Page 29 of Still Her
Of course. I’m not even surprised, but it doesn’t lessen the feeling of disgust that comes over me.
“She was tempted. The idea of what could come of it was powerfully alluring, and he got close enough to touch her while she was processing it all. But the second he made physical contact, she snapped out of it. Her sense of morality and logic kicked back in and overpowered the temptation, fortunately. She pulled away, and his charming demeanor faded away. As she was leaving, he told her it was too bad that she blew her chance of making it big in the entertainment industry; said ‘you’re good, but you’re notthatgood. I could’ve helped you.’”
I shudder, feeling utter revulsion for Lola.
“She reached out to me the next morning, distraught. She wanted to know if there was anything I could do, which there wasn’t because there was no proof. All we could do was file a report, but with that report on the books, we were able to move forward with trying to catch him at his game. We were going to try to get him alone with her and have her wired. Unfortunately, when she tried to call him and tell him she had a change of heart, he dismissed all her calls. Seemed he’d washed his hands of her and moved on. There was nothing we could do.” He releases a breath and rolls his shoulders.
“I feel stupid. He didn’t even touch me…” I shake my head, trailing off.
“He doesn’t need to touch you, or even yell at you to make you feel violated,” he says, turning towards me and pinning me with the solemn look in his eyes. This obviously hits deep with him.
“I’m sorry you couldn’t catch him.”In more ways than one. “But you guys got back together?” I try to lighten the conversation. I can’t hide from this whole Eli thing, but I can sure as hell take breaks from it.
He smiles faintly, letting his tough guy mask slip a little. “Eventually,” he nods. “It was a while after that, but the incident got us talking again, and it definitely made me realize how much I still cared for her. I wanted to do anything and everything…” he shakes his head, realizing the road he’s taking the conversation down. “Sorry… I should be keeping this professional. This particular case involves you, so that’s where the focus needs to be.”
“Okay,” I concede quietly, as the lights go down in the arena.
14
Mayzie
The next fewdays takes us through Birmingham and Nashville to Charlotte, where we are now. We’re parked in the back of another sports arena, cooling our heels while the road staff hustle their asses off, schlepping pieces of stage and equipment into the venue. I’m tempted to roll up my sleeves and help out. I’m going stir crazy, and all the stress from recent events is churning inside me, waiting to explode. I need to engage in some serious physical activity before it all comes out in a not so pretty or ladylike way. I need a dancefloor. Or a punching bag. A trampoline. A racecar with an empty track. Something.
I let my mind mull over the endless ways I could burn off the frustration, no matter how far-fetched, as I pull up my yoga pants and then zip up my hoodie.
“Where are you going?” Jack asks curiously from the bedroom doorway, making me jump and scream. “Sorry baby,” he says, grinning at how much he startled me.
“I was just going to go run or something,” I answer as I recover with a hand to my chest, before plugging my earbuds into my phone and wrapping the cord around it.
“You don’t run,” he says with an amused smile.
“I know, but I’m going nuts and I need to move.”
“I’m sorry, baby,” he consoles, as he steps forward to cup the side of my face with his hand. “I know you’re having crazy dance withdrawals. One of these cities has to have a studio we could get you into.”
I shake my head with a sigh. “The schedule’s too tight. Besides, we’d attract too much attention.”
He nods, shrugging a shoulder. “Listen, I just got off the phone with Mike.”
“And?”
He blows a breath out of his nose before continuing. “He’s putting together a proposal for a settlement for us, but he just wants us to be prepared.” He continues as I look up at him questioningly. “There’s a strong chance it would be for a lot more than your average contract buy-out. Eli may ask for a lot more, due to the possibility of how this will make him look. He could play the wounded, wrongly accused angle, claiming that our breaking the contract will hurt his credibility as an agent.”
“Oh, poor him,” I sympathize sarcastically as Jack nods in agreement. I shake my head. “Well, that’s out then.”
“What do you mean?” Jack draws his eyebrows together.
“We can’t do that,” I simply state with an exaggerated shrug of my shoulders.
“Baby, we already decided we’re not going to continue with the contract, what other choice do we have?”
“Well,” I draw in a big breath, knowing he’s about to lose his shit at what I have to say. “We never talked about trying to get the proof of what he’s doing.”
His gaze hardens. “That’s because that option is not on the table. That puts you at risk. Therefore, we’re not doing it.”
“It is too on the table! We never talked about it.”
“I took it off the table the moment Morris suggested it; or did you not hear me say there was no fucking way?”