What She Really Wants for Christmas

“I’m not with him.” Liza grabbed the used wrappers and crumpled them as she got to her feet. She’d seen the curious looks Mary Ellen had given her on the unfortunate occasions when Rick was drunk and he’d yelled from the door of his apartment as Liza was trying to slip quietly down the stairs. But she didn’t intend to discuss her problems with Mary Ellen. Or anyone else.

“Why do you live next door to him, then?” the other woman asked.

Liza disposed of the wrappers, using the time to compose herself. Anyone else and she would have told them it was none of their damn business, but having to look into Mary Ellen’s perpetually sad eyes, Liza just couldn’t do it.

“It’s complicated,” she said finally.

“That means you don’t want to talk about it, huh?” the little girl mumbled, her mouth full.

“Freedom,” Mary Ellen admonished her. “This is grown-up talk. You be quiet.”

Liza hid a smile. Poor kid was going to grow up to be like her. Smart-mouthed and always in trouble.

“You went to college, didn’t you?” Mary Ellen asked.

Liza slowly nodded, not liking the conversation.

“You’re so pretty and smart and I don’t understand why you’d be living in a dump like this.”

Right. Real smart. So smart that she’d put herself in a position to be blackmailed. “Look,” Liza said in a tight voice, casting a brief glance at Freedom, who’d turned to licking her fingers instead of listening to the conversation. “I don’t think you want to start a question-and-answer session.”

Mary Ellen looked grimly down at her weather-roughened hands. “No,” she said quietly, and then cleared her throat and rose from the table. “Freedom, come on. We need to be going. Thanks for dinner, Liza.” She pulled her daughter along with her, keeping her face toward the door.

“See you later.” Liza stayed in the small open kitchen and watched them go. She probably should’ve made nice. Mary Ellen hadn’t meant anything bad by what she’d said. The woman seemed to have such a lonely life, likely she only wanted to talk.

But Liza didn’t have it in her. Not today. Everything had gone wrong. After being decisive all of her life, she’d become as stable as a palm tree in a hurricane. She should never have allowed the blackmail to get this far, but she’d panicked and everything had spiraled out of control before she knew what had happened. Winning the lawsuit would save her ass, if she could only keep her act together.

She walked to the love seat and sank down, careful to avoid the bad spring in the center. God, was this headache ever going away? She leaned forward, rested her elbows on her knees and cradled her head in her hands. She needed a couple of aspirin. But that meant leaving to get them. No way. She was staying right where she was to enjoy the peace and quiet while Rick was passed out.

Going to the station had been a bad idea. She’d known it before she’d gotten in the car. But that was the sort of stupid irrational behavior she couldn’t seem to control anymore. Even though she’d never made it out of her car. Thanks to Evan Gann. People didn’t know how to mind their own damn business.

If she’d gotten into the studio, she might have learned whether another settlement was being considered. The last offer they’d made, Rick had flatly refused. Although since she’d pumped Zach Hass, the new guy, for information, everyone named in the lawsuit had probably been warned not to talk to her. For all she knew, security wouldn’t even have let her inside. Unless…

She abruptly brought her head up.

Evan Gann. He could get her inside. No one could stop her if she was going to see him. Damn it. Why hadn’t she taken his phone number? Grudgingly she pushed to her feet, and got her cell phone. She hoped like hell his number was listed.

2

A T THREE FORTY- FIVE Evan took a few minutes away from the set and called his office and then his answering service. Because of the consulting job, he only saw patients three days a week, but inevitably, on the rare occasion that he wanted some personal time, there’d be an emergency that would consume the rest of his day. Fortunately, this afternoon he was free to see Liza.

What a shock it had been when she’d called last night. As a result he’d been on edge all day. It seemed as if every shot had gone wrong and there’d been so many retakes that he was afraid he wouldn’t be done when she arrived at four fifteen. He’d finally had to pull the assistant director aside and tell her that he was going to be out of here by four, no matter what.

The truth was, his concentration wasn’t what it should be anyway. He didn’t get why Liza had decided to see him. No sign she’d been interested yesterday. So why the sudden change of heart? And why did she want to meet him at the studio? Strange that she’d want to show her face here at all.

Even stranger that he was still interested in her. Especially this time of the year. Ever since medical school and the Angela debacle, he had no use for the holidays. So what was it about Liza? He couldn’t quite grasp the attraction. Had to be something chemical. Pheromones, maybe. Or maybe that he was a sucker for a crying woman. He had an annoying urge to rescue them.

He checked his watch and saw that the AD had noticed. She gave him a small nod and he didn’t think twice before grabbing his jacket and heading off the set. He was early but he kept an electric razor in his car’s glove box. He could barely make it through the day without dark stubble covering his chin.

He’d made it halfway through the lobby when he heard the receptionist call out his name. Melinda wasn’t at her usual station but was decorating a Christmas tree in the corner. She was blond, petite and pretty, and she wasn’t shy about making her interest in him known. But she was too young and a little too brazen for his taste. Besides, she reminded him of his ex-fiancée.

“You’re right on time, Evan,” she said brightly, holding a glittering star and standing on a short ladder. “I can’t reach the top.” She demonstrated by stretching so high that pretty much everyone in the lobby noticed that she wore pink lacy underwear.

Evan kept his eyes on her face as he stayed en route to the double doors. “Where’s Leroy?” The ex-basketball-player-turned-security-guard wouldn’t even need the ladder.

“I don’t know,” she said petulantly. “Can’t you help me?”

“I’m running late.” He hesitated and glanced out the glass doors. “All right.”

She smiled and handed him the star before slowly descending the ladder, with a seductive sway to her curvy hips.

The tree had to be eight feet tall and since he was only six-two he didn’t dare try securing the star without using the ladder. He got up a couple of rungs and felt Melinda’s hand near his right thigh. He frowned down at her.

“I’m holding the ladder for you,” she said with a wink.

He ignored her, placed the star on the top of the tree and then quickly got down.

“You’re leaving early.” The woman had no concept of personal space.

He backed away from her, at the same time glancing out the glass doors. He spotted Liza pulling into a parking space. “I’ve got to go.”

“You have a date or something?” she asked in a teasing tone.

“Yeah,” he said, and headed out of the building without giving her a second look.

The sky was darker and the air chillier than when he’d come to work midmorning. He buttoned his jacket as he walked, watching for Liza, his gaze staying on the large black SUV she’d parked behind. A second later he saw her, dressed in jeans and a bulky red sweater that unfortunately hid her curves. He waved to get her attention.

“What are you doing out here?” she asked as soon as she got close enough.

Evan checked his watch. “Weren’t we supposed to meet at four fifteen?”

Resentment flashed in her eyes. “Too embarrassed to be seen with me inside?”

“Never even crossed my mind. I was done, and I walked out here to meet you. Is that a problem?”

Her gaze flickered toward the station doors. “No.”

“Shall we take my car?”

“I guess.”

He didn’t appreciate her indifferent tone. “Look, if you’ve changed your mind, no problem.”

Liza shook her head. “No, I’m sorry. I’d like to have a drink with you. Anyplace. You choose.”

Evan tried not to smile. Originally she’d asked him just to go for coffee, which was okay because he’d considered it a nice start. A drink was better. Maybe it would even lead to dinner. “How about we go to Sardis?”

“That’s a couple blocks away, isn’t it?”