Stroke It Read online

  The woman huffed and walked back to her table. I rolled my eyes wondering how people got so entitled about their lives. Was this what it was really like to be rich? I couldn’t imagine treating a waitress so poorly. I quickly printed out her bill and walked it back to her table.

  I waited there while the table paid cash for their meal and walked away without another word. I picked up the cash and realized my inattentiveness had cost me my tip. I shook my head as I made my back up to the bar to complete their order in the system.

  When I got back, there was a group of waitresses crowded over a phone and laughing hilariously. Forgetting the bill momentarily, I went over to see what they were looking at.

  “Hey, what’s going on over here?”

  A girl named Shelley looked up and smiled at me. “Hey, I saw Mrs. Barclay rip you a new one. Don’t let her get to you. She’s always like that.”

  “She didn’t even leave me a tip,” I said with a smirk.

  “It’s just your punishment until next time. Just be at her beck and call, that’s what she expects.”

  “Wow, okay, I’ll remember that for next time. Though, I hope she sits in your section. Who needs that nonsense for a ten-dollar tip?”

  Shelley laughed “It’s the price you pay to work here. This isn’t the Kelsey crowd, my dear.”

  “No kidding. So, what’s up? Things seem to be more interesting in your section.”

  Another girl, Carol, piped up, “Oh, we are just watching another athlete tank his career.”

  “What? Who?” I asked.

  “Caleb Harris; he’s one of the pro golfers going to the majors this year. He just made an ass out of himself at a bar last night, and someone taped it and threw it on YouTube. He literally stripped down to his underwear, which happens to be from the company that sponsors him. It’s hilarious.”

  Shelley handed me the phone, and I watched as the golfer took off his clothes and danced around with a bunch of girls. The video was shocking and really embarrassing. I couldn’t imagine what would make him behave like a total idiot right in front of a camera. Was he too drunk to realize that it would be posted on the internet immediately? It was sure to be the most shared video on social media sites everywhere. I felt a burn of embarrassment, and it wasn’t even my life.

  I could imagine it, though; I was well acquainted with the celebrity world because that was the world I was trying to enter into. It could be very unforgiving. Caleb seemed completely out of control.

  I didn’t find anything funny about the video at all, in fact, it was actually really sad. He definitely did screw up with his sponsors, and for all anyone knew, they would drop him today. His career could be over, and everyone was laughing about it. I handed the phone back to them and shrugged. I didn’t have much to say.

  “Crazy, right?” Shelley said.

  “That’s not really funny, guys. That’s no different than the time Britney Spears shaved her head. There is so much pressure in their lives that they just snap. That’s obviously what happened to this guy. I don’t think he makes a habit of stripping down in a nightclub. Being a celebrity is a hard life – you are watched all the time, expected always to be on your best behavior, and that’s just not human nature.”

  Carol’s mouth dropped open. “You can’t honestly be defending this guy.”

  “We don’t even know him, and that’s half the problem with celebrity life. We judge these people, and for all we know, they could be having a mental breakdown. I just think that there is more to this story. I feel bad for the guy. Imagine the pressure he’s under all the damn time. How would you guys like to be publicly humiliated like that?”

  The girls laughed. “No, you have it all wrong, Hailey. You’re a good girl; this guy is not. He’s a playboy dick who is known for banging one chick after another without a care in the world. The only problems he has is that he has too much time and money on his hands. Videos like this just show that rich boys think they can do whatever they want and with no consequences. He’s probably laughing his ass off with his friends over the video, letting his rich daddy buy him out of trouble.”

  I shrugged. “Yeah, maybe.” I left the girls to their giggling over the video and went to complete the bill from the table. I added the money to the till, still bitter that four people had not thought to leave me a tip after the excellent service I had provided them. I worked really hard at my job. I wasn’t one to slack off or to ignore customers. I thought it was odd that it seemed the people with the most money were the ones that didn’t want to let go of it at all costs.

  I couldn’t get the video out of my head throughout the rest of my shift. I didn’t know why I felt so terrible for the guy. Maybe he was just some jerk womanizer who didn’t care about anyone else. But maybe there was more to the story. We’ve all done stupid things when we were drunk, just not all of us have cameras on us all the time. He must have woken up that morning with some serious regrets. Imagine how bad his day must have been?

  I just didn’t believe that someone would behave in that manner unless they were struggling with something. Just look at the celebrity world – some actors went through whole careers as shining examples, while other ruined their careers with drugs and alcohol, some having to go to treatment facilities. The Hollywood lifestyle took its toll on a person’s mental and physical well-being, even their marriages suffered from it. You especially saw it with the younger generations; fame can just be too much for some people.

  I had to wonder how fame would affect my life if I did make it to the big leagues. Would I be able to handle it with grace like Reese Witherspoon or Julia Roberts, or would I be another Lindsay Lohan? You just never knew what that kind of pressure would do to you. I could only hope that I would be able to handle all the expectations to be perfect, thin, and wonderful all the time

  I went from table to table with a smile on my face, greeting customers and bringing them what they wanted. I was in a daze, though, as I thought about my future and what sacrifices I was going to have to make in order to have the dream I wanted.

