He's the One (7 page)

‘How have your parents taken the news that you’re dropping out of law school?’ Nina asked Cory.

For a moment Liberty thought that he seemed annoyed by the question. He ran one hand through his hair and looked down for an instant, but then his natural charm took over. ‘They’re okay about it. Well, actually, my mom freaked, but my dad is good at calming her down. I can’t do law if my heart’s not in it.’

‘Of course you can’t,’ Liberty backed him up.

‘No.’ Nina smiled. ‘And Libs tells me you’re a very talented artist. And, for what it’s worth, I always think you should follow your heart and not worry about what other people think. There are probably enough lawyers in the world as it is.’

Sometimes Liberty thought she had the coolest mum ever.

‘So are you going to tell them our news?’ Noah asked suddenly, looking at Em. Instantly Liberty’s heart sank, and the shine was wiped right off her day. This was the moment she had been dreading. She knew she was right when Em looked awkward, and said, ‘This is supposed to be a celebration for Libs, let’s leave it for now.’

‘It’s okay, Em, I think I know what you’re going to say.’

Cory looked at the two girls. ‘Is this some kind of code I’m not getting?’

‘I’m going to Australia with Noah,’ Em said quietly. ‘And I really, really want to, only I’m going to really, really miss you, Libs.’

‘How long are you going for?’ she asked. Maybe it would just be for a year. That wouldn’t be so bad, would it? Twelve months. She could deal with that.

‘We don’t have a set time in mind,’ Noah put in. ‘You guys should come out and see us. You know you’d be welcome any time, and you could stay as long as you want.’

Liberty had always got on well with Noah, who was easygoing and basically one of the loveliest guys you could ever meet. But right now she was struggling to say anything positive back to him. She couldn’t help wishing that he had never met her best friend, because it felt like he was taking Em away.

‘We mean it, Libs, any time you want to come over. And we can email and phone every week. We’ll have a girls’ night in when we call each other.’

‘Except it will be morning for me, and night time for you,’ Liberty replied in a quiet voice. ‘When do you go?’

‘Three weeks’ time. Noah’s got a job at a garden design company in Sydney.’

In just three weeks she would be saying goodbye to Em? Liberty’s eyes welled up with tears. Unable to keep up the pretence of being happy a second longer, she got to her feet abruptly and rushed off to the loo. She was crying now. She knew she should be happy for her friend, and she was, but she was also desperately sad. If she felt like this now, how on earth was she going to feel when Em left?

She was just trying to rub away the smudges of mascara when her friend walked in and hugged her. ‘You know I’m going to miss you so much, I can’t really bear to think about it,’ Em said, struggling to hold back her own tears.

‘I know, and I know how much you want to do this
and I hope it’ll be brilliant for you, but I’ll miss you so much.
Promise
you’ll stay in touch?’ Liberty begged.

‘You know I will, but you’re going to be okay. You’ve got Cory and Brooke and that new modelling job. I really think things are looking up for you,’ Em hugged her again. ‘I’m too old to be saying this, but you’re my best friend for ever.’

Liberty managed a smile. ‘And you’re mine.’

Chapter 7

At least Liberty had the advert to distract her from Em’s big news, and the hope that Zac might get in touch with an audition. Though it had been over a week and she hadn’t heard anything so far. She found shooting the advert a complete dream from the moment she arrived at the studio and Flo the make-up artist got to work on her, calling her
darling
in every sentence and generally making her feel relaxed. They were going for an ultra-natural look, which seemed to take even more make up than if she was going for full on slap. Primer, foundation, brightener, powder … Liberty only usually wore foundation on a night out, so the number of products seemed mind-boggling to her.

‘You look beautiful, darling,’ Flo told her when she’d finished. ‘Absolutely stunning.’

‘It’s down to you,’ Liberty answered, as she looked at the unfamiliar woman in the mirror, with her smoky eyes and flawless skin. Her hair had been given the star treatment as well, and blow dried straight so that it fell down her back in a silky mane.

‘I think you’re going to go far,’ Flo said. ‘Remember me when you’re a famous super-model!’

Liberty laughed; this was all so unexpected. ‘Actually I want to be an actress.’

‘
Darling
, with your looks you could do anything you wanted, absolutely anything!’

This definitely beat getting people their orders of garlic bread and spag bol.

