Trade (17 page)

It wasn’t the time to tell either
of her parents that her relationship with Sholto might well be over, so she
considered the question carefully. “Yes, I care very deeply for him.” The words
didn’t seem enough. She more than cared; she couldn’t imagine her future
without him in it.

“Bring him to visit.” Her mother
smiled. “I’ll deal with your sister.”

She stayed the night, and headed
out on Sunday afternoon to Cam’s house, where chaos reigned.

Cam met her at the front door,
wearing a robe. “Thank God you’re here.” Her hair flowed around her face in
unruly copper waves. “Lindsay would choose today to refuse to nap, wouldn’t
she?” She pointed at her two-year old daughter, who was lying on the sofa, with
her thumb in her mouth, watching children’s TV. “She looks like butter wouldn’t
melt in her mouth, but don’t be fooled, that baby has been hell today.”

She strode into her bedroom. “I
don’t know what to wear. Nothing looks good.” A mountain of clothes, obviously
tried on then discarded, was piled up on the middle of her bed. “My hair is
crazy, and I can’t get my makeup right…” She pulled in a ragged breath.

“I think you need a drink. How
about a glass of wine?”

“It’s too early.”

Max glanced at her watch. “Five o’clock.
It’s not too early. It’s an emergency. You’re meeting him at the hotel at
seven, so you have an hour and a half to get ready. I’ll get us some.”

She poured a couple of glasses of red
wine from the bottle she’d brought with her, just in case, and carried them
back into the bedroom. “Okay, let’s see what you’ve got here.” She chose a few
dresses and hung them on the back of the wardrobe. “What about this one?” She
held up a simple, elegant black dress.

“It’s too boring.”

“This one then?” She touched an
electric blue sheath.

“It’s strapless. My upper arms are
just…” She pulled a grimace.

Max held it out. “Try it on for
me.” She searched the back of Cam’s closet for something and found a pretty,
glittery silver shrug.

“Can you zip me?”

She zipped the dress, and looked
at her friend critically. “Actually your arms are fine. Everyone thinks their
arms are lumpy, but believe me, yours aren’t.” She helped Cam into the silver
shrug. “But if you feel vulnerable about it, this covers those areas without
hiding the rest of you.”

Cam stared at her reflection in
the mirror. “I never would have thought of putting those two together, but you’re
right. It works.”

“Sit down. I’ll curl your hair.”

She popped out of the room for a
moment, to see that Lindsay had finally succumbed to sleep. She took cushions
off the sofa, and piled them onto the floor in front of the sleeping child,
then went back into the bedroom to get her friend ready.

An hour later, they sat in the
sitting room sipping wine as they waited for the taxi Cam had ordered. Her
previously wild hair had been tamed into loose curls that just tipped her shoulders.
She’d let Max do her makeup, and the slightly more dramatic use of eyeliner and
mascara really highlighted her aqua eyes.

“I know you’re nervous, but you
have no reason to be, you look really beautiful. You’d knock them dead, even if
you walked in there totally alone.”

“God, everyone’s going to look at
me when I arrive with Sholto on my arm.” She chewed her lip.

“Stop that, you’ll muss your
lipstick.” Max rooted in her friend’s silver clutch, pulled out a tube of pale
pink lipstick and repaired the damage. Her stomach clenched at the thought of
him.

“I don’t have to go with him. I
could go on my own. Or you could come with me…”

Max’s gaze shot up to Cam’s. “What?”

“I don’t know if I want to spend
my evening with a guy who’s hurt you.” Cam’s jaw set into a stubborn line. “It
feels weird going on a date with him.”

“Because of me?”

“Because of Drew, too. I’ve only
been out with him twice, but I think this relationship could really be
something.”

“Have you told him you’re going to
the reunion with another man?”

She rubbed the back of her neck. “I
told him I hadn’t had a date, so you’d asked Sholto to accompany me. I think he
was a bit intimidated by the thought of me going out with a hot movie star, but
he’ll get over it.” She stared into Max’s eyes. “You’ve told me a little about
what went down, and I agree, it’s hurtful that he didn’t acknowledge you
publicly, but maybe he had his reasons.”

“He hasn’t contacted me since.”

