Chapter Eight
While Jay had been talking, Buzzy had sidled up to him and laid his head on his knee. He obviously felt the pure emotion in Jay’s voice. As had Erin. In fact, she’d been completely transported by his sad but ultimately uplifting story of a tough childhood made good with hard work and raw ambition, and—although he’d downplayed it—a talent for Hollywood that was undeniable.
But more than the story itself, his personal revelations had her reeling. How could she not have known this about him? He’d been Arch’s best friend for nearly fifteen years. Sure, she’d heard the story about them working together at the restaurant countless times. But they’d both always presented Jay as an up-and-coming agent who’d taken a chance on her brother.
Neither of them had revealed how big a chance they were taking on one another.
Now that she thought about it, this had to be one of the deep things that bonded the two men together for life. Which made her feel doubly concerned about the strange flip-flop her heart was doing as she stared at Jay’s rugged face as if she were setting eyes on him for the very first time.
Yes, it was a shock to her that Jay had come from such humble and disadvantaged roots and, on the strength of his personality and his hustle alone, had made such an incredible success of himself. But Jay hadn’t even made that point. Not once had he bragged about his huge list of wildly successful clients or the fact that he was a multimillionaire. A billionaire, for all she knew. This was a different Jay.
While he was speaking, she’d decided not to take any notes for fear of breaking the sense of trust they seemed to have between them. She had a feeling that the minute she reached for her notebook and pen and acted like a reporter, he’d remember she was one. Her article for the Sea Shell aside, she was fascinated by his story and wanted to hear all of it, or at least everything he was comfortable sharing. It must have been so hard for him to reveal the truth about his early life. Could it be he was saying these things because he wanted to give her the big scoop about who Jay Malone really was, when up until now his past had been completely shrouded in mystery? Or was something else brewing inside of him? A need for closeness with someone, maybe. Or a need to finally take the burden of the past off his shoulders by sharing it with her.
So she asked him more about those early days, when he’d been a scrappy young agent, with just Arch as his client. She discovered that a major TV star and a bodybuilder turned action hero had also started out in that restaurant. It wasn’t long before Jay left the restaurant business and Exceptional Talent opened its first small office, where he seemed to go from success to success. He talked freely and candidly and with obvious relief that the dark days of his childhood were out of the way.
When there was a natural break in the conversation, she asked, “Do you have any regrets?”
The question seemed to take him by surprise. She didn’t even know why she asked—it wasn’t on her list of questions. It was just that it felt like the right one at the right moment.
He gave her a rueful smile. “Yeah. I regret not finishing high school. I am self-educated in every sense of the word. I’m a big reader. I’ve learned a lot from books.”
She nodded and said in understanding, “So have I. They’re also my friends when I’m lonely and encouragement when I feel blue.”
He leaned forward enthusiastically. “Exactly. Next to movies, books are the greatest.”
She stared at him, feeling the true connection of one book lover to another. And then the stare deepened in intensity. Not only had she not known the real Jay Malone, she was noticing again how dreamy his eyes were. It was like they were suddenly back in the bedroom, talking about sensuous curves. Heat spread through her body.
Get it together, Erin, she chided herself. You’re a professional. Act like it.
Clearing her throat, she said, “Okay, moving on to my next question. You’re famous for repping some of the top young male actors in the profession, like Archer Davenport and Smith Sullivan, and they famously make a lot of action movies. But where are the softer movies for other demographics? How come you never put these clients in romantic comedies, for example?”
A funny look crossed his face, as though not only had no one ever asked him that before, he’d never even thought about it. And now that she had asked the question, she realized she already knew the answer. Jay was a hero in his own right. It took grit and determination to drag yourself up from such beginnings. A lot of people wouldn’t manage it. No wonder so many of the movies he was involved with were about men overcoming great odds.
To her dismay, Jay now looked a little offended. “I put my actors in rom coms if it’s the right movie for them.”
She raised her eyebrows. “I seem to remember that when Archer broke his leg, you threatened him with a rom com if he didn’t heal in time to do Shock Tactics .”
His eyes twinkled and he held up his hands in mock defense. “It’s not easy when one of your top clients has a sister who’s a reporter. Okay, I might have threatened Arch with a rom com, but I think he’d be a great romantic lead.”
Erin wasn’t buying it. “And yet, after he finishes Shock Tactics , he’s going to do the Herschel Greenfield biopic. I’m guessing there’s not much romance for Hersch in space.”
Jay frowned. “Okay. Point taken. I don’t have anything against a good romantic comedy. I’ll keep my eyes open.”
“I’ve also noticed you don’t do any female-led movies.”
Jay’s frown deepened. “Do the readers of the Sea Shell really need to know this?”
“Your reputation is brash bad boy . The shark who always gets the big deal. Most of your clients are young male actors who are killing it. It’s pretty understandable that our readers would want to know why you can’t do this for female leads as well.”
