Stupid Boy: Senior Year - Winter 22

Chapter 22 -- Something in the Water

Saturday January 7

Everyone was headed home today. While Brook packed, I went downstairs and made cinnamon rolls, a giant frittata using a lot of the leftovers, hash browns, and bacon.

Lexi was the first one down because she didn't have to pack. She made a pot of coffee and opened a bottle of fresh orange juice.

"What are you doing today?" I asked.

"I'm going home. My mom is complaining that she never sees me. I think she plans to have family over," she shared. "What about you?"

"After everyone leaves for the airport, I'll just hang around here. Can you let the neighbors know that they're not invited? I don't want to have to deal with being harassed today. I'd like to be able to let Manaia have a day off."

"I'll call Teresa and Liza now. Teresa can deal with her mother," Lexi said.

When the cinnamon rolls came out of the oven, everyone started to show up. We had a good breakfast, and then most of them had to finish packing.

---

"Can I talk to you?" Tami asked. "In private?"

That didn't sound ominous at all.

"Care if I tag along?" Brook asked.

Tami thought about it for a second, then nodded her assent. We went out by the pool to soak in some rays.

"Thank you for inviting us all out for the week. It was interesting to get a glimpse into what you're doing out here," Tami said.

"Mostly, he works sixteen-hour or more days, and I never see him," Brook shared.

"This was a good week for me. I needed a break," I admitted.

"Look, I've known you longer than anyone here, and we've been best friends for most of that time. I know if you saw something going on in my life that wasn't quite right, you'd say something. I hope you don't take offense at what I'm about to tell you," Tami said.

"With that kind of buildup, I'm a little worried," Brook said.

Tami looked pained, like she was unsure if she should say anything. I smiled at her to let her know I was okay with whatever she had to say.

"It's not just you. I think it might be how things are done here in LA. It might be something in the water."

"That's clear as mud," I teased. "Just say it."

"You've lost your moral compass out here," she said, then shut up.

Brook knew me well enough to give me time to process this before she commented.

I was sure Tami was talking about all the sexual activities that had occurred recently. It wasn't like I'd always been a little angel. Tami saw my confused look.

"From what I've seen, people act differently here in LA. It's like that couple that hooked up with your friend Ridge and his girlfriend. Everyone thought it was no big deal that the guy would offer up his wife and want to watch."

"Really? Who did that?" Brook asked.

"Liza and Carl. They're the younger neighbor couple. They approached me after she'd hit on me the other day. She runs around with Paulina," I explained.

"That bitch Paulina is a slut," Brook said without thinking.

Of course, Tami picked up on my girlfriend's anger. I was glad she didn't ask what that was about right now.

"I was talking to Lexi, and she explained that it's much more casual here, that people don't necessarily date but hook up. That's why there aren't a lot of people who are married for extended periods of time. I bet you can't name ten Hollywood couples that have been married for several years."

"She's right. I'm not sure I could name five off the top of my head," Brook agreed.

"Take your friend Zak. When you were filming with him, you told me about him hooking up several times a day. I know he's dating Bec for now, but do you honestly think that will last?" Tami asked.

I wasn't about to throw my boy under the bus, but he didn't have a great track record.

"Then there was last night," Tami said. "You broke your personal code with two different women."

"What's she talking about?" Brook asked.

"Cindy and Isabel. One of my rules is not to spend time with anyone who has a significant other. I also promised my mom," I said, suddenly feeling a little sick.

"And do I need to bring up Gwen Larkin? Was she sober when she decided to spend time with you?" Tami asked.

Frick!

"No," I admitted.

"So what? We had a few drinks," Brook said.

"Part of my code is not to have sex with anyone under the influence. Hell, I made a big deal about that with the football team two summers ago."

"But we've had sex after a few drinks," Brook pointed out.

"You two are in a relationship and have given consent in the past. David gave Kent and Chuck the 'take a drunk girl home' talk just last week. You know better," Tami pointed out, to give me no wiggle room.

