Previously...

On her date with David, Miranda couldn't stop thinking about her pregnancy.  She later told Heather that she was contemplating an abortion.  Heather urged her step-sister to tell Brett about the baby first.  Nathan presented Sierra with the earrings she'd been spying in the hotel gift shop.  A starstruck Sierra eagerly accepted the attention from Nathan. Brooke was heartbroken when James left for the energy conference without resolving their differences.  Brett moved into a condo at the marina, and had a surprise visit from Marilee, who offered him a job working for her husband in politics.  Ethan apologized to Sierra for getting behind the wheel and hitting her with his car.  Nathan spotted David Jenner, and when he asked about his mother, Jacqueline Lamont, David lied and told him that she was dead.  After arriving in Rio, James ran into Leigh Purcell, who invited him out for a drink.

Episode 60

"While in Rio"

The pool at the Peninsula Hotel in Rio was packed with vacationers and business people in search of relief from the heat and the scorching sun that afternoon.   A cocktail waiter weaved between the crowds of people with a tray of drinks, stopping and setting two Mai Tai’s on the table between James and Leigh Purcell.

Leigh giggled and took a sip of the icy drink.  She was wearing a stunning black one-piece bathing suit, her long auburn hair tied up off of her neck, and she sported a very large pair of designer sunglasses.  “I’ll be in trouble if I have another one of these.  James, you’re so bad.  We’re supposed to be here attending the energy conference, not sipping drinks by the pool.  We really should get to the morning meeting.”

James laughed and pushed his shades up on his nose.   “We can go to the evening session,” he insisted.  “I’m having a good time catching up with you.  It’s been such a long time.”

“Six years,” Leigh remarked thoughtfully and set her drink down.  She sat up on the lounge chair and looked at his tan, fit body.  “You still look just as good as you did then.”

“Oh come on,” James said bashfully.

“I was sorry to hear about you and Alex,” Leigh continued, wondering if it was still a sore subject.  “Although, after what transpired between us in Acapulco, I wondered if your marriage was on firm ground to begin with.”

“It wasn’t,” James declared.  “Alex and I had been having problems for quite some time.  I think we only stayed together after Acapulco because of the media.  It’s difficult to time these things when your private life is in every magazine in the world.”

“And now you’re on marriage number two,” Leigh said with a grin.  “I saw Brooke’s photo in some magazines.  She’s lovely.”  A pause while she smiled devilishly. “And very young.”

James returned the smile.  “Brooke and Michael are my life now.”

Leigh stared at him for a few moments, studying his face and secretly wondering if he was telling the whole truth.  It was quite possible that he was.  But he’d made the same claim six years ago when he was married to someone else.  It didn’t stop them from having a very passionate affair for the three weeks he was in Acapulco.

“What about you?” James asked, feeling slightly awkward by the way she looked at him.  It brought back a lot of memories.  Memories that his head told him were better left in the past.   “Anyone special in your life since Roger died?”

Leigh stretched out on the lounge chair and shook her head.  “You know, a few here and there,” she explained.  “But I meet most of them at the hotel and they’re gone within a week.  No real options for long-term romances.  Sound familiar?”

James smiled knowingly.  Yes, they had a similar situation six years ago.  He had gone to Acapulco with a film crew to do some post production work on Elena.  Alex had been there briefly, only for as long as she was needed to complete the filming.  After complaining of the heat and dirty locals, she flew back to Los Angeles immediately.  James stayed behind and he and Leigh grew close.  After a few innocent dinners together, they wound up in bed. 

“I hear you met my daughter,” James said, deciding it was best to change the subject.

“She’s lovely,” Leigh gushed.  “Such spirit and personality.”

“She gets that from her mother,” James said with a laugh.

