by KT Strange
He straightens up in the chair when she comes back.
"Three minutes," she says. "Come on. I think you're done."
He smiles at her through the mirror. "Don't let the match near my hair," he says, and she rolls her eyes.
"You don't want anything to move while you're up there, do you?"
With a shake of her head, she leaves us. And he gets up, stretching. I get a slight peek of a treasure trail of hair on his stomach. And I resist the urge to rake my fingers through it. God, I'm such a different person than I was a month ago.
He bends down and presses a warm kiss to my lips.
"I'm so glad you're here," he says.
"I've missed you the last few days," I admit.
He sighs and runs his hands down my back, fingers working into my muscles. I groan and close my eyes.
"Well, maybe we'll spend a little bit more time together," he says. "What do you think about taking a vacation, just you and me, leave these suckers behind?"
I know he's talking about Vince and Everett.
"That might be nice."
"One minute," the stage manager comes over, headset on and clipboard in sight. She looks like a menace and I don't want to get between her and the show.
"All right, all right," he says, lifting up his hands in surrender. "Let's do this thing."
I settle myself into a seat in the front row off to the side, checking my phone as technicians run back and forth on the stage.
"In five," someone holds up their hand and the audience goes quiet. The host pair, two women who look more shellacked than even poor Kai's hair is, smile into the camera, saying their quick greetings - Shelly and Porky. I've never even heard of them, but there are screams from the audience. And I guess they have a big fan base.
I look around in surprise. And the cool hipster guy who comes sits next to me shoots me a sly grin.
"Never recorded a taping?" he asks.
I shake my head. I didn't really have a TV. Netflix, but no cable.
"Right," he says. "You've had quite a stratospheric change in societal stature, huh?"
I frown and look at him. What does that mean? How does he even know who I am?
I catch Kai's name on Porky's lips as he is introduced, and the crowd jumps to their feet, screaming as he walks into the room waving. My attention is dragged away. He is so fucking hot. There's a reason he has a room full of screaming women. And he sits down, leaning forward his elbows on his knees.
"So, Kai," Shelly says, "we're so happy that you could take time out of your busy recording schedule to meet with us."
He shrugs. "It's no big deal. I'm always happy to spend time," he replies, casual as anything.
I notice that he's looking a little paler than he did a few minutes ago. And I'm wondering if he actually had the guts to wipe his makeup off in the back room. He didn't seem like the kind of guy who felt like his masculinity was threatened by a little makeup and hair product. But even still, the artists had been excessive.
They ask him the usual questions about how the recording is going, his new album, what he thinks is the secret to his breakout success.
"Rock hard abs," he says with a wink. That gets the crowd screaming again.
"So, you don't have any shame, do you?" Porky says, and Shelly shoots her a look.
There's something in it that makes my stomach clench down and Kai laughs.
"Not really. I'm a rock star living that life."
Porky smirks, her look devious and almost evil. "Yeah, well, even most rock stars would never end up with a prostitute for a girlfriend."
The reaction of the crowd is instantaneous screams of, "Oh," fill my ears that are suddenly burning. The hipster guy beside me laughs, holding his chest. And Kai's mouth opens slightly as if he doesn't know how to respond to that.
All of a sudden, there's a camera in my face, bright light blinding me. And I wince, leaning back.
"That's right. You've even brought her here today. I hear you two had quite the steamy first encounter set up by your team, huh? Do you normally have to pay for sex?" Porky asks.
And now she just sounds mean. Shelly even looks shocked. Kai's face has transformed from light-hearted to lined with frowns, his eyes dark.
"Yeah, I'm not sure that's exactly what I want to talk about right now," he says.
Porky presses bright red lips together in a smirk. "So what's the official line of how you two met?"
Kai stares at her and then gets to his feet, "You know, I think I'm done."
He grabs his mic cable from his shirt and rips it off, dumping that and the box strapped to the back of his jeans right on the ground. He steps down off the stage and scans the front row before seeing me. I scramble to my feet ducking out from behind the camera, and he grabs my arm.
"Come on," he says. "Fuck this place."
The crowd is on their feet again, and a girl reaches for him. But he yanks me forward. A security guard steps in immediately between us and the crowd. And we dodge out through the side door as they're screaming his name.
My throat is choked with emotion, tight. And my eyes are burning. Assistants are running around like crazy backstage.
