I only wave at Everly and Becca across the street, then start back to Nancy’s.
Is it as simple as that? I need to ask her what’s bothering her. I did do that, but she didn’t say anything. Why not? I mean, it’s not like she doesn’t know how I feel about her. My phone rings and I see Syd’s face, so I click it on. I have it hooked up to my speakers.
“What are you doing?”
“Hello, Syd. How are you tonight?”
“Ugh, stop it. What’s going on?”
The urgency in her voice hits me and my smile fades.
“What do you mean?”
“I got a strange message from Marty saying that he couldn’t discuss anything with me about the show until he talked to Nancy.”
I frown as I turn off Main Street and into Nancy’s neighborhood. “That’s really weird. Nancy’s been saying that she can’t get hold of him.”
“That might be true, but he was trying to find out some information. Like what was going on with you two.”
“Going on with us? What does that mean?”
“Like the two of you are having hot monkey sex.”
There’s a murmur in the background that I know is Grady. That man is going to have his hands full for the rest of his life.
“I will say what I want, Grady. And it’s not unprofessional. I’m calling him because Nancy’s not answering her phone. Where is she?”
“Uh, at the house.”
“You aren’t there?! This is why I should have brought her to me. Only I can take care of her.”
Jesus, seriously?
“The security detail is with her and she’s at home working on something.”
She sighs, relief easy to hear over the speakers in the cab of my pickup. “Oh, yeah, I forgot about them. Stop laughing Grady or I will tell Carter to come with us to Italy.”
“Hey, text me Marty’s number. I have a few things I need to talk to him about.”
“You can’t do that.”
“I will not ask him anything about the show. This is personal about Nancy.”
“Oh, okay. I’ll text the number.”
We hang up and my text pings. I click on the number and wait for it to connect. “Hello?”
“Yeah, Marty, this is Travis. I wanted you to know that Nancy’s been trying to get hold of you.”
“Yeah, I just found that out. Apparently, my former assistant—as in she is cleaning out her desk at this moment—had blocked her number on my phone.”
“What?” I say, something niggling at the base of my spine. Something is off, I can feel it. Nancy always answers her phone for Syd, no matter what time of day it is.
“Yeah, well, she was paid off to block Nancy because some asshole wanted to get back in her good graces and work on her show. If it was with you or someone else. He wanted back in. Or that’s the story he told her.”
My blood ices over. “Who?”
“Garrett Howard. But I don’t know how that would work because the bastard isn’t going to be working in this industry again. I heard there’s at least two women who are filing restraining orders on him.”
“Stalking?”
“Not of the sexual kind. He apparently can’t handle things when he gets let go or someone says they can’t work with him. There are rumors of more women coming forward, along with other people to back up their stories. His career is over.”
“Why didn’t you tell us?” I demand, as I run a stop sign.
“Because I didn’t know. I just found out and started making calls. TMZ just posted a story less than an hour ago.”
“Fuck.”
I hang up without saying anything and try calling the security detail, but it keeps ringing. I give up, gunning the engine, and call Josh.
“I thought you were going to make up,” he says, chuckling.
“Listen, I think it’s Garrett Howard, the producer we had fired from the show. Just…get the fuck over to Nancy’s house right now. Her security detail isn’t answering any of my phone calls.”
I’m turning on Nancy’s street, ignoring the disapproving looks as I speed down the street.
“I’m coming, Nancy.”
And if Garrett Howard is there, I’m going to make him regret everything he’s done in his miserable life.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Nancy
I decide to drag Garrett out back because it’s hot as balls even this late in the day. I know that he hates anytime the temperature is over seventy-five. The fact that it’s still in the nineties with high humidity makes me happy. I know I’m an asshole, but I think I deserve this small payback.
I study the man and he looks…off. I mean, he was never that put together to begin with. I always found it irritating that he was so critical of women when he was such a slob. He’s sweating—which makes me happy—but his clothes look dirty. It doesn’t help that he always dressed as if he was twenty pounds lighter than his actual weight. His beer gut—and yes, it is a beer gut because I’ve seen him guzzle it down—hangs over his waistband. The buttons on his short sleeved buttoned-down shirt are straining. If one of those things pops, it could take an eye out from the force of it.
“So, you think I can get your job back?”
He shoves his hands in his pockets. His whole demeanor tells me he doesn’t like asking. He’s always had a reputation in the business with women. He was a good producer and he kept getting hired on all the big shows. Looking back at all the rumors and my reaction makes me ashamed. Working at the At Home Network, we’re shielded from a lot of the crap that goes on in the industry. I got too comfortable. I was protected and I realize now that so many women are not.
“It would go a long way with the network.”
He’s sweating. I am too, but I take particular joy over the fact that I know he hates it. I remember one specific incident where Garrett threw a bottle of water in the direction of his assistant because he was pissed off we were taking so long to get a scene done. Not like we can rush things on set when we demo a house.
“I’m not with the network anymore, Garrett.”
His eyes bulge. “What? That’s bullshit. They would never fire you over what happened on set.”
Yes, maybe threatening him with a nail gun wasn’t a smart thing, but it made me feel better. It also told me that I couldn’t keep on the way I was. With him and with Travis. At the thought of my former co-host, my heart sinks a little. I was such an ass to him earlier and it isn’t his fault. He has a lot of faults, don’t get me wrong, but he would never sleep with me for the show.
“I refused the contract they offered.”
“What?”
Okay, this is getting old. I know he heard the rumors of me leaving. He always kept up on that kind of stuff, so his innocent act leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
“Listen, Garrett, even if I could help you, I wouldn’t. You’re the worst producer I’ve ever worked with.”
His eyes narrow as rage fills his expression. I’ve seen him irritated—mostly at me—but this is different. This look scares me. I step back, thinking I should have brought Frank out here with me. That would have been the smart thing to do.