'Leave my eyes alone,' he muttered. 'I feel like crap as it is.'

'You look like crap,' the makeup girl scolded. 'Relax, while I do my best to make you look human.'

Lola entered the makeup trailer with Matt right behind her. 'Well,' she said, flopping into one of the makeup chairs. 'I see you've taken over the front-page spot.'

He'd already viewed the damage. The Daily News carried a photo of him with Allegra, whereas the Post had a picture of him kicking a photographer.

'Jesus, Lola.' He groaned, then he spotted Matt. 'Hey,' he muttered.

'Hey,' Matt responded.

There was an uneasy silence.

'Matt and I are back together,' Lola said, breaking the silence.

Linc peered at her in the mirror. Was it true? Had he slept with her?

Freddy was probably wrong. If he'd screwed Lola Sanchez, it would surely be something he'd never forget.

Damn! He simply couldn't remember.

'I'm fixing you up,' Cat announced.

'Excuse me?' Jonas replied.

'I said I'm fixing you up. I've found the perfect girl for you.'

'If I was interested in the perfect girl, I'd go find her myself,' Jonas said.

He hated it when Cat got busy with his love-life. He didn't need any help.

Unbeknown to Cat, he and the continuity girl had been hitting it off quite nicely.

'How would you do that?' Cat asked, hitching up her low-rider jeans. 'You never go anywhere, you work all the time.'

'Something wrong with that?'

'Forget about it. This girl is great and we're all going out.'

'Who's we?

'You, me, her and Nick.'

'Nick?'

'Coincidence. Amy is Nick's sister, and she's interesting and pretty. She's also a stand-up comedian, isn't that wild?'

'A stand-up comedian?'

'Yeah, she's funny. You like funny, don't you?'

'I do not need fixing up.'

'Too late. We're all having dinner at Chow's tonight.'

'You can't go ahead and make arrangements for me,' Jonas protested. 'I'm not going.'

'Oh, yes, you are. You work for me.'

'Since when do I work for you?'

'Well, you work for Merrill Zandack and I do too, so it's all in the family.

Anyway, I need to discuss post-production things with you, and there's never time on the set. Chow's, eight o'clock, you be there, Jonas, otherwise I'll definitely assume you're gay.' She hurried off before he could object further.

Amy was perfect for Jonas, even though Nick kept on insisting that Jonas was gay.

'I'm telling you, he's not,' Cat assured him.

'He's either gay or the dude's got a major crush on you,' Nick said.

'Don't be crazy. We're like brother and sister.'

'You haven't seen the way he watches you on the set.'

'He's watching me work, Nick. He's Merrill's spy, it's his job to keep an eye on what's happening.'

'You're a fuckin' girl, you don't get it. I know these things.'

After his premiere, Nick had attempted to invite himself up to her apartment.

'No way,' she'd said, blocking him in the lobby of her building.

'Why?' he'd said, giving her his famous bad boy look. 'Don't you fancy gettin'

laid?'

'Not by you.'

'Jeez!' he'd complained. 'Are you telling me I've wasted an evening?'

'Oh, pul-lease. Get over yourself.'

Actually, she'd been quite tempted. She hadn't had sex in so long it was a joke.

Then she realized that she had to be smart. Sex with Nick Logan could turn out to be a major mistake.

Although... maybe when they wrapped.

Yeah. Why not? After all, it wasn't as if she was a nun.

'Your father and I are flying in,' Martha Cheney informed her daughter over the phone.

'You are?' Shelby said, quite startled at the thought of her parents descending on her.

'Yes, dear. Your father needs a break.'

'He does?'

'Is it convenient if we stay with you?'

'Of course. Although you do know that I'm in the middle of filming, so I won't be around too much.'

'We were planning on driving to the South of France, but there've been so many robberies there lately that your father feels we shouldn't risk it. Besides, we'd rather spend time with you. I promise we won't get in your way.'

'I'm sure you won't,' Shelby murmured. Since the success of Rapture, things had definitely changed. Occasionally there were paparazzi lingering outside her house, and many stories about her and Linc in the tabloids. It seemed that their marriage had become public fodder. The story about Linc being with Lola Sanchez must have hit the English papers, so her parents were concerned. Hence their upcoming visit.

'When will you be here?' she asked.

'At the end of the week,' Martha replied.

'You don't have to do this, Mum, I'm okay, really I am.'

'Darling, you're our daughter,' Martha said. 'We want to be there for you.'

Shelby realized there was no point in trying to put them off. Martha Cheney was a very determined woman.

She hung up and started thinking about the previous evening and Pete's declaration of love. He'd caught her off guard, and she hadn't known how to respond.

'I needed to share my feelings with you, Shelby,' he'd said. 'If you and Linc don't make it, you have to know that I'm here for you.'

'I appreciate it, Pete, only I can't think about getting involved with anyone else at this time.'

'I know,' he'd said. 'I can wait.'

Pete was a very special man, and the knowledge that he still loved her was quite an ego boost.

Soon she got into her car and drove to the studio. When she arrived, the second assistant informed her that there was a surprise waiting in her trailer.

'What?' she asked.

'You'll see.'

She opened the door of her trailer, and there, in the middle of the floor, was a basket containing the adorable golden puppy from last night. Next to the basket was a glass bowl filled with apricot roses - her favourite colour.

She opened the attached note.

He pined for you all night - so did I. He needs a safe haven -so do I.

Love always, Pete.

She didn't know how to react. It was such a sweet and thoughtful gesture. So genuine.

She picked up the puppy and it immediately began licking her face.

She reread Pete's note.

If Linc didn't get it together soon, she would move on.

Chapter Thirty-Six.

Lola was desperate to get back to L.A. so that she could take her turn sitting by Selma's bedside. Her day was spent either working or on the phone. She called Mama at least three or four times, and after work she spoke first to Isabelle, then Selma's husband and her two children.

Matt didn't complain. He was so relieved to be back with her that he didn't dare say anything that might cause her to throw him out again.

Most days - since he had nothing else to do - he followed her to work and hung around the set. He was determined to watch out for Linc Blackwood. He'd seen the newspapers, he knew about the rumours.

Lola's heart was not in the movie. She was well aware that her performance had become lacklustre, although Elliott Finerman had not complained.

One day, while they were shooting on location at a restaurant in TriBeCa, Tony Alvarez turned up.

Fitch Conn welcomed him to the set, and was all over him like a cheap suit. Tony Alvarez was a cult figure in the directing world: his movies were cutting edge and other directors admired his style.

Lola was shocked to see him - it had been weeks.

'Hey,' Tony said, walking straight over to her, his intense dark eyes burning into hers.

She drew back automatically. 'Tony,' she said nervously, 'what are you doing here?'

'You won't take my calls, you don't phone me. Why do you think I'm here?'

'I... I've been so busy,' she said, thinking how handsome he looked in a black silk T-shirt and perfectly creased pants. 'This film is taking up all my time.

As soon as it's over, I'm flying to L.A. to be with Selma.'

'How's she doing?'

'She's still in a coma.'

'That's real messed up.'

Her eyes darted around to see where Matt was. She did not want them coming face to face - that would not be a good idea.