2
Sutton Silvers
I’ve been hiding out in Whispers for what feels like a while now.
I arrived in town under the cover of darkness, hiding from the barrage of media that now comes with being one of Hollywood’s most sought-after leading men.
The town’s nice enough, quaint, quiet, but I haven’t seen much of it. Just the view from the roads leading to the diner and the inside of my brother Sawyer’s house, where I’ve been holed up, cycling through old TV shows and pretending I have something resembling a routine.
But I love it.
I’ve already purchased a block of land, and I’m drawing up plans for my own little slice of paradise as a place to come to when I need to get away from LA. It’s ideal, up the back of Billionaire Boulevard; I have the woods at my door, and I’ve already started hiking around to get the lay of the land. Hiking has become a new interest of mine, but it’s one I don’t do regularly, afraid of being discovered, even in the forest.
“What are you doing?”
Sawyer walks in, pushing through the afternoon crowd, his usual polished suit on full display. Now the local lawyer in town, his city suits remain, having him look completely out of place. Noah’s balanced on his hip like it’s second nature now. My older brother has changed since meeting his girl Annabelle and her two boys, for the better, and I couldn’t love him any more than I do. He treats those boys like his own, and I don’t mind having two new nephews around. Keeps my days interesting.
I give Noah a small fist bump before stabbing my fork into my pie. “Getting a late lunch.”
“If you keep coming here, someone’s bound to spot you.”
I hold back my annoyance. It’s not the first time he’s given me this warning. "Rochelle lets me in the back entrance, and this booth is reserved just for me. I’ll get cabin fever staying at your house all day and all night."
At the mention of her name, Rochelle barely looks up, just nods, like we have some secret understanding. It’s a quiet agreement that lets me keep slipping through her doors, unnoticed. It’s nice of her to do when she barely knows me.
My only other outing is Whiteman’s Distillery, drinking and talking with Sawyer, the owners, Connor and Tanner, along with my best friend from LA and new Whispers resident, Hudson. The meetup is now a highlight of my week. They’re a group of friends I didn’t know I needed, yet have filled my time with laughs, business conversations, and plenty of outstanding whiskey to keep me company.
Sawyer sighs, shifting Noah higher on his hip as he slides into the seat across from me. "You can’t hide out forever."
"Yes, I can." Noah shuffles on his lap, giving me a grin, one that tells me he’s up to no good as he grabs Sawyer's tie.
“But you need to start thinking about your next steps.”
“That would be a hell of a lot easier if the media would ease off.” I bite out the words. I love acting and the movie business, but along with that comes a high profile, gossip, and overwhelming media interest. I take most of it as it comes and don’t get too caught up in it. But after my last movie was a box office hit, both here and overseas, the media scrutiny became intense. Fans got crazier, my life completely invaded. So I came to hide here with my brother.
“They seem to be getting worse,” Sawyer acknowledges, and he’s right. I thought slipping out of LA and laying low for a while would help it all die down. But it seems to have had the opposite effect. I hear there’s now big money for a shot of me. Paparazzi are keen to break the story about where Sutton Silvers is hiding, what he’s been doing, and with whom. Thank God for Whispers.
Whiskey flows through here like water. With it, a tight-knit community that doesn’t waver in its support of their own. Led by Tanner and Connor Whiteman, billionaire owners of Whiteman’s Whiskey, this town is currently my safe haven, and I couldn’t have picked a better place.
“Have you talked to Bobby lately?” Sawyer’s distracted as he peels the wrapper off one of Rochelle’s cookies.
I nod. "He’s working on something." I watch Noah closely as he grips Sawyer’s tie, the end of it dangling in his little hand.
Sawyer snorts. "The only thing Bobby ever works on is deals for himself."
"He’s fine." I wave him off.
"I’ve never liked him."
“You’ve made that abundantly clear.” Bobby has been my manager for years, and he and Sawyer clash like true enemies. But Bobby picked me up the minute I landed in LA, spotting me at a café, seeing something in me that I didn’t yet see in myself. He sent me to auditions that afternoon, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without him. Even so, he’s an asshole. With roles now coming to me a little easier, deals are done with Sawyer, my legally astute brother looking over every one of them. Bobby has no other clients, his roster completely thinned out, and I don’t think he’s a fan of having anyone else involved in my finances or business dealings. The fame and money have gone to his head. He isn’t the same man he once was.
“It could be time for you to part ways.” We’ve had this discussion a few times over the last year or so. At first, I dismissed it completely. Primarily because I was on location filming, which meant I had to focus and keep my profile clean for movie promotion. I didn’t need the media attention it would bring to drop my manager of over ten years.
“The problem is, I need to replace him, and I can’t do that while hiding out. Besides, I’m not working on anything at the moment.” Although, Bobby still calls most days. Sometimes, I answer, but most often not. He’s been trying to pitch different movies to me, but I’m enjoying the break from the business more than I thought.
The space between me and LA has done me good. I get to spend time with my brother and his family, being the uncle I never thought I would be. It’s made me think about my future, how dating models and actresses in LA isn’t really my vibe anymore. That jumping from movie set to movie set is getting tiring now that I’ve hit the heights of movie fame, and the need to strive has now abated. It’s made me think about moving in a different direction. Both in my career and in my life.
“Yeah, well, the media still has a new story on you every day.”
