Chad: Hells yeah. Ethan took me to his gym this morning. So watch out, I’ll be ready for you next time.
Next time? I can’t help the smile that extends from ear to ear. Wait—do I want a next time?
Melissa squeals again. “Oh, my God, you’re texting him right now, aren’t you? You are sitting here just nonchalantly texting Thad Stone. Hearts are breaking all over the world right now, you realize that?”
“Shut up, Mel. It’s not like that at all.”
She leans over to read our texts. “Not like that, my ass. The man wants in your pants, Mallory.”
My smile quickly fades. My friend has put it all into perspective for me. Of course he wants in my pants. He wants in everyone’s pants. Why should it matter that I’m not famous? Either way, I would just be another notch on his bedpost.
Me: Thanks for the invitation, but I have plans tonight. BTW, how did you get my number?
“Plans? Are you crazy?” Melissa asks.
“I’m volunteering tonight. It’s Tuesday,” I remind her.
Every Tuesday I volunteer at a place called Hope For Life. It’s a shelter for pregnant teens who’ve been kicked out by their parents and have nowhere to go. I’ve been going there for years.
“I think the girls can go one night without you,” she says.
Chad: Sucks for me. Pizza for one it is. About the number - do you want the real answer or a less-stalkerish one?
Mel squeals again. “He’s stalking you. You are being stalked by a superstar! Oh my God, you have to go out with him. Do not let that man eat alone. Or send me in your place.”
I shoot her a traitorous look. “Steve would not appreciate that very much.”
She scoffs at the mention of her husband. “Steve who?” she says, laughing.
Me: I’ll go with real for one hundred, Alex.
Chad: LOL. When your dad hit the bathroom last night, I saw your cell phone bill on the kitchen counter. I may have peeked inside.
Me: I thought my dad gave it to you.
Chad: Richard was pretty tight-lipped about you.
Me: He’s just being protective. Lunch break almost over. Gotta go.
“Liar,” Melissa says, looking at the clock on her wall.
Chad: How about tomorrow night?
“Christ Almighty, he’s begging,” Mel says, fanning herself. “Will you just put the poor man out of his misery already?”
Me: Aren’t you busy promoting your movie?
Chad: That’s mostly during the day, interviews and stuff.
Me: Oh. Can I get back to you on that?
Chad: Always. Have a great day, Mal.
Me: Thanks. You too.
“Are you crazy?” Melissa asks. “Do you know how many people would kill to be you right now?”
“Stop being a fangirl for two seconds, Mel, and think about it. I’m not going to be his New York booty call. What else could he want? He’s only in town for a week. If he really wanted to reconnect with old friends, he’d be contacting Julian, too.”
She puts down her fork, looking guilty. “God, you’re right. I’m so sorry. I’m such a bitch. I promise to only be supportive from now on.”
“No more fangirl?” I ask with raised brows.
“No more fangirl.” She picks up her fork and starts eating again. “So, can I tell you about the hot single dad of my new student?” she asks around her mouthful of salad.
~ ~ ~
“How was it at Hope today?” Julian asks me at our late dinner.
“It was good I guess. But we had a thirteen-year-old go into labor tonight.” I shake my head still in disbelief. “Thirteen,” I repeat. “She’s only a few years older than my students and she’s having a baby. It’s so sad. Babies having babies.”
He leans over and puts his arms around me. He knows how much this stuff gets to me. “What’s going to happen to her?” he asks.
“Same as a lot of the others, I imagine. She wasn’t going to keep it, so she’ll probably end up going back to her family, into the same abusive situation she was exiled from four months ago when they found out she was pregnant. I just wish there was more I could do.”
“You’re doing everything you can, Mallory. You being there to support them, it’s helping them in ways you will probably never know.”
“Thanks,” I say. “I hope so.”
The waitress brings our food, putting the large pizza down on the table in front of us. It makes me wonder if Chad is eating pizza tonight as well. Pizza for one. Surely not. There are probably a hundred people he could eat with. Courtney Benson seems like she’d be first in line. I wanted to ask him about her last night. I should have when he questioned me about Julian. It would have been the perfect opportunity. But maybe I didn’t want to know if the rumors are true.
“Has he contacted you?” I ask Julian.
“And by he, I assume you mean Chad?”
I nod.
“I was wondering when his name would come up. No, he hasn’t.” He studies me. “Wait, has he contacted you?”
“Yeah. He came to the house last night,” I tell him, reaching for a slice of pizza.
He drops his jaw along with the food in his hand. “He came to your house?”
“I know. I had the same reaction. He was there when I came home from dinner. Just sitting at the table having a beer with my dad like they were old buddies.”
“He was drinking?” he asks, concern evident in his voice.
“That’s what I said. Apparently, his issues were with cocaine, not alcohol. He told me he doesn’t drink that much.”
“Hmm,” he mumbles. “What did he want?”
“I’m still not sure. Forgiveness maybe?”
“You didn’t give it to him, did you?”
I shake my head. “No. But we did play basketball for an hour.”
“Basketball? What the hell, Mallory? The guy walks back into your life and you just forget about how much of a dick he is?”
