16. Deacon
I’d never been a man of violence, but the anger I felt toward Jeff had me seeing red. It was all I could do not to punch him the hell out. But physical violence would only garner me an assault charge followed by a lawsuit.
“I’ll give you whatever you need to settle with that prick.”
She leaned back from our embrace, her eyes wide. “Meaning money?”
Jeff threatening to go after Andrea’s dog was the last straw. I’d do or pay anything to ensure she didn’t have to deal with his petty bullshit. Including buying him out.
“I can make an anonymous offer so generous on the house that he can’t refuse. I would stipulate it come furnished and include you getting custody of Callie as a condition for the sale. Then you wouldn’t have to deal with the coming battle.”
From my first taste of success, people had come out of the woodwork to ask me for money. From high school classmates who sought investment capital for their latest ventures to cousins who felt entitled to share in my wealth because we shared a bloodline, I’d heard it all. My own father had thought I owed him even after he’d treated my mom like shit.
I was generous with those closest to me—I’d bought my mother a house—but as a rule I didn’t offer money. Especially to those I barely knew.
But Andrea was the exception.
I took out my phone to fire off a text to my manager and make it happen, but her response was not one I’d expected.
“Absolutely not.”
I glanced up from the text I was composing. “What? Why not?”
She was about to tell me, but a woman came into the restroom. Her face expressed shock at the both of us.
I threw her a smile. “We were just leaving.”
Taking Andi’s hand, I led her down the hall toward the back exit so we could be alone. Inhaling deeply, I realized I was coming across as controlling.
“I want to help. Please let me.” When was the last time I’d been desperate to offer money, and someone wouldn’t accept? I wasn’t sure it had ever happened.
She took both my hands in hers. “And I appreciate it more than I could ever say, but I could never accept money from you or anyone else. I need to do this on my own. Or at least with the help of the attorney I hired. What we really need to do is sell everything, so Jeff can pay me back some of the money he owes me.”
Hold up. “He borrowed money from you?”
“He borrowed against the equity in the house. Since that’s considered marital funds, he doesn’t necessarily owe me money.”
“What did he do with the money?”
“He invested in a bar in Hollywood.”
“He’s an owner?” An idea started to take root.
“He and three other partners went in on it. He has a ten percent stake.”
“But if the equity in the house belongs to both of you, wouldn’t the investment in the bar belong to you too? We’re in a community property state. Unless you signed something saying it was only his?”
Her eyes went wide before her smile did. “I didn’t sign anything of the sort. Which means I have part of the stake in the bar too. Holy shit, Deac. This could be it. The leverage I need to ensure he doesn’t fight me over Callie.”
I loved the way she called me Deac. And I admired how she wasn’t letting Jeff’s threats overwhelm her. Instead, she seemed ready to meet them with her own demands. The only thing that concerned me was that a good shark attorney would already have pointed out to her the leverage she had.
“You need a better divorce lawyer. I know someone who’s one of the best out there. His name is Lawrence Gerson.” He’d represented my mom during her divorce from my father ten years ago and had ensured the bastard didn’t get anything more than he deserved. “Let me contact him for you?”
“If the favor is to make the call, then yes, but I’ll be the one paying him.”
“Absolutely.” If I had to supplement his fee, I would do so and deal with her anger later if she found out. “I’ll text him right now.”
I typed a quick text, asking if Lawrence was available to take a new case. Unbeknownst to Andrea, I added a second message that I’d call him tomorrow with some additional details, namely the reasonable rate I wanted him to present to her.
We returned to the main room in time to see Jeff arguing with a blonde in the corner. I assumed this was his mistress, Paula. The woman stomped off with him quickly following, the whole altercation bringing all eyes upon the two of them.
Andrea expelled a long breath. “God, it feels good to have his tantrums be someone else’s problem tonight. Meanwhile—” She took my hand and smiled up at me. “I get to look forward to my evening.”
The wave of possessiveness that took hold of me was something I’d never experienced before. Not only did I want to help and protect her, but I found myself reluctant to let her go. “How much longer are you contractually required to be here?”
She held my wrist and glanced at my watch. “Half an hour. And that might be just enough time to do an interview.”
“You’re sure it’s what you want?” My gaze studied her face.
“Yes. I was hesitant to share personal details, but considering the way Jeff is behaving, I’m ready to reveal my side of the story.”
Ten minutes later, the two producers of the show along with a filming crew led us into the back room to conduct the interview. I’d asked if she wanted to be alone, but she’d allowed me to stay in the room. The first few questions probed for her feelings about the affair.
But the topic of conversation shifted quickly. “Regarding Deacon Miller as your date tonight, where do you think your future stands with him?”
I should’ve anticipated the interviewer would be curious about us. My breath held as I watched her glance over to me, her cheeks turning pink.
“Deacon and I have started an incredible friendship. He’s made me realize how nice it feels to be treated well. And once you’ve adopted a new standard, you don’t go back.”
“Jeff mentioned in his interview you weren’t supportive of him. What do you say to that?”
