"What are you doing? Its 6am!" I shouted to her from the window as she swam slowly in the pool below.

"I cant sleep! Come join me!"

As I approached her in the light blue water of my pool, she smiled as she wiped her wet hair from her

face, "Morning"

"good morning you're up early."

She smiled again " I think im still on my time, so its later with me right now…it always messes with

me if I come here!"

I hopped in to the cool water, that instantly woke me up "ah, why didn't you switch on the heater?"

"Im British sweethearrrrt, this is melting weather for me, I needed to cool down."

I laughed at her as I looked on " well, last night was….fun."

"wasn't it?" she giggled and then rolled her eyes " is she up yet?"

And then I couldn't help but roll mine. "no I don't think so…thank god to be honest, Im glad we get

a little time"

"Justin!!!!!!!!!!!!" came the yell before I got out my last word.

It was Melina, "SHIT!"

With that Anita let go of my hands and swam away from me "So much for alone time huh?" and with

that she climbed out of the pool and walked into my pool house.

And I went towards the yelling.

I got to the top of the stairs and rounded the corner "yes?"

She was sitting in the chair by the window, "what are you doing?"

"what?"

"i've been calling you for like…well a long time!! I need you to take me shopping today."

"that's what you called me up here for? Jesus Melina, I know you cant drive here, but couldn't it have

waited??"

"NO, just because SHE decides to show up after all these months doesn't mean you can neglect me!!

Im the one carrying your child after all!"

My head suddenly hurt like hell.

"Im not getting into this with you again, its far too early for this shit! she's my girl, you understand? I

don't love you I love her…deal with that will you?"

I could tell simply by the way his feet hit the stairs he was beyond pissed off at her.

"Fucking bitch."

"excuse me?"

"Not you, her…." he sighed "Im sorry…."

"don't be" I buttered my toast and offered him a peace. "ill deal with it, I wouldn't have come here

had I not known what I was walking into…don't let her get to you okay?"

"she's not, I just worry that shell get to you…"

"Justin, it'll take more than some walking talking whoring Barbie-gone-wrong to get my goat, im

made of tougher stuff babes, and its bout time she saw that."

"is this the part where you tell me your strong and willing to deal with her no matter what?" he bit

into the toast

"no this is the part where I kiss you good morning and we all go shopping together."

He looked at me as if id lost my head, and just maybe I had. But I had to try something with her, I

wasn't about to let cocaine Barbie get the better of me again. She'd done it once, I was scared and

new to the idea of her being in my man's life, but not any more. It was time I bucked myself up and

started acting like the woman I was.

And I could just as scheming as she was, if not worse, after all I was a gossip columnist for three

years, she would be just another piece of fodder id use to get to the bottom of my story.

It was after 9 when Melina finally 'graced' us with her presence, and the air you could have cut with a

knife.

But I decided if I wanted rid of her, id kill her….with kindness.

So I greeted her with a smile and a strong cup of tea.

"thank you, Jesus since i've been 'ere I haven had a decent cuppa." she sat at the table next to Justin.

"no, that's the thing, these Americans are ALL about their coffee, they don't know how to make a

good cup of tea, do you darlin?"

Justin again looked at me as if to say "what the fuck?" but I nodded and he seemed to get that I was

just playing along.

"um, yeah I guess that's what it is, sorry…."

"no, don't be sorry, you more than make up for it….in other ways." the bitch (yes that's her name

from now okay?)looked at me as she spoke to Justin, again I just held my piece and sipped my tea.

"Melina? What time did you want to go shopping?"

"what?"

"well you know Justin, men are just NO good at picking out flattering clothes are they, for us I

mean.. Justin I wont even bring up that hideous hat you thought would look cute on me, remember

you bought it in convent garden, god it was awful."

"hey, that WAS cute on you…girl you have no taste."

"please, it was awful, Mel…you don't mind if I call you Mel do you?" I could call you a lot of other

things too.

She looked confused. GOOD

"um, no of course not…."

"well…I think we should set off in a few minutes, beat midday rush an all…I wouldn't mind calling

to the Beverly centre, they have some wicked shops. And then onto Rodeo drive, J what you think?"

"bargains and then bling is that it Nita?" he smiled

"oh, you know me, I love a good bargain." I leaned over and much to her disgust I kissed him "give

me a sec till I get my bag love."

I heard her sigh as I left the table, I was sure I was going to make today as uncomfortable for her as this last few months had been for me.

The cow.

As we walked around the various shopping establishments that resided on rodeo drive I was aware that even though she held my hand and engaged in conversation with me she was totally concentrated on the other woman in our company.

She would slide me glances every now and then letting me know that she was still on this planet.

"Nita" I whispered "are you sure your okay with this?"

She just nodded "Justin would you mind getting me a star bucks? I think the jet lag is getting to me…"

"um, sure…." I thought it rude not to ask the semi-heavily pregnant woman next to me if she'd like

one "Melina anything??"

"um, decaf latte please"

"cool, we'll just be in here." she pointed to LV.

