Fritz had arranged for a town car to pick us up and deliver us to the house in Malibu. I’d seen pictures, and they didn’t do it justice. This would be the perfect place to stay for the next several weeks while I shot the J-drama. The house was owned by a researcher who worked at a local laboratory. He and his wife were on a three-month assignment overseas.
I let my head fall back as we waited for the driver to open the trunk. Through my closed eyes, I could envision the glorious sun that beat down on us. It wasn’t what I would call hot out, but it was much more pleasant than the weather we’d left. I could get used to this.
Dad and I grabbed our bags and were met at the front door by Lexi Andon. Her father was a studio exec and in charge of the
“Welcome, Mr. Dawson, David. I trust you had a good trip,” she greeted us.
Dad and I looked at each other and decided the less said about the trip, the better.
“Why are you here?” I asked.
When I first met Lexi, I didn’t like her. To be honest, I wasn’t sure if I liked her now or not because she’d been such a bitch back then. She and her friends had started a fight. Then again, the girl throwing the party might have clouded my judgment when she filled me in on what an evil person Lexi was.
When the accident happened, she’d been nothing but helpful and had asked to work for us. Caryn had hired her with the intention that she be my personal assistant for the
“I’m here as your PA for
“So, they finally named it,” I said.
“I saw the first marketing piece, and it sounds lame. ‘First friends, first clubs, first love, first everything,’” she recited.
I groaned because it sounded like a sappy love story. Lexi took us on a tour of the house. Mom and Dad would take the master bedroom while they were here. I decided that the other side of the house was my best bet until I found out that Lexi had the room next to mine.
“I’m sorry; you’re going to be staying here?” I asked.
She looked hesitant and then slumped.
“It’s a two-hour drive from my place, and I figured if I was your PA, you might need me more than just during working hours. It’s my job to make sure everything goes well for you,” she said in a rush.
Lexi showed me she’d already moved in. I figured it wasn’t worth possibly upsetting her dad, and she might be right. She lived in LA and would help us figure everything out. I decided to let her stay for now and see how it worked.
“I’m sure it’ll be more convenient for you to stay here,” I agreed.
She gave me a big smile. As rotten as I suspected Lexi was on the inside, her outside was more than okay. If I’d just met her, I would have been very interested. After all, I liked tall, athletic types, with model-quality looks. The problem was that Lexi knew she was good-looking and had a daddy who was part of the Hollywood power structure. When I first met her, the impression I’d gotten was that she used that to rule her high school clique. So, I was a tad suspicious of the change that seemed to have occurred since she graduated.
I went to my room and unpacked, and then to the kitchen to see if there was any food. I stuck my head in the refrigerator.
“Stay out of my stuff,” said a man I’d never met before.
He was well built, easily topped 250 pounds, and was around six feet tall. I slowly stood up and wondered how he’d gotten in here. I was preparing to remove him from the premises when Fritz walked in. He took one look at me and stepped between me and the man who was about to be asked to leave.
“David, this is Manaia Matua, your security while you’re here.”
By his name, I guessed he was Samoan.
“Why does he have food in my refrigerator?” I asked.
Fritz turned around and looked at Manaia, who seemed to rethink the situation.
“What happened?” Fritz asked.
“I saw the kid looking at my food and told him to back off. No big deal.”
“Actually, it is a big deal. I think we need to go have a talk in private,” Fritz said as he guided my new security guy out of the kitchen.
I heard them go into the garage, and voices were raised as Dad came into the kitchen.
“Is there any food?” he asked.
If you couldn’t tell, we were related.
“No. We need to make a run to the grocery store,” I said and then looked at him with one eyebrow raised. “Did you know Lexi planned to stay here?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“It’s okay. I just wish you would put me in the loop about stuff that affects me. Not that I want to be involved in figuring out how it all works, mind you.”
“I agree. Brook might have an issue with Lexi running around here 24/7.”
“No, Brook would be fine with it. She knows I’ll be on my best behavior.”
