Chapter 34
DANNY
A significant weight leaves my shoulders as soon as I am no longer contractually obligated to work for my father. My newly lightened shoulders are, however, currently weighed down by the raging hangover pounding my head.
Blinking my eyes open against the sun flooding through the window, I look over at the woman stretched out beside me. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about Anya over the last few months is that she sleeps like the dead.
I press a kiss to her forehead to see where she’s at. If she stirs immediately, I’ve kickstarted her waking process, if not, I’m not going to see those big hazel eyes for at least another hour. Her eyelids flicker but there’s no sign of life.
Smiling, I roll onto my side and pick up my phone. Dead. I reach for the charger but remember it’s buried at the bottom of my backpack.
I clamber out of bed, quietly closing the door behind me.
Yawning, I flick the kettle on before plugging my phone into Anya’s charger. I chuckle at the memory of her confused face when I asked to borrow hers on the train. She’s looked at me as if I had asked her to run away with me to Cambodia. On the journey back to London, I’m sure she’ll be more amenable to sharing.
We haven’t discussed what the next plan is, but after last night, I know what I want. I’ll follow that girl anywhere, but it won’t be in the dark. I want to hold her hand and touch her in public. I don’t want to police the smiles she tugs at my lips or stop myself from brushing the hair out of her eyes.
My phone finally turns on with the telltale buzz of a thousand notifications. Frowning, I glance at the messages and missed calls I’ve received. There are dozens from Pip but mostly it’s my agent, Travis.
Glancing at the time, I decide it’s too late to call my sister but I care significantly less for Travis’ sleep so click his name instead.
He answers on the first ring, as if he’s been sat by the phone. Waiting.
“Dan, thank god. Have you spoken to anyone? The press? Production?”
My brow creases. That’s definitely not how I thought this conversation would go. “What? No, I’ve been asleep and my phone died.”
“Good man. Listen, I’ve been talking with Tracy over at Pepper and Whiteman and they want you to stay quiet. I’ve already spoken with Phillipa so she knows and if you do get caught the answer is no comment , understand?”
“Understand what? What the hell are you talking about, Travis?”
There’s silence on the other end. “Look, all you need to know is that it’s being handled and all you need to do is lay low. Stay in Paris for a few more days and order room service. But remember, no comment .”
He hangs up.
I glance at the black screen, my confusion mixing with dread. There have been a few times in my career that Travis has guided me on what to say to the press, New Year’s Eve being one of them, but it still doesn’t explain what the hell is going on. I quickly scan through the messages my sister left but they’re all just her asking me to call her back
It’s probably time to wake her up.
The first thing I hear is her sniffles.
“What happened?” I ask sharply.
“You haven’t seen?”
“Seen what?”
“The news, it’s everywhere.”
“What’s everywhere?”
Pip cries. “Fuck, it’s so–I can’t even say it.”
Terror grips me by the throat. “Say what, Pip, for god’s sake!”
“He’s not been named yet, but from the way everyone is freaking out it’s pretty much confirmed.” She sniffs. “It’s Dad.” The way she spits his name makes it clear he’s not in mortal danger.
Frustrated, I pull my phone away from my ear and with shaking fingers search my father’s name. Nothing comes up with his name attached but plenty of articles crop up instead.
HOLLYWOOD PRODUCER ACCUSED OF SEXUAL ASSAULT
My heart pounds in my chest. I pull my phone back to my ear but wince when I hear Pip’s sobs.
“Pip, take a breath.” I say, my heart thudding in my ears. “Breathe in, and out.”
She takes a shaky breath.
“I don’t understand.” I grip my hair in my hand. “Who’s saying that this is him?”
“I don’t know, but why else are we being asked to keep quiet? I’m sure you’ve had the no comment instruction?”
“Yeah.” Dread forms like a rock in my gut. “Do we know—” I swallow barely able to stomach the words. “Do we know who?”
Pip takes a breath. “They think it’s Georgia.”
Georgia, the cheerful blonde the same age as Pip. Georgia who carefully highlights all my scripts and adds smiley faces to the ends of emails. My father’s assistant.
I collapse onto the rickety bar stool in the kitchen. “Fuck.” I swallow harshly. “Is she okay?”
“I don’t know. I’ve been told not to contact her by the lawyers.”
“There are lawyers involved?”
“Yeah,” Pip says weakly.
“Have you heard from Mum?”
“Yeah,” Pip scoffs. “She’s checked into a facility in upstate New York, no phones but lots of Chateau Lafite probably.”
“Where are you?”
“I’m at home.”
“Have you slept at all?”
“No.”
“Is anyone with you?”
“No,” she sniffles again.
“Okay, can Cassie come and be with you?”
“She’s in London doing a talk show.”
I curse. “Okay, don’t answer the phone, don’t talk to anyone, if it’s not me or Travis. Don’t go online. Try to get some sleep.”
“I’ll try.”
“I’ll call you back soon.”
I hang up and throw my phone onto the counter. Taking a deep breath, I brace myself and call my father. No answer. Of course. I’m glad he didn’t pick up. I don’t even know what I would say to him.
“Hey.” I turn to see Anya leaning against the kitchen door. “What’s wrong?”
The sight of her in my button down, with mussed hair and a puffy face, would normally start my heart back to beating.
Instead, I see my very disheveled assistant .
Horror slices through me like a knife and I clear my throat roughly. “I need to go.”
Anya straightens. “Now? I thought we could spend the day together.”
“I uh–I need to go back to my hotel.” I brush past her, carefully angling my body away from hers.
In the bedroom, I quickly pull my jeans on, grateful when my shirt appears on the bed so I don’t have to ask for it back.
“Will I see you later?” Any asks, tightening her robe and following me back to the kitchen.
“Uh—” I shove my phone in my pocket. “Yeah, sure.”
I fumble to the door, my mind unable to keep up with my body.
“Uhm, okay then,” Anya says, as she bites her bottom lip. I fight the urge to pull it away with my thumb and instead press a chaste kiss to her cheek. I mutter a quick goodbye before closing her door behind me.
I curse myself as soon as I land on the sunny street. I have no hat or sunglasses and no Jaques on call. The opposite of my instructions to lay low. I turn and march down the road, my footsteps heavy and strides long. I need to get away from here.
I reach the corner of the street where I once turned back and carry on. I don’t look up once on the long walk back to my hotel, only noting that I’ve arrived when the cobblestone path turns to the marble floor of my hotel. Which is when I see Callum McBride walking towards me.
As soon as he spots me his face light up with a gleeful expression as he walks towards me.
“Well hello stranger, thought you’d be hiding out with all the gossip swirling today.”
I clench my jaw and hold his gaze. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
McBride chuckles. “Of course not. Say hello to Annie for me — the apple really doesn’t fall far from the tree, eh?”
McBride moves to walk past me with a winning smile on his face but I step in his path.
“It’s tragic,” I say. “How desperate you are to get my attention. It’s pathetic, honestly. I’m sorry that you feel like you can’t get to where you want to be in your life without using me to do it.” His bright grin dims slightly. “Have a good one.”
I clap him on the shoulder before I walk away from him without looking back.