Love United (Hollywood Series Book 3)

by Avery Michaels

  “I should tell you, though…” he began, but his face froze.

  “Blake?” I shook the computer. “Blake!” Ugh, things like that always happened right in the middle of a sentence.

  I waited hours for him to call back, but he didn’t. I ordered some food and ate right next to the computer. An unexpected worry came over me. I didn’t like it. I didn’t understand why he wouldn’t just call right back. I distracted myself with other tasks.

  Kimmy had called several times, but I hadn’t answered. I knew she would chastise me for engaging with Logan in front of the press. My attorney had also called. I had taken his call. I always took his calls. Logan had immediately threatened to press charges for assault if I didn’t pay him off. I’d told my lawyer to advise Logan to do what he needed to do. I wasn’t going to be bullied by him anymore.

  Against my better judgment, I turned on trash TV. I usually steered clear of celebrity news, but I really wanted to know what they were saying. I expected a lot of buzz about the assault, but that wasn’t what I saw. Tears flooded my eyes instantly upon seeing the still image of Logan and me kissing. It didn’t show the part where I shoved him away. It looked like we were really kissing.

  Roxy Royce left her on-again-off-again boyfriend lying on the pavement after a lover’s quarrel. Logan Mason seemed heartbroken.

  It showed a video of me saying, “So we slept together,” but only that. They’d cut out the rest.

  “No!” I yelled at the television.

  Apparently, America’s pristine pop/country princess isn’t as innocent as she looks. A source close to the songstress revealed that Roxy has been having an affair with her driver turned assistant, Trase Williams. This explains Mr. Williams’ sudden promotion.

  There was footage of Trase taking my hand to help me step over Logan and a video of us in the elevator of the hotel with me crying into his chest. It looked like he was holding me intimately.

  It looks like Roxy has made her choice. We do feel sorry for Trase Williams’ wife and three children, though.

  I cupped my hands over my mouth in shock.

  Roxy isn’t just a heartbreaker, but a homewrecker, as well. Shame on you, Roxy. Shame on you.

  I turned off the television. Oh my gosh. I think I would’ve rather there been a sex tape.

  I picked up the phone and dialed. “Trase,” I cried, “I’m so sorry. Should I call your wife?”

  “No, ma’am. My wife is fine. She knows I’m faithful. She knows this game.”

  “Still,” I said, trying to imagine what that must feel like. Her family, the whole world, had just heard that her husband was a liar and a cheat. “I should do something to make this right. I didn’t even know you had a wife or kids. I’m so sorry.”

  “Rox, relax. My wife knew I was staying here in the city with you until you left tomorrow. She’s fine. She was actually going to ask you over for dinner next time you were in town to thank you for promoting me. This isn’t a problem for me. Worry about your own image.”

  “Well, I can’t worry about something that I can’t do anything about. People are going to say what they want. I learned that coming into this business. Besides, that’s what I pay Kimmy for, right?” I let out a little laugh and wiped away the tears. “My image is blemished. Obviously, the press wants me to be the bad guy right now. I don’t know why they’ve turned on me all of the sudden. Anyway, I can’t worry about it. I did what I thought was right, and that’s all I can do.”

  “What about your man, Westin?”

  “What about him? I’m sure he’ll understand. I will explain everything to him. Besides, he told me while I was there that they hardly ever watched the news. He said they mostly just watched movies, so maybe he won’t even have to know about this mess.”

  “No, Rox. You have to tell him. You can’t take the chance of letting him see all of this on television while he’s half a world away.”

  “I told you he said he didn’t watch television.”

  “Let me ask you something and be real. Do you really see things going somewhere with this guy, or is this just a fling? I mean you were only there for the one night.”

  I paused to think of how wonderful that night had been, yet again. “I know what you’re thinking, Trase, but it wasn’t a fling. It was more than that. Have you ever spent time with someone and just knew that they were going to play a huge role in your life?”

  “Yeah.” He laughed. “Now she’s the mother of my kids.”

