Page 28 of Full House

“Just wait until she has a glass of wine—her filter really comes off.”

Victoria’s phone rang as they reached the top of the stairs. She pulled it from her back pocket and looked at the screen. “It’s my manager. I’d better take it. I’ll meet you back out here in a few.”

“Okay.” He kissed her forehead before disappearing into the bathroom.

She hit the connect button while slipping into her room and brought the phone to her ear. “Hey, Byron.”

“Where are you?” The gravelly tone of a pack-a-day smoker came over the line.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, why am I seeing pictures of you and Reed all over the internet?”

Trying to control her anger at his tone, she said, “I didn’t know it was any of your business where I spend the weekend.”

“Everything about you is my business for reasons exactly like this. You end up on the internet, I need to be in the loop to field questions.” At her silence, he continued in a softer tone. “Listen, I know this is all new for you—starring in a high-profile movie—but with the attention you’re going to receive, you need to tell me things. And I’m not asking, to pry into your life, I’m asking so unwanted rumors don’t spread like wildfire. Now, is there something I should know about you and Nathan Reed?”

Victoria chewed on her bottom lip. She knew what Byron had said made sense, and Nate had made mention he wasn’t hiding their relationship. With a sigh, she conceded, “Nate invited me to his mom’s house in San Diego for the weekend.”

“And are things serious between you two?”

Victoria started to feel agitated again. How did she answer that when she wasn’t sure? Nate seemed serious about her, but did she really know him well enough to trust all the lines he’d been feeding her. Foolish or not, the answer was yes. She did feel as though she could trust him.

“Yes,” she answered Byron’s question then quickly second-guessed her response. If Byron informed the media that she and Nate were in a relationship and things went south in a month or so, she—the nobody—would be the laughing stock and not the world-famous Nathan Reed. “I mean, no.”

“Well, which is it? Are more photos going to surface with the two of you together?”

“Listen, Byron, I just don’t know. It’s too soon to tell.”

She heard a sigh over the line. “Okay, I get it. Just… Just try to keep me informed. Especially if you guys go out in public.”

“Okay, I’ll try.”

“That’s all I ask.”

She turned her head at the light knock on her door. “Listen, I’ve got to go. I’ll call you later.” She hit the end button at the same time yelling, “Come in.”

Nate opened the door and strode into the room. “Everything okay?” he asked, eyeing the phone in her hand.

Tossing it on the bed, she said, “Yeah. Nothing like being scolded like a twelve-year-old.”

Nate crossed his arms. “The pictures?”

“Yeah.”

He nodded in understanding. “Managers, can’t live with ‘em… can’t live with ‘em.”

Victoria laughed. “That about sums it up.” She looked down at herself. “Sorry I’m not changed yet. Give me five. I’ll meet you downstairs.”

He closed the distance between them, cupping one of his hands at the side of her neck while the other took her hand. “Don’t let your manager bully you. Establish your relationship from the get-go. Remember, you pay him, not the other way around.”

He kissed her on the forehead then she watched as he left the room, silently closing the door behind him.

He’d imparted good advice, but not one to like confrontation, his advice was easier said than done.

It was late Sunday afternoon by the time Nate pulled into the studio lot and parked in the empty spot next to Victoria’s car. The rest of the weekend had been uneventful yet fun. They’d stayed up late into the night—with Debbie calling it quits by ten but with Tammy, Nate, and her talking long into the early morning hours. When Tammy tried to leave, Nate had insisted she take his room, and he’d sleep on the couch. He’d said it in a way that brooked no arguments, making it clear he’d really meant it when he’d said he didn’t like women driving alone late at night.

Everyone had been slow to get up in the morning, and after packing their bags, Nate had taken everyone to brunch before she and Nate hit the road to go home.

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