Relatively Famous (16 page)

“Well, I told them I was seeing someone. I didn’t mention you spe
cifically.” I narrow my eyes. “Why, do I embarrass you or something?” Now I was getting pissed, but I can’t wear the neutral mask like Drew can.

“Of course you don’t embarrass me Sydney!” He bellows, “You’re the one who doesn’t want to talk about anything, or know
anything! I’m just shocked as hell that you would even tell anyone that I exist!”

My breath leaves my body as though I’ve been punched in the stomach. “That’s how you think I feel about you? That I want to pretend you don’t exist?” I
choke out in a weak voice.

“No, that’s not what I meant, shit. I don’t know Sydney, I’m still stuck on the whole date with Adam Reynolds bomb you dropped on me.
I don’t share.” He runs his hands through his thick hair, making it stick out every which way off his head. He looks even hotter when he’s pissed and bewildered and that kind of makes me even angrier.

“It’s not a date!” I yell, standing up and facing him. “I told them I would only go if I could bring you and that Adam understood that we,” I
motion between the two of us, “Would hang out with him and talk to him but that’s it!”

He gets to his feet and stands in front of me, a good seven inches taller
, roaring back at me. “But you can’t stand celebrities, Sydney! That’s what you said! There will be cameras and famous people everywhere! I just don’t get it!”

I refuse to back down.
“I don’t like any of that shit, Drew! I hate it! It fucking ruined my life, okay? I’m still screwed up from it. I don’t want to go to the party at all, but when the boss of a multi-billion dollar hotel chain tells you to show up at his party, you have to show up! I have no choice!” I fall back on the couch and fold my arms across my chest, a sullen scowl on my face.

Drew sighs, and hangs his head. He
takes a deep breath and sits down next to me. I can feel him trying to rein in the anger that is radiating off of his body. “I’m sorry Sydney. I won’t ask you about your past, since you aren’t ready to tell me, but I won’t know if I can go with you until I get to California and see how my schedule is and how the project is going. I understand that you have to be there, but I’m not going to pretend to like it In fact, it makes me want to punch Adam Reynolds right in the head.”

He’s jealous!
I can’t believe it. Drew is a thousand times hotter than Adam and he’s jealous of him. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for dumping this on you. It’s on your birthday and it’s probably not your idea of a good time.” I feel shitty for doing this to Drew. “If you can’t make it, I get it.”

He leans
in and touches his nose to mine. “I’ll try my best to be there, if for no other reason than to keep him from hitting on my woman. Let’s go to bed.”

I guess I’ll have to wait and see how this plays out. It has everything I hate rolled into one awful night: celebrities, paparazzi, attention on me, and a pissed off Drew…I’m looking forward to it about as much as a root canal.

Chapter
21

I have the Warren Hotel’s driver drop me off at Leah’s place after work the next day. Drew got a call and had to leave a day earlier than he thought, so he’s somewhere over the Rocky Mountains right now. I hate that we fought right before he left. Even though we made up, it was still a little tense this morning.

Damn Jeff Talley and Adam Reynolds!

I haven’t seen Leah since I got back from the Caribbean with Drew, and she’s dying for details. Plus, she had a couple more dates with the Media Mogul’s son and wants to dish. So we’re having a “girl’s night in”, complete with margaritas and veggie pizza from our favorite place.

I’m not telling her about the bathtub incident, so I’ll fake drinking the alcohol to avoid explaining. I’m pretty sure you can’t be pregnant one day later, but I have no idea and I can’t deal with that mess tonight.

“Sydney!” Leah’s squeal just about shatters my eardrums as she lets me into her East Village condo.

“Hey Leah.
” I return her enthusiastic hug and throw my bag and coat on the big gray chair near the door. Her condo is perfect for her, it’s open and modern, in shades of white and steel gray. One entire side of her home is windows, with panoramic views of Gramercy Park where her parents and my mom live, and the buildings uptown. I kick my shoes off and throw myself down on her enormous white couch curling my legs up underneath my body.

