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Rick looks taken aback. "What did I do?"
"Nothing, and that’s the problem." She stamps her foot. My normally calm and collected PR manager actually stamps her foot. "As for you, Declan. You’re my client, we’ve worked together for many years, and I think I know you well enough to say you can’t afford to lose her. You need to find a way to convince her to take you back and you two need to do this movie. You need each other. #Declene is magic. Break it up, and there’s nothing."
Turning, she walks out.
In the silence that follows, I lay back on the boxing ring floor and stare up at the ceiling. Not that there are any answers there.
Rick leans over me. "I wouldn’t agree with that women if it were a life and death situation, but in this case, I’m afraid she’s right."
I groan. "The fuck am I gonna do now?"
Rick throws himself on the floor next to me. "What’s the one thing that will make her agree?"
52
Solene
"If he thinks that’s going to make me agree to this utterly stupid, asinine scheme, he’s completely wrong." I prop my hands on my hips and scowl at Harry. My manager’s wearing a collared polo today, which stretches over his portly girth. Paired with his jeans, which are freshly ironed—enough that they have a crease running down the center of each pant leg—and his brand-new, still-white sneakers, he resembles a cuddly koala bear. Only thing is, I’ve heard him negotiate on the phone with labels and tour operators, and the man can turn into a shark in an instant.
"And what made you invite me to a golf course to have this discussion? More to the point, why did I accept this invitation?" I glance around at the miles of green, the undulating hills, the pool of water, and beyond that, the tree line. Not that I have anything against greenery. I love greenery… When it’s created by Mother Nature. Give me overgrown gardens over curated flower beds, wood mulch-filled allotments over manicured lawns, and untamed pines that soar to the skies, instead of rising-to-the-same-height eucalyptuses. I sigh. Guess I’m home sick.
When I left Napoli, I never thought I’d want to visit the city again. It's not that I miss my family—other than my sister. It's more that sense of belonging that I yearn for. The one I find now with my friends in London. The little time I’ve spent with Penny, Isla and Mira is the only time I’ve felt like I have someone in my corner. Sure, I talk to them often on the phone, and I visit London whenever I can, but it’s not the same as hanging out with them on weekends.
When I first came to LA, I had Declan. Even if it was for only a few days, he was there, and his presence helped me acclimatize to a new city. Then I was touring, before coping with the fallout of the tour. Now that I’m trying to create again, my mind is free to wander, and it doesn’t help that it keeps returning to him.
Someone clears their throat. I shoot Finn a sideways glance. He’s standing to the side with my golf bag parked in front of him. His lips are quirked and the look in his eyes indicates he wants to say something.
I narrow my gaze on him, and he waggles his eyebrows. Our relationship since he came on board has developed into that of siblings. Finn’s one of those people I felt immediately comfortable with. With Rick, I ensured there was a distance because he was on Declan’s team. Finn, though, is the kind of brother I’d have wanted Diego to be. Tears prick the backs of my eyes. Jesus, why am I crying about Diego now? When he died, I was shocked, sure. But then, I only felt an overwhelming sense of relief.
Now, for some reason, I'm remembering the time when Olivia, Diego and I were kids. When our father was alive, and we were a family. When Diego was happy to play with me and Olivia, despite being older than the both of us. He’d spent hours attending our tea-parties and allowing us to pull his hair into a ponytail, and even letting us apply ma’s cosmetics on his face. This was before he took his role as the heir of the Camorra. When our father died, everything changed. Overnight, Olivia and I lost our childhoods, and Diego became the man of the family, taking his duties very seriously. He, too, lost a father and went through his own journey, which was not kind to him. It’s why he was so determined to make an arranged match for Olivia—before she reminded him she had our father's blessing and took off to pursue acting—and then he focused his attention on me. It’s why I was so scared of him, enough that I pretended Declan had forced himself on me when Diego walked into the room. And then, everything went to shit.
Somehow, I can trace the reason for my standing on this golf course in LA, arguing with Harry about the scheme he’s outlined to me, to the day I lost a parent. It put things in perspective. It doesn’t matter what you try to control, life has a way of taking you where it wants you to go, and you have to make the most of the situation.
"You should consider what he said." Finn folds his arms across his chest. "I’m your security detail; it’s not my place to voice my opinion, but"—he raises a shoulder—"I think it might help you get another perspective from a friend."
"And that would be you?"
His lips curve. "I hope so. In the months since I joined your team, I’ve watched you work hard. I’ve seen you go from being at the top of your game to someone who’s back at the starting line. Such highs and lows are what get to people. Most cannot cope with it and pack up and leave."
I chuckle. "Your point being?"
"You’ve managed to stay level-headed through the ups and downs. You were happy when you were riding the charts. And you picked yourself up quickly when your concerts had to be canceled. You have a good head on your shoulders, Solene. You have the strength to cope with the highs and lows. You’re in this for the long run."
"But?" I lower my chin to my chest. "There’s a but there somewhere, isn’t it?"
He leans forward on the balls of his feet. "But I’m with Harry on this one."
"You are?" Harry bursts out. "Can you convince her, please, that this is the way forward? She must accept Declan’s offer. This movie is going to be the re-launching pad for the both of you."
"Do you really believe that?" I turn on him.
He opens his mouth, and I stab my finger at him. "No, really. No manager talk. Don’t blow smoke up my ass. Do you think this movie will even get made, let alone, be a hit?"
"Yes and yes." Harry nods with so much enthusiasm the long hairs he plasters down over the bald spot on his head come loose and fan about. A giggle wells up my throat. My lips quiver. I glance at Finn who flashes me a humorous look.
"It’s your call, Solene." He raises a shoulder.
"You think I should do it?"