Leigh found herself staring into his eyes again.  She couldn’t help but get lost in them.  “I envy you, James.  You have such a full life.  Family, children, a partner who adores you…”

“You could have all that too,” James insisted and sat forward.  He took her hand gently and looked into her eyes.  She seemed lost and kind of sad to him, just as Miranda had described her.  “I wonder if you really ever got over Roger’s death.  Maybe you’re just not dealing with things properly.”

Just then, Alex walked out from the hotel and scanned the pool.  She spotted James and Leigh sitting comfortably together and immediately grew suspicious.   Deciding to see exactly what James had been up to all day, she started over to them and caught an eyeful when James began putting suntan lotion on the woman’s back.

“So this is your idea of networking,” Alex said, her hands planted firmly on her hips.  “What happened to coming here and promoting Blackthorne-Reynolds?  It looks to me like the only thing you’re promoting is SPF 30.”

“Alex,” James said with a hint of annoyance in his voice.   “You remember Leigh Purcell.”

Alex frowned and shook the woman’s hand.  “No, I…”

“From Acapulco,” Leigh said.

When Alex finally remembered she raised an eyebrow and looked the woman up and down.  “Yes, from Acapulco.  We stayed at that lovely hotel of yours when we filmed Elena.  I think I was charged for the mini bar by mistake.  You should really watch that.”

Leigh smiled, fully aware that Alex was being catty.  “Of course.  Next time you’re in Acapulco I’ll stock the bar in your room at no charge.”

James looked at them both, wondering if Alex was going to launch into one of her tantrums.   “Leigh is the CEO of Purcell Worldwide.  They have many interests in oil.”

“Congratulations,” Alex said with a regal smile, then turned her attention back to James.  She grabbed his arm and led him a few feet away.  “Listen, I don’t appreciate being bullied into coming to this conference with you and Renee and then being left alone while you flirt with old girlfriends.”

“Leigh is not an old girlfriend,” James insisted.

Alex rolled her eyes.  “Oh please, do you think I don’t know what went on with you and her in Acapulco after I went back to Los Angeles?  Her lipstick was all over your shirts when you got home.”

James hadn’t predicted Alex’s casual reaction.  “Look, I-“

“I don’t care what you do behind your current wife’s back,” Alex interrupted.  “But I will not be left to attend boring meetings with Renee DeWitt for two more days while you’re rubbing suntan oil all over that aging reptile.”

Before he could reply, Alex turned and stormed back through the pool area.  James turned back around and smiled at Leigh, hoping that she hadn’t gotten the wrong idea.  Alex always thought the worst, but he honestly had no intention of repeating what happened in Acapulco six years ago.  No matter how difficult things had been with him and Brooke lately.

It was early morning back in Hollywood.  Brooke walked down the stairs at the Blackthorne mansion just as Nathan entered the house through the front door.  He looked up to the landing where she had paused.

“Hello my dear,” he said and started up to meet her.  “How is Michael?”

“Still asleep,” she replied, uncomfortable by how close he was standing to her.  “It’s pretty early though.  I’ll let him sleep for a while longer.  He was kind of fussy last night.”

Nathan nodded.  “Yes, I heard you get up a few times in the night.”

“You did?”  She was slightly unnerved by the remark, although she didn’t know why.

“Well, my room is just down the hall from yours.  I had a little trouble sleeping last night myself."  So much of what he said was true.  Half the night he spent lying awake reflecting on his brief marriage to Jackie Lamont, and the sad sad news that she had passed on.  But after a moment of weakness, he quickly pushed it aside and smiled his calculated smile.  "So much to do now that I’m back.”

“You mean with Stormy and the new movie?”

He shrugged.  “Among other things.”

Fidgeting with the baby monitor in her hand, Brooke attempted to skirt past him on the landing.  “Well, I thought I would go for a walk around the garden until Michael wakes up.  I’ll see you later.”

Nathan gestured to the open path to the stairs.  “Of course,” he said, then stopped her gently.  “By the way, has James called?  I wonder how the conference is going.”

She shook her head.  “No, he hasn’t.  But I’m sure he will.”

