“Anyway, I cut off my mom’s allowance, disabled all her credit cards, and gave her ninety days to exit my house or be evicted.”
My eyes were big as saucers. “Holy crap. That all sounds pretty final.”
“I’ve finally accepted that my mom doesn’t want a real relationship with me. She only wants to use me. Maybe once I’m not paying for everything she does she’ll create her own life, and then we can have a relationship.” Tori took a shuddering breath. “But I’m not betting on it. It’s more likely that she’ll write a tell all book about our relationship and make a fortune going on all the talk shows to badmouth me.”
“That’s so hard,” I said sympathetically. “She’s your mom.”
I sent up a silent prayer of gratitude that my mother was so awesome. She’d always put me first, treated me well, and taughtme how to be self-sufficient. The more I heard about Tori’s mom, the more I appreciated my own.
“Yeah it was really hard, but I feel good about the decision,” Tori said. “To be honest, I should have done it long ago.”
I could see the truth of the statement in her eyes.
“But that’s not the only big change I’m making. I’m also quitting acting.”
Tori
Hailey’s mouth dropped open.
“You can’t quit acting,” she said. “You love it.”
“No, I love movies. I love making movies and telling stories. I don’t care about actually acting in them. Frankly, that’s the least interesting part.”
“I don’t understand.” She looked adorably confused.
“I’m planning to produce and direct.”
When I could see that did nothing to clear it up, I continued, “I’m starting my own production company. I’m going to make movies from behind the camera, not in front of it.”
“Don’t you have to go to school for that or something?”
“I have a degree in business, plus years of practical experience seeing how movies are made. Actors do it all the time. It will be a relatively easy transition for me.”
I felt a stab of hurt as I remembered how hard my mother had tried to convince me that I didn’t need to get a degree. That I just needed to “stay pretty” and then I could have a long, long career.
“But why?”
“I lost my love for acting a long time ago,” I explained. “I can’t remember the last time I was even remotely excited about a new role. And this last incident with the paparazzi just reminded me how much I’ve grown to hate being in the public eye. I’d love to be able to have a life, to move freely without security, without being mobbed everywhere.”
“Won’t that still happen?”
“Interest in me will drop quickly once I’m not acting. The vultures will move onto the next star.”
She seemed skeptical. “Hmm.”
I studied her carefully. “I thought you’d be excited that I’m going to have a more normal life now. It’ll make it easier for us to be together.”
“Oh, I am excited, especially if that’s what you really want. I just hope you’re not making too hasty a decision. A lot of big things have happened the last month.”
“I can always pick up some roles in movies later if I decide to. But I want you to know, I was thinking about leaving acting long before I met you. Being with you just solidified the decision.” I thought for a second, then added, “Well that and realizing how horrible it is to have people take their glee photographing me puking in a parking lot.”
Hailey pushed back her chair and came over to mine, scooting between me and the table and straddling my lap. Without a word, she leaned in and gave me a long, deep kiss that made my heartrate pick up and my core throb.
“I missed you,” she whispered against my lips.
“I missed you too. Come home with me to L.A. Just for a few days while we figure things out.”
She pulled back to study me. “You don’t want me to stay?”
