What was sad was that if Devin had been patient, he might have had a shot at Nancy. If I were being honest, Devin and Nancy would have made a good couple. I personally felt he needed someone who could keep him on his toes. His last serious girlfriend had been a gold digger and would have cheated on him. I didn’t get that vibe from Nancy at all. Quite frankly, I couldn’t imagine David would be attracted to someone who was a gold digger.
I’d taken David to confront Devin about it, with the hope that they could work things out. I could tell that David would grit his teeth and finish the shoot, but I was more worried that their personal relationship would be damaged beyond repair if I didn’t get them talking. Devin probably made the biggest mistake of his life. He tried to mollify David with lines like “She must have interpreted my intentions wrong.” They both knew that was a lie. David did a masterful job of covering his true feelings, but I knew his friendship with Devin was probably over.
When I talked to Devin about it, he just brushed me off. He knew by then that Nancy had zero interest in him, and for good reason. I think he figured David was too young to understand the betrayal Devin’s actions represented. He’d basically admitted to David that he didn’t respect him and didn’t care if he knew it. I couldn’t see David reacting very well to that.
Then Devin pissed me off. He ordered me to make sure David and I remained friends. I would have done that anyway, but when Devin ordered it, I felt dirty. I felt as if Devin didn’t respect me either.
That feeling of being used actually helped me. It made me realize that I needed to stop deferring to my brother. Technically, we both owned an equal amount of company shares. While the covenants of the corporation wouldn’t allow me to vote at a board meeting until I was 21, it didn’t prevent me from giving my proxy to someone else. If Devin didn’t wake up, he might find he no longer controlled the company. I admit that would be hard for me to do to my brother, but that didn’t mean I wouldn’t use it as leverage to have him take me seriously.
Chapter 1 – Tinsel Town
Thursday January 1
When we got up, Nancy and I walked to the main house so I could say goodbye to everyone. We all had breakfast together and they told me their plans for the day. Devin was taking them all horseback riding in the morning. In the afternoon, the guys would go and watch football bowl games. The girls planned to go to another movie.
I caught a ride with Sandy to the airport, after Nancy gave me a kiss or three. It was a bittersweet ending to the vacation. I liked her a lot, but we were in different places in our lives. We each needed to move on and find someone who was a better fit. Sandy wanted her own goodbye. I was still a little confused as to how exactly this was going to work out. I felt us getting together was a mistake, but you couldn’t take it back. I knew we’d always be friends.
When I got to the airport, I went through security and had forty-five minutes to kill, so I called Tami.
“Happy New Year,” I greeted her.
“Happy New Year to you, too. Are you headed to the airport?” she asked.
“Already here. My flight hasn’t started boarding yet, so I thought I’d call.”
“I’m glad you did. I wanted to talk to you about this summer.”
“I heard you want to get a place in Chicago.”
“Yeah, it’s a new program they have set up for promising high school students. Teddy Wesleyan pulled some strings and got me a slot. I have to tell them in the next couple of weeks if I’m doing it. Are you okay with spending the summer in Chicago?”
“I might not be there a lot, but I’d be okay with it. I think you need to convince my mom, though. She’s not on board. I’d bet if you let the moms find us a place to live, she might be more inclined to let us do it,” I suggested.
“David, I want you to really think about this. We haven’t been getting along recently, and then as soon as I get back we’d be sharing an apartment. Are you sure about this?”
“It’s not like we’d be getting a one-bedroom and shacking up. I’m sure if we weren’t getting along, we could find plenty to do in Chicago to keep us distracted. Plus, like I said, I’ll be on the road. I have football camps and other commitments. I would hope, though, that we could work on rebuilding what we once had. It would be sad if we couldn’t make it work.”
“I miss you, too,” she said.
I heard them call my flight. I said goodbye and made my way to the boarding area. I was flying coach, but the good news was the flight was almost empty. The later flights were fully booked. I was happy to be getting out of town before the holiday rush hit. As I was boarded, I got a text from Kendal that said she’d meet me at the hotel. She would get in a couple of hours later than I would.
I boarded and found I had the row to myself. I put on my headphones and played some music. After takeoff, I fell asleep until I felt us start to come down. I guess I needed a nap. I got off the plane and walked to baggage claim. After I collected everything, I went to find a cab. It was sure different from Park City. When I left it was 26°, and the current temperature in LA was 68°. I almost felt like lying out in the sun and working on my tan.
We had rooms at the Beverly Hilton. They’d booked me into a Wilshire Tower Executive Suite, and the room had a splendid view of the city. The flashing light on the hotel phone indicated that I had several messages.
The first message was from Kendal to let me know her flight was delayed. The second voicemail was from Janice Utley, our producer. She gave me the time and place where we were all meeting tomorrow. They made it convenient, as we were meeting in the hotel in one of the corporate meeting rooms. There was a call from Jessup Fields, the director. He wanted to get together with the four leading actors for dinner tonight. Finally, there was a message from Craig Wild. Craig was playing the lead character and he wanted me to go to a party with him and his ‘entourage,’ as he called them. I think someone had watched too much HBO.
I called Janice and got her assistant. I confirmed receiving her message. I then sent Kendal a text and put the meeting on our calendar. I called Jessup and got his assistant and confirmed dinner. I was told to meet him in the lobby. When I called Craig, a girl answered. It sounded like a party was going on by the loud conversation and music in the background. I heard the phone clatter on the counter and her yell, “That farm boy is on the phone.”
“David!” an overexcited guy answered.
I guess he knew who the ‘farm boy’ was.
“Craig?” I asked.
“No, this is Kent. Craig is, ah, busy right now. He wanted to know if you could come out and party tonight. We’re going to Chubby Feldman’s place. He always has the best women, so you have to come,” Kent told me.
If he was talking about Charles Feldman, then I was there. He’d made some of the biggest-budget movies in Hollywood over the last ten years.
“Can I bring a friend?” I asked.
“Girl or guy?”
“Girl?”
“Is she cute?” Kent asked.
“Yes, she is.”
“Is she over 18?”
“Yes. Why the third degree?” I asked.
“Let’s just say Craig doesn’t have very good impulse control. It’s my job to make sure he isn’t exposed to underage women.”
I had to laugh. I was starting to like Kent. I wasn’t so sure I liked Craig, but I shouldn’t pass judgment until I met him.
“Let me give you some tips before you go. Hire a driver for tonight. If you happen to have a couple of drinks, the last thing we need is you getting arrested. Don’t go cheap and just get a cab, because there’ll be paparazzi skulking about. You need to have the image of someone successful.
“Don’t get drunk or take any drugs at the party. If you want to do that, come over here and we’ll take care of you. Now, if you decide to partake in the bountiful supply of women, wear a condom. If they’re party hos, they’ll be a lot of fun; but, they’re a lot of fun with three or four different guys,” Kent warned me.