I hated it when she was right. Why didn't she let me make mistakes and ignore them like everyone else? My uncle was probably chuckling right now and had a smart comment that my feelings were valid, but I was still just a 'stupid boy' who needed to grow up before I figured things out.

"She has a point," Brook said to pile on.

Up until then, she'd been defending me. When your girlfriend backs down, you need to examine what's being said carefully.

"I agree."

Tami kept a straight face, but I knew she was dancing inside. It was always a big deal to get one of us to admit we were wrong.

"How do I fix this?" I asked.

"You don't have to be like everyone else. Just because Zak, Trip, and Ben are all man-whores doesn't mean you have to be. I think you once said, 'just because you can, doesn't mean you should,'" she reminded me.

"Just so I'm clear. If Kate Upton walked through the door and told me she was divorcing that baseball jerk and wanted to have sex, I should say 'no'?"

"If that happens, I say you go for it. There has to be an exception to every rule," Tami assured me.

Brook just rolled her eyes. She knew I would dump her in a heartbeat if Kate Upton showed up. Just like I suspected, if Ryan Gosling were ever around, I would have to allow her to have her fun. Or maybe he was Halle's fantasy man--I couldn't remember.

"Why do you have to point stuff out to me? I was happy having a little fun. I even included Brook," I complained.

"Because if you thought about it, you would've figured it out. You just needed me to point it out for you," Tami said.

"Everyone complained that 'fun' David was gone," Brook reminded us.

"The problem is, David has started to grow up," Tami said to Brook. "While I expect him to still have fun, he has to do it within his moral boundaries. Otherwise, he won't be able to look himself in the mirror when he wakes up in the morning." Then she looked at me. "I don't expect you to be perfect. None of us are. The thing is, you're a leader, and people look to you for guidance. You have to walk the walk if you expect them to follow you."

"You've beaten me into submission. I get it," I said with a forced smile.

"You know I love you. It was hard for me to tell you this," Tami said.

"That's something we have to fix. You've never been shy about telling me what to do before."

"That was before. Since then, you've proven that you don't need me bossing you around. If I remember correctly, that was something we've worked on changing. I have every confidence in you. You have people around you who give you good advice. Today it was my turn to provide it," Tami assured me.

"I'm glad you said something. I think we have some damage control to do after last night. Not just with our friends but also with Ben. He didn't look happy when he left," Brook said.

"You talk to Ben, and I'll handle our friends," I suggested.

"Nope. I'm not the one Ben was upset with."

"You had sex with his girlfriend, too," I pointed out.

"TMI!" Tami said, getting up.

I stood up and pulled Tami into a hug. We didn't have to say the words. We had enough history together that Tami and I knew how much we meant to each other.

---

Manaia had the small bus to take everyone to LAX for their flight home. I didn't want to ride through traffic to and from for that trip, so I said my goodbyes in the driveway. Tracy was first.

"When I get back, I want you to introduce me to your new college friends."

"I received an email from my new roommate, and she wanted to know if I knew you. I told her that you were the Big Man on Campus and were too good for the likes of me. Your showing up will surprise her," Tracy said.

Pam came bounding up and hugged me.

"Where's everything you bought?" I asked.

"Lexi boxed it up and is mailing it back for me. We all agreed to just take carry-ons so we don't have to mess around with baggage claim."

"When you return, give all the little ones some love from me. I miss them," I said.

She just gave me another hug.

"Love you best," I whispered in her ear.

Tim and Wolf gave me one-armed bro hugs while Sarah and Tami teased them for liking me better than them.

Cassidy was in security mode with her blue slacks, white button-up blouse, and sunglasses.

"Keep Brook safe for me."

"Will do. Don't you get into any trouble where Manaia has to bail your butt out."

"Yes, ma'am," I said, kissing her forehead. "Go easy on the Demon."

She smiled at the mention that she had car privileges since she saved my hound and son. Brook was last. We just hugged each other and kissed goodbye.

"I'll see you in a week," I promised.

She got on the bus so they could get going. I watched until it was out of sight.

I had the afternoon to myself. Lexi had left after breakfast, and Manaia said he had laundry to do. I would see the two of them tomorrow.

