He’s The One Katie Price
Published by Century 2013 2 4 6 8 10 9 7 5 3 1 Copyright © Katie Price 2013; Rebecca Farnworth 2013 Katie Price and Rebecca Farnworth have asserted their right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the authors of this work. This book is a work of fiction. Names and characters are the product of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition, including this condition, being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. First published in Great Britain in 2013 by Century Century Random House, 20 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London SW1V 2SA www.rbooks.co.uk Addresses for companies within The Random House Group Limited can be found at: www.randomhouse.co.uk/offices.htm The Random House Group Limited Reg. No. 954009 A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Hardback ISBN 9781846059599 Trade paperback ISBN 9781846059605 The Random House Group Limited supports the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®), the leading international forest-certification organisation. Our books carrying the FSC label are printed on FSC®-certified paper. FSC is the only forest-certification scheme supported by the leading environmental organisations, including Greenpeace. Our paper procurement policy can be found at: www.randomhouse.co.uk/environment
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Chapter 13
The phone was ringing when Liberty let herself into the house. It was Lizzie, her agent. ‘Liberty! I hope you’re sitting down because I have got some A-mazing news for you, sweetie!’ Her voice seemed to have gone up an octave in her excitement. ‘Oh?’ ‘I have just come off the phone to Zac Keller’s assistant. And . . .’ she paused for dramatic effect. Really Lizzie was wasted as an agent, she should have been an actress herself ‘. . . he wants to see you. Wants you to fly over to LA the day after tomorrow for a screen test for some major crime series he’s producing. They wouldn’t tell me anything more than that. But it’s a leading role, I know that much. This is the moment we have been waiting for!’ It was amazing news, but immediately Liberty started panicking – she couldn’t just drop everything and fly off. Who would look after Brooke? What about her job in the restaurant? ‘I know it sounds mad, Lizzie, but I just don’t know if I can go at such short notice. I’ll need a bit of time to make arrangements.’
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There was a sharp intake of breath from the other end of the phone. ‘Liberty Evans, this is what is called a Big Break. They don’t happen very often, believe me, especially not to twenty-two-year-old single mothers who are working in fast-food outlets.’ ‘It’s a family-run Italian restaurant,’ Liberty shot back. ‘Whatever. So what do you want me to tell Zac Keller’s assistant? He’s most likely got a list of girls as long as your arm lined up.’ ‘Tell them I need more time.’ A heavy sigh from Lizzie. ‘And that’s your final answer?’ ‘It has to be.’ She’d got as far as pouring her mum and herself a glass of rosé when the phone rang again. ‘I can’t quite believe this,’ it was Lizzie speaking, ‘but Zac Keller is going to fly over tonight and will see you tomorrow evening in London. Tell me you’re going to be available for that meeting?’ ‘Really? It seems incredible he would do that.’ ‘You said it, sweetheart. He must really want you. Remember I told you how impressed by you he was? I’m going to play hardball about the money, if he offers you the role. So, to confirm, you will need to be at Claridges tomorrow night at seven. They’re faxing me the audition script over, and I’ll get a bike to bring it to you. It’s one of the lead roles. They gave me a little more background on the phone and you’ll be auditioning to play a young female detective who survived a traumatic childhood experience and has developed unique powers of intuition that enable her to solve crimes no one else can.’ Liberty came off the phone in a complete daze. A leading director wanted to see her? Was flying all the
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way over from LA? It seemed too good to be true. There had to be some catch to it. Knowing her luck, he wanted her to star in a porn movie . . . But then surely he wouldn’t go to so much trouble and expense? All she knew was that she was excited and nervous in equal measure at the prospect of seeing Zac Keller again. At five p.m. the following afternoon Liberty was on the train to London. She had wanted to tell Cory, but hadn’t seen him as he’d been working extra shifts and something had stopped her telling him the news over the phone. He had been so down lately that it didn’t seem the right moment to reveal her amazing news. Her mum had told her she was being silly, and that she should, but Liberty wasn’t so sure. It felt a bit too much as if it would put a revealing spotlight on Cory’s own situation, and highlight how very far he was from realising his dream. She had read through the script many times now, trying to get a feel for the character. And while she hadn’t really had enough time, she supposed she was as prepared as she was ever going to be. All the same she was a mass of nerves as she approached the impressive five-star hotel, and she heard her voice shaking as she asked the attractive brunette receptionist to let Zac Keller know Liberty Evans had arrived. Part of her couldn’t help thinking that the receptionist would reply, ‘Who?’ and then the whole audition would be revealed as an elaborate prank. But no, the receptionist discreetly made the call then said, ‘Mr Keller says to go straight up to his suite. He’s in the Davies Penthouse. If you take the lift all the way to the top, turn to the right and you’ll find it.’ Liberty felt as if her legs had turned to jelly as she followed these instructions. The mirrored walls of the
