Chapter 29
Chapter Twenty-Nine
H ugging Joe and Roman felt so good after the night she’d had, so she held onto them for a moment longer than usual and then went to check on the bar. The new staff had everything under control, and the setting looked as beautiful as it had when they’d done the makeover. The glasses sparkled in the sunlight and the rows of drinks bottles lined the shelves and tempted Joe’s customers to try a tipple. Maya ordered a strawberry lemonade and ran her hand along the plush velvet banquet seating as she passed, remembering how much fun it had been to bring Bertha back to life. She hadn’t known Noah personally then, and she wondered if she’d been happier? She didn’t think so, but the confusion of the morning had put her on edge. The thought of meeting Tabitha wasn’t helping and when she set herself up with a little space by the bow that was sectioned off for staff, she heaved a sigh of relief, as it looked like Tabitha wouldn’t make it on board.
Tabitha's eyes lit up when he saw Maya, and Maya’s heart sank. It looked like Tabitha had visited the bar too because she was holding a half-full glass orange juice. Was Maya doing the right thing, giving her the time of day? She’d been euphoric after confiding in Noah and the unburdening of her secret felt incredible at first, but now Tabitha was in front of her again and she turned towards her and sent her a wide grin, Maya’s stomach flipped and she suddenly had a terrible feeling that she'd made the wrong choice about letting Noah into her secret just yet.
Tabitha was wearing casual cream trousers and a very expensive-looking blouse and lightweight jacket, but she paused and seemed surprised at the pleasant river view and the bustle of other customers, before moving forward and sitting in the seat next to Maya, oversized sunglasses perched on her nose.
Maya shifted uncomfortably in her seat and finally focused on Tabitha. 'Why did you want to meet me? she asked, thinking it was about time they put their toxic past to bed.
'I wanted to apologise,' Tabitha said with a wobbly voice and Maya frowned as Tabitha removed her sunglasses and her eyes looked red and sore as if she’d been crying.
‘I thought you were my enemy, but I wonder now if that’s just what Noah wanted me to think.’
‘Um… I’m not sure I understand,’ said Maya, sipping her drink and then tucking it under her seat.
‘Have you seen Noah today?’ asked Tabitha, her brow creased with worry.
‘Not yet. He had already gone out when I got up,’ admitted Maya, not liking the way this conversation had started, or that she was telling Tabitha anything she could use against them .
‘That’s because he’s in an emergency public relations meeting for the film were both in,’ explained Tabitha, taking her hand and patting it in a consoling manner that Maya didn’t like. She drew her hands away and put them on the bench either side of her legs. ‘Our bosses have invested millions in this film and they’ve told us it has to be a success,’ Tabitha sighed and glanced around as if they might be overheard.
‘What’s that got to do with me?’ asked Maya, who waited anxiously for the answer.
‘Well,’ Tabitha leaned closer as if to confide a secret. ‘You know that tabloid reporter I told you about? The one I give story titbits to?’ Maya nodded, a ball of dread forming in her tummy but she didn’t know why. ‘It was actually Noah who introduced us. Noah has been filtering him stories for years. Being portrayed as a love rat, as long as an explanation comes out in his favour afterwards, keeps him current.’ Tabitha sniffed and tears filled her eyes.
‘I don’t understand,’ said Maya, picturing Noah’s quick conversation with the guy in the bushes outside her house and wondering about the fact that the picture still hadn’t surfaced yet.
‘He made me fall in love with him, then told other women I was a bit of a stalker,’ Tabitha wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and Maya handed her the branded napkin that had come with her drink. Tabitha dabbed at her eyes and sat straighter, looking directly at Maya. ‘I think he might end up doing the same thing to you.’
‘What?’ asked Maya. ‘Why would he do that?’
‘He needed a fresh relationship to keep the news current. After you jumped into the river to save Robbie, I overheard them talking about the possibility of the film being a flop. Robbie told him to get more press coverage. Now I’m thinking that he might have already had information about your family. They are pretty famous.’
‘But Noah said you weren’t even invited to those parties?’ questioned Maya.
Tabitha rolled her eyes and sniffed again. ‘He would say that. I’d told him to stop using me in the press. It’s why I started dating Corey. He’s really kind,’ she added, ‘nothing like Noah.’