---

They'd been gone all of five minutes when there was a knock at the door. Either they'd forgotten something, or it had to be one of the neighbors. I opened the door and found a man who looked to be about 40, wearing a good-quality suit with no tie. He was a big man, probably six-one and 225 pounds. He just stared at me, and I got the vibe that he wasn't someone I wanted to mess with.

"Can I help you?" I asked.

"We need to talk."

"I don't know you, and I think you should probably make an appointment," I said as I tried to shut the door.

He put his foot in the door to stop me from closing it.

"You should invite me in."

Was he a vampire or something? I reached for my phone to hit the panic button. He slapped it out of my hand before I could. I took two steps back and readied myself for a fight. What unnerved me was when he talked, it had been very matter-of-fact with an even tone, like he was confident in his ability to handle me.

"I'm just here to talk. Invite me in," he said.

"I have a feeling I can't stop you."

"Invite me in," he repeated for the fourth time.

"Come on in. Can I get you anything?" I asked.

"Whisky, neat."

He had me lead the way. When I was out of reach, he bent down and collected my phone. He opened the back and removed the battery, making it much harder to call for help. That made it more than a little concerning for my safety. I just hoped that someone was monitoring my security cameras in Fritz's office.

I took him out back, where we still had the bar set up from last night's party. I found a good whiskey, poured a good measure, and handed it to him. I watched as he downed it in one go and handed back the glass. I poured another and gave it to him.

"David Dawson," I said.

"Pádraig O'Malley."

"What can I do for you, Mr. O'Malley?"

"Paddy."

"Sorry?"

"Call me Paddy."

This guy was creeping the heck out of me. His voice had an East Coast accent, and he talked in a monotone. The actor in me wanted to remember everything about him in case I ever had to play a character who had to intimidate someone.

"You don't sound like you're from around here."

"Boston."

"What do you do?" I asked.

"I fix things."

"Like?"

"Like the issue you're having with Zander Lewis. I need you to agree to settle. Your lawyer is being unreasonable."

"We might have to disagree about that," I said.

"We are going to talk until we come to an understanding," he said quietly.

"Or?"

"There is no 'or.' I need you to understand that," Paddy said.

"I'm not so sure about that."

"David. I know you think you can handle yourself, but even if you were to take me, they would send someone else. I would worry that they might not come at you directly."

"Are you threatening my family?" I asked.

"I didn't say that."

The hell he didn't. I felt a shiver go up my spine. I was shaken down, and the scary part was that he would succeed. I couldn't risk my family getting hurt over something like this.

"What does Zander want?" I asked.

"He'd like you to withdraw the lawsuit."

"Not happening," I bluffed.

Paddy gave me a hard look and downed his whiskey. I would give him credit; he could handle his alcohol.

"Can I show you something that might change your mind?" I suggested.

"Sure."

"I need to get my tablet. Help yourself to another whiskey, and I'll be right back."

"I'll just go with you."

He followed me into my bedroom; I got my tablet and accessed my cloud account to show him the video of Zander threatening Halle and Brook. Then I showed him the video of the car ramming into the van.

"One of those girls is my girlfriend, and the other is Halle James. His recklessness almost cost me my life. Zander has to pay for what he did," I said.

He got quiet.

"Do you have kids?" I asked.

"A daughter and son."

"How old are they?"

"Fourteen and twelve."

I left the rest unsaid. This could have been one of them.

"Find out what Zander will do to make this right. If it had just been me, I might have let it go. I need something from him. Something that makes him realize he can't pull this kind of crap again."

"All right. I'll go talk to him," Paddy said and turned to leave.

Fritz stepped through my bedroom door with his gun drawn.

"It's all good. Mr. O'Malley was just leaving."

Paddy gave Fritz a dead-eyed stare that dared him to try something. For a moment, I thought Fritz might actually shoot him. Fritz never lowered his gun, but stepped to the side to give Paddy room to leave. Paddy just walked past him and never looked back.

I wanted to follow him around to learn how to pull that off. Damn, that was impressive. The man must have ice flowing through his veins.

