Unknown: Did you like the flowers?
Cara recognized the phone number as the one that called her the night before. She knew she shouldn’t engage, maybe even tell the police, but sudden anger bubbled up inside of her. Her brothers hadn’t included her in their concerns. Eric humiliated her. Wes rejected her. Now, this sicko thought he could keep intimidating her.
Cara: Leave me the fuck alone or I’m going to call the police.
Dots appeared and then disappeared.Take that asshole, she fumed. She didn’t need her phone on set. Anyone who needed her would use the walkie-talkies, so she powered her phone off and put it in her purse.
The rest of the day passed in a blur. Lia was off and flubbed her lines several times, resulting in Stephen, the director, shouting at her. Cara felt bad for her. Lia seemed to shut down, folding in on herself. The director called for a break, and Cara watched Lia walk over to her manager, Victor, who was always on set.
Victor gave Cara the creeps. He was always around hovering over his client. He grabbed Lia’s elbow and pulled her out of sight. Cara was about to follow. She was definitely in a take-down-all-men kind of mood today, and she would be happy to let Lia’s overbearing manager have it, but Skye called her over to help with some extras. When Lia returned several minutes later, she was a totally different person, and nailed the scene in the next take.
“She’s a fantastic actress,” Skye said, noticing Cara’s interest. “She could do so much more, but that loser agent is ruining her career. Not to mention turning her into a head case.”
“What do you mean?” Cara hadn’t gotten that impression. Lia was reserved and didn’t socialize the way Chandler did, so Cara hadn’t gotten to know her as well.
“Nothing, don’t worry about it.” She looked over Cara’s shoulder and said sotto voce, “Uh-oh, incoming.”
Sure enough, Courtney had entered the soundstage with Matt.
“I’m going to the restroom. Be back in a sec.” Cara walked briskly in a circuitous route to the entrance. Spying her, Courtney adjusted her trajectory to intercept her.
“Still here, I see.” Courtney frowned at Matt.
Cara stayed silent, not trusting herself to speak.
“I heard your mother is getting married again next week.”
Next week?That couldn’t be right. Cara did some mental math. With everything going on, she had put it out of her mind. A last-minute plane ticket was going to be insanely expensive. Her shoulders drooped. How is it that a few days ago she was so happy, and now everything was falling apart again?
Did I even read the invitation? Right after I opened it, Declan called about Mrs. Woodson.
The memory centered her, and she stared hard into Courtney’s blue eyes.
“Are you going?” Courtney’s lips formed a thin line at Cara’s continued silence. Her stepmother waved her hand dismissively at the soundstage. “I hear this will be done by then. I thought I would be nice and let you finish out your little adventure.”
Cara’s hands fisted at her sides. “But,” Courtney continued, “I’m sure you can see why your continued employment past this film would be unacceptable. Embarrassing even.”
“Embarrassing for whom?” Cara challenged.
“Oh, sweetheart.” Her stepmother’s expression dripped with fake pity. “For all of us, of course. We can’t have someone working like a drudge with the last name Bloom. Your father would be so disappointed. Mortified, even.”
Cara snapped, lunging toward Courtney, but Matt stepped in front of her, catching her arms. He clasped her wrists hard enough to leave bruises.
“I’d be careful if I were you.” Matt’s eyes glittered. “Daddy’s not here to protect you anymore.”
“We know what you did.” Cara refused to back down. “It’s only a matter of time until we prove it, and then…” She shifted her eyes to Courtney, “You will get what you deserve.”
“Hey!” One of the lighting gaffers approached them. “You need to get your hands off her. Right now!”
Matt dropped her wrists. Bristling with anger he turned to face the man. “You should mind your own business if you want to stay employed here.”
The gaffer laughed in his face. “I’m union. Good luck with that.”
Cara took the opportunity to scuttle back to the bathrooms. She huddled in the stall, her chest heaving. Her hands shook as she ripped a tissue from the roll, blotting her eyes. She couldn’t do this anymore.
Cara wanted to run back to Declan’s Connecticut home and hide. Let him take care of her the way he said he would.
She’d tried. She really had. But things were spinning out of control.
