HDU #2: Dirt (26 page)

“Have they tried
to?”

Jake shook his
head adamantly.
 
“No, no.
 
They have no idea who I am or what I
look like.
 
My mom did a good job
of keeping me away from all… that.
 
Including my dad’s whole side of the family.
 
She thinks they have like, evil in their genetics,” he
laughed.

Considering how Casey turned out, she might
not be wrong
, Amanda thought wryly.

“So… what’s the
issue with paparazzi if they don’t know you?”

“I just don’t
want them to accidentally take a picture of me when they’re trying to take one
of you,” Jake answered before peering up at her.
 
“Because then Casey will see and she can’t know that I’m
here.
 
I know you guys are still
kind of friends but please… you can’t tell her that I’m here.”

Amanda cocked
her head curiously but just as she opened her mouth to ask why, a loud rapping
came on the window from Jake’s side.
 
He jumped, hitting his head on the roof of the car.

“Hi, random
person.
 
You’re in my seat.”

Opening the door
was Harper, whose dry monotone was in full force as she looked at Jake with
dull eyes.
 
For once, her inability
to be fazed came to Amanda’s great relief.
 
She seemed to hardly care who Jake was as long as he wasn’t
sitting in her car for much longer.

And before
Amanda could say anything, a nervous and bumbling Jake was out of the car and
shuffling so quickly down the street that she lost him in the Bowery crowd
within seconds.

LIVE-TWEETING
THE LEADOFF PREMIERE PARTY!

Pop Rock Gossip

August 27
^th

Posted by Jessie O.

7:09PM
: Arrivals! Kyle Laurie is wearing an Armand Jadot tux. Zoe Mercury is
not wearing much at all. NGL waiting to see Amanda Nathan because F you I still
like her

7:15PM
: Vogel is here with wife Wendy Krentz. Wendy is chipper and fab as
usual, Tom looks tired already.

7:16PM
: Lots of big young celebs rolling in.
 
Popstars, fashion It girls & athletes like Azura, Gemma
Hunter & Damian Evans.
 
Who
said Leadoff was an old folks show??

7:22PM
: WTF LIAM BRODY JUST WALKED ONTO THE RED CARPET DID WE KNOW HE WAS
COMING?

7:22PM
: dear god he is tall

7:22PM
: He’s w/Connor Schaffer. Both look GOOD. Fitted suits + tall men w/
stubble = tears of joy. And for Amanda — tears of awkwardness? Hope she
knows he’s here :(

7:30PM
: Liam giving interview about ankle brace he is wearing and how he has
slight limp but no concussion.
 
No
one listening, everyone just staring at beauty.

7:42PM
: DYING. AMANDA IS IN THE HOUSE AND SHE AND LIAM ARE AT OPPOSITE ENDS
OF THE RED CARPET.

7:42PM
: She looks a little aloof/distracted but gorgeous nonetheless. White
& cream leather panel halter dress, Thierry Marc Spring collection

7:42PM
: Adorable. Liam noticed her right away. Almost looks like he’s ogling.

7:43PM
: Omg he is sta

7:43PM
: Sorry got too excited because OMG he is staring at her. Flat out gaping.
am I the only one who sees this!?!!1

7:44PM
: Connor Schaffer just ruined the moment by dragging Liam into some
interview. Ugh

7:51PM
: Anddd Connor just dragged Liam off the red carpet. In my head it’s bc
he needed to stop him from passionately running to his love Amanda. I’m a loser

8:00PM
: This screening is ridiculously on time. The perks of being an “old
folks’ production.” Reliability.

9:04PM
: Pilot finished. Loved. Milo is a true sweetheart. Show is not crazy
dramatic but great characters, great acting, lots of heart. Onto episode 2.

10:16PM
: Second episode finished.
 
This show is FANTASTIC.