“Because you told him you wanted
time. Maybe he’s just doing what you asked him to.”

“I’ve been thinking a lot about it
over the past few days. I’m really scared to get rejected again, but I’ve come
to a decision. I really care about him and I’m not ready to give up. When I see
him tomorrow I’m going to put my cards on the table. I’m going to tell him how
I feel.”

Cam grinned.

The doorbell rang. “Go. I’ll see
you later.”

Chapter
Eighteen

Sholto sat in the lobby of The West Continental watching the
door. He knew nothing about Max’s client except her name, and the fact that she
must be well off to be able to afford whatever fee Max had put on his head.

The first few women who entered
were well dressed, but not wearing party clothes. Then a tall, slender woman
walked straight to reception. She wore a full-length blue dress with a small, silver
sweater over her shoulders and clutched a tiny silver bag. This could be her.

The receptionist caught his eye
and beckoned him over.

He strolled across the gleaming
marble floor, and stopped at her side. “Cam?”

She turned, with a smile on her
face and met his gaze. “Sholto. Hi.” She held out her hand just as he moved in
to kiss her cheek. Because that’s what he expected her to want. Instead, she
jerked back out of kiss range. The whole thing was awkward and clumsy. If she were
going to avoid even the basic intimacies, they wouldn’t be fooling anyone
tonight.

He shook her hand. “I’m sort of
nervous.” He plastered on his best charming smile.

But she didn’t blush. And she didn’t
do any of the flustered superfan stuff done by the women who usually wanted to
get to know him better. She just regarded him carefully. Critically. She didn’t
quite stick her hands on her hips and stare him down, but damn close. “I am
too,” she admitted after a couple of seconds.

“We have a while before we have to
leave. Let’s have a drink in the bar.” Normally, he’d take a woman’s arm in
this situation, but Cam was sending ‘hands off’ signals he’d have to be blind
not to see.

“Good idea.” She followed him into
the quiet bar off the main lobby of the hotel, and they took a table in the
corner and ordered drinks.

She’s paying Max for this. She
deserves her money’s worth.
But the fact that Max had pimped him out made
him feel cheap. Sleazy.

Their drinks arrived, and he
raised his glass. “Here’s to tonight.”

She clinked her glass to his. Took
a quick sip, then put it down on the polished wood table. She pulled in a deep
breath. “We should get a couple of things straight. I’m doing this because Max
organized it, and she’s my best friend.”

What?
Her words made no
sense. He frowned. “What the hell do you mean?”

She did a double take. “Max is my
friend.” A look of dawning realization. “What did she tell you?”

“She told me you were a client.”

Cam’s wide smile transformed her face
from borderline hostile to almost friendly. “I’m not a client. I work for Max,
and she’s my friend.”

“So you haven’t paid for this?” It
made no sense. She’d traded a date with Cam for the chance to audition for the
role in
Solo
. She’d gone to Melati with him to clinch the deal. And she
wasn’t making anything?

“Max pays well, but not that well.”
She smiled. “Actually, I doubt any employer pays enough to afford a night like
tonight. No, I’m not rich, and I didn’t set this up with a large pay check for
Max at the end of it.” She crossed her legs, revealing pointy high-heeled
silver shoes. “I told Max I had to go to a school reunion and that I was
dreading it. My ex-husband is going to be there with his six-month pregnant fiancée
and I just couldn’t face it.”

“This is quite a personal
question, but have you still feelings for your husband?” Because surely making her
husband realize that another man found her attractive must be a motivation
here, and he really didn’t know how he felt about being used to try and make
another man jealous, especially when that man was engaged and had his child in another
woman’s belly.

Cam shook her head. “God, no. I’m
not remotely interested in getting back together with Henry. I better give you
some background. Henry and I went to school together. Everyone there tonight is
well aware of our history. We were married and I’d never been happier in my
life when I discovered that I was pregnant with our first child. A couple of
months later, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I couldn’t have
treatment—well, I guess I could have had treatment but I decided not to because
I didn’t want to risk anything that might hurt my daughter. Anyway, he drifted
away during that time, but I just reckoned that was due to the stress, right? Anyway,
to cut a long story short, Henry left me when I had Lindsay. I had treatment
for the cancer alone, while at the same time looking after a newborn. The woman
he left me for is his fiancée now and she’s six months pregnant with their
child.”

