My only real concern had been whether anyone would try to submarine my roles in my upcoming films in the
Regardless, I had other fish to fry, namely the NCAA and the FBI, so I couldn’t get too worked up about it right then.
“Halle,” I said to cut off her enthusiastic babbling, “that’s wonderful news, and if I can attend, I’d like you to be my escort if you’re willing.”
“
“Baseball season is about to start, so I have to clear it with the coach, and there are some other matters I’m in the process of handling. I’ll check with my coach and have an answer for you tonight, I promise.”
“You’re the most exasperating and ‘stupid boy’ I’ve ever met. Of course I’ll go with you!”
I had to smile at her excitement.
“Let me get everything worked out, and I’ll call you back when I’m sure I can go.”
“Hmph!” I heard before the line went dead.
With that, I smiled and scrolled down to call Moose. I got the expected grumbling and mutterings about the need to focus on what was important, but he gave me permission to go, as I’d pretty much expected he would. What high school coach would prevent a guy from going to the Academy Awards and maybe getting an Oscar?
My next call was to Lexi.
“I was just about to call you,” Lexi said as she answered.
“Halle beat you to it.”
“She would be the perfect person for you to take,” Lexi said.
“Already taken care of. Could you coordinate everything?”
“That’s what I do,” Lexi said, sounding happy to be doing something other than grunt work for Kent.
“Saul, Frank, and Kent have all called me, and I need to return those calls. I’ll send them your way to keep them off my back. I trust you can keep them in line.”
“Thanks,” she said, not sounding nearly as happy.
The problem child was going to be Saul. My hope was that between Lexi and Kent, they would act as a buffer when he wanted to push me into doing more roles now that I’d been nominated.
After I hung up with Lexi, I took a moment before I called anyone else. Even if I didn’t win, I would always be referred to as an Academy Award Nominee. That was a big frickin’ deal.
◊◊◊
I came home to find Coby and Carol in the mudroom, engaged in a death match over a toy. Those two were going to make me old before my time. Neither one ever backed down. I was about to swat some butts when Duke slowly walked into the fray, snatched the toy in question, and took off with it. Both little ones looked around to see what had happened. Then Carol grabbed Coby and kissed his cheek, making me laugh. I worried that if they ever teamed up, the other three would be toast.
I picked them up, which earned me kisses. We’d been working on that. I gave them each a kiss and found all the baby mamas in my kitchen.
“It looks like you lost these two,” I said.
“Duke would come tell me if they were up to anything,” Peggy assured me.
I didn’t quite buy it. Duke had assisted Coby in his great escape when he climbed the baby gate and managed to go down a flight of stairs. I had a feeling that Duke only ran to get Peggy if one of them started to cry. Otherwise, he seemed to be in the middle of their trouble.
While I grabbed my dinner, I caught up with the girls. After I shared my news, Pam filled me in on Tracy’s move to State. That reminded me that I’d promised to go visit her. I mentally put that on my to-do list. Ashley had sold another house and had picked up a couple of good listings. Scarlet was adjusting to being in charge of the businesses I’d retained from the merger, and Peggy had started her classes at State.
After I ate, I asked Scarlet to come with me to my apartment for a private word. I had her sit next to me on the couch.
“What happened with Chuck?” I asked. “I thought you two had hit it off.”
“Yes, I did, too,” she admitted.
It was apparent that this was bothering her. I put my arm around her and pulled her tight. Scarlet looked so vulnerable it broke my heart.
“Do I need to kick his butt?” I asked.
“Things were going well. He was the perfect gentleman, and we’d gone out on a few dates. He was also good with Carol, so I decided that it might be time to see if there could be more,” she explained.
I took that to be code for sex.
“Ashley took the kids and gave me the place to myself. I made him dinner, and everything was going well. I asked him to do something for me, and he changed. It was like he thought I was disgusting, and he told me that I needed to seek help. I have never been so humiliated in my life.”
Scarlet looked like she was on the verge of crying.
“It’s his loss. You’re better off knowing now than later how he felt. As far as what turns you on, there’s nothing wrong with that. We all have different tastes,” I said.
