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Chapter 1 – Little Lie Sunday May 15
School was out for the summer, and the first item on my to-do list was to get on a plane and fly to Miami. From there, we would board a charter flight to Cuba. I would bet the majority of my friends had thoughts of sleeping in, catching some rays, and maybe riding their bikes or hanging out at the mall today.
I had mixed feelings about heading to Cuba. In one respect, it would be good to get out of town. This way, I could get away from the paparazzi who wanted to ask me questions about what I privately thought of as ‘The Feminazi Interview.’ I guessed several of my people were glad I’d be safely away from the US media while in Cuba. I could sure use a break from the stress.
At the same time, I also wasn’t completely sold on making this movie, The Royal Palm. The director, Laurent Vance, didn’t want me in it. The studio had picked me for the role over his objections. I hoped we’d be able to work together without too many problems.
Something else that weighed on me was that one of my closest friends, Beth Anderson, had declared her love for me and her desire that we be a serious couple. Of all the women in my life, she was probably the one I would most likely want as a life partner. Our families were close. Our mothers had been best friends since high school. Beth was someone I could tell anything to and feel comfortable.
Ever since I’d made my play for Tami Glade and she’d turned me down, I’d sworn off serious relationships. It had been almost a year since that had happened, and I’d started to think again in terms of a girlfriend. But honestly, I wasn’t sure if I wanted one right now. Still, if I were to choose the ideal girl for me, it would be Beth.
After her pronouncement the previous night, she hadn’t given me a chance to respond. She’d had to get home and spend time with her family. It was probably another benefit of being in Cuba for a month. The trip might give me a chance to figure out what I wanted.
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I think my trusty hound, Duke, knew that something was up. He’d not let me out of his sight all morning. I had my son, Coby, on my lap as I ate breakfast. He also needed a little attention. I would miss them both, along with Little David, for the next month. For about the millionth time, I was grateful my parents had volunteered to help Pam and me out by looking after our son for the next four years or so.
“When does shooting start? Will you get any time to go exploring?” Dad asked.
I was glad no one seemed to want to talk about ambush interviews.
“They’ve already been there for six weeks of filming. From what Saul told me, I’ll only need to be on set for four weeks. They’ll have another six to eight weeks of shooting after I leave. This is a travel day, and we’ll get settled in at the hotel. I guess there are several of us coming in today. Caryn said we’re all meeting for dinner tonight to learn what we need to know about Cuba.”
Caryn Buckley wore many hats for me. She was my PA, manager, and president of my companies. Dad served as CEO and helped Caryn when she needed it. Saul Gessler was my movie agent and known as one of the top sharks in the business.
There was a knock at the back door, and Fritz and Paul, my security team for the trip, walked in. My other security, and personal trainer, was Cassidy Hope. She would get some on-the-job experience this trip, but if it came to it, I would rather have her at my side than the other two. Her dad was my football coach, and a retired Marine. Cassidy had grown up as one of the guys, so to speak, and the Marines had taught her hand-to-hand combat. I think they thought it was funny to watch this wisp of a girl take down recruits. Cassidy had decided to take me on as her student, and four times a week, she kicked my butt.
“You about ready?” Fritz asked.
I shoved a piece of toast into my mouth and handed Coby to my mom. I needed to grab my carry-on bag. We’d already shipped almost everything I wanted to have with me. I met them at the car and threw my bag into the back of the SUV. Dad had agreed to go with us so he could drive it back home.
“Shotgun!” I called.
I dove into the car, buckled up, and waved to the two remaining paparazzi at the front gate. Thank God most paparazzi were city boys. Our town was a lot more inconvenient than they were used to, which meant far fewer felt the itch to camp on my doorstep. Of course, having grown up here had its advantages, too. Neither the police nor the neighbors were very accommodating of strangers trying to stir things up.
“You can have shotgun until the first stop,” Fritz said.
Paul gave me a dirty look but got into the back with Dad. Little did I know we were picking up Cassidy and Caryn; my claim on the front seat didn’t last very long.
After some intense negotiations with my mom, Caryn was my designated adult on this trip. Mom had wanted to go to Cuba, but her real estate business had picked up recently. Mom had said a number of times that you made money when you could in real estate. Caryn had almost not gone either, because we were opening up a new restaurant in the strip mall I’d bought in lieu of stand-alone office space. The strip mall also housed my mom’s real estate office and my brother’s massage business.
I wasn’t worried about the restaurant opening. I’d partnered with Granny, who had one of the best self-named eateries in our area. She’d lent us her name—the place was named Granny’s West. My other partner was Mary Dole. She’d taught me to be a much better cook. Her father had owned several restaurants, so it was in her blood. Mary was in charge of the kitchen while Granny ran the front. My contribution was money, back-office management, and bookkeeping.
The plan was for the restaurant to have a private grand opening this Friday. We would open our doors to the public on Saturday. Caryn and I really hated that we’d miss it. She’d put a lot of work into getting the space remodeled. Mom and Dad had agreed to step in with the help of Megan Crowley, our bookkeeper, tech person, and Girl Friday.
When we arrived at Caryn’s, I was sent to go get her. She lived in a three-story condominium and, of course, had a third-floor unit. I think Paul and Fritz just didn’t want to lug her bag down the stairs. Caryn met me at the door.
“Hang on. I need to set the alarm,” she said.
She had a small suitcase with a telescoping handle and wheels. I picked it up—it must have weighed a hundred pounds.
“What do you have in this … rocks?”
“Shut up. A woman needs things,” she said vaguely.
I just carried her suitcase downstairs while she messed with her alarm. I smiled when it went off and she said some bad words. It must be new. When I got downstairs, Paul had claimed shotgun. He was going to Cuba with me, so I would have a month to get even.
Dad, Caryn, and I sat in the middle seat on the trip to Cassidy’s. She and her dad were on the front porch, waiting for us. I’d gotten smart and sent her a text to let her know we were on the way. I jumped out to get her bag. Her dad gave her a long hug.
Before I could get back in the car, he stopped me.
“Let me give you some money for Cassidy,” he offered.
“They don’t take US dollars in Cuba. Plus, she’s an employee, and all expenses are paid for this trip,” I assured him.
“But she might want something extra,” he said, pressing an envelope into my hands.
I didn’t quite know why he would give me the money and not his daughter but didn’t want to debate it with him.
“And David, look out for her.”
“I will. I’ll see you when we get back,” I said and shook his hand.
Cassidy and I were relegated to the third row with Dad and Caryn in the middle. I was fine sitting with my friend. As soon as I sat down, Cassidy put her hand out.