11:20PM
: Sorry didn’t tweet much, too captivated by the most lovable characters
who will grace TV this Fall. Some people were bored but I suspect they also
have no taste

11:24PM
: Onto the after party!

11:28PM
:
 
Ooh this place is dark
and sexy and gorgeous. Very Victorian Gothic feel.

11:40PM
: OMG EYE CONTACT BETWEEN LIAM AND AMANDA. I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO
SEES IT.

11:48PM
: Again, Connor Schaffer takes Liam away because he is the ruiner of my
fantasies.
 
And yet the occasional
star.
 
How does that work?

12:35AM
: I am actively trying to stalk Amanda Nathan or Liam Brody but neither
are anywhere in sight :( :( :(

12:53AM
: Seriously where is this girl even Wendy Krentz is looking for her

1:18AM
: Connor Schaffer is MIA as well.
 
Why am I even here?

1:49AM
: Word has it that both Amanda and Liam have left — and separately.
Boooo :(

2AM
: My only comfort tonight is knowing what good TV I have to watch this
season. Mad props, Vogel. Forget the haters, I’M a fan of
Leadoff
:)

LIVE
TWEETING THE
LEGACY
PREMIERE PARTY!

Pop Rock Gossip

August 27
^th

Posted by Bitty

7:55PM
: Casey was fashionably late & this whole party has been pushed
back an hour. No one cares b/c she looks fabulous in Givenchy. Can hardly tell
she’s an alcoholic.

7:59PM
: This red carpet is sparkling and tricked out. Big portraits of
Legacy’s
2 stars next to old pics of Casey & Jamie in case you forgot the
show is based on them. Eyeroll.

8:00PM
: Wow Pop Dinner was actually invited to this event! Even weirder:
They’re not asking Casey rude questions, they’re being very professional &
respectful. Wtf?

8:20PM
: BFF Jamie Nasri has arrived on the carpet and is being annoyingly coy
about which parts of the pilot were based on her real life misadventures w/
Casey

8:56PM
: Dylan Hardy is here. I’m guessing he’s very much Team
Legacy
over
Leadoff
. Also in
attendance, Casey’s dad and aunt.
 
They look tired.

9:13PM
: People are wondering if there is going to be alcohol at the after
party.
 
And by people I mean just
me.

10:40PM
: Just watched the pilot. Summary: SEX DRUGS SEX DRUGS ANGST ANGST MORE
DRUGS. And I loved it.

10:41PM
: Everyone is buzzing excitedly.
 
Ruh-roh, ZINC! Cinereel’s finally got itself a hit!

10:42PM
: NGL, lots of sex & drugs but pilot was actually very good script
as well.
 
Witty, smart writing in
unique voice. Getting ready to watch Ep. 2!

11:50PM
: What… the f*ck.

11:51PM
: Was that even the same show? Second episode was beyond terrible. Sex,
drugs, skin but the flattest writing ever and a totally different tone.
 
Awful.

11:50PM
: People seem disappointed and/or confused.
 
And by people I definitely mean way more than just me.

11:52PM
: Dylan Hardy is still perplexed and squinting at the screen. This adorable
image almost makes up for the crap I just watched.

12:32AM
: Mid-episode 3 and I’m texting bc this shit is ridic.
 
Keeps aiming to shock so you don’t notice
there is no substance in the script. Right now: 4th party scene

12:35AM
: Glad your family is here to see this, Case.
 
Right now: scene of her and Jamie’s characters doing blow
off of their shared boyfriend’s man parts. So edgy!

12:35AM
: This went from raw/interesting to stupid/try-hard fast.

1AM
: The screening is finally over thank Christ.
 
Need a drink to soothe my high hopes.
 
They were just assaulted by Episode
3.
 
Tequila, I’m coming.

1:32AM
: After party is at least hoppin

1:39AM
: “I hope this is sparkling apple cider bc if not you are being very
inappropriate.” — Guest to server carrying tray of champagne bc he is the
one at fault here

1:55AM
: Everyone is being very fakey and saying they LOVED the show just OMG.
Lots of influential fashion, TV & film folk here. They’ll hype this show
into surviving.