Quickly he shot back, “Any one of my clients could be the next big thing in Hollywood. Including my female clients.”
Erin swallowed. It was obvious that Erin the reporter was overtaking Erin the friend, the listener. The interview was veering off track, and if she wasn’t careful, she’d lose him altogether and Julius—Jay—Malone would clam up, snapping down that hard shell that concealed his softer—and yes, she had to admit it—dangerously attractive self. She wondered how much more he hid under that gruff, pushy exterior, partly as a defense. It couldn’t be an easy life, repping prima donna clients and dealing with studio execs all the time. No doubt he’d been forced to develop a reputation as a hard-ass, even if that wasn’t really him.
As if realizing they both needed a breather, Jay bent down and scooped Buzzy onto his lap. Her dog was more than happy to oblige and offered his belly for strokes, which Jay gave him with a giant grin on his face. It was so cute that she couldn’t help but grin too, and some of the tension melted away. As friendly as Buzzy was, she’d never seen him adore someone he’d just met this much. She felt ashamed for giving Jay a hard time about the romance movies. If her dog could see in five minutes that Jay was a great guy, why had it taken her fifteen years to do the same?
“Why don’t you get a dog? You could get a pet sitter when you’re away for work.”
Jay made a face. “I’d love to, but I travel way too much. I’m here one week, in LA the next, maybe flying to London for a meeting after that. It wouldn’t be fair.”
“I think you could make it work. And dogs obviously like you. I mean, Buzzy and Buster both like you,” she amended, referring to the Davenport family dog.
Before she could say more, the doorbell rang. Buzzy immediately leapt from Jay’s lap and barked, letting everybody know they had a visitor. Because apparently the doorbell wasn’t enough.
Buzzy raced to the front door and Erin said, “That will be the photographer.” Relief flooded her body. A third person was exactly what this interview needed, and who better than her old friend Clark?
* * *
Jay answered the door to a tall, gangly young man. His glasses were slipping down his nose, but he couldn’t do anything about it because his hands were full of camera equipment.
In a serious tone, the man said, “I’m Clark Barnstable from the Sea Shell newspaper. If you let me put all this stuff down, I can show you my press pass.”
Jay could hardly hold back a grin. “It’s okay. I’m expecting you. Erin’s already here.”
At that, Clark’s serious expression brightened, and his large eyes filled with an eagerness that set Jay’s teeth on edge. Clark’s voice cracked a little as he said, “Erin’s here?”
Oh boy. Jay had seen crushes before, but this one was acute. Clark’s cheeks grew rosy and he nearly tripped over his tripod trying to get into the house as fast as he could.
Jay tried to keep his amusement in check. The poor guy. “We’re in my study to the left. Need me to carry any of that stuff?”
“I can manage.”
Clark hefted the stuff into the study and suddenly the room felt crowded. Buzzy circled Clark, whom he obviously recognized, demanding that as soon as his hands were free, a pat would be required.
Jay excused himself to make them all a fresh pot of coffee, and used the time to try to dislodge the hard knot that had formed in the pit of his stomach. When he returned and saw Erin and Clark talking, her body language made it clear that Clark’s massive crush was unrequited. Erin was saying, “I thought we’d set up in here. What do you think?”
Clark gave a vigorous nod and Jay got the impression that if she’d suggested they take his feature photograph in the bathroom by the toilet, Clark would have enthusiastically agreed. Man, that kid had it bad. Still, Jay couldn’t help a niggle of... something. It wasn’t jealousy, obviously, but they worked together. The kid must see her five days a week and they’d go out on assignments like this one. They wouldn’t be the first couple who had ended up getting together through shared circumstance. And then they’d stay together, because the love one of them had for the other would be strong enough to carry the whole relationship.
Still, he’d hate to see Erin settle. She deserved someone more... what? More like him? As soon as he had the thought, he banished it. Not only had he assured Arch that his sister was off-limits, but he truly believed it. Yes, he was seeing a side of her today that really impressed him. She was one of the most skillful interviewers he’d ever come across. But she wasn’t his type. Not even close. Maybe they could become better friends. He had certainly revealed more about his past to her than he had any friend—including her brother. Talk about oversharing. She just made him want to talk to her. But what he’d failed to consider was that by talking to Erin, he was also talking to the readership of the Sea Shell . He’d have to think about the consequences of that later.
And yet he was glad she stayed as Clark set up and then took what seemed like hundreds of different shots around his study, where he’d already hung photos and movie posters from his clients’ films. Erin suggested that they try the library, but Jay shook his head. He knew he was interesting because he represented hot actors—no one wanted to see that he read poetry or philosophy. He was happy to move to the garden at Clark’s request, however. It was cool and peaceful in the shade, and he could hear the ocean in the distance.
