Chapter Fourteen
The minute I left Zane’s hospital room last weekend, I’d called Paige because I’d had enough. Typically, during an interview, I avoided questions about my incidents with fans and the media, but I was ready now more than ever to answer all of them. Surprisingly, Paige was on board with a radio interview with Cash. I figured I’d have to talk her into letting me address the issue during an interview, but she agreed without argument. Now, we were at Cash’s radio station, 101.7 WLVE, and he was minutes away from introducing me.
“Cash has all his talking points lined up, and we’ve gone over all the questions he’s going to ask,” Paige said, tapping on her phone. “Remember, you’re reminding the public to treat others how they want to be treated. You can’t come off as some pissed off asshole celebrity who is sick of the attention. I know you’re upset. You have every right to be, but you have to rein in that anger. Can you do that?”
“Yes,” I said, nodding.
“Okay,” she said, slipping her phone into her purse. She smiled at me and then gave my shoulder a squeeze. “You’re doing the right thing.”
It had been days since I’d seen or heard from Whitley and Zane, and I missed them. I missed the way they teased each other, and their smiles and laughs that could brighten anyone’s day. I missed the way she mothered him over eating his vegetables and cleaning his room. The initials Zane had drawn on my wrist a few weeks ago remained and I missed watching him draw. I turned off the last Mets game I’d tried watching before it even ended because he wasn’t there watching it with me. I missed sleeping next to Whitley every night. Her soft, petite body tangled with mine, whether it was her bed or mine, it didn’t matter; what mattered was that I couldn’t sleep well without her now. I just fucking missed them more than I’d ever missed anyone or anything before.
It felt like part of me had been hollowed out and was now wandering around the city on its own.
But this interview was my first attempt at getting it back.
“Folks, just as I’ve promised,” Cash stated into his microphone. “The Sexiest Man Alive is here with me in studio! Max Waters. Thanks for stopping by today, man.”
I laughed and shook my head at his antics as his surrounding crew smiled. “It’s good to be here.”
“We all know you for your role in Marvel’s latest box office hit, Secret Warriors, and that you’re currently filming the second installment. How’s that going?”
“It’s going well,” I said, scooting closer to the microphone. “We just started filming this past week.”
“Is it hard shooting a movie in Manhattan?” he asked, eyeing his list of questions.
“Not really,” I answered. “The crew does a great job of blocking off the area where we’re shooting so we don’t have to worry about any interruptions. Personally, I think it’s harder shooting with a green screen in the studio than outside in the real world.”
Cash laughed. “Let me ask you something that a lot of our listeners are dying to know. What was your first acting role? And I’m not talking about the first one on your resume. Rumor has it that your first gig isn’t listed on your resume.”
I peeked up at Paige, knowing she was the one who let that rumor slip, and she gave me an innocent shrug. “That’s right. It’s not listed on my resume, but only because it wasn’t a speaking role.”
“As?” Cash pressed.
I laughed. “I was hot guy number one in a music video, where I was basically told to stand around and look hot.”
“How does one audition for a role like that?” he quipped, holding back laughter. “And what music video was it? Is it one we’ll know?”
“They requested a profile of photos, and during the audition, I had to take my shirt off since that’s how the guy was supposed to be in the video. As for the video, it was for a one-hit wonder from the late nineties. The woman who sang the song doesn’t even work in music anymore, but she was popular back then.”
“You’re not going to tell us the song?” he begged. “Come on. How else are we supposed to find this video?”
“Look up one-hit wonders of the nineties and I’m sure you’ll find it,” I quipped.
Cash laughed. “Fair enough. I’ll get my team on that, and once we find it, we’ll be posting it on the WLVE website for all our fans to check out. We’re going to take a break, and when we return, Max and I will be playing Third Degree. Stay tuned for the Q&A!”
Cash and I relaxed away from our microphones as an advertisement jingle played over the speakers.
“You’re doing good,” he said, taking a sip from his water bottle.
“Thanks.”
Three more advertisements played as Cash checked with his crew to make sure we sounded okay over the air.
“We’re coming back in three, two, one.”
