Out of Control

Liza didn't turn a hair. 'There's no hard and fast rule about that, except that we ban late nights and wild parties, especially the night before you work. You can get away with burning the candle at both ends for a little while, but it soon begins to tell and the camera shows up every tiny line, every spot, every flaw in your face.'

'There aren't any,' said a cool male voice and Liza felt her whole body jerk to life as she looked round.

She hadn't seen him come into the bar; she had somehow imagined that when he was anywhere around she would sense it, but there had been no warning. He just appeared, and Liza couldn't stop the dark flush rising in her face, even though she felt Pam staring curiously.

She was too taken aback to come up with a snappy answer, but at that moment Nicky and the head of the advertising agency arrived, full of apologies for being late.

'Couldn't get a taxi, never is one when you want one! Darling Liza!' Nicky bent to kiss her cheek and she bore it without a flicker of expression, although he did not normally kiss her. She recognised it for a piece of window dressing; showing off for his client. That surprised her, because Terry Lexington knew both of them pretty well; why should Nicky suddenly want to impress him?

She nodded to Terry and said, 'Hi, there. How are you?'

'Fine, Liza,' he said, taking both her hands and smiling with that unfailing charm and sincerity, which was as thin as silver-plating on a cheap fork. He was a little older than Nicky, and far more conservatively dressed. Terry had to impress businessmen, money men, who were alarmed by panache and street-smart men like Nicky—so Terry was wearing a smooth, quiet suit, a discreetly fashionable shirt, a decorous tie. His face matched; his hair was sleek and silver, so was his tongue. Terry could sell anything. His face had two expres­sions—grave and loving. Neither of them meant a thing. Liza wouldn't trust him further than she could throw him.

Today she matched his smile and his warm sincerity. Usually she wouldn't bother, but she was so conscious of Keir Gifford standing there, watching, listening. Why didn't he go? If he was waiting to be asked to join them he could wait for ever. Liza wasn't even going to look in his direction.

*I don't have to introduce Mr Gifford, do I?' Nicky said and Liza's head swung in shock. 'What?'

Nicky looked startled; so she hurriedly dragged a smile over the ferocity of her stare.

'Mr Gifford?' she asked in a lighter voice and then her eyes met Keir's and her stomach plunged at something in his glinting blue eyes.

i thought you knew each other,' Nicky was saying, staring at them both with shrewd, probing little eyes, and Keir smiled lazily, his expression bland.

'So we do, don't we, Liza? I'm her landlord, after all. We have more than one thing in common.'

Nicky chuckled, curious, fascinated. He had read all about Bruno; he was intrigued, but Liza had herself under control again and she wasn't giving anything else away.

'But you didn't realise Mr Gifford is our client?' Nicky asked, and at this second shock she had to fight like a wildcat to keep her face blank.

'Our client?' She looked at Terry Lexington, who was smiling easily, nodding. He glanced at Keir, waiting for instructions.

'That's right,' Keir said drily, ignoring him. 'The Lexington agency is handling t

he campaign for Oliviera, which is one of my companies.'

Liza's brows met and her nerves prickled uneasily, i thought it was an independent company!'

it was! I bought it two days ago,' he said softly and then Terry bustled about, getting them all seated, calling over the waiter, asking for menus and ordering drinks. Liza had time to think and time to feel distinctly worried—why had he bought Oliviera? Why was he taking a personal interest in this campaign? Terry Lexington and Nicky Wallis were obviously on edge, overwhelmed at finding themselves actually having lunch with this man who was so far outside their usual orbit. Keir Gifford wasn't on their level at all; he was a legend; a name to conjure with, and the other two men were working hard to seem relaxed and unflurried in his company.

Pam was the only one who wasn't unnerved; she was talking to him now with a friendly grin, obviously without a clue who he was! Terry had carefully seated Keir next to her.

Did he think Keir was interested in Pam? Liza dropped her lashes and sipped her drink, watching the two of them secretly. She had given strict instructions about what the girl was to wear today, how she was to do her face and hair. Pam looked very young, very natural, her skin dewy and glowing, her eyes wide and clear; as though she had never used make-up in her life, and didn't need to! It was the look Terry had said he wanted for the campaign—from the indulgent smile Keir wore as he talked to Pam he approved, anyway, and Pam chatted exuberantly.

She looked down at her menu and decided on melon followed by a chefs salad while she pretended to be listening to Terry Lexington's outline of the way they were going to run the campaign. He would be putting it on paper for her, anyway; this lunch was a polite formality.

As they went into the restaurant to start eating Terry gave her a sideways wink, whispering, 'Think he fancies her? I couldn't believe it when his assistant rang to say he would be joining us for lunch. There has to be an ulterior motive. Gifford doesn't usually interest himself in the day-to-day running of his companies. I hadn't heard he was a womaniser, but what else would explain it?'

Liza shrugged and didn't answer. She had been thinking along those lines herself, but not quite in the same way as Terry, because she knew something he didn't know and hoped he would never know.

'How on earth did he get to hear about her, anyway?' Terry asked in that hasty whisper, i thought she was totally new?'

He was beginning to suspect something, to sense a mystery here, but his eyes were hard with suspicion of Liza, not of Keir. He wondered if she had lied to them, if Pam was more experienced and better known than they had been told. If the girl wasn't an advertising virgin she wouldn't be worth so much to them. They had to have a totally new face, they'd made that very clear, and Liza had assured them that Pam had never modelled for anyone before.

'She is,' Liza said shortly, then as Terry still stared narrowly at her added, 'He has the reputation of checking out everything about a company before he decides to buy, so maybe he found out about this campaign and got interested enough to come along to see what we planned?'

it doesn't add up,' Terry said, frowning.

It did to Liza, but she wasn't giving Terry the true explanation for Keir Gifford's presence there. She meant to keep well away from the man throughout the lunch; she would only speak to him when she had to and she wouldn't look at him if she could help it.