Chapter 11

Liza had less than twenty-four hours to come up with a plausible life story.

One far removed from the truth.

She'd been in a daze on the tram ride home from the publisher's office, stunned how quickly her life had morphed from orderly to disastrous.

Though it could've been a lot worse if she didn't have Wade's offer to agree to. Because as much as it pained her to contemplate he might have used her to get what he wanted, she'd be in real trouble if his publishing contract hadn't been on the table.

It had pinged into her inbox the moment she'd arrived home and she'd scoured the contract, expecting hidden clauses and a bunch of legalese. Surprisingly, the contract was straightforward and the sizeable advance eased the constriction in her chest that had made breathing difficult since she'd taken that call from Ullric.

Once she'd forwarded it to Jimmy's manager—who also happened to be one of the best entertainment lawyers in the country—she sat down with a pen and paper, determined to have bullet points ready for her first meeting with the ghost writer tomorrow.

Wade wanted a specific kind of book: a complete tell-all highlighting the juicy, glamorous, scandalous aspects of her life as a WAG. Yet another reason why she'd have to leave Cindy out of it.

He'd also assured her the story of her life would be well written and focused on the facts, but Liza read widely and was wise enough to know ghost writers liked to embellish, taking a little fictional creativity along the way.

Let them. Considering she was doing the same thing, giving an embroidered account of her life while withholding important facts—namely Cindy's existence—she couldn't begrudge the writer that.

Why should she care? Wasn't as if the media had never invented stuff about her to sell papers or magazines. While she'd been with Jimmy there'd been a never-ending list of supposed indiscretions. Smile at a world champion tennis pro and she was accused of having an affair. Lean too close to hear a rock star's boring diatribe at a nightclub, ditto. Wear a revealing dress by a handsome new designer, she'd got it for free by sleeping with him.

She'd grown immune after a while, knowing the invented scandals were the bane of a WAG's existence but a price she had to pay. Though not a day went by when she didn't feel like telling the truth and ramming her side of the story down their lying throats.

Besides, when she'd arrive home after yet another movie premiere or restaurant opening or fashion-label launch, curl up next to Cindy on the couch and cuddle her innocent sister, Liza knew it was all worthwhile.

There was nothing she wouldn't do for her little sis, including manufacture a life story to give the masses something they'd probably invent anyway, and secure Cindy's future in the process.

Liza arrived at Qu Publishing at nine on the dot the next morning, dressed to impress and armed with her extensive list.

She wanted to wow the ghost writer, and to do that she'd donned her WAG persona, from sleek blown-out hair to lashings of makeup, seamed stockings and sky-high black patent leather stilettos, to a tight crimson sheath dress with long sleeves and low neckline.

Power dressing at its best and if the reaction of the guys who passed her on Collins Street was any indication, she'd achieved her first goal: make a dazzling first impression.

She found it infinitely amusing that guys would barely give her a second glance when she did the grocery shopping with her hair snagged in a low ponytail and no makeup, wearing yoga pants and a hoodie, yet dressed in a slinky outfit with enough makeup to hide a million flaws and they drooled.

Fickle fools.

As she paced the reception area she wondered if that was what had captured Wade's attention at the party, her fake outer shell. Was he a player? Or had her name been enough, and he'd wanted her to sign on the dotted line all along?

Then again, what he'd said had been true. She'd approached him. Engaged him in conversation. Even flirted a little, and he hadn't known her name. Not until later at the bar.

His admission had soothed her wounded ego for all of two seconds before she realised a smart guy like him would've researched her to get as much info on the WAG he wanted so badly, and would've known what she looked like from the countless pictures online.

Stupid thing was, she wanted to believe him, wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt that the way they'd hooked up at the hotel had been about a strong sexual attraction and a mutual need to escape. But Liza had been let down by people her entire life, especially those closest to her, and had learned healthy distrust wasn't such a bad thing.

She'd idolised her dad. He'd left when he couldn't handle having a disabled daughter. She'd idolised her mum, yet her mother hadn't been able to handle things either. When Louisa had finally left it had almost been a relief because the tension in the house had dissipated and Liza had been more than happy to step up with Cindy.

She'd been doing it for years anyway.

While she wanted to hate Wade for using sex as a way to get her onside, part of her couldn't help but be grateful his offer had still been on the table after the way she'd stormed out of his office.

Without that contract and advance, she'd be screwed.

And he'd given her a job to boot.