1:59AM
: Doesn’t hurt to be a Mulreed. Daddy and Auntie Mulreed have your
back, even if you’re an alcoholic. Especially because you’re an alcoholic.

2:34AM
: I’m plastered.

Chapter 17

Despite the festivities,
including the well-received premiere of
Leadoff’s
first three episodes, all Amanda could think about was Jake Mulreed.
 
Or whatever his last name was.
 
It probably wasn’t Mulreed considering
how estranged he was from the Mulreed side of his family.

Amanda’s foot
bounced impatiently, waiting for the screening room to clear so that she could
get out and turn her phone back on.
 
I need to talk to Ian
.
 
It was possible that he had been very
much right about where to look for dirt on Casey — in the past that she
had left in Missouri.
 
Somehow,
Amanda had never considered that her weakness may have to do with the younger
brother she left behind.
 
More than
anything now, she wondered why Jake had been so desperate to keep his visit to
New York a secret from Casey.

IAN. I have a possible lead on Casey. Could
you Google her brother Jake for me?

His response
came within a minute.

Googling. No results for a Jake Mulreed.
Tried ‘Daniel Mulreed children’ and it was mostly results about Casey but there
is mention of a son in a couple articles. He lives in Missouri with Casey’s
mom. The name listed is Daniel Mulreed III not Jake. ???

Amanda frowned
as she read the text, letting Harper shuffle her out of the screening area and
toward the main event room.

What is Casey’s mom’s last name? Her maiden
name?
Amanda typed her message while looking up between every letter,
smiling graciously at the people who stopped her to say how much they enjoyed
the premiere.
 
She ignored what she
could see in her peripheral vision, which was Fish and Skip rolling their eyes
to each other and shaking their heads.
 
She had more important things to think about than the fact that she was
getting credit for episodes of
Leadoff
that she didn’t actually write.

Good call. Her mom’s maiden name is Tatum
and it’s what she goes by now.
 
No results
for a ‘Daniel Tatum’ — but the name ‘Jake Tatum’ produces results from
local news websites in COLUMBIA, MISSOURI. Jackpot. Dun dun dunnnn. Let me read
these articles and text you in a second.

Amanda couldn’t
help the smile that spread on her lips.

“I saw that,”
Harper teased as she continued ushering Amanda from behind, guiding her out of
the path of the stone pillars as she messaged Ian.
 
“Planning a secret bathroom rendezvous with Liam?”

“What?”

“You have the
most ridiculously excited look on your face.”

Amanda looked up
at Harper, her look somewhat shamefaced because her “ridiculous” excitement had
more to do with the idea of dirt-digging and sweet revenge.

“Was that you
playing hard-to-get on the red carpet? I caught him staring at you like, five
times,” Harper said quietly as they made their way into the after party already
in full swing.

“Oh.”
 
Eyes fluttering, Amanda realized that
she had been thinking so intensely about her lead on Casey that she hadn’t paid
any attention to Liam’s whereabouts.
 
“I guess,” she answered Harper with a little smile so as to look halfway
convincing though it probably didn’t because right at that moment, Amanda’s phone
vibrated with another text from Ian.

Weird. Other than some school article about
being in the marching band there is just this super old local article about a
kid who was hospitalized after falling off a ledge at some lake in
Missouri.
 
Says kid was a boy, age
8. Doesn’t mention any names in it though so not sure why it comes up when I
Google ‘Jake Tatum.’

Before Amanda
could respond to the text, Ian followed up.

Comments section.
 
First comment says [Deleted due to privacy infringement].
Maybe it said his name and that’s why this article still pops up when you
Google ‘Jake Tatum.’
 
They probably
deleted it because they’re not supposed to release names of victims who are
minors.

Amanda pumped
her fist.

