Chapter Twenty-One

The transformation of Jade LaRossa back to Juliet LaRue completed, Jade emerged into the California sun and slipped on her shades. Her freshly tinted hair almost blinded her when she caught her reflection in a store front window. She sighed. She'd been so happy the last few weeks with her natural shade of chestnut. Thankfully, she had been able to talk the hairdresser into a temporary dye that would wash out in a few days.

Along with her conversion back to Hollywood starlet came the same feelings of anxiety, pressure, and unease. She felt worn down, burdened, out of control of her own life. And with those feelings came reminders of the disturbed fan sending equally disturbing letters.

Jade picked up her pace. Nora texted while she was waiting for the bleach to do its job and asked Jade to meet her at Spago. Although she just wanted to go back to the house and rest, she agreed. Her assistant seemed frazzled and on the verge of a breakdown.

She entered the trendy restaurant and spotted Nora immediately. Jade kept the glasses on, hoping not to be recognized. The public had never seen Juliet LaRue with anything but short hair so she hoped to fly under the paparazzi radar.

After exchanging small talk, Jade ordered a lobster Cobb salad and Nora ordered the Thai chicken salad. The waiter filled their water glasses and excused himself. Nora updated Jade on all that had happened since she'd been gone. Two directors wanted to talk to her about upcoming projects, her latest movie, “Enemy Lover” was set for release on DVD, Cosmo wanted her for a photo shoot and Letterman invited her to his show to update the fans on her well-being.

“Oh, and I forwarded mail to you. Some package came for you this morning but I didn’t think you'd have time to deal with it here, planning Kyle’s funeral and all. I just slapped a label on it and forwarded it to the address in Indiana.”

Nora started to say something else but stopped.

Jade waited and when her assistant remained silent, her brows scrunched in a frown, she prompted, “What?”

Nora leaned forward, as if passing on a juicy secret. “You can’t fire Sid, Juliet. He made you into the star you are, you know.”

Jade slammed her hand on the table and Nora jerked back with a startled squawk.

“Is that why you asked me here, Nora? Because if it is, I’m leaving.” Jade started to stand but Nora grabbed her hand.

“Now that Kyle is d-dead,” Nora swallowed, “you are all Sid has left, Juliet.”

“Spare me the theatrics, Nora. Sid has other clients.”

“But none like you two. He devoted all his time to making you and Kyle into stars.”

“He devoted his time to Kyle, Nora. I was just a prop in the whole mix.”

Nora sucked in a breath. “How can you say that?”

“Sid is the one who insisted I marry Kyle, insisted I fire my old agent, insisted I do projects I either didn’t want to do or ones he knew would fail. Sid is the one who wouldn’t let me take on a starring role. And he's the one who made me go on Frank Talcott’s show, knowing darn well Frank's plans all along.”

“He thought you'd defend Kyle and the whole mess would blow over. He did it for you.”

“No, he did it for Kyle. And it would have been nice to have a little warning before…wait a minute. You knew?” Realization dawned and Jade’s throat tightened. She'd been played like a fiddle. “You lied to me, Nora. You knew what would happen when I stepped on that stage and you let me walk right out there like a sacrificial lamb to be attacked by a wolf.”

Nora looked panicked. “Sid said it…”

“Stop. I don’t care what Sid said.”

The waiter made a timely appearance with their salads but before he could place Jade’s she asked for it to be boxed. He scurried away with her credit card and salad to do her bidding. She faced Nora. Her assistant’s eyes were wide behind her tortoise shell frames.

“Why did you disregard my orders not to tell anyone where I was staying this summer, Nora?”

Nora shook her head, her chest heaving rapidly. “What? No, Juliet. I wouldn’t…I didn’t—”

Jade cut her off. “You told Kyle.”

Nora looked truly confused. “But it was Kyle.”

“Exactly,” Jade confirmed. “The one person I specifically ordered you not to tell.”

“But he just wanted to see you and—”

Again, Jade interrupted. “I guess I should thank you.”

Nora sat up straighter and smiled. She adjusted her glasses. “Oh, you’re welcome.”

“Because you helped open my eyes, made me see what I didn’t want to face. I'm taking charge of my own life, Nora. I call the shots from now on and I will only be associated with people who understand that, people who respect me, people I can trust.”

The waiter handed her the boxed salad and credit slip. Jade added a generous tip, signed her name, stuck her card and copy of the receipt in her purse, and stood.

“You’re fired, Nora.”

She turned with her head held high and waltzed out of the restaurant with a smile. It felt good taking control of her destiny.