Chapter Thirty-Five Netta
Chapter Thirty-Five
NETTA
Netta burst through the hotel doors into the reception area, narrowly avoiding bumping into Audrey, who appeared to be on her way out to do something glamourous, wearing a slash of crimson lipstick, a creamy felt fedora and a caramel-coloured fur coat.
‘Audrey!’ said Netta, pulling up short. ‘Sorry, I—’
‘Good grief!’ Audrey’s hand flew to her chest. ‘You’re in a hurry!’ She collected herself and took her oversized black sunglasses off, her shrewd eyes narrowed at Netta. ‘You’ve been crying. What’s happened?’
‘Nothing. I’m alright.’
‘Pig’s bottom.’ Audrey took a step closer. ‘Did that Maplestone fellow do something?’
‘No, but …’ A sob escaped from Netta, a strangled squeak of a sound quickly muffled by Audrey’s furry shoulder as she pulled Netta in for a hug. ‘Is this … real?’ asked Netta, drawing away.
‘Of course not!’ said Audrey, stroking the fur. ‘It’s premium faux, darling. Fletcher would be horrified if I was walking around wearing an animal.’
‘Where are you off to, anyway?’ asked Netta, keen to keep the focus away from herself. ‘You look beautiful.’
‘We were just off to cocktail hour with the widows, but this,’ Audrey said, gesturing at Netta’s face, ‘won’t do at all.
The old soaks will just have to get started without me.
Come to my room.’ She took Netta’s hand and marched her past the reception desk and down the short hallway to her suite.
Fletcher yipped from inside her bag as she reached into it for her room key.
‘Are you allowed to have a dog in here?’
Audrey paused. ‘Well, nobody’s specifically said I can’t have him here.
’ She pushed the door to her room open and guided Netta inside.
A timber-clad nook housed a gold velvet couch on one side of the huge cumulous cloud of a bed and on the other, French doors opened to a tiny patio.
Audrey lifted Fletcher from her bag and set him on the floor.
‘This is nice,’ said Netta, taking a seat on the couch.
Audrey settled into the armchair opposite Netta and folded her hands in her lap. ‘Tell me. What’s got you so upset?’
Netta hesitated. ‘Everything has just, I don’t know … exploded. It’s a long story.’
‘My favourite kind.’
‘I was with Mo today,’ Netta began, ‘and the paparazzi came and now there are photos of us online. It was awful. It just took me back to … well, you know. You can’t see my face in any of them, but one of the magazines has one where I’m recognisable and they know who I am.’
‘As in, Annie the Nanny?’
‘Yeah.’ Netta slid further down the couch. ‘And they’re threatening to release them if I don’t agree to a deal.’ Netta filled Audrey in on the plan to accompany Mo to the gala and the magazine’s proposal.
‘So,’ Audrey said, ‘you can either say no to the deal and have no control over the way the photo is handled, or you do take the deal and finally get to tell your side of the story?’
‘That’s the nuts and bolts of it.’
‘And if you don’t go to the gala, then the money you were going to use to try and have a baby would be off the table, I assume?’
Netta nodded.
‘Seems like there’s not really that much of a decision to be made,’ said Audrey. ‘I think this is a moment where you have to say to hell with what anyone else thinks of you and boil it down to what you want for yourself.’ She rested her elbows on the table between them. ‘Which is a baby, right?’
Netta nodded.
‘Well, then, you must do it for your baby, mustn’t you?’
Netta couldn’t resist a smile. ‘That’s emotional blackmail.’
‘Maybe.’
‘I just don’t want to dig it all up again.’
‘The digging has already been done,’ said Audrey. ‘You might as well make the most of it, or you’ll just end up being a victim all over again.’
Netta didn’t have a response to that. She knew Audrey was right.
‘Plus,’ Audrey’s eyes twinkled and she clapped her hands together, ‘all this drama aside, going to the gala would be magical. A once-in-a-lifetime experience. And with that dishy man on your arm, no less!’
‘A dishy man who’s very loudly spoken for. He and I, it’s all just for show.’ Netta checked her watch. ‘Thanks for the chat, Audrey. You’ve saved me from a sinkhole of second-guessing. I’d better go and call Rhona. Seal my fate.’
‘Good woman. You go and show them what you’re made of,’ said Audrey. ‘And come and show me your outfit before you leave.’
Netta marched up the stairs to her suite, breathing a sigh of relief as the door closed behind her.
Talking things through with Audrey had distilled her thoughts.
The swirling sediment clouding her logic had settled and the path forward was clear.
Strewn with potholes and rabbit traps, but clear enough.
She pulled her phone from her bag and called Rhona.
‘Netta?’
‘Rhona, hi. Look, I’ve had a think about it. I’m going to take the deal.’
‘Okay.’ The relief in Rhona’s voice was unmistakable.
‘That’s great. I’ll call Charlie back and set it up.
The glam team will be with you at noon tomorrow and Mo’s limo will pick you up at six.
I’ll be there to make sure everything goes to plan and Charlie doesn’t try to squeeze any more out of you than you’ve agreed to.
Also, I made some calls—Mitch isn’t on the gala guest list. I thought maybe you might’ve been worried about that. ’
Netta felt a knot of anxiety loosen just a little. At least she could take that fear off her mind. ‘Thanks, Rhona.’
‘For what it’s worth, Netta, I think you’ve made the right call.’
Netta perched on the edge of the bed and closed her eyes. ‘I guess we’re about to find out, aren’t we?’