“Oh I’m sure.  Incidentally, I hope you’re not uncomfortable with the fact that James is with Alex.  Most women would feel threatened by their husband’s ex-wife being such a permanent fixture in his life.”

“I’m not threatened,” Brooke remarked.  She felt like he was testing her but she didn’t know why.  What did he have to gain?   “Besides, Renee is with them.  It’s just business.”

“Of course you’re right,” he said with a sickeningly sweet smile.  “Well, I’d better get changed.  I have some meetings today.  Perhaps we can have dinner together later?”

She nodded warily.  “Okay.”

Nathan turned and went the rest of the way up the stairs.  After he’d gone, Brooke walked down to the landing and paused, looking upstairs and shivering at the peculiar way James’s uncle looked at her.

Later that morning, Brett arrived at Seth and Marilee Walker’s house in Malibu.  There was a beautiful display of fruit and pastries set up on the lanai and Seth insisted on making a batch of his famous Bloody Mary’s. 

“Your home is fantastic,” Brett said, feeling the ocean mist spray against his face as Seth handed him his drink.   “Living on the beach has always been a dream of mine.”

Seth nodded and looked out at the ocean.   “Mine too,” he said with a grin and then turned to his wife.  “Marilee tells me you just moved into a condo at the marina.  I’m at the yacht club quite a bit.  You should join me sometime.”

“Do you have a yacht?” Brett asked with interest.

Marilee chimed in and lowered her sunglasses.  “Only one of the biggest,” she said, then gave Brett a quick wink.

He knew she was playing with him.  And right in front of her husband.  He wondered if Seth knew of Marilee’s indiscretions, and if it would interfere in his working for him.   It was probably best to keep it under wraps.   He still wasn’t quite sure who wore the pants in their marriage.

“You’ll be driving your own yacht before you know it, Brett,” Seth said, the breeze whipping through his dark hair.  “I heard good things about the work you did at Sunset Studios.  You ran the show yourself for quite a while, didn’t you?”

“I did,” Brett replied.   “But that was Hollywood.  You’re a Congressman.  I’m still not sure of what kind of work you’d want me to do for you.”

“You were a talent manager for a while too, weren’t you?” Seth inquired.

“Yes.”

“Well I think you’d be perfect for a PR position.  I’m in need of a good publicist and I think you’d be a perfect fit.”

Brett was blown away.  He never thought in a million years he’d be asked to do public relations for a Congressman.  “I’m flattered.”

“But do you accept?” Seth asked.

“Of course he accepts,” Marilee answered for him.  She got up and poured the last of the Bloody Mary’s into her glass.  “Darling, would you be a lamb and make up a fresh batch?”

Seth nodded and grabbed the empty pitcher.  “Think about it, Brett.  With your people skills and connections, we’d make a great team.”

After he’d gone back inside, Marilee lowered herself onto Brett’s lap and ran her fingers through his thick blond hair.  “He’s right, you know.  You do have some amazing people skills.”  A malicious grin broke out across her face and she suddenly became aware that he was getting turned on.

“Shouldn’t we wait until he’s not around?” Brett asked in bated breath.  “He could come back any minute.”

“Oh don’t worry, there will be plenty of time for us to get better acquainted,” Marilee replied, slipping her hand beneath his shirt and caressing his chest.   “Accept my husband’s job offer and we’ll have all the time in the world.”

Brett closed his eyes, willing himself not to grow aroused.  It would be quite a scene for Seth to come back outside and see them in such a compromising position.  “I accept,” he said between hurried groans of pleasure.

Marilee twisted back up to her feet just as Seth emerged from the house.  “Good news, Darling.  Brett has decided to accept your generous offer.  You’re looking at your new PR guy.”

“Well, this calls for a toast,” Seth said and refilled their glasses.  “Here’s to a profitable and exciting working relationship.  And to your introduction into the world of politics.”

