The Marriage Deal(16)

'In which only the lead actors appear?' Raoul posed.

'Not always,' Stephanie qualified, and Sandrine successfully hid a faint  smile at the other woman's ability to cover all the angles. 'We can  arrange to include focused shots of local actors to draw their attention  to their involvement in the film. Press shots of Michel and Sandrine at  a social gala would draw public attention and highlight the film.'

'Sandrine's involvement in professional modelling would also be of interest, would it not?'

The waiter arrived with their starters, and there was a pause as the  wine steward made a production of opening a bottle of wine, which he  mistakenly proffered to Raoul for tasting.

Sandrine watched with interest as Raoul deferred the sampling to  Stephanie and she could only admire her very skilled acceptance. For a  moment she even thought she caught a glimpse of amusement in Raoul's  gaze, only to decide it was her imagination.

'We organise press interviews in the star's hotel,' Stephanie  elaborated, 'or if they've stipulated private leasing, we arrange a  mutually agreeable venue for the interview.'

'Simultaneously?'

'In an intense push to raise public awareness.'

'Impressive,' Michel commented, and began on his starter.

'It's my job to impress.'

'Tell me,' Raoul interjected in a deceptive drawl. 'Don't you have  family obligations that might interfere with total dedication to optimum  marketing of this film?'

Sandrine wanted to kick his shin hard beneath the table. What game was he playing, for heaven's sake?

'I'm sure you're already aware I'm a single mother with a three-year-old  daughter,' Stephanie responded smoothly. 'Should there be a crisis, I'd  deal with it in the best way possible.' She fixed Raoul with a  penetrating look. 'And my daughter would always take precedence.' Her  chin lifted fractionally. 'Does that answer your question?'

Oh, my, Sandrine breathed. It was possible to cut the air with a knife!

'Yes.'

'Good.'

Michel cast his brother a brief, considering glance, then returned his attention to his starter.

'Were you able to get a baby-sitter for tonight without difficulty?' Sandrine posed conversationally.

'Given that I had very short notice, yes.'

'The Lanier brothers expect instant action in response to their  slightest whim.' She was conscious of Michel's swift glance but ignored  it.

'Really?' Stephanie's voice was dry. 'And you married one of them?'

'I thought it was a good idea at the time.'

'Total bewitchment, followed by a reality check?'

'Something like that,' Sandrine said with a wicked smile. She was beginning to enjoy herself!

'More wine, Ms Sommers?' Raoul queried silkily.

'Stephanie,' the marketing executive corrected with equal smoothness. 'And no, thank you. I get to drive home after this.'

'Pity.'

'For declining the wine?'

Sandrine watched as Raoul leant back in his chair. She seriously doubted  any woman of his acquaintance had challenged him on any count.

'For endeavouring to treat this as other than a business meeting.'

'That's unfair,' Sandrine protested quickly.

'And unjustified,' Stephanie added, folding her napkin and placing it  beside her plate. 'You insisted on meeting tonight.' She picked up her  evening purse and focused her attention on Michel. 'I've already relayed  our marketing strategy. Therefore my presence here is no longer  necessary. Enjoy the rest of your meal.'

Sandrine watched the attractive blonde turn from the table and step  quickly towards the main desk, pause briefly as she presented a credit  card, then disappear through the door.

'A slight case of overkill, Raoul?' Michel mocked, raising one eyebrow  at his brother's narrowed gaze, then added thoughtfully, 'Are you going  to let her get away?'                       
       
           



       

Raoul shifted his napkin onto the table and rose to his feet. 'No, I don't believe I am.'

'That was extremely-'

'Inappropriate,' Michel completed with dry cynicism.

'Yes, it was.'

'I hope he catches her.'

'Even if he does, I doubt it'll do him any good,' Sandrine opined,  annoyed at Raoul's inexplicable behaviour and Michel's subsequent  amusement.

'You don't think Raoul will be able to mend fences?' He lifted his glass and took an appreciative sip of the excellent wine.

'Not easily.'

His eyes gleamed with humour as they swept her expressive features. 'You  don't think my brother would benefit from the love of a good woman?'

