Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
VANESSA
“Wait—you met his mama ?” Elodie whisper-yelled, reacting to the information I’d dropped on her mid-episode break.
I popped a mini pretzel in my mouth, using the need to chew as a moment to drag out my response, making her wait before I nodded. “Yep. And she loves me.”
Elodie squealed, holding on to my arm in a death grip as she practically jumped up and down in front of me. All I could do was smile, glad I was able to share my excitement with someone who’d understand how big of a deal it was to me.
While I was still coming to terms with how big of a deal it was to me.
Despite his insistence that it was cool—mainly because it was his house, and his parents were guests—my personal rules about respect wouldn’t allow me to stay overnight with him while his folks were under the same roof.
Sleeping alone had provided me an opportunity though—a chance to quietly bask in how unexpectedly good it had felt to not only be tolerated, but whole-heartedly accepted by Alec’s parents.
I…hadn’t realized it was something I desired.
Or hell…maybe even needed.
From pretty much the moment I hit the music scene, one of the most common narratives around me was that a man would never be able to take me home to his mama.
As if that was something I was seeking.
Because the idea that it mattered had been so ridiculous back then, in those super-early twenties, it had been easy to adopt a “ wasn’t nobody trying to meet your damn mama anyway! ” attitude.
And that attitude had prevailed because it was true—I wasn’t trying to keep a single one of my flings around long enough for something like that—meeting and bonding with his family—to even be put on the table.
And I didn’t want my family subjected to any of those men either.
I was young when my own mother passed, and my father had never been in the picture—until he tried to get money out of me and I sent his trifling ass on his way—but I was very much a family kinda girl. I’d been lucky enough that if they were judging me for my music or appearance or notoriety, they kept it to themselves.
Likely in no small part to my Auntie Cheyenne—Teagan’s mom. She was my mother’s sister and didn’t play about me, just like she didn’t play about her own child.
So for all the anti-whore rhetoric people tried to throw at me, I liked to believe that anything implying non-acceptance by people outside the industry just bounced right off me.
I was already accepted by everybody who mattered.
And yet…the way Alec’s parents embraced me had been relieving.
Albeit a tiny bit scary.
It was clear he’d told them about me.
And telling his parents about me added a layer of seriousness to our connection that made me a little nervous. Not because his feelings were misplaced—not even that they weren’t mutual, because I was in heavy “like” with this man so far. In a way I couldn’t recall ever being.
Ever.
With anyone .
That was the scary part.
These types of relationship waters were, for me, thus far unnavigated.
And nobody was handing out maps.
Getting called back to set interrupted my conversation with Elodie, but that was okay—it was probably good to get my mind off relationship stuff so I could focus anyway. We only had three episodes left to film—including the one we were working on—and the pressure to perform to the highest standard was higher than ever.
Getting this right meant the potential for great opportunities for everybody .
This was important to all of us.
Today, I was working with a lot of different people—the episode was a bit chaotic. Shannon had gone missing when she was supposed to be with Kami, so I was basically racing around town to everybody’s jobs or hangouts, trying to hunt her down.
Notably, I had a huge blow-up scene with Alec, which was choreographed in a way that he—his character—got a little violent with me.
Jude
(pushes away from the table, stalks to where Kami is standing.)
What the fuck do you mean Shannon is missing?! She’s supposed to be with you right now!
Kami
(rolls eyes.)
Really? I had no idea.
Jude
This ain’t the time for you to be getting smart with me.
Kami
Agreed, which is why I didn’t come here for that. I came to see if she was here, or if she’d talked to you today.
Jude
No, which your ass should already know. She’s ten years old, Kami. Not some damn teenager. You telling me you can’t keep up with her? I’m sure the courts will be interested to know.
Kami
Because that’s all you care about here, right? Winning? I’m trying to find our niece, and you’re more worried about taking your chance to fuck me over. Typical.
Jude
(snatches Kami by the neck, dragging her up to him. He’s right on the edge of a rage.)
Don’t you ever imply I don’t care about that little girl. She’s blood, and I don’t know what you got going on, but that means something to me.
Kami
(pulls a gun from her waist, aiming it at Jude’s gut.)
Then cut out the bitch fit and make yourself useful. Help me find her.
Of course Shannon was fine—she’d used her cell phone and booked a ride share service to take her to the cemetery where her parents were buried. We were on location for that scene, versus the houses and businesses where sets were built out on the WAWG lot.
Going on location was always exciting.
And getting to work with Alec at the same time was just…a perfect dollop of whipped cream on top of the pie.
I went home on a major high that night—disappointed to be spending it in my own bed since Alec had an early call time and intense scenes the next day, so needed to actually rest—but still, just… bouncy .
And that bouncy mood prevailed through dinner on the phone with Teagan, relaying a bit more of what I shared with Elodie. She was excited for me too and didn’t miss the chance to tease me about the potential of “being turned into a housewife after all, no matter what the clichés say.”
I got off the phone, giggling my way into the shower, still feeling good as I climbed into bed.
