Page 76 of Fresh Start
“How funny. This is the same airport you’re flying out to New York from,” Alice said as we got to security.
Since my team had hired a private jet, the personnel did a quick security check as we were the only ones flying private other than Leo, and once when we got through, Melody sped up towards a white Jeep and came to a halt only inches from it.
I jumped out of the car and saw a tall, muscular man with dark features and a sad face look horrified at my car, and then I looked up to find Leo on the top of the airstair.
“Dawson,” he called when he looked at me. “What are you doing here?”
Twenty-Two
Leo
What was he doing here? What was Mel doing here? And who were those women with them?
"Excuse me," a woman with a little black bob and an emerald green dress with a matching pair of green stilettos said from the bottom of the stairs.
The other woman was a tall, blonde woman who looked as if she'd come straight out of a reality show. Polished to perfection, I couldn't imagine even an eyelash being out of place.
"Oh my God, it's Leo Karras." The blonde woman jumped.
“Nice taste," the woman with the black bob said to Dawson and then turned back to me. “Could you, like, come down? These heels are not made for stairs,” she shouted so she could be heard.
Not sure why, because I could hear her perfectly clear.
I stepped down, and both girls surrounded me. I stared at Dawson who just shrugged with a naughty smile that I wanted to wipe off his face.
I wasn't sure if with a punch or a kiss.
“Leo – can I call you Leo?" I nodded even though I wasn't sure why she was asking. Or who she was. "We have done something terrible and wanted to come over and explain, and I sure hope you can forgive us.”
"I don't even know you. How could you have done something terrible to me?" I asked.
What was Dawson up to now? What else did he want to steal from me?
I looked at him again and felt a weight in the pit of my stomach. No, I hadn't forgotten what this man had done, but I also couldn't help but melt a little that I couldn't ever have him.
There was a war inside of me, and I hated myself for it. I couldn't wait to leave and put Dawson behind me. My happiness was just around the corner. I was sure. It just wasn't with Dawson, as much as it hurt to accept.
"I know you don't know us, but we know you," the blonde lady said.
"My name is Tracy Wu, and I'm Dawson's publicist."
"And I am Alice Coletti, Dawson's agent. We have done something that might have hurt your relationship with Dawson, and we just wanted to come and explain," she said.
I held a breath in.
"Well, I've been begging Dawson to start producing stuff for years. It would be like a natural next step for him in his career, so when he called and told me he was interested in producing your movie, we thought we could use it to our advantage and get his name involved in the project to increase his chances," Alice said.
"So then I started talking to create a buzz and make it seem like Dawson was being considered for the lead. He doesn't want to be in front of the camera. All he wanted was to be a producer, behind the scenes. And we realize this has inadvertently hurt your relationship with him, but that was never our intention," Tracy added.
"You didn't just hurt my relationship with him. You destroyed my chances of getting the role that was meant to be my big break,” I said, letting out the breath I’d been holding.
I was furious, but also somewhat relieved. It meant Dawson hadn't betrayed me. Instead, it was his agent and publicist playing games.
I should have listened to him. Let him explain. But how could I when he'd betrayed me before? Could anyone blame me for trying to protect myself?
"I promise I will get you that role," Tracy said. "Bear in mind, I never even spoke to the production company, so I doubt you will lose the part, but I'll make sure to work my magic and get you that role." Tracy winced and added, "No, forget what I said. I will make the production company beg you to take the part. I'll make them pay you triple what they're offering."
As much as I appreciated what she was saying, it annoyed me too. That she had that much power, or that she thought she did anyway. And even if she did, I didn’t want her to use it. Because then the role would be mine not because I was right for it, but because I knew the right person.
