Intercepted By Love: Part Four Part 16

A few minutes later, she replied, I'm at Ronaldo's party. What's up?

Really? How was she involved with Ronaldo?

He texted, Didn't know you were invited.

I'm not, but my date's one of the stars. She added an excited smiley face emoticon with hearts popping out of her eyes.

Will he mind if I have a few minutes? This is important.

Sure, not a problem. He has to appear on stage with the rest of the cast.

The rest of the cast? That meant Andie was there, as well as Declan.

Cade's pulse spiked, and he sucked in a deep breath. Ronaldo had gone too far, and he was mired too deep in this conspiracy, whatever it was.

Chapter Twenty-Three.

"It's stuffy in here." Andie squirmed and dabbed at her nose with a piece of tissue. "How much longer?"

"Shhh ..." Sylvia whispered. "No one's supposed to know we're jumping out of this cake."

"So, why are we doing it?"

"Because it's fun. Imagine the shock and surprise." She suppressed a giggle.

"What's everyone doing right now? Where's Ronaldo?"

Dance music streamed from the speakers scattered around the property, and people splashed in the pool or chattered in clumps.

"He's probably waiting for the stars to gather around."

"I'm glad we have chairs to sit on." Andie adjusted her weight because her b.u.t.t was falling asleep. "Where'd they get these miniature things?"

"Some preschool, probably. Shhh ... I hear someone."

Footsteps approached the corner of the makeshift stage.

"Where the h.e.l.l is Andie?" Cade's voice growled. "I looked all over for her."

"I thought he wasn't coming," Andie whispered.

"Be quiet. Boss won't like it if you ruin the cake ahead of time."

"She's in good hands," Ronaldo replied with a chuckle.

"Is she with Declan?"

"Is that all you think about?" Ronaldo sounded amused. "Relax, she and Declan won't be sharing any scenes. Thanks to you, his jaw's wired shut."

"So, what's the purpose of this party?"

"What's the purpose of any party? To have fun. Make a big splash. Gain publicity and buzz. Get viral video moments." Ronaldo's voice sounded smug and superior, laced with amus.e.m.e.nt at Cade's grouchiness.

"Andie's had enough viral video moments," Cade grumbled. "She doesn't need any more."

What was he talking about? Andie searched her Swiss cheese memory. Had she been at a wild party before?

"Look, she's going to be a star," Ronaldo said. "We need to spice up her image and make her a s.e.x G.o.ddess. You're just going to have to step aside and let her pursue her dreams."

"Except those aren't her dreams," Cade said. "You or Declan put it in her mind. The Andie I knew didn't want to be a movie star. She was scared to take even the research job because she didn't want to be involved with celebrities."

"Who told you that nonsense?" Ronaldo's voice was disbelieving. "Andie jumped at the opportunity. She told Leroy that she'd always imagined herself as Michal, that she and Declan used to go to the historical reenactment guilds as David and Michal. She's perfect for this job."

"For this charade," Cade said, his voice growly and deep. "You and I both know she's not an actress. She has no experience whatsoever and no talent. She can't act her way out of a hole."

What the h.e.l.l? Andie fanned herself as her blood boiled and her stomach turned. He thinks so lowly of me.

"You mean out of a cake. Keep your voice down," Ronaldo said. "Let's go meet my mother. She's always wanted an autograph."

"No, you're not going to distract me that easily," Cade said. "This entire show is a scam. There's not going to be a Love Lives of King David series. It's absolutely the most stupid concept I've ever heard, and you're not going to cast a redheaded David and a redheaded Michal, not after all the complaints about the not historically accurate casting on that last Biblical movie."

"I'll cast who I want to cast, and for your information, redheads existed in the ancient Near East. There's Ramses-"

"Stop changing the subject." Cade's voice boomed so loud that Andie jumped. He must be right outside of the cake at this point.

Sylvia pressed her down and hugged her.

"Someone's paying you big money to put on this production," Cade continued. "It has something to do with me and the baby. What I want to know is why?"

"You're delusional," Ronaldo retorted. "I've a.s.sembled the best cast, and this is going to be an Academy Award winner."

"Yeah, right. In your delusions. You're doing this to get back at me. I don't know what I ever did to you, and I wish I'd never asked your help in bringing Andie to California."

What does he mean asking Ronaldo to help bring me to California? Why, that scheming ... Andie clenched her fists to control herself from bursting from the cake and tackling Cade.

"You're digging your own grave, buddy." Ronaldo tapped on the cake.

"Cut the threats. I'm not your buddy anymore, and I'm going to wring your neck if Andie gets hurt by all of this."

"You won't have to," Ronaldo said. "Because you're going to wring your own neck first." He tapped a mic on the stage and the squeal of the microphone feedback made Andie's ears shudder.

"Time for the unveiling of the cast for the Love Lives of King David," Ronaldo announced as the dance music segued into a cinematic soundtrack reminiscent of gladiators.

Floodlights shone over the cake, and fingers of light crept through the crevices and breathing holes. Orchestral music, the type that prefaced all epic Biblical movies, resounded throughout the estate.

"He thinks I have no talent, that this is all a fake." Andie tried to swallow her sobs, while Sylvia rubbed her back.

"If you want to be an actress, you have to prove him wrong. You have to suck it up and go out there with your head held high. Ronaldo believes in us, and he's born and raised in a family of Hollywood moguls.

