Page 17 of The Restaurant on Plum Island
“Thank you,” Carly said, a slight red tinge creeping across her cheeks.
He smiled, remembering how that slight red stain would heat her cheeks whenever he complimented her. One of the things that endeared Stella Hart to him and her adoring fans was how real she was, even though she was a big movie star. That was probably also why her star had been shattered into a million pieces when her fans discovered it was all an act. Although Ethan had always thought they were wrong. There’s no way you can fake that level of humility.
But then again, Stella Hart had won Best Actress three times in a row. The woman could act better than most. She was in a league of her own, and Ethan had been convinced she would win the five Academy Awards she was aiming for in a row. While he knew it would take some convincing and major PR work, Ethan knew Carly could make a comeback as Stella Hart with a bang. It would also put the Cobble Cove Mysteries way above the rival series.
A wave of uncertainty washed over Ethan.How do I broach the subject?I know you’re Stella Hart, and I’d like you to take the lead in this season’s Cobble Cove Mysteries.He gave himself a mental shake and glanced at his wristwatch, then at the restaurant door. Ethan knew he’d feel awkward trying to broach the subject of him knowing who she was, so he’d called reinforcements to help.
“I’ll need to see the schedule and deal for using the restaurant,” Carly told him. “Then discuss it with my staff and business partners.”
“You have business partners?” That news did surprise him. Their research had turned Carly up as the sole owner of the business.
“Yes, my brother, uncle, and son,” Carly informed them.
“I’ll get the information over to you by tomorrow afternoon,” Ethan promised and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw his reinforcements walk into the restaurant. “Oh. The second thing I have to discuss with you is what I brought in some reinforcements for, to talk it over with you.”
As he finished talking, Jennifer Gains and Harriet Joyce joined them.
“Hi, Carly,” Jennifer said, smiling at her before sitting beside her while Harriet sat beside Ethan.
“Hi, Carly,” Harriet greeted.
“Hello,” Carly greeted them both. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. “What’s this all about?”
“Before we begin,” Jennifer stated. “I want it on record and in front of everyone here at this table that I had nothing to do with this. None of the information they have came from me.”
“Okay…” Carly gave Jennifer a weird, sideways glance before turning her attention to Ethan and Harriet.
“Oh, for goodness sake, don’t keep Carly hanging on like this.” Harriet shook her head impatiently. “I’ve recently found that Jenniferand Ethan are so bad with giving out information.” She leaned her elbows on the table. “Carly, we have reason to believe that you’re…” She lowered her voice. “Stella Hart.”
Ethan frowned at Carly’s reaction. It was as if she already knew they’d figured it out as she leaned back against the booth and nodded.
“And you didn’t say a word?” Carly looked at Jennifer.
“So you did know where Stella Hart was!” Harriet said to Jennifer accusingly.
“No.” Jennifer shook her head. “I knew where my friend Carly Donovan was.” She smiled at Carly. “When Carly returned to Plum Island, Stella Hart was long gone.”
“That’s actually very sweet,” Harriet told Jennifer, then looked at Carly. “Don’t worry, Carly. If you don’t want to accept Ethan’s proposal, your secret is safe with us.” She gave him a warning look. “As your new self-appointed managers, we’ll ensure that your identity remains anonymous and no pictures will be taken of you.”
“Thank you.” Carly smiled at Harriet. “And thank you for being willing to represent me. My manager dropped me three years ago when he told me I had to lay low as I was unemployable.”
“He was a douche that didn’t want to have to wade through a PR nightmare,” Harriet told her honestly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you with that statement.”
“No.” Carly shook her head. “I understand what you mean, and I agree it was a PR nightmare. Or would’ve been if any PR firm would’ve taken me on.” Her eyes glinted as if they’d teared up for a few seconds. “It seems there are some people…” She glanced at Ethan. “That no one in the entertainment business wants to go up against.”
Ethan’s frown deepened. Confused by her pointed look, he made a mental note to revisit that statement.
“If we were up and running back then,” Jennifer told her. “We’d have taken you as a client and cleared up all those nasty rumors and lies.”
“Thank you.” Carly swallowed and looked at Ethan. “So, what is the second proposal you have for me?”
Again, Ethan felt she already knew what he was about to say.
“Due to the lead actress having to pull out of the show, Caroline and Dawn had to change the plot to write her out and a new lead in,” Ethan explained. “Before I continue, I have to tell you that Brad and I agreed right from when we got the project that Stella Hart would be perfect for it.”
“I can vouch for that.” Harriet raised her hand slightly before shooting a narrowed eye glare at Jennifer. “But no one seemed to know where you were.”
“As much as I agreed with all of you, Stella Hart would’ve been perfect for the part,” Jennifer wasn’t fazed, “I would never have betrayed Carly.”
