wasn’t compromised in any way, although, of course,” he said in an aside to Jennifer, “they gave me instructions to sacrifice my honor if need be, for the benefit of the show.”
“You told him to do that?” Jennifer asked Serena.
“Never,” Serena assured her.
“Liar,” Jennifer told Doug.
“Well, he is very good looking these days, smooth, suave, entirely sophisticated. He had out the best caviar I’ve tasted in ages.”
Yeah, sucker Doug in for the kill! Serena thought, then winced at the very idea. She had no right to impose her own dislike of Kyle on Doug.
“And guess what I got this morning in my dressing room?” Doug continued.
“Candy?” Jennifer asked.
“Very, very expensive champagne. With a note saying that we should keep up the excellent work.”
“Where’s Allona when we need her?” Serena said. “She’d be asking if he meant the writing on the show or ridding the world of Jane Dunne.”
“Hey, Serena, look,” Doug said. “You’ve got an admirer, too.”
She glanced over at her dressing table. There was no large display of flowers. Only a single rose, lying there right in front of her makeup station.
“A single rose,” Jennifer mused. “How sweet. Hey, maybe Liam left it—a peace offering.”
“If so, he can take it right back.” She hesitated, then looked at Doug. “Was he still lurking outside when you came in just now?”
“Who?”
“Liam.”
“Liam? Liam Murphy? Tall, dark, macho, used to be a cop?” Doug queried, studying her.
“Yes, Liam,” she said impatiently.
“Nope. Can’t say that I’ve seen him.” His brows shot up. “Should I have seen him? Ohmigod! You two made up—”
“Not in this lifetime,” Serena murmured.
“Then—”
“He’s her bodyguard,” Jennifer said.
“Hmmmmmm …”
“No ‘hm,’” Serena said firmly. “Maybe he quit.”
“I doubt that,” Jennifer said.
Serena looked at her. “He doesn’t quit,” she said with a shrug. “Not until the bitter end.”
“I think we’d better get going; nearly time for that mandatory meeting,” Doug said, his eyes rolling. “Ah, but this is rich. I like it. You have the falling-out of your life with a cop who comes back as your bodyguard. It’s so … Hollywood.”
“Doug,” Serena warned, “I didn’t have a falling-out— it wasn’t working. I’ve dated before. I’ll date again.”
He’d been heading toward the door. He turned to pat her cheek. “Sure you will, sweetie.”
“Doug—”
“Both of you hush. I’m going to try not to wake the baby,” Jennifer said, going for the carrier.
“Go on. I’ll be along in just a minute,” Serena said.
“We’re not allowed to be late,” Doug warned.
“I’m coming. In two seconds. I promise,” she said.
When they had both exited her dressing room, she stepped over to her phone and dialed Jinx’s extension. When her assistant picked up, she asked first how she was.
“Still scared,” Jinx told her.
“There’s nothing to be afraid of,” Serena said.
“I’ve been nervous since this all started.”
“It will get better,” Serena lied. Then she asked, “There’s a rose in my room. Who sent it?”
“Arose?”
“Rose, Jinx. Long-stemmed red flower. Do you know who sent it?”
“Gosh, no, I’m sorry. I haven’t been in your dressing room this morning. Serena, do you think I have to go to that meeting?”
“Mandatory for everyone, I’m afraid,” Serena told her. “Jennifer even came back from maternity leave with the baby.”
On the other end, Jinx sighed. “All right.”
Serena hung up. She hesitated, looking at herself in the dressing table mirror. She still looked like hell. She should have come in and fixed that.
Her eye fell on the flower. Just a single rose. Was it a peace offering?
There could be no peace.
She’d tell Liam what he could do with it.
Chapter 8
S ERENA WASN’T LOOKING FORWARD to the meeting herself, but she exited her dressing room quickly and
“You told him to do that?” Jennifer asked Serena.
“Never,” Serena assured her.
“Liar,” Jennifer told Doug.
“Well, he is very good looking these days, smooth, suave, entirely sophisticated. He had out the best caviar I’ve tasted in ages.”
Yeah, sucker Doug in for the kill! Serena thought, then winced at the very idea. She had no right to impose her own dislike of Kyle on Doug.
“And guess what I got this morning in my dressing room?” Doug continued.
“Candy?” Jennifer asked.
“Very, very expensive champagne. With a note saying that we should keep up the excellent work.”
“Where’s Allona when we need her?” Serena said. “She’d be asking if he meant the writing on the show or ridding the world of Jane Dunne.”
“Hey, Serena, look,” Doug said. “You’ve got an admirer, too.”
She glanced over at her dressing table. There was no large display of flowers. Only a single rose, lying there right in front of her makeup station.
“A single rose,” Jennifer mused. “How sweet. Hey, maybe Liam left it—a peace offering.”
“If so, he can take it right back.” She hesitated, then looked at Doug. “Was he still lurking outside when you came in just now?”
“Who?”
“Liam.”
“Liam? Liam Murphy? Tall, dark, macho, used to be a cop?” Doug queried, studying her.
“Yes, Liam,” she said impatiently.
“Nope. Can’t say that I’ve seen him.” His brows shot up. “Should I have seen him? Ohmigod! You two made up—”
“Not in this lifetime,” Serena murmured.
“Then—”
“He’s her bodyguard,” Jennifer said.
“Hmmmmmm …”
“No ‘hm,’” Serena said firmly. “Maybe he quit.”
“I doubt that,” Jennifer said.
Serena looked at her. “He doesn’t quit,” she said with a shrug. “Not until the bitter end.”
“I think we’d better get going; nearly time for that mandatory meeting,” Doug said, his eyes rolling. “Ah, but this is rich. I like it. You have the falling-out of your life with a cop who comes back as your bodyguard. It’s so … Hollywood.”
“Doug,” Serena warned, “I didn’t have a falling-out— it wasn’t working. I’ve dated before. I’ll date again.”
He’d been heading toward the door. He turned to pat her cheek. “Sure you will, sweetie.”
“Doug—”
“Both of you hush. I’m going to try not to wake the baby,” Jennifer said, going for the carrier.
“Go on. I’ll be along in just a minute,” Serena said.
“We’re not allowed to be late,” Doug warned.
“I’m coming. In two seconds. I promise,” she said.
When they had both exited her dressing room, she stepped over to her phone and dialed Jinx’s extension. When her assistant picked up, she asked first how she was.
“Still scared,” Jinx told her.
“There’s nothing to be afraid of,” Serena said.
“I’ve been nervous since this all started.”
“It will get better,” Serena lied. Then she asked, “There’s a rose in my room. Who sent it?”
“Arose?”
“Rose, Jinx. Long-stemmed red flower. Do you know who sent it?”
“Gosh, no, I’m sorry. I haven’t been in your dressing room this morning. Serena, do you think I have to go to that meeting?”
“Mandatory for everyone, I’m afraid,” Serena told her. “Jennifer even came back from maternity leave with the baby.”
On the other end, Jinx sighed. “All right.”
Serena hung up. She hesitated, looking at herself in the dressing table mirror. She still looked like hell. She should have come in and fixed that.
Her eye fell on the flower. Just a single rose. Was it a peace offering?
There could be no peace.
She’d tell Liam what he could do with it.
Chapter 8
S ERENA WASN’T LOOKING FORWARD to the meeting herself, but she exited her dressing room quickly and
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