“Grab a drink.
I put one on the end table for you. Pizza will be here soon.” Leah comes out from the kitchen with her margarita and sits on other end of the couch. She’s adorable all dressed down with no makeup, in her yoga pants and oversized T-shirt with her dad’s latest Broadway play emblazed on the front, her blonde hair swept up into a messy bun.

“So…” she looks at me expectantly. “Drew? Caribbean? Got anything to say about it?” She giggles and scoops up her margarita, popping the lime off of the edge of the glass and sucking on it playfully, then dropping it into her drink and drowning a big gulp. At least one of us gets to act like they’re in their early twenties.

I smile coyly and pretend to sip my margarita. “We had fun.”

I’ll have to dump this out later when she’s not looking.

Leah straightens up, her smile vanishing. “Oh no, no way. I want details. Lots of them. You can’t stay single for all this time, leave my coffee shop with one of the most gorgeous men I’ve ever seen, go away with him to a super-exclusive island in the Caribbean and just tell me you had fun!” Her blonde hair is bobbing around on the top of her head as she chastises me.

Laughing at her mini tantrum, I tell Leah about the private jet, the extravagant villa on the hill, the sailboat with a full crew. I show her pictures that I took of the garden at the house, on the sailboat, of Drew asleep by the pool.
He has no idea I took that one.
Leah just about loses it whenever I show her a photo of Drew shirtless. She squeals again when I give her the black coral bracelet I bought for her on St. Bart’s.

“Syd, it looks like it was so fantastic. I’m really, really happy for you.
So, what’s the plan from here?”

Obviously, my best friend wants to know where my relationship is going.
Certainly, she’s been waiting for this conversation since we were sixteen and I should have had my first boyfriend, if I were normal, which I’m clearly not.

“Well, you know he’s working out of town for the next six weeks or so,” she nods and makes a ‘hurry up and continue’ motion with her hand. “So, he’s going to fly back several times while he’s gone and I guess we’re not seeing other people.” I shrug. “That’s it.”

Oh, and there’s a very slight chance that I may be pregnant because of incredibly hot bathtub sex
.

The pizza arrives, so I escape any more of her questioning. We move to the dining table that’s up against the wall of windows. I look out at the night as we eat and I urge Leah to tell me all about her dates with Carter. He sounds pretty nice. He took her to an impossible to get into restaurant last week, and she cooked dinner for him this past weekend. He actually calls when he says he will and isn’t a complete bastard like most of Leah’s previous boyfriends. So in my eyes, that makes him great.

I mention that she could double-date with me and Drew when he gets back from California. She chokes on her pizza when I ask her, and deflects the question.
Okay, no double-dates then
.

When we’re done eating, we move back to the living room and I tell her about the launch party and how Drew reacted when I told him about Adam. She’s pretty much speechless, which is a rare
event as far as Leah is concerned. Her mouth is hanging open in shock. After a few moments she’s able to communicate, “Wait, you have two smoking hot guys that want you and that’s a problem? I think I might hate you right now.” She throws a napkin at me as she says that last part.

I swat it away and laugh at her.
“This is serious, Leah!” I know I sound whiney, but it’s not as cool or fun as she’s trying to make it sound. “I don’t know what to do. Drew said he’ll try to make it to the party, but…”

“Wait!” S
he throws up her hands. “Drew said he’d take you to the opening of Verve?”

“He said he’d try to come back for it, but he’s not sure yet. It’s the same night as his 30
th
birthday, actually.”

“Whoa. I can’t believe he said he’d go with you.” She takes a big gul
p of her margarita.

“What the hell, Leah? Why wouldn’t he want to go with me? Am I embarrassing or something?” I glare at her.

This is exactly what Drew said, am I that bad?

“Oh, no. Sydney, it’s not like that. God, you’re gorgeous and you know it. I just, I guess…” she’s fumbling to explain, just like Drew was.
What the fuck?
“I mean, I’m surprised he’d want to go if you’re supposed to pretend to be with Adam, that’s all.”

