“It’s just Chaz,” Devon mumbled.
“Your agent. Haven’t you told him you’re coming back? Isn’t it his job to know where you are and what you’re doing?”
“You’re the Hollywood expert,” he sighed, and slid his finger across the phone’s display. “What is it, Chaz?”
I could hear the voice on the other end of the line—tinny, far away, and very angry.
“What the fuck do you think it is, Devon?” he demanded. “Where in the sweet Christ are you? Where have you been? Your stock here is going down, my friend, and there’s not a lot I can do about it.”
I cringed and made a face. This sounded like a conversation that was best had in private. I tried to sidle away, tried to take one of the leather seats away from the couch to give Devon a chance to sort out his dirty laundry, but he snagged my hand and kept me on the couch.
“I’ve been in Hawaii,” Devon said.
“Going to rehab, I hope,” Chaz barked. “You’re supposed to let me take care of things like that for you, Devon.”
“Wrong,” Devon said easily. “That’s what my personal assistant’s for.”
“If you had a personal assistant.”
“It wasn’t rehab,” Devon contended. “I went on vacation. To take some time out for myself. And to do something nice for a fan.”
“I hope by ‘nice’ you don’t mean you put your cock in it.”
Devon flinched. “Chaz, don’t be a dick.”
“It’s what you pay me for, Devon. To tell you like it is. And I’m not going to sugarcoat this—Trina is coming out way on top of this breakup. You look like an ass. Like a sad ass. A loser ass.”
“Thanks so much, Chaz,” Devon said sarcastically. “Great feedback. And a breakup isn’t something you can win.”
“It absolutely is something you can win,” Chaz said. “The reason I know that is because Trina’s winning it and you’re losing. Haven’t you seen anything online?”
“I’ve been off the grid,” Devon said, drawing little designs on my hand with his finger as I sat beside him, rigid and awkward. I really, really didn’t want to be hearing any of this. “And I’m not really interested in thinking about Trina anymore. It’s over. I’ve moved on.”
“You’ve been hiding in Hawaii,” Chaz said. “That doesn’t sound like moving on to anyone. That sounds like you ran away and hid.”
“Chaz, it’s been great talking to you,” Devon said, patting my knee comfortingly. “But I really have to be going. Other calls to make.”
“You better be on the ground in LA tonight,” Chaz said. “You have a photoshoot in the morning that I’ve already rescheduled three times.”
“Then you know just what to do to reschedule it again,” Devon said, implacable. “I’m not going to LA.”
“And just where in the fuck are you going?”
“Dallas.”
“Dallas? What the hell is in Dallas? You were just in Dallas. You didn’t go to any of your appearances. Will you go if I reschedule them? No, never mind fucking Dallas. Reroute the plane. Let me speak with the pilot. You have to come back to LA now. This instant.”
“Good-bye, Chaz.” Devon ended the call and looked at me. “What?”
I didn’t know what expression I had on my face, because I didn’t think I had one that would effectively convey the horror I felt at listening to all of that.
“Is he always like that?” I asked meekly.
“Always like what?”
“Like a dick,” I said. “Why do you let him talk to you like that?”
Devon laughed. “I pay him to talk to me like that. Chaz is a real bulldog. He helped muscle me into my first few roles. I wouldn’t have a career if not for him.”
I took a few minutes to process that. “You wouldn’t be where you are today if it weren’t for some jerk-off being an asshole to you?”
Devon laughed harder. “Oh, he’s going to love that. I’ll have to text it to him later.”
“Wait, you’re actually friends with the guy?” I stared at him, aghast. “Devon, that’s an abusive relationship.”
“You really have to get to know Chaz,” Devon assured me. “He has my best interests in mind. He might be a little rough around the edges, but he’s harmless.”
“He doesn’t sound harmless,” I said, while realizing that I was more miffed by the fact that Chaz and Devon had been discussing Devon’s ex-girlfriend than anything. I was only just now realizing exactly who she was, with swiftly growing horror.