“Seriously, I just turned 26, I think I have a few bachelor years left in me,” he winked. He knew how to work the press, especially the ladies.
* * *
It was just past six. Ryan had managed to sneak out of the junket a little early, feigning a migraine. He was hoping for a little ‘snap’ (sex and a nap, a favorite combination of his) before he and Trina had to leave. Their flight was at 10:30, which left them a few hours before they were due at the airport.
He fished the key fob from his pocket, clumsily juggling a bottle of Merlot and a take out container of buffet offerings. After finally managing to unlock the door he shoved it open with his shoulder, allowing it to close noisily behind him. The light from the television shone its blue hue into the short hallway, illuminating his path.
“Trina?” he called out, wondering if she was already napping. As he rounded the corner he saw his buddy Alex staring at him anxiously and whipping up his pants. For a moment Ryan wondered if he had the wrong room, until he saw Trina sitting in the bed, the sheets wrapped tightly around her.
“What the fuck?” he cursed, still trying to make sense of the scene unfolding in front of him.
“I’m sorry man,” Alex croaked, quickly pulling his shirt over his head. He grabbed his jacket and shoes and skirted past Ryan without stopping to put them on. Ryan spun around and watched him leave, his slack jaw conveying his surprise. He had invited Alex to join him in Japan to keep him company, not to fuck his woman!
What the hell was happening?
“Ryan, what are you doing here? You weren’t due back until eight?” Trina stuttered, forcing him to look at her.
“What am I doing here, Trina? This is my room. Our room,” he answered, banging the bottle of wine on the desk, ignoring the impulse to throw it at her. He set the take out down beside it. “A better question might be, what the hell was Alex doing here?”
Alex was the first friend he made when he landed in L.A. They’d met at a casting call for a laxative commercial, oddly enough, and became instant buddies. They had a lot in common, both of them 22, both aspiring actors, and both of them hungry for stardom. The difference was, Ryan caught a lucky break. It was a combination of boyish good looks, great comedic timing, and his sarcastic wit that landed him the lead in a silly teen movie. The low budget rom-com was not expected to be successful, but for some reason, people loved it, and so did the critics. The script was funny, raunchy and filled with nostalgic ‘easter eggs’ from the eighties, so once it hit the theaters and word got out, everyone went to see it. Some people twice! It was one of those flicks that snowballed from nothing, its success surprising everyone, especially Ryan.
It wasn’t long afterward that he was promoted to Hollywood’s hot list, the star to watch. He was offered another movie, which also turned out pretty good, and that role led to the current film he was promoting, an action film in which he was playing a hyperbolic super hero, a down on his luck dude that nearly met his maker in a nuclear melt down, but became an indestructible bad-ass instead. The script was outrageously unbelievable, much like his own rise to the top had been. His success came fast and furious, and Ryan was completely unprepared with how much his life would change.
His friendship with Alex had practically been the only stable thing in his life. They were good buddies, or so he thought. Ryan never had siblings, so Alex was the closest thing to a brother he’d ever had. He shared the abundance of his success with him, showering him with expensive gifts and letting him live rent free in his new house. He even told him, ‘what’s mine is yours, brother’.
I guess I should have been more specific, he thought miserably.
Ryan forced himself to make eye contact with Trina. She had yet to answer his question, but the truth was, there really wasn’t anything she could say. He caught them red handed. She shook her head slowly, as though searching for words.
“I’m sorry,” she finally choked, shifting the sheet so she could modestly shimmy off the bed. She walked toward him, her eyes pleading for forgiveness.
“About which part?” he snorted, moving out of her reach. “The part where you were banging my best friend? Or the part where I walked in and caught you?”
“Ryan, you don’t know how hard it has been for me these past few months. You’ve been gone so much and I’ve been so lonely. We didn’t mean for it to happen. We both love you so much, but I guess your constant absence forced us together. Try to understand...”
When did they become a ‘we’?