  “Well, I don’t know about all of that, but I think I want to be with him. Or at least try.”

  “Then you have to talk to the man. If he cares about you and he sees this mess, and you haven’t explained, he will be upset. I can promise you that. The last thing he needs over there is to be distracted.”

  “Yeah, okay. I get it. Thanks.” I hung up.

  I wanted to pick up the phone and call him right then, but I couldn’t. It didn’t work that way. Being a girl who waited by the phone was going to take some getting used to. Blake is worth it.

  I would tell Blake everything when he called tomorrow. Even if he did see any of this mess, he would be an idiot to believe it. He, himself, had even said that he knew a lot of stuff was made up about celebrities. The thought begged the question: if he didn’t watch television, how would he have known the rumors about the sex tape? I remembered him asking me while we were in bed together.

  He lied! I couldn’t help but laugh. I guess most men would lie about a thing like that. In fact, most people lie about watching trash TV. Silly Westin. Either way, I would explain everything tomorrow, after we pulled the prank on his folks, which I was really excited about.

  I packed some pillows around me and imagined he were in the bed with me. That led to some self-inflicted foreplay. I fell asleep, satisfied, with memories of Blake lingering.

  I awoke with a start. I was having a dream that I couldn’t remember. I lay there wondering how I thought I could make something like this work. I wanted to see him so badly, and it was impossible. But that thought gave birth to the notion that if I wanted him so much, then I could wait for him.

  Chapter 12

  When I got ready to leave, I called for Bo instead of Trase. I didn’t want to be seen with Trase again until some of this mess calmed down. Bo helped me with my bags and got the car while I waited in the lobby. I could hardly wait to get back to my hometown where this would be irrelevant. My celebrity was hardly noticeable there. Thank God for that!

  I never thought I would get to a place where I felt burdened by being famous. I’d always thought celebrities were so petty when they acted put-upon or angry when their personal business became public. They’d put themselves in the limelight and expected people not to be curious? That seemed crazy. However, now that it was me, I understood.

  I couldn’t regret my confrontation with Logan in front of the media yesterday. He’d made me do it. He’d backed me into a corner. How else was I supposed to react? Surely he hadn’t thought that I would just allow him to steamroll over me.

  In my wildest dreams, I couldn’t imagine what I had done to make the press turn that story on me. They could’ve spun it any way they wanted. I’d expected they would show a video of me screaming at Logan and kicking him in the nuts. I thought they might slander me a bit for my behavior, but to flip the whole thing and make Logan the victim? No way. And now I was a homewrecker to boot? Sheesh, I’d been busy.

  I was texting Trase to let him in on my plans to have Bo drive me to the airport when my phone rang. It was Jackson. I debated on whether or not to answer, but ultimately decided that he had a right to know that there was no tape, just in case Logan tried anything else.

  “Hey, Jackson,” I answered

  “Rox, what’s going on? Why did you engage him? I told you to let me help—”

  “It’s fine. Listen, I just wanted to let you know that I spoke with, um, Stella,” I whispered her name. “There’s no tape. She’s sure.”

  “Well, that’s cer
tainly a relief. I’m glad Logan doesn’t have shit on me because I’m about to take his ass down.”

  “Don’t, Jackson. Just leave him be. Our attention is all he wants. He’s winning. Besides, he’s shameless. I wouldn’t put it past him to call your wife and tell her what happened that night.”

  He laughed. “Katie and I don’t have any secrets. I’ve told my wife all about my past. I don’t care what that prick says. I dare him to try to contact my wife—”

  I could hear the protection in his tone, and the fact that Katie and he had shared something so special made me want that with someone. For the first time, I felt the pull to settle down and be responsible for someone’s wellbeing. To love someone enough to tell him the good, the bad, and the ugly and know he would accept me, regardless. I didn’t know if that person would be Blake, but I knew I wanted it.

  “Roxy, are you still there?”

  “Ah, yeah. Listen, Jackson, just lay low. The media is all over me right now. I’m going to stay with my brother for a bit until things calm down.”