Then reality set in, and my knees went weak. I had to sit on the edge of the bed. Pádraig O'Malley put the fear of God into me. I couldn't believe I'd just stood up to him.

"Jesus, David. What did you do to have Paddy O'Malley give you a visit?" Fritz asked.

"Zander Lewis sent him to get me to settle the lawsuit."

"My best advice is to do whatever he says. Paddy is no joke."

"I think I understand that. Thanks for showing up."

"I'm going to get some more security here until this is settled," he assured me.

---

I called my dad and filled him in. That turned into a whole circus of lawyers and my mom. Dad apologized for telling her, but I knew if he hadn't, we might both be living on my uncle's farm in the barn with Satan's Spawn.

Fritz called Manaia back as well as another beefy guy, who moved like he'd been in the military, for the additional help.

During the afternoon, I paced as I worried.

The housekeeper showed up. Fritz was about to send her away, but the place needed a good cleaning before my aunt, uncle, and grandmother arrived. I wasn't brave enough to check how my friends had left their bedrooms and bathrooms upstairs.

I also ordered food for the next week and had it delivered. It kept my mind occupied. I was putting the food away when there was a knock at the door. Pádraig O'Malley was back.

Manaia searched him for weapons. I'd brought the bottle of whiskey into the house earlier, so I had a drink ready for him.

"Thanks," he said as I handed it to him.

We sat down at the kitchen table with Fritz and his team standing around us. Even with them there, I wasn't sure we had enough firepower to handle Paddy if things went south. There was just something that screamed that you should never bet against him if the situation turned ugly.

"Zander left out a few details when he hired me. He told me that you'd been involved in a traffic accident and were just trying to cash in. I had my office look into it, and they uncovered the truth. I told Zander to pay you and make it go away."

I just blinked as I tried to get my head around what he'd just said.

"Did he agree?" I asked.

"We still have a couple of problems to work out. Zander doesn't have much cash on hand. His lawyers have almost bled him dry. He does have real estate he can sign over. The other problem is personal. He can't pay my fee."

"Damn. He hired you and planned to stiff you?" I asked.

He smiled for the first time.

"What if I paid your fee?" I asked.

"I thought you might do just that," he said, and then turned into a scary mob-like guy again. "Are you willing to take the real estate in lieu of cash?"

"Will it hurt him?" I asked.

"Take the deal."

"Okay. Have your office send me a bill, and I'll approve it. Have Zander's lawyers get us a list of properties, and we'll get them transferred to settle this," I said.

Paddy stood up to leave.

"Would it ever be possible to hire you if I needed something ... uhm ... 'fixed'?" I asked before my brain engaged.

He looked at me, and I felt my insides turn to jelly. That look trumped the 'Mom Stare' by a hundredfold. I would be practicing that look tonight. I noticed that my security all inched their hands toward their guns.

"Sure ... why not? We done here, kid?"

"Yeah."

I held my breath and let it out only after the front door closed as he left.

"You've got balls, kid," the new guy said.

He would never have said that if he knew how scared I'd been. I was a total idiot. Something I did know: if I ever hired Pádraig O'Malley, I would be sure to pay his fee. Zander must not realize how dangerous that man was.

---

Sunday January 8

I came back from my morning run drenched in perspiration. Lexi was in the kitchen, eating a bagel.

"So, what do you think?" I asked as I hit an athletic pose.

She wrinkled her nose and gave me the evil eye. I got closer and shook my head, and beads of moisture splattered her face.

"Gross, David!" she shrieked.

"You don't like me all sweaty and breathless?" I asked, giving her my best sexy grin.

She checked me out closer and then averted her eyes.

"It's okay," she grudgingly admitted.

"I think you like it," I said in a husky voice as I enveloped her in a hug, pulling her against my damp t-shirt.

She pushed me away.

"I'm going to have to change clothes and take a shower now," she grumped.

"Aw. You poor thing."

Manaia walked into the kitchen and handed me his phone. I looked at him, confused, and he just nodded towards it.

"This is David," I said.

