Page 81 of One Hollywood Sunset

‘Good. I’ve ordered a little gift, you see.’

‘Oh, Sasha, you really shouldn’t have. And all these clothes are great. Thank you.’

‘You’re welcome. Well, I’d better go. I don’t want Freya to find me missing.’ She checked her watch.

‘But you haven’t finished your tea,’ Nicholas remarked, looking at her full cup.

‘No. Well, I don’t want Freya to miss me and I left the answer phone on. I’d really better get back.’

She stood up and headed towards the hall.

‘Well, thanks for coming by and thank you again for the baby clothes. It’s really generous of you and I’m sure Freya will appreciate it.’ He followed her down the hall and opened the front door.

‘I hope so.’ She smiled.

‘I’ll see you.’

‘Yes. See you soon.’ She smiled again and stepped out onto the deck.

30

When Freya arrived back home, there were a dozen photographers outside. As soon as she brought the car to a halt, they began surrounding it. The remote sensor to open the gate failed to work, so Freya had no choice but to get out of the vehicle and press the intercom.

‘Freya, congratulations on your pregnancy. When’s the baby due?’ one of the reporters questioned.

A flash from a camera went off in Freya’s face.

‘It could arrive at any minute if you don’t stop pushing me.’

She hoped Nicholas was in. She was going to look seriously stupid if she had to climb the fence into her own house. And she would probably get fried if Roger had installed the electric barbed wire.

‘Hello.’ Nicholas’ voice came through the intercom.

‘Nick, it’s me. The bloody gate won’t open and I’m being mauled by reporters. What happened to them being all over George Clooney today? Can you let me in before I’m savaged?’

‘I think the security guys are updating the system. OK, you’re in.’

The gate began to open and Freya hurried back to the car.

‘Will the news of your pregnancy alter your wedding plans?’ another reporter called as Freya got up into the SUV.

‘Aren’t you getting this? I don’t have anything to say to you guys. Are you new?’ Freya questioned, staring at one of the photographers.

‘Me?’ he inquired, lowering the camera briefly.

‘Yeah, you. I haven’t seen you before. And, by the way, you’re holding that camera all wrong.’

With that comment made, Freya drove through the gate and up to the house.

She hurried up the steps and up to the front door, her key ready for the lock. She stopped. She stared at the door and saw the lock was gone and in its place was a keypad. She let out a frustrated sigh and just stared at the buttons, not knowing what to do.

Before she had a chance to take any further action, Nicholas opened the door.

‘Nick, what the hell is going on? There’s a key pad where the lock used to be and the whole world knows I’m pregnant!’

‘What?!’

‘There are a dozen reporters, if not more, at the damn gate bombarding me with questions about the baby. I want to know how they know because I’ve only told two people about this. One of them I trust implicitly and the other has her job to lose if I find out she’s blabbed,’ Freya blurted out as she moved past Nicholas into the house.

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