  “You’re coming here?”

  “Yeah, actually, my ride just pulled up.”

  “Call me when you get in town. Can we get together?”

  I literally laughed out loud in the lobby as Bo approached me to walk me out to the car. “Jackson, haven’t you heard? I’m a homewrecker! I can’t be seen hanging around with you.”

  “Stop. Just call me when you get here, okay? I know this is your first time being pelted by the press. Don’t let them get to you. It will be all right. Okay?” I sat there, letting his kindness pour over me. I needed it. “Let me hear you say okay.”

  “Yeah, okay. Thanks. I gotta go, Jax,” I said, hanging up. My laughter had dissolved into tears. Homewrecker… It was all just sinking in.

  I wiped my eyes and slid on my sunglasses. I could pretend that I didn’t care what people thought, but I did. I didn’t want to be thought of as a homewrecker.

  “Where’s your boyfriend?” Mick Lennox called out. I didn’t know what I’d done to land in his crosshairs.

  “My boyfriend is overseas, fighting for our country. I don’t know where you’re getting your information, but I would never…” I noticed the reporter making eyes at Bo, who was standing behind me.

  “You have another boyfriend besides Trase Williams?” Lennox persisted.

  “I am, in no way, involved with Trase Williams. He is my assistant. He is happily married and shame on all of you for trying to ruin that! Trase earned his position. And yes, I met a soldier overseas and—” I noticed Lennox glancing at Bo again.

  “Okay, what’s the deal?” I asked, turning to Bo.

  “Nothing. Let’s go.” He pressed his hand to the small of my back.

  Suddenly, it all connected in my mind like the pieces of a puzzle. Bo was disgruntled about being demoted. He knew I was having problems with Logan, so he piggybacked that. He was Lennox’s source. Bo was trying to ruin Trase and me both.

  “You bastard,” I shouted at Bo. “You slimy, bastard! Did you make all of this up? Do you know what you could’ve done? Trase has kids!” I continued my rant. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Kimmy appeared and pulled me toward the car.

  “He did it, Kimmy. I know it!”

  “Yeah, I know it too, but I don’t feel like you should have a meltdown in front of the world over it, Roxy. There’s a time and a place for things like this, and in front of the press is never that place. You got me?” I looked away still infuriated with Bo. “This is why we don’t hire friends and family,” she scolded.

  “He signed a confidentiality contract.”

  “Yeah, but what are you going to do, huh? Sue your best friend’s pal?” Her words strung together, all of the ‘r’s sounding like ‘a’s. “Besides, Bo has nada.” She lifted her phone to her ear, shouting, “Get a driver out here, will ya?”

  “Relax, Kimmy, jeez. Aren’t you supposed to be trying to calm me down?”

  “Yeah, but you having impromptu press conferences in front of the hotel with a bunch of low-down gossip columnists makes my job harder. These aren’t even proper reporters, Rox. That’s just not how you should’ve handled things.”

  “Calm down, your words are flowing into a mess.” A guy I didn’t know hopped in the front of the limo. Kimmy yelled out the destination and rolled up the partition.

  She rubbed her forehead. “All right,” she said, her tone calmer. “Let’s start from the beginning. Do we know anything else about the tape?”

  “There’s no tape. And, yes, I’m sure.”

  “Well, that’s a relief! Okay, did you really diddle with the new guy?”

  “No!”

  “Easy. I’m just trying to get the facts.”

  “I would never sleep with a married man.”

  “Yeah, well, I never would’ve pegged you for the foursome type either, but I’m not judging,” she said with an eye roll. I didn’t even respond to that. “What about the boyfriend bit? Make that up?”

  “No. That’s true.”

  “Good! We can definitely use some good press right about now.”

  “How is that good press?”

  “A soldier and you? It’s perfect. Can’t you just see the headlines? ‘Roxy Royce meets boyfriend while performing at a benefit concert for troops.’ It’s just perfect! What’s his name?”

  “Blake,” I said without thinking twice.