The red bulb turned back on in the booth and Cash took over. “For those of you just tuning in, I have Max Waters here in the studio with me today, and we’re getting ready to play Third Degree. Now, the way this works is we’ll each ask the other ten questions, and we have to give the first answer that pops into our heads. Are you ready, Max?”
“Bring it on, Donovan,” I retorted.
“Okay.” He motioned his finger at a woman and the annoying sound of a clock ticking played in the background. “If you had to listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?”
“Smash Mouth’s ‘Walkin’ on the Sun,’” I answered. “You’re a new crayon, what color would you be?”
“Uh . . . Damn, that’s a good one . . . Oh, I got it!” he laughed, snapping his fingers. “Taste the Rainbow.”
We both laughed, and then he asked, “Who would win in a fight, Spiderman or Batman?”
“I have to go with my fellow Marvel character, Spiderman,” I stated confidently. “What’s your favorite 90s jam?”
“‘Jump Around’ by House of Pain,” he said. “What were you like in high school?”
I laughed. “The theater geek. What new artist are you dying to interview?”
“Lennox!” Cash exclaimed. “Are you more of a hunter or a gatherer?”
“Um . . .” I stated, contemplating the question. “Hunter. What would be your one super power?”
“Power mimicry. Are you single?”
I glanced up at Paige for confirmation on how I should answer, and she shook her head.
“No,” I answered. “What’s your biggest pet peeve?”
“Tourists walking too slow,” he said. “Do you get used to being a celebrity?”
“Hell no. Glass half full or half empty?”
“Half full,” he said with a proud nod. “Mountains or the beach?”
“The beach,” I stated. “What dead person would you least want to be haunted by?”
“Hmm,” he mused, brows furrowed in concentration. “Damn, man, that’s another good one. Probably my grandma. What’s the one thing you dislike most about being a celebrity?”
“The lack of privacy. What’s your perfect pizza?”
“Easy, a bacon breakfast pizza. If you could only have one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?”
“A bacon cheeseburger and waffle fries,” I said, my stomach growling at the thought of it. “What were you like as a child?”
“The tormenter of my sisters,” he laughed. “What are you most proud of?”
What am I most proud of? The sound of the ticking clock nagged me to come up with an answer as I contemplated the question. Whitley inspired the only thing I could think of, so I answered. “The volunteer work I’ve continued to do since completing my community service. If you had a boat, what would you name it?”
“The Mr. Donoboat,” he stated in a deeper voice, making everyone in the studio laugh. “That’s the Third Degree, people! When we return, Max will go into detail about some of his answers! In the meantime, here’s ‘Walkin’ on the Sun’ by Smash Mouth.”
Once the song started playing and we were officially off the air, Cash and I absolutely lost it, laughing so hard my cheeks began to hurt and my stomach felt like it was getting an ab workout. I downed half of my water bottle to cool off.
“What kind of crayon is Taste the Rainbow?” I asked, shaking my head at him.
“It’s a rainbow-colored crayon,” he explained, as if everyone should know that. “You know, so you don’t need the whole box of crayons.”
“That’s awesome.”
“That dead person question was genius,” he stated as he scribbled it down on his notepad. “I’ve never thought to ask anyone that.”
Paige had informed me that Cash liked to play a twenty-one questions type of game, and that I should prepare some questions to ask him. So, I looked up interview questions online and found some good ones.
“I knew you’d answer Lennox on that question about the artists,” I commented. “You’ll have to play Third Degree with her when you eventually interview her. She’ll love it.”
“Wait,” he said, pointing his pen at me. “You know Lennox?”
“Yeah, I met her at an awards show after-party. She’s really nice.”
Cash turned around and glared at Paige through the glass booth. “What the hell, Abram? If you don’t set up an interview with her, I’ll have Waters help me get her in here!”
Paige leaned forward and pressed the button to speak into the intercom. “You’ll get your interview set up with her if this one ends well, Mr. Donoboat.”
He flipped her off and then turned back around. “Do you think she’d do an interview with me?”
