BRIAN (The Callahans Book 1) (46 page)

“What is this disaster, Devon? Goddammit!”

I awoke suddenly to shouting, which sounded like it was emanating from the kitchen.

“Don’t give me that bullshit, Devon. Who is she? Where is she?”

I groaned as I stretched, wondering what was going on. I checked my phone. It was barely eight in the morning. Was this what life with a movie star entailed? Early morning shouting matches? The sun was barely up. I buried my head beneath two pillows and tried to go back to sleep.

Devon’s responses had been calm enough that I couldn’t hear them from my vantage point, but whatever he was saying was growing increasingly louder.

“Did I say you could fucking go up there?” he was demanding. “I swear to God, if you enjoy whatever it is that you buy with the money I pay you, you will stop right now.”

I frowned at that—was Devon in some kind of trouble? And then the bedroom door burst open.

“Wake up!” someone all but shrieked, and I’d finally had enough.

“What the fuck is your problem?” I demanded, launching myself to an aggressive sitting position. “Do you know what time it is? I see you have a nice watch. Is it just for show? Did you never learn how to use it, idiot?”

I was faced with Devon, who was grinning, and another man I’d never met before, whose mouth had dropped open to about his knees. He was handsome enough—if you were into hair gel and dubious tanning practices. But he was rude, and I was happy to have shocked him into silence with my diatribe.

That’s when I realized I was naked, and giving both Devon and his guest quite the eyeful.

I grabbed the covers around me and covered my face with a pillow once more—this time, with the sincere intent to smother myself and put myself out of my misery.

“June, meet Chaz. Chaz, June,” Devon said, laughter in his voice. I was glad someone thought this was funny. I wanted to die.

“Pleased to make your acquaintance, June,” Chaz said, and now I remembered his voice from the uncomfortable phone conversation I’d heard on the way back to Dallas from Hawaii.

“Likewise,” I mumbled, my face still buried under the pillow.

“Devon, may I please speak with you downstairs?” Chaz asked.

“Why, certainly, Chaz,” Devon said, aping the polite tone his agent had adopted. “We’ll try and keep it down, June. Snooze it.”

There was no way I was snoozing through this. No sleep for the mortified.

The moment chatter resumed downstairs—at a much lower volume—I scrambled out of bed and into Devon’s T-shirt and boxers, the first items of clothing I found on the floor. Stealing across the thick carpet of the bedroom, I crept cautiously to the landing. I couldn’t see the kitchen from my vantage point, but I could hear what was going on down there.

“If you’re going to bring someone new into the mix, you have to at least give me a head’s up so I can do some damage control,” Chaz was in the middle of saying.

“There’s no need for damage control here,” Devon cut in.

“Look at this and tell me there isn’t.” There was some faint clicking, like someone was working a phone or laptop.

“That’s not a great picture of her,” Devon said after a long pause. I frowned. Not a good picture of who? I sat on the first stair and bent forward, my torso pressed against my lap, trying to see what they were looking at. No dice.

“You’re not kidding, that’s not a great picture of her,” Chaz said. “Did you even read the headline? I like it even less. ‘Who’s the Rando Holding Hands with Devon Ray?’”

“It could’ve been worse.”

“It is worse,” Chaz shot back. “This is implying that you’ll hook up with anyone. It harms your brand. You’re supposed to be unattainable—every woman’s idea of the perfect guy, the one they can never have because you’re above them.”

“Is that seriously my brand?”

“You’re a perfect specimen of man, Devon,” Chaz said. “Of course that’s your brand. If you were going to drag some souvenir back from your little vacation, you should’ve warned me. I would’ve arranged to have you fly into San Diego. Sacramento. Tijuana. Wherever the fuck other than LA. You landed right in a nest of paparazzi. Hell, if you enjoy slumming it so goddamn much, I could’ve popped you all on a Greyhound bus from Dallas to Malibu.”

