“So? Pay them off. Get your lawyer involved and see what it’ll take to get them off your back and out of the tabloids. You’ve got enough money, right? Or do you need a loan from your little brother?”
“What happened to being a mature grown man?”
“Eh, apparently you bring it out in me.” Rome laughed. “But seriously, if you need anything, you’ve only got to ask. I’m here for you and Zo. And so is Sophia.”
“I know. Thanks, bro. I’ll take you up on that. How much longer is your shoot?”
“I’ve got a little over two weeks, I think. I need to see the updated schedule. You know how it goes.”
“That I do. Maybe when you’re done, you can swing by and spend some time with Zoe. I bet she forgot what you look like.”
“You haven’t been showing her my picture every night like we agreed? What the hell, King?” Rome joked, laughing lightly.
“I don’t even see her before she goes to bed. Since there are so many night shoots on this film, I don’t get home until long after she falls asleep. And most days I’m gone before she wakes up. I don’t know why I’m even doing this anymore.”
Chapter Nine
Still King
“You’re thinking about quitting acting? Really?” The disbelief in Rome’s voice was hilarious. Like he couldn’t believe anyone would want to walk away from this life.
“For Zoe? I’d do it in a heartbeat. She didn’t sign up for this. And you know it’s only going to get worse as she grows up.”
“Yeah, but quitting acting won’t erase your fame. You’re famous whether you’re working on a movie or not. People will want to know why you left and where you are. You can’t make it all just disappear.”
I groaned and scrubbed a hand over my face. “Maybe I could buy a compound in a small town or something. Maybe a small island? Live out my ownSwiss Family Robinsonfantasy.”
Rome snorted. “Because that’ll make Zoe normal—total isolation and zero socialization.”
“You know what I mean. This life…it’s just a lot.”
“I had no idea you felt like that.” Rome sighed. “You’ve always been the strong one. I mean, you single-handedly got me and Nix through our parents’ divorce. I think we’d both be a lot more fucked up if you hadn’t been there to shield us from the fallout.”
“Meanwhile, I can’t do the same for my daughter.”
“I know it’s not easy, but if anyone can figure it out, it’s you.”
“Yeah, well, it’s not like I can do anything about it now. I’ve signed contracts for three more movies, and the exit clauses are ridiculous. But after that… Maybe.”
“I just… Don’t give up, bro. It can be done. You’re not the only actor in Hollywood with kids. I think you need to find good people to surround yourself with. Once you have that network and protection in place for Zoe, you might feel differently. You never said, how’s the new nanny working out?”
“Briar? She’s great.” I tried really hard not to think about how much time I’d spent today watching her when I thought I’d been checking in with my daughter. And I deliberately left out the detail of how attractive Briar was. “She is all about Zoe and devotes all her energy to making her happy.”
“That’s a switch. So you’ve found the only nanny in Hollywood who doesn’t want to get into your pants?”
If only.
I shook my head. I couldn’t think of her like that. She was my employee. And only my employee. Not to mention the fact I’d never felt any seduction vibes from her—and believe me, I know what I was talking about. “This one actually loves kids. She’s not a wannabe actress or model. She has a master’s in education and was working at a preschool when I hired her. She’s the real deal.”
“Hold on to her. I don’t have to tell you how rare a find someone like that is.”
“Yeah, she is.” I sighed and tried not to think about the way I’d really like to hold her. Because I couldn’t. Briar wasn’t for me. She was for Zoe. And that was all that mattered.
We talked a little more about Rome’s schedule and picked a day for him to swing by and see me and Zoe in a few weeks.
“All right. Can’t wait to see you guys. More Zoe than you, but you know how that goes.”
I sighed. “Yeah, yeah. I’m not the favorite anymore. I ceded the title to Zoe.”