“What a bastard.” Sholto didn’t
mince his words. Any guy who treated a woman he’d committed to like that was
little more than a snake.

“I’m well past it. I have a
beautiful daughter and I’ve just started dating again.” Her face flushed pink. “I
met someone after Max had already organized our date. And we’ve only been out
twice. I want to get to know him better before I subject him to everyone who
knew me in school.” She shook her head a little, sending a headful of coppery
curls bouncing. “I wanted to go to the reunion, but when I found out they were
going too, I knew I’d be the object of gossip and the receiver of a lot of
unwanted pity.”

“But not if you had a date.”

“Max asked me who my fantasy date
would be, and I named you.” She looked embarrassed. “Not because I’ve been harboring
a massive crush or anything, but just because…”

“Because I’ll make you the envy of
the room.” He got it. What woman wouldn’t want to bring someone most of her
school friends would consider hot to her reunion? Dating or not, having an
impressive date would boost her self-confidence. “So how are we playing it? Are
you and I having a torrid affair?”

“I don’t think we need to go that
far. I’m only expecting to see one person tonight who is a real friend, that’s
Alison. She’s on the organizing committee, and when she saw that Henry and his
fiancée had bought tickets she rang to tell me. At some stage I’d like to
introduce her to Drew—that’s the guy I’ve just started seeing. I don’t want her
to think I’m a total slut.”

“So I should play it as though I’m
your date for the evening. Your very attentive date. When we get there I want
you to point out your ex-husband to me and I’ll be
extra
attentive.”

“That sounds awesome. I just don’t
want people to pity me. I don’t want them talking about how sad I must be now I’ve
lost the love of my life, and had cancer. I’d much prefer to be envied rather
than pitied.”

“Wouldn’t we all?” Sholto drained
his drink and glanced at his watch. “It’s time to go.”

Cam picked up her bag, and this
time when they linked arms she didn’t pull away. He was glad he’d chosen Gerard
and his Mercedes to drive them rather than a limo, because it ate up the miles
quickly, and didn’t shout ‘film star’ on their arrival. After talking with Cam,
he was one hundred percent on board with this evening. She’d had it tough. She
deserved to be the envy of every person there, and he was determined to make
this night perfect for her.

They chatted en route about her
day job, and the little nuggets of information she let drop about Max made him
admire her all the more. She was obviously a good employer, as well as a great
friend.

The parallels to the past were
striking. She didn’t want her friend to be alone on a night where couples were
celebrating their coupledom. Just as she hadn’t wanted him to be alone at the
school dance years ago. She had a big, open, generous heart. She cared about
her friend now and when he’d been her friend she’d cared about him too.

Until it all got fucked up.

The car slowed, then turned into
the gates of the school.
Showtime.

It was a big lump of concrete. A
damned unattractive building with little to endear it to anyone. People were
everywhere, walking through the parked cars and the sparse patches of grass
that littered the verges.

“Just let us out here,” Sholto
said to the driver. Then he turned to Cam. “Nervous?”

“Very. I haven’t seen most of
these people for ten years.” Her fingers played with the bag on her lap.

“Well, you look fantastic. You and
I are gonna rock this reunion. I have Gerard here on speed dial, so the minute
you want to leave let me know.” His gaze connected with the driver’s in the
rearview mirror. “We’re ready.”

Cam patted back her hair as Gerard
exited the car and held the door for her.

The inside of the school wasn’t
much better than the outside.

“It hasn’t changed as much as I’d
hoped it would.” Cam gripped his arm. He’d been recognized almost immediately
and both of them were aware of it. Shocked glances were followed by whispers as
they made their way through the open doors. Ahead, in front of a wall painted
an unimaginative shade of gunmetal grey, was a serviceable Formica-topped desk
with two women sitting behind it.

On the table were pieces of paper
printed with long lists of attendees.

They joined the queue, ignoring
the looks and whispers.

“I went to a school very much like
this once. It’s where I met Max, although she went by Maxine then.”

