Escorting the Actress by Leigh James
Kyle
A little while later, after Lowell had let me make love to her again, I slipped out of the room while she slept. My phone had been buzzing for the past hour.
Balls deep in the woman I loved, I'd chosen to ignore it. But I had a sinking feeling that it was something that needed my attention.
Call me immediately,read a text from my father.
He picked up after one ring.
"Hey," I said.
"Hey yourself." Anger rolled off of him through the phone, and I braced myself. "I had a rather unexpected phone call from Caroline Barton after you left. You saw her?"
"Unfortunately, yes."
"Well, apparently I'm not the only one who has objections to your… circumstances with Lowell. Her mother's very upset."
"I can't imagine that you really care. Not after what she did to you."
He sighed. "She was practically hysterical."
Drama queen. Actress. Grifter."That's too bad. She seemed okay when she was here. Not that I trust her."
"Well, I don't trust her either. She said some other things too, son. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with her."
"What do you mean? What'd she say?"
"Well, first, she asked to see me. When I said no, that I was too busy with meetings, she went on and on about how she doesn't have any financial security right now. And she said she's worried about Lowell, that she seems off-balance."
"I think she's on a treasure hunt. Stay away from her."
"She probably is. She usually is." He snorted, as if dismissing the topic of Caroline Barton. "Am I going to see you tomorrow?"
I looked toward the bedroom door. Lowell had suddenly appeared there, her brow furrowed, staring at me.
"I don't know," I said, because I didn't.
"What the hell was that?" Lowell asked. Her face had gone pale. "Who were you just talking to?"
"My father."
"Were you talking about my mother?"
I nodded tightly. "She called him. He said she was going on and on about how she doesn't have any financial security right now and how she's worried about you."
"I told her he seemed lonely, but I didn't think she was gonna call him today." Lowell sank onto a nearby couch. "Ugh."
I sat gingerly across from her. "I'm sorry."
"Are you sorry that she called him? Or that I caught you telling your dad my mother is a gold-digger on a treasure hunt?" Her eyes flashed at me.
"Both. I'm sorry about both." I started to get defensive, but I reeled myself in.
I believed Lowell knew who her mother was. But as much as I wanted to protect her from her mother and from everyone else, I needed to tread lightly. Caroline was her mother. You only got one, and most people preferred it if people didn't insult theirs.
She looked at me warily. "This is just going from bad to worse. Just when I thought it couldn't get more complicated…"
"It was always gonna be an awkward family reunion, Lo. Both of our parents are difficult. They both have their agendas. We just need to separate them from ours."
She shook her head, and my heart sank. "I can't do that. I can't forget where I came from. Or where you did. And you need to go back, Kyle. Back to your Dad."
"It doesn't matter." To me, it didn't. "Nothing else matters to me except you."
She stood suddenly. "I have to go."
She headed into the bedroom, and I scrambled after her.
"Go where?" I watched as she fumbled for her suitcase and randomly stuffed clothes into it.
"Home. Back to Los Angeles. Away from our crazy parents. I can't do this to you. I can't unleash the crazy of my mom on you. You're so close to making everything okay with your dad."
"Okay," I said as nonchalantly as I could manage. I grabbed my suitcase from the closet and put it on the bed.
"What're you doing?"
"Packing to go back to LA with you."
She shook her head, and although I didn't think it was possible, my heart sank even lower. "No. You're staying. You have a deal with your father."
I stared at her. "I had a deal with you first."
"That deal's off." She wouldn't look at me.
"You have a commitment to Lucas. And Shirley. The premiere's coming up. Just let me come out for that." I hated the wheedling tone in my voice, but I felt panic descending on me.
"No." She stalked into the bathroom and almost violently threw her shower kit into her bag. "This stops now. I've already told more lies than I thought I was capable of. We've already hurt our parents. I don't want to keep going until we hurt each other." She grabbed her bag, threw on her flip-flops, and headed toward the door.
"You are not walking out on me right now. This is fucking ridiculous. You're acting like a child."
"I am not." She still wouldn't look at me as she headed out the door.
"Dammit! Stop!"
But she didn't. I ran out after her, shoeless and wearing no shirt.
The elevator doors were about to close, but I wedged myself in and grabbed her wrist. "You said you didn't want to hurt me. You're hurting me now."
"I can't do this. I can't ruin your life," she said. Her eyes were filled with tears, but she had that stubborn set to her jaw.
"You haven't! You've made it a thousand times better! I'm a better man because I've been with you!"
The elevator doors opened to the lobby, and she rushed out.
"Just come back upstairs," I pleaded.
"No." Lowell stormed through the lobby doors. The skies were darkening as if it was about to rain. She turned to me. "Kyle"—she sounded as if she was trying to keep her voice on an even keel—"go back upstairs. Go to work tomorrow. I'll call you from home."
"Don't do this to me, Lo." My voice was shaking, and my hands were clenched into fists.
"I'll send the full fee to Elena. Don't worry about that." She sounded as though she was trying to be all business, intentionally cold.
"I'm not worried!" I practically spit. "I already quit! I don't care about the stupid money! Yours or my father's!"
Her face faltered a little, but fine actress that she was, she recovered almost immediately.
I stared at her until she looked at me. "If you want to leave me, think it through. And please don't do it because you think you're protecting me."
Her eyes flashed, and I couldn't tell if it was in anger or because I'd hit a nerve.
"What do you want from me?" she asked.
I reached for her, but she stepped back. "You know what I want."
"What'd you think was going to happen between us? Really?"
"Not this," I said. "Not you leaving me."
"Being around our parents is the reality check I needed. I don't want this either, but I have to get out before… before things go too far. Which is already." She raised her hand at a passing cab, and it pulled over. "I just don't want to make it worse."
I stood there, watching her, as the sky opened up. "I said I was sorry about what I said about your mom. I'm sorry." I sounded like a sniveling shadow of a man, and I didn't care.
"It's okay. I've probably said just as bad about your father." She shook her head. "But look at what we're doing to each other. There's too much history. Thank you for everything you've done for me." She looked as though she was going to lean over and kiss me good-bye, but she hesitated, and the moment passed. "Go back inside. You're getting soaked."
Then she got into the car and disappeared. I just stood there, with no shirt and no shoes, as the rain crashed miserably over my head. Once her car had disappeared in the traffic, I shuffled back into the hotel, trekking water across the marble floors.
"Mr. Jordan—" Britta started breathlessly.
My glare cut her off cold. "Please have a bottle of Grey Goose sent up to my room." I sloshed past her. "And if anyone calls for me, tell them to fuck off."
