by Emily Bruce
Jeez, his mother was never one to beat around the bush. “Because I’m embarrassed, Mom.”
His mother crossed her arms over her chest. “Well the way you’re going, she’s going to think you actually meant what you said at the press conference! You need to fix this.”
“Mom, it's not something to do over the phone. I would have gone to her house, but I still had the paparazzi up my ass. I wasn’t going to lead them straight to her and now she’s on Sophie’s Vegas trip. Not much I can do about that.”
“You’re a fool, son. Can’t you see that you and she are meant to be together?”
He shoveled a large scoop of ice cream into his mouth. Getting a huge brain freeze was better than having to reply to that question.
His mother was still waiting and demanding answers when Blake finally finished the mouthful.
“Well?”
“I’m going to see her first thing tomorrow and straighten this whole mess out.”
“Good.”
Blake could totally understand why Violet bought ice cream by the freezer-full.
Chapter 30
Violet
It was Monday again and Violet rolled over in bed with a moan as her alarm went off. Oh god, she felt like she had been hit by a bus. Sophie’s bachelorette weekend had been way too much fun. Violet sat up and moaned. Her head was throbbing. This hangover was turning into the hangover from hell. Why didn’t she take today off work too?
Because she was an idiot, that’s why!
Gingerly getting up, Violet made her way to the bathroom on wobbly legs. She wasn’t a big drinker, but she was pretty sure that for those three days in Vegas she was drunk most of the time. After wearily getting ready for work, Violet had to rush to make it on time.
Her car came to a screeching halt as she yanked on the hand brake and turned off the engine. The jerky motion made her feel like she was going to puke. Violet glanced at the clock on her dash. Holy shit! It was 9:07! Mr Jameson was going to actually fire her ass. Violet slammed the car door, which turned out to be a bad idea because she felt her brain cringe. She then broke into a stumbling jog as she dashed towards the vibrant orange door. As she jogged, Violet felt her stomach flip.
Or maybe it was her liver screaming.
Pushing the door of the office open, she let out a groan. Today the door weighed a ton! “There she is! Our very own, Encounter Bay’s maid of dishonor!” a chirpy Mr Jameson said as he looked up from the filing cabinet located behind Violet's desk. “I’m not even mad that you missed the first call of the day,” he added.
Violet stood still just inside the door. She wasn’t expecting that! She looked at a beaming Mr Jameson as her slow brain tried to compute his first sentence. “Maid of dishonor? What does that mean?” Violet asked as she moved slowly towards her desk.
“You haven’t seen it?”
Violet slumped into her chair and threw her bag on the ground. “Mr Jameson, what are you talking about?” she said, although it sounded more like a groan.
“Turn on that video website thingy and type in ‘maid of dishonor’, I want to see it again. Last time I watched, it had 5 million views. Betty just rang and said it was on SunUp America. You’re famous, Violet! And this time it’s not for baring your ass!” Mr. Jameson nudged her playfully with an elbow.
Violet shot Mr. Jameson a look.
Oh no!
What did she do?
Mr Jameson moved closer and leaned against her desk. “Did you have a good weekend?” he asked, looking genuinely interested. “What I can remember of it,” Violet muttered as she typed ‘maid of dishonor’ into VideoMe with trembling fingers.
She didn’t get drunk and send Blake a video of her begging him to like her, did she?
She only had two distinct memories of the whole weekend, watching Sophie get a lap dance at the strip show and then seeing the same stripper sneak out of Sophie’s bedroom with a giant grin on his face, carrying his boots and shirt. The rest of her memory of the weekend consisted of fragments. That reminded her, she needed to get to the bottom of what she saw in the hotel room. If Sophie had cheated on Jamie, that was huge!
“There it is!!” Mr Jameson yelled gleefully as the videos loaded, pointing frantically to the one at the top. “Would you look at that Violet, 8 million views!” he added in awe. Violet swallowed the lump in her throat and pressed Play.
How bad could it be?
