“I just figured you wanted to be the favorite uncle.”
“That’s a given. You were just being a brat.”
“I was wondering if I could go to your baseball game tonight?” Phil asked.
USC had a three-game series with Oregon this weekend.
“You do realize that the students aren’t back, which means no jock bunnies.”
“Oh.”
“Still want to come?”
Phil got an embarrassed look.
“My feelings won’t be hurt,” David added.
“Okay, then no. Dad was talking about cooking out on the grill.”
David thought it was for the best if Phil hung out with their dad.
David spent the weekend running back and forth between school and his Malibu home. The Trojans swept the Ducks as the team seemed to get their mojo back. The week off had done them a world of good. David had a great weekend defensively, saving one game and keeping them in another. The Ducks underestimated how good his arm was and got caught trying to pick up extra bases. He also didn’t do all that bad at the plate, batting nearly .650 for the series.
The team was starting to attract scouts from more major league clubs. The biggest group came out to watch Allard pitch a three-hitter. He showed outstanding control for the whole game. David was still impressed that he’d opted to go to college instead of playing pro ball. Now Allard had to wait another two years before he could enter the draft. The good ol’ boy from Arkansas had made a promise to his mom, though, so he was okay with waiting. David, having made a similar promise, understood completely.
After his Sunday morning game, David went to Malibu to spend time with his kids. They needed to be reminded that he was their dad and not Uncle David. Greg and his family had flown out that morning with Phil. So, when he was ambushed by his mom, David wasn’t happy.
She took him to the pool house, where they found Ashley at the computer in the downstairs office.
“We took Joey and Greg to look at houses they can afford to rent. With a couple of them, we were afraid to get out of the car,” Ashley explained.
“The perfect solution would be to move them into the townhouse. Then Joey could walk to work,” his mom suggested.
“If that happens, Precious will move in here,” David said with a raised eyebrow.
He’d promised Tracy, Pam, and Cassidy they could live there while they went to school. David didn’t plan to go back on his word, even if it was for his brother.
“That’s out,” Ashley said with a touch of fear in her voice.
“We can just use your house-fund money,” Mom suggested.
“I’m saving that for when I build my house on the farm,” David said to shoot down that idea.
The downside of telling your parents everything was that they then had more information than a college student, even one like David, would want them to have. Zoe had taken him horseback riding and shown him that incredible, peaceful spot overlooking the river. David had told his parents that at that moment, he’d decided it was the perfect place for his dream home.
“What about the money you’re saving for a plane?” Mom asked.
David’s head snapped around because he hadn’t told his parents about that money. He’d been getting quarterly dividends from his former company, as well as payments for the loan he’d floated Grace when she’d bought it from him. From the time those monies started coming in, David had been putting a large chunk of it away for a small jet. He was looking to buy a Gulfstream G400 or something similar.
The only person who knew about that money was Megan. His dad must have found out when he traveled back to watch Phil play ball.
“Didn’t think I knew about that, did you?” David’s mom said with a self-satisfied grin.
Ashley was smart enough to not comment. She pulled up a listing.
“What would you think about a house in Venice Beach?” Ashley asked.
“Like I’ll go broke,” David said.
Venice Beach used to be an affordable option for buying oceanfront property. In recent years, the wealthy had come in and either torn down or gutted the homes and built multimillion-dollar estates. The neighborhood was changing.
“I found an estate that has been floundering in lawsuits, and the court ordered a receiver to sell it. The only problem is that you have to buy it without being able to get into the house. It’s a four-bedroom, though,” Ashley shared.
She showed him the price.
“Even if it’s a complete dump, at that price, we could turn around and list it tomorrow and get your money back,” his mom said.
The last thing he wanted was another project home. He was about to tell them precisely that when his phone rang. It was Fiona Beckham, the actress who was friends with Lexi.
“I need you to be my date tonight,” she said when he answered.
“Okay, text me the information,” he said and hung up.
David turned back around and found Ashley and his mom looking at him expectantly. If it had been anyone else, he would have passed.
“Okay, as long as we’re realistic about any renovations that are needed.”
Ashley snorted out a laugh while his mom gave him a reassuring smile. He was about to say ‘no’ when he received Fiona’s text. They were having dinner with Gabe Francis, the studio head who’d been involved in his movie The Royal Palm.
By the time he’d worked out what Fiona wanted him to wear and the rest of the details, Ashley had a contract printed out for him to sign. He thought about it for another moment and then just signed it. If they got it, he would deal with his mother later.
Fiona directed them to the Musso & Frank Grill. They had been serving steaks since 1919, and were on David’s list of LA restaurants to try.
“What are we in for tonight?” David asked.
“Gabe wants me to do a movie for him. He read that we were seen together at the Soho House and asked if you might want to join us.”
One advantage to where Fiona lived was that she was close to everything in Hollywood. David pulled up to the valet stand. Waiting for them were the paparazzi. David hadn’t missed them at all over the past few weeks, and now, as they shouted questions and took pictures, he realized he’d never miss them. If it had been just him, he would have ignored them and ducked into the restaurant. Instead, David let them harass him and his date for about five minutes so that Fiona would be sure to get some publicity.
When they walked inside, it was as if they’d been transported back in time. The vibe was all old elegance. The room was furnished with mahogany booths and original hat stands, all dominated by the red leather upholstering the stools, chairs, and banquettes. The waiters were in red coats and bow ties, and they looked like they were all past retirement age. Jazz music was playing over the sound system, and an old wood-burning cast-iron stove set off the ambiance with a soft glow.
The place was absolutely packed, with an interesting mix of patrons. There were oldsters dressed to the nines and tattooed hipsters sitting, often together, in the iconic booths. It was the type of place that didn’t need the new and shiny to give you somewhere you could simply eat a good meal.
David and Fiona were led to a side room that was set up for a private party. When they entered, Gabe got up to greet them.
“It’s been too long,” Gabe said as he shook David’s hand. “I think the last time I saw you, you were at the after-party when you won your Academy Award.”
That still felt surreal to David, as his winning the award had seemingly come out of left field. It had made David the youngest male to ever win as Best Supporting Actor. Further, he’d heard that others were favored going into the competition. Plus, he hadn’t even been nominated for any similar awards in the festivals and shows leading up to the Academy Awards. David suspected that Gabe and his studio had worked to get him the win.
“I want to thank you for that. It was a special night,” David said.