CHAPTER 25 DANNY
I end up staying the night on the couch. The conversation with my mom was emotionally exhausting, and I didn’t have the energy to drive for an hour to the hotel.
Plus, I had a couple of beers, and the couch is comfortable enough.
I didn’t tell my mom about my dad last night despite the frank and honest conversation we had, and before I fell asleep, I thought about how telling her might be the right thing to do. It might give me the answers I’m looking for.
When I wake in the morning, it’s because something feels…off. My eyes open slowly, and I find a four-year-old’s blue eyes just inches from my face.
“Ah!” I yell, startled by the kid in my face as my own eyes pop open, and Leo bursts into giggles.
“You look funny when you sleep, Uncle Danny,” he singsongs to me.
“Good morning to you, too, kid,” I mutter as I sit up.
“Why are you sleeping on the couch?” he asks.
I shrug. “Fell asleep here last night.”
“Gramma said you got a hotel, and maybe we can go swim at it after school.”
I nod. “Well, that was the plan until you woke me up by staring at me.”
He makes a pouty face and some whiney noise that my own children will never make, and then I remember something Anna said to me once about how we always have this idea of what we’ll be like as parents before we have kids, and it all goes to shit once they’re born.
And I freeze for a beat as I realize the thought I just had…
It’s the first time I’ve ever really thought about having my own kids. I said in my head that my own children won’t make that noise, as if I’m destined to actually have children someday.
I never thought of kids as a definite thing…until Alexis.
I suppose I never thought about a lot of things I’m starting to want out of my future until Alexis.
She’s a game changer for me, and I need to do whatever I can to make sure she doesn’t walk down that aisle toward Brooks in ten days.
But since I can’t call her or see her, that’s going to be a difficult feat.
“When can we see Awexis again?” Leo asks.
It’s like the kid can read my goddamn mind, and that’s a little terrifying.
“I’m not sure, buddy. But I’ll definitely put in the request that you want to sing another song with her.”
“Thanks, Uncle Danny.”
“Leo!” We both hear my mother calling the kid, and he makes a face at me before he runs upstairs to see what she wants.
My phone rings shortly after he heads up, and when I see it’s Brad calling, I roll my eyes.
“You’re lucky I was already awake because if I wasn’t, I’d be spending my afternoon searching for a new agent.”
“Funny jokes, big guy, but you might want to listen to why I’m calling before you start with the threats. We have a bit of a PR crisis.”
“A PR crisis?” I repeat.
“We’ve worked together a long time, Danny, and never once in the last six years have you ever mentioned your father,” he says.
His words pulse a new fear in my chest.
“And?” I ask.
“And he went to the media this morning letting them know that…” He pauses, and I freeze as a strange sensation rolls through me. It’s overwhelming and terrifying as I wait for him to finish that sentence.
A PR crisis plus my father equals…
Fuck.
Did he go public with the tape?
“Let them know what?” I demand.
“Let them know how you’ve been mending your relationship with him, and you’re getting closer and closer. It smelled like bullshit to me, but I wanted to check in with you first.”
“Jesus Christ, Brad!” I yell at him. He scared the shit out of me that it was something really bad.
I mean…not that this is good, exactly, but it’s not sex tape bad. It’s not revealing my secret relationship with Alexis Bodega-level bad.
“I figured you wouldn’t find it good, so I just wanted to check in if we need to do any damage control,” he says.
“Fuck,” I mutter.
“What?”
I debate what to tell him. I know he’d protect me, but he doesn’t know the truth about Alexis and me, and I’m not ready to tackle that particular beast quite yet.
I decide to make it vague. “He’s got some shit on me that could blow up not just my reputation but that of someone I care very much about.”
“What’s he got on you?” he asks.
My silence obviously speaks volumes.
He sighs. “I’ll get in touch with Jodi,” he says, naming my publicist.
“Thanks, Brad. And for now, let’s just leave it be.”
“You got it. I’m on call for you twenty-four-seven. Whenever you need it, man,” he reminds me.
“I know. And I appreciate it.” I end the call, knowing it won’t be long before my mother sees this and starts asking questions.
I don’t know if I can be vague with her the way I was with Brad, but she deserves the truth. I’m not exactly at liberty to discuss my sex life with my mother, though.
I decide to text Alexis.
Me: My agent just called. I guess my dad is talking to the media about how we’re getting closer. I’m worried about what he might do.
My phone starts ringing before I hear back from her, and it’s a Vegas number I don’t recognize. I send the call to voicemail then head upstairs to shower.
When I get out, I have another handful of voicemails. I listen to the first one—a news agency in Vegas wanting the first comment about my situation with my father.
The others are all about the same thing. The news broke somewhere, and clearly it’s everywhere.
I text Brad.
Me: I’m getting media inquiries. Have Jodi write up a statement about how I’m not commenting at this time.
I eat breakfast with my nephews before we all hop in the car so I can go with her to drop them at school.
But as soon as they’re out of the car, my mom glances over at me. She pulls into a parking spot in the lot and lets out a heavy sigh. “Are you going to tell me what’s going on with your father?”
I tip my chin up as I keep my gaze out the window. “You saw?”
“It’s everywhere, Danny. Of course I saw. And I know him, and I know you, and I know it’s not true. So you can either tell me what’s really going on, and I can help you find the answer, or you can sit in your silent misery the way you have been for the last twenty-four hours.”
“My silent misery?” I ask, turning to look at her. “That’s a little dramatic, don’t you think?”
She shrugs. “Is it? You’re clearly wrestling with some things, and if you don’t want to talk about them, fine.
That’s your prerogative. But when you sulk around the house, you can’t expect me not to check in, and when this news comes out about your father, well, you can’t expect me to sit back and take it.
” Her voice is trembling with anger by the time she’s done talking.
I sigh and keep my gaze focused out of the windshield. Cars come and go as they drop their little kids off at school, and honestly, a school parking lot is not where I figured I’d be having this conversation today. “He’s blackmailing me.” My voice comes out cold and flat.
“He’s what?” she breathes.
I slide my head to the side on the headrest and look at her. I close my eyes for a beat and nod. “Blackmailing me. He planted a camera in my house, caught a private conversation and some other things between Alexis and me, and now he’s using it to extort me for money.”
“Oh my God, Danny,” she breathes, sidestepping the other things he caught on camera. “That’s horrible. I…I don’t know what to say.”
“It’s bad enough that I’ve already paid him to keep quiet. But he also wants me to tell the world what a good father he is.”
She makes a pfft sound, and I couldn’t agree more.
“He’s really something else,” she says absently. “What are you going to do?”
I shrug. “No idea. Keep paying him to keep quiet? I feel like he went to the media to show me he isn’t afraid to talk if I push him to it. Oh, and Rush has a private investigator cousin he’s going to hook me up with to see what skeletons dear old Dad might be hiding in his closet.”
“Are you sure you want to know?” she asks.
“You know, I really, really don’t. But I also don’t want to keep making payments when he doesn’t deserve a cent of my money.” I shrug.
“I don’t blame you. Let me know how I can help.”
I nod my thanks, and she starts navigating back toward my sister’s place.
I wish there was something she could do to help, but for now, I think I have to wait to hear from Rush’s cousin.