"Get the next guest! Get the next guest!" one says into her headset before a producer intercepts us. Kai holds up his hand.
"I don't want to fucking hear it," he says. "That was unacceptable. I don't know what you guys were thinking. I'm never going to do the show again."
"I'm so sorry," The producer blurts out, running a hand through his hair nervously. "We had no idea that she was going to go on that line."
Kai glares, "Oh, really? Then why was the camera guy prepared to shove his gear right in my girlfriend's face? Whatever, you guys are going to hear from my lawyer."
"You got everything?" he asks, turning to me.
"I—I," I stutter. "I'm good."
"Right," he says, "Come on."
We take the elevator. We're out in the studio parking lot where the limo is waiting for us. And he's silent on the ride back to the tower, furiously texting on his phone. As he gets out, he takes a call, not even looking at me.
"I don't know what the fuck they were thinking, but a live show? Doing that on a live show of all things?" he yells into his phone, obviously, talking to someone on his team.
I tag along after him. And when we get to his floor, he looks at me with a shake of his head, pulling his phone away from his ear.
"I got to deal with this. We'll talk later. Okay? Are you alright?"
Even if I wasn't all right, I'd have lied to him right then. He doesn't need to be dealing with my feelings on top of what he's going through. I'm not a public figure and I really don't care what people think about me. But I know he has an image and a brand.
"I'm fine," I say, really quickly. "Go, go deal with it."
He gives me a brief smile, walking towards his front door. It swings open and there's someone inside. Just as the doors to the elevator close, I see a glimpse of blonde hair and a gorgeous, stacked model woman stands there waiting for him. My heart swoops down into my stomach.
Who is that? But the doors close before I can say anything or ask him who she is. My breathing races as I'm taken up to my floor. And when the doors open, I stand there, not knowing what to do.
I'm tired of being passive and just letting life happen to me. I hit the button for his floor again and the doors sweep closed. And then I'm standing outside of his door, staring up at it, uncertain. I can't hear anything from the other side, but he's probably on the phone still with his team, demanding answers for what went wrong today.
So that woman, who was she? What's she doing in his apartment? A sudden snatch of impatient jealousy grabs at me, and I knock at his door. I wait for a long minute, but there's no answer. Should I text him? No, that seems crazy. I knock again and it rips open, the blonde woman standing there.
"You!" she says, eyes narrowing. "You can get fucked," she says.
I'm startled at her sudden aggression.
/> "I'm sorry?" I asked.
I'm immediately on the defensive and I've been feeling a little bit worked up. I'm like I want the answers to my questions just a few seconds before.
"Look, you've had your fun. And just so you know, Kai isn't yours and never will be. At best, he was on loan to you, you slut! And also, don't ever come around my kids ever again. I saw that happen. It's disgusting. He knows better than that and he knows better now. "
I stand there shocked like the world has exploded all around me. She sniffs, takes one more look at me, shakes her head, and slams the door in my face. I rock back on my heels. What the fuck is happening?
Twenty
Olivia
Sitting in my dark apartment, my gut turns over and over. I'm so sick in my stomach. Kai hasn't answered any of my calls or texts. And it's been hours. I don't want to go back down to this apartment and just be screamed at again by that crazy blonde lady.
I don't even know who she is. The only clue is that she said she'd seen me playing with her kids, which must mean she's Everett's sister. I don't want to check social media, I don't want to turn on the TV, and I don't want to ask Everett about what's going on because he would just take pleasure in seeing me so rocked. That cruel side of him is too deep.
And Vince thinks I'm an idiot for messing around with Kai anyway. Maybe he realizes that I was punching up out of my weight class.
I should never have come here. I should have stayed where I was. What was it that dragged me here? Money? I'm no better than they are.
Now I've possibly ruined Kai's career just by being who I am, for something that was beyond my control — being innocent and trusting. There's a cold spot in my chest that refuses to warm. I sit there shaking.
I pull out my phone and check my bank account. I'm sure if I leave, they'll cut the credit cards off. But I've been squirreling out money through cash advances for the last couple of weeks. The amount of money I have stashed in there gives me a little bit of relief. I could leave now and I'd be fine. At least it's enough for a couple of months to keep me on my feet until I get a new job.
