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Even if it’s pain.
I pick my cell phone up and press the button to listen to Willow’s message again. She thinks there was a mistake in my location assignment. There wasn’t. I requested her community center specifically because I recognized both her name and the center’s name. I met her at some charity event not too long ago. Though, I’m not entirely sure how much time has passed since.
The last three years have been a drunken haze of parties, women and… fame. But as long as I show up, say my lines, and kiss the girl, no one gives a single fuck about me and what I do.
Hell, even the judge was charmed by my blatant lies. He even stopped me in the hallway, after court, and asked for an autograph. Apparently, his wife is a huge Maverik Steele fan. Maybe that’s why he let me off with only community service. He didn’t want to piss his wife off.
Whatever.
I dial the number I’ve listened to over and over during my sober moments this weekend and take a breath. I might not remember the charity event well enough, but I remember Willow Davenport. She’s the only woman who didn’t fall for my charm.
The only woman to ever challenge me.
The only woman who’s ever made me feel something more than a passing fancy.
It rings once… twice…
“Hello,” her soft feminine voice answers, sending a shock through my body. I open my mouth to reply, but words fail me. I don’t know what to say.
Initially, I thought I could use her to sign off on my hours without having to do the work. She knows how the industry works—her father is a Hollywood bigwig.You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.But now… I’m hesitant, and I don’t know why.
What the hell?
“Hello?” Willow calls out. “Anyone there?”
“Hey,” I reply, clearing my throat. “This is Maverik Steele.”
“Oh… Hello, Mr. Steele.” Her voice changes, sounding firm. She’s irritated. “Busy weekend?”
“Super, but please call me Maverik,” I answer lamely.What the hell?“But I’m not calling to discuss my weekend with you.”
“You don’t say?”
“Don’t be like that. I know you’re happy to hear from me. I mean, you called me first.”
“Right, because of work… nothing more.”
“Oh, come on, Willow. I know you were surprised to see my name on the documents, but be honest… you were excited too, huh?”
“So… not excited,” she deadpans. “Besides, there was clearly a mistake in your assignment.”
“No mistake.”
“Excuse me?”
“I requested your community center,” I tell her, regretting my choice now. My memory of the night we met is fuzzy, and I know she wasn’t charmed by me, but damn, I’m a huge movie star. I thought she’d be happy to speak with me again because of that reason. “There was no mistake.”
“What? Why would you do that?”
“I thought the reason would be obvious.” Now I’m getting irritated.Who in the hell does she think she is?
“Well, it’s not,” she says, but something about the inflection in her voice tells me she suspects what it might be. “I find it hard to believe you would choose a place like Kingman Heights to spend any amount of time in.”
Her insult hits, and I cringe inwardly, quickly rebuilding the wall she’s taken a chunk out of. I’ve kept a lid on my past, despite the media always digging into it, looking for anything to big me down. But it’s no secret I grew up in the system with no family to call my own. Places like her community center were once a place of refuge for me.
Then why do you want to use her to get out of doing your time?
I push the thought away, struggling to keep a hold of the Maverik Steele persona I’ve spent years crafting and honing. But there is something about this woman on the line. She makes it difficult to keep up the charade.