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lift showed her looking anxious, hardly the expression to blow the socks off a Hollywood director. ‘I’ve got nothing to lose,’ she told herself, wishing that her mum or Em were here to give her a pep talk. ‘And either I’ll be right for the part or I won’t be. So what will be, will be.’ She touched her dragonfly necklace for luck – she always wore it now. Outside the penthouse suite she hesitated for a few seconds before knocking. Almost immediately the door was opened by a tall, athletic blonde woman, who smiled at her and said, ‘Hi, I’m Tess, I work with Zac Keller, do come in.’ Liberty had never been anywhere as lavish as this suite. She could hardly take it all in: the French windows leading on to a terrace, giving a breathtaking view over London; the immense marble fireplace; the vases full of beautiful arrangements of fresh flowers; the ornate lamps. And there, sitting on one of the elegant armchairs and looking every inch at home, was Zac. He stood up and held out his hand to her, ‘Liberty, it’s so good to see you again.’ ‘Even if we did have to fly over,’ Tess said dryly. ‘It was worth it, though, Tess, wasn’t it?’ he replied, shaking Liberty’s hand and holding it for a fraction longer than you usually would in greeting. ‘She definitely has the right look.’ He gestured to Liberty to sit down and she perched on the edge of the sofa. ‘Now we just need to see if this one can actually act.’ Tess again. She didn’t seem nearly as impressed with Liberty as Zac was. It was a little disconcerting, she found, having people discuss her as if she wasn’t even in the room. Zac grinned. ‘You mustn’t mind Tess. She’s still furious with me for casting the wrong leading lady. So your agent mentioned that you had a daughter?’
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‘You didn’t tell me that,’ Tess muttered. ‘It’s not a big deal, Tess,’ he replied. ‘Are you and the father still together, Liberty?’ he continued. She shook her head, and feeling that she needed to get Tess on her side, she added, ‘But really I don’t think it should make any difference to whether I’m the right actor for the role or not. In fact,’ she was gaining confidence now, ‘I happen to think that having a child gives you a deeper insight into human emotions. And that can only be a good thing, can’t it?’ She tilted her chin and shot a defiant look at Tess. ‘Well, I suppose we should get down to business,’ Zac told her. ‘I’d like you to read the first scene with Tess, who will take on all the other parts. And you’re to keep your English accent.’ Initially Liberty made a complete hash of it. It had been so long since she’d had an audition and she felt she wasn’t getting into the character at all – too aware all the time of sinking into the luxurious sofa and being in the presence of this powerful director. ‘Heard enough?’ Tess asked Zac, as yet again Liberty stumbled over one of her speeches. They must be regretting wasting their time on her. Zac looked disappointed, but before he could reply Liberty said, ‘Please let me try it again. I know that was rubbish. And I think it would help me if we stood up.’ ‘Sure. Do it again from the top,’ Zac replied. But he sounded weary, as if he had nothing to lose. But this time Liberty felt herself connect with the words and with the character. When she came to the end she looked over at Zac and Tess, and they seemed impressed. Well, Zac seemed positively excited and Tess actually cracked a smile. ‘Liberty, would you mind stepping out to the other
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room while Tess and I have a talk?’ Zac asked. ‘Help yourself to a drink from the bar.’ They seemed to be ages. Liberty felt too agitated to sit down and, after pouring herself a glass of water, paced up and down the room. Now she was here and had met Zac again and had the prospect of this amazing, life-changing role within her grasp, she suddenly realised how much she wanted it. With a fierce, burning ambition. Tess popped her head round the door. ‘Come on through, Liberty. We’ve made our decision.’ Zac smiled broadly at her as she walked back into the room. ‘Well, usually we’d do all this through your agent, but there’s no time. So, we’d like to offer you the role. We need to start filming next week. What do you say?’ For a moment she was too stunned to reply, and Zac took her silence for uncertainty. ‘Obviously we would help you get settled into an apartment, arrange child care for your daughter, and make the move as troublefree as possible for you.’ ‘I can’t believe it!’ Liberty finally exclaimed. ‘Are you sure this isn’t a joke? Things like this don’t happen to me.’ ‘Believe it. You have just the quality we’re looking for. You’re perfect for the role.’ He glanced at his colleague. ‘Even Tess agrees and she is really tough to please.’ Tess smiled. ‘It’s certainly true that I had my doubts. But I’m ready to concede that Zac is right. You’re just who we’re looking for.’ ‘We should celebrate,’ he went on. ‘We’ll order champagne and have dinner here. We all need to get to know each other better as we’re going to be working together. Would that be okay with you, Liberty?’
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‘Sure,’ she replied, as if room service in Claridges was an everyday occurrence, while inside she was brimming over with excitement.
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