Not many executives would've given in to her crazy demand for a job alongside a significant contract offer, but he'd done it. Probably out of desperation to have her agree to his proposal, but whatever his rationale, she was grateful.

He'd agreed to let her focus on marketing her biography for a start, which was a good way to ease into her new career. She might've been handed a dream job on a platter but she hadn't actually worked in marketing since she gained her degree six years earlier, so his faith in her went some way to restoring her confidence.

Thought she knew if she screwed this up, not only would she have an irate publisher on her hands, she'd be fired before her job had begun.

So for now, along with spinning a bunch of embellished half-truths for the ghost writer, she had to spend her days coming up with whiz-bang marketing plans and meeting with Wade.

She didn't know which of the three options terrified her most.

As if she'd conjured him up, Wade opened his door and strode toward her, tall and powerful and incredibly gorgeous. She'd rubbed shoulders with some of the most handsome guys in the world, from movie stars to sporting elite, but there was something about Wade Urquart that made her hormones jump-start in a big way.

He wore his dark hair a tad long for convention and sported light stubble that accentuated his strong jaw. Throw in the deep brown eyes, the hot bod, and the designer suit that highlighted his long legs and broad shoulders, and Liza wasn't surprised to find herself holding her breath.

Though the clothes didn't impress her as much as the body beneath; she'd seen every inch, touched every inch, and her skin prickled with awareness the closer he got.

‘Punctual. I like that.' His slow, easy grin added to her flustered state as she shook his hand and looked like an idiot when she snatched hers away too fast.

‘I'm eager to get started.' She gestured at her bag. ‘I've brought a ton of notes and photos and stuff so we can hit the ground running.'

‘That's what I like to hear.'

She fell into step beside him, having to lengthen her stride to keep up.

‘I can't emphasise enough the speedy turnaround needed on this.' He stopped outside a conference room and gestured her in. ‘There's a lot riding on this book being a runaway success.'

A wave of panic threatened to swamp Liza, mixed with a healthy dose of guilt. Inventing a bunch of lies to protect Cindy hadn't seemed so bad when she'd been jotting notes last night, but hearing the hint of desperation in Wade's voice made her wonder about the wisdom of this.

What if one of her lies unravelled? What if she was declared a fraud? Or, worst-case scenario, what if she exposed Cindy in the process?

‘Something wrong?'

Everything was wrong, but Liza had to do this. It was the only way forward that enabled her to provide a safe future for Cindy while following her own dream at the same time. She was used to depending on no one but herself, and to provide Cindy with that same independence, she had to make this work.

She faked a smile that had fooled the masses before. ‘Let's get started.'

With a doubtful sideways glance, he gestured her ahead of him into the room, where he introduced her to Danni, the ghost writer, a forty-something woman who reeked of efficiency.

‘I'll leave you ladies to it,' he said, glancing at his watch. ‘And I'll see you in my office this afternoon at one-thirty, Liza.'

‘Sure,' she said, not looking forward to the marketing meeting one bit.

She might be able to fake it for Danni, but Wade had seen her naked. Not much more she could hide from him.

Over the next four hours Liza laid bare her life. The life she'd pared back, embellished, and concocted, that was. Danni taped their interview, jotted notes in a mega scrapbook already filled with scrawl, and typed furiously into a laptop.

Danni asked pertinent questions, nothing too personal but insightful all the same and Liza couldn't help but be impressed. And relieved. This biography business was going better than expected and, according to Danni, she'd have enough information by the end of the week to collate into a workable chapter book.

When they finally broke at one fifteen, Liza had a rumbling tummy and a headache, but she couldn't afford to be late for her meeting with Wade so she grabbed a coffee from the lunch room, checked in with Shar to see how Cindy was, and made it to Wade's office with a minute to spare.

He barely acknowledged her entrance when she knocked and he waved her in, his eyes riveted to the massive monitor screen in front of him while on a conference call. Whoever was on the other end of the line was spouting a whole lot of figures that made her head spin; hundreds of thousands of dollars bandied around as if they were discussing pocket change.

She could hardly comprehend the advance Qu Publishing had offered her. It topped the other offers she'd had by two hundred grand. Ironic, it hadn't been enough to tempt her when she'd had her investments maturing but, with her nest-egg gone, beggars certainly couldn't be choosers.

‘Sorry about that,' he said after ending the call, clasping his hands together and resting them on the desk. ‘I've been working on the pre-orders, which are all important.'

‘How many people are interested in reading about my boring life?'

