I confess that I thought he’d be good at it, for one reason more than any other. Even though he was perceptive, and a good people-person—as most politicians were—he was also a natural leader. Much of what happened David either started or provided the driving force to make it happen. Many people were presented with opportunities they would never have dreamed of absent David’s presence in their life. People were better off because they knew him. It was like they wanted to be near him because they felt in their bones that by doing so, they could be part of something special.
Those were qualities you didn’t find in someone very often. And the ‘stupid boy’ didn’t even seem to be aware of it—or if he was, he didn’t let it affect him. He just helped others, made the most of any opportunities presented to him, and had fun.
I think the real reason most of the girls called him ‘Stupid Boy’ was simply to keep him real to them.
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David and Cassidy had become important to me. I started to see her point of view about him and found that I wasn’t ready for a serious boyfriend. They were both fun to be around, and our trip to the Caribbean just reinforced that.
I looked forward to the summer and our trip to Japan. Cassidy was excited because she’d spent time there and wanted to go back. She planned to share her love for the country. While I didn’t know what the future held, I hoped the three of us would always be friends. I also hoped Cassidy wouldn’t be too disappointed when I finally won David’s heart. David would make a good partner in whatever came our way.
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Chapter 1 – Little Lie Sunday May 15
School was out for the summer, and the first item on my to-do list was to get on a plane and fly to Miami. From there, we would board a charter flight to Cuba. I would bet the majority of my friends had thoughts of sleeping in, catching some rays, and maybe riding their bikes or hanging out at the mall today.
I had mixed feelings about heading to Cuba. In one respect, it would be good to get out of town. This way, I could get away from the paparazzi who wanted to ask me questions about what I privately thought of as ‘The Feminazi Interview.’ I guessed several of my people were glad I’d be safely away from the US media while in Cuba. I could sure use a break from the stress.
At the same time, I also wasn’t completely sold on making this movie,
Something else that weighed on me was that one of my closest friends, Beth Anderson, had declared her love for me and her desire that we be a serious couple. Of all the women in my life, she was probably the one I would most likely want as a life partner. Our families were close. Our mothers had been best friends since high school. Beth was someone I could tell anything to and feel comfortable.
Ever since I’d made my play for Tami Glade and she’d turned me down, I’d sworn off serious relationships. It had been almost a year since that had happened, and I’d started to think again in terms of a girlfriend. But honestly, I wasn’t sure if I wanted one right now. Still, if I were to choose the ideal girl for me, it would be Beth.
After her pronouncement the previous night, she hadn’t given me a chance to respond. She’d had to get home and spend time with her family. It was probably another benefit of being in Cuba for a month. The trip might give me a chance to figure out what I wanted.
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I think my trusty hound, Duke, knew that something was up. He’d not let me out of his sight all morning. I had my son, Coby, on my lap as I ate breakfast. He also needed a little attention. I would miss them both, along with Little David, for the next month. For about the millionth time, I was grateful my parents had volunteered to help Pam and me out by looking after our son for the next four years or so.
“When does shooting start? Will you get any time to go exploring?” Dad asked.
I was glad no one seemed to want to talk about ambush interviews.
“They’ve already been there for six weeks of filming. From what Saul told me, I’ll only need to be on set for four weeks. They’ll have another six to eight weeks of shooting after I leave. This is a travel day, and we’ll get settled in at the hotel. I guess there are several of us coming in today. Caryn said we’re all meeting for dinner tonight to learn what we need to know about Cuba.”
Caryn Buckley wore many hats for me. She was my PA, manager, and president of my companies. Dad served as CEO and helped Caryn when she needed it. Saul Gessler was my movie agent and known as one of the top sharks in the business.