Brett nodded, suddenly feeling like he was on top of the world again.

Meanwhile, Heather and Miranda were ordering lunch in the restaurant at Hotel Terranova, two seared ahi salads with lemon and capers.  They waited until the waitress had left the table and then continued their intense conversation.

“Miranda, I’m worried about you,” Heather began.  “If you have this abortion, there’s no going back.  You have to be absolutely sure this is what you want.”

Miranda knew all too well what Heather was saying to her, but it didn’t change her mind.   “I can’t have this baby, Heather,” she finally replied.  Her feelings of uncertainty were probably natural.  Any woman who considered termination was bound to go through the same thing.  It was a big decision and she didn’t take it lightly.  The truth was, she was in no position to raise a baby.  Especially Brett’s.

“So you’re going through with it?” Heather asked.

“I have an appointment tomorrow afternoon at two o’clock.”  Her reply was grim and she said it with a certain amount of shame.

Heather took a deep breath and flipped her long hair over her shoulder.  “Well what about Brett?  He is the father.  You need to tell him the truth, Miranda.”

She shot her a penetrating stare.  “Why?  So he can try to talk me out of it?  I guarantee you if he finds out that I’m pregnant he’ll try to use it as a way to get back together with me, and I am not about to be one of those women who stays with a man because she’s pregnant.”

“You said yourself that Brett wanted a baby,” Heather insisted.  She couldn’t believe how cold her step-sister was acting.  Brett may not have been a perfect husband, but he did have feelings.  He had the right to know.

“Yes, he wanted a baby so he’d have a link to my family forever, not because he had this primal desire to be a father!  Heather, why do I get the feeling that you’re on his side?  Are you forgetting about the rotten things he did to you?”

She shook her head listlessly.  “No, of course not, I just-“

“Then stop worrying about Brett’s feelings,” Miranda exclaimed.  “He doesn’t have to know anything.  I’ll go to my appointment tomorrow and he’ll never be the wiser.  I can put this whole nightmare behind me.”

Heather sighed heavily.  She knew she shouldn’t, but she did feel sorry for Brett. 

He had a right to know what Miranda was planning.

The ballroom at the Peninsula Hotel in Rio was transformed into a tropical paradise which hosted the VIP’s reception.  Every energy tycoon in the world was in attendance, dressed to the nines and mingled throughout the extremely diverse crowd.

Alex wandered around the reception, sipping champagne and smoking a thin brown cigarette.  Pausing at the ice sculpture by the canapé table, she felt someone approach from behind and she turned around quickly.  Maybe someone interesting was finally going to talk to her.  Unfortunately, it was Renee, scowling her usual scowl and folding her arms in a thoroughly haughty manner.

“What was that nonsense this evening?” Renee demanded.

“Excuse me?  I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about…as usual.”

“That business with the Greek shipping tycoon,” continued Renee.  “I’m sure he doesn’t have a favorite Alex Reynolds film.  Why did you even ask him such a question?  How embarrassing for you, really.”

“I was making conversation,” Alex spat defensively.  “It’s better than that dried up old stuffy approach you seem to have with everyone here.  Honestly, a person could fall asleep listening to you talk.  You’re about as interesting as watching cement set.”

“Why don’t you just admit that you’re in over your head, Alex?” Renee charged, circling her like a predator after its prey.  “You know nothing about the natural gas business.  You’re an actress, and not a very good one at that.  If I were you I’d sell your shares of Blackthorne-Reynolds to James and I and get out while you still have your dignity.”

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

“I have no ulterior motives here. I’m thinking of you and trying to offer some advice.”

Alex planted her fists on her hips and laughed with amusement.  “Admit it.  You’d like nothing more than to eliminate me from your life.  That includes at Blackthorne-Reynolds and with Jordan.”

“You think I’m worried about my relationship with Jordan?” Renee asked.  “You’ve got a hell of a lot of nerve.  Jordan has absolutely no interest in you anymore.