“I promise not to take up more than ten minutes of your time,” she said, her words quickened. She realized he was about to be pulled away in any number of directions at any moment, and she refused to leave without speaking to him. And it dawned on her in a way it only could in a moment like that: She was no longer the timid girl willing to let Hollis Barclay dismiss her. She had business with him, and she was going to insist it was seen to if she had to shout it out in front of this crowd.
Hollis smiled at someone passing by and patted his shoulder. “See you Tuesday,” he said, pointing his finger and giving the man an exaggerated wink. Then he turned back to Cami. “Uh, sure. Yeah.” Hesignaled the staffer still hovering nearby. “Ronny, take her backstage to the dressing room?”
Cami hesitated, worried he was sending her to some faraway room where he’d never show. But aside from screaming out her business right here like she’d thought about, she was left little choice. “Please don’t keep me waiting long,” she said.
Again, annoyance flashed in his eyes, but he acquiesced with a tip of his chin. She turned and followed Ronny around the stage, up a short flight of stairs, and down a hall. “There are some soft drinks and water in there. Help yourself,” Ronny said, pointing at a door.
“Thanks.” She went inside and, mostly because she wasn’t sure what to do, she grabbed a bottle of water and paced the small space, which featured a lighted mirror with a chair and a love seat on the opposite wall.
She’d assumed he’d leave her waiting, and so when she heard footsteps coming toward the room a minute later, she wondered if it was the same staffer returning to tell her Hollis couldn’t meet with her after all. But the man himself walked through the door, and even mustered another smile that looked less annoyed this time. “Let me guess,” he said, “you’re writing a book about what happened to your family and want to interview me to add some current relevance.”
She almost laughed. Almost. He was still the same Hollis. Which was to say, he was still a self-involved dick. “No. I’m not writing a book.”
He walked to the minifridge and grabbed a water like she’d done, uncapped it, and took a long drink. He studied her as he screwed the cap back on. “You should. It’d almost surely be a bestseller. The public ate up your story. To hear it from the horse’s mouth—”
“I’m here about our child.”
That shut him up. His mouth opened slightly, and his hands froze where they were still twisting the bottle cap.
“Did you ever think about your child? Did you wonder if it was a boy or a girl? Did you wonder if I kept him or gave him away?”
His hand began moving slowly, and his expression recovered more quickly, morphing into a confused innocence. Hollis’s politely baffled look. “My child?” He tilted his head. “I’m sorry—”
She did laugh then, setting the water bottle on the nearest surface so she could rub her temples. “Oh my God, you really did convince yourself the baby wasn’t yours?”
“The baby ... Cami, are we really going to rehash all those lies?” He sighed. “You’re still unwell.”
“Unwell? Are you serious?”
He turned and set his water bottle down, too, and when he faced her, she saw the flare of anger. “Did you get a paternity test?”
“No. I didn’t need one.”
“My God. The things I deal with.” He tilted his head back and groaned, a long-suffering sound, as if she was just another unhinged fan he had to endure in a long line of psychotic admirers who claimed to have had his baby.
The door, still slightly ajar, squeaked open, causing her a moment of surprise as it swung slowly to reveal a woman. “I’m sorry,” she said, and Cami recognized her as the beautiful blond she’d seen on TV with Hollis. His fiancée, if she was remembering correctly.
Hollis practically flew from where he was standing to her side. “Seraphina. Don’t be sorry. Come in and meet an old friend, Cami Cortlandt.”
Seraphina looked back and forth between them, a small wrinkle between her arched brows, clearly sensing the tension. But she gave Cami a warm smile as she stepped forward with her hand outstretched. “An old friend. I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting many people from Hollis’s past. So good to make your acquaintance.” Cami took Seraphina’s slim hand. Her nails were perfectly manicured, and a diamond engagement ring sparkled on her finger. “Will you be joining us for dinner? There’s plenty of—”
“Unfortunately, Cami’s leaving right after this,” Hollis said. “Another time.”
“Oh, that’s too bad,” Seraphina said. “Well, next time then.” She smiled once more and for a moment they all stood there, staring awkwardly at each other.
Finally, Hollis turned to his fiancée. “Sweetheart, I’ll meet you in the car. I just need a minute.”
That tiny wrinkle between her brows appeared again. She glanced from Hollis to Cami, fiddling with the massive ring on her slender finger. She looked torn and insecure. She cast her eyes down momentarily and then looked up at Hollis. “Okay then ... I’ll just ... wait for you there. Cami, again, nice to meet you.”
“You too, Seraphina.” She was the type of woman Hollis wanted. Meek and unquestioning. Beautiful and agreeable. Cami never could have been that—not long-term anyway. And for the briefest of moments, she wondered if Seraphina ever felt like a phony too.
Seraphina turned and left the room, the click of her heels disappearing down the hall. Hollis turned back to Cami. “Listen, I don’t have any more time for this. What is it you want? Money?”
“Money? For what? You just insisted I was a liar.”
His jaw clenched, and he stepped forward threateningly. She was tempted to step back but held her ground. “It doesn’t matter. Jesus Christ, do you know what this might do to me? Even the hint of this. It’s the last fucking thing I need.”
“That’s what I was afraid of,” she said.
