by Ivy Jordan
I had been thinking of hiring someone, like an escort…or better yet, an actress to help me with the situation. That way, she would not have to give anything up she could just look at it like a job. It made the most sense because it would work perfectly for the both of us. She would just be doing her job and would basically do as she was told. I could move around as I wished without worrying that some girl was going to fall in love with me. That was the last thing that I wanted.
I was startled from my thoughts by my father’s voice. I slid my phone back into my pocket.
“So, son, rumor has it you were doing a striptease at a club last night. I know there’s no such thing as bad publicity, but don’t you think you might be pushing it?” There were a few chuckles around the table, and I rolled my eyes. He had a smile on his face, but it wasn’t a friendly one. It was the one that he gave around company to convince them it wasn’t a fight they were seeing. He had no problem embarrassing me, but he didn’t want to make his guests uncomfortable.
I decided to play along. I wasn’t about to let him embarrass me. “Well, you know Under Armour likes it when you show the world how much you love their product. They couldn’t say enough good things about the video. I’m sure you saw it, Grace?” I looked over at my mother’s friend and winked. She blushed and giggled at the same time.
“It certainly was something to see, Caleb. But if you were my son, I would have killed you,” she said, wagging her finger at me. She was only joking, but my father was probably eating it up.
“Well, it keeps Father on his toes,” I said.
My father nodded as he took a sip of his brandy. “Caleb likes to push my buttons, and that’s okay. I just want to make sure that you’re focused for the majors, as they are right around the corner.”
I sighed. “Dad, I have been practicing daily. Just because I go out to blow off some steam doesn’t mean my head is not in the game. It’s a hard game, and I remember when you used to drink after a game.”
“Well, I was a PGA Tour champion; I’m allowed to blow off steam. When you get to the end, then we can talk about you blowing off steam.”
“Curtis!” My mother glared at my father. “Maybe now is not the best time for this talk.”
The whole table had gone silent, and I just slowly shook my head. I guess I shouldn’t complain about the whole thing; he was right. I was not the champion, and I didn’t even know if I was going to be that year. It was a lot to take when even your father thought you were a joke. How was I supposed to rise above that?
“Sorry, Mom, the video was really stupid, and I definitely didn’t mean to embarrass you, at all.”
My mother smirked. “Yes, well. That was certainly a sight; let’s just not repeat such things. Maybe it’s time you settled down and got rid of those partying ways.”
I smiled; it was as if she read my mind. “Well, you never know, Mom.”
The table then slipped into the regular business conversation, and I was thankfully forgotten for the time being. I worked on the lobster in front of me and got a few drinks into me. It was the only way I could get through the rest of the dinner. I had to be careful, though. My father would kill me if I got drunk over dinner. Besides, I needed to talk to him and would need my wits about me. I needed some help and didn’t know who else to go to. If anyone could get me out of trouble, it would be my dad.
When dinner was over, the guests retreated to the study where there was more brandy. My father would sometimes pull out the cigars, and they would have a real time of it. The whole situation bored me to tears, but it was their routine. As the guests filtered to the study, I approached my father getting up from the table.
“Dad, can I talk to you for a moment?”
He nodded. “Yes, of course. What is it, son?”
“I have a bit of a situation, and I’m not sure how to handle it.”
He frowned. “You mean, aside from that epic stripper video I saw?”
I cringed. The thought of my father watching that video was humiliating, to say the least. He must think his own son is a complete moron, and I was the only one he had. “I’m not going to live that one down, am I?”
“I just don’t know why you have to behave that way. You’re a grown man, why are you acting like a teenager? I would expect this from a 16-year-old, not a 24-year-old. Do you think that people are going to take you seriously on the green after watching a display like that one?”
I sighed, “I suppose not. It was a mistake; you don’t need to ream me for it over and over again. I fucked up; I get it. You act like I make my own personal videos every weekend.”
“Well, let’s hope not. What situation are we talking about here then?”
“Well, it’s sort of connected. What would you say about me hiring an actress to play my girlfriend for awhile?”
“Why would you do something like that?”
“I had a meeting with Under Armour today, and you can imagine how they felt about the video. They want me to portray a better image until the majors are over, and I’m sure you want the same thing. They suggested that I get a girlfriend and slow down the partying. Lay low for awhile, make people think things are different. What do you think?”
My father looked at me with surprise, like he couldn’t believe what I was saying. I was waiting for a cutting remark from him, but it never came. Maybe he was so relieved that I was being forced to get my act together that he didn’t want to jinx it by insulting me further.
“I think it’s a wonderful idea. A real grown-up decision. The last thing you need is for sponsorship to drop you when you are so close to the end.”
“How do I go about doing this? Any ideas?”
“I know a guy that can help you out with that. He sometimes works with acting agencies. He’ll work on it. I can’t imagine it would take more than a week.”
“Great. Thanks, just let me know.”
“You’re doing the right thing, son. Your career is very important. You never know; you might decide that you want to settle down.”
I scoffed, “Let’s not get carried away. I’m more than happy being a bachelor.”