‘Boring?' He spun the screen around and pointed at the spreadsheet covered in figures and highlighted colours. ‘According to the orders flooding in already, you're ranking up there with the best for notoriety.'

He leaned back, pinning her with a speculative stare. ‘Which makes me wonder, what have you done that is so newsworthy?'

Liza shrugged, knowing he would've asked this question eventually but feeling increasingly uncomfortable having to discuss any part of her life with him.

Rehashing details for Danni was one thing; baring herself—metaphorically—to Wade another.

‘Not much, really. My high-school sweetheart turned out to be a soccer superstar so we were thrust into the limelight early on.'

She smoothed a fray in her stockings, remembering how out of her depth she'd felt at the time. Photographers snapping their photo wherever they went, groupies slipping phone numbers into Jimmy's pocket constantly, autograph hunters thrusting pen and paper into his face regardless of appropriate timing.

It had been a circus but she'd quickly learned to play the game when a national magazine had offered her twenty-thousand dollars for an interview. At twenty-two and fresh out of uni it had been an exorbitant sum, and she'd grabbed it to buy a new motorised wheelchair for Cindy.

That interview had been the start. More had followed, along with interviews on talk shows, hosting charity events, and appearing at openings for a fee. Jimmy had encouraged her and with every deposit in her investment account she'd been vindicated she was doing the right thing.

Cindy would be secure for life. Liza never wanted her sister to struggle the way she had when their parents had left them. Being abandoned had been bad enough, but left without long-term security? Liza could never forgive her folks for that.

Not that she heard from them. Her dad had vanished for good when he'd left and her mum occasionally called on birthdays and Christmas, along with sending those cards with a hundred dollar bill for Cindy. Liza never took her calls, letting Cindy chatter enthusiastically, while she wondered the entire time how a parent could walk out on their child.

Especially a high-needs child.

‘Did you travel much?'

She shook her head. ‘No, I didn't want to become one of those women who clung to their man.'

And she couldn't leave Cindy for long stints, not that Wade needed to know that. It was one of the things that had eventually come between her and Jimmy. He needed full-time glam eye candy on his arm wherever he went; she needed to devote time to her sister. They'd parted on amicable terms despite what the press said.

But her heart had been a teeny-weeny bit broken because he was the first guy she'd ever loved, the only guy she'd ever loved.

And he'd walked away, just like her folks.

Thankfully, she'd developed a pragmatic outlook to life over the years and, while Jimmy continued to be plastered over the media, she was glad she'd stepped off his bandwagon.

‘I thought that's what WAGs do. Pander to the whims of their superstar partners. Hand-feed them grapes. Fan them with palm fronds. Give them facials on demand.'

He was winding her up and her lips curved in an answering grin.

‘You forgot being on call twenty-four-seven.'

He snapped his fingers. ‘Thanks for clarifying.'

‘Actually, you're not far off the mark.'

He arched a brow and she continued. ‘You're on show every time you step out. Scrutinised all the time. It felt like a full-time job in the end.'

‘Is that why you broke up?'

‘Something like that.'

She didn't know if he was asking these questions in a professional capacity or assuaging his curiosity, but for now she was happy to answer. Sticking to the facts was easy. It was the potential landmine questions she'd need to carefully navigate.

‘And then you dated a basketball star.'

She wrinkled her nose and he laughed. ‘That good, huh?'

‘Off the record? Henri and I had a convenient arrangement. Nothing more.'

Confusion creased his brow. ‘How did that work?'

‘He needed a girlfriend. I needed the lifestyle he provided.'

She threw it out there, gauging his reaction.

His eyes widened and his lips tightened, his frown deepening.

‘I don't understand.'

She shrugged, as if his opinion didn't matter, when it irked he thought badly of her. Not that it should surprise her. They hardly knew each other, despite one night of amazing sex.

But for someone who'd spent the last umpteen years being judged by everyone, it really pissed her off to add Wade to that list.

‘Our fake dating arrangement was mutually beneficial. That's all anyone needs to understand.'

He recoiled as if she'd slapped him. ‘I hope you'll be giving us more than that in the book.'

‘My biography will be comprehensive.'

He continued to stare at her as if she'd morphed from an angel to the devil incarnate and she struggled not to squirm beneath the scrutiny. When the silence grew painfully uncomfortable, she gestured to the stack of paperwork on his desk.

‘Shall we discuss the marketing plan?'

‘Yeah,' he said, his frown not waning as he spread documents across his desk and picked up his pen. ‘I have a few ideas but I want to hear what you've come up with.'