When we got home, I went to bed early. The shopping had worn me out. As usual, I thought about him. I thought about everything Ashton had said. I knew he was right. Jay was a good man deep inside. Unfortunately, that asshole exterior made it difficult to see that man sometimes.
But then I remembered the expression on his face after I finished playing the piano that night. He looked different. It was a glimpse of the man under the tough outer layer. He’d been moved. Not a lot of men could or would admit they were moved by a piano piece. Especially men like Jay.
I hated that I was falling for him. I knew that was happening. I needed to stay away from him, but when he texted and said we were going to London, I practically jumped at the chance. I was excited to be with him.
That was going to be my downfall.
Chapter 33
Jameson
Ashton was stomping around the office looking like someone pissed all over his Cheerios. I tried talking to him earlier, but he damn near bit my head off. I figured I would give him some time to get some coffee in him. Sometimes people just had off mornings. Been there, done that.
I needed to ask him about an issue, but I found myself holding back. Then I realized how stupid that was. He worked for me. I shouldn’t have to tiptoe around him and his shitty attitude. I sent him a text and asked him to come to my office when he got a chance. The response I got was borderline illegal. It was definitely a fireable offense.
I headed down the hall to him. “What the hell is going on with you?” I asked. It probably wasn’t the smoothest, most tactful way to inquire about his mental health, but it was the best I had.
“Nothing,” he snapped. “I’m busy trying to get all this shit ready for London. Then you’ve got every fucking contractor in Greece calling me to put in bids on a property I didn’t know you bought.”
“I didn’t buy a property. I put out a couple of feelers.”
“You might want to tell them that. They are flooding my email and voicemail. You need to hire a project manager. I told you last time I cannot take on any more shit.”
“You’ve obviously got something else going on,” I said. “Want to tell me what it is?”
“As if you give two shits.”
“All right, I’m going to step out and get some coffee. I’ll add a shot of something to yours. It might help lube that stick you’ve got shoved up your ass.”
I left before he could say anything. I had never seen him so pissed. He’d certainly never treated me like that. It was as if he completely forgot I was his boss. I was going to chalk it up to a bad day and do my best to help him through whatever was going on in his head.
I walked out to the breakfast truck that was always parked outside the building, despite the owner having been told to move at least ten times. I personally loved his coffee and the fattening egg sandwiches he sold. I didn’t care if his truck was a health violation. The sandwiches were damn good.
I ordered two sandwiches and two coffees before going back inside. I was hoping my peace offering would be enough to get Ashton’s head right.
I carried my bounty into his office and put it on his desk before taking a seat in the chair. “Did you and Paislee get her some outfits for the London trip?” I asked casually. I was hoping that was a safe topic.
He shot me a glare. “Yes.”
“Did she seem excited about the trip?”
He didn’t look up from the computer. “She seemed to understand her place in your world as your prop.”
“She isn’t my prop.”
“You’ve made her an accessory to your lie.”
“Have something to eat,” I said and pushed the sandwich toward him. “I think your blood sugar is low.”
“My blood sugar is just fine. I sent over your itinerary for London. Review it and let me know if it is acceptable. You have a meeting at two with your realtor. Then you’ll need to sign off on those invoices I left on your desk.”
“Why don’t you just tell me what’s got your panties in such a tight knot?”
He stopped typing and looked directly at me. “I’m working. I’m doing what you’ve told me to do. Is there somewhere in my employee contract that indicates I have to humor you? That I have to be your friend?”
I flinched at his harsh words. He had never spoken to me like that. “Is this about Paislee?”
“It is about you and your complete inability to see her for who she is. It is your willingness to treat someone like your personal toy to be used and played with when you are in the mood. It is your complete disregard for her feelings.”
I stared at him for several seconds before I got to my feet. “You know what, Ashton? I don’t know what she told you while you two were on your little shopping spree that I funded, but if you prefer to hang out with Paislee, why don’t you go work at the grocery store with her? I know her boss pretty damn well. I’m sure I can pull some strings and get you in.”
Ashton looked furious. “That’s what I’m talking about!”
“What?”
“She doesn’t work there anymore. She quit. Today is her last day at the store!”
“What? It is? Why?”
“If you were a decent man, you would know why!”
“How in the hell is this my fault? Did she get fired?”
“No!”
“Then why in the hell are you pissed at me?”
“Because if you were doing more than trying to get your dick wet, you would know what’s happening in her life! All you care about is you and what you need. You only care about what she can do for you. Have you even tried to check in on her? Do you ever call or text her just to say hello or is it only when you want something from her?”
I shook my head. I felt like I was missing something big. “It’s a business arrangement. I don’t check in on her because she’s an adult, and half the time, I’m pretty certain she doesn’t like me!”
“Business? You think having sex with a woman is business?”
I flinched. “She told you?”
“She didn’t have to. I’m not an idiot. I know you and how you operate. She was an innocent, young woman and you took that for your own benefit. It’s disgusting. It’s reprehensible.”