Violet watched as the camera bounced around, then focused in on the stage. In the middle was a drunk looking Violet, in the short black dress Sophie had bought for her. She had a pink sash saying Maid of Honor in a bright pink cursive font and she was wearing a tiara made of pink dicks. Her head was lolling about and her arms and legs were at weird angles.
She was wasted.
This was not going to be good!
Violet’s memory began to fill in the blank spots as she watched herself get a lap dance from three hot men.
Oh, shit.
The cookie toss!
Just as Violet remembered the cookie toss, she got to watch it on the screen in 4K HD.
“OHMYGOD,” Violet said, covering her face with her hands.
8 million people have watched you barf on a stripper!
Right in the crotch.
Mr Jameson was still next to her laughing.
Violet groaned and put her head on her desk.
She was not going to cry!
Sitting back up, she saw Mr Jameson laughing so hard that his comb-over was flapping against his head.
“This is mortifying!” Violet cried.
“Oh, it's barely that, it’s funny. You need to have a sense of humor in life, Violet. Press Play again.”
Violet didn’t know if she should laugh or cry.
“You're famous in your own right now, and not just for sleeping with a movie star,” Mr Jameson added as he laughed. Leaning over Violet, he pressed play for her so he could watch the video again.
“Famous for throwing up at the most awkward moment ever!” Violet moaned as she tried not to watch.
“I love the look on the guy’s face,” Mr Jameson laughed.
“Oh, this has got to be the funniest thing I think I’ve ever seen, Violet!” he added, thumping her on the back. After insisting she play the video again, Mr Jameson finally retreated to his office in a cheery mood. Violet got up and took some Advil, maybe that would help her thumping head.
Sitting back down, she sighed. What was she thinking? There was no way they could be together. She was not good enough for Blake Wilson. In the space of a week, she had made him have to retire from acting, hold a press conference, and be trapped inside his parents’ house. He had been caught naked and alert! She had ruined his whole life. He had to hire publicists and PR people because of her! Imagine if they found out about this and what it would do to his image! The crazy thing was that the cookie toss was the least of Violet’s problems. Since she returned home, she had been greeted with nothing but silence from Blake. She may have ruined his career, but he had destroyed her heart.
Violet struggled through the morning, with the phone ringing off the hook. She had Betty darting in and out giving her a running update on how many hits her infamous video was now up to. It was 25 million hits an hour ago, but Violet had a sneaking suspicion that Mr Jameson was responsible for about half of those. She had been hearing nothing but laughter coming from his office all morning.
Violet packed up her desk and grabbed her bag. She needed some lunch, she needed a huge greasy hamburger and some fries and a strawberry milkshake to drown her sorrows in. Her headache was starting to clear and the ache in her heart was continuing to grow. After telling Mr Jameson she was taking a break, she made her way down the hill to the diner.
The construction workers laughed and hollered out to her as she walked. Violet couldn’t help but feel defeated. How much longer would it take for them to lay some damned concrete?!! After making it through the diner door without incident, Violet breathed a sigh of relief an
d scanned the mainly empty café for a secluded table where no one would see her.
She stopped when her eyes fell on Blake, who was sitting in a booth with Eden Greene. She was sitting next to him with her hand on his thigh as they talked intimately. From here, Violet could see that Eden was still as gorgeous as she had been when they were younger. She let out a shrill laugh and tossed her long brown hair back, her hand snaking its way further up Blake’s thigh. Blake dipped his head as if to kiss Eden. Violet let out an involuntary moan, way louder than she had anticipated, causing Blake and Eden to look in her direction. She felt Blake’s eyes land on her. She couldn’t look at him. She was about to burst into tears. She spun in her heels, nearly falling over, and ran out the diner as fast as a seasoned track star.
Chapter 31
Blake
It was Monday, Violet was finally back in Encounter Bay, and Blake could now talk to her. He didn’t realize how desperate he had been to set things right with Violet. He had totally ballsed up the situation. His mind kept running through what she must be thinking, that he didn’t care, that he was a grade-A jerk.
Jesus!