“Well, he knows that I want him there. Actually, he knows I don’t want to go at all, but since I have to go I want him to be my date. He’s pretty pissed off at Adam too, which is kind of hot.” I
smile at the thought of my MMA-loving boyfriend challenging some big shot celebrity to a fight over me.

His words replay in my head,
“I don’t share,”
and I shiver in pleasure from his territorial statement.

“What about all of the cameras and celebrities and shit, Syd? How in the heck are you going to avoid all of that? These club openings are crazy and get a lot of press.” I explain the agreement that I made with Jeff to skip the red carpet and that they won’t release or print any photos of me. Leah seems to think it ov
er for minute before responding. “Then it sounds great. I mean, I’d love to go if Drew can’t make it. I’ll be your date, Sydney!”

“It’s a deal!” We laugh and for a few hours, I
’m able to forget that Drew is gone, that I might be pregnant, that my boss is an ass, and manage to feel happy.

Chapter
22

Over the next week, I spend most of my time at the hotel, making sure that the club comes together in time for the launch. I’ve already hit a big snag. The outdoor lighting for the enormous rooftop patio was shipped with the wrong color mounts and hardware. That took three exasperating hours on the phone just to get someone who could pull up my invoice. Needless to say, I’ll never purchase from them again. The rush on the furniture is working out well, however, and most of the pieces have arrived or are arriving soon.

I try to squeeze in a long run every day, even when I’m so exhausted that all I want to do is go straight home to bed. The running helps with my anxiety, and it keeps me from missing Drew. I don’t want to sit around my empty loft, feeling sorry for myself. Keeping busy is my best defense against doing irrational things and giving myself nightmares.

Today, everything at work went smoothly for once. No messed up orders or problems with the deliveries. I even left while it was still l
ight out.

Since I ran early this morning before going to the hotel, I have an entire evening free. Drew is supposed to Skype me around 11pm because of the time difference, so I decide it’s time to run an errand that’s been hanging over me since he left a
little over a week ago. I have the car service drop me off at the Duane Reade a few blocks my building and walk out ten minutes later with my purchase in a plastic sac.

I walk home as fast as I can without flat out sprinting down the sidewalk in my heels. I’m too nervous to even enjoy the unseasonably warm early February afternoon, my stomach doing summersaults until I feel sick.

I rush past Richard as he opens the door for me, and head straight upstairs. Throwing my stuff down on the hardwood floor of my foyer, I snatch up the plastic bag and beeline for my room. The brightly colored box that I dump on my bed is an almost comical contrast to the dark, paralyzing fear that grips me.

You can do this. You need to do this.
Give Drew good news tonight
.

I exhale, closing my eyes for a second. Not allowing
myself time to change my mind, my shaking hands rip open the package and I run into the bathroom. I march out empty-handed seconds later, and stand in front of my bedroom windows. Leaning my forehead against the cool glass, I watch the tiny cars and taxis weave through traffic in their endless rat race around the city.

Okay.
Breathe Sydney
. I swallow down my panic and walk back into the bathroom, dragging my feet as though I’m headed to my execution. Shaking, I peek over at the pregnancy test balanced precariously on the edge of my sink.

Not Pregnant

Holy shit. Thank God.

Feeling a
s if a giant weight has been lifted from my shoulders, I smile and toss the stick into the trash can. One anxiety down, only about fifty-seven more to go.

Happier than I’ve been since Drew left, I change into a tank top and yoga capris and heat up my dinner. I haven’t eaten much this week from all of the stress, so it’ll be go
od to have a full meal.

I head into the office to answer some emails
while I eat then call my mom. I had snapped a few photos of the construction with my iPhone and sent them to her during the install and I want her feedback on what I’ve done so far.

Her phone rings so many times that I’m about to g
ive up when she answers. “Hello dear,” she says sweetly. “Sorry I couldn’t find my phone, you know how it is,” she giggles.