I try not to get defensive. After all, Julian is kind of right. “I haven’t forgotten. But he did seem like he needed a friend. He said his life was crazy and he needed a little bit of normal.”
“What does that even mean?” he asks.
“He said when he saw me outside the club Saturday night, he saw me as normal or something so he looked me up.”
“You are anything but normal, Mallory,” he says, plucking a pepperoni off his pizza and popping it into his mouth.
“Yeah, well, I think he meant it as a compliment. He really hasn’t contacted you?”
“Nope.” He narrows his eyes at me in thought. “Did you tell him about us?”
“I didn’t tell him, but he guessed,” I say.
“Did you tell him why we broke up?” he asks, looking guilty.
“I didn’t think it was any of his business.”
“Good. It’s not. None of it is. He lost his right to our business when he became the dick that he is.”
“He was actually pretty nice, Julian.” He looks at me like he’s going to spit out hateful words, so I put up my hand to stop him. “We’re not BFFs again or anything, so don’t get your panties in a wad. I just think maybe you should give him a chance.”
“Is that what you’re doing, giving him a chance?”
I’m not sure why Julian is so upset about this. I mean, he stayed friends with Chad far longer than I did. “I didn’t say that. After all, I turned down his invite to dinner so I could be here with you.”
He looks slightly placated. “You did?” he asks, smiling.
“Yes, so eat up before it gets cold.” I take a drink of my wine and start on my second piece of pie.
“He won’t call me, you know,” he says, with his mouth half full.
“Why not?”
An expression of extreme satisfaction crosses his face. “Because I dated you and he didn’t.”
I laugh. “Is this about that silly pact you guys made?”
“You knew about that?” he asks with wide eyes.
“Not until last night.” I lean over and swat his arm. “You never told me you both had a crush on me.”
“Would it have made a difference?” he asks.
I chew my food, thinking about it for a minute. “I guess not. I mean, we had a good thing going and two of us hooking up would have ruined that.”
“Exactly,” he says. “But I wouldn’t be surprised if he tried to get into your pants now. You know, just to one-up me.”
“One-up you?” I ask.
“It’s what guys do,” he says, washing his bite down with wine. “Especially arrogant movie stars who are jealous of childhood friends.”
I roll my eyes at him.
“We fought over you back then,” he says. “Even when we were in middle school. I’m just not sure we ever realized why we were doing it.”
“You did?”
He nods. “Remember the one Halloween when you wanted to be Beauty?”
“Belle,” I say, smiling at the memory. “I loved that costume. I was ten and I wanted you guys to dress up as characters from the movie.”
“That’s right. Well, we both wanted to be the Beast. Chad said he should get to do it because he was bigger than me. I told him that because I had dark hair, it should be me. His mom walked in and found us fighting about it. She called my mom and together, they conspired to make us outfits that would go with yours.”
“So that’s how you ended up as the teacup, Chip,” she says.
“Yup, I was the stupid little teacup and Chad was that geeky candlestick dude. It was humiliating.”
“Lumiere,” I say, remembering it fondly.
“Whatever. And remember our high school trip to the amusement park? Man, we fought all day over who would sit with you on rides. Didn’t it ever occur to you that not once did you sit alone even though there were only three of us?”
I try to think back on that day. “I don’t know. I guess I thought you were just being chivalrous or something, not letting a girl ride alone.”
“I could go on all night with these kinds of stories,” he says.
I put up my hand to stop him. “Please don’t,” I say. “Oh, wow, now I’m questioning my entire childhood existence.”
He laughs. I love Julian’s laugh. His whole body participates in it, making it almost impossible for anyone near him not to feel happy. “Don’t,” he says. “We worshiped you and the ground you walked on. You should appreciate the fact that you had us completely under your spell.”
We spend the rest of dinner reminiscing about some of the great times we had together—the three of us. And I can’t be certain, but by the time we say goodbye at my train stop, I could almost swear Julian might be amenable to a reunion.
Pulling out of the parking garage, I feel my phone vibrate with a text. After I get home, I read it.
Chad: Well?
I look around the car as if someone might be able to explain his text.
Me: Well, what?
Chad: You said you’d think about it. I gave you almost twelve hours. Are you going to have dinner with me tomorrow?
I take stock in the night I just had. Julian is great. I love him like a brother. I trust him. And he knows me better than anyone. He’s just trying to protect me from getting hurt again. And he’s probably right. Nothing good can come of seeing Chad again. He’ll be gone in a few days and life will go back to normal.
Normal.
Me: I don’t think it’s a good idea. But thank you for asking. It was nice seeing you last night.
A minute goes by and I think maybe he’s pissed at my rejection so he’s not going to text back. It’s probably for the best. I quietly make my way into the house and up to my room. It’s late and Dad is sleeping. I set my alarm for six in the morning, knowing I’m not going to get a full night’s sleep because once again, Julian and I lost track of time.
Right before I doze off. My phone vibrates.