  Considering the price Caleb Harris was certainly paying for his celebrity status, I had to wonder if he thought it was all worth it in the end. Was this the kind of life he saw for himself when he went pro? I was starting to wonder if I really wanted to live a life in the spotlight. I had to wonder whether the price for fame was worth the risk. I couldn’t imagine people laughing at videos of me while I made public mistakes. The fact that the video was out there for the entire world to see was beyond my understanding. His mistake would always be out there, a public disgrace that could be thrown in his face for years to come.

  Chapter Seven

  Caleb

  I thought it was going to be just me and my parents, but it turned out that Dad invited some of his friends to dinner, as well. The table was buzzing with chatter and energy. The rich really knew how to talk and drink. It didn’t stop my father from going in on me, however. Embarrassing me in front of people was pretty common for him.

  I pulled my phone out of my pocket when I felt it vibrate. There was a text message from Matthew. Just the guy I wanted to kill for the night before.

  Matthew- Hey, man, saw that video. WOW! Your dad must want to kill u.

  I shook my head. Unbelievable. I typed back a message.

  Caleb- You’re dead. How could you let me do that?

  Matthew- Me?! How can u blame me 4 that? I didn’t even remember it happened until I saw the video. Sorry, man, we drank too much.

  Caleb- No shit, u have no idea the day I have had.

  Matthew- Sorry, man. I can just imagine. You put on quite a show tho lol ;) Sick boxers!

  I chuckled to myself. I wanted to kill him, but there was nothing I could do while I sat there with my parents. I wanted to blame Matthew, but he wasn’t my babysitter. I was the one who had acted like an idiot and allowed it to get taped. The girl I had taken home probably was hoping I wasn’t going to call her again after she watched that video. She was certainly a cele
brity now, as well. She was, after all, the one I was dancing with.

  Now, I would have to get a girlfriend because of my nonsense.

  I had considered getting one of my friends to do it, to just fake with me for awhile. It would be cool to hang with a girl I already got along with, but then I thought about who would want to do that all while in the public eye. I couldn’t think of anyone. And, it was out of the question for me to get a real girlfriend. I wanted no part of it.

  I had been thinking of hiring someone, like an escort…or better yet, an actress to help me with the situation. That way, she would not have to give anything up she could just look at it like a job. It made the most sense because it would work perfectly for the both of us. She would just be doing her job and would basically do as she was told. I could move around as I wished without worrying that some girl was going to fall in love with me. That was the last thing that I wanted.

  I was startled from my thoughts by my father’s voice. I slid my phone back into my pocket.

  “So, son, rumor has it you were doing a striptease at a club last night. I know there’s no such thing as bad publicity, but don’t you think you might be pushing it?” There were a few chuckles around the table, and I rolled my eyes. He had a smile on his face, but it wasn’t a friendly one. It was the one that he gave around company to convince them it wasn’t a fight they were seeing. He had no problem embarrassing me, but he didn’t want to make his guests uncomfortable.

  I decided to play along. I wasn’t about to let him embarrass me. “Well, you know Under Armour likes it when you show the world how much you love their product. They couldn’t say enough good things about the video. I’m sure you saw it, Grace?” I looked over at my mother’s friend and winked. She blushed and giggled at the same time.

  “It certainly was something to see, Caleb. But if you were my son, I would have killed you,” she said, wagging her finger at me. She was only joking, but my father was probably eating it up.

  “Well, it keeps Father on his toes,” I said.

  My father nodded as he took a sip of his brandy. “Caleb likes to push my buttons, and that’s okay. I just want to make sure that you’re focused for the majors, as they are right around the corner.”

  I sighed. “Dad, I have been practicing daily. Just because I go out to blow off some steam doesn’t mean my head is not in the game. It’s a hard game, and I remember when you used to drink after a game.”

  “Well, I was a PGA Tour champion; I’m allowed to blow off steam. When you get to the end, then we can talk about you blowing off steam.”

  “Curtis!” My mother glared at my father. “Maybe now is not the best time for this talk.”

  The whole table had gone silent, and I just slowly shook my head. I guess I shouldn’t complain about the whole thing; he was right. I was not the champion, and I didn’t even know if I was going to be that year. It was a lot to take when even your father thought you were a joke. How was I supposed to rise above that?

  “Sorry, Mom, the video was really stupid, and I definitely didn’t mean to embarrass you, at all.”

  My mother smirked. “Yes, well. That was certainly a sight; let’s just not repeat such things. Maybe it’s time you settled down and got rid of those partying ways.”

  I smiled; it was as if she read my mind. “Well, you never know, Mom.”

  The table then slipped into the regular business conversation, and I was thankfully forgotten for the time being. I worked on the lobster in front of me and got a few drinks into me. It was the only way I could get through the rest of the dinner. I had to be careful, though. My father would kill me if I got drunk over dinner. Besides, I needed to talk to him and would need my wits about me. I needed some help and didn’t know who else to go to. If anyone could get me out of trouble, it would be my dad.