"Don't tease the help," Brook said. "Lexi will think you're serious."

"Sorry, Lexi. I was just goofing around," I told her, then put my ear back to the phone. "I love you."

"I love you, too. Now go take your shower and then go make some money."

After I hung up, I handed the phone back to Manaia, and he gave me a sheepish look. At least he hadn't called my mom.

"I get it," I said to let him off the hook for being a tattletale. "Fritz has explained many times that your job is not only to protect me from others but from myself as well. Call Brook anytime you think you need to."

"Will do, Boss," Manaia said, and then went to demolish my bagel supply.

Now, eating all my food might get him fired.

---

It was back to the grind of filming the J-drama. We gathered in the now-familiar conference room and listened to Mr. Otsuki share his vision of the final episode. This was the one where my character came to his senses and begged Haru's character to take me back. I would change my evil manly ways and become the doting lapdog all girls wanted.

I was told that in most romance novels, the bad boy would be transformed into the perfect husband because he so loved the heroine. If only real life were so easy, and the miraculous transformation really worked. Why did women assume they could change us? Come to think of it, why did they need to in the first place?

Then one of those life lessons that you only gain through experience kicked in. I hated my uncle for making me realize that there were some things I wouldn't know until I experienced them. It wasn't just girls who tried to change their significant other; I'd been guilty of it myself. I thought back to all the times I thought everything would be better if a girl did X, Y, or Z.

It had happened over and over again, to be honest. It started with Tracy when I thought that the answer was open communication. If we just talked about it, we could fix it. Apparently, it wasn't fixable. Of course, that didn't mean that having open discussions was wrong. The point was I'd tried to get Tracy to change when she wasn't able to at the time.

Most recently, I'd had it in my head that Brook and I were 'all in' as far as our feelings for each other were concerned. Then she admitted that she didn't love me as deeply as I did her. Granted, I'd tried to justify the imbalance as being that not all love was equal, and if I loved her more, it was okay. I think that deep down, I hoped that she would come to love me as much as I loved her.

Discovering this made me uneasy. First of all, I'm a guy. We think we can find a solution to everything. When you add that I think of myself as a leader, it compounds the issue. It was the feeling of disquiet that helped me connect with the story.

Girls must view ego-driven guys and their need to be in control in the same way. Getting a guy to change had to be an ultimate fantasy. It might also be why girls went for bad boys or guys they knew weren't right for them. If they could change them ... Heck, Gwen had gone on and on about the men she'd dated and how self-centered they were. The clear message was that she wanted them to change by growing up.

Another revelation hit me. Could the pendulum have swung in the other direction? Would that explain the explosion of the culture of hookups? You're attracted to someone in a physical sense, and you spend time together for a brief encounter instead of investing your emotions. Chuck had seemed fine with it. It sounded like he was seeing enough action to keep him happy without having to actually date.

Thankfully, we had to get to work, so my mind would stop spinning in circles.

---

When I went to get my makeup done and dressed in my 'surfer dude' attire, I noticed that my castmates were all watching me. I caught the younger girls twittering about something, and then they would break out into giggles. More than once, I checked to make sure my fly wasn't open or that I had something in my teeth.

I waited until I saw Misaki go to makeup so I could corner her. I was sure she would tell me.

"What did I do?" I asked.

"What are you talking about?" Misaki asked to play it off.

"Come on, we're friends. Something's up," I said.

"Well ..."

"Oh, please. Just tell me, already."

She pulled her phone out and showed me a picture of me from the yacht outing. I happened to have my shirt off as I'd just come back from being shot out of the slingshot. That meant I was all wet. It was actually quite a good picture. Since it was in Japanese, I couldn't read the headline.

"What does it say?" I asked.

"America's heartthrob," she said, and then burst out laughing when she saw my face. "You are now every Japanese single woman's dream guy."

"My girlfriend is going to love this," I complained.

"It gets better," she said and pulled up another website.

It was a picture of me dancing with Bec Carson and Haru looking on.

"Okay," I said, confused.

"Haru gave a long interview about how much she is in love with you. There are a series of pictures of you with different girls."

