Protecting Lulu (Global Protection Agency)

by Jeffries, J. M.

  That was a lot to get off his chest. Clients weren’t supposed to be friends, they were jobs. He had the feeling that no matter when this job ended, Lulu would continue be a part of their lives. There would be no getting rid of her and returning to the high level of professionalism Noah expected of himself and his crew.

  Harrison took a gulp of water. “She’s really gotten under your skin, hasn’t she?”

  “She has not gotten under my skin,” Noah half shouted.

  “Then why are you protesting so much?”

  Noah ran a hand over his face. Why was he? Lulu was like the Pied Piper. She tooted her flute and everyone fell over themselves to please her. “There’s no future for Lulu and me.”

  Harrison’s eyebrows rose. “That’s a pretty big assumption to make.” He glanced down at his laptop. “When are you going to stop paying for your father’s sins?”

  “I didn’t know that I was.”

  “Lulu reminds you of your sisters, doesn’t she?”

  Noah placed the report he’d been holding down on the table. He watched Harrison carefully. One of the problems with having Harrison as a best friend was that, as a best friend he could say things that Noah never wanted to hear. He didn’t quite know what to say.

  “Do you think if she knew about the man who fathered me, she’d want anything to do with me? I’m the son of a murderer.”

  “Your past made you who were. Your step-dad made you who are. The fact that your real dad was an evil, murdering son of a bitch is always going to be apart of who you are. You could have turned out just like him, but you didn’t. You took a different road. You’re a good man, Noah.”

  “I’m a killer.”

  “But you’re not a murderer.”

  “There’s a difference?”

  “The job you did in Iraq was done under orders. If you didn’t kill them, they would have killed you. Or they would have killed someone on your team, or they would have killed innocents. You never took anyone’s life out of anger, only necessity. There’s no telling where this relationship with you and Lulu could go. Enjoy it. She’s a beautiful woman. She’s a lot of fun and seems to like you. And you like her. Why fight her? Why fight yourself?”

  “Romantic advice coming from a man who’s only been with one woman his entire life?”

  “I found Debra when I was fourteen and I was done. I’m efficient like that. If anything is interfering with the job, we will let you know.”

  “Smack me over the head if I need it.”

  “With pleasure,” Harrison said with a grin.

  Chapter Eleven

  Aiden sat in the conference room, legs crossed, hoping he looked innocent. He didn’t know why Noah and Harrison wanted to talk to him, but he felt a momentary chill as he tried to keep his emotions under control. He knew they’d been interviewing everyone who came in close contact with Lulu and it was only a matter of time before they got to him.

  He watched Noah read a piece of paper. He tried to figure out why Lulu was attracted to this man. She was falling hard for this one and Aiden wanted to know why. This man would never fit in Lulu’s world. He couldn’t imagine Noah having cocktails with Lady Gaga or dinner with the President. He started to giggle.

  Harrison looked at him, eyebrows raised. Aiden took a deep breath pulling the giggles back under control trying to assume a bland face. “I don’t know where Lulu keeps the rubber hoses.”

  Harrison grinned back, but Noah looked annoyed. Didn’t that guy ever lighten up? A person would think that being in Lulu’s company would prepare him for anything.

  “We just have a few questions.” Harrison studied him. “Why did you change your name?”

  That wasn’t the question Aiden expected. Should he be honest, or snarky? “Do I look like a Hector Benevides?” Snarky, he decided.

  “You don’t exactly look like an Aiden Montez.” Harrison replied. “Aiden Montez sounds so…so...”

  “Not from Norco, California. Did you know Norco is Horse Town USA? Do I look like a horse person?” In fact, he was a bit intimidated by horses when all his siblings were horse mad, something his parents had never understood. They’d been unhappy because he’d wanted to go to go the theater when they wanted him to shovel horseshit. Then he’d turned out to be gay. They’d never forgiven him for that last revelation.

  “No,” Harrison said. “Why did you change your name?”

  Aiden thought about how to answer the question. “I don’t like to tell this story, but I understand you need to know. I left because my family disowned me. I wasn’t the son they wanted and I didn’t want to stay on the ranch. I didn’t like getting dirty. Not only was I not going to contribute to their financial future, but I wasn’t going to contribute to the gene pool.”

  “Family can be difficult,” Noah said.

  “I created a new family for myself.” His family was growing now that E.J. and Mark.

  “With Lulu?” Noah asked.

  “Did Lulu tell you how we met?”

  “You met at NYU,” Noah replied.

  “Lulu saved my life, not only from a bully, but from myself. I was a little suicidal when I realized my parents and siblings refused to have me back. Lulu took me under her wing and taught me how to walk, dress, and to be the person inside of me who was afraid to come out. I owe her everything.”

  “Even that job with Naomi Campbell?” Noah asked.

  Aiden couldn’t help but give them the classic ‘duh’ look. “I was blinded by the glamour of working for her even though Lulu told me not to take the job. Lulu warned me she was hard on her personal assistants, but it was Naomi Campbell. How could I not want to work with her?”

  “Why are you special to Lulu?” Noah asked.

  Aiden knew this wasn’t a work related question. “At the time we met, we had a lot in common. We were going through the same thing.”

  “The same thing?” Harrison asked.

  “We were both at a point in our lives where we had decisions to make. I had to decide who I was and she had to decide what she was.”

  “You’ve lost me,” Noah said with a frown.

  Aiden tried to order his thoughts. How did he explain the relationship he had with Lulu? “For me, it was easy. I didn’t meet my parent’s expectations and so I basically said ‘screw you’. I had a four year ride to NYU and everything was paid for and all I needed was spending money. Lulu got me a part time job in the mailroom here at Bennington Media.”

  “You delivered mail?” Harrison said.

  “I sorted it at night. Made all the little piles look pretty.” He waved his hand. He’d had fun sorting mail. As long as everything was ready to go the next morning, no one checked up on him. When he was done sorting mail, he could study. Sometimes even Lulu worked with him. “Once she’d left her modeling career, she’d recognized the need to understand how her company worked from the bottom up.”

  “Really?” Noah said. “I have a hard time seeing Lulu sorting mail.”

  Aiden held up his hand. “We’ll get to Lulu in a minute. Right now we’re talking about Aiden.”

  Harrison’s lips twitched and amusement filled his eyes.

  “That’s how Aiden Montez was born.” Aiden and Lulu spent hours coming up with a name for him while they pulled mail out of the carts. “She even proposed to me once.”

  The shock registered on Noah’s face. “What?”

  Aiden rolled his eyes. “We had this elaborate plan to show my family how well I’d done for myself. I could almost picture myself as Hector Benevides-Bennington. The planning was so exciting, but if I’d snagged Lulu and her bazillions my parents might have wanted back in my life and I wasn’t having that.” He fluffed his hair. “Besides she always insists on being the pretty one.”

  Harrison burst out laughing. His laughter was so infectious, Aiden joined him and even Noah cracked a small smile.

  “What did Lulu need to reinvent?” Noah asked curiously.

  “She couldn’t ditch the name like I did. Lulu
is synonymous with …well…Lulu.”

  They both eyed him curiously waiting for him to continue.

  “Being born in Lulu’s life only leaves a person with two options. A person either coasts through life or shoots for the stars. Lulu’s no coaster. When I met Lulu she didn’t know what to do with herself. School was a safe place for her to make that decision. She’d have time to regroup while getting an education. She was reinventing what she was. One thing she discovered about herself is that she was more than just a pretty face and wanted to do something positive. She wanted to work in the family business, but on her terms.”

  “Everything is on her terms,” Noah said.

  Everything but you, Aiden thought. “Modeling wasn’t on her terms. She hated how she had to live her life to maintain her body.”

  “She didn’t need to be a model,” Noah said, “Why did she feel she had to be?”

  “Lulu loves to be worshipped and adored,” Aiden grinned. “She’s unashamedly vain.” As if he needed to explain.

  “That doesn’t answer my question,” Noah said.

  “From the outside looking in,” Aiden said, “the industry looks very glamorous. A model gets to wear beautiful clothes, they are all pretty and at the end of the day she can collect a hefty check. All she has to do is sacrifice her life. It’s sort of like making a deal with the devil. Lulu didn’t want it anymore.”

  “Did you know,” Harrison said, “that if something happened to