CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Tyler gulped down a glass of orange juice as his publicist droned on and on about the upcoming movie promo tour. He and Garrett were meeting this morning out on the patio and he wasn’t sure what the point of this was, to be honest. He’d done a myriad of these events and they were pretty much all the same.
Smile pretty for the cameras. Shake hands. Say complimentary things about the cast and director. Talk about how great the studio support for the movie had been. Gush about the beauty of the locations and how nice the locals were. Be humble when asked about any awards he might win for the role. Don’t get too drunk at the parties. Smile some more. It wasn’t rocket science, so he wasn’t too sure why Garrett felt the need to go over tiny details that Tyler didn’t give a shit about and didn’t affect him. Time to cut to the chase.
“I get it,” Tyler cut in, stopping the unending flow of words from Garrett’s lips. “You know, I’ve done a few of these tours in the past. I’ve even done a few specifically for the Thunder franchise. Are they doing something new and different this time?”
His face turning red, Garrett cleared his throat. “No, not really. I just… Listen, I wanted to talk to you.”
“That’s all you’ve been doing for the last thirty minutes.”
Garrett exhaled noisily and rubbed his chin, his gaze darting all over the screened-in patio but never quite looking Tyler in the eyes. “I want to talk to you about something else.”
“Then talk. You’ve never spared my feelings in the past so let’s not start now.”
Luckily Garrett had caught Tyler in between work projects so he was relaxed and patient. If it had been forty-eight hours or less before the tour or the start of a movie, the reaction might have been much different.
Opening his briefcase, Garrett pulled out a manila file folder. “When you told me that you were going to ask Billie to be your wife…well…I thought I’d better do a thorough background check on her. You know, make sure she doesn’t have any major skeletons in the closet that could come out and bite you in the ass later and ruin your image and career.”
Tyler’s blood ran cold and a muscle jumped in his jaw. The mere idea of Garrett digging into Billie’s past looking for dirt infuriated him. He shouldn’t have taken it upon himself to do this without discussing it with Tyler first.
“I should fire you right here and now,” Tyler said through gritted teeth. He fisted his hands under the table and didn’t even bother to try and look cool and unbothered. He was pissed as hell and he wanted his publicist to know that he’d fucked up royally.
“I did it for you,” Garrett replied, holding his hands up as if to ward off a punch in the face. “It’s my job to protect you, Tyler, and I take that seriously even if you don’t. You’ve worked hard for your success. Do you want to do something stupid that will ruin it all?”
Regarding the folder like it was a poisonous snake, Tyler pushed right back. “Are you saying you found something out about Billie that would ruin my career? Because I seriously doubt it. I’ve known her for the last five years and she leads a boring, quiet life. Hell, I’ve been in much more trouble than she has. You should be lecturing me about ruining my own career.”
“I do on a fairly regular basis,” Garrett said, shaking his head. “But I’d be derelict in my duties not to check Billie out. Yes, you’ve known her for the last five years but what about before?”
“What about it?” Tyler had had just about enough of this. “If it’s that far into the past who really gives a rat’s ass? Did you find out she’s secretly a drug dealer? No, wait. Maybe she’s a high-class madam for an escort service in her spare time. Can’t be that. It must be that she’s secretly a genius computer hacker that just pretends to like expensive shoes. I can’t believe you went behind my back and did this. I thought you liked Billie. She deserves better from you, man. She’s made your job a shitload easier these last five years, that’s for sure.”
Garrett looked like he wanted to cry but Tyler wasn’t going to cut him any slack. What he’d done was dog dirty. “I know she has and I appreciate it. I adore Billie, you know that. But you pay me, Tyler. My first loyalty is to you.”
“Then you shouldn’t have done this,” Tyler shot back. “I never asked you to.”
His publicist and friend simply nodded. “No, you didn’t but I did it anyway. I have to live with that.”
That folder was still sitting between them.
“I can’t believe you can even look Billie in the eye after this,” Tyler said. “She really liked you and she was always on me about listening to you. Do you think she’d tell me to listen to you now?”
His expression sober, Garrett nodded. “Actually, I think she would. She’d want the best for you.”
“She is the best. She’s the best person I’ve ever known.” He pushed the file back toward Garrett. “I don’t care what’s in there. It won’t make a difference. We’re already engaged and we’re going to be married. Whatever you think you’ve found doesn’t matter.”
Garrett pushed the folder back toward Tyler. “I’m not saying you end things but we can mitigate any damage–”
“Just fucking stop,” Tyler grated, trying hard to control his anger. He didn’t want to be mad at Garrett but what he’d done was beyond the pale. “What damage? Are you saying you found something on Billie? I don’t believe that.”
