t you?
 
From devout bachelor to almost engaged practically overnight.
 
Are you sure about this?”

“Never been more sure.
 
I’ve never felt like this about anyone before.”