of hopefuls she had been selected.
That role had launched her new career in style. The show had been a major success and the critics had loved her. Although it had only been scheduled to run for four months, they had extended it to six. And, on her return to LA, it had opened doors for her into the acting world.
‘So the only reason you went into acting was because you wanted a challenge?’
Why was he continuing to question her? Kirsten wondered angrily. It was none of his business why she had turned away from her career as a recording artist. ‘Yes, something like that,’ she murmured. She was damned if she was going to tell him that because of her dodgy agent she’d had no choice but to go into acting.
The waiter interrupted them. He put an ice bucket and a bottle of champagne next to the table and placed two long-stemmed glasses between them.
‘What’s the champagne for?’ Kirsten eyed it apprehensively, as if it were a bomb waiting to go off.
‘I’ve no idea.’ Cal shrugged. ‘Rest assured I didn’t order it.’
‘With the compliments of Mr Gerry Woods,’ the waiter informed them both with a polite smile. ‘Would you like me to pour it now, sir?’ he asked into the silence.
‘No, thanks, I’ll pour it,’ Cal said.
As the waiter hovered, waiting for them to order their food, Kirsten hurriedly glanced down at the menu and ordered the first thing she saw.
Why was her agent sending them champagne? she wondered as they were left alone again. This was getting out of hand.
‘Look, Cal, I’m asking you nicely. Please tell the studio you won’t be available for this movie after all.’ She hoped there was no hint in her tone of the desperation she was suddenly feeling. She needed this part. It would be the first really decent money she had earned in ages, and she had worked very hard to get here. Stood in long queues and auditioned several times. By contrast Cal could walk into a part anywhere.
‘I’m sorry, Kirsten, but I can’t do that,’ he replied calmly. ‘I’ve told you, I’ve already signed the contract.’
She watched as he poured sparkling champagne into the flutes and felt helpless. She hated the feeling of not being in control; it made her angry. It brought back memories of her relationship with Cal.
‘Your agent is obviously very happy with the situation…so happy he’s sent champagne. He must know how this is going to do you nothing but favours. Trust me on this.’
‘I’d rather trust a barracuda not to bite,’ she retorted. ‘And for your information I don’t need any favours from you,’ she added quickly. ‘I’m doing very well on my own.’
Cal looked at her across the table. ‘I’m sure you are.’ The quiet way he said those words unnerved her slightly.
Made her wonder if he knew about Robin Chandler and the backlog of bills she was still working her way through.
She looked away. He couldn’t know about that. She had been very careful to tell no one, not even her parents…especially her parents; they would have worried themselves sick. The only people she had confided in were her flatmate, Chloe, and Jason. And they were her best friends, the souls of discretion.
‘And now you are going to do even better,’ he added firmly. ‘Look, Kirsten, this is business, pure and simple. There is nothing personal between us any longer. I don’t see why we should have any problem acting opposite each other. It’s just work.’ He shrugged. ‘I can’t for the life of me understand where you are coming from with this panic-stricken “please leave” routine.’
‘I’m not panic-stricken.’ She sat straighter in her chair.
‘So what’s the problem?’
She stared at him and tried to think of a suitable, sensible reply. How was it that Cal always made her feel as if she was the one in the wrong, that she was the unreasonable one? He had a real knack for wrong-footing her.
‘I’ve told you what the problem is.’ She tried to remain firm. ‘Do I have to spell it out in black and white? I don’t want you around.’
‘Do you know what I think?’ He leaned forward across the table and instinctively she leaned back warily.
‘I think you are frightened of me.’
‘Oh, please! Why the hell should I be frightened of you?’ she scoffed.
‘I don’t know, maybe my manly presence upsets you.’
She stared at him and saw the twinkle of amusement in his blue eyes. ‘You always did have a warped sense of humour,’ she said tautly. ‘And for your information your manly presence doesn’t cause me a second thought.’
‘That’s not what you used to say.’ His voice was deep and husky and disturbingly sexy. It disturbed a cauldron of emotion that Kirsten very definitely didn’t want stirring.
Kirsten had never been so glad to see a waiter approach in all her life. She looked down at the plate of food that he put before her and tried not to think about Cal’s words. But he was right, of course; there had been a time when he had only to look at her to turn her on.
‘Gerry seems a decent kind of guy,’ Cal continued as he liberally sprinkled his steak with salt.
‘He’s OK.’
‘Better than that other agent you went to after we split up. What was his name…Chandler?’
Kirsten felt her blood pressure rising. ‘Chandler was all right,’ she lied.
‘Really? I heard that a few people in town got their fingers badly burnt by him, and that you did well to get out when you did.’
Trouble was she hadn’t got out soon enough, Kirsten thought as she pushed her food around the plate.
When she said nothing he shrugged. ‘But I could have heard wrong. I’ve been working out of the country for two years, so what would I know.’
‘Yes, what would you know?’ Her voice grated roughly. She hoped that Cal would never find out what an idiot she had been to trust Chandler. She felt foolish enough.
‘I still think you should have gone to that guy who handled Maeve.’
Hasn’t everyone handled Maeve? Kirsten wanted to ask derisively, but bit down on her lip.
‘Maeve is going from strength to strength now.’
The last thing Kirsten wanted to hear was how well Maeve was doing. It inflamed her senses to even think about that woman. ‘Yes, well, Maeve married a powerful director,’ Kirsten couldn’t help remarking tersely. ‘It boils down to the same old adage, doesn’t it…it’s not what you know but who you know that counts? Personally I’d rather stand on my own two feet any day than have to marry for my career.’
‘Well, maybe you’ve never been that hungry,’ Cal said quietly.
‘And Maeve has?’ Kirsten’s tone was brittle.
‘I was talking about being hungry for success…but, seeing as you are asking, yes, Maeve has had tough times.’
A shaft of pain hit through Kirsten. He was still sticking up for Maeve, still in love with her after all this time. She’d have thought that he might have grown tired of waiting in the sidelines for that woman to get a divorce. But it seemed not; the situation must suit them both.
Kirsten had always known that there were people who preferred the thrill of the chase, the illicit affair rather than commitment, but it had come as something of a shock to find that she was married to one of those people. Cal had fooled her totally.
Originally she had felt sorry for Maeve’s husband, Brian; he was a lot older than she was. But she had heard a whisper since that Brian had indulged in his share of affairs himself. Well, good luck