"Claire!" Tilda lit up the moment she saw her.
"Tilda." Claire answered, sounding a little like a boss, calm and cool.
Tilda hurried over, clearly worried. "What happened? Are you hurt? Where's Dane?"
Her concern was real, not just for show. In Tilda's mind, Claire had saved Van's life. And since Tilda and Van got together in the hospital, Claire basically played matchmaker for them. No wonder Tilda was so friendly.
"It's just a small injury," Claire said, brushing it off as nothing. "I came to Cabinda for an exam. Afterward, I needed to relax, so I stopped by a film set to watch some shooting. But then... well, you know how life goes."
She kept her explanation short and simple.
Tilda, always in the loop thanks to her work as a journalist, immediately thought of the accident involving Oakley, the movie star. That had just happened.
"Were you there to see Oakley?"
"Yeah," Claire admitted without any hesitation.
With Tilda's connections and skills as a reporter, she could probably find out anything she wanted anyway.
"You finished your checkup, right? You're sure you're okay?" Tilda still seemed worried.
Claire smiled. "I'm a doctor. If anything was wrong, I'd know. My aunt just gets anxious, so she insisted I come to the hospital and get checked out."
"As long as you're alright." Tilda nodded, visibly relieved. "Come on, let's get dinner. My treat."
"Thanks, but I was planning to eat at home tonight," Claire said, trying to be polite.
But Tilda just hooked her arm through Claire's and refused to let go. "Nope. You're not getting away from me that easily. We hardly ever get to see each other, and if I don't treat you to a nice meal, I'll feel guilty."
With Tilda's warmth, Claire couldn't say no.
"Let me just let my aunt know first."
"I'll go with you!" Tilda said quickly, like she was afraid Claire might disappear. "Alright." Claire didn't mind. Together, they went to find Karla.
Oakley was still unconscious, and Karla had just finished dealing with some nosy reporters who showed up as soon as they caught a whiff of the story. She looked tired.
When Tilda realized who Karla was, she was honestly surprised. "Wait, your aunt is Karla?"
Tilda might not work in
entertainment, but as a reporter for the national station, she definitely knew Karla's name. She was famous a powerhouse agent
had managed two Best Actor
winners and a Best Actress.
Claire introduced her aunt to Tilda, and Tilda greeted Karla with her usual enthusiasm.
Karla was a little confused about how her niece knew someone from the national TV station, but with a friend inviting Claire out for dinner, she wouldn't dream of saying
no.
"Go on, then. When your test results are out, I'll have someone pick them up."
Karla just wanted to be absolutely sure Claire was truly fine.
With a smile, Claire thanked her and left the hospital with Tilda.
Tilda took her to a cozy, old favorite-a place she'd been coming to since she was a
kid.
"This place is amazing. The chef's
family used to cook for the royal family Tilda said, giving Claire a little inside scoop And the pastries?
We always order extra to take home. You have to try them..."
Tilda's excitement was honestly a little overwhelming, and Claire almost couldn't keep up.
So she switched topics fast. "Tilda, were you at the hospital for something today?"
Tilda suddenly seemed shy. "Um,
well... my period is late this month. It
still hasn't come and when it does.
my cramps are pretty bad, sel
figured I should see a gynecologist."
Claire raised an eyebrow and gave Tilda a once-over. "Want me to check your
pulse?"