Liberty loved performing for the camera, taking on the persona of a sultry, beautiful, enigmatic woman. Greg the celebrity photographer was full of compliments as he got her to pose this way and that, shouting out orders and encouragement. Apparently he had photographed all the top models, and Liberty couldn’t believe he meant half of what he said to her.

‘Lovely … bit more of a smile … shake back your head. Gorgeous! Beautiful! Yeah, baby, that’s the one. Wow! Now give me your sexy face. The you-know-you-want-to-sleep-with-me look. But you can’t because I’m a princess and out of reach.’

She had to giggle at that comment, but then she did her best to compose herself and smoulder for the camera.

Liberty was still on a high some four hours later when she arrived back in Brighton. After checking with her mum that it was okay if she had Brooke, she jumped in a taxi and went to Cory’s. She couldn’t wait to see him and tell him about her day.

‘Hi!’ she exclaimed, throwing her arms round him the second he opened the door. Then, seductively, ‘Do you want to see me do my sexy face? It’s very good apparently, and will soon be on a billboard near you!’

She’d expected him to banter back, but instead he seemed serious. ‘Actually my mom and dad are here. They arrived this afternoon.’

That was unexpected! ‘Did you know they were coming?’

He shook his head. ‘Nope. They must have jumped on a plane as soon as I told them about quitting law school. What devoted parents they are,’ he said bitterly, and took her hand. ‘Come on in, you’d better meet the Wicked Witch of the North and Toto.’

‘Toto’s cute.’ Liberty was trying to think positively.

‘Yeah, and he doesn’t ever say or do anything, if you remember, because he’s a dog. Cute but useless.’

Surely his parents couldn’t be so bad if they’d had a son like Cory? But as she walked into the living room with him, Liberty instantly got a bad vibe from Cory’s mum Melissa. She was stunningly beautiful, and had Cory’s bluer-than-blue eyes. But whereas his were full of warmth and passion, Melissa’s were cold and watchful. She smiled at Liberty and told her it was ‘
so
good to meet you’, but not for a second did Liberty think that she meant it. She was painfully aware of Melissa constantly weighing her up. Cory’s dad Jacob seemed a lot nicer, but Liberty guessed that it was Melissa who had the upper hand in that relationship.

‘I’m sorry we arrived unannounced,’ his mother said as Cory poured everyone a glass of wine. Liberty noticed that he poured himself an extra large one. ‘But we were missing our son so very much. And I hope you didn’t have plans for tonight, Liberty, because we thought we could take you and Cory out to dinner. I’d love to get to know the girl who’s had such an effect on my son.’

‘You don’t have jet lag?’ Liberty enquired politely, thinking she
really
didn’t want to spend an evening with this woman. She wanted to celebrate her good news alone with Cory.

‘First class always makes air travel so much more
tolerable,’ she replied, as if that was a no-brainer. She turned to Cory then. ‘So where’s good to eat in Brighton? I’m guessing it doesn’t exactly have the choice we’re used to in San Francisco?’ She sighed as if the thought was a terrible bore.

Yeah, we’ve barely emerged from caves back in England
… God! Melissa was such a snob! Clearly her son had not got his easygoing nature from her.

Cory was about to reply when she went on, ‘Oh, Liberty, you work in a restaurant. Maybe we should go there?’

‘Liberty is only waitressing while she tries to get acting roles – not that there is anything wrong with being a waitress.’ Cory looked mutinous. ‘And, no, I don’t think we should go there. Isn’t Italian food out because of your wheat allergy?’

‘Yes, you’re right, Cory, my nutritionist wouldn’t be very happy with me. So where is it to be?’ She glanced at Liberty. ‘And obviously dinner will be on us, since we’ve hijacked your evening.’

And because you know perfectly well I couldn’t afford to pay my way in the kind of restaurant you want to go to
, Liberty thought.

‘Apparently there’s a very good fish restaurant in the Laines.’ Jacob finally spoke up. ‘Perhaps we could all go there? I’ll phone them and book a table. Cory tells us that you’ve just landed a major modelling contract, Liberty, and that does sound like something to celebrate.’

‘Thank you, yes, I’m really pleased,’ Liberty smiled at him. Jacob was sweet, and nothing like his scary wife.

Melissa sighed and twisted the diamond bracelet on her wrist. ‘Of course, modelling is even more precarious than acting, so entirely dependent on your looks – not that acting isn’t.’

