by Ali Parker
Somewhere, in the back of my mind the realization I hadn’t just lost Hailey, but everything else in my life along with her, threatened to send me to my knees. I couldn’t move. I could only stand there, reminding myself to breathe.
It was over. It was all over. I had lost everything that mattered to me.
Chapter 47
Terran
It wasn’t going to happen today. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t find the strength to talk to anyone. I had been holed up in my condo for a week, and I wasn’t ready to leave the comfort of my cocoon. I knew I wasn’t being the responsible adult I should be. I didn’t care.
“Lena,” I said when she answered the phone.
“Don’t say it,” she said, scolding me before I said a word.
“I can’t. I can’t make it in today. Or tomorrow. Clear my schedule for at least the next few days,” I told her.
“Terran Maddox! What is going on?”
I sighed. “I’m working on a deal,” I lied.
“No, you’re not. You didn’t come in at all last week. I’m dodging calls and running out of excuses. You need to get your butt in here,” she said firmly.
“I’m sorry. I just need a few more days to get things together.”
“Is everything okay?” she asked in a low voice.
“Yes, fine. Everything is fine. I’ll be checking emails, but I won’t be in the office.”
I hung up, feeling like a coward, but unable to face people. Everyone was going to ask me about Hailey. Ask about our engagement and when we were planning to tie the knot. There was no engagement because I had screwed up, and I was too embarrassed to admit it. That’s what it boiled down to. I wasn’t ready to tell anyone she had walked out of my life. Hiding had nothing to do with my ego, but my heart. If I had to say it out loud, it would make it too real.
The first few days, I kept thinking it would all work out. Hailey would realize I truly loved her and would take me back. I had called and texted and never got an answer. After a few days, I began to realize she was serious. She had walked out of my life and left me a wreck.
I hated feeling the way I did. This was the exact reason I avoided women and relationships. I knew it would end up hurting. It was messy.
“Go away,” I shouted when I heard the door buzz.
“Open the damn door,” Zach’s voice rang out.
I groaned, knowing he wasn’t going to go away unless he talked to me face to face. I’d been dodging him as well as Hailey had been dodging me. Zach was tenacious. I knew he wouldn’t give up. I’d have to move to Siberia if I wanted to avoid him.
I swung open the door and stared at him. “What?”
“Damn, you look rough. Did your shaver break?” he asked, staring at my scruffy jawline.
“I don’t know. I haven’t tried to use it.”
“Obviously.”
“Why are you here?” I asked.
“Let’s go surfing. It looks like you could really use some time in the sun. Since you’re not at work, that isn’t an excuse. Get changed, I’ll wait.”
I started to protest then thought twice about it. Surfing did sound good. I needed to clear my head, and that was the perfect solution. I’d surf and then feed my face with a big fat burger. Hailey was not going to get me down. Nope. I was too damn strong to let this destroy me.
“Fine. Give me five minutes,” I grumbled, heading for my room.
When we got to the beach, I could already feel my spirits lifting. The moment my feet hit the sand and I inhaled the salty air, I started to relax. I closed my eyes, letting the sun hit my face as I listened to the gulls squawking as the waves rolled in. It was exactly what I needed to restore my soul.
“Want to tell me why you’ve been a ghost this last week?” Zach asked.
I stood my board up and sat down on the sandy beach. He followed suit. “She dumped me.”
“Hailey?”
“Who else?” I said.
“Didn’t you just propose?” he asked, knowing damn well what the answer was.
I turned to look at him. “I guess she didn’t like the ring.”
He smiled but quickly wiped it from his mouth when he saw how serious I was. “Tell me what happened.”
“Lance happened. That snake showed up to dinner and told her everything. She got mad, hurt, really hurt and stormed out, leaving me standing on the sidewalk like an idiot,” I said. Damn my stupid uncle. I’d never forgive him for what he did.
“Oh shit,” Zach said. He breathed out a big sigh.
I nodded my head. “Ya, oh shit.”
“Tell me what happened. I thought she was really into you? I can’t believe she walked away from you and your fat wallet. You were certain she would marry you for the money alone. How could Lance have said anything to chase her away?”
I put my hands back, stretched my legs out in front of me, and told him the story about Lance coming into the restaurant and telling Hailey about the inheritance and the clause in the will. “I may have made matters worse when I accused her of marrying me for my money,” I admitted.
He winced. “Did you try and explain that you weren’t with her just to get the money?” he asked.
I rolled my eyes. “Of course. I told her how I really felt, but she didn’t believe me. She says I hurt her.”
Zach was quiet for a few minutes. “I don’t want to sound harsh, but you’re kind of screwed. You need to find another woman and fast. Especially if you already told the lawyer you were engaged. You didn’t only lose the girl, you lost your company and a lot of money.”
I shook my head. “No way. Not going to happen. I’m not going to jump through hoops anymore. I don’t want to pretend to marry anyone. I don’t give a shit about the money or the company. I want her.”
