Senior Year Box Set

They concluded that because of my recent success as an Academy Award-winning actor, I was now trying to legitimize myself. If they knew me at all, they would have known that grabbing more fame wasn’t on my immediate to-do list. I might want to graduate from high school before I took on world domination.

I got up to use the bathroom. When I’d finished, there came a loud pounding on the door.

“Erika! Open this door right now! I know he’s in there,” Harry yelled from the hall.

I rushed over and flipped the safety latch and checked the deadbolt. Erika’s eyes were huge as she huddled on the bed.

“Go to the bathroom and lock yourself in,” I ordered.

I was glad when she followed my instructions. I then called the front desk.

“Please send security. Someone is trying to break into our room,” I said and gave them the room number.

I next called Paul.

“I have a situation …” I got out.

Harry’s voice rang out, ordering someone to kick the door in. I chuckled when one of them gave it a mighty kick, which was immediately followed by a cry of pain and a series of curses. Unlike cheap hotels in the States, they had substantial doors in this place for precisely this scenario.

When it didn’t sound like they would be able to break in, I gave Paul a summary of my situation. He said he would be right over and made me leave my phone on speaker so he could follow the action.

I quickly got dressed. While I had no desire to get into a fight in my dress clothes, it was better than taking on Harry and his mates in my boxers.

“Go get the master key,” Harry ordered someone.

What a dumbass. Even with the master key, he couldn’t get in if I didn’t want him to.

“Did you hear that?” I asked Paul.

“Sure did. I’ve made a call to the police since I’m not sure hotel security will actually protect you. I’m at the front door now. If you need to, barricade yourself in.”

It wasn’t that I was afraid of Harry and his friends. What concerned me was they might be willing to go four on one, or even worse, if Harry had his own security. No matter how hard I trained at the dojo, I might find myself overwhelmed if enough of them coordinated their attack.

Erika seemed to have fully comprehended the situation because she stormed out of the bathroom and quickly got dressed. She made a quick call to her own security.

“This is about to get out of control. Do you think you can calm Harry down?” I asked.

“Yes, I’ll take care of it,” she said.

I almost stopped her before she threw open the door to face Harry. His face was redder than a beet. I was more than a little concerned that he might hit Erika. She gave him and his cronies a glare that froze them.

“What exactly do you think you’re doing?” she asked.

He pointed at me.

“I’m saving you from him.”

I almost laughed when she looked confused. When I get nervous, I tend to do that. His expression as comprehension hit was priceless. Harry figured out the jig was up and that Erika had slept with me. He turned around and marched off. His minions followed him like little ducklings.

Just then, Paul burst out of the elevator to save me. He stepped aside to allow Harry and his entourage to get on and go to their floor.

Erika looked at me sadly.

“Sorry, but I need to go deal with all that.”

I shrugged.

“Okay, but we were just starting to get to know each other. I’d hoped that we might eventually get to a more balanced relationship, with, you know, actual conversation,” I said.

“I’d like that. The only problem is my life is … uh …”

“Complicated,” I supplied.

“Exactly.”

“I had a good time. I only wish you’d told me you were engaged.”

“In my mind, I wasn’t any longer, but I need to go make it official.”

“Okay. You do what you need to do, and I’ll see you around,” I said, not knowing what else to say.

“David,” Erika said as she touched my arm to stop me from leaving. “Thank you for last night. I’ve put my life on hold because of my obligations to my family. You showed me what I’ve been missing. You’ve helped me realize that I need to live my life for me and not what is expected of me.”

“My only advice is that you find a nice guy and take it slow. Don’t go wild and become a cliché.”

She kissed my cheek, and I let Paul lead me out of the hotel. It was good he was there because a whole new breed of paparazzi awaited me. The UK press had descended in droves. They made their American cousins seem tame. We almost got into a fistfight just walking across the street. I worried that Paul might not be enough if this continued.

◊◊◊

“Look who’s doing the walk of shame,” Ashley said with a big grin as I walked in the front door.

“Don’t even start,” I said, sporting a half-smile.

“Did you make it to Day 2 of the tournament?” I asked to change the focus.

“I did.”

“Give me some details,” I prodded.

It didn’t take much to divert her because she was having a great time playing cards. I was actually jealous when I saw the joy on her face. Then I remembered my day yesterday and decided that even though it didn’t turn out the way I expected, in the end, I was happy with what I’d done.