While they were packing up, Clark said to Erin, “There’s an auction this Saturday, if you want to come along.”
“Auction?” Jay asked. “What kind of auction?” He loved auctions, and he still needed quite a few things for the house. It might be fun to go to a local auction and see what they were like.
Clark pushed his glasses up his nose. “It’s photographic equipment mostly, but there will also be art and some antiques, I think.”
“Cool,” Jay said. “Where is it? I’m free on Saturday.”
Something flashed across Clark’s face, but he obligingly told Jay the name of the auction house and its address in Monterey before he turned his attention back to Erin. “Do you think you’ll be able to come?”
“Probably,” she said, with a small shrug and a smile. “Let’s see how far I get with my deadline.”
Jay tried not to frown. He was surprised Erin would want to spend her weekend at an auction with this gangly photo buff. Didn’t she have better things to do? Still, he was intrigued. Not only by the auction, but also by what the relationship really was between these two.
With the interview over, Jay insisted on helping Clark carry his equipment back to his car. He tried not to be smug as he made light work of the heavy lighting rig. Clark thanked him, told Erin he’d see her back at the office, and drove off.
At the door, Erin turned to Jay with a smile. “I’d make tracks too, but it seems Buzzy has other ideas.” She gestured down at Jay’s feet, where Buzzy had made himself comfortable.
He laughed. “Come on, Buzzy my friend, it’s time to go.” He shifted his feet, but the dog only resettled himself. “Okay, okay,” he said, “I’ll walk you to Erin’s car. You don’t have to ask twice.”
Buzzy reluctantly followed Jay as he strode out into the driveway.
At her car, Erin paused at the open door, a thoughtful expression in her eyes. Softly, she said, “Before I go, I have to know—why did you tell me all those things? I mean, it was a privilege to listen to your story—and thank you for trusting me—but you’ve always seemed to keep your past private. What changed?”
What had changed? But deep down he already knew the answer. He surprised himself as he shared it with her. “You asked me some pretty hard questions today, and even though I normally don’t answer them, I did because it was you.”
“I appreciate that,” she said slowly, seeming to weigh his reply. “So, what do you want in return?”
He frowned. After everything he’d shared today, was that really what Erin thought of him? That he had some kind of ulterior motive? That everything was a deal?
His voice level, he asked, “What makes you think I expect anything?”
She rolled her eyes. “I learned lots of new things about you today, Jay, but a leopard doesn’t totally change its spots. I’ve known you for years. There must be something in it for you as well.”
As he shook his head, Jay felt his blood rising, but just as quickly he let it go. He had no one to blame but himself for Erin’s cynicism. Jay had built his career on hustle; it was only fair that Erin would anticipate he wanted something in return. But he had some home truths for Erin, too.
Choosing his words more carefully than usual, he said, “Well, you asked pretty probing questions for the Sea Shell . Here’s one for you. With your smarts and education, why aren’t you working for the San Francisco Chronicle or the NYT?”
If Erin was offended by the question, she didn’t show it. Instead, she smiled. “That’s an easy one. I’m where I want to be. I love this town, I love being close to my family, I love the surfing. And I love the Sea Shell . People always say that they wait all week for a new issue and sit down to devour every page. I know we’re not covering groundbreaking things most of the time, but people really like reading about the Dog of the Week and the local news.”
It was such a sweet and earnest answer that Jay felt a new kind of warmth course through him. Without thinking, he said, “One day you’ll own that paper.”
Erin let out a little peal of laughter. “How did you know that’s actually my secret ambition?”
He shot her a cheeky grin. “You think that after all these years, I don’t know you that well?”
Erin blushed, a deep pink that traveled down her cheeks, her neck, all the way to the delicate bones of her clavicle. It was so sweet that the feelings he’d been trying so hard to push away all day rose to the surface.
Erin, he thought. Erin. How have I never seen you properly before ?
As she stood by the door of her car, waiting for him to say something, the whole morning began to feel like they were on a date. And that could not happen. Ever. Archer—and probably the rest of the Davenports—would tear him to shreds. But more than that, the morning’s foray into his past was a stark reminder that, regardless of his current success, Jay wasn’t good enough for this woman.
He said good-bye abruptly, and with a quick farewell pet for Buzzy, headed back inside. He avoided the office and went straight out into the garden to collect himself. But before he had time to think, his phone rang, and his actual business life took over. As it turned out, it was a good thing he’d cleared his schedule, because one of his clients had just had a spectacular blowout with the director of the blockbuster movie he was starring in. Between dealing with furious studio executives, an equally furious star, and already inquisitive reporters, he had no time to worry about how much he’d overshared with the Sea Shell .
It probably didn’t matter, anyway. With a sigh, he resigned himself to heading back to LA sooner than he’d imagined.