Chapter 2
Alicia
Alicia Jansen’s agent leaned across the desk, her foreboding expression churning Alicia’s stomach like an excavation site. The agent inhaled in a way that could only be the precursor of bad news, and Alicia could see the grim tidings hurtling towards her.
‘Alicia, I’m sorry, but éclisse are releasing you from your contract.’
‘What? But why?’ Alicia knew the reason but had to hear it to believe it, and to argue against the decision. Not because of the money. It was her reputation on the line here.
‘I’m sorry. There’s no easy way to say this, but your connection with Chad Bradbury has damaged your image, particularly with all the brouhaha between you two recently.’
‘But the whole world knows I’ve split from Chad,’ Alicia argued. ‘We aren’t a couple anymore.’ God knows, she wished they never had been. Her relationship with Hollywood’s golden bad boy had been a journey into a hall of heartache.
‘I realise you’ve parted ways,’ said the agent, ‘but it’s more to do with what happened when you were together. The public arguments: the cheese shop, for example.’
Alicia blinked hard at this accusation. She and Chad had argued in public a few times, but her only role was to tell him to calm down.
In the artisan cheese shop in Sherman Oaks he dropped the C-word to a server who told him to go easy on the samples.
When the server had removed the plate of cheese, Chad threw a punch at the man.
Alicia’s attempts at restraining Chad were fruitless.
‘How has that been twisted round to become me?’ she asked.
‘And the rumours about your behaviour on set,’ the agent added.
‘Rumours. Therefore made up.’
‘I appreciate that, but the main factor was the photos and video,’ the agent explained, her attention diverted to something on her computer.
Alicia swallowed hard. Was this really happening?
She had lost her modelling contract because of leaked nudes taken for a private audience of one.
And because of a video of her stumbling around, falling into a swimming pool at Villa Celeste after a single glass of wine given to her by Chad, who also filmed the whole thing.
‘This is nuts,’ she said. ‘There was only one route to the internet for those things and everything points to them coming from Chad. If it had been hackers there would have been others at the same time.’
The agent pulled her gaze back to Alicia and spoke in the patronising manner of an elementary school teacher explaining to a student why they’d lost their hall pass.
‘Unfortunately, no matter their journey onto the net, they’ve done damage to your reputation.
éclisse chose you because of your pure image.
You’re the flaxen-haired model with the stainless reputation.
You’re fjords and Norwegian lakes, you’re snowflakes, cashmere and Evian water.
Or rather, you were. I hate to say it, but that’s your reputation from when you were an innocent young model, and your association with Chad Bradbury and all that goes with him has tarnished it.
Aggression, nudes and drugs don’t fit with Na?ve perfume. ’
‘I’m twenty-nine years old. Was I ever a good fit for a perfume called Na?ve?’ Alicia’s patience was wearing thin. ‘They should have hired a fifteen-year-old if they wanted a purer-than-the-driven-snow image.’
‘Well, éclisse thought you were. Your image from your Dior days is strong.’
‘Not strong enough to override all this crap.’
‘Drugs are a big deal, Alicia.’
‘I’ve never taken drugs in my life. I seriously have a blackout of most of that night. Who gets a blackout from one glass of wine?’
‘Hmm, perhaps you should speak to your doctor.’
Alicia dug her fingernails into her palms. She would not be drawn into losing her temper. No way would she be dragged down to Chad’s level.
‘Has Chad had his contract terminated as well?’ she asked.
Together, they’d been the faces of fragrances for the same company.
The ‘his and hers’ versions. Hers, Na?ve.
His, Knowledge. She expected that he would have swept through this storm with no damage to his sails.
His acting royalty pedigree made him shatterproof when it came to bad behaviour.
Well, Alicia’s family were actors too, so why did Chad’s bad behaviour mean her career suffered?
‘Not being Chad’s agent, I couldn’t say, but I don’t believe so, no.’
‘So, it’s one rule for the boys and another for the girls.’
‘Unfortunately, that’s how éclisse want to play it, so we have no choice. Perhaps Chad’s image fits in more with the concept of the scent. I’m sure there will be other work. But for now, you should keep a low profile. Take a vacation. Or you could even try rehab.’
‘Why? I don’t have a drug problem.’
