Paradise (22 page)

‘And now have you got any pictures of this young man?’ Frank asked, pointing at Ethan. ‘I feel I’m getting to know him and he’s a real credit to you, Loretta.’

‘He’s a credit to himself,’ she replied, ‘I don’t know what I would have done this past year without him.’ She paused. ‘And I know you’ve had your reservations about him and Angel.’ Frank went to interrupt her, but Loretta shook her head. ‘I know you have, Frank, but I hope you will see what I do – two people who are very much in love and who need the support of their families behind them. I know it would just about break Angel’s heart if you weren’t fully in favour of her marriage. She adores you, Frank.’

Not for nothing had Loretta been a leading actress. Frank, who rarely showed any emotion, practically had tears in his eyes at her speech. He looked over at Angel, and said gruffly, as if trying to disguise his emotions, ‘I admit I haven’t always been pleased that you’re marrying Ethan.’ An understatement if ever there was one. ‘But spending time with you both this week has changed my mind. I can see that Ethan is a good man, and that he really loves you. And if it’s what you want, then you have my blessing.’

At this Loretta clapped her hands and declared, ‘More champagne for everyone! I feel like I’ve just played a scene in a soap opera . . . exhausting, but exhilarating too!’

Angel, who often had the feeling that her life resembled a soap opera, could only smile and hug Ethan. That night, back at the beach house, they sat outside having a BBQ, Frank and Ethan bonding over bottles of Bud, and even though Angel felt great
sadness for Loretta, in all other ways she felt incredibly happy. She was moving on with her life, no longer stuck in the painful past.

ANGEL AND ETHAN
set their wedding date for 15 June, only two months away. They had decided on a private ceremony at the church Loretta went to, with just family and a few close friends, and to have the reception at Ethan’s house. Neither of them wanted a grand formal affair. Besides, if they had it at the house, they could make sure it was secure from the paps. And Angel wanted to make this wedding as different as possible from her wedding to Cal, which had been a grand and lavish affair.

But just as they got underway with their wedding plans there was a sudden explosion of negative stories about Angel in the press. ‘
Secret
Shame
of
Ethan’s
Angel
. . . She’s
no
Angel . . . Threesomes
and
Drug
Addiction
:
Does
Ethan
know
what
he’s
getting
into?
’ blazed the headlines on the tabloids and in the celeb mags. Benny and Susie called a crisis meeting at the house to discuss what to do about it.

‘Why now?’ Angel asked, picking up the
National
Enquirer
which had raked up the story of her having a threesome with her ex, Mickey, and a hooker . . . not that Angel had known she was a hooker, and she’d only had the threesome to please Mickey at a time in her life when she was incredibly vulnerable. ‘These stories have already been out years ago, they’re old news.’ She had
been through it all before, had lived the humiliation and shame, had her regrets, but knew that brooding over past mistakes would not help.

Benny shrugged. ‘You’re marrying Ethan, one of the most eligible bachelors in the States. Go figure.’

‘Well, what can we do about it?’ Ethan asked. ‘You know the press. You know how they work. Can’t we put some positive stories out there?’

‘We could do a photo shoot and in-depth interview with a publication like
OK!
. I’m sure they’d jump at it, especially if we got pics of the kids as well.’ That from Susie, even though she knew that Angel did not want Honey to be photographed.

‘And we need a publication on your side,’ Benny carried on. ‘I’m sure if we could sell exclusive rights to photographs from your wedding, that would help. Then whoever buys the rights will be more inclined to put out favourable stories about you now. You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours kind of thing.’ Susie looked at him lovingly, as if approving his remarks. Love certainly was blind, Angel thought bitterly.

‘Our wedding photos aren’t for sale,’ Ethan said forcefully.

‘Oh, come on!’ Benny exclaimed, dropping the Mr-Nice-Guy act he’d been cultivating for the last month. ‘This is what we’ve been working towards! You could each make a million dollars if we set this up.’

‘Aren’t you forgetting your cut?’ Ethan said dryly.

‘I’m not thinking about me! I’m just thinking about you. It’s what I always do. I always have your best interests at heart. You’re not going to be a star baseballer player for ever. You need a back-up plan.’ Benny reached into his pocket, pulled out a cream silk handkerchief and mopped at his brow which was gleaming with sweat.

‘He really does,’ Susie added, rubbing Benny’s arm affectionately. ‘Just as I have your best interests at heart.’ She looked over at Angel.