“Of course,” I muttered. “Interviews can be stressful to some people, and her brother is her manager slash publicist. I’m sure the only reason she hasn’t done a radio interview yet, despite her being an award-winning artist, is because she hasn’t wanted to or Drake has been trying to shelter her from the stress of being in the public eye. She’s too big of a name to ignore the requests now. Let’s get this wrapped up and then you can bother Paige and Drake about it more.”
“Okay,” he said, nodding. “You ready for the more serious questions?”
I took a deep breath and exhaled. “Bring ‘em on.”
Cash nodded and then rested his elbow against the tabletop. “Welcome back, everyone. With me in the studio today is Max Waters, star of Marvel’s latest hit, Secret Warriors. Before the break, Max and I played a round of Third Degree. If you’re not familiar with the game, it’s where two people ask each other ten questions and they have to answer with the first thing that pops into their heads. Now, we’re going to break down some of the questions I asked Max and have him elaborate on his answers.
“Max, I asked if you were single, and you said no. According to your Instagram, you do have yourself a Sexiest Woman Alive. Care to tell us who the lucky lady is?”
Behind Cash, through the glass windows of the booth, Paige shook her head. “No, but I would like to clarify that I’m the lucky one for landing such a wonderful woman. Out of respect to her, I’d like to keep her identity private. Not because I don’t want the world to know who I’m dating, but because she’s important to me. Dating me isn’t easy, and I believe that revealing her identity should be her choice.”
“The tabloids have captured pictures of the two of you together.”
“I’m actually surprised they haven’t figured out who she is,” I said with a smile. “That just goes to show what a great team of publicists can do for you.”
Cash nodded and then moved on to examine another answer I gave. “You talk about privacy. In one of my questions, I asked what your least favorite thing is about being a celebrity and you said the lack of privacy. Why?”
I looked up at Paige and she gave me a thumb’s up. “You don’t realize how valuable privacy is until you don’t really have it anymore. It’s hard for people to imagine being followed and having your picture taken and questions asked by strangers or fans losing their cool in your presence. I understand that the paparazzi are just doing their job by taking pictures of me, and I understand the excitement of meeting someone you love in person. I’ve been that fan who has lost his cool in the presence of greatness.”
“Wait, I have to ask: which celebrity did you fan-boy over?” he interjected.
“Harrison Ford,” I admitted with a laugh. “I couldn’t even speak when we were introduced. The whole time I kept thinking, ‘I’m shaking Indiana Jones’ hand. The man who played Han Solo is standing right in front of me. What is this life?’ I’m pretty sure Ford thinks I’m a stuttering idiot now.”
“That’s awesome. Okay, continue.”
“As I was saying, I understand the hype, but what I don’t think the public understands is just how dangerous it can be. I’ve actually watched guys trying to take my picture nearly get hit by vehicles. I’ve had fans go into panic attacks just trying to introduce themselves to me. I’ve had fans and media attack my friends and family when they’ve been out in public with me.”
“Let’s talk about the incident in Washington Square Park last weekend. What happened there?”
“The park was a result of the paparazzi generating buzz about my whereabouts with their cameras and hovering, and eventually some fans caught on to it. A couple of individuals even tried to attack me because they were excited to see me in person. One of them hurt the boy I was with at the park. He broke his arm after being shoved out of the way to get to me. He’s doing fine now, but it was scary, and that’s the part that I think people tend to forget about, that I’m a person just like everyone else. There’s no need to hurt others to get my attention.”
“Well, you’re not exactly like everyone else . . .” Cash commented. “Are you afraid you’re just coming off as a whiny celebrity right now?”
“God, I hope not,” I said with a laugh. “I just want to ask the public to be mindful of their surroundings and who celebrities are with when they spot them out and about. You know, if I’m with a kid in the park, please don’t use profanity. Please don’t shove him out of the way just to get my attention. Use the golden rule of treating others how you want to be treated. I’d much rather you politely walk up to me and ask for a picture or an autograph or whatever than try to get my attention by hounding me, yelling my name or jumping on me. Earlier at the park that day, we saw a boy and his family walking by and I took a picture with him. So, I love my fans, and I respect that the media is just doing its job. I just ask that you please think before you act, so we can avoid any more of these incidents.”
“This isn’t the first time you’ve had an incident with a fan occur, correct?”