‘Rehab isn’t only for drugs these days.’ The agent slid a business card for an ‘Equilibrium Center’ in the Arizona desert across the desk to Alicia. ‘You could rehabilitate from anxiety: go on a retreat and learn some coping mechanisms for stress.’
‘Seriously?’ Alicia pressed her fingers to her temples, ironically a stress relieving mechanism she often used in the company of Chad. ‘Talk about blaming the victim. The only thing I need rehab from is this town and its double standards.’
‘I’m so sorry, Alicia. My hands really are tied.’ The agent’s frown was drowning in effete pity. Alicia stared, waiting for her to say something helpful, but nothing came. In this day and age, it was appalling.
‘You didn’t get the memo about female solidarity then?’
‘Pardon?’
‘Never mind. I hope you never have to deal with anything like this yourself, but if you do, you will see how important it is that women support other women.’ Alicia picked up her purse, stood and turned towards the door.
The instinct to slam it as she left the room was tingling at her fingertips, but if she had learned anything lately it was that the internet was always watching.
Any letting off steam would be best done in her own space.
Unfortunately, Alicia’s own space was not on the schedule for this afternoon. Her brother Connor was having a 30th birthday lunch with close family at his favourite Italian restaurant. The plus of this was that seeing her family always added sunshine to Alicia’s day.
A bright limelight shone on the Donoghue family: Alicia’s father, Clark, mother, Britt, and three brothers, Jack, Lucas and Connor, were all actors, as her grandfather had been before them.
In her younger years, as well as modelling and being in television commercials, Alicia had a short role in a soap, but she’d hated it and begged her father to let her stop.
When she was eighteen, she had taken her mother’s maiden name to create an identity separate from her showbusiness family.
Her brothers’ profiles had risen to the highest echelons in Hollywood, all of them in-demand A-listers.
Alicia went on to model for top tier fashion houses, bankrolling her true passion of art – painting in particular – and she was happy with the way things were, until Chad tempted her back to acting.
The family had a private area at the back of the restaurant.
Connor, despite his A-list status, was keen to remain humble and grounded, but he also valued time with his family, and the fact that they were all so famous meant they couldn’t dine out without consideration for privacy.
Alicia was sure there were photographers outside the restaurant taking shots of her.
This feeling of being watched all the time made her skin itch.
‘Leeshy Loo!’ Connor was already several drinks in and enveloped his younger sister in a giant hug. ‘Thanks for coming. Everyone’s here.’
‘I wouldn’t miss it. It’s my favourite brother’s birthday.
I even brought you a present.’ Alicia held out a small package to Connor.
‘Happy thirtieth, big bro. Are you going shooting deer in Scotland?’ Connor was wearing an outfit similar to the one he’d worn the last few times Alicia had seen him: a brown herringbone three-piece suit and brogues.
He was handsome and elegant, but it wasn’t much of a departure from his costume for the highly successful TV show where he played the head of a Scottish Highland criminal gang.
All he’d need was the kilt and he could stroll on set.
‘Nope, no shooting deer, maybe some punching Chad Bradbury in the coupon, as they say in Scotland.’
‘Oh, Con.’ Alicia was glad for the protectiveness of her brothers, but she didn’t want reminded that they might be thinking of what Chad had done to her. And she certainly didn’t want the problem countered with violence.
‘Just kidding. I think.’ Connor grinned as he opened the wrapping on Alicia’s gift. ‘It helps me stay in character and the girls love it… Woah! What are these?’ He gazed down in awe at the smoky amber stones nestled inside the small jewellery box.
‘They’re vintage Cairngorm cufflinks,’ Alicia explained. ‘I got them shipped from Scotland. I thought they would go with your Scottish image.’
Connor’s expression glowed like the jewels glistening up at him. ‘They’re incredible, Leesh. I’m putting them on right now. Hold this for a sec.’ He handed her the box before unclipping his existing cufflinks.
‘I can’t stay for long.’ Alicia was glad Connor was distracted while she explained her impending exit.
‘No? How come?’ Despite being excitedly absorbed in his present, Connor’s voice dropped a semitone at Alicia’s news.
A rock wedged itself in Alicia’s gut when she contemplated talking with her brothers about the impact of Chad’s actions. Even speaking to her mother about it was difficult. The truth was, she didn’t want to go over the details with anyone.
‘I have a few things to do,’ she explained, without explaining.