‘But Noah’s kind…’
‘He’s a talented actor,’ scoffed Tabitha. ‘Plus, he has background checks done on anyone he dates.’ She left that spark in the air to catch fire and Maya gasped and put her hand over her mouth in shock.
Maya could feel pain slicing through her ribs. She'd waited for so long to hear Noah tell her he loved her, but it had only happened in front of Dame Rosalie, not in private. Why was that? Had he known about her family all along and played the long game? Had he already known about the family party being the charity ball?
She sighed heavily and puffed out her cheeks, then took a hefty swig of her lemonade, while she digested what Tabitha had said. Maya calmed her mind and folded her hands primly in her lap.
‘I tried to warn you when we met before,’ said Tabitha, her eyes watching a couple of children run along the riverside and their parents pick up pace to catch them up. They were nearing the racecourse now and Maya intended to get off. She needed time to contact Noah or at least think clearly about what Tabitha had said, but a couple of points could ring true.
‘In what way did you warn me?’ Maya asked, her eyes closed as she tried to stop the pounding in her head .
‘When we met for a drink, I told you how different your worlds were and tried to put you off him to get you out of his clutches. I’m contracted to the movie, so I have to go to lots of the same events. I explained to Noah I don’t like the way he works, but our producers told us we have to get on,’ she said, confusingly, as this kind of mirrored what Noah said but in a different context.
‘Why tell me?’
‘Because I want to do the right thing,’ Tabitha said. ‘The last thing I want is for you to get hurt like I have been by a master manipulator. Plus, I don’t want to see your family splashed all over the papers like I have been, either.’ Tabitha glanced around again, then seemed to weigh up whether to say more. ‘Has Blake been texting you lately? I know you were engaged. Portia told me.’ When Maya didn’t answer, that gave Tabitha the answer. ‘Portia and I are quite good friends and Blake tries to control everything she does.’
‘Why doesn’t she leave him then?’ Maya asked, not wanting to bring back memories of how dominant Blake used to be. ‘She thinks he’s having an affair and wants to find out the truth first. She loves him… sorry…’ Tabitha winced and gave Maya an apologetic look.
‘Well it’s not me he’s having an affair with and maybe how they first got together might have given her a clue to his nature,’ Maya added shortly, looking out at the river and trying to focus on a family of Egyptian geese that was trailing happily alongside the boat.
‘Noah and Blake are quite good friends, so perhaps Blake told him about you?’ Tabitha wondered out loud. Maya’s lip trembled. Could Noah have known already?
‘But, I thought they didn’t know each other well?’
Tabitha gave Maya a sympathetic look and her insides crunched up. Had Blake given Noah a tip about Maya possibly being the No.1 Ethereal Lane designer and Noah had used that to his advantage to gain leverage with his bosses? ‘There’s no way Noah could have known I’d jump in the river after Robbie,’ Maya stated, trying to claw back some sense of reason, but it was slipping through her fingers.
‘He’d already been trying to find you through your art though.’ Tabitha dealt the final blow and smiled at a couple of cruise guests who were looking their way and chatting quietly as they’d clearly recognised her.
Maya felt like someone had punched her in the stomach as she’d just confided in Noah about No.1 Ethereal Lane and confirmed who she was. She collected her things and got up to leave as Bertha maneuvered into the second dock. ‘I need to go,’ said Maya. ‘Are you staying for the ride back?’
‘No,’ said Tabitha as she stood up on shaky legs and put her arms around Maya for a hug and a pat on the back, which Maya took mutely. It felt so weird to be hugged by Tabitha after all this time. ‘I’ve got a driver picking me up at the racecourse. Think about what I’ve said,’ she added before she collected her own bag and joined the throng to exit the boat, her sunglasses firmly back in place.
A few people glanced Tabitha’s way, but most were excited to jump on dry land and explore the racecourse. Maya’s body was numb as she sat herself back down on the bow and Roman came over to check on her. He was wearing their new uniform and his hair had been cut really short and was growing through again in a dark halo of curls, which made him look even more handsome. ‘You okay?’ he asked with concern.
‘I’m fine,’ assured Maya, although she certainly didn’t feel it. ‘Roman, can you bring me a Bertha special with an extra shot of gin?’ she asked, and he frowned and nodded, rushing away to grab her a glass. Maya felt her own legs shake as she unpacked her pad and pencils again and stared unseeing out at the river as the boat turned around and headed back to Windsor.