Sounds about right.
 
Forgot that you know randomly useful
things.
 
It was only after
sending her text that Amanda realized the context of Ian’s information.
 
If it was right, Jake had been through
something awful as a child that she probably shouldn’t be pumping her fist
over.

“Girl, stop texting,”
Harper finally said as she sipped on one of her bottles of coconut water.
 
“You have a work party to pretend
you’re enjoying.
 
And I can tell
you where your boy is anyway — he’s right over there.”

Looking up,
Amanda watched Harper nod toward the bar.
 
As Amanda’s eyes moved to look in that direction, she froze with brief
surprise, picking up the dozens of curious stares on her along the way.

“Yeah,
everyone’s been watching you two since we came into the room.
 
You were just too busy texting to
notice,” Harper said as Amanda’s eyes finally found Liam’s.
 
He involuntarily wet his lips when she
met his gaze, which pierced through her from across the room.
 
Amanda gave him the subtlest shake of
the head and just as she unlocked her phone to let him know that his stare was
too obvious, it vibrated in her hand.
 
The text from Liam anticipated her scolding.

Sorry.
 
I miss you and you look too good for me to just watch tonight.

Reading Liam’s
message, Amanda felt herself smile but she bit it back upon reminding herself
that she was being watched.
 
She
gave herself a half second to look up at Liam and take in his fitted black
suit, skinny tie and stubble before replying.

You look good yourself.
 
But did I just see one of Terrence’s
assistants standing next to you and Connor? Is he your unofficial babysitter?

“What’s up with
the friend?” Harper asked under her breath, squinting at Connor.
 
“He’s so angry-looking,” she murmured
just as Liam’s response came.

I’m assuming so.
 
And I was determined to lose him even before I saw you and
decided to book us a room.

Amanda raised her
eyebrows, sneaking a glance at Liam.
 
Instead, with Liam facing the bar, she caught Connor’s stony glare as he
took a swig of his beer.

“Christ,” she
whispered to herself before replying to Liam’s text.

“He’s watching
you through the mirror behind the bar,” Harper said quietly before smiling and
greeting an approaching group of friends.
 
They were led by a TV actress whom Amanda vaguely recognized thanks to
her curly, asymmetrical bob.
 
After
making introductions, Amanda sent her text message, deftly maintaining
conversation while keeping an eye on Liam.

Presumptuous.
 
What if I were too exhausted from work to meet you in a
room?
Amanda smirked as she read her own text but her face immediately
softened with a bit of guilt as she read Liam’s response.

Exhaustion is the other reason I booked the
room.
 
Cortisone injections help
but the ankle needs a break and would prefer it to be with you.

There was a
second of a break before the second text delivered.

Also, Connor tells me that as far as doing
work, you’ve got nothing to be exhausted over.

Upon reading it,
Amanda turned to shoot daggers at Liam through the mirror though she reminded
herself that he didn’t yet know what a sore subject Connor was, being unaware
of their blowup from the night before.
 
Narrowing her gaze at his crooked smirk, she flicked away an errant lock
of hair from her eyes, giving a tiny shake of her head while ignoring the
additional stare through the mirror that she was receiving from Connor.

Speaking of your friend, maybe you should
tell him to drop the watchdog act.
 
You already have one babysitter.

Liam smirked and
threw back the rest of his scotch before running a hand across the top of his
head and turning around to lean against the bar, his weight leaning slightly
more on his stronger ankle and his eyes feasting unapologetically on Amanda.

“Girl,” was all
Harper said.

Amanda could
only manage a bit-back grin as her phone buzzed once again.

Be nice, Connor’s our accomplice.
 
Room is booked under his name.

Amanda’s
eyebrows shot up with surprise.
 
Connor offered to book us a hotel room?

Offer wouldn’t be the word but I got him to
do it.
 
He knows how damned tired I
am.
 

Amanda gave a
slight pout.
 