Yes, I actually do know how that is, and why is my mom giggling?

“It’s okay mom. What did you think of the pics I forwarded to you?”

“Sydney, it’s co
ming along perfectly. You are doing excellent work for your first project of this size.” So far I’ve only designed private homes and small offices, so she knows that this nightclub is a huge step for me in my career. She assigned it to me instead of one of the more experienced designers so I could prove my talent.

“Thanks, it means a lot to me that you like it. You should see the space, mom, it’s extraordinary. Next time you’re in the city we
can go there for a drink. We could sit in the VIP room or something.” No way would Evangeline Allen be seen out in the common area where people could approach her or take photos.

“Oh honey, I fully intend to see your biggest success up close and personal. I’m sure it will be even better than I imagine.” She laughs and I can practically feel her smile come through the phone. “I
have to go Sydney, keep sending me photos, and don’t forget I’m sending Bridget Williams from the office over to the hotel tomorrow to help out with the workload.”

“I won’t forget, talk to you later.” I disconnect and put the phone on the desk. She sounded particularly happy tonight
, with an almost mischievous attitude, as though she knows something that I don’t.

I hate that
.

I’m glad she’s doing well, though. I don’t see her for the six months she spends in Belize each year, something she’s done since I finished high school. Mom won’t return to New York until early April when the weather starts to get warmer. I find myself missing her immensely, and it’s only the first week of February. We should be opening a bottle of champagne and laughing about girl stuff and trading design ideas.

I sigh. She’ll be back in a few months. We’ll just have to celebrate then. She still doesn’t know about Drew either. I don’t want to mention him until we’re in a more permanent situation. No sense getting her all excited for me if things don’t go well, though the thought of that makes my dinner sit in my stomach like a rock.

I still have an hour until Drew is supposed to Skype me so I boot up my MacBook and log in so I’ll be online when he calls. Staring at the photo that Captain Frederick took of me and Drew on the deck of the Magic Hour that I put as my wallpaper, I notice how fantastically happy we both look. Drew has his arm around my shoulders, clutching me to his side and staring down at me, gorgeous
as usual and smiling like a fool. I’m laughing and staring right back at him adoringly and grinning just as big as my hair whips around in the wind. We look like a real couple, something I’ve never been a part of before.

Right now, I’m riding an emotional high; the negative pregnancy test, the good day at work, my mom’s praise for Verve. I shouldn’t ruin my evening this way, but I have some time to kill, I’ve already had a glass of wine, and I’m not an anxiety-ridden ball of nerves for once, so this is as good of a time as any. Quickly so I can’t come to my senses and stop myself, I bring up Google on the browser and type

Reid Tannen Barbara Walters

Enter

The results fill the screen. I scroll down before I can change my mind.

Reid Tannen admits in Walters interview that he screwed up with Evangeline Allen

abcnews.com
- The notoriously tight-lipped Tannen sat down with Barbara Walters for her “Most Fascinating Person of the Year” interview and shed a little bit of light on his relationship with his ex-wife, Evangeline Allen, and his estranged daughter Sydney. What small bits of information he…

Reid Tannen named Barbara Walters’ “Most Fascinating Person of the Year” for 2013

AP-
Hollywood A-lister Reid Tannen was revealed to be one of Walters’ interviews for her annual “Most Fascinating People of the Year” special that airs next week. Along with Tannen, philanthropist Chelsea Baker and music phenomenon Archer Ford are on the list for……

Walters dishes on behind the scenes with Reid Tannen

abcnews-
Barbara Walters discusses her upcoming special featuring movie heartthrob Reid Tannen. Tannen, one of Hollywood’s highest paid leading men has had a tumultuous private life…

I hover the cursor over the interview link, and pause just a moment before clicking. I’m directed to a page on the ABC News website where I can either read a transcript of the interview, or watch the video.
Thank God
. I have no idea if I can watch the video without freaking out, so I scroll down to read the transcript. Surprised at how I’m holding myself together so far, I start skimming.