I swiped the phone to go to the next page, and there was one with Isabel on my arm with Groper's hand in an inappropriate place. I chuckled because they'd blurred out her hand, which made it look ten times worse.

"The comments are running ten to one that you are the perfect bad boy."

"What are the other comments saying?" I asked.

"You're a cheating jerk."

"Great!"

"I mean, how could you lead Haru on like that?" she asked, and burst out laughing again when I made a face.

"Does Mr. Otsuki know about this?" I asked.

"Everyone knows. It's great press for the show. They're already predicting it might be one of the most-watched J-dramas in history. All your fans have to know if you and Haru win out in the end. They had planned to show it this summer, but it's being rushed to air at the end of January," she explained.

"Come on. They have to know it's just a story."

"What would be the fun in that?" Misaki asked.

"So, should I just play along, or ignore it?" I asked.

"If you could hang out with Haru and grovel a little ..."

"... and let you take a picture of it," I finished.

"You would be my best friend forever," she admitted.

"Maybe I could get down on bended knee. I did that once for a photo shoot."

Her eyes got big.

"You do that, and I will name my first child after you."

---

Mr. Nomura, my Japanese mentor, helped me learn my lines. I found that if I read them phonetically and then listened to him for the right inflections, I could nail my dialogue.

"Have you seen all the pieces about me on the Japanese gossip sites?" I asked.

"I'd just ignore it."

"Misaki suggested that I act like I'm trying to get Haru to forgive me for the show. What do you think?" I asked.

"It might draw a few more fans, but I think Misaki just wants to sell the picture."

"What if I got down on a knee and acted like I was proposing to Haru?" I asked.

"When's the wedding?" he asked, seeing my confused look. "Right now, you are the unattainable dream. If someone catches you, there either needs to be the wedding of the year, or you'll lose all your fans as a jerk."

"So, no proposal?"

"No proposal, and I wouldn't grovel, either. Your fans don't want a wimp. They want a confident American playboy they can worship from afar," he explained.

"Sounds like you have experience in this."

"That's why I'm your mentor. I haven't stayed in the game this long without knowing how to get good press."

"Completely changing the subject, who should I take to lunch this week?" I asked.

"Everybody. It's the last one, and they would all love to go."

"Should I invite my aunt, uncle, and grandmother, too?" I asked.

"Yes. Family is important. I would also like to meet your uncle."

"Maybe we could do dinner on Thursday, if we're done filming by then," I suggested.

"I'd like that."

We went back to me learning my lines for the next scene. I went out and did it--I nailed it!

---

Haru and I were on set and supposed to be in a disagreement. She didn't buy that I was sincere about changing for her. What the writers had given us wasn't working, so Mr. Otsuki had decided to just run the cameras and let us try to work it out.

"Just trust me, Baby."

I think every jerk has said almost those exact same words at some point. It ranks right up there with 'The child-support check is in the mail' and when you look at your twelve-year-old son and ask 'Who drank Daddy's last beer?'

"Baby?" she asked as her eyebrows went into her hairline, not buying my BS. "Never call me that again; it reminds me of that silly girl in Dirty Dancing."

It took me a moment to get the reference since that movie came out before I was born. Rita James had given me the DVD to watch when I went to Cuba. I remember at the time I thought she'd slipped in a few films just to mess with me.

"I would never try to put you in the corner," I said, alluding to the famous quote from the movie about nobody putting the character Baby into a corner.

Haru looked away, I think in amazement that I knew the movie, trying not to laugh at me. I saw her shoulders shake, so I decided to play it like she was crying.

"Are you okay?" I ask quietly.

She turned to me and gave me a determined look.

"I'm fine. I want you to remember something: no one will ever put me in a corner."

I smiled as I pulled her into my arms, then leaned down and kissed her pouty lips. I pulled back and looked her in the eyes. Haru must have forgotten we were filming because she gave me a look that made me pause. 'I have a girlfriend' was just about to come out of my mouth when she laid a serious kiss on me.

"And ... Cut!" Mr. Otsuki called out before she forced her tongue down my throat. "I think we got it. Set up for the next scene."