He was up early having his morning coffee when his mother appeared in the kitchen. “Good morning,” he grumbled. “Sophie and the girls are all back safe, she texted me last night,” she said as she went about fixing her tea. “It sounds like they had a little too much fun,” she added cryptically. Blake got up and slammed his mug into the sink. He then stalked off to get ready for his morning run. He was pissed about everything.
He had to talk to Violet and make this all better.
After his run on the beach, he swung by Violet’s house and knocked on the door. There was no answer. Blake knocked again, then put his ear to the door. He could hear the shower running. Deciding he should probably wait before he talked to her, he got in his car and went home. Blake lingered around the house all morning, trying to work out his feelings and what he was going to say to Violet. He would start with an apology and then see how it went from there. Blake dressed in his usual outfit and made his way into town. He parked along the main street and got out of his SUV. Blake wiped his palms on his jeans as he made his way up the main street to the realty office. “Blake!!” He turned to find Eden Greene rushing behind him to catch up. “Oh, Blake! How are you?” Eden gushed with fake concern as she stopped him. She advanced on him and he had to take a couple of steps back. Blake found himself pressed up against the hood of his SUV. He couldn’t help but feel like this was an ambush. “It’s been so long. We MUST have lunch,” Eden said, her eyes running all over him. Blake opened his mouth to say no, but before he could utter the word he was being dragged by Eden in the direction of the diner.
“I really need to be somewhere,” Blake said as Eden stopped to open the door, hoping that she would get the message. “Oh Blake, it will only take a minute and we really do need to catch up!”
He allowed her to drag him into the diner. Batty Betty spun around and gasped as soon as he walked in. “Blake!” she shouted, her eyes narrowing when she spotted Eden. Blake looked around the diner. Thankfully it was pretty empty. Before he knew it, the swishing of Betty’s red skirt was all he could hear as he found the older woman’s head wedged against his chest, with her hand snaking around his back and heading south. Blake tried to take a step back, the bruise she left on his ass last time lasted a week, but he couldn’t move, she had him pinned. He was able to turn his head just in time to avoid a mouth full of beehive. Betty finally let him go and his ass was saved from ambush. “Can you do your job and get us a table, Betty!” Eden barked, then added under her breath, “You crazy old bag.” Betty shot daggers at Eden as she ushered them to the booth seat closest to the counter, so she could hear their conversation, Blake assumed. He slid into the booth seat, he wanted to get this little get-together over with, and fast. He needed to talk to Violet. To his shock and surprise, Eden slid in next to him.
“Do you have enough room?” Eden asked as she pressed up against him. Blake inwardly groaned. “I’m fine,” he grumbled as Eden handed him a menu. It wasn’t like he needed one, he knew the menu off by heart, like everyone in Encounter Bay.
“So, it’s been like 13 years since we’ve last seen each other, what have you been up to?” Eden asked him. Blake rolled his eyes. “Just making movies,” he replied. “Oh, I’ve seen every movie you’ve been in!” Eden beamed, sliding closer to him. “Eden, what’s new with you?” Blake asked. He didn’t want to answer her stupid questions all afternoon. “Oh, I got married, we have three kids.” Blake did a double take, she looked great for a woman with three kids. “Sounds like you’re happy.”
“I settled, Blake,” Eden replied flatly.
“We were meant to be together. I always thought I would marry you. But you took off to New York and didn’t come back. To be honest, I’m a little hurt you never asked me to come with you. Imagine the fun we could’ve had.”
Blake felt sick.
Eden was never anything but an easy lay for him. Even back then, his heart had belonged to Violet.
He needed to get out of here, and fast, before she told him she was leaving her husband for him. Or even worse, tried to kiss him in front of Batty Betty. Violet would definitely be hearing about that.
The door of the diner dinged. Not that Blake was taking much notice, but Eden just started laughing at nothing. She flicked her hair and he felt her hand slide up his thigh. He heard a gasp, looked up, and spotted Violet. The hurt and sadness on her face was visible, but she was trying to hide it. He watched on helpless as she turned, stumbling in her heels as she ran out the door. The anguish on her face made his stomach drop.