BW
: So Reid, you’ve had quite a year. A hit movie, Oscar buzz for your performance as Vincent Van Gogh and quite a few photos of you shirtless in Hawaii filming Anti-Hero with co-star Maxon Sundry. How’s life treating you?

RT
: (Laughs) Yes, it’s been an interesting year for me Barbara. Very busy, but great.

I move past the intro and search for my mom’s name or my name. About halfway down I find it. I suck in a breath as a sharp pain pierces my heart.
I have to do this. It’s therapy, right? Or maybe I’ll see something that fucks me up even more.
No, I need to see it so I can heal. That’s what four different therapists have told me, accept your dad for who he is and you can rebuild your life.

BW
: It’s been over a decade since you were caught on video in a compromising position with a woman who wasn’t your wife. Is it true that you haven’t seen Evangeline Allen or your daughter, Sydney, since that incident?

RT
: Barbara, first, let me say that what happened with my wife, and how everything played out in front of the media was entirely my fault. That moment remains the biggest regret of my life. I wronged my wife, but we were adults, we could move past it. Hurting Sydney, I’ll never forgive myself for that. I’d do anything to get that time back. I miss her terribly.

BW
: So you haven’t spoken to your daughter in twelve years?

RT
: No, I haven’t. But I have to say, that if our problems hadn’t been broadcast to the entire world, I could still have her in my life. Eva and I just wanted to protect Sydney from all of the crap. I mean, a paparazzo almost killed my daughter when I was driving her to a tennis lesson. A lunatic broke into our house! Her mother wanted her as far removed from the people who were following everything we did as she could get her. I take responsibility for my actions, but the tabloids need to take responsibility for what they did and continue to do to innocent children like Sydney. I agreed to let Sydney go to keep her from the intense media scrutiny. It was never going to stop. She was always going to be hounded by reporters. It wasn’t fair for her to live that way, and it was clearly dangerous. When the story about me came out, we knew it was only going to get worse for her, so her mother took her out of the situation. It was the only thing that we could figure out to make it right for her. Eva gave up her career and I gave up my daughter. It was worth it if she’s happy today.

BW
: I remember that incident with the paparazzi smashing up your car.

RT
: They smashed up my daughter; I could have cared less about the car.

BW
: I actually applauded you for protecting her.

RT
: Thanks, Barbara. (chuckling) I got into a lot of trouble for that.

BW
: But what about Sydney needing her father? Was it right for you both to make that decision for her?

RT
: We made the best decision we felt we could under the circumstances we were faced with. Was it what I wanted or her mother wanted for that matter? No. But video or no video, the paparazzi were slowly eroding any kind of life Sydney was having in California. It was something we never anticipated. Like I said, if she’s happy, then I’m content with the decision we made.

I stop reading and close the browser, feeling a little dizzy, as if all of the blood in my body has left my head and traveled to my rapidly beating heart. I’m trying to let this sink in. My mom and dad decided
together
to take me away from California. Dad didn’t abandon me; he let me go because he loves me.

I choke back tears and process this information. Strangely, I’m not freaking out as much as I expected. Yes, I’m freaking out, but not in the extreme panic attack, press my head on the window, run ten miles classic Sydney kind of freak out. I’m either getting better at handling extreme stress, or reading my dad’s words is helping to push me
toward accepting what happened.

I need to discuss this with my mom, but it’s something I don’t want to do over the phone. That means waiting two or three months, which sucks, but I’ve waited twelve years, so I gu
ess I can wait a little longer.

My Skype starts ringing, so I don’t have time to think about it right now
. Like everything else in my life that I can’t face, I shove it into the back of my mind for later. I click the button to answer. and Drew’s handsome face fills my computer screen.

“Hey beautiful, I miss you.”

God he’s so sweet. “I miss you too,” I whisper.

Shit, I probably look like crap
.

He bolts upright at the sight o
f me. “Sydney? What’s wrong? Why are you so thin?”

I forget how damn perceptive he is!