"sure??" I asked her again, and she just rolled her eyes

"j, please come on, im fine!!" With that she leaned in and kissed me again, well aware that Melina was

looking on, and it was a sure certainty that there was some kind of photographer in the bushes.

I just decided to let her do whatever the hell it was she was doing.

****

"you know I think its awful"

"what?" I looked over at her as we browsed the bags section.

"you, you really are threatened by me aren't you?"

"ex-cuse me?" bitch

"well its just pathetic to be honest, I mean you really think he's going to have time for someone who

just ups and leaves him when he's in turmoil, someone who has NO backbone what so ever….its

sad."

I was for the first time, speechless. Who the hell did this slut think she was.

"id heard all about you, you know. How you lied to him, and convinced him you were someone

else….and then you have the cheek to come up in my face?" she laughed "like I said pathetic"

Was it wrong to slap pregnant women????

"the only reason I lied to him was because of people like you, using the papers and their writers in

order to fuck him up, made him hate us all by association, he meant a lot to me, not that you'd know

what the hell that means."

"wouldn't I ?"

"No because your selfish, im in love with him and him with me, so whatever you've got….bring it on, because im not leaving him again, I needed time to get my head around this, and you…i've done that now. And im more than ready for anything you have to throw at me, or Justin."

"is that right?" she stood, bump fully on display as we argues silently as we browsed the small exclusive isles of clothing and accessories.

I managed to pick up a bag I was after before she caught on to what id said last.

"what did you mean back there?"

"I meant nothing…" I lied terribly. Then I paused, just to piss her off a little more.

"but be up and ready tomorrow morning at 9 if you can."

"why?" she all but shrieked.

"'cause, i've arranged for a doctor to come to the house and get a sample of the baby's DNA."

Her mouth dropped. "you have no right to-"

"- Actually I bloody well do, your fucking with my life, with Justin's life and im tired of it, im tired

of hearing him down and deflated, now…I truly don't believe that this kid of yours is his, call me

crazy…"

"crazy!!"

"BUT I just don't believe it, but if it is the case, id like to know now."

"So, you can do a runner again or what?" she argued into my ear. Her fake hair falling about her chest

as she moved.

"Like I said im not going anywhere….you on the other hand will be out of our hair as soon as those

results come in. thank god."

She smiled "and what happens when it is true? What then? Legally I don't to anywhere!"

"well, your right, but sweethearrrt" I mocked her east end accent. "till you pop, you don't have shag

all to do with Justin. So you'll be going home, and ill be going on holiday with MY boyfriend"

And with that I walked away, shit I didn't believe a word I said myself, I was shocked she believed my

act. But I need to summon up some false courage otherwise she'd get the better of me again and I just

couldn't have that.

She just walked away from me, but I wasn't done "if you are telling the truth you shouldn't want to

wait, prove me wrong, shove it in my face if you like, I would think you'd want to be proven right"

I saw tears in her eyes "what's with all the procrastination?

"you know why, its dangerous to the baby that's all, I don't want to harm my baby just for the sake of

settling some annoying girls curiosity."

"and Justin's? What about his??"

With that Justin made his entrance with the three sealed cups on a cardboard tray. Needless to say he

sensed the tension.

"wh-whats goin on here? Nita, is everything okay?"

Annnnd I couldn't hold my breath. "No its bloody not okay, I told her I arranged for a doctor to

come tomorrow and take the tests…and she's STILL refusing"

He looked straight at me then, with shock in his eyes more than anything.

"I didn't ask you to do that Anita."

Now call me a nutter but almost sounded as if he were mad at me.

"what?"

He looked at her and then at me again. This time she was smiling, somewhat smugly.

"I never ask you to book anything, and you never even told ME about this….where you planning on

it?"

"well I just thought-"

"that you wouldn't consult me, of all people on what should be done?? Is that it?"

Bastard WAS mad at me.

I lowered my voice this time because I noticed the snooty assistant looking in our direction.

"No…I just….I wanted to help, and I thought…."

"Jesus Christ Anita, I told you, I was waiting, mine or not I don't want to put this baby at risk…i've

read up on it, a test like that is really dangerous. And besides I don't want you dealing with this, its

really not something you have to worry about…."

Melina smiled wider this time and added "Ooh, did I forget to mention that little detail…oh im ever

so sorry"

You're a BITCH did I mention that?????

I was so embarrassed, humiliated, and hurt that he basically said this wasn't my business. Practically

anyway.

I was either going to hit him or her…no I wasn't I was going to rise above it and walk away.

Red faced as it were.

"oh, well, im…sorry, I just…Oh never mind….Um Justin if you don't mind im gonna go" I pointed

weakly at the door.

"what? Babe no…come on I didn't mean to snap at you I just…"

"No…really its fine…you two go, she needs new clothes anyway doesn't she…um yeah im just

going to go…walk." I was so shocked, all the time I thought that my opinion, my presence actually

mattered to him, that he NEEDED me to…I don't know, protect him from her evilness or

something stupid like that, I guess I was wrong, he'd already fallen for the evil charms of that

whore….

And it wasn't something I "had to worry about" I mean could he have been anymore insensitive? He

can be such a prick when he wants to be you know, I don't even know why I bother…..

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