Page 130 of Private Lives

Sylvia looked out towards the pool, where the whole crew were watching, then closed the patio doors.

‘You knew, didn’t you?’ spat Jessica.

The PR glanced at her, then down at the floor.

‘I heard they were running it, yes,’ she said. ‘I didn’t think it would help to tell you about it – looks like I was right.’

‘You think you can hide things from me? How dare you?’

‘It’s just a gossip story; there’s no substance to it. All we need to do is keep our heads down . . .’

‘Bullshit!’ cried Jessica. ‘Celeb has like five million readers. The media are like sheep. One prints “Tragic Jess, she’s losing her looks”, the others are all going to do it.’

‘This will blow over.’

‘You said that three weeks ago, and it’s only getting worse. Why don’t you do something?’

‘We have to stick to our strategy, Jess,’ said Sylvia firmly.

‘Oh yeah? Well it looks to me as if your strategy is to do nothing.’

‘I’m doing the best I can, Jessica,’ said Sylvia. ‘And I’m not sure how much I can help you when you go off-piste, arranging your own long-lens photography. Do you think I am stupid? I know that was you.’

‘So now this is my fault?’ said Jessica, her eyes wide.

Sylvia sighed. ‘Okay, we should both calm down here.’

‘There’s no “we” any more, Sylvia,’ said Jessica, hands on hips. ‘You’re fired.’

The older woman looked at her in disbelief.

‘Jessica, please . . .’

‘I said you’re fired!’ she screamed.

Sylvia looked at her for a moment, then nodded, turned and walked out of the villa. As soon as she had left, Barbara opened the patio doors and stepped through.

‘Honey, what’s going on?’ she asked, her face full of concern. ‘Jose told me you were having some almighty screaming match with Sylvia. What’s happened?’

‘Celeb magazine, that’s what happened. A four-page photomontage of my misery.’ Jessica began to cry through narrowed eyes. ‘This is your doing, isn’t it?’

‘What the hell are you talking about? I never speak to the media, you know that. Not unless you ask me to.’

‘Someone’s been talking. How else would they know Joe Kennington turned me down, except from you?’

‘I didn’t know, honey.’

‘You saw him at the house. You know he didn’t stay over . . . Admit it, you’ve been selling stories to the press, haven’t you?’

‘No!’

‘Well explain why all this has only been happening since you moved in, Mother?’

‘It’s a coincidence,’ said Barbara, flustered. ‘I swear to you . . .’

Jessica pointed her manicured finger towards the door. ‘Take the next flight back to LAX and get out of my house,’ she said, her voice trembling in anger.

‘Honey, no,’ said Barbara, tears beginning to run down her face. ‘I’m your mom. You can trust me.’