“You’re saying that now, but I think you’ll change your mind a few months down the road when you’re flat broke. And lost your company. Come on, I know you care about that place and all the people who depend on the paycheck you sign every month.”
I shook my head. “It’s out of my hands. My dad threw down a challenge, and I lost.”
“That doesn’t sound like the Terran I know. Don’t give up without a fight.”
“No. I’m not going to hire a woman or jump into some stupid, arranged marriage. I can’t. I’ll never be able to pull it off. The lawyer will see right through me,” I said, defeat in my voice.
“Terran, it doesn’t have to end like this. She’s a woman. There are a million other women out there. Don’t lose everything because of one woman, who I remind you that you’ve only known for a few months. It isn’t like you guys had some long relationship. It was a couple months. Easy come, easy go,” he said nonchalantly.
It wasn’t like that at all. Hailey was not a woman a man could easily let go. At least not for me. There had been nothing easy about the last week. Everything I did, smelled or touched reminded me of her.
I let out a long sigh. “Let’s hit the water.”
“Way to change the subject.”
I ignored him and got to my feet, dusting the sand off my butt, grabbing my board and heading for the water. I wanted to forget about all of it. Hailey, Lance, the money, all of it. I wanted to dive underwater and escape to another world.
We spent hours chasing waves, getting saltwater in my eyes, nose and burning my throat. I hadn’t felt that good in a week. For a short period, I had been able to focus on something other than Hailey. It gave my brain and heart a nice reprieve.
“I’m starving! I didn’t know you were going to go all crazy out here. I thought we were going to have a lazy afternoon. I didn’t know you were going to try and kill me,” Zach complained.
We walked out of the water, with Zach complaining the entire time like a child.
“Let’s go get a burger,” I said.
“Thank god,” he grumbled.
Thirty minutes later, we were sitting at our favorite restaurant, burgers ordered and beers already on the table. I drank the first one
down and ordered another.
“Okay, let’s make plans. We need to get you hooked up with another lady and fast,” Zach said.
I shook my head. “It won’t work. I already told the lawyers I was engaged to Hailey. If I walk in there now and say ‘oops I changed my mind’ they aren’t going to buy it. Well, Bob won’t buy it. And with all the crap Lance is saying, that is only going to be proven true. I can’t do that. I’ll lose it all anyway.”
“Crap,” he muttered.
“I was serious when I said none of that mattered. I want Hailey. I know that’s hard for you to understand, but I love her. I don’t want another woman. It stopped being about the money the day she walked out of that restaurant,” I said solemnly.
Zach was silent as he finished his beer. “Okay, then.”
“Okay then?” I asked, raising my eyebrow.
He nodded. “Yep. You need to tell her, and you need to make her listen.”
“I’ve tried.”
“No, you haven’t. You and I both know you are the kind of guy who gets what he wants. You’re not the type to take no for an answer. I’m not sure why you’re sitting at home and crying your eyes out instead of doing something about it. Are you going soft on me?”
His speech was exactly what I needed to hear. “How?”
He shrugged a shoulder. “I don’t know. That’s your department. Does she truly love you?”
“I think so.”
He raised an eyebrow. “You think so?”
I cleared my throat. “I know she does.”
He grinned. “Then we have just solved your problem. You love her, she loves you. So you need to get your shit together and make her see you truly want to be engaged—why, I don’t know, but you do for some insane reason.”
His words hit home. I had rolled over too easy. I knew why. It was because I was guilty. The accusations she had thrown at me were true—at least they had been true. I did love her. I didn’t know if I wanted to get married tomorrow, but I wanted a chance to explore that with her.
“I’m going to do it,” I mumbled.
“I didn’t hear you.”
I took a deep breath. “I’m going to do it. If she shoots me down, I’ll know that I tried.”
“You’ll be broke, jobless and suffering from a broken heart. Awesome,” he stated.
“You know, oddly enough, I’m not worried about any of that.”
“Bullshit.”
“No, seriously. It isn’t as terrifying as it was. I mean, I would rather be jobless and broke and have a chance to have her in my life than be rich and have my company and have no chance of ever winning her back.”
He shook his head. “You are not the same guy I knew six months ago.”
I smirked. “No, I’m not. I’ve changed.”
“I’m not sure if that’s good or bad.”
Our burgers were delivered, and we focused our energy on eating. I didn’t want to talk about Hailey anymore. I knew what I had to do, and for the first time in a week, I had some clarity. I knew the chance of her taking me back was slim, but it was a chance. I didn’t turn my ad agency into one of the biggest in the country by rolling over and giving up.
“Thanks for getting me out of the house,” I told Zach.
He nodded. “My pleasure. Just so you know, even when you’re poor, we can still be friends.”
I threw my head back and laughed. “Thanks. I appreciate that. If you still want to hang out, just know that you’re going to be picking up the tab every time.”
He smiled. “I can do that.”
Chapter 48
Hailey
I walked into the hotel, then followed the directions down the hall to the room reserved by the production company. Gabriel was waiting for me in the hall, on his phone as usual. When he saw me, he waved and held up a finger, telling me to wait.