Haru and I untangled ourselves from each other, and she all but ran off the set. Crud.

---

During the break, I finally built up my nerve to call Ben. I wanted to make sure he was okay with what happened at the party.

"I wondered if you'd call," Ben said when he answered the phone.

"I take it you're not happy with me," I ventured.

"Well, I was on board with her fantasy, but did you have to do such a good job of fulfilling it?" he asked.

"It just sort of went longer than I anticipated. I kept worrying if you were okay, and that distracted me," I explained.

"I wish to God I could get that distracted. She complained this morning that she's too sore for sex still."

"I'm really sorry. I should have said 'no.'"

He went quiet for a moment before he responded.

"I really want to be mad at you, but it was my own fault. You at least had the balls to tell me that you would kill me if I touched Brook. I should have done the same," Ben said.

"Let's make a deal. No more sleeping with the other's girlfriend, even if they beg," I suggested.

"I'm glad you added the last part because I'm not convinced that Isabel won't want you as a 'special treat' at some point. I honestly don't think you would survive round two."

Despite being sure I could take his wimpy ass, I decided I would give him that one. That didn't mean I couldn't give him a hard time.

"After she dumps you, how long do I need to wait until I hook up with her?" I asked.

"I think I just changed my mind; I can be mad at you."

We both laughed. It felt a little forced, but I thought we would get past this.

"I plan to cross it off my bucket list and put it behind me. I hope that it doesn't cause you or Isabel any problems."

"I want to thank you for making me realize that I have to back off on Halle. Seeing you with Isabel made me aware of the hurt I would cause her if my feelings for my co-star ever got back to her. I called Halle and apologized. We should be fine to finish the movie," Ben shared.

"That's good because she's in the next two Star Academy movies."

"It's all good. It caught me by surprise and made me worry that it even happened."

"You're supposed to be in love for the part. You're thrown together for long hours. There's a reason it's cliché that the leading man hooks up with the leading lady. It's because your make-believe feelings suddenly seem real. Plus, it doesn't hurt when your leading lady is Halle James," I said.

"Believe me, I get the last part. Halle's a great girl."

"So is Isabel," I reminded him.

"Yeah. So is Isabel," he agreed.

---

While talking to Ben, Halle tried to call me, so I rang her back.

"My mom isn't happy with you."

"What did I do?"

"At lunch today, Trip announced he's in love."

"And that's bad, how?" I asked.

"Mom has met Teresa's mother," Halle said to clue me in.

"And she's convinced that Teresa is just after Trip's money. Fortunately, Teresa's not like her mother."

Halle chuckled.

"Try to convince my mom of that."

"I have faith she'll figure it out," I said, and then changed the subject. "I just got off the phone with Ben."

"Did you threaten him?" Halle asked.

"No! Why?"

"He apologized. I saw the two of you talking after ... well, you saw it," she said, referring to her slapping him at the party.

"Do you think it'll be okay on set?" I asked.

"The good news is he isn't Zander. Ben never tried to force the issue."

"Speaking of Zander, it looks like we're going to settle."

I told her that I'd agreed to take real estate instead of cash. She pointed out that the downside was that I would have to pay my lawyers. I left out the bit about him sending a fixer to try to force a settlement. I was just glad it was almost over.

---

At our dinner break, Lexi announced that everyone was invited to lunch with me on Monday. She'd made reservations at the Paradise Cove Beach Café. It was right on the beach and supposed to be casual. The crew was especially happy because they didn't think they would get to go to one of my outings. I should have thought of inviting them to more of what we did, but I'd been focused on showing my castmates a good time while they were in the States.

I received a text from my uncle that gave me their flight information. I promised to have Manaia there to pick them up. He would need to take them straight to the restaurant. Fortunately, they would lose a couple of hours with the time zone change, or the timing would have been tight for tomorrow.

During dinner, Haru made a point to sit with me. This must have been planned because everyone avoided our table.

"I need to beg your forgiveness. I made inappropriate advances," Haru said formally.