It feels like I'm ripping out my heart to think about leaving. I really felt like I was starting to have a place somewhere and people I mattered to. How fragile was that reality that I'd created for myself, that I'd pretended was real?
Of course, Kai was only messing around with me. Everett was only interested in me for what I could give him. And Vince, I don't even understand him. I need to go talk to the CEO guy. I need to tell him I'm leaving. I don't care about the money. It's not worth losing my self-respect and being treated like dirt all the time.
I go into the bedroom and pack myself a small bag of the things I want to take with me. My black lace dress, I run my fingers over it and put it back in the closet. I'm not going to need that kind of thing. Not where I'm going back to my old life where the world is small and dull and gray.
I catch a look at myself in the mirror, and I don't even recognize myself anymore. Who is that strange sad woman? At least before I had Toby and a home that was my own and I didn't owe anybody anything.
Maybe I was lonely before. Maybe I had no family, and no friends, but at least I understood my place in the world, and things didn't feel so crazy all the time.
Hitching my bag over my shoulder, I ditch the elevator in case I run into Kai, or Everett's sister, or anyone else, and walk the several fights down to the communal floor. It's near empty as always, lights on as if someone's going to come in and make a big dinner or have a pizza party around that table, but never will.
How did I not see how empty this place was? How broken the people were inside of it? I was just star-struck by the bright lights, all the luxury around me. I was taken in by it, like an idiot.
I shake off the tears that want to fall, wiping them away. And I walk steadily towards his office. The door is cracked. But before I can knock, I hear his voice.
"Yeah, it was fucking brilliant. Exactly what I wanted to have happen. You do great work."
It sounds serious whatever he's talking about but in a good way. And I wonder if he'll be in a good mood when I tell him that I'm leaving. I'm not sure how that affects his planned departure from the company. Who knew it was as easy as bringing some sad little street girl into this building and putting up with her for a month to bring those three men to their knees.
His next words shock me and I stand there.
“Who knew it was as easy as bringing some sad little street girl into this building and putting up with her for a month to bring those three men to their knees?” He laughs, the words shocking me. What? He’s to really saying that. I must be hearing-
“It was that simple. Bring her here, and they’re at each other’s throats. I’ll walk with the whole damn company and leave them with nothing. And then we won’t have to worry with them getting wise. No… it’s to gonna happen, I tell you.”
He groans and I hear the sound of his chair squeaking, like he’s turning in it or leaning back.
“Fresh pussy always leads young idiots astray.” My whole body goes hot when eh says that, shame and… anger blowing up inside me
My lungs expand, but no air enters. It’s like I’ve been punched in solar plexus.
“He signed it without looking to deep, but we got him on a clause of conduct unbecoming,” he drawls. “Hooking up with a prostitute, having that kind of scandal blow open, that’s enough to yank his deal. Kai’s a fucking idiot, and he’s run his use to me. Hell, I’d have him dealt with if I wanted to bother spending the five grand.”
The way he says it. Dealt with. Dealt with.
I know exactly what he means, and the image in my mind of Kai, bullet hole between his eyes, head tilted to the side, sprawled in the backseat of a limo, makes me sick. My stomach turns and my head fills with liquid, a space, dizzy-feeling crawling through my body. Am I going to be sick, or will my knees give in?
“I’m sure Vincent would do it for free, if I gave him the right nudge-” He groans, and I hear his weight shifting, the leather of his chair squeaking. “Fuck, my sciatica. But that’s what I’m thinking. She’s the match, they’re the kindling, and that would neatly take care of my Vince problem. And if I have to, I’ll handle Everett like I did his mother.”
Acid bubbles in my throat, and I swallow it down. What is he talking about? He can’t mean what he’s saying. He can’t.
“Look, I’ve got to get going. Got a massage in thirty-” He breaks off into a laughter. “No, no happy ending. I’m waiting until I’ve got them all where I want them. It’s almost time. I’ll talk to you later.”
Chair wheels drag across the carpet, and I freeze as his door opens, and he sees me there.
His face goes from lazy, private smile to startled, then… it melts into anger.
“What’re you doing here?” He demands.
Oh. God.
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About the Author
KT Strange is an internationally best-selling and Top 100 Amazon author from the Great White North. After spending a decade in the music scene babysitting drunk rock-stars, she’s finally ready to settle down and write books inspired by her life on the road with bands and her love of everything paranormal.
Also she is rather fond of cats.
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