Chapter Six
Lunch with my agent, Addison Bennett, was always a pleasant meeting. She was such an animated character who radiated warmth and elegance that I couldn’t help being enlightened whenever I was with her. Her auburn hair perfectly fitted her personality. Though she was my agent, she became more than that. She had developed into someone I could lean on when I began to doubt myself, motivating me to be the best and to always strive to better my craft. On a personal level, I could confide without judgment. Given my background, I found it more than difficult to trust anyone, so it went without saying that I was grateful for her friendship.
We were in our usual spot, dining at Mr. Chow in Beverly Hills. The retro-chic black and white flooring, superb menu, and famous patrons made this into one of Los Angeles’ trendy stomping ground.
In the midst of our meal, Addison informed me thatClovergot picked up for two more seasons, and they wanted to immediately shoot in the next three to four months. The location was San Francisco, so it wasn’t a hardship for me to commute once or twice a week, depending on how much screen time I was scheduled for.
I would be pretty much locked-in contract and wouldn’t be able to entertain any other projects while filming. I didn’t mind it very much. I loved the cast and crew, and I couldn’t wait to see what the writers had in store for the show and my character, Janet Samuels.
Bright green eyes sparkled back at me, enthused. “Now we’re done with business, let’s talk about your life. How are things going with Parker?” she asked as she jovially sipped her dirty martini.
She seemed to have warmed to Parker. He was a total charmer if he wished to be. She wasn’t immune to it, unlike Kells and Anton.
“It’s …” I trailed off. How should I put it? “Well, it’s definitely going.”To where exactly, I wasn’t quite sure yet.
“Oh?” She arched a brow. “Anything I need to know?”
Since she asked, I had something else to say on that matter. “Well … he sort of suggested I should have a new set of friends, specifically those who are popular and would put me in paparazzi-ville.”
“He’s one of those, is he?” Addison didn’t even bat an eyelash. “And I guess that put you off?”
“Of course it did. What decent person wouldn’t be?” Openly talking about this brought back the fire and fury that had been suppressed overnight after Parker had apologized. “I don’t know. I guess I never realized how shallow the guy I’m dating is until yesterday.” A part of me chided myself that I should have seen this coming for miles. However, I was too charmed with his physical attributes and sweet nothings to see what lied underneath.
Seeming to pick up on my thoughts, Addison asked with a knowing smile, “Aren’t you glad you don’t have an agent who pushes you to be someone you’re not?”
“I’m so very glad. You have no idea.” My thoughts immediately went straight to a different agent, one who had orchestrated all those tabloid sensations just to get his client on the map.
Ari Braun was the devil himself. He wouldn’t let anything pass him. He controlled every aspect of River’s life, and I wouldn’t put it past him to dictate who he should and shouldn’t bed. It was unimaginable to have someone like that in my life, and it surprised me that River would put up with it.
After the meeting, I was on my way home when my phone rang. Distracted by oncoming traffic, I activated Bluetooth.
“Hello?” I greeted with a raspy voice.
“Well, how did your meeting go?” Parker’s smooth voice responded back.
I wanted to sigh but refrained. Maybe he had good intentions. He did want the best for me, didn’t he? I shouldn’t be irked that it was the first thing he said.
“Great. We got renewed for two more seasons. It’s amazing.” It was. I couldn’t describe the whirlwind of emotions I was experience. All I could say was that it was extraordinary. And yes, I could admit that this rush of exhilaration could be addictive.
“Good. That’s what I was hoping to hear. Congratulations, baby. How does it feel to be a part of a successful show? Not a lot of people can say that, you know. And maybe you should speak to the writers and ask if they can give you a challenging role, something that might get you noticed for an Emmy.”
“Seriously, Parker, can you just take a moment to be happy for me without having to ruin it by suggesting something?” He was full of ideas, but I was beginning to doubt he had my best interest at heart. “If you want to be famous by association, then you’ve chosen the wrong woman.”
He was beginning to make me feel undeserving. Was that intentional? I couldn’t be sure. All I knew was that this was supposed to be about me.
Past caring about suppressing my annoyance and disappointment, I immediately ended the call without hearing his lukewarm answer. He was starting to bring such a negative impact to my life.
Was Parker the kind of man I wanted by my side? How could he begin to fathom my past if he couldn’t see past the glitz, glamor, and fame?
Beyond irritated, I concentrated on my driving and pondered my next move, weighing the pros and cons until I reached home.
I was so lost in my own thoughts that I barely recognized Parker standing right outside my door, possibly ready to apologize for his birdbrained moment.
As I approached him, I questioned myself. Was this worth arguing about since he simply wanted me to be successful? It was a catch twenty-two. The old me and the new me were clashing to make a decision.
“Baby, I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean it to come out that way. I swear it,” he blurted out before I reached the door. Hastily striding toward me, his baby blue eyes pleaded as he took my hands into his, gripping with intensity. “I didn’t mean to piss you off, Cara. Let’s just forget I even said it okay?”
How many times did I have to forget things? First it was my friends and now this. Crap! Why did he have to turn out this way? It was such a major turn off. If he wasn’t gorgeous, I wouldn’t even be contemplating breaking things off with him. Besides, it seemed nice to have someone check on me and knowing that I was at least trying to move on from my first love. But the question remained: was it worth it?