"What are you talking about?" I asked to make her squirm.

She bowed her head.

"The kiss."

"Oh. I thought you were just acting."

She blinked in confusion and then saw me smile.

"Thank you," she said as she blushed.

"I do have a bone to pick with you, though. What's with this declaration of love?" I asked.

If possible, she got redder.

"You weren't supposed to see that," she blurted, and then looked down again. "My publicist 'leaked' the story."

"I take it I'm good for your career."

"Yes. Do you want me to fix it?" she asked.

"No. I know you guys are all sending stuff about your trip here to fan sites. Before your publicist 'leaks' anything else, have her contact my guy. He's pretty reasonable, but I pay him to make sure I come off with the right tone."

She agreed and was happy I wasn't mad at her. She shared her excitement about wrapping up the filming so she could go home.

I texted Frank with Haru's publicist's information and the links I'd been given so he could do his job.

---

After dinner, we were back at it. I almost wished I hadn't had the week off because the grind seemed worse. We would be at this until late into the night to get in all the scenes on today's shot list. It made me dread what three back-to-back movies would be like starting this summer.

I was powering through another scene when I saw Lexi standing off to the side with a worried expression on her face. When I was done, she came over and handed me my phone.

"Call your brother."

"Why, what's going on?" I asked.

"Just call him."

I dialed, and he picked up on the first ring.

"Thank God. I've been trying to get you for the last half hour. They took Dad to the emergency room," Greg said, dropping a bombshell.

"Is he okay?" I asked.

"I don't know. He felt dizzy after dinner and went to lie down. He got up to use the restroom and collapsed. They think it's his heart."

"I'll make arrangements to catch the redeye."

"No. There's nothing you can do here. Mom was very clear that you need to meet your obligations. She said Dad would want you to finish up before you come home."

"Is she crazy? I need to be there," I said.

"And do exactly what? We don't know anything yet."

"I can't do this if I don't know what's going on."

"Lexi has your phone. I promise to call her whenever I hear anything. Trust me to take care of things while you're out there. I'll make sure Mom's okay and hold everything together," Greg said.

I felt myself fighting back tears. My Grandpa Dawson had died too soon from heart problems. I was afraid it was genetic. My dad was too young to die on me. I needed him, and it killed me to have to stay here.

"I'm counting on you," I said to my brother. "If you need anything, tell Caryn."

While I talked to Greg, I saw that Lexi had fetched Mr. Nomura, my mentor.

"Hang on. The doctor just came into the waiting room. Let me put you on speaker so you can hear it when I do," Greg said.

I put my phone on speaker so Lexi and Mr. Nomura could also hear. I noticed everyone had gone quiet on set and gathered around me.

"We were able to stabilize your husband, Mrs. Dawson. When he arrived, he exhibited symptoms that pointed to ventricular tachycardia, which can be life-threatening. This condition causes the heart to contract before filling with enough blood, resulting in inadequate blood flow to the brain and other parts of the body. On the ride here, your husband lost consciousness, and they needed to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

"We will watch him closely for the next few hours to make sure we can keep his heart in a normal sinus rhythm. When we see this condition, it's caused by one of a variety of problems, such as heart disease," the doctor said.

"Is he going to be okay?" Mom asked.

"Your husband is young and relatively fit. We will need to discover the underlying cause, but he should be okay. He's in good hands, and we'll do everything we can to make sure we get him back to good health."

Greg took me off speaker, and I did the same.

"I'll keep you updated, but I think he'll be fine," Greg said.

"Thanks. I appreciate you being there. I need to get going," I said, and hung up.

Mr. Otsuki announced a thirty-minute break. Mr. Nomura sat me down to talk.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I think so."

"Do you think you can continue tonight?"

"We need to get this done, so I'll do what's needed. My brother and Lexi will let me know what's going on back home."

"Let me know if you need a break or to stop, and I'll talk to Mr. Otsuki."

I was thankful he'd offered. To be honest, I wanted to keep busy right now. Plus, it sounded like I wouldn't know anything for sure until tomorrow. I said a little prayer for my dad and went back to work.

---