separate. He was well aware that it was impossible where this particular woman was concerned, but I let him swear and grumble at me anyway. I knew he was coming from a place of concern and didn’t want to see me crash and burn again because I had no brakes when it came to rushing in Maren’s direction.
Maren made a sleepy sound of protest as I moved away from the bed to step into the hallway to take the call. I didn’t want to wake her up. I don’t know why, but I felt a little guilty being alone in a hotel room with her after she drank way too much. I knew it was a situation that could easily be misread. Lennon scared me a little bit, so I expected to get an earful when I finally picked up her call.
“Hey. Maren is still sleeping. I’m sure she’ll touch base as soon as she gets up.” I leaned against the door. “I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you where she was. But she’s mentioned more than once that she won’t work with someone she can’t trust, and after that stunt with her flight to Santa Fe, I can’t go back on my word.”
A heavy sigh came over the line. “I’m actually calling to check on you. You had to pull her out of a bar, and you watched over her while she was passed out. I’ve stayed at that hotel before. I know how well stocked their minibars are. While I appreciate you caring enough about your future co-star to collect her when she’s decided to drink all her troubles away, I want you to be able to take care of yourself as well.”
I let the back of my head knock against the door with a thump. I was touched by her consideration. That wasn’t something I’d encountered a lot of during the course of my career.
“When you were harassing my brother to find out where Maren was, did he tell you he was worried about me? I know my limits, and I know how much is riding on me not backsliding into my old ways. Sometimes he thinks he’s the big brother.” I let out a little chuckle. “But, I do appreciate you both looking out for me.”
I heard Lennon clear her throat before she quietly told me, “No, your brother didn’t ask me to check up on you. I am genuinely concerned. I told you when I first learned who was behind that script that I think you are incredibly gifted in more ways than one. You are so young and have a world of opportunity in front of you. I hate to see someone squander their shot at greatness. That is one of the reasons I was determined to get Maren back on top. She never should’ve been punished for simply doing the right thing.”
I flinched as she reminded me of the impact I’d unwittingly had on Maren’s career. If I could do it all over again, I wanted to believe I would make better choices. But what sixteen-year-old, who just happened to have access to millions and millions of dollars, and who had zero parental supervision, knew how to put someone else’s wellbeing before their own? I was bound to be a jerk back then, anyway I looked at it.
“Are you telling me you want to help me get my career back on track as well? Isn’t that a conflict of interest since I’m the one who caused Maren to fall out of favor?” I was only kidding.
So, I was completely taken aback when Lennon replied, “If you want my help, let’s talk after we make this movie. If you can comply with the contract and keep yourself out of trouble throughout this process, I’d be happy to take you on as a client. I’m not afraid of a challenge, but I won’t work with someone hellbent on self-destruction. I care too much about my clients to get emotionally invested with someone who can’t value themselves as much as I do.”
Since my old agent initially hooked me up with my old drug dealer, I’d been hesitant to sign with another. I was worried about bringing someone into my circle who would enable all my worst habits. Jeno and I had talked it over and agreed that I didn’t really need to sign with someone until I reached the point where I wanted to start auditioning and working on other projects not helmed by our new company.