Secrets / Black & White / Playing for Keeps

Harry and Lara simultaneously turned to accusingly look at Julian, who merely shrugged his shoulders, a small smirk playing on his lips. Lara faced the door again and would have barged out, if it were not for Harry standing stock still and blocking her way.

“Why don’t you both have a seat?” Julian’s voice finally broke the awkward silence.

Lara glanced at Harry and although she could visibly see him tense up at Julian’s directive, he was the first to take a seat. Lara heaved a sigh before doing the same.

“Now that I have you both here, maybe we can sort this out.” Julian said.

“Sort what out?” Lara asked.

“It’s no secret that I have been concerned about Harry’s welfare over the past few months… and I’ve been trying my best to come up with a solution.” Julian said. “We’ve reached a crisis point and I’m starting to run out of favours with the press. They can’t keep covering for him… I can’t keep covering for him.”

From the corner of her eye, Lara could see Harry shift uncomfortably in his chair.

“We need to act quickly… and that’s where you come in Lara. We need you to make a few appearances with Harry.”

“Julian, Harry and I have broken up. We’re not together.”

“And that’s the way you’re going to keep it.” Julian replied. “This is business…simply business. Everyone knows how you’ve managed to get your life back together again… you’ve even managed to start up a lucrative little business of you own…”

Lara heard a small dry laugh come from Harry’s direction but when she snuck a look at him, she could see it was done entirely with no humour.

“We just need your good fortune to rub off on Harry. His image needs an overhaul. And you’re the person we need to make that happen.”

“There are so many other things you can do.” Lara said. “Why me?”

“Lara I just told you why.” Julian said impatiently. “We have found that placing the boys in relationships brings the most publicity. Harry can do a hundred hours of charity work and he’d probably score a small paragraph in the newspaper. Harry making an appearance with a girl creates an impact… the kind of impact we need to get people’s attention.”

Lara absorbed everything silently and shook her head.

“Find another girl then.”

“We don’t want another girl.” Julian told her. “We want you.”

A knock on the door sounded, and Lara momentarily felt relieved. She needed time to think and clear her mind. Julian’s double talk and Harry’s close proximity was enough to completely cloud her thoughts.

She heard his voice before she saw him and if this whole situation was not already surreal, the sight of Ben standing there almost made her keel over. Lara instantly turned to look at Harry, who slouched in his chair hollow eyed and defeated as he refused to meet her gaze.

“Hello Lara.” Ben smiled warmly.

Before Lara could even react, Julian interjected.
“Ben recently returned to do a little work for us.” He looked at Ben accusingly. “I thought I told you I’d see you after midday.”

Ben shrugged, the same smile playing on his lips.

“I thought I’d bring the meeting a little forward.” He replied.

Lara swallowed nervously as the memory of one of her last confrontations with Ben flashed in her mind. She recalled that they had both were high when they started arguing and Ben had correctly guessed that Lara was secretly seeing Harry.

“You are seeing him, aren’t you?” He yelled. “After all I’ve done for you, you end up running back to him.”

“What you’ve done for me?” Lara screamed back. “All you’ve done is turn me into someone I hate!”

“You’re going to blame me for that?” Benmocked. ”You’ve done that all on your own baby.”

She remembered how bloodshot his eyes had been as his hands closed over her throat; so different to the smiling brown eyes that regarded her now.

Lara found herself stumbling to her feet, almost tripping over Harry’s outstretched leg as she rushed to the door. She inadvertently brushed past Ben and had just closed her hand over the doorknob when Julian spoke up.

“I see you’ve managed to find yourself a nice boyfriend too.”

Lara froze at the tone of Julian’s voice. On the surface it sounded like an innocent, throwaway remark, but there was a definite eerie undertone.

“Tony Lancaster? Is that his name? TV producer… quite well known in the business.” Julian continued.

Lara stood there and waited, knowing that he was not finished there. And it did not take long for Julian to drop the bomb.

“Too bad he’s married.” Julian said. “Not something you’d like the whole world to find out, hmm? Because that could happen you know. This whole thing could just blow up in your face.”

For the first time since he had entered the room, Lara saw Harry swivel around to look directly at her, a shocked expression etched on his face.

Notes

A short chapter, but I hope you enjoyed it. I love to hear your thoughts, so please leave a comment :)