“That’s right. A friend of mine was assaulted after a fan read a story about the two of us that was fabricated by the tabloids. So, that’s another point I’d like to make: I am very active on all my social media accounts. If you read something about me, but you don’t see me post about it on any of my accounts, it is not true.”
“Do you think social media causes these types of incidents?” he asked in a serious tone.
“I think it plays a part. People have so much access to everything and everyone nowadays, that it’s almost dangerous. If I post a photo, I have to make sure it doesn’t give away where I’m at because fans will flock to that area. So, yes, I think it plays a part, but it’s not the instigator. You could ask any celebrity if they’ve ever had any issues like I’ve had, despite their age or whether or not they use social media, and I’m sure a majority would say yes.”
“Agreed. I’ve interviewed a lot of celebrities and almost all of them have said the same thing about social media. Some love it. Some hate it. Some don’t even know how to use it. But when used inappropriately, it can be dangerous.” Cash scanned his notepad and then continued. “Now, the last question I want you to elaborate on before you have to go is what you’re most proud of. You said your volunteer work that you’ve continued to do since completing your court-ordered community service. Out of everything you’ve done, from the modeling to acting, why is volunteering the work you’re most proud of?”
The grin on my face widened as I thought about Whitley. “For my community service, I volunteered at Langone’s Volunteer Services Program, where I hung out with patients every day and helped make their hospital stays a little better. I also volunteered at the Eichler Shelter, serving warm meals to the homeless. Both opportunities really opened my eyes to how I should use my celebrity status to give back to our communities, to those who have less and need more than they’re getting. I’ve continued to volunteer at both places because it’s something I enjoy doing. I enjoy being around people who don’t just see me as someone famous but as someone filling their child’s belly with food or someone entertaining their dad while he’s stuck in a hospital bed and they have to be at work. Most celebrities just provide a monetary donation and call it a tax write-off, but that’s just not enough. We can do more than just write a check. I’ve worked with others in their times of need and helped them make the best of their situations, and that’s why I’m most proud of my volunteer work. No amount of modeling or acting could ever be that rewarding.
“My publicist and I have been talking about my upcoming schedule for the next year, and while I’m traveling the world promoting the next Secret Warriors movie, I’ll also be stopping at local hospitals and homeless shelters in the cities on our press junket to give back to those communities. So, if there are any places you know of that are in need of more volunteers, please visit my website and click on the volunteer tab at the top to submit your request. I will try my best to stop by as many as I can while I’m traveling.”
“We’ll also be posting Max’s link to his volunteer request on our website, so be sure to check it out and put in your requests,” Cash added. “That’s all the time we have today with Max Waters. From everyone here at WLVE, thank you so much, Max, for taking the time to come hang out with us.”
“I had a blast,” I said. “Thanks for having me.”
“Anytime,” Cash said. “Now, ladies and gents, put away those pictures of Max, get your hands out of your pants, and submit your volunteer requests, because the Sexiest Man Alive is doing good things for good people and you should be too! Help your local hospitals and shelters get the volunteers they need!”
The red light in the booth turned off, indicating we were off the air, and a commercial started playing through the station’s sound system. Cash and I stood from our seats and shook hands.
“Thanks for fitting me in on such short notice,” I said. “I really appreciate it.”
“Hey, you said you’d do an interview,” he stated. “I’ll be here whenever you want to do another.”
The door to the booth flew open, and we both turned to find Paige glaring at Cash.
“What?” he asked obliviously.
“‘Get your hands out of your pants?’” she repeated in a disgusted tone as her nose wrinkled. “How are you even allowed to say that on the air?”
“Have you ever listened to my radio show?” he retorted with a deviant smile. “It’s rated R for raunchy.”
“Jesus,” she said, rolling her eyes. “And you wonder why Lennox hasn’t done an interview with you yet?”
“Oh, come on!” Cash argued. “I’ll be good, I promise!”
I laughed and patted him on the back. “Yeah, come on, Paige. Lennox can handle him.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” she muttered, handing a card over to Cash. “Give this to whoever schedules your guests, and Drake will set up a time for her to come on your show.”
“I love you,” Cash announced, giving her a peck on the cheek.