“In this world, there are people who give, and there are people who take. Jeff has taken for so long that he doesn’t recognize what it is to give, or what happens when the people he’s taken from have nothing more to give. He continues to be a taker. Tonight he went so far as to threaten to take my dog when I wouldn’t agree to give him another chance. The taking has gotten downright petty. He’s affixed Post-it notes with his name on them to all the items he wants in the house.”
She continued talking, discussing their fertility struggles and how she’d lost the man she’d once known. I was proud of her for not holding anything back.
My brave girl.
The interviewer was also a producer and seemed genuinely to care for Andrea. Throughout, his tone had been kind.
Then came the final question. “Will you return next year to the show?”
I could practically hear Ollie’s voice and hoped she’d be cautious. If she said no, the producers of the show might not have an incentive to share her side. “I don’t know yet, Brett. There’s a lot to figure out.”
“If you don’t return, do you have anything to say to your fans?”
“I’d tell them thank you for your support. I’d also say to you and the rest of the crew that I appreciate how kind everyone has been to me. This show and being on it was way out of my comfort zone, but you all made it easier.”
She was smart to compliment the crew and equally shrewd to avoid committing to returning. I wasn’t sure when this would air, but it was important not to burn bridges.
Afterward, Andi pasted on a smile while she said her goodbyes, but it was obvious from the way she gripped my hand that she was emotionally drained. I’d hoped to get her outside and into the waiting car, but Paula came out of nowhere, intercepting us in the entryway.
“Hi, Andrea. Can I have a word?” She licked her lips, appearing nervous. “Please.”
For a moment, I thought Andi might deny her the opportunity, but she sighed. “You have two minutes.”
“Do you want me to step away?” I wanted to support her but would respect her potential need for privacy.
She offered me a lopsided smile. “No, you can stay.”
The blonde flicked her gaze to me before centering her focus on Andi. Tears were already forming in her eyes. “I wanted to say I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—” She took a gulp of air. “I didn’t mean to hurt you especially when you were a good friend to me.”
“What did you think would happen when you slept with my husband?”
Paula visibly flinched and clearly had no good answer to the question. Meanwhile, I was reminded just how recent and raw this all was for Andrea. Although we might be having an incredible weekend together, she was still grieving her marriage.
Paula inhaled sharply, tears now falling. “He said you were getting divorced, and I believed him.”
Of course he’d fed her a false narrative. A tale as old as time.
But Andrea wasn’t letting her off the hook. “And yet you were hanging out with us both, so you had to know that wasn’t true. You chose to ignore the signs all around you and believe the lies. And Jeff continues to lie because I can guarantee he didn’t tell you that thirty minutes ago he asked me to go to counseling and work on staying together.”
Paula’s face blanched.
Meanwhile Andi’s tone wasn’t gloating or competitive, but rather she sounded resigned. “My days of looking out for you or giving you advice are over, Paula. You can choose to continue to believe him or not. It’s no longer my business.”
“Will you accept my apology?”
She didn’t hesitate. “While I appreciate your apology, I don’t accept it. Because there are some things which aren’t forgivable, and sleeping with a married man while befriending his wife is in that category. But I do wish you well.”
Again, she wasn’t being cruel. Merely honest. And I was happy to see her standing up for herself.
Paula’s shoulders slumped, the words clearly not what she’d wanted to hear. “I understand.”
Andi turned to me. “I’m ready to go.”
I kept my arm around her as I led her out to the waiting SUV, unsure who more needed her close, me or her. “I’m so proud of you.”
“Thanks. Did you think I was too hard on her?”
The fact she worried about it testified to her character.
“You were more than fair. Betrayal is not something you need to forgive.”
“No, I don’t need to absolve them of anything in order to move on.”
Once in the back seat, I lifted her legs up onto my lap and removed one shoe at a time. It was a pleasure to hear her sigh of relief.
“What does moving on look like? Say five years from now?” I was curious to find out how Andrea saw her future.
“I hope to have a family. Maybe open my own business and do freelance website design, and I don’t know, there’s that animal sanctuary idea even if it’s a couple cats and dogs, and maybe one mini cow to start.”
Her long-term plan shouldn’t have surprised me, but hearing her talk about a future that wouldn’t include me left me feeling out of sorts.
The emotion was ridiculous. Here she was, navigating a divorce and picking up the pieces of her life. The last thing she needed was to jump into another relationship. Not that I knew what that would be like. We’d enjoy the rest of the weekend and say our goodbyes, just as we’d agreed.
“If you don’t have any plans tomorrow, I thought we could hang out at my place? I don’t leave until Monday morning.”
She smiled. “I don’t have any plans, and I wouldn’t mind avoiding my house, but don’t you have things to do before you leave? More Zoom calls where you don’t need a—” She paused, flicking her gaze to the driver who was staring straight ahead. “A houseguest interrupting?”
The way she omitted the naked part made me chuckle. “I can’t think of a better interruption. And aside from a few phone calls, I don’t have a thing planned.”