It had become very, very clear that the item under discussion was me. Slowly, and as quietly as I could, I inched back up the stairs, standing on the landing even though I felt dizzy. What had I gotten myself into, and how could I get myself back out? I wanted no part of this life, analyzing every facet of appearances. It made me sick.

I slunk back into bed and retrieved my phone. I knew it would be a mistake, but I had to do it. I had to know exactly what they were talking about. I searched the headline that Chaz had read aloud. My heart sunk immediately.

Chaz was right—the photo was awful. It had been taken in the terminal at the airport. One of my eyes was halfway closed, the other bulging open, dazzled by the flashes. My mouth was agape—no poker face for me—at the spectacle, my dark hair limp beneath the hat that didn’t quite hide enough of my face. And I was clutching Devon’s hand like I was terrified. Of course, I had been terrified, but I wish it hadn’t been so effectively captured in the photo.

I looked like an idiot. Worse yet, the whole world saw it.

“Don’t look at that garbage.”

I hurriedly shut my phone’s display off, but it wasn’t before Devon had seen what I’d been ogling.

“Seriously, June,” he said, sitting on the edge of the bed and putting his hand on my knee. “That shit will only make you feel bad.”

“Well, I do feel bad,” I said, my voice shaking. “I wish I’d had sunglasses, like you.”

“This is my fault,” he said. “Chaz is right—I shouldn’t have dragged you through the airport like that. I know better. I know what it’s like. It’s just…I’m used to it. It’s an ugly thing to be accustomed to, but that’s just my life. It’s not yours, and it was a shit introduction to LA.”

I shrugged. “Well it’s over now.”

Devon hesitated. “That’s the thing, though. It’s not over. Especially not now. It’s kind of just getting started.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, trying to ride out the sickening feeling of my stomach dropping out from under me.

“People are going to try to figure out who you are,” Devon said. “I’ll be followed specifically for the chance to get a photo of you, to get you to react to awful questions so the photo can be purposefully terrible. You’re probably the highest bounty in Hollywood right now.”

“Bounty?”

“Photos of you will probably fetch a higher price than photos of me,” he explained.

“Oh.” That didn’t sound pleasant at all.

“This isn’t really what you had in mind, is it?” Devon asked unhappily. “I’m so sorry, June. I know what you must be thinking.”

“How did I get into this and how do I get myself out of it,” I intoned, rubbing my face with my hands.

“Chaz has an option,” Devon said, but I shook my head.

“I heard what Chaz said. He said you’re slumming it with me.”

“Chaz was being a dick because he was upset,” Devon reasoned.

“I don’t trust him.”

“I do.” Devon tucked a piece of my hair back behind my ear. “I’ve known Chaz longer than I’ve known anyone in the business. You can call him a dick. That’s reasonable. But he’s a dick who knows what he’s doing, and that’s invaluable to me.”

“What’s Chaz’s suggestion?” I asked. “Hide my ‘rando’ face in a paper bag the next time we venture out? Never go out? I bet that’s it. He wants me to begin a hermitage.” I was supportive of that second idea. Devon’s house was big enough that I was sure I’d get lost in it. It would be impossible to be bored. I would never have to face the music, growing fat and pale—but protected.

“No,” Devon said. “Chaz says you should face everything head-on, and I agree.”

“What?” I spluttered. “Just let the paparazzi take shitty photos of me and the Internet write shitty stories? No, thank you.”

“He suggested you should do an interview.”

“That sounds even worse.” I could only imagine the types of questions I would field, the statements that would get taken out of context, the anxiety I wouldn’t be able to escape for the duration of the ordeal. That was an idea that could only backfire.

“If you let people know who you are, it’ll be on your own terms,” Devon persisted. “You would have control. Chaz knows this side of the industry intimately. He’d vet the interviewer—and the questions. He’d coach you beforehand. This is what he does. This is what I pay him to do.”

“I don’t think I want to do this.”

