We got numerous call backs this morning.
But no one has the information we need.
No one knows where Brooklyn is.
They all assume he’s at his house.
They remember watching the music video with him. Watching the ball drop in New York.
Doing shots.
I’m still pacing.
It’s what I’ve been doing since we got home.
I’m really worried.
And the longer I don’t hear from him the more worried I get.
I’m currently seriously contemplating stealing Damian’s phone, running off with Cooper, and getting to a location where I can call B’s cell.
My phone rings with a call from Mark at 1:26.
At this point, I’m not holding out much hope that he’ll tell me anything different.
In fact, knowing him, he’s probably going to give me shit for calling so many times while he’s trying to sleep off New Year’s Eve.
“Hey, Mark,” I answer.
“Keats?” B’s groggy voice asks.
“Brooklyn?! Where the hell are you?! Are you okay?!”
“I’m at Mark’s. I’m pretty hung over and you’re being really loud.”
That sets me off. “What the hell were you thinking? You had a party at your house? Did you know that Vincent was there?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Where’s your phone, B? Why aren’t you calling from it?”
“I couldn’t find it last night. I’m sure I just set it down somewhere.”
“Vincent texted me from it last night. He was there. In your house. Said he watched the music video there. Said your friends were saying things about me.”
“They were. I didn’t like it.”
“You didn’t like the video?”
“No, Keats. They were all slapping me on the back, making sexual comments. It upset me.”
“Why?”
“Why? Because they shouldn’t be talking about my girl like that.”
“Your girl?”
“You know what I mean. They all think we’re still together. Most of them were watching the live footage when I won.”
“I want you out of Malibu. Now.”
“I can’t. I’m meeting my mom on Tuesday, remember?”
“You need to cancel it. Or at least meet her somewhere else.”
“I’m not canceling. I already told her to meet me at Buddy’s at six. There will be lots of people there. Plenty safe. Are you still coming?”
“You seriously won’t change it?”
“I can’t. I promised.”
I let out a sigh to calm myself down. “Fine. I’ll be there. Let’s meet a few minutes early. We need to talk.”
“We need more than a few minutes, Keats. Why don’t you come in the night before. We can surf in the morning. Hang out. Chill. We need some time together.”
“Are you still drunk? Don’t you understand that Vincent got close enough to you last night that he was able to steal your phone? He. Was. In. Your. House. That should be freaking you the fuck out.”
“I don’t know, maybe. You’re right. I didn’t really think it through. I just know I have to see her.”
I close my eyes shut tight. “Tell you what. I’ll come in a little early and we’ll work out a plan that will keep us both safe.”
“Okay, Keats.”
“Go back to bed, B. I’ll talk to you later.”
I hang up the phone, cover my mouth with my hand, and scream into it.
“A little frustrated?” Cooper asks.
“Is that how you feel when you think I’m doing something stupid?”
Cooper just smiles and laughs at me.
I’m about to collapse in bed when Tommy calls my house phone.
“You weren’t answering your cell,” he says.
“It’s broken. Sorry. Hope I didn’t worry you.”
“I immediately called this phone, so I wasn’t worried yet. Hey, I have a big favor. Could you and Damian run over to Matt’s house and take Bad Kiki for a quick walk? The dog sitter just called and said she’s sick. Probably hung over.”
“Are you back in town?”
“Yeah, Moffet called and requested a meeting with Matt and me.”
“But it’s New Year’s Day.”
“I know, but he’s flying back to L.A. tonight and didn’t want to miss us. And, when the head of the studio requests your presence . . .”
“You get on a plane.”
“Yep. We left Nice at seven am. It’s going to be a long day.”
“We’ll be happy to walk the dog, Tommy.”
“Thank you.”
Damian and I pick up Kiki and take her to Central Park, with Cooper in tow.
Aiden offered to go with Damian, but I’m even more nervous about having him anywhere near either of us in public.
“I haven’t had a chance to check online with all the B stuff that went on, but have you heard anything about the video? Do people like it? Like the song?”
“Yeah, they do. We’ve gotten hundreds of thousands of hits already. It’s going to be huge.” He smirks at me. “I think a lot of the views are guys watching you over and over. Probably touching themselves.”
I smack him on the back. “Gross, Damian. They are not.”