‘I don’t think Liberty has got anything to worry about on that score,’ Jacob replied, clearly trying to lighten the mood.

‘And it must be even harder now you’re a mother?’

Oh, so she knew about Brooke too. Liberty could just imagine how she felt about
that
.

‘Well, it is hard sometimes, but luckily my mum helps out as much as she can.’

‘And your father?’

‘My parents are divorced and my dad lives in Manchester. I don’t see him very often.’

Disapproval seemed to be coming off Melissa in waves. Liberty could feel the beginnings of a headache. She looked over at Cory, hoping he would come up with something supportive, but he just rolled his eyes as if to say,
That’s my mom
. And over dinner things only got worse.

Cory seemed completely different from his usual confident, extrovert self. He was monosyllabic and subdued, hardly saying a word as Melissa continued to interrogate Liberty. It was as if her sexy, twenty-one-year-old lover had morphed into a moody adolescent, more interested in knocking back the wine than supporting his girlfriend.

And so Liberty had to face the constant stream of questions without Cory’s help. She imagined Melissa must be a force to be reckoned with in court.
What did her mother do? Her father? How old was her daughter? Where was Brooke’s father? Was she in touch with him? What did he do?
With every question Liberty felt as if Melissa was further confirming her worst suspicions: that this was a feckless single mother who was never going to amount to anything. And, worst of all, that Cory was way out of her league and Liberty had no right getting involved with him in the first place.

‘I’d love to meet your daughter,’ Melissa finally said. ‘Perhaps you have time tomorrow?’

‘Er, sure,’ Liberty replied, looking over at Cory and hoping that he would come up with an excuse, but he just shrugged.

‘I adore babies and toddlers,’ Melissa continued. ‘Cory was the most gorgeous baby, and so good, always smiling and happy, and so advanced for his age.’

‘I’m surprised you can remember, you were always working,’ he commented. ‘I saw more of the nanny than I did of you.’

Melissa looked hurt and Liberty almost felt sorry for her until she said, ‘Well, I wanted to be able to give you and your brother and sister the best possible start in life, the best education, the best opportunities, so I had to work.’ She glanced at Liberty. ‘I’m sure you feel exactly the same about your daughter.’

‘Yes, but I also want to be there for Brooke as much as I can. My mum’s always saying that you can never get back that time when they’re little. And I love being with her and miss her when I’m not.’

‘And you’re so young that you’ve got plenty of time to get ahead in whatever career you choose,’ Jacob put in.

Now please let me off the hook!
Liberty wanted to exclaim. She’d never enjoyed a meal less in her life. Although the food had been lovely, she’d barely had any appetite. The only thing she’d felt like doing was drinking wine, but because no doubt Melissa would notice and have another thing to hold against her, she’d only had one glass before switching to water.

Neither Melissa nor Jacob mentioned the fact that Cory was planning to stay in the UK and go to art school, and Liberty had the feeling that Melissa was biding her time. She was certain that Cory’s mother
hadn’t just come over here because she missed her son. She was definitely a woman with an agenda.

After the meal Melissa and Jacob went off to their hotel, leaving Cory and Liberty alone at last.

‘Fuck!’ he exclaimed, running a hand through his hair. ‘Fuck, fuck, fuck! Why have they come over here? Why can’t they leave me alone!’ He stormed ahead, forcing Liberty to break into a jog to keep up with him.

‘Hey, don’t let them get to you! It doesn’t matter what they think, you’re free to do whatever you want,’ she told him.

He slowed down. ‘I’m sorry, you’re right. Only my mom has the unique ability to push all my fucking buttons!’

Liberty linked her arm through his. ‘Let’s go home.’ She needed to take Cory back to their own blissful world, the place where no one mattered but themselves …

‘Yeah, sounds good to me.’

Chapter 8

Fortunately Liberty was spared an encounter with Melissa the following day when she and Jacob travelled to London, to catch up with some old friends, and stay overnight. With any luck, they would use up all their time in England this way, and she wouldn’t have to see them again. But even though his parents weren’t around, Cory was still distracted and on edge. He had been working on a large canvas – an ambitious study of a group of skateboarders – but with the arrival of his family, he abandoned it. When Liberty was at work the next day he spent his time lying on the beach, drinking beer, and by the time she met up with him he was already drunk and only interested in carrying on drinking, ignoring her suggestion that he stop.