“I don’t think you have much of a choice,” Devon said gently. “Think about it, June. If you try to remain anonymous, they’ll never leave you alone. This is the best option. Do the interview.”

“Is this what it’s like all the time?” I asked mournfully. “Is this your life, worrying about what people say about you, how you look, who you’re with?”

“Fame and fortune come at a pretty steep price,” he confirmed. “I’m sorry I dragged you into it.”

“I could always sink back into anonymity in Dallas,” I said, almost hopeful. “That’s a good plan, right?”

“Only you wouldn’t be with me,” he said. “I think that’s a bad plan.”

I sighed. I didn’t know what I thought anymore. “I want to be here with you, Devon, but I really hate the paparazzi. There has to be something that can be done about them. They shouldn't harass you as badly as they do.”

“Beat them at their own game,” he encouraged me. “Do the interview. Control your image. Chaz can take you under his wing for this.”

“I don’t think Chaz likes me very much.”

“He doesn’t like anyone. It keeps him honest.”

“I’ll do the interview, then,” I said with a long sigh.

The next day, Devon had to run errands and attend some professional commitments. I got dressed and was ready and waiting for Chaz when the agent let himself into the house. He came bearing coffee.

“Glad to see Devon away at the things he’s supposed to be doing,” Chaz remarked by way of saying hello.

“I guess,” I said, noncommittal.

“You’re an enormous distraction to him,” he said. “I hope you know that.”

Well, I did now. I didn’t know what to say to this brusque man. Devon promised me Chaz would grow on me. I didn’t see that happening at all.

“Devon’s a grown man,” I said, deciding to take my stand. “He does whatever he wants. I don’t control him. And as much as you wish you did, neither do you.”

Chaz studied me for a few long and uncomfortable moments. “Too much sass,” he decided. “You come off as bitchy instead of spunky.”

“I’ll work on that,” I said.

“Too much sarcasm.”

He busied himself with unloading the coffee from the carrier, dropping his messenger bag on a chair pulled up to the countertop.

“A skinny mocha frappe for you, no whip,” Chaz said, daintily handing over a slushy of coffee to me. “I thought this would be right up your alley.”

“You think I need to lose weight,” I said flatly, accepting the beverage.

“I think you could avoid being bloated on national television, yes,” he said. “Your weight is just fine, thankfully. You look like you take care of yourself.”

“Thanks?” I said, unsure if it was a compliment. I didn’t really take care of myself. I just had a forgiving metabolism. But I figured Chaz didn’t need to know that. He already thought so little of me.

“There’s really no time to waste, so let’s just skip the small talk and get right into it,” he said.

I blinked, surprised. I hadn’t considered what we were doing to be small talk, but things were obviously very different in Hollywood. I was quick to figure that out.

“Kelly’s an old friend of mine, so there won’t be any curveballs,” he said, sipping on his own caffeinated drink. I had to wonder if his was a skinny, too. “What we’re looking for is a fun puff piece. People—especially women—are going to be jealous of you because you’ve seemingly landed Devon Ray.”

“The unattainable man,” I muttered.

“Keep that sarcasm up and they really will hate you,” he warned. “I can see the social media posts now—backwater bitch doesn’t even appreciate she’s with Hollywood’s hottest leading man.”

I blinked at him, shocked into silence.

“What?” he asked, blinking back, taking another sip of his drink. “I think in 140 characters. Oh, are you offended at ‘bitch?’ You have to grow a thicker skin—immediately. If I’m going to make you cry, you might as well pack your bags and go back to wherever, Texas.”

“It’s Dallas,” I informed him, but he ignored me.

“What’s really going to matter is what you look like,” he continued. “That is what people will be most interested in—unless you fuck up and say something stupid, which you shouldn’t do because I just told you it would be a fuck up. Understand?”

“Should I just smile and nod whenever she asks me anything?” I asked, fighting the urge to roll my eyes. “Can you get her to only ask ‘yes’ questions? They might think I’m a bitch if I say no to anything.”