Spare us the bullshit! Angel thought.

Benny looked over at Ethan, ignoring Susie’s adoring look. ‘Will you at least think about the wedding?’ He snapped open his Louis Vuitton monogrammed briefcase and pulled out a selection of magazines, all of which had covered a celebrity wedding. ‘Take a look at these, and you’ll see it can be done stylishly. And it can be as understated as you want. You set the agenda.’ He slid the magazines across the glass table towards Ethan, who looked at them with disdain and didn’t attempt to pick them up. ‘Or we can sell the pictures through an agency, if you think that will suit you better.’

Ethan didn’t reply.

‘Okay then, Susie and I will leave you two to have a think. We’ll put together a positive press campaign for Angel. It’s going to be a tough call, though. That’s quite some past you have there, missy – orgies and cocaine. Anything else we should know about? S&M parties? The press always love a bit of bondage. And I’m sure you look real pretty in leather. Still, at least you got it all out of your system.’

There was a flash of the old lecherous Benny there, seeming to want to goad her into saying something. Angel just shrugged. Bullies like him thrived on the oxygen of someone’s reaction and she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. But Ethan wasn’t going to sit by and allow Benny to speak to Angel like that.

‘And your past is perfect, is it, Benny? I suppose you’d love the press to hear about every detail of your private life? Don’t ever speak to Angel like that again or you will no longer be representing me.’ Benny looked as if Ethan had just punched him in the guts.

Susie was quick to jump to Benny’s defence, ‘Oh Benny was just joking Ethan, he didn’t mean anything.’

Benny turned to her, treating her to a venomous glare from those cold grey eyes, ‘I don’t fucking need you to speak for me.’ Then he looked over at Ethan, ‘I’m just watching your back, it’s what I’ve always done. I apologise if I spoke out of line.’ A muscle was twitching in his jaw with the effort of being polite.

‘Yeah well, Angel and I have got things to do,’ Ethan glared at Benny, arms folded, effectively dismissing the couple. Benny got up and strode out of the room closely followed by Susie, who paused to say quietly, ‘He really didn’t mean those things seriously, Angel. Benny adores you.’

Yeah right! Angel thought as Susie dashed after Benny, her heels clicking against the marble floor.

‘That was some start to the day!’ Angel exclaimed after she’d heard the front door slam. She expected Ethan to come back with a light-hearted reply but he seemed wound up and paced across the living room.

‘Babe, are you okay?’ Angel asked. ‘Don’t let Benny get to you.’

Ethan spun around. ‘Christ, Angel, how can you sound so cool! Benny seemed as if he was really getting off on taunting you. No way am I tolerating that! I warned him not to speak to you out of turn and he does it again, blatantly, in front of me. He thinks he’s indispensable to me, but d’you know what? He isn’t.’ He paced some more before adding, ‘And I’ve got a bad feeling about all those stories in the press. It wouldn’t surprise me if Benny wasn’t the one behind them. That would be his style . . . manipulating everyone, especially us, so that we panic and sign the wedding pictures deal to stop the bad press.’

Angel gazed at Ethan in surprise; he certainly seemed to have woken up to Benny’s true nature.

‘I’m going to phone my lawyer. Get him to send the letter putting Benny on notice. I’m sick of him causing tension in our lives.’

Ethan stopped pacing; he seemed to have made his decision.

‘Hang on a minute,’ Angel said, shocked. ‘Maybe you’re getting this all wrong. Benny isn’t my favourite person and he doesn’t like me, but he is a good agent. Why don’t you at least find out for sure if he’s playing straight with you and if you can trust him?’ She couldn’t believe that she was defending Benny, but she didn’t want Ethan to do something he might later regret.

He came and sat down next to her. ‘How do we do that?’

Angel thought for a moment. ‘Tell him something that only you and I know, and see what happens. If he leaks it, after you make him promise not to say anything, then we’ll know.’

‘What kind of thing?’

‘Oh, I’ve got a good idea,’ Angel replied, smiling. She was really going to enjoy catching Benny out.

They waited a couple of days and then Ethan invited Benny over, telling him he had some important news for him. Benny was back to working his charming act. ‘Hey, gorgeous, you look beautiful,’ he told Angel as she sat on the edge of the pool, dipping her legs in the water to keep cool. She gave a fake little smile in acknowledgement. Benny retreated under the large parasol. ‘So what’s the big news, guys?’ Benny asked, looking inquisitively at Ethan. He was tapping his foot almost impatiently. Angel guessed that he must hate not being in the position of power.

