Chapter 36

And Paul thought he could use the reminder, too.

* * * *

Not even having the top down on the convertible, with the cool autumn sun beating down on his head, was enough to settle Jack’s stomach. He had known it was going to be bad as soon as he saw the papers. He looked like a two-bit hood, ready to tear apart even the most innocent of bystanders. That wasn’t how movie stars comported themselves. That wasn’t how moviegoers wanted to see their favorite actors. It might’ve been real, but even Jack wouldn’t trust the man he saw in the photos. Every raw emotion was etched across his face. The anger. The frustration. Through it all, Paul looked as perfect as ever.

There would have been a time Jack would’ve turned his fury toward the man who came through the events smelling like roses. He would have said,It’s Paul’s fault. If he’d just given me an inch, I wouldn’t have tried to take a mile.