Betrayal Under the Skyline

A few days later Meghan found another use for her consultant when her regular trainer,

Julio, injured himself at sport and could not come to train her.

"Get Will to lead you through stuff," said Mia, as they watched the writer go through his

morning swimming routine, along with Emma and Madison who had also developed the habit of

coming down to watch Will. "He also seems to know what he's doing in the upstairs gym."

"Hey Moreland!" said Meghan.

Will stood up and looked around.

"Yeah!"

"I need a trainer for today."

"You need exercise?" he said. "Okay, then start with a swim. Grab your bathers and - you

got a cap?"

Meghan thought for a moment. "I can wash my hair later."

"I've got some spare goggles. We're set. Let's see your moves in the pool." Meghan turned

to go. "And, oh yeah, a one piece, Diva. A suit that's meant to actually go in the water and be swum

in."

"Ha!" said Meghan but came down a few minutes later in a stunning one piece. She thought

that Will would say something but, as usual, he did not react, just smiling slightly as she dropped

into the water and put on the goggles Will gave her.

"For starters, can you do the fifty metres, down and back again, freestyle?"

"Sure," said Meghan, who splashed her way down to the deep end and back. "There, Mr

Swimmer," she said. "I can also swim."

"Very good. What about a comp then? Fifty metres. I swim relaxed. You try and beat me."

"Hmmm! Okay, but you don't swim at full power."

"I'm a laid back kinda guy."

They set off from a standing start, Will calling 'Go!' and he made it back well before

Meghan.

"Hey Maddie, throw us that magazine, quick," he called, pointing to a magazine left on one

of the other tables, which the former college girl did.

By the time Meghan touched the pool end Will, goggles on his forehead, was pretending to

be engrossed in what turned out to be a fashion magazine. "Glad you could join us," he said.

Meghan crossed her arms and glared at the writer. "Look at this, shoulder pads are back. Can you

believe it?"

"You said relaxed," said the star still glaring.

"I am relaxed," said Will. "I've been reading this magazine."

"Ha!"

"What about this, then," said Will, setting the magazine to one side. "I'll give you a twenty

five metre head start. When you touch the other end I'll start swimming from here, and we'll see

who gets back to this end first."

Meghan assessed the distances involved for a moment and decided that she had a chance.

"You're on, Moreland."

"Then get going. I'll see you back at this end."

As she splashed away, Will stood up on the end of the pool and prepared for a full racing

dive, crouched, arms back. Meghan touched the other end and he dived. To the watching ladies, it

looked almost as if Will flew across the pool surface for some time before merging with the water.

When the star looked back, she realised that Will had already cut her lead almost in half and set off

in alarm, swimming determinedly. Will reached the deep end, did a full racing turn and pulled out

all stops on the return leg. He reached the shallow end with just enough time to stand up and

pretend to be engrossed in the magazine again, as Meghan touched the side.

"I don't agree with the colors for this season at all," he said, pointing at the magazine. "Do

you?"

"How dare you beat me, Will Moreland," she said and pushed him. Meghan had been in

films where her character had beaten up stunt men heavier than Will, even knocking them down

with one punch. In real life, she made little impression against the human wall that was her adviser,

although she thought that the sensation of her hands on his bare chest was interesting. Will chortled.

"What's this?" said someone. They looked up to see Robin Hawk just above them. The

Latin-featured star looked a million dollars in black chinos, a white silk shirt and a dark blazer. But

when Will climbed out of the pool he realised, to his surprise given the star's tough guy image, that

he towered over the visitor.

"Mr Hawk," he said, hiding his surprise and shaking the star's hand. "Ms Chalmers' usual

trainer is out due to injury, and I was just standing in. Swimming is what I do."

Hawk managed a smile. "I thought I was the only one Meg pushed around."

"I don't push anyone around," said Meghan from the pool. She raised her arms for Robin to

pull her out of the pool. "It's nice that you can be here, darling, but I wasn't expecting you."

"Our last date could have been better," he said. "I thought I'd make amends."

Will left to shower and change noting that the ladies had also moved inside, leaving only the

cat to glare at those who remained in her domain. When he got into the house he found Mia, Emma

and Madison sitting around, trying to distract themselves as Meghan and Robin had gone upstairs

obviously to have sex. Madison, in particular, seemed on edge. She certainly couldn't go to her

room. Will did not know why there should be a problem in that day and age but decided that a

distraction was in order.

"Guys, if the star's gone off to play then we can have a break," he said. "I know there's a

pack of cards in the kitchen so let's do coffee and cards."

When Meghan came downstairs in a light pink dressing gown after what was, for her, a

mechanical exercise, she found her staff engrossed in a game of twenty-one. Just as she arrived

Madison had been dealt two Queens by Will, she split these and then beat the house on both to a

roar from the crowd.

"What's this?" said Meghan. "Is this what I'm paying you all for - to play cards?"

"If you want to get in, diva," said Will, unabashed. "Take a chair."

"Since I'm paying for the whole thing, I might as well," she said, sitting down. "What are

we playing for?"

"Just make a note on paper, Meg," said Madison. "You show how much you're betting with

these cards. You throw the number of cards you want to bet in front of you from that stack, then

count it up at the end of each hand. I made 25 on that hand."

Meghan picked up what proved to be a standard sized business card from the stack indicated

and read, "Will Moreland, journalist and writer."

"I had them made out East," said Will. "Now they're good as counters at least."

After two hands, with Meghan losing both, Robin Hawke also found the game.

"Hey, coffee guy," he said.

"Name's Will," said Will. "You want coffee – made to order?"

"Yeah, and my security guy."

"Henry's already got one," said Will. "He just preferred to stay in the kitchen and read."

"He does that," said Robin.

Will handed the dealer spot over to Mia and then went to the kitchen, followed by Robin.

Will thought for a moment the star was going to speak to him about being too familiar with his

girlfriend, but instead he produced the same pamphlet he had given to Meghan on the NFT

investment consortium.

"You may want to get lucky with this opportunity," he said. "Better than serving coffee all

your life."

Will noted that bodyguard Henry, a heavy-set, amiable man with whom he had chatted

earlier, looked up, rolled his eyes and went back to reading his thriller.

"The NFT thing?" said Will, doing his best to smile. "Ms Chalmers showed that to me. Isn't

it half a million minimum investment?"

"Find half a million," said the star, shrugging as if it was the simplest thing in the world.

"There's a world of opportunity out there. The important thing is to get in on the ground floor."

"Pardon me, Mr Hawk but why are you bothering with this stuff?"

"Excuse me?"

"Well, how much do you make for a film?" said Will, "or for a single episode of a streaming

series? Wouldn't it be more than you could hope to get from these sorts of investments, especially

as you're relying on two guys in an office to make good on their promises in trading these things?"

"What does a coffee guy know about any of this?" said Hawk, frowning.

"I was a journalist for a time back East, Mr Hawk," said Will. "Just regionals but I did some

investment stories. But if I'm just the coffee guy you shouldn't even be showing this to me."

"Why the fuck not?" said Hawk.

"Because I wouldn't be considered a sophisticated investor and that's not a formal offer

document.