'Whatever happened to the reverse side of the coin?' Sandrine parried. 'Shouldn't a woman benefit from the love of a good man?'

'Of course.'

'It's unfortunate the Lanier men have their thinking locked into another century.'

Michel's gaze narrowed fractionally. 'Specifically?'

The waiter removed their plates and summoned the wine steward to replenish their glasses.

'You're amused by Raoul's reaction to Stephanie. What if it progressed  into something serious?' She lifted a hand in an expressive gesture. 'Do  you imagine Raoul would countenance Stephanie's continuing with her  career?'

He subjected her to an unwavering appraisal as he leant back in his  chair with indolent ease. 'As you are determined to do?' he riposted  with deceptive mildness.

'You don't get it, do you?'

'Get what, precisely?'

'It's not about a career as such.' She should have a script, dammit!  She'd carefully thought out everything she wanted to say. Hell, she'd  had enough time! Where were all those fine words now? Out the window,  along with her sanity.

She took a slow, calming breath. 'It's about seizing an opportunity and  striving to achieve the best possible result. Not for fame and fortune,  but to satisfy a creative need.' She waited a few seconds before adding,  'Because there's a depth, an inner feeling so in tune with the part  that you feel you are meant to be the medium to convey the written  words, actions and emotions on film for the audiences to appreciate the  true depth of the character.'

Michel remained silent. The silence stretched into minutes as the waiter  brought their main course and made a production out of flourishing a  gigantic pepper-mill, explaining the intricacies of the chef's skill  before bidding them bon appétit in appalling French.

Michel picked up his fork and speared an artistically carved carrot  rosette. 'You didn't pause to consider that if you got the part, it  would involve your being in Australia at a time when I was locked into  important business meetings in Paris?'

'Do you know how many actresses auditioned for that part?' she demanded.  'My chances of succeeding were as hopeful as a snowflake surviving in  hell.'

He was calm, his movements controlled, but she sensed leashed anger  beneath the surface. 'Yet you did succeed,' he reminded her with  deceptive mildness. 'You also signed a contract, confirmed flight  arrangements and waited to tell me coincidentally two days prior to my  being due in Paris.'

He pressed his fork into a baby potato, slid it into the small pool of  hollandaise sauce and sampled it with evident enjoyment, then he lifted  his head and his gaze pierced hers, steady and unblinking. 'You expected  me to say, "That's fine, darling. Call me. See you next month"?'

The nerves in her stomach tightened and curled into a painful knot. 'The  timing was wrong. So was the film location.' She ran the tip of a  fingernail along the hemmed edge of her napkin. 'I knew you'd protest,  but I hoped you'd understand.'

'Enough to agree to your being apart from me for a considerable length of time?'

'It was only a few weeks.'

'At a time when I couldn't delegate in order to join you,' he reminded  her. 'If you remember, we opted against an open relationship for the  commitment and permanency of marriage, determining to arrange our lives  so we could be together.'

'Are you implying I placed more importance on an acting part than you?'

'Deny your actions confirmed it.'

'You reacted as if I were a possession, someone who should be available  whenever you happened to snap your fingers!' Sandrine accused, and saw  his eyebrow lift in silent mockery. 'I wasn't referring to the bedroom!'                       
       
           



       

'I'm relieved to hear it,' Michel drawled.

'Am I interrupting something?'

Sandrine turned towards the owner of the faintly accented voice and  summoned a wry smile. 'Only a current battle in the continuing war.'

Raoul slid into his seat. 'Want me to play mediator?'

'No,' she responded sweetly.

'Michel?'

'It'll keep.'

A devilish imp prompted the words that slipped easily from her tongue.  'We have a capricious airhead opposing a dictatorial tyrant.'

'A moment ago I was labelled possessive,' Michel relayed with marked  cynicism, flicking his brother a dark glance. 'You caught up with  Stephanie?'

'Yes.'

'I assume you offered an apology.' 'Which she refused to accept,' Raoul indicated dryly, and Sandrine proffered a musing grin.

'Verbally flayed you, did she?'

'You could say that.'

'So, when do you intend seeing her again?' Michel asked archly.