“Don’t make me regret this, Johnny.”
***
After the interview, I found Harper waiting for me in my apartment. She was the only person outside of Whitley and my parents who had a key to my place. She’d been like a mother hen ever since my argument with Whitley. She constantly called or texted to check in on me, but I knew the real reason behind her nagging. She didn’t want me falling into some reclusive black hole like I did after her assault.
“Hey, H,” I said, closing the door behind me.
“Hey!” she exclaimed, smiling. “Your interview sounded great! You did a good job, and no, you didn’t come off as some whiny celebrity.”
“Says another celebrity.” I laughed, walking toward her in the living room. “That’s the last headline I need: Sexiest Man Alive Whines About Popularity.”
I sat down next to her on the couch and kicked off my shoes. Relaxing back into the cushions, I stared ahead at the framed photograph of Whitley and Zane on my mantle above the fireplace. It was a picture I’d taken one evening when they were over here at my place. Instead of smiling at the camera, they’d made funny faces that had made me laugh. It wasn’t a typical posed picture, but a silly, fun one that I’d had framed the very next day so they could have a place on my mantle with the rest of the people I loved.
“How are you doing? Do you need a drink? I always like a drink after doing an interview.”
I shook my head and peered over at her. “I needed her, Harper. Whitley knew how much I feared something like this happening, and she just threw it back in my face and blamed me for it. Even Zane understood that it was an accident. How could an eight-year-old understand that, but she couldn’t?”
Harper curled her legs up underneath her body and rested her elbow on the back of the couch. “Because she’s a mom. One who was blindsided by the fact that her boy was hurt. She’s never had to worry about anyone else but him and her for the past eight years. She’s been a single mom for a long time. Then you come along and not only has she fallen for you but so has her boy. Max, it is so hard being a parent, and—”
“I’m so sick of people telling me I don’t know what it’s like to be a parent!” I snapped in a sharp voice. “I might not have children of my own, but God, H, I love him like he’s mine. Doesn’t that count for something?”
“It does,” she insisted, nodding. “All I’m saying is that even having a partner to parent with me, it’s still really hard. A few months ago, Maverick told me he dropped Seghen, and I just lost it. I yelled at him and asked him a million questions as I checked to make sure she was okay. I didn’t even let him finish telling me how she didn’t cry. She laughed at him while he looked her over to make sure she wasn’t hurt, like she thought it was funny that her dad had freaked out. I felt so bad for getting bitchy with him over a simple mistake. I can’t imagine having to do it all alone and then have a man swoop in, gain the love of my child, and then accidentally land him in the hospital with a broken arm.”
I deadpanned. “You’re supposed to be my friend. Not make me feel worse about the situation.”
She laughed. “Friends are also supposed to point out when you should stop being upset with the woman you love, especially when all she did was freak out because she’s a mom.”
She raised her hand in the air as if she was testifying in Whitley’s defense. “We all freak out now and then. It’s like mom code.”
I shot her a weak smile. “That’s understandable. I’m more worried about Zane’s birthday party. I told him I would be there, but—”
“What if she doesn’t want you there?” she asked.
“Exactly,” I groaned, running a hand through my hair. “What do I do?”
“What would Zane want? It’s his birthday.”
“He’d want me there,” I answered surely.
“So, go,” she stated in a compassionate voice. “And if she asks you about it, you stay firm to your word to him. She’d be more upset with you if you backed out and disappointed Zane because you thought she wouldn’t want you there.”
“Thanks, Harper,” I offered.
“No problem. That’s what friends are for!” She grabbed her purse and then stood up. “Well, since my job here is done, I’m going back home to my little girl. Will you be joining all of us in the Hamptons for the Fourth of July or do you have to work?”
“No, they’ve given us the day off from filming, so I offered to volunteer at the hospital.”
“Look at you . . . I can’t even get mad at you for bailing on our Fourth of July again!” She offered me a sweet smile before walking out of the living room. “Please work this out with her; she’s good for you!”
Yeah, I thought, thinking back to the previous Fourth of Julys I’d spent drunk and stupid on some beach instead of spending it with people who mattered. She is good for me.