My father laughed, “Okay, son; why don’t you join us for a brandy.”
“Dad, I’m pretty exhausted. I’ve had a long day. I think I would just like to go home.”
“Sure. Thanks for coming for dinner.”
I nodded and quickly went into the study to say goodnight to my mother. She kissed me on the cheek and thanked me for coming. I wanted to get out of there as soon as I could. I was tired and wanted to be on my own. I was not impressed by how the day had gone at all, and it was all because of one night of fun. I should be the poster child for why you shouldn’t drink in access. I planned on strangling Matthew for not being my wingman. How could he let me strip and let people video it?
I felt like shit, and it had to do with more than a hangover. My life was about to change big time, and there was no appealing aspect to it at all. The idea of having a girlfriend caused a shudder to take over my entire body.
All I heard from my family was about the majors, not once did they even ask me how I was doing in my life. Was I happy? Did I even want to be doing what I’m doing? No, I just heard about how I better do this or that in regards to winning the championship. It was honestly enough to make me want to give up completely. Just for once, I would love it if my parents would talk to me about anything but golf, but that didn’t seem to be in the cards.
What was worse was now I wasn’t going to be able to live my life like I wanted to for awhile. All my days of fun had just flown out the window. What the heck was I going to do with a girlfriend? I usually preferred women to come and go, not stick around. I had no interest in commitment or marriage. I just wanted to be left alone for the most part. A girlfriend. Great.
Chapter Eight
Hailey
A week had passed, and I finally had the day off. I was planning on just lounging around my apartment for the day and doing some reading. Jillian had sen
t me on a few auditions that week, but I hadn’t received any call-backs at that point. I was starting to get antsy waiting for the next gig to come around.
The bistro had been busy all week, so I had at least been able to keep my mind off things. But now that I was home alone, it was starting to get to me. Mandy was gone for the day at a writing conference, so I had the apartment all to myself. I thought about going out and doing some shopping; that always cheered me up, but I wasn’t sure how long it would be before I had another acting gig and funds were getting low. I was hoping that Jillian would be able to find me something big that I could sink my teeth into. With the right opportunity for me, it could always lead into something else.
I was spread out on the couch reading Little Women for the twentieth time. I’d read it so often that I had it practically memorized; it was one of my favorite books. It always made me feel good to read it, and I loved all the period pieces. I had also read Pride & Prejudice a few times because I loved the story of love affairs that were complicated, but always turned out to be true love. It was possible that I was a hopeless romantic, but I certainly wasn’t going to apologize for it.
I had a hot cup of coffee and was feeling pretty good when my phone rang. I dug around the couch for it, picking it up on the third ring.
“Hello.”
“Hailey, it’s Jillian.”
“Oh, Jillian, I was just thinking about you. What’s up? Do you have anything good for me? I have the day off, so really, I can go anywhere.” I had my fingers crossed that she was going to send me to an audition.
“We need to talk. Do you want to meet for coffee?”
I looked down at my cup of coffee. “Umm…sure. Just tell me where and when.”
Jillian told me where I could meet her, and I got up quickly from the couch. I put my cup in the sink and went about getting ready for my meeting. She sounded so serious on the phone, and I was a little worried about it. Maybe they were letting me go. After all, an agent doesn’t make any money if an actor is out of work. Maybe she decided to drop me after all the failures that I’ve had lately.
It would figure, after all. I hadn’t done much acting in the past few months. Just a small gig here and there but nothing major. I wasn’t sure how long an agent would wait around for me to get the right job. Some were loyal and stayed with clients for years, but I wasn’t sure if I was in the same league as them. My life wasn’t exactly being showcased on an episode of Entourage.
I was sure that lots of people got dumped by agents if they didn’t produce, but I was stuck there in Georgia for crying out loud. There was only so much that I could do. I had often thought about heading to Hollywood, but it seemed like a huge leap at that stage in my life. Jillian assured me that if it ever became necessary, she would suggest a move, but that for now, I could travel to important auditions. I always thought Hollywood might be the best idea because I could go to more auditions and would be right in the mix of things. But I needed to save up for a move like that, so for now, I was biding my time. One day, I would do it.
The thought made me sad because Jillian had always believed and me. I hoped that she wasn’t about to give up on me. What would I do without her? I would have to go back to square one and find a new agent. I felt a bit of anxiety as I left my apartment. I would just prepare myself for the worst, and maybe it wouldn’t be as bad as I thought. You could only go up from the bottom, right? I had to have the right mindset when I went in there, and it would all work out.
I arrived at the coffee shop and found Jillian already sitting down with a coffee. Had she already been there when she made the call? That seemed odd. I hurried to the counter to get a coffee for myself before I went over to Jillian. I sat across from her and smiled.
“Hi, what’s up?” I said as I took a sip from my coffee. I could virtually live on coffee, it tasted so wonderful.
Jillian adjusted her glasses before saying, “I’m glad you were able to meet with me.”
“Yeah, of course. I hope it’s good news I’m about to receive.”