Ryan looked at her incredulously, shocked that she was turning the betrayal back on him, as if it were somehow his fault. If there was one thing that could shake his forgiving nature, it was people that refused to own up to their mistakes. Christ, Trina was an actress, she could at least pretend to feel remorseful.
“Oh, how selfish of me, Trina. Jesus! How could I have been so insensitive? I’m sorry that my job forced you to fuck another man. You poor thing. I should be fucking ashamed for putting you into such a difficult position,” he spat caustically, anger churning deep in his gut.
“You don’t need to be sarcastic...” she pouted, moving closer to him.
“What the hell should I be? Christ, if you’re bored you find a hobby, visit friends, join a frigging book club...or I don’t know, maybe go to work...you don’t fucking cheat!”
“Wow, did you just say that?” she protested, dramatically yanking her head back as though he’d delivered her a slap. He stared at her expressionless, waiting for her to continue, his patience dangerously slipping.
“Was that some sort of crack at my acting abilities? You don’t think I’ve been trying to find work? I’ve been auditioning my ass off, Ryan. Fuck you. We can’t all be as lucky as you,” she chided, poking him in the chest. He brushed her hand away, frustrated as hell by the deflection. She’d always been so good at turning things around and making him feel bad. Jesus.
And the Oscar goes to Trina for her role in ‘Nothing Ever Goes My Way’, he thought miserably, suddenly wishing he had not left the press junket early. He really did want to slap her.
“Get dressed,” he insisted instead, choking back his anger.
He wasn’t a violent guy. Quite the contrary. People were often surprised by how easy going he was. Very little could shake his good mood, his positive demeanor. He seemed to take everything in stride. But this, this was too much.
“No. Let’s talk about it, Ryan. I don’t want to get on that plane with you if you’re still angry. It will start our vacation off on the wrong foot,” she whined, as though they were fighting over something mundane, like squeezing the toothpaste tube in the middle or forgetting to put the toilet seat down.
“Not to worry, sweetheart, you’re not getting on that plane,” he retorted, his eyes landing once more on the unmade bed behind her. The disheveled sheets, still sticky with Alex’s cum, cruelly mocked him.
“You don’t mean that. We’ve been looking forward to this. It’s the first time in months that we’ll have quality alone time together, that neither of us are working. It’s fate!”
“You’re kidding, right?” he scorned, confused by how soulless she seemed, like her betrayal was just an insignificant blunder. It made him wonder what else she was capable of, or had hidden from him.
She shook her head, her eyes willing him to reconsider. He wouldn’t. He was fucking going without her.
“Well, guess what, honey...destiny just changed.”
Chapter 4
This was supposed to be his honeymoon trip but he was going solo. Of course he hadn’t planned it that way, but life threw him a remarkable plot twist. His fiancée, or rather his ex-fiancée, blessedly jilted him at the alter, and Daniel Townsend, having paid for the trip upfront, decided to go anyway. He had the time off, and honestly, Fiji seemed as good a place as any to start over, to reinvent himself.
Their honeymoon was planned to be an adrenalin junkie’s paradise, from sky diving to deep sea diving, and everything in between. Katie, havi
ng organized the whole wedding, left the honeymoon plans up to him, and he took full advantage. The itinerary was packed full of adventure and he’d been looking forward to it for months. Of course, he’d envisioned his blushing bride by his side, enjoying the experience as much as he would, but in truth, she probably would have preferred tanning on the beach or shopping for expensive clothes and jewelry.
They had been engaged for three years. Katie was a lawyer in his firm, a smart, successful woman whose parents adored him. She was a descendant of Queen Victoria, an inherited privilege that had absolutely no relevance in the real world, but made her decidedly more endearing to his mother. That, and the fact that she had an affluent father who was also loaded to the gills.
Daniel started dating Katie about six months after he started working for the firm. He couldn’t explain what attracted him to her, other than the fact that she was beautiful, and that most of the single blokes in the office wanted to fuck her (and some of the married ones too!). Katie kept them all at bay. She just wasn’t interested in being pursued. Her aloofness made her irresistible, not just to him, but to everyone. Maybe for Daniel it was the thrill of the chase that intrigued him. He watched as his colleagues, hot on her, crashed and burned time after time.