‘Hold on a minute,’ Ethan replied, ‘I need Angel by my side to tell you. Come on, babe.’ She got up and came and sat next to him. Both of them were wearing
sunglasses and she could see Benny’s overly fake-tanned face reflected in Ethan’s Aviator Raybans.

‘First off, Benny, this is for your ears only,’ he said seriously. ‘Neither of us has said anything, not even to our families, and at the moment we don’t want anyone else to know. Especially not the press.’ Angel thought she might giggle; Ethan was playing his part perfectly.

Benny held his hand up. ‘I understand. Whatever you guys tell me will go no further, you have my word.’

Yeah, right, Angel thought. For all that was worth.

‘Okay, here goes then.’ Ethan actually looked behind him as if to make sure no one else could hear. Damn, he was good! Maybe he could consider an acting career when he stopped playing baseball. ‘It’s great news actually . . . the best.’ He paused to smile at Angel and reach for her hand – and, of course, to prolong Benny’s agony. She pretended to cough to mask the giggles that were threatening to escape.

‘Okay, here goes – Angel’s pregnant, we’re having a baby!’ Ethan exclaimed. ‘Isn’t that awesome?’

Benny beamed at the pair of them, flashing his perfect dentistry. ‘Congratulations, you guys! Wow! That is awesome!’ And he shot up from his seat to hug first Ethan and then Angel. ‘So when’s the baby due?’

Damn! Angel hadn’t thought to work out a due date. ‘Ummm . . . just around Christmas.’ she blustered.

‘A Christmas baby?
That’s beautiful.’

‘Yeah. I’ve had to put my foot down about naming him Jesus, if it’s a boy,’ Ethan put in, and Angel really had to fight to stop the laughter.

‘So I hope you’d be up for the role of godfather?’ Ethan was certainly milking this for all it was worth.

Benny actually put his hand on his heart. ‘Me? I would be honoured.’ Angel could have sworn there were tears in his eyes.

‘So, I hope he’s taking good care of you, Angel,’ Benny asked, doing his concerned act now.

‘Oh, he is,’ she replied, and Ethan reached out and protectively rubbed her stomach. Now maybe that was going too far. Angel put her hand over his to stop him. ‘Wouldn’t it be great if we had a boy? I mean, I know all that matters is that the baby is healthy, but can you imagine . . . a boy?’ Ethan enthused. ‘I could teach him all I know about the game.’

Benny’s cold grey eyes were now glinting with greed. He must have been thinking about the press opportunities the pregnancy and birth afforded.

‘We’re not having a mini-me!’ Angel teased back.

‘It’s a wonderful thing,’ Benny mused.

‘But like we said, we don’t want anyone else to know. When Angel’s reached the end of the first trimester, then we’ll release it to the press. She doesn’t want Susie to know either, Benny. It’s a question of trust. So if you could keep it to yourself, we’d appreciate it.’

Benny looked thrilled to have been told the news before Susie. ‘You can count on me. So does this affect the wedding plans at all?’

Ethan shook his head. ‘Going ahead as before.’

‘And have you thought any more about the photographs?’ Benny was not going to give up on this.

‘We’re still thinking about it, Benny.’

‘Sure, I understand – you guys have got a lot going on.’ He checked the time on his diamond-encrusted watch. ‘I’ve got another meeting to go to, so I’ll catch up with you later.’ He stood up and gave Ethan a congratulatory slap on the back and treated Angel to another kiss. ‘I am thrilled for you both, but hush-hush.’ He put his finger over his lips for emphasis then headed back into the house. Angel snuggled up to Ethan and didn’t say a word until she heard the roar of Benny’s Porsche starting up in the drive.

‘What do you reckon?’ she asked. ‘Think he fell for it?’

‘With my superior acting skills? You betcha.’

‘Babe, you were good, I give you that, but I don’t think Brad Pitt has anything to worry about just yet.’

‘He might be able to take me on the screen, but I bet I’m better than him in the sack.’

‘Yeah, you’ve had all that practice!’ Angel teased back. ‘You should be!’

‘Want a reminder?’ Ethan slid his hand between her legs.

‘I don’t know if I should, with the baby and all,’ Angel said coyly.