“You can think what you want, but you don’t know shit about shit.”
“Don’t I? I’ve probably spent more time talking to her and getting to know her than you have. I’ve taken the time to learn about her and what she likes.”
“I have spent a lot of time with her. I know what she likes.”
“Really? Name one thing?”
“She likes art!” I shot back. I was proud to know that about her. I bet he didn’t.
He rolled his eyes. “That was hard.”
“She likes music. She plays the piano like a goddamn trained pianist. She loves to hum when she thinks no one is listening. She writes music in her head all the time. She jots little notes down on scraps of paper and napkins. Single words and sometimes phrases. I suspect she uses them for her lyrics.”
That put him in his place. He seemed just a little impressed. “If you know those things about her, then you should know she hated working at the grocery store.”
“Well, duh, that’s not hard to figure out. Is that why she quit?”
“She quit because she finally got a job she actually wanted.”
“Which is?”
“Teaching piano.”
“Oh,” I said with surprise. I didn’t know that was a job she wanted. I supposed it made sense, but I had no clue she was searching for a new job. “She was adamant she keep her job at the grocery store. I had to give her boss courtside tickets so she could keep it.”
“She needed to keep a job. Not everyone was born with a silver spoon in their mouths.”
That was a low blow. He’d never said such a thing before. “Do you want to tell me why you are pissed at me? Like really pissed. She got a new job. I don’t know why that’s a bad thing or why you would be pissed at me about it.”
&nb
sp; He threw his hands in the air. “Fuck this and fuck you.”
He walked out of his office, leaving me standing in the middle of it with my mouth hanging open. “What in the hell?” I said aloud.
I expected him to come back in. Ashton had been with me for five years. He was the one that stood by me after my father retired and it was my turn to step up to the plate. I never would have made it without him. He kept me grounded and kept me sane. He kept me on the right track and always had the right advice at the right time.
Did he just walk out on me?
I couldn’t believe that. No way. Not Ashton. He was as solid as they came.
I walked out of his office and into the breakroom. I really thought he would be in there. I wasn’t going to chase after him. I had too much pride to do that. Instead, I went back to my office and gently closed the door.
I sat down at my desk. I was in shock. Ashton had never spoken to me like that. I knew it was her. She had turned him against me. What did she say to him?
He was acting like I did something horrible to her. The only thing I could think was she told Ashton I took advantage of her. Did she tell him she came into my office and pushed herself on me? Granted, I was a very willing participant, but she had been as well.
I rubbed a hand over my face and tried to focus on the stack of invoices on my desk. Maybe I had pushed him too far with the workload. He did a lot of work for me, but he always seemed like he was okay with it. The nagging to sign the invoices felt more playful than real. If that was bothering him, I would sign the damn things.
I kept my ears open, listening for his return. After an hour, I knew he wasn’t coming back. Ashton rarely took a lunch, and when he did, it was just to run down to grab a sandwich. I left my office once again and did a lap around the floor. I was pretending to be casual as I searched for him. I didn’t want it to look like I was looking for him. That would give him the satisfaction of knowing he shook me up a little with his dramatic exit.
When I didn’t see him, I went to reception. “Hey, Marge,” I said with my most disarming smile. “Did Ashton say when he would be back?”
She looked nervous. “No, sir. He told me to forward your calls to your voicemail.”
“He’s not coming back today?”
“I didn’t get the impression he was.”
“He must have mentioned that and I didn’t hear him,” I said and walked away.
I wouldn’t let the rest of the office staff know there was trouble. Ashton was my right hand. I was the captain and he was the co-captain. Without him, I knew we were on a sinking ship. The entire staff would know that as well.
I couldn’t risk rumors flying around and getting back to my dad. He still had a handful of loyal followers working in the office.
If my dad caught wind of the trouble, he’d be down here in a heartbeat. I needed to fix this before it became a real problem, and I knew exactly where I was going to start.
I grabbed my wallet and keys and headed for the door.
“Sir, are you leaving for the day?” Marge asked.
I thought about it for a second. “I am. Transfer calls to appropriate departments. Anyone that has to talk to me can be directed to my voicemail.”
She looked nervous as she nodded. “Are you feeling okay?”
I forced a smile. “I think Ashton and I came down with something,” I said. “We’ll be back tomorrow.”
I knew exactly what our affliction was and I was going to find the cure.
Chapter 34
Paislee
The cheesy music coming through the speakers overhead did little to drown out the beeping noises of the registers all around me, but it soothed me. I found myself smiling. It was a real smile, not my usual forced smile.
I was happy because today was my last day.
I hoped I never had to scan another barcode in my life. I hoped I never had to explain to the little old lady from down the road that coupons from twenty years ago simply didn’t work.
I had found my ticket out of the mundane world of being a grocery checker. This was my chance to do something I loved. It wasn’t as many hours, but it was a small bump in pay. I hoped I could do well enough to impress my new bosses.
There was a little anxiety about leaving a job I had security at. I was going to leave on good terms, just in case I had to come crawling back. I was pretty sure my coworkers were up to something, but I couldn’t know for sure. They’d all been acting sneaky all day.
When I finally got the go-ahead to pull my till, I practically ran for the back office. I was so excited to say goodbye to this life.
My till was damn near perfect. It was the perfect sendoff for me and ensured I wouldn’t be deemed non-re-hireable. I headed for the breakroom to grab my purse for the last time. I opened the door to find a big cake on the table with several balloons with good luck phrases.
“You guys,” I said when I looked at the women I had worked with for the last year. “This is so sweet.”
Betty gave me a hug. “I’m so proud of you, young lady. You are going to be a big superstar one day.”
I laughed, fighting back tears. “I’ll be happy to just play music. I don’t need the wealth and fame.”
“Then I’ll take it,” she said with a laugh.
“Deal.”
“You’ll have to come back and visit us,” another coworker said.
“I will do that,” I lied. They knew I was lying. The grocery store was too expensive for the people that worked in it. None of us lived in the neighborhood. I had no reason to ever come back this way. I didn’t belong on the upper east side.
“I’m going to miss seeing your smiling face and listening to you hum,” Betty said. “Go and make music. Fill the world with your music!”
“I’ll do my best.”
We ate cake and hung out thirty minutes after our shifts were over before we all said our goodbyes. It felt like I was leaving a part of me behind as I strolled through the store with the shelves neatly stacked and organized. This was the end of this chapter in my life. It was time to start a new one. It was always a little scary to take a new job, but I knew this was the right one. It was time.
I walked out of the store and immediately saw him. “Son of a bitch,” I muttered.
I was having such a good day. Why did he have to come along uninvited? I thought about walking right on by without giving him the attention he was seeking, but he would chase me down.
“What do you want?” I asked him with a sigh. “I’ve had a long day and I just want to go home. We don’t have to leave for London for a few more days.”
“I want to talk to you,” he said. Judging by the set of his jaw, it wasn’t going to be a pleasant conversation.
“Send me an email like you would any of your other business associates.”
“This isn’t funny, Paislee. Please get in the car.”
“No.”
“Get in the fucking car,” he hissed.
I spun around and stomped back toward him. I stopped directly in front of him with my nose a mere two inches from him. “No.”
“Fine, we’ll have this conversation right here in the parking lot for everyone to hear.”
“Suit yourself.”
He thought he could embarrass me in front of the people I worked with. Little did he know, I wouldn’t see these people again. He could say what he wanted. I didn’t give a shit. I had a new job.
No one needed to tell him my new job could be attributed to him in a way. He had given me the confidence to put myself out there. One little song in a ballroom full of people and I was acting like I was a pianist.
“What did you say to Ashton?” he snapped.
“Ashton? What are you talking about?”
“He is pissed off at me and ended up walking out because of what you said to him.”
I shook my head. “I didn’t say shit to Ashton.”
“You sure as hell did. Did you twist the story to make yourself look like an innocent vic
tim in all of this? The way he tells it, I took advantage of you and tied you naked to my bed.”
Okay, that was a little embarrassing. I didn’t miss the scowl from the mother walking into the store with her two young children. “You did take advantage but I did not tell him that.”
“Why would you tell him anything?”
“Technically, I didn’t. Bella did.”
“Holy shit, Paislee. Are you blabbing our private business to the entire world?”
“That’s a little dramatic,” I said.
“Why are you butting your nose into my business?” he spat the words. “This thing we have is a business arrangement.”
“Is that what you are calling it?”
“Yes! What else would it be?”
“Look, you figure out what’s going on with Ashton. That’s not my problem. I didn’t say or do anything.”
“He’s pissed at me because he thinks you’re not being treated right!”
I shrugged my shoulders. “Again, not my problem. You need to work that out with him.”
“I’m trying! He won’t listen.”
“Gee, I can’t imagine why,” I said and folded my arms across my chest. “You’re such a reasonable, sensible man. I know how much I’m enjoying this conversation. I bet he is just dying to work for you again. I mean, who wouldn’t want to be your bitch?”
“He is not my bitch!”
“Then stop treating him like he is!”
He flinched. “Did you tell him that? Did you tell him I mistreat him?”
“Newsflash, asshole. People don’t need to be told what’s happening right in front of them. They can see it for themselves.”
“I don’t mistreat him,” he said. His voice was low and dangerous. “I don’t mistreat you. I don’t know what the two of you have going on, but this whole thing stinks. I haven’t done shit to either one of you.”
“I suppose you’re the victim now.”
“I’m not a fucking victim, but I’m not the bad guy either. Tell him I didn’t pressure you into anything. Explain to him it was you who attacked me in the office the other day. Tell him I asked you several times before we did anything, and you said yes, yes, and yes. Stop trying to turn him against me.”
Pay Up Hot Stuff: A Billionaire Fake Fiancée Romance Page 21