So he decided to play it cool. He ignored her, pretended he had absolutely no interest, even acted as though he didn’t like her. Those ambiguous little breadcrumbs finally got her attention and before he knew it, she was the one pursuing him. One evening, after a particularly long day, they ended up alone in the elevator together. Katie flirtatiously asked him to join her for a late supper, and he agreed. By the end of the night he was in her flat, knee deep in her pussy, and the rest, as they say, was history.
They became the power couple, climbing the ranks of the firm, working together like a well oiled machine, winning case after case, earning quite a reputation for themselves as the dream team. It just made sense for them to be partners in life as well as in business, so after a few years of dating, and with his mother’s incessant encouragement, Daniel popped the question. An outsider looking in would have considered them the perfect couple. Rich, happy, in love.
But it was all an illusion.
Ok, maybe not the rich part. Not even the love part, really. Daniel did love Katie, as well as he could, and as much as she allowed. They had a very sensible relationship. Everything about them worked, from a practical sense, and they never fought. Ever. That was the problem. There was absolutely no passion, no fire. Even their lovemaking was pragmatic, systematic, thorough, and unmistakably bland. Yes it was frequent, and yes, they both would climax, but it was never inspiring, and rarely spontaneous. They treated sex like shopping at the grocer’s, a necessary task that needed to be attended to once or twice a week. Everything they needed was on their list and they never strayed from it. Polite conversation, check. Compliments, check. Gentle kisses, check. Oral, check. Orgasms all around check, check, check (always an extra one for Katie). Followed by the missionary position, and finally spooning themselves to sleep. It was all very routine. Oh, yes, they knew how to put the fun in functional.
It was the happy part that was a lie.
Daniel was living someone else’s life. He was none of the things he claimed to be, just a brilliant actor, playing the part he was bred for, and Katie, a thoroughbred with exquisite bloodlines. On paper she was an ideal match. His parents had his life carefully constructed and planned out. The prominent prep school, boarding at Eton, studying Law at Oxford, all of it written in the stars before he took his first breath. He was never given an option. No one ever asked him who he was or what he might want to be when he grew up. It was inconsequential.
When he was twelve, just before enrolling at Eton, he confessed to his mother that he wanted to pursue skiing and other extreme sports, like his hero Alec Wagner. The man had broken records for Base Jumping and Sky Diving. He was also a mountain climber and skier, often combining the two and skiing off-piste. He was a legend in Europe and Daniel was gobsmacked by his accomplishments. While his parents humored him, they weren’t the least bit encouraging when it came to him pursuing his own interests, his dreams. In fact, when he expressed his desire to become a professional ski instructor, rather than attend law school, they threatened to disown him and dismantle his trust fund. So he stuffed his desires down and did what any good son would do. He sacrificed his happiness for theirs, but he never wanted to be a lawyer. Not even close.
He and Katie had been planning their wedding for over a year, and in spite of his trepidation, he probably would have gone through with it. The truth was, she had done him a favor, but why she didn’t tell him sooner that she had cold feet was beyond him. It was the question still pressing through his mind as he made his way through Heathrow airport. He knew why he never told her. He was a coward, afraid to rock the boat. His lessons in submission had started at a very young age, and he’d been properly trained to be a people pleaser. He would never have dumped Katie, no matter how unhappy he was. He would never have hurt her that way.
She admitted that she was not in love, that she couldn’t marry him and spend the rest of her life resenting him. Her words crushed him, and at first he was livid, but once he calmed down he realized that it was only his bruised ego that drove his anger. Deep down he felt an enormous sense of relief, and beyond that, gratitude toward her for doing what he never would’ve had the balls to do. She’d fallen on the sword for both of them, carrying the weight of the blame, shame and guilt that would inevitably land on her. Katie had the courage to follow her heart and in doing so, set them both free.