Only for my screen to light up with a call from Annie.
Ugh.
“ What the hell do you want? ” I groaned, before I hit the answer button. Nothing was keeping me from repeating that same sentiment to her, since she’d annoyed the hell out of me the last time I talked to her.
But, I felt like it was probably better to keep the peace.
So instead, I settled for a simple hello , keeping my tone neutral.
The exact opposite of her reply.
“Van, I…think I kinda fucked up,” she blurted, sounding frantic.
I sat up, frowning. “Okay…in what way?”
“Well…I was having dinner with my contact at…well, that doesn’t matter. You know how I have to make and maintain relationships with these bloggers, right? That’s how I keep my people’s name in the spotlight.”
“What did you do, Annie?”
“It wasn’t supposed to be like, a business thing. Nothing on the record, just schmoozing, having a few drinks. Almost like friends.”
“ Annie. ”
“I may have, kinda… confirmed you and Alec. But like I said, it wasn’t supposed to be an official thing, I was just talking!”
“ About me. About my private business,” I hissed, infuriated by the way she was trying to downplay it. “You told them not to run anything about it, right? Call them, and offer…hell, whatever they want. An exclusive interview much later, a bag, jewelry, whatever. Before it’s too late!”
Annie’s lack of response made a weird feeling creep up my spine. “Is it… already too late?”
“I’m sorry, Van, I?—”
“No, you’re not,” I said, interrupting before she could try to bullshit me. “You purposely waited until it was out already to call me, didn’t you?”
“I just got busy, and I?—”
“Oh girl, fuck you,” I snapped, shaking my head. “You didn’t get busy . And I bet this wasn’t some accident either. Tell me the damn truth—you did this on purpose, didn’t you?”
“If I had, it would be doing your stubborn ass a favor,” she responded—her tone completely shifted from the faux remorse from moments before. “Being on a show doesn’t sell albums—it just gets eyes on the damn show, which you’ve already been paid for,” she continued, words that let me know I was absolutely correct in not believing her it just happened story. “But the world knowing you’re with Alec gets people talking, and gets people curious—which gets them streaming music. Which you should want. Because you’re a rapper, remember ?”
“I hope whatever you feel like you gained from betraying my trust like this was worth it,” I said, shaking my head. “You’re fucking fired. ”
She laughed. “Van, be serious. You can’t fire me—at least for another…eight months. We have a contract.”
“I’m sure my lawyer can figure it out.”
“ Relax ,” she insisted. “You haven’t even seen the story yet, and you’re ready to fire me? After all I’ve done for you? As far as I’ve gotten you?”
“If I can’t trust you to have my best interests at heart, what does any of that matter?” I countered. “And, how far you’ve gotten me ? Annie, I’m your first client to actually be successful, and the new artists you picked up since then have only found you because of me. You’ve worked these deals out, yes, and you’ve helped me navigate, but you’ve also gotten rich as hell,” I reminded her. “Off my music, and my talent, and my public image and personality. And besides all that…I just…I thought we were beyond something like this?! Beyond the point that you felt comfortable exploiting my private life for a few extra dollars.”
“You got paid for this story,” she said, making my eyes go wide. “Fifty-freaking-k.”
My stomach lurched. “What’s the math on that, Annie? Twenty percent of fifty thousand is what?”
“Ten thousand,” she answered, immediately, and then went quiet.
I nodded. “Yeah. Not crazy math, but I knew you’d probably already done it. And for it to be that much, this one of the big sites—something that was private to me, and important, and you spread it all over the internet for ten thousand dollars? I would’ve given that to you, Annie.”
“It wasn’t only about the money, Van, I?—”
“At this point, I don’t even care what it’s about to you,” I interrupted. “I truly do not give a shit, because I am just done. I’m done with you. Like I said already, I’ll be contacting my legal team. Any further contact between me and you should happen through them.”
“ Vanessa !”
“There isn’t anything more for us to talk about, Annie. And really…you should be grateful I’m not thinking about suing you. Yet. Be careful, okay? ’Cause that could quickly change.”
Before she could say anything else, I’d ended the call.
Instead of waffling about it either, I immediately blocked her number.
Everything in me wanted to head to the internet to survey the damage, but I knew better this time. There wasn’t any ambiguity to me about what the world might have to say.
Nothing they hadn’t already said, probably.
Somehow, that didn’t make it hurt any less.
I’d wanted the thing with Alec to be something they couldn’t taint, yet someone I was supposed to trust had been able to so casually betray it.
And for what ?
More fame?
I didn’t need that.
What I really needed was a bit of encouragement from Alec, but I knew he was already asleep. Instead, I focused on what he undoubtedly would say…
“ Man, fuck those people .”
Probably.
And he wasn’t wrong.
At some point, I was going to have to let go of the concern about what the internet had to say, and not let it seep so deeply into my psyche.
Just because they knew about me and Alec…didn’t really give them the power to ruin it.
So I didn’t even need to let that thought process marinate.
Instead…I took my ass to sleep.