Chapter 34 #2
“I’m going to go play with my toys now.”
“Sounds good. I’ll check on you in a bit.”
“Okay.” He took off at a run while Carson released a deep breath, hoping he’d done and said the right things.
Cresley took Ty’s place on the sofa and reached for him.
“How much of that did you hear?”
“All of it. You did great.”
“Oh good. I’m glad you thought so. I was flying blind once again.”
“You told him enough for him to get the gist without overwhelming him with details. It was perfect. And PS, you’re pretty good at this fatherhood thing.”
“That might be the best compliment I’ve ever received.”
“You’re pretty sexy, as well.”
“That’s a good one, too.”
“Teagan got a message from D&G. They want to meet with me tomorrow at ten a.m. to discuss the way forward.”
“How’re you feeling about that?”
“A little nervous but resolved not to take the blame for crap someone else did.”
“That’s the way to be. They’d be crazy to cut ties with you after you’ve been a victim of domestic violence.”
“I don’t really see it that way. I’m nobody’s victim.”
“No, you’re not, but violence was done to you. It’d be a terrible look for them to discount that fact in their discussions with you.”
“I suppose, but I don’t want them keeping me around because of something he did. I want it to be for what I bring to the table.”
“I get that, and I’m sure they know exactly what you bring.”
“I wish I could be so certain, but Teagan said the Quantum statement went a long way toward shutting down that nonsense. She said they did a good job of shaming the press into shutting up about what consenting adults do in their private lives. I’m sure they’re intent on keeping the attention on the film, where it belongs. ”
“That’s good news.”
“It really is, but my association with it could be enough for D&G to invoke the morality clause in my contract.”
“If they’re stupid enough to do that, someone else will come along to snap you up, and you may end up better off than you were with them.”
“I guess we’ll see what they have to say.”
“On another topic I’ve been meaning to mention to you, did Marlene say anything about hooking up with my brother Ethan?”
“She did, but I wasn’t sure if you knew about that.”
“He told me when I was still in the hospital. What do you think of it?”
“Well, for one thing, she had no idea he was your brother at the time.”
“He had no idea she was your best friend. He said he almost died of shock in the Cedars ER waiting room when he saw her sitting there with you.”
“I wish I’d realized that at the time,” Cresley said, “but I was too terrified for you to think about anything else. But she said she nearly fainted when she realized he was your brother.”
“Awkward,” Carson said with a laugh. “You said for one thing. What’re the other things?”
“Marlene went through a horrific divorce a few years ago.”
“I know. I was the investigator on her case. Her ex-husband is a piece of shit.”
“That’s giving him more credit than he deserves. He was a monster to her. Ethan is the first guy she’s hooked up with since the divorce.”
“Oh wow. I wonder if he knows that.”
“I doubt it. Marlene would never disclose something like that. She wants everyone to think she’s as cool and sexy on the inside as she is on the outside. She’d tell you the inside is a red-hot mess.”
“She seems pretty together to me.”
“She’d love that you think so. The divorce was devastating to her. The things she found out about him… It was terrible. She truly loved him and thought they had the real deal only to find out he had kids with other women. For a time, I worried that she might actually die of a broken heart.”
“That was one of the ugliest cases I’ve ever worked on, but don’t tell her I said that. I shouldn’t say anything about it.”
“Believe me, I know how ugly it was. I had a front-row seat for it. I was actually relieved to hear she’d gotten busy with someone, but then she told me he was your brother, and I didn’t know what to think.”
“He’s a good dude, but he’s more relationship-averse than I ever was. Don’t let her get her heart set on him or anything.”
“I think it was a one-night stand.”
“That’s good,” he said, sounding relieved.
The next time she talked to Marlene, she’d ask if she’d heard any more from Ethan.
Cresley barely slept as she ran through scenarios that might come up at the D&G meeting.
Teagan had told her it would be a friendly get-together, but Cresley knew the executives would have questions about the recent headlines and would be looking for assurances that their brand ambassador was done making news.
“Your track record speaks for itself,” Teagan said. “Consummate professional, outstanding mother to an exceptional son and not a speck of scandal or drama until recently—and none of that was your fault. It’ll be fine.”
Teagan was usually right, and Cresley could only hope she was this time, too.
She was up early to shower and do her hair and makeup, choosing to wear one of the D&G suits they’d sent to celebrate her contract, hoping that when they saw her in their clothes they’d be reminded of why they’d wanted her for the job in the first place.
Teagan picked her up and drove her to the meeting in Beverly Hills. “How’re you feeling?”
“Stressed.”
“I’m sorry. I know this is the last thing you needed on top of everything else. I honestly think they just want some eye contact to assure themselves you’re still in the game.”
“I guess we’ll see.”
They were warmly greeted at the D&G offices, offered coffee and croissants and ushered into the conference room, where a number of familiar faces were waiting for them. She’d met them all several times before, but in the moment, she couldn’t remember any of their names as they shook her hand.
The account executive, Renata, one name she recalled, led the meeting. “Cresley, I know I speak for all of us when we tell you how great it is to see you and to know you’re safe after recent events. We hope your friend Carson is on the mend, too.”
“Thank you. He’s doing much better.”
“And your son?”
“He’s great as always. His resilience has been admirable.”
“I’m so glad to hear that. We wanted to get together today to touch base and determine the way forward.”
“I want to say how much I appreciate your kind thoughts and the fruit basket you sent. We’ve enjoyed that very much.
I’m thankful for the time and space you’ve given me to care for my family during this difficult time.
I’m ready to come back to work and to pick up where we left off as soon as a week from Monday. ”
“That is fantastic news,” Renata said as the others nodded so aggressively that Cresley worried they might hurt their necks.
The meeting continued with a review of a new schedule for the next couple of weeks and a plan to keep in close touch if anything came up that required an adjustment.
On the way out, they all shook her hand again and thanked her for taking the time to come in to “visit” with them.
Cresley exhaled a deep breath when she was back in Teagan’s Mercedes SUV.
“I told you it was a formality.”
“I kept waiting for someone to mention Club Quantum.”
“They don’t have the balls to bring that up to your face,” Teagan said. “A few of them emailed me about it, and I told them to mind their own business and to see the statement from Quantum Productions, which was all we had to say about it.”
“Ugh, so they were worked up about it.”
“Temporarily. Don’t sweat it. Everything is fine. There was no way they were going to dump you after your ex nearly killed your new boyfriend and then took the three of you hostage. Even with the Club Quantum thing, that would’ve been a very bad look for them, and they knew it.”
“It’s crazy to me that after working nonstop for fifteen years and never causing a stir, I could’ve lost it all because of a vindictive ex with an ax to grind.”
“You were never in any danger of losing it all, Cres. I know it felt that way to you, but it never came anywhere close to that.”
“Still… that it could happen because of something outside of my control is terrifying.”
“I honestly think you’re past the point in your career where you need to worry about someone taking it away from you.
I understand that you’re conditioned to expect disaster because of your mom and the roller coaster ride of her addiction and how you were very much alone in this world when you first came to LA to chase the dream.
But you’re not alone anymore, and you’ve generated tons of goodwill in this business and in this town.
It’s safe to exhale, Cres. I promise. Even if D&G had dropped you, someone else would’ve snapped you up the same day. ”
“I appreciate your support and belief in me.”
“I tell you only the truth, my friend.”