“You okay?” Zach asked, pouring her a cup of coffee. “You don’t have to answer their questions, you know. Tell them to mind their own business.”
“I don’t mind. They’re bound to be curious.”
“They’re nosy cows, but don’t say anything you don’t mind being bandied around Hollywood.”
“I somehow doubt it will get back to me, so I’m not too bothered.”
“Zach,” Julian said, breaking into their conversation. “Before we go, could I have ten minutes of your valuable time? I really do want to go over the details of that deal with you.”
Zach quirked a brow in her direction.
“I’m okay,” she said. “Go ahead.”
He glanced from her to the three women and gave a small frown. Why did she get the impression that he was more worried about what she would hear than what she might say? That piqued her interest and she smiled and waved him off. “I’ll be fine with your friends. Go.”
“So why are you leaving?” she asked as the door closed behind the two men. “There’s no need. Not on my account, anyway.”
“There isn’t a lot of point in us staying,” Celine said. “We came to cheer Zach up and we’re not needed.”
“Cheer him up?” Did she want to know what that involved? Maybe she should shoot somebody after all. “All of you?” At the same time? she wanted to ask but couldn’t get up the nerve.
She looked at the three beautiful women across the table then down at her scrawny self in shorts and a T-shirt. But he had spent the night with her last night. He’d had these women, and he’d come looking for her. She didn’t have much of a memory of the early part of last night. She’d been playing cards with Gary and Simon and she’d fallen asleep. She could vaguely remember Zach carrying her back to the main house but then nothing until she’d woken from the nightmare.
“Don’t worry,” Marie said with a smile. “Zach’s pretty monogamous most of the time, but he does…did like variety. And Julian said he was down and pissed off, and he’s a friend. We thought maybe…”
“Anyway,” Theresa continued. “That’s obviously not going to happen, and we don’t want to get in the way. So we’re heading off down the coast for a few days at Julian’s expense.”
“Oh. Well, I hope you have a good time.”
“We will. And you, too, honey. Look after Zach for us.”
“And maybe give him a bit of a hard time.”
“I don’t think I—”
“Honey, I reckon you can do just about anything. Zach’s different with you. You should have heard him defend you last night. Made you out to be this super-soldier, savior-of-the-world type.” Marie cast her small figure an amused glance.
“I’m tougher than I look,” she muttered.
“Of course you are. Zach said you were injured—are you okay now?”
To her own surprise, she stood up, stepped back, and rolled up the cuff of her shorts to show the intricate scar twining around her thigh.
“Ouch, that must have hurt,” Celine murmured.
But Dani could see no pity in their eyes. “Not so much at the time. The blast knocked me unconscious, and I was pumped full of meds by the time I awoke.”
“Anyway, I bet it didn’t hurt as much as lypo,” Marie injected.
Celine grinned. “Nothing hurts like lypo.”
“You mean that thing where they suck fat out of you?” Dani stared at them in amazement. None of them looked like they had an ounce of extra fat to suck out. Had it all been sucked? Ugh.
“Hey,” Celine said. “You don’t think any of us actually started out like this, do you?”
“You didn’t?”
“Let me tell you, looking like this is a lot of hard work and a lot of pain.”
They were deep in a conversation regarding the vast number of “procedures” each of the women had been through when Zach and Julian returned.
“Okay, ladies, let’s be on our way and leave our little lovebirds to enjoy their nest alone.” Julian came up to her and held out his hand. “I hope you’ll have lunch with me when you visit L.A.” He squeezed her fingers and then bent down and kissed her lightly on the cheek.
Dani thought about saying that was extremely unlikely but kept her mouth shut. They walked their guests out of the house and watched as they drove away, the gates closing behind them.
“Are you aware that they all came here with the intention of sleeping with you? I mean all of them, as in together.”
“Really?” He grinned. “Call them back.”
She punched him on the arm. “So what do you want to do today? Anything else ‘normal’ you want to get out of your system?”
“No. Yesterday was enough. Today, I just want to spend with you.” And he scooped her into his arms and headed up the stairs.
Chapter Sixteen
“You can get dressed now,” the doctor said and disappeared around the curtain.
“Yes, sir.”
Dani stripped off the cotton robe and pulled on her clothes. She felt like she’d been prodded and poked for hours. And she supposed she had. The physical had been thorough, but she was pretty sure it had gone well, so where was the euphoric feeling of success that should be overtaking her right now?
She headed out around the cubicle and hovered for a moment. Was that it? She stood to attention and waited to be dismissed. Instead, the doctor waved her to the seat in front of his desk.
“Well, as far as I can see, you’re one hundred percent fit for duty, Sergeant.”
“I am?”
“I’ll file the report and you should get the confirmation any day.” He glanced down and read the notes. “You’re due for reenlistment?”
“Yes, sir.”
“And I take it you’re going ahead?”
For a moment, she hesitated. “Yes, sir.” But the words had to be forced past her lips as though by saying them she had gone beyond the point of no return. This was what she wanted. Wasn’t it?
She was still pondering the question as she boarded the train back to London. She’d left Zach at the hotel. He was being good and keeping a low profile. While Jess had given him the all-clear to attend the awards ceremony tomorrow night, she’d also suggested that he stay in the hotel and not show his face around town. Though it seemed a little strange to her—tomorrow night’s ceremony was being televised and he’d be plastered all over the media. Hardly low-profile.