  When dinner was over, the guests retreated to the study where there was more brandy. My father would sometimes pull out the cigars, and they would have a real time of it. The whole situation bored me to tears, but it was their routine. As the guests filtered to the study, I approached my father getting up from the table.

  “Dad, can I talk to you for a moment?”

  He nodded. “Yes, of course. What is it, son?”

  “I have a bit of a situation, and I’m not sure how to handle it.”

  He frowned. “You mean, aside from that epic stripper video I saw?”

  I cringed. The thought of my father watching that video was humiliating, to say the least. He must think his own son is a complete moron, and I was the only one he had. “I’m not going to live that one down, am I?”

  “I just don’t know why you have to behave that way. You’re a grown man, why are you acting like a teenager? I would expect this from a 16-year-old, not a 24-year-old. Do you think that people are going to take you seriously on the green after watching a display like that one?”

  I sighed, “I suppose not. It was a mistake; you don’t need to ream me for it over and over again. I fucked up; I get it. You act like I make my own personal videos every weekend.”

  “Well, let’s hope not. What situation are we talking about here then?”

  “Well, it’s sort of connected. What would you say about me hiring an actress to play my girlfriend for awhile?”

  “Why would you do something like that?”

  “I had a meeting with Under Armour today, and you can imagine how they felt about the video. They want me to portray a better image until the majors are over, and I’m sure you want the same thing. They suggested that I get a girlfriend and slow down the partying. Lay low for awhile, make people think things are different. What do you think?”

  My father looked at me with surprise, like he couldn’t believe what I was saying. I was waiting for a cutting remark from him, but it never came. Maybe he was so relieved that I was being forced to get my act together that he didn’t want to jinx it by insulting me further.

  “I think it’s a wonderful idea. A real grown-up decision. The last thing you need is for sponsorship to drop you when you are so close to the end.”

  “How do I go about doing this? Any ideas?”

  “I know a guy that can help you out with that. He sometimes works with acting agencies. He’ll work on it. I can’t imagine it would take more than a week.”

  “Great. Thanks, just let me know.”

  “You’re doing the right thing, son. Your career is very important. You never know; you might decide that you want to settle down.”

  I scoffed, “Let’s not get carried away. I’m more than happy being a bachelor.”

  My father laughed, “Okay, son; why don’t you join us for a brandy.”

  “Dad, I’m pretty exhausted. I’ve had a long day. I think I would just like to go home.”

  “Sure. Thanks for coming for dinner.”

  I nodded and quickly went into the study to say goodnight to my mother. She kissed me on the cheek and thanked me for coming. I wanted to get out of there as soon as I could. I was tired and wanted to be on my own. I was not impressed by how the day had gone at all, and it was all because of one night of fun. I should be the poster child for why you shouldn’t drink in access. I planned on strangling Matthew for not being my wingman. How could he let me strip and let people video it?

  I felt like shit, and it had to do with more than a hangover. My life was about to change big time, and there was no appealing aspect to it at all. The idea of having a girlfriend caused a shudder to take over my entire body.

  All I heard from my family was about the majors, not once did they even ask me how I was doing in my life. Was I happy? Did I even want to be doing what I’m doing? No, I just heard about how I better do this or that in regards to winning the championship. It was honestly enough to make me want to give up completely. Just for once, I would love it if my parents would talk to me about anything but golf, but that didn’t seem to be in the cards.

  What was worse was now I wasn’t going to be able to live my life like I wanted to for a
while. All my days of fun had just flown out the window. What the heck was I going to do with a girlfriend? I usually preferred women to come and go, not stick around. I had no interest in commitment or marriage. I just wanted to be left alone for the most part. A girlfriend. Great.

  Chapter Eight

  Hailey

  A week had passed, and I finally had the day off. I was planning on just lounging around my apartment for the day and doing some reading. Jillian had sent me on a few auditions that week, but I hadn’t received any call-backs at that point. I was starting to get antsy waiting for the next gig to come around.

  The bistro had been busy all week, so I had at least been able to keep my mind off things. But now that I was home alone, it was starting to get to me. Mandy was gone for the day at a writing conference, so I had the apartment all to myself. I thought about going out and doing some shopping; that always cheered me up, but I wasn’t sure how long it would be before I had another acting gig and funds were getting low. I was hoping that Jillian would be able to find me something big that I could sink my teeth into. With the right opportunity for me, it could always lead into something else.

  I was spread out on the couch reading Little Women for the twentieth time. I’d read it so often that I had it practically memorized; it was one of my favorite books. It always made me feel good to read it, and I loved all the period pieces. I had also read Pride & Prejudice a few times because I loved the story of love affairs that were complicated, but always turned out to be true love. It was possible that I was a hopeless romantic, but I certainly wasn’t going to apologize for it.

  I had a hot cup of coffee and was feeling pretty good when my phone rang. I dug around the couch for it, picking it up on the third ring.

  “Hello.”

  “Hailey, it’s Jillian.”