Chad: I’m sure you know about a lot of the shit in my past. I mean, who doesn’t? My post-Mallory past. My drug-induced idiotic past. My womanizing past. But I want to assure you, that’s not me anymore. Please give me a chance to prove it to you. I’ve been sitting here wondering why you won’t see me again. And if I were in your shoes, I’d shoot me down too, because I would think you only wanted me for a quick lay. I miss you, Mal. I miss the trouble we’d get into and the talks we used to have. I miss sneaking over to your house late at night to watch SNL. I miss your laugh that almost got us busted by your parents more than a few times on those occasions. So please, I’m begging you, as the friend you once knew, give it a little more thought.
I read the text. I read it three times. Did the man take charm lessons in acting school? He was rather charming last night, too. I’m afraid to see what would happen if I actually went to dinner with him. And for that reason alone, I know it’s a bad idea. I start to type in my response, but then decide to wait. I’ll squash his hopes tomorrow.
Chapter Seven
Chad
Hayden and I wait in the green room of the morning show ‘Wake Up America.’ Yesterday, they interviewed the women from Defcon One, today it’s our turn. I wasn’t happy with the spin Courtney put on our relationship. She insinuated we are still together, feeding into the frenzy that already exists out there.
“You still pissed at Courtney?” Hayden asks.
“I just wish she would quit embellishing the truth,” I say. “I saw the clip. She was talking about having dinner with me. The dinner she failed to mention was a work function. And then she had to go and make it seem like breakfast the next day was a goddamn extension of some date we had, not a cast meeting to discuss the Vancouver junket.”
“Is it really that bad?” he asks with a smirk. “I mean, it’s not like you have an actual girlfriend who would get jealous over it.”
I pick up a croissant and toss it at him just as we’re called to head on set. We’re quickly situated on an L-shaped couch next to Tanya Weathers, co-anchor of the show. We exchange a few pleasantries during the commercial break and she reminds us that they will show a clip of the film and then she’s going to start with Hayden and then move on to me, keeping the entire segment at about nine minutes. I glance over at Kendra, who is standing behind one of the cameras. She gives us a thumbs up.
After what only seems like thirty seconds of airtime, Tanya turns her attention from Hayden to me. “So, Thad, or should I call you Lieutenant Cross?” she says, fanning herself with her note cards. “You are just about the hottest thing since sliced bread if the crowd outside our studio is any indication. We haven’t drawn a crowd this big since the Pope was here.”
I try not to show my apprehension over the hordes of people outside. And once again I find myself glad Cole is with me. I laugh it off. “For me? Nah, I think I saw the Teletubbies going into the studio next door. Heck, after we’re done here, I might go wait in line for some autographs myself.”
Tanya pastes on a big smile. “You’ve had premieres in L.A. and London and now here. Where to next?”
“Vancouver is our last stop; we go there in ten days.”
“Are you going to be in New York until then or will you be heading back to the west coast?” she asks.
“I’m not exactly sure yet. My commitments here end this weekend, but I have family here so I may hang out a while longer.”
“I’ll bet you just made a lot of the women of New York City very happy,” she says. “Then again, with all the photos of you and a certain leading lady floating around, is it safe to say you’re off the market?”
I shift around in my seat. “What leading lady would that be?”
She laughs. “That’s right, you have a history of dating your co-stars going all the way back to Heather Crawford on Malibu 310. I even heard a rumor that you and Ana Garner may have broken a few hearts on the set of another movie you filmed late last year.”
I shake my head. “Don’t believe everything you hear, Tanya.”
“So you and Ana didn’t d
ate? Was it because you and Courtney Benson have a long-standing relationship? Or maybe you are dating both of them,” she asks, with a rise of her brows.
I resist the urge to fire a counter attack and mention the rumor of Tanya’s husband cheating on her with her nanny. Instead, I reply, “Let’s just say I’m enjoying life right now and I don’t plan to put a ring on anyone’s finger anytime soon.”
“Did you hear that?” Tanya asks, cupping her hand around her ear. “That’s the sound of the collective cheers of every woman between the ages of thirteen and sixty.”
“Sixty?” I feign a look of disappointment. “I must be losing my touch.”
She goes on to ask me a few questions about Defcon One, doing her best to bring Hayden into the conversation. As well she should. I was not the only star of the film and it bothers me when I get treated as such. Hayden’s character was an integral part of the story and he nailed the part.
“Did it bother you to have to film in that cave?” she asks. “I heard the conditions down there were deplorable. Cold and wet and very close quarters.”
“I didn’t think much about it.” Hell yes, it bothered me. “It’s all part of the job, Tanya. I try not to let anything phase me.”
“Really? So would you say you’re a hard man to surprise?” she asks.
I look at Hayden, confused by her question. He shrugs. “Uh, I guess so,” I tell her.
She discreetly motions to someone offstage. “You seemed awfully surprised by something the night of the premiere,” she says, pointing to a screen behind us that is now displaying a picture of me outside the club Saturday night. And yes, I look very, very surprised.
Uneasiness washes through me. “I thought I saw someone I knew in the crowd. Uh, my father,” I say awkwardly. “And it was unexpected since he lives back in California.”
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