Cade stalked away from his traitorous friend and headed for the bar. Wherever Andie was, she was likely holed away with the rest of the cast. He spotted Roxanne standing next to the stage, holding a gin and tonic. People were starting to gather around, and Ronaldo was showing a video introducing the movie concept.

After ordering a whiskey sour, Cade stalked toward Roxanne and pasted on a smile. "How's the party so far?"

"Oh, hi Cade." She stroked his forearm and leaned into him. A swash of alcoholic breath a.s.saulted his nostrils. Roxanne was two sheets to the wind already.

"Where's your date?" He jiggled his drink and took a swallow.

"He's the star of the show. Probably lurking behind the stage."

"Oh, really? I didn't know there were any other stars but King David, at least of the male persuasion."

"Hee, hee, of course not, but I traded places with Andie." She wobbled against him. "She offered Declan to me in exchange for Bret."

"Whoa, Rox, you're not making any sense." Cade steadied her as she spilled her drink on his shoes. "What exchange is this?"

"Simple. Declan wanted Andie to take care of his broken jaw and live with her so he wouldn't press charges against you. Me and Andie traded places. I'm going to live at Declan's and in exchange, Andie will take care of Bret. He's going to sign the divorce, and Andie will sign the adoption papers."

Cade's head spun and he put a finger to Rox's lips. "Adoption papers? What are you talking about?"

"Andie's adopting Bret."

"Really? And what does d.i.c.k have to say about that?"

Rox twirled her blond hair and rolled her eyes as if she had a hard math problem. "d.i.c.k doesn't have to agree. Bret's your son, remember?"

"Uh, yes, that's the plan, but I don't want any trouble down the line where he comes and claims paternity. Is he going to sign away his rights too?"

"What rights? Why?" Roxanne slurred.

"So he doesn't cause trouble later." Cade heaved a sigh. It was useless to talk to a drunk. "Make sure d.i.c.k is in on this adoption."

"Sure, why wouldn't he be? He's your father, after all. I'm sure he trusts you. He's too old to play ball with Bret anyway."

A million scorpion tails pinched every one of Cade's nerves. He squeezed Roxanne's arm, a little too hard. "What did you just say?"

"Ow, stop hurting me." She sloshed her drink, wetting his shirt.

At that moment, multiple colorful lights flashed on stage, and a large cannon exploded. The top of a giant cake blew off, including the fake paper mache frosted flowers, and the top tier with the gilded Oscar trophy rendition toppled to the stage with a loud crash.

Two women jumped out of the cake as streams of confetti blew over their heads.

Cade and Roxanne were close enough to be thrown back by the puff of air, and Roxanne almost fell on her behind, had Cade not caught ahold of her.

She wrapped her arms around him and dropped her drink to s...o...b..r a kiss over his mouth.

"Welcome, welcome," Ronaldo's voice rose above the noise. "Presenting Silver Studios's newest actresses, the Princess Michal, Antoinette Marie Wales, and the Queen of the Nile, Sylvia Clare Miyamoto."

Cade dropped his whiskey gla.s.s. It shattered with a loud clink, as Andie's gaze pierced through him, her smile wide and glittering. She and Sylvia waved to the screaming audience before Ronaldo bent Sylvia back for a theatrical kiss, and another man, dressed in an identical tux as Ronaldo, gave Andie the same treatment-one she seemed to enjoy, by the way she moved, all squirmy and fluttery, kissing the man like there was no tomorrow.

Chapter Twenty-Four.

"This is absolutely insane." Andie's mother shook her awake the next morning. "Did you see the news? d.i.c.k Davis is Bret and Cade's father. We better get away from all the fallout."

Andie groaned and cracked her eyes open. She'd finally fallen asleep in the wee hours after crying her eyes out while sitting up with Bret who also had a bad night. Unable to calm him, she had given up and brought him to bed between her and her mother. The baby was still fast asleep.

"I know, but who's going to take care of Bret? Did Cade come home last night?" Andie's shoulders shook from a lingering sob, and her mind was in a dull and painful fog.

The party last night had been h.e.l.l, but she'd pulled it off like the actress she was becoming. No one had suspected how wounded she was under her skin-well, no one except Sylvia who practically held her hand through the rest of the evening, including meeting all of the famous stars of Hollywood and the big directors and producers.

"He hasn't come home," her mother said. "I checked the garage. Look, we can't keep the baby. Why don't you call Roxanne?"

"She's living at Declan's."

Her plan seemed to be working. Roxanne was hanging over Cade before the cake explosion, but soon after, when Declan was brought in on a chariot, Rox had stumbled drunkenly onto the stage and thrown herself into the chariot, landing on her knees with her arms around Declan's legs-ready to play the role of concubine and suck up to the king.

"Oh? Really?" Her mother shook her. "You kids are something else. Playing musical partners. I thought swinging was a thing my parents did in the nineteen-seventies."

"She's helping me get that divorce from Declan." Andie hadn't yet told her mother or anyone else about Cade's d.a.m.ning remarks, how he thought so little of her. Maybe her mother was right. Cade only wanted her to take care of little Bret. As cute as he was, he wasn't her son, and sooner or later, his real parents would take him back.

"Hopefully it works." Her mother flipped through the news site on a tablet Cade lent her. "If we can't find Roxanne, we have to look up Mr. Davis. He shouldn't be hard to find."

"I don't know. This is so weird. Mr. Davis is Cade's father. Let me see the news." Andie peered at the tablet her mother was reading.