Eden laughed and spun back around to talk to him.
“Oh my god, she is such a loser! Or, how did EntertainMe TV put it? Deranged local! It like sums her up! She’s so weird. Honestly, Blake, I don’t know how you put up with someone as pathetic as her. I guess you must really love Sophie to put up with Violet fawning all over you like a pathetic freak!”
“MOVE,” Blake yelled.
He hip-and-shouldered Eden out of the booth. She landed on her ass, but in all honesty he didn’t give a shit. He needed to talk to Violet, and now. Things had gone on for too long and he had a feeling that he just might have blown it with her. He sprinted out of the diner and looked up and down the street. Violet was nowhere to be seen.
Blake was standing there thinking about what to do next, when the diner door opened behind him and he could hear the familiar rustle of a skirt. He turned to see Betty.
“Blake Wilson! You listen here! What on earth are you doing?” Betty yelled. Blake opened and shut his mouth, trying to think of something to say.
“Do you love her?” Betty demanded, this time in a quieter voice. “Eden? God no!”
“Not Eden, you fool! Violet!” Betty slapped his arm. “Ouch!” Blake rubbed his arm, for a woman in her 70s she sure could pack a punch. “What in the hell are you doing? How come you haven’t seen her since your cover was blown? I could hear her crying in her bed from my porch!” “Betty, you live more than four blocks from her.” “I heard her! Now, what game are you playing at?” Blake sighed and slumped his shoulders. He looked around the street and there was no one around to listen, thank god. “I don’t know. I just don’t want to make her life difficult. The media published photos of her ass all over the internet, they hound me, and I don’t want that for Violet.”
Betty rolled her eyes at him. “Sounds like an excuse to me, like you’re too scared to admit your feelings for her. Violet has loved you quietly her whole life. I remember when you were younger! Coming in here, you only ever had eyes for Violet. And the whole town saw her ass a couple of months ago when she fell over at the Summer Parade, so I don’t think she’ll be too upset about the photos! Stop taking the easy way out. You came back here for a reason and what was it? The poor girl seems to have little self-confidence. You need to march up to that realty office and tell her how you feel! Or leave and never come
back here, you owe her that.”
Blake stood there, his mouth agape.
A noise behind her made Blake look over Betty’s shoulder. Eden was being held back by the cook, but she had just broken free and was rushing towards them
“Blake!” Eden said, trying to push in between him and Betty.
“Eden! You are a terrible woman!” Betty said to Eden, which made her stop in her tracks.
“Shut up, you nosy old bat!” Eden screeched.
“He doesn’t like you, he never has, and he never will. Now you tell her, Blake!”
Blake looked from one woman to the next, Betty in her 1950s get-up and Eden looking disheveled from her throwdown with the cook.
“Eden, I love Violet. It’s never going to happen,” Blake said, trying his best to sound sincere. Betty snickered and Eden stomped her foot.
“She is a giant loser!” Eden screamed.
“No, she’s lovely. You, Eden, are a bitch,” Betty chimed in.
Blake turned and fled. He dashed up the road to the sound behind him of Betty and Eden going toe to toe.
He needed to see Violet.
Chapter 32
Violet
Violet sat in her car, tears streaming down both cheeks. She knew that things between her and Blake were most likely over, but to see him with someone else and for that someone to be her mortal enemy, Eden! Well, it was all too much!
Today was shaping up to be the worst day ever.
Well, not as bad as the whole Eden Greene thing, but not far behind it in the embarrassment stakes. The entire town was going to be gossiping about the scene she made in the diner. And of course, Betty had front row seats.
After a solid 30 minutes of nonstop bawling, Violet pulled herself together. She looked at her reflection in the rear-view mirror. “Oh, dear god!” she muttered. She looked a fright, still hung over, and now her face was red and blotchy and her eyes bloodshot from crying. Violet pulled out her phone and looked at the time. Shit, she only had 5 minutes to get back to work. There was no way Mr Jameson would allow her to miss another day of work after last week, no matter how good of a mood he was in.