“She told me you were in school
together.” Cam glanced at him with curiosity in her eyes. “Were you friends?”

They shuffled forward another
couple of inches. “We sat next to each other in chemistry class.” She’d worn
her hair pulled back from her face in a ponytail back then. And like him, she
hadn’t really fitted in. A memory came to him fully formed. “We blew something
up together once. I can’t remember exactly what chemicals were involved, but it
culminated in a full evacuation of the classroom.”

“So you had explosive chemistry?”
Cam grinned.

“We still do.”

They were almost at the head of
the queue now. “I can’t imagine Max in school. She told me her mother used to
make all her clothes—she described herself as dowdy.”

“She was never that. She was cute
and funny. Kind and smart.”

“Did you and she ever date?” Cam
grimaced. “I guess that’s a bit of a personal question. Don’t answer if you don’t
want to.”

“I didn’t have many friends in
school, not real ones. Sure, I was popular, but that was because I played the
school stud. A reputation I picked up along the way made the other boys think I
was cool. I wasn’t. I dated most of the girls in our class, but never Max. She
was always special. She was my one true friend.”

The couple in front of them signed
in and picked up identification badges.

Sholto and Cam took their place.

“Cameron Bailey,” Cam told the
attractive redhead behind the desk.

The woman ticked Cam’s name off
her list and picked up a badge. Then she looked over at Sholto. Her eyes
widened and her mouth gaped a little. “You’re—”

“I’m Cam’s date.” He took the
badge from the woman’s fingers and fastened it on Cam’s dress.

They followed the rest of the
partygoers down long, cream-colored corridors. On the walls were framed photographs
of various school sports teams over the years. “I’m probably in one of these,”
Cam said. “I was the hockey captain for a while.”

He’d hung with the bad boys. “I
liked to run, but I never joined any teams.”

They were attracting attention
still. “Do you see anyone you know?”

“I must know all of them, this
reunion is just for our year, but I don’t recognize anyone.”

They entered the school gym,
transformed for the occasion with banners and balloons. The central space was
surrounded by tables where people nursed drinks and talked. A bar was set up on
one wall, and a band played on a stage at the back. A small group of people
were dancing in the center of the room. “Let’s dance.” The idea of standing
around holding a drink while people stared at them wasn’t appealing.

Cam’s eyes shone. “You really are
a dream date.”

They walked onto the dancefloor,
and the music shifted soft and slow. Sholto snaked his arm around her waist and
pulled her close. “Can you see him?”

They moved around the floor.

Cam glanced across the room. “He’s
over there. The guy in the blue suit and orange tie.”

“Interesting fashion statement.”
Cam’s ex-husband was  laughing with a couple of guys who were probably old
school buddies.

Cam snorted. “He was never great
with clothes. I used to pick out all his suits. The one he’s wearing he
obviously picked himself.” Her hands were around his neck, but she held her
body at a respectable distance. “I can only guess that his fiancée doesn’t help
him shop.” She glanced around. “I don’t see her anywhere.”

“How long were you married?”

“We were married a year before I
got pregnant. I was so delighted. I’d always wanted a baby. I thought he did
too.” There was a wistful tone in her voice. “Maybe it would have all worked
out if it hadn’t been for the cancer. He hated everything about me being sick.”

“I guess men like to fix things.”

She nodded. “And I couldn’t be
fixed. I wouldn’t have treatment while the baby was growing in me. We argued
about it, he wanted me to have an abortion and get into treatment right away,
but I refused. Things went downhill from there. I thought he’d come around.
That when Lindsay was born, he’d love me again, and we’d be a happy family.
Instead, he left us a couple of months after her birth, just as I had the
operation.” Her body stiffened.

“That must have been a really hard
time for you. I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

She shrugged. “Life isn’t easy.
And it’s hard living with someone who’s sick. I get that. But I thought he
loved me enough to respect my decision. To let me choose how to live my life.”

Sholto’s mother had been sick too.
He hadn’t seen it when he was a kid, but she’d been so entrenched in her
boxed-in life she’d been unable to consider leaving it. For years, he’d lived
with the guilt that he should have got treatment for her sooner; he should have
protected her. “My mother never wanted to leave the house. She was agoraphobic.”