She inspired him actually. As soon as he returned from Fiji he was taking his life back. He wasn’t going to sacrifice his happiness anymore. He was born to be a free spirit, working outdoors and chasing adrenalin, not buried under dusty law books. He wanted to be madly in love, to find a woman as sexual, curious and passionate as he was. He’d always had a vivid imagination, a kinky nature, that had been suppressed along with all his other desires. He was in danger of becoming his father, a pretentious, buttoned-down Englishman, living under the burden of pomp and circumstance, blindly honoring stuffy traditions. Daniel was anything but conventional and it was time he proved it.
“Sir, may I see your boarding pass and passport?” the flight attendant requested as he approached the jetway. He smiled and handed them both over, waiting for her to process his ticket. He was anxious to leave behind the stress of the last few days.
He couldn’t explain it, but he knew the trip would be a turning point, that fate had something wonderful in store for him.
He could just feel it.
Chapter 5
Aren’t you Willie Russell?
Willie looked up from his book as soon has he heard his name. It was a teenager wearing a Lakers cap, an enormous smile on his face. Obviously a fan.
“I am,” he admitted, holding out his hand. The fan took it and shook enthusiastically.
“Holy cow, this is frigging unbelievable! I’m a huge fan,” he gushed, continuing to pump Willie’s hand.
Willie laughed good-naturedly, waiting for the right moment to peel away from the youngsters grip. “Nice to meet you.”
“Dude, you guys were awesome this year. That game you scored 68 points and ten three pointers! Shit, that was unreal, man!”
“Yeah, that was a great game. Thank you, brother,” Willie grinned, always humbled to meet his fans. He did his best to be gracious, no matter how tired or busy he was. It was the fans that ultimately wrote his paycheck.
“Wow, so cool. Can I take a selfie with you?”
“Sure, Kid. What’s your name?” Willie agreed, standing up beside him. Towering over the youngster, he crouched down to his level, placing a strong, brown arm around his shoulders.
“David,” the kid introduced himself, struggling to get them both in the shot.
“May I?” Willie asked kindly, taking his iPhone. He snapped the shot, and handed it back.
“Thanks,�
�� David grinned, pocketing his phone. “Sorry to interrupt. I never expected to see my idol at the airport.”
“Not a problem. It was nice to meet you.”
“Yeah, man. And listen, I’m sorry to hear about the troubles you’ve been having. Just so you know, I didn’t believe for a minute that you were guilty. Shame that people can be so fucked up.”
Willie’s smile faded, ever so slightly. While he appreciated the supportive words, he hated that his recent troubles had become so public. The situation had gotten a ton of press and were taking its toll on him, in spite of the fact that the accusations were completely unfounded.
“I appreciate that,” he acknowledged, crossing his arms over his chest, suddenly anxious for the interaction to end. Thankfully the young fan didn’t press.
“Do you mind if I post the pic on Instagram?” David asked, tapping the phone through his pocket. Willie shrugged his shoulders passively. While he’d been avoiding social media, it was ridiculous to expect others to do the same.
“Go for it, Kid. Thanks for asking.”
Willie motioned for the kid to pass him his Laker’s cap. David handed it to him.
Willie signed it, “To David, the best fan in the world,” and handed it back.
The kid’s eyes shone like stars.
“Wow, thanks!”
“No problem.”
The kid searched for something to say.
“Have a safe flight! Looking forward to seeing you back on the court!”
“You bet! Take care,” Willie waved, gently dismissing him.
David smiled and walked away, but quickly turned back, pumping his fist in the air. “Go Lakers!”
Willie chuckled quietly and sat back down, cautiously glancing around the gate, hoping no one else recognized him.
Satisfied that he wouldn’t be interrupted again, he picked up his book, feigning interest in the pages. The past few months had been the most challenging of his life. He never expected that he would be the centre of one of the worst sex scandals in the NBA since Kobe Bryant. The worst part was that the accusation was completely fabricated, but the fucking press circled like sharks smelling blood in the water and they didn’t give a damn about the facts.
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