  “Who is he, Cher? Madonna? Popeye? What’s his full name? We need to get this out there.”

  “Well, I haven’t really talked to him about all of this yet.”

  She dropped her hands in her lap and let her head fall back. “Well, get to talking, Rox. We need this guy! We’ve got to spin things back in our direction.”

  “Kimmy, this is new. I’m not going to use him like that,” I said as we pulled up on the tarmac.

  “Listen, Maddison.” I whipped my head around to look at her. “Yeah, I remember you. You can be Maddie from Alabama,” she mocked, “or you can be Rockin’ Roxy, but you can’t have both. Sometimes we have to use what we’ve got to swing things in our direction.” I stared at her in shock. “I’m your publicist. It’s my job to make you look good. You opened this box. Don’t look so surprised that shit’s flying out of it. Now we can use Blake whoever, or I can make someone up, but as of right now, you’re dating a soldier.”

  I blinked a few times then got out of the car, leaving her there. She stepped out and yelled, “Don’t act so surprised, honey! Surely you didn’t think I got to be a top publicist by selling Girl Scout cookies! Sometimes you gotta be vicious.”

  “No, Kimmy, you don’t,” I said as I boarded the plane. It felt like everyone I thought I knew wasn’t real. I couldn’t wait to get back to where everyone knew my real name, and the real me.

  Chapter 13

  I couldn’t even get relaxed on the flight. My mind was reeling from the insanity of everything that had happened. What happened in, and in this case, around Tinseltown may not seem real to most people, but it was very real to the people it touched. For instance, Bo no longer worked for me and would be lucky to get a job back home at Piggly Wiggly, if he decided to use me as a reference. I was probably going to have to let Kimmy go as well. I hated it, but I wasn’t going to use Blake’s name without his consent, and she seemed insistent on it. Her attitude about the whole thing was awful either way. The way she called me out like that? I mean, who did she think she was talking to? She worked for me, not the other way around.

  I was just glad that no one knew about Blake except Trase. I didn’t feel like I knew Trase well, but he seemed very genuine, and he’d definitely earned my respect. I wasn’t concerned that he would share my business with anyone.

  When I got off the plane in Alabama, the humidity hit me like a ton of bricks. It just sucked the energy right out of me…and my hair. I thanked the pilot and handed him the small gift I’d had Trase pick up for his daughter’s birthday: a gold bangle baby bracelet. He was overly appreciative of the gesture.


  Still good people in the world, I reminded myself. I needed reminding after what all had gone on up in New York. And that was just New York! I hadn’t even been home to my house in Hollywood since all of this started. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like there.

  There was no limo or crowd awaiting my arrival at the Birmingham International Airport. There was no camera crew. No media on the tarmac. Just a little shuttle bus to take me around to the front, where I hoped my brother was waiting.

  I got in the shuttle and took out my phone to text Max to see if he’d arrived.

  “Ma’am,” the driver said.

  “Yeah,” I replied, looking up from my phone. “Oh no.” When we rounded the corner to the front of the airport, there were reporters everywhere. Suddenly, I realized that my phone was still on airplane mode from the landing. When I switched it off, the text went off a dozen times.

  “What do you want me to do?”

  “Just keep going,” I said. I read the first texts from Max, which basically said that Aimee and he were stuck. They hadn’t expected all the reporters. He needed my help to get out. I was just about to offer the shuttle driver a hundred to take me to the house, but I couldn’t leave Max like that. He didn’t know how to handle people.

  “Sir,” I said, “you can just drop me off here.”

  “But, miss…”

  “It’s fine,” I assured.

  I jumped out and pushed through the crowd to find Max and Aimee being pelted with question after question about me. Aimee looked overwhelmed, but Max was red-faced furious. They were both sitting on a bench in silence. I appreciated it. Of course, I hadn’t really been forthcoming with any information, so they really didn’t know what to say or how to answer the questions being thrown their way.

  The local news channels sort of took a backseat to the more aggressive reporters like Mick Lennox, who had somehow beaten me down here.