Chapter 2 #2
She had spent time during the first year of their marriage hiring someone to dig into her past and try to find her mother.
The result had been heartbreaking. A seventeen-year-old runaway from a very strict and stifling home, who had hooked up with some unsavory characters and lost her way.
By the time Eliza had discovered who she was, it had been too late.
The woman had died of an overdose of heroin.
Her grandparents had been strict Baptist members of a small church and had turned their backs on their only child; she had gone astray.
When Eliza reached out to them, they had refused to have anything to do with her.
He understood her desperate need to have children, he truly did. He wanted to be a father as well but was not willing to sacrifice everything to make it happen. She would be sacrificing her life, and that was unthinkable.
But after the last two years and how distant he had been as well as the fact that he had almost stepped out on her, he owed her that much. He would accompany her to the clinic and hear what they had to say. Even if he was planning on saying no.
She did not have a lot of friends in the industry.
She had discovered over the past fifteen years since she had been in showbiz that most of the people she worked with or socialized with were phonies, and she didn't have time for pretenses.
She also realized that once she had started seeing Samuel, the women either envied or hated her.
She could live with that and had learned to deal with it.
She was part of a system that was corrupt and a veritable cesspool.
Eliza had made the decision a long time ago that she would be different.
No sleeping around or jumping from partner to partner because she could.
She had been abandoned by her parents and survived in a home where the living conditions had been barely tolerable.
She could survive anything, and she had.
The discovery that her mother had died of an overdose had devastated her. Not to mention the fact that her grandparents had refused to have anything to do with her. She had survived that too.
She was a survivor, a fighter, and that's who she would continue to be. She had beaten the odds and had risen to the top. Her husband's money and connections meant nothing to her. She was not greedy. She had more money than she could ever spend in this lifetime.
She had a weakness for shoes and made no apologies for spending exorbitant amounts on footwear.
She had Romano's on speed dial and whenever or wherever they had a fresh style coming in, she would get the call.
It helped that she was friends with Monique Romano.
She gave to charity, not just writing checks; she believed in physically helping as well and was part of a handful of charities, not because it made good publicity or a great photo op, but because she genuinely cared.
Sliding into the slick and shiny booth of one of Kelly Takahashi's trendy restaurants, she smiled as the eager and besotted waiter came hurrying over.
"I'm expecting… Oh, perfect timing, here he comes."
"Ms. Copeland, I have to tell you how sorry I am to see the end of my favorite detective series." Alvin beamed at the tall, blond-haired man who came walking up to the booth. "What can I get you, Mr. Richards?"
"A glass of mineral water to start with." Blair Richards' blue eyes landed on Eliza, his smile warm. "I see you just got here."
"I did." Lifting her glass, she told Alvin she would have a mineral water. "And some of those delicious breadsticks from the kitchen."
"Coming right up." The man bustled off immediately.
"I see you have poor Alvin drooling as usual." Blair bussed her cheeks before wrapping his arms around her for a tight hug. "It's good to see you."
"Same here." She sat back down and took a sip of her water. "I thought you would be running late."
"The meeting with Sally was over quicker than I anticipated." He waited until the water and breadsticks were set in front of them before resuming. "I have news."
Her eyes widened. "You got the part."
He grinned, his face turning that boyish look that the public adored.
He was her co-star on the series where he played her partner.
They had developed a close relationship that had the paparazzi speculating about it for years.
It was not until a year ago, when Blair had decided that it was time to come 'out of the closet,' that the rumors had stopped.
Eliza recalled years of agonizing indecision on his part as to what the revelation would do to his macho image on the show.
She was the only one aside from his longtime partner who had known about his alternate lifestyle, and she had kept his secret.
One she had not even revealed to her husband, who had accused her of having an affair with her co-star.
But she had encouraged her friend to come clean, and he had taken her advice.
To his humble surprise, his news had endeared him even more to the public.
"I should order a bottle of the most expensive bubbly they have on the menu.
" He leaned forward to kiss her on the lips.
"Yes, I got the part. The selection for the various supporting actors is still being done, but you're looking at the main character for the period classic, 'Plantation Regrets. '" He beamed at her, eyes twinkling.
"And honey, the story is so beautiful that it brought tears to my eyes. I smell an award coming." He took a sip of his water and nodded in satisfaction.
"I'm happy for you," she told him sincerely.
Blair eyed her for a second before bringing it up. "Sally said she thought you would be great for the female character."
"And I told her I'm done." Picking up the embossed menu, she scanned the selections and decided on the creamy lobster. "What are you having?"
"The Cobb salad, of course. They serve the best here." He nodded to the hovering waiter and placed the orders. Leaning forward, Blair took her hands in his. "Are you quite sure about this? Honey, I know you think this will save your marriage…"
"It's less about that and more about the fact that I want to be a mother. And we're not talking about my marriage."
Stifling a scathing comment she would not appreciate, he continued to stare at her.
"What?"
"Your husband is a colossal idiot."
She inclined her head with a smile. "He just might be, but he's mine, and I love him. You can relate."
Blair sighed and released her hand so he could reach for his glass.
"I can indeed," he agreed. "But it does not stop me from wanting to beat some sense into him.
I might too if he wasn't bigger and richer and certainly more powerful.
Not to mention the fact that he's capable of destroying my career. "
"He has agreed to go to the clinic with me."
Blair sent her a speculative look. "And?"
"He hasn't agreed, but he will." She smiled as the waiter came back with their orders.
"Then this certainly calls for a celebration." He told the waiter to bring the bottle of champagne.
"Isn't it too early?" Eliza protested.
"Darling, it's never too early for Dom." He dug into his salad and launched into a funny story about his meeting with a fan. Eliza found herself relaxing and laughing at his funny anecdote. Blair had the ability to make her forget her troubles.
In the past, whenever he realized that she was distressed, he would coax it out of her and insist on cheering her up.
He was witty and kind and hid all of it beneath a suave and utterly adorable demeanor.
People liked him because he was genuine.
He was also a sucker for a sob story. Something she had been unable to cure him of.
He was her one devoted friend in the industry aside from Sally, and she appreciated the fact that if she wanted to be silent, he respected her wish.
She could tell him anything without worrying that it would be blabbed to everyone and printed in the tabloids. He was loyal and faithful and a devoted friend.
"Now, tell me again how certain you are about this monumental decision. IVF can be tricky."
"A hundred and ten percent." She dug into her lobster and marveled that it had become commonplace for her to order the best meal.
There had been times in her past when having ramen was considered a luxury.
"I have to do this." Putting her utensils down, she propped her elbows on the table and cupped her chin, her eyes entreating.
"I want to be a mom, Blair. When I was on the streets, my greatest wish was to be someone, to achieve something. And I put everything into that desire. I focused on the idea and let it germinate. I thought of nothing else but getting out of the situation I was in.
"I thought about it day and night until it became a fixture inside my mind. That's how I went from being homeless to this where I am now. And it's nothing compared to the way I feel about becoming a mom. I will make it happen."
"Your husband…"
"Will just have to get on board." Moving her hands, she reached for her glass and took a delicate sip. "His parents hate me."
His mouth tightened. "Their own damn loss. They should be proud to have you in their exalted family." He frowned at her. "I hope that's not the real reason you're thinking of doing this."
"Absolutely not," she denied firmly and with enough conviction to have him convinced. "I'm doing this for me, for me and Samuel. I know our marriage is rocky, and I know we've drifted apart, but I'm hoping…"
Reaching across the table, he squeezed her hand. "No need to say more, darling. I understand completely and will be in your corner. Ah, the champagne!"