Genuine Lies

“Actually, this isn’t the time to try to mend fences. She had a disturbing night.”
    “She had her lawyer here.”
    “Yes, well …” Nina looked away, and missed the flash of venom in his eyes. “You know I can’t discuss her private business. But if you’d take my advice, wait a couple of days longer. She isn’t in a reasonable mood. I’ll do what I can, when I can.”
    He thrust the roses into her arms. “Tell her I’ll be back. That I’m not giving up.”
    He strode away. He’d be back all right, he promised himself. And he wouldn’t give her a choice.
    Nina waited until she heard the door slam before she knocked. “He’s gone, Eve.” Moments later she heard the lock click open, and entered.
    “I’m sorry to dump the dirty work on you, Nina.” Eve was already hurrying back to her desk. “I don’t have the time or tolerance for him today.”
    “He left you these.”
    Eve glanced briefly at the roses. “Do whatever you like with them. Is Julia back yet?”
    “No, I’m sorry.”
    “All right, all right.” She waved that away. There was plenty to do before she spoke with her daughter again. “I want you to hold my calls, unless it’s Julia. Or Paul. I don’t want to be disturbed for at least an hour. Make it two.”
    “I need to talk to you myself.”
    “I’m sorry, darling, this isn’t the time.”
    Nina looked at the flowers she held, then laid them on the desk. Near the edge was a stack of audio tapes. “You’re making a mistake.”
    “If I am, it’s mine to make.” Impatient, she glanced up. “I’ve made my decision. If you want to hash it through, we will. But not now.”
    “The longer this goes on, the harder it will be to put things right again.”
    “I’m doing my damnedest to put things right.” She crossed over to check the video camera she’d set on a tripod. “Two hours, Nina.”
    “All right.” She left the flowers scattered over the desk like blood.

Paul was so immersed in the scene he was writing, he didn’t hear the phone ring; his machine picked up the call. But he heard Julia’s voice. “Paul, it’s Julia. I just wanted—” “Hi.”
    “Oh.” Her thoughts scrambled. “You
are
there.”
    He glanced back at the screen of his word processor, at the cursor impatiently blinking. “More or less.” Deliberately, he pushed back from the desk, taking the cordless phone with him as he walked out of the office and onto the circular deck. “Did you get some more sleep?”
    “I …” She couldn’t lie to him, even though she knew the only reason he’d left her was that she’d agreed to stay in bed through the morning without answering the phone. “Actually, I went ahead with the interview.”
    “You—” She winced as his anger erupted through the telephone line. “Goddamn, Julia, you promised to stay home. You had no business going out alone.”
    “I didn’t promise, exactly, and I—”
    “Close enough.” He shifted the phone to his other ear and dragged a hand through his hair. “Where are you?”
    “I’m in a phone booth in the Beverly Hills Hotel.” “I’m on my way.”
    “No. Dammit, Paul, stop playing Sir Gallahad a minute and listen. Just listen to me.” She pressed her fingers to her eyes, hoping to dull the headache that worked behind them. “I’m perfectly all right. I’m in a public place.”
    “You’re being stupid.”
    “All right, I’m being stupid.” Eyes closed, she leaned her head back against the wall of the booth. She hadn’t been able to shut the door, simply hadn’t been able to pull it to and shut herself in the glass box. It forced her to keep her voice low. “Paul, I had to get out. I felt trapped in there. And I thought, I hoped, if I talked to Gloria, I’d get a clearer picture for myself.”
    Swallowing another oath, he rested a hip on the rail. Behind him he could hear the rush and tumble of waves against sand. “And did you?”
    “Hell, I don’t know. But I do know I have to talk to Eve again. I need a little more time to myself, then I’m going to go back and try.”
    “Do you want me to be there?”
    “Would you …” She cleared her throat. “Would you wait until I call? CeeCee’s taking Brandon to her place after school … to give me time to talk with Eve. I don’t even know what I’m going to say, or how I’m going to say it. But if I knew I could call you when it’s done, it would be easier.”
    “I’ll be waiting. Jules, I love you.”
    “I know. Don’t worry