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“Tiffany?” Ryan asked, his interest piqued.
“Your costar,” Peter continued. “She was going to try it alone because her partner got pregnant and left over the summer.”
“I’m not familiar with any of the players. I don’t watch. It was too upsetting,” Ryan lied. He thought it was boring. “Anyway, when can I start?”
“Come up Wednesday morning. You can look at the contract we have with the production company, and if you think you can fit into their parameters, we’ll talk salary.”
“I’ll see you at nine,” Ryan said, trying not to shout in his excitement.
After they said goodbye, he called Pam.
“Hello, Ryan.” Her voice was decidedly cool.
“Hi, there. I’ll get right to the point. I’m going back to work on Wednesday. If everything works out, I was hoping you’d let me useDad’sapartment.”
“Ryan,” Pam stated, at a loss.
“Right, I know, I know,” he replied. “Lisa, blah blah blah. Thanks, anyway. I’ll get my own place.”
“I’ve got tenants there, Ryan. They have a lease, so it’s not like I can throw them out on a whim.”
“No, of course not. I just remembered you had a buyer at one time. What happened to that?”
“I backed out. I didn’t want to sell Jack’s place, that’s all,” Pam admitted. “Stupid reason.”
“It’s not stupid at all,” Ryan replied. “When is the tenants’ lease up?”
“I really don’t remember, but truthfully, I doubt Lisa would appreciate it if I rented it to you. She’ll blame me, Ryan,” Pam said. “I want no part of you returning to New York.”
“You’re taking her side,” he replied. “I know, I know, she’s your only kid. I thought I meant more to you than that.”
“You mean the world to me, Ryan, but I can’t enable you.”
“Since when did you ever enable me, Pam? Now I’m getting pissed off. You were into me, remember? What did that have to do with enabling me?”
The phone went dead.
“Bitch!” Ryan screamed, throwing his phone.
On Sea View, Pam trembled in anger the like she’d never known, taking her breath away. For months, she’d placated Ryan because she didn’t trust him. If he told Lisa how close they had come to…
Pacing around the great room, Pam needed to figure out what the next step should be. Risking her relationship with Lisa was the last thing she wanted. There was a fine line between safety and Ryan blowing off his mouth. And if he blabbed, and if Dan heard it, well, she couldn’t imagine the mess she’d face.
Deny it. Don’t admit to anything.The thought stopped her pacing. If he talked, it was Ryan’s word against hers. She’d been lied to all her life. Now it was time to protect herself, and if it demanded a lie, she would do so.
She called Lisa. “Is this a bad time?”
“Well, Daniela is recovering in the sunroom, but I have time for you.”
“I don’t want to upset you, Lisa.”
“Oh, shit. Ryan must have asked for something again.”
“I’m sorry. Yes, he asked for Dad’s apartment. But I have tenants, and I’m not evicting them for anyone.”
“No, you shouldn’t. I don’t want you to help Ryan, Mother. The less you give him, the more he’ll have to rely on himself in the end. Truthfully, I don’t see that happening. Not that I want him to fail, for our kids’ sake. But I want him to grow up. I’m sorry that I was partly responsible for his irresponsibility. I let him get away with so much.”
“You took care of him, Lisa. It wasn’t your care that made him stray, or whatever it was he did that angered you.”