“Look through what I’ve found and decide for yourself.” Garrett tapped the file. “You don’t know everything about the woman you’re about to marry, Tyler.”
Tyler was well aware of that fact but he also knew without a shadow of a doubt that he could trust Billie with his life. Her integrity was far better than his own. There might be something in her past that wasn’t shiny and wonderful. The way she avoided talking about her childhood was a huge clue, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t a good person.
“Whatever I need to know, Billie will tell me. I’m sure of it. I don’t need your file of skeletons. What human being could stand up under the scrutiny that the public puts people through? I’ve got a few bony bastards in my closet too, remember?”
“Yours are minor,” Garrett argued with a sigh. “Billie–”
“Don’t,” Tyler shook his head. “I will not sit here and hear a word against her. Not when she’s not allowed to defend herself. How in the fuck do you even know what’s in that folder is true?”
“It’s true,” Garrett said quietly. “It’s not horrible but I just think you should know. Before you marry her. Before some reporter finds it and then we’re on our back foot trying to defend it in the press. That’s all I’m asking, Tyler. Just be aware of it.”
His publicist pushed back his chair and stood, looking like there was a hell of a lot more he wanted to say but Tyler was in no mood.
“I’m leaving that with you.” Garrett nodded at the folder. “Read it. Don’t read it. Whatever. But I’m of the opinion that you should know more about Billie than what cheese she likes on her hamburger. You’re one of the biggest movie stars on the planet. The films you’ve made are some of the highest grossing in history. You’re riding high, my friend, but don’t get too comfortable. There are a lot of people that would love to take you down to the level of us lesser mortals. They’d love to make your life difficult and drag you through the mud whether you and Billie deserved it or not. When someone is as successful as you are, you’re a target. I’m just trying to protect you. Don’t shoot the messenger.”
Scraping his hand down his face, Tyler suppressed a frustrated groan. Garrett was only trying to help but he still should have talked about this before he did it.
“I appreciate what you’re trying to do but whatever is in this file? Billie will tell me. I know she will.”
Garrett gave him a crooked smile. “Maybe you’re right. I hope you are.”
“You think I’m making a mistake. Marrying Billie.”
“Actually, I think it’s the smartest thing I’ve ever seen you do,” replied his publicist, that smile growing wider. “She’s a hell of a woman and the only one that can handle you. I’d get her down the aisle as soon as possible.”
That didn’t make any sense.
“I don’t understand you. If you think that, then why this?” Tyler poked at the folder on the table. “If you want me to marry her what’s in here can’t be all that bad.”
“She’s not an assassin for the Mafia,” Garrett mocked. “All I’m saying is the press is going to dig around in her past and we should be ready. They’ll take any youthful indiscretion and blow it out of proportion. I also think you have a right to know about your future wife’s past.”
Tyler shook his head. “Listen, it’s not that I disagree with you. It’s just this wasn’t the way to go about it. You probably don’t know but I’ve never actually asked her about her life before I met her. I should probably try that first, don’t you think?”
“Are you going to ask her?”
“Eventually.” Tyler shrugged as if it didn’t matter to him in the least but he had to admit his curiosity was peaked. What was in that folder that Garrett was so fired up about? What did he think Tyler needed to know? “We’ll talk. I’ll tell her my secrets and she’ll tell me hers. It’ll happen in our own time.”
Although that moment was rapidly approaching. His publicist had a valid point. The press wasn’t going to be easy on Billie. Or him. He was a target and he’d pulled her into his orbit, so now she had a bullseye smack on her forehead too.
Garrett turned and left, leaving Tyler sitting at the patio table with the folder. A file filled with details about Billie’s life. Maybe even the reason she’d needed the fifty thousand. Because he was her best friend he wanted to know everything about her, but he also wanted to respect her privacy. If he knew anything about Wilhemina Oliver it was that she was a straight shooter, as honest as she could be. If there was an incident that he needed to know about, she’d tell him. She knew this business as well or better than he did. In the meantime, this folder was far too tempting and also kind of sleazy. He couldn’t violate her trust like this.
Picking it up, he strode toward his office at the front of the house. He’d bury it in one of the drawers there. Out of sight, out of mind.
However, he needed to add one more thing to their wedding checklist. Ask about her past and then talk about his. It was far past time that they learned some of the more personal details about each other. After all, she was going to be his wife, maybe for a long time. If they had fun and the relationship was good, did they even need to get a divorce? Garrett was right. Tyler should marry Billie as soon as possible. Good thing they were meeting with the wedding planner in a few days.
Another item on his to-do list. Give Billie the wedding of her dreams.