“I guess that depends on your definition of ‘good.’” She had a quirky smile on her face, and I wondered what I was about to get into.
I laughed, “Great, I can’t wait to hear about it.”
Jillian sipped her coffee, all business that morning. “Okay, so here’s the thing. I got an intriguing call last night, and it might be something you would be interested in, but it is unusual. It’s actually the first gig like it that I’ve come across.”
I nodded, a little nervous. “Well, let me hear it, and we’ll go from there.”
“Alright.” She pulled out her day planner where she had some notes jotted down. I watched her scan the notes before she looked up at me again. This was a pretty serious gig, and I wondered what it could be all about.
“Okay, so here’s the deal. There is a pro-golfer in Miami that is, believe it or not, looking for a fake girlfriend for three months.”
“What? That’s crazy. What does that even mean? I’m not a hooker, for crying out loud.” I started to feel the anxiety build up again. Was this what it was coming down to? Was I was going to have to take gigs as an escort until I got my big break?
Jillian adjusted her glasses. “Hey, relax. That’s not what I’m talking about here; it’s nothing like that. He’s not looking for sex. It’s an acting job, strictly acting. He basically wants a trophy girlfriend, someone to put on his arm, take pictures with, parade around with. It’s all a façade – he just needs it to appear as if he has a girlfriend. It’s strictly professional.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “Are you sure? You are confident that it has nothing to do with sex, that there are no expectations there?”
“Absolutely not. I made sure of that when I discussed things with him. He is strictly looking for an actress, someone who can play a role properly, and you can certainly do that.”
“Three months in Miami? I guess that couldn’t be too bad.”
“Nope, it’s quite toasty there. You will love it. Not to mention, as his girlfriend, he will probably wine and dine you quite lavishly.”
I nodded, my interest piqued. “How much does it pay?”
“Fifty thousand dollars for three months.”
My jaw hit the ground. “Holy shit.”
“I thought you might like that. Money is no object for this guy, and I know you can use it.”
“Okay, who is he? I don’t really follow golf.”
“Caleb Harris.”
My mouth dropped open, and Jillian noticed my surprise. The guy from the video. What were the chances of that? He had crossed my mind a few times over the week, and I always wondered what had happened to him.
The entertainment news stations had played the video a few times and made their usual jokes, but eventually, it went away as he became old news. I wondered if he had serious regrets or if my co-workers were right and he had laughed the whole thing off. Had his sponsors ditched him? Because that would have been truly tragic. But again, there had been nothing in the media about sponsors dropping out, and his career seemed to be as strong as ever as he prepared for what they called the majors.
I didn’t know him, but I’d felt relieved for him. I knew what it liked to feel pressure, and although I wasn’t a big star, yet I planned on that lifestyle and often emphasized with what celebrities went through being in the spotlight.
“Well, I guess you do know him,” Jillian said with a laugh.
“I didn’t until last week when my co-workers showed me his latest YouTube video.”
“Ahhh, yes, not one of his most shining moments. I saw it, as well. But putting that aside, he’s actually a really talented golfer and has a chance to win the championship this year. Rumor has it that Under Armour freaked about the video and threatened to drop him. My guess is that he was told to be on his best behavior for awhile, hence the need for a girlfriend; a fake one anyway.”
“Wow, I see. I guess that makes sense. I heard he’s a real playe
r.”
“Well, he won’t be for the next three months.”
“Can I meet him first before I make a decision?”
“Absolutely. He’s willing to fly you out for an interview, and if the two of you click, then it’s a done deal. That way you both get to check each other out before any decisions are set. If you agree to things, then he will give you a few days to get your stuff together and relocate for the three months. I will certainly help you with all your arrangements and get you moved if need be.”
“Okay, let’s do this.”
Jillian went over some more details while we sat around drinking coffee. The more she talked about it, the more excited I got. It wasn’t a movie or anything, but at least it was a role I was getting paid well for. At least my bills would be covered for awhile. And, I would have a chance to live the high life for three months; that could be a lot of fun.
I couldn’t wait to get home and tell Mandy all about the interview. She could help me prepare for it and would gossip all night while eating popcorn about how handsome he was. She would eat it right up – he was exactly the kind of guy that Mandy always went for, minus the player part.
When I left Jillian, I was prepared to get on a flight and go see Caleb for the interview. I wondered about what he would be like in person when he wasn’t hammered and stripping. He was supposedly a lady’s man, so it would really be interesting.
He was definitely a handsome man, so it wouldn’t be hard to pretend to like him. Besides, I was a professional, and I would consider it the role of a lifetime. If I couldn’t be convincing as a girlfriend, then I needed to get out of the acting industry immediately. It would be a great way of getting my feet wet for an actual role.
I wondered if I would be expected to be on the field, or whatever it was called, when they went golfing. That could be interesting; aside from miniature golfing, I had never been on a golf course. The more I thought about the opportunity, the better I felt about my career. It was only for three months and would be a time where I could practice and have some fun. I would come back refreshed and ready for the next opportunity Jillian had for me. She said she would continue looking for things that would start up around the time that my contract ended with Caleb.