I looked around the area and noticed a few other women who looked nothing like me. I suddenly felt very underdressed. The role was for a professional businesswoman. I had dressed in a short, tight skirt, conservative heels and a white blouse unbuttoned just enough to be sexy, without being sleazy—I hoped. I looked at the woman at the end of the hall and thought she looked vaguely familiar. I had seen her on TV before. Either a commercial or on a show, I couldn’t quite place her. She turned to look at me, and I smiled. She glared back, her dark smoky eye makeup giving her a sinister look.
“Oh good, just like in the modeling world,” I grumbled under my breath.
“What was that?” Gabriel asked.
I shook my head. “Nothing.”
He ended the call and stood directly in front of me, smoothing my hair down and studying my outfit. “Good. You look fantastic! I’m glad you went with very little makeup. I don’t want you to look like any of these overly made-up actresses. They said they wanted fresh and new, and that is you,” he said proudly.
“Should I have worn something a little flashier?” I asked nervously, taking in the sexy outfits the other women had on.
He shook his head. “Absolutely not. This is a film, not a porn star audition. I told you, fresh. They don’t want what they always see. The others I’ve seen going in and out of there all look the same. They’re trying too hard to be something they aren’t. It comes naturally to you.”
“I hope so. I’m feeling very plain-Jane right now,” I said, feeling the nerves dancing in my belly.
“Every big star had their first break into the movies. This could be yours. This film has a lot of buzz. I love that Hollywood is looking for the next big thing rather than recycling the same old faces. This is a big deal. There are a lot of big names trying to land this role.”
“Are they here?” I asked, looking around, expecting to see A-list stars waltzing in.
He chuckled. “No, no. They don’t audition. This is for those who are untested in the film world. I know you’re going to do great. The camera loves you. You don’t need gallons of makeup to look beautiful. Be confident, but not overly so.”
I nodded my head, hoping he was right. I wasn’t sure why this role had suddenly become so important to me. Yes, I did. It was my focus because I wanted to avoid thinking about Terran and his deception. I was throwing myself into my work. I had gone on audition after audition last week, trying to keep busy.
“Are there any last-minute tips you have?” I asked him, the nerves threatening to get the best of me.
“No. Be you. Relax and you’ll kill it. I know you’re going to blow their socks off.”
The door to the large ballroom opened and a woman with glasses and carrying a clipboard stepped out. “Hailey Hollis?”
“Break a leg,” Gabriel winked.
I smiled and followed the woman into the room and nearly ran the other way when I saw the lights and several cameras around an office set. It was the real deal. I remembered the lines they had asked me to be prepared to deliver. At least, I thought I remembered.
“Are you prepared?” an older man with glasses asked from a table.
I nodded. “I am.”
“Please begin,” a woman who was wearing a sleek business suit ordered.
“Back here?” I asked.
The woman shrugged. “This is your scene, play it like you think it should be played.”
“Got it,” I said with all the confidence I could muster before walking to the set, taking a quick look around and thinking about the short script I had read.
I stood and waited for the countdown. When I was given the action order, I jumped right in, playing out the scene the way I envisioned it in my mind. It was a short script. The whole thing was over and done within five minutes. I moved away from the set and waited to hear my fate.
The older man with the glasses leaned back in his chair, looking at me as if he were trying to figure out what size clothing I wore or what hair products I used. I began to feel a little uncomfortable under his scrutinizing gaze.
“Dave?” the woman asked.
He sat forward, rested his arms on the
table and continued to look at me. “That was an excellent job. You’ve given us a lot to think about. We have a few more auditions, and as you know, we have several actresses who’ve also expressed interest in the role. We’ll be in touch with your agent soon.”
“Thank you. Thank you for giving me the chance to be here,” I said with a gracious smile before walking out of the room. I felt like I was floating.
When I walked out, Gabriel was pacing up and down the hall, his phone to his ear and his other hand gesturing wildly. I had a feeling the man burned a lot of calories just by talking on the phone. He was always moving.
I waited in one of the chairs outside the room, basking in the glow of what I was sure was a great audition. I had a feeling those people weren’t the type to freely give out compliments. I wanted to believe Dave had been genuine with his praise. I closed my eyes, letting myself imagine me as the one who landed the role that other big names were trying to get. I grinned, imagining that if I did get it and steal it out from under them, I would make some enemies right out of the gate. I didn’t care. That was the business. They could be catty or gracious. I wouldn’t let any of them steal my excitement.
“I would say by that smile on your face it went well,” Gabriel’s voice floated over to me.
I opened my eyes, still smiling. “I think it did. They said I gave them a lot to think about, and they’ll let me know. Is that good or is that what they tell everyone?”
“Trust me, if they like you, they tell you. If they don’t like you, they tell you. The idea of tact is usually lost on these people.”
I breathed a sigh of relief and felt myself relax. The door was thrown open, nearly slamming into the wall behind it. The woman I had thought I had recognized stormed out, cursing and calling the producer all kinds of filthy names. Her agent was running along behind her trying to calm her down.