I look into the other room and see that it’s empty. Both the sound techs and the producer have vanished leaving me alone to deal with a very pissed off Sam, which is fine. This is how I like it. I can take her on without any witnesses because she’ll just drag them into our twisted trap when she’s done. I’ve learned over the years that the one lonely night on the road has been the catalyst for a slowly self-destructing Sam. Apparently it’s my fault and the brief period when we dated, was the happiest she had ever been up until I subsequently left her. There’s no excuse for my behavior or none that I’m willing to make. Shit happened, I was young and that’s it.
Sam stalks forward with her finger pointing at me. When she stops in front of me, she stabs me. I try not flinch but her fake nail hurts. I breathe deeply through my nostrils. Today… no, this week is not the week to be messing with me. My chest puffs out in anger, but she doesn’t step back.
“I’m so sick and tired of your bullshit, Liam Page.” Her words are venomous with a hint of pain. If I play my cards right, I can get out of this without making her cry. That’s a win for me.
“What in the fuck are you talking about? I could ask you the same thing.” I bite back, the anger boiling in the pit of my stomach. What gives her the right to barge in here and assault me like this? Doesn’t she know what tomorrow is?
“I’m talking about how you’re not on the plane flying to New York City to do the interview with the Today show.” She rights herself and steps back from me. I don’t know if she’s trying to calm down or what. She clears her throat. “You have a contract obligation. There’s a red-eye flight tonight, you’ll be on it.”
“The hell I will,” I fire back.
“Excuse me?” her eyes are like daggers, piercing and cold. Her steely stare sends a cold chill down my back. I’ve never seen her like this. Her eyes are void of any emotion and her normal hue of brown is so dark I’d dare say they’ve turned black.
“I think you heard me and since I know you’re listening. Why the fuck did you change your hair color?”
“Don’t you like brunettes?” It’s a valid question, but one that isn’t getting an answer from me.
“Have you ever seen me with a brunette?”
She steps forward, her head shaking slightly. “No, Liam, I’ve seen you with blonds, red heads and a few with jet black hair, but never have I walked in on you getting your dick sucked by a brunette.”
“Maybe you should knock first.”
Over the years I’ve made major mistakes with Sam. It’s hard to say I regret them, but some I do. I should’ve never slept with her, period. We crossed the line and turned what was potentially a decent working relationship into hell. After my grandma died and she took care of everything, I didn’t question her. I should’ve. She’s listed as an emergency contact on my penthouse, so she always has access. I can’t change it and she uses it to her advantage. Thing is, I’m such a dick to her that I’ve made sure she’s caught me in the act, because it’s the only way to get through to her sometimes. She needs to see me with other women to know we’re never going to be an item.
“Well, if I knocked, I would have missed seeing your glorious body in the flesh.” Just like that her tone has changed. Her finger trails down the front of my shirt. I grab her hand and push her away.
“No more, Sam. You need to get that through your head and if you can’t, we’re done.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah, it is.” I bend and pick up my headphones and set them on my stool. “What do you want?”
“I want you to show me the respect I’ve earned!” she screams. I turn in time to duck from her briefcase flying toward my head.
“What the fuck?”
“Get your ass on that God damn plane, Liam. I’m done with your diva attitude.”
“I’m not going anywhere, Sam. What part of that isn’t clear? You know better than to schedule anything this week. Harrison and JD can do the interview, they don’t need me.”
Sam begins to pace. I’m afraid to move for fear I won’t be able to dodge anything that she throws at me. I look out into the other room quickly to see if anyone’s back yet. I’d like to know what she told them to get them to leave. I could really use some interference right now.
“For years…” she sighs. Her back is to me and right now I think that’s more dangerous than her looking at me. I can’t see or read her expression from here. “I made you, Liam Page. You weren’t anything but a lowly teenage boy thinking he was going to make it big in the city. My dad,” she shakes her head. “He didn’t care. He respected your grandmother, but wasn’t going to give you a chance, until I saw you play.” She turns and faces me. She looks defeated and I’m trying not to care.
“I took one look at you and I saw something I could mold into a superstar, but you held back. You played like you were missing something. It didn’t take me too long to figure it out, but short of bringing her here…” she shakes her head, biting her lip as looks down at the ground. I process her words, wondering what the fuck she’s talking about. I have a feeling, but I don’t want to ask in case I’m wrong.
“I tried to be what you needed. I’m so much more than you ever gave me credit for. I know I’ll never be …”
“Be what, Sam?” I swallow hard, remembering the words I said to her the first night we were together, “someone you’ll never be”. The pit of my stomach is telling me that my worse fear is about to come true. She knows about my life back in Beaumont. The one I’ve tried to protect by forgetting. I don’t care if she knows about Texas and football, but Beaumont is off limits.
“Sam?” I say, pleading with her.
Her head snaps up, her eyes on fire. “I know I’ll never be like your precious Josephine. Is that what you want to hear Liam Westbury?”
I lurch and fight back the nausea. She knows, but how
?