You shouldn’t have come tonight, Liam.
 
You need rest.

I just need to fall asleep in the same bed
as you tonight.
 
Meet me in the room.
 
Connor’s in the lobby.
 
He has your key.

Amanda stared at
the final text, the mention of Connor zapping any tingle of excitement that had
been building for the rendezvous.
 
She tried to ignore it and brave the fact that she’d first have to deal
with him before being rewarded with Liam.

“I need to use
the restroom.
 
Come with me,
Amanda?” Interrupting her thoughts was Harper’s voice in her ear and hand on
her wrist.
 
“Excuse us, ladies.”

Once they were
in the main hall, Harper tossed her hair over her shoulder, looking at her
nails.

“I don’t need to
pee, just figured you needed an excuse to bail.
 
Meeting your man?” she asked.

 
“Yes.
 
But going through a middle man first,” Amanda said, her eyes
on a wooden Connor who stood by an empty coat check across the dimly lit
lobby.
 
Harper peered over at him.

“He doesn’t look
too happy about his job.”

“He isn’t,”
Amanda snorted as she extended her cheek for Harper to kiss goodbye.

Holding her own
face to a blank expression, she listened to the sound of Harper’s heels
clicking away and back into the party as her own brought her closer to an all
but scowling Connor as he leaned against the coat check counter.

“This wasn’t my
idea, in case you hadn’t figured that out,” he said, reaching into the inside
pocket of his navy blue suit.

“I came to that
assumption pretty early,” Amanda said, holding her palm out for the key.
 
“I’m smart and cunning, remember?”

Connor ignored
her as he dropped the rectangular card in her hand.
 
“Slick move in Nebraska, by the way,” he said.

“Excuse me?”

“Visit the guy,
get him excited, drive him crazy.
 
Take a flight back out before he wakes up — drive him a little
crazier.”

Heat flared in
Amanda’s cheeks.
 
What the hell, Liam.
 
Way to tell this asshole literally
everything
, she thought with irritation.
 
“Connor, you’re really starting to reach here,” she said in
as controlled a voice as she could manage before turning on her high heel and
stalking off toward the elevators.
 
His footsteps followed.

“No, I’m really
handing it to you,” Connor said with a sarcastic lilt in his voice.
 
“You know how to drive a guy
insane.
 
Keep him wrapped around
that pinky of yours so he can’t see how you’ve only brought drama and shit into
his life since coming into it.”

Amanda clenched
her muscles, willing herself not to spin around and give Connor a
reaction.
 
She continued walking,
jabbing her finger into the ‘Up’ button once she reached the row of private
access elevators designated for the highest floors of the building.
 
She silently cursed them for not
immediately arriving and she silently cursed the smugness that she could feel
radiating from Connor as he stood behind her.

“What is it that
you want from me, Connor?” Amanda finally asked, staring straight ahead.
 
When he didn’t immediately answer, she
turned around with a glare, further piqued to see him resting on his heels as
he stood, his hands slid into his pockets — a posture that she had come
to identify as Liam’s.
 
But of course they stand the same.
 
They talk the same sometimes and they
grew up together and they’re just so close and the best of friends and I have
no idea how to even begin telling Liam about any of this crap
, Amanda
thought with bitter annoyance.

“What I’d want
from you? In a perfect world?” Connor repeated, taking a step closer to Amanda
with a smirk curling his lips.
 
He
ran a hand through his medium-length hair, pretending to think.
 
“Oh, for you to be far away from New York.
 
Back in Missouri, maybe.
 
But if I can’t have that, I’ll settle
for you staying away from Liam before you cause any more of your signature
drama and bullshit.”

Amanda tried to
suppress her sneer but it didn’t quite work.
 
“I don’t know if you’ve heard but we’re actually broken up
to the world so you have half your wish already.”

“Well, I want
the other half.”

Ding
.
 
The elevator door opened as Amanda squinted at Connor.