by Ali Parker
Gabriel grinned. “See, not everyone gets glowing praise.”
“She wasn’t in there very long.”
He smiled. “Mavis has a horrible reputation in the industry. She was on track to be the next big thing and then let her ego get in the way. She’s been fired from every one of her last few projects. Nobody wants to work with her.”
“That’s who she is! She used to be on that one medical drama.”
He nodded his head. “Let her be a lesson to you. Stay humble. Diva antics aren’t going to get you anywhere. These people know there are about a hundred ladies ready to take your role. This is why they want fresh and new. They can mold you. Starting with a blank canvas is a lot easier than trying to paint over a messy canvas.”
I raised an eyebrow at his analogy but understood what he was saying. “I understand. It’s like that in the modeling world as well. I couldn’t stand some of the divas that made our jobs hell.”
“Good, then I won’t have to give you the speech about staying humble and kind.”
I shook my head. “Nope.”
“I’m excited for you. This is huge. I know they’re trying to decide which direction to go, but I think you have a real chance. I will admit you are the first person I’ve represented to have this much potential right out of the gate. I’m excited to say I knew you when,” he said with a huge grin.
I giggled. “Thank you. That really means a lot. You’re one of the most respected agents in the business, and I cannot tell you how grateful I am that you took me on. I know it isn’t what you normally do. Thank you.”
“It’s Terran you should be thanking. He pushed for you. He is your biggest supporter and having a guy like that in your corner is important.”
His words hit home. Terran had done this for me. It stung that I couldn’t share this with him. I wanted to call and tell him, but there was no way I would. I had more self-respect than that.
“Thank you, I will be sure to tell him thanks as well.”
“Great. I’ve got to run. I have an emergency with another client. I’ll let you know the second I know about this. Even if they decide to go in another direction, don’t let it get you down. You got an audition. That is a big deal. If this guy was willing to let you audition, word will get around, and other casting directors are going to be giving you a second look. It all has to start somewhere,” he said before heading down the hall.
I followed him out, feeling good and wanting to celebrate, even though there was nothing to really celebrate just yet. I hated that I wanted to call Terran. That was over. It was something I had to keep reminding myself of every time I reached for the phone to call or text him.
He’d called several times and texted a lot the first few days, then he faded away. I had a feeling that’s what would happen. I had walked away from him. He was probably out there right now looking for a woman to marry him so he could get his millions. The thought made my stomach turn. He had made me fall in love with him. He had used me. When he admitted to what he had done and what his real intentions were, I felt as if my heart had been cut out of my chest.
I wanted to believe him when he said his feelings were real, but he had lied to me already. How could I ever trust him or believe anything he said? Plus, the arrogant man actually thought I wanted him for his money. That was laughable. He didn’t know me at all. I should be thankful his true colors came out before I actually did marry him. I wanted to laugh at how ridiculous his thoughts were. I was the one who should be worried about him trying to get my money and not the other way around.
“Let it go, Hailey,” I said to myself, looking in the rearview mirror of my car.
I had been saying those exact same words to myself at least ten times a day for a week. They weren’t sinking in very well. I knew the ache in my heart would fade with time. I just had to stay strong and keep pushing forward. If I did land the movie role, I would be too busy to worry about Terran and who he managed to get to marry him to secure his fortune.
I had washed my hands of him and his disgusting uncle. They deserved each other.
Chapter 49
Terran
When my eyes popped open, a surge of excitement mingled with dread ran through my veins. I had decided, after one too many beers last night, that I was going to see Hailey this morning. I was going to make her listen to me and then, I was going to grovel. I was going to beg and plead and apologize until I was blue in the face. I had to make her hear me and believe me when I told her I loved her. If she shut me down after that, I would accept defeat. I would crawl away to my lonely, broken world.
I showered, shaved and dressed in a pair of black slacks and a dark green shirt. I knew she liked it when I wore green. It made my eyes appear a more emerald color which always drove her wild. I was pulling out all the stops. I would stop and get her flowers as well. I debated buying her jewelry but had scrapped the idea. I didn’t want money playing into the conversation—at all. I needed her to want me for me just as much as I wanted her.
As I sipped on my cup of coffee, thinking about the coming conversation, my phone rang. I assumed it would be Lena, cajoling me into getting my butt into the office. If all went well with Hailey, I’d be there tomorrow. Hell, I’d go in tomorrow even if it didn’t go well. I was going to have to start tying up loose ends in preparation for the company to be dissolved. I wasn’t sure how fast it would happen once it was made clear I wouldn’t be married, but I wanted to give my people a heads-up, give them time to find new jobs. I hated to admit defeat, but it would be out of my hands. I would never forgive my father if I had to let two-hundred people go.
When I looked at the screen, it wasn’t Lena. It was Jim. I groaned, dreading what he would have to say. A call from him was always bad.
“Jim, what’s up?” I answered, setting my coffee cup on the counter.
“I need to talk to you. Can you come in?”
I grimaced. “Not today, I’m busy.”
“This is important. It can’t wait,” he said, his voice tense.
I sighed. “I can be there this afternoon,” I agreed, thinking I could get the Hailey groveling done and then go get more bad news from him. I had a feeling I would be getting drunk that night after what was likely to be a rotten day.
Jim paused. “Terran, this is big. I need you here as soon as you can possibly get here.”
I hesitated, debating what to do first. I was desperate to see Hailey. “Fine. I was on my way out. I’ll be there. Just so you know, I really hate this mystery crap. This is why they invented phones and email,” I said, ending the call.
I couldn’t imagine what kind of news he had for me. I was already on the verge of losing everything, and I was okay with that. Going to his office wasn’t going to change anything. I considered calling back and telling him to forget it, I didn’t care, but something inside me told me I needed to at least try to hold my company together. It wasn’t just me I had to think about.
“Damn it,” I muttered, grabbing my keys and heading for Jim’s office.
“Have a seat,” Jim said when I arrived.
I sat down, expecting more bad news. He didn’t call me down there to tell me anything good. “What’s going on?” I asked.
“You know your uncle is against you getting your father’s money,” he started.
I shrugged a shoulder. “Yes, I did know that. Please tell me you did not drag me down here to tell me that.”
He shook his head. I could tell by the pinched look on his face he had something to say but didn’t want to say it. “He’s gone a step further than simply casting accusations. He’s hired an investigator to look into you and Hailey to prove the engagement is a sham.”
I shrugged. “I don’t care.”
“Terran, if he proves you attempted to defraud the estate and ultimately the probate court, you could be looking at some serious trouble.”
“I didn’t attempt to defraud anyone. Hailey and I were engaged in every sense of the matter.”
Hi
s eyebrows shot up. “Were?”
“What kind of investigation?” I said, ignoring his question.
“He wants to interview the two of you separately.”
“No.”
“Terran, Lance has cast enough doubt on this thing that I would have to advise you to participate in the investigation,” he lectured.
“I’m not sitting down with an investigator who wants to ask me personal questions about things he has no business knowing,” I growled.
The very idea of a stranger actually interviewing myself or Hailey about our relationship made my blood boil.
“I understand that—”
I shook my head. “It is a huge violation of privacy, and I can’t imagine any judge is going to force me to prove my engagement is real. How can I prove something like that? I gave her a ring. We’ve been seeing each other for months. I’m not about to disrespect her by providing intimate details. Let me make this very clear—Lance and his lawyer and their little investigator can kiss my ass.”
“Do you want to tell me what’s going on? Lance seems pretty confident he’s going to win this whole thing. He told me your fiancée walked out on you when he told her the truth about the so-called engagement. According to him, you were duping her and the court,” Jim said, somewhat angrily.
I took a deep breath. “Listen, Jim. You should have led with that. Don’t try to get me to admit to something that isn’t true. Need I remind you that you’re my attorney and work for me?”
He slapped his hands on his desk. “I knew it! Do you know how dangerous this little game is that you’re playing? Do you know I could be accused of encouraging you to lie? I don’t appreciate you lying to me. l do work for you, but I can’t help you if you’re running around doing things that are only going to hurt the case in the long run. Help me, help you.”
We stared at each other for several long seconds. The tension in the room was palpable with both of us having our hackles up.
“Fine. It is real. Very real. We did have a minor disagreement, but I am confident I can get her back. This engagement is the real thing, Jim. Lance tried to drop a bomb on it, and he did say some things that made Hailey question my intentions. I plan on getting her back. When do I have to do this stupid interview?” I said. I’d do the interview, but I wouldn’t like it one bit.
He let out a long sigh and leaned back in his chair, rubbing a hand over his face. “I can buy you a week, maybe a little longer. I’ll tell the investigator you are both busy and can’t sit down until then.”
“Thank you. Sorry about earlier. Things have been really tense.”
He nodded his head. “Terran, I’m not advising you to do anything illegal, but I don’t think I need to tell you how much is riding on this engagement.”
“I know. I understand completely, believe me. I’m the one who stands to lose everything.”
He leaned forward. “Then I suggest you think about convincing her to be your fiancée, even if it’s only temporary.”
I knew what he was saying. It was the same thing Zach had been telling me. I wasn’t sure if I was mad, ashamed or embarrassed that people thought I was so shallow I would do anything to keep my wealth. It certainly made me think twice about the person I had been and the person I wanted to be.
“Thank you. I’ll take that under consideration.”
“You have to get your stories straight before this interview. You can’t afford to have even the slightest discrepancy between the two of you. I understand you’ve got a problem. Do what you’re known for. Turn on that charm and get the woman to see reason. I’m sure you could sweeten the pot a little to make her more inclined to take you back,” he said in a low voice.
Again, he was telling me to fake it. To bribe her so I could get the money.
“Thanks for your time. Is there anything else?”
He shook his head. “I’ll have my secretary give you a call later and let you know when those interviews will be set up. I’m sure he’ll want to talk to you separate and together.”
I stood up and made my way to the door before stopping and turning back to him. “I’m not giving this farce of an investigation more than an hour. Like I said, I think this is an egregious violation of my privacy as well as Hailey’s. I cannot imagine my father wanted this to happen. Some things are meant to be kept between two people. If at any point, I’ve decided he’s asking too much, the interview will be over. You be sure and let that investigator know that. I’m Terran Maddox. I don’t roll over and play dead for anyone. I don’t care what it costs me because I will always find a way to be successful.”
“I’ll make sure to pass along the message. I’ll also be asking to have counsel present at each interview.”
I grimaced. “I’ll have to think about that one. I like you, Jim, but some things don’t need to be shared between us.”
“You need representation. I can shut down the investigator with the law and not raise any suspicions.”
I shrugged. “I said I’ll think about it. Goodbye, Jim.”
I walked out of his office feeling rotten. I had woken up in such a good mood. I had been ready to tackle the day and confident Hailey and I would be having dinner that evening. I wasn’t quite so sure of that now. Even if I were able to get her to talk to me again, how could I tell her I needed her to sit down with an investigator and tell him our engagement was real? I had a feeling that would go over as well as a ton of bricks. She would be convinced I was using her.
I got in my car, got on the Pacific Highway and drove north. I wasn’t going anywhere in particular. I needed to clear my head. I wanted Hailey—that I knew for sure. How important was the money? It didn’t seem right I could be truly engaged to a woman I loved with all my heart and still not get the inheritance that was rightfully mine because of Lance’s suggestion it wasn’t real. Maybe I could get Jim to negotiate an extension to the will’s provisions. I could marry Hailey, do the big wedding, have a honeymoon and if in a year’s time we were still married, then I would get the inheritance. That would give me time to prove to her I loved her. I could show her the money wasn’t important.
It seemed like the perfect solution to my problem. Now, I just needed Jim to convince crotchety Bob. Of course, there was still the little matter of me convincing Hailey I wanted to be with her for her and getting her to take me back. Minor hiccup. I would start over. I would woo her with flowers and nice dinners. I knew she loved the beach. I’d take her on a romantic getaway and prove to her how much I loved her.
Feeling better and having a solid plan, I took the first exit and headed for home. Things were looking up.
Chapter 50
Hailey
I walked into the coffee shop, scanning the tables until I saw Mandy, her head down as she furiously typed away on her phone.
“Hey!” I greeted, taking a seat across from her.
“Hi,” she said, exasperation in her voice.
“Uh-oh, what’s the matter?”
She shook her head. “I’m getting denied the special funding I applied for.”
“Funding for what?” I asked.
“I was talking with the director of the orphanage the other day about getting more supplies for the kids. I hate sending them to school with old, used stuff. In some cases, we can’t even provide the right size clothing for them. I feel like we’re scarring them for life. There’s so much I want to do. I applied for a grant and got turned down. Everyone says their budget is stretched too tight and there’s no money. They keep telling me to apply early next year. That doesn’t help me this year. Not to mention, we are at full capacity and then some. We just had to transform one of the tutoring rooms into living space,” she said, shaking her head.
“I’m sorry. Can I help?” I asked.
She smiled. “No, Hailey. You already give us so much. No one can expect you to support that orphanage on your own.”
“How about a fundraiser?”
She shrugged. “We run fundraisers all the time. Unfortun
ately, we aren’t the only orphanage, and we all have to share funds and resources.”
“There’s has to be something we can do.”
She took a deep breath, put her phone down and smiled. “We can get coffee.”
I laughed. “I’ll get it. Mocha for you?”
“Yes, please.”
I returned a couple minutes later with our two coffees. “Chocolate and coffee, that should make you feel better.”
“It will. How was the audition yesterday?” she asked, blowing on her coffee.
I couldn’t hide my excitement and hated myself for it. She was having a rotten day. It didn’t feel right that I was this happy.
“Great,” I said, trying to downplay it.
She looked up from her coffee. “Did you get the part?” she gasped.
I burst into laughter. “No. I mean, I don’t know yet, but the director told me I gave him a lot to think about. He didn’t tell me no right away, which Gabriel says is a good thing. My competition is some of the best and brightest in Hollywood right now though. The chances of me actually getting it are slim to none, but slim is better than get out and don’t come back.”
She laughed. “This is true. That’s awesome. I’m so excited for you!”
“Me too. I want to get my name out there and sit down with interviewers and tell my story.”
“You will. It’s going to happen for you. Then everybody is going to know how special you are. I’m thrilled to be able to say I know you. Don’t forget the little people when you’re accepting that first Oscar,” she said with a wink.
“I would never forget you. Without you, I wouldn’t be where I am. You’ve been my rock.”
“What about Terran? Will you thank him?”
I grimaced. “Do I have to?”
“Have you spoken to him yet?”
“No,” I whispered.
“Hailey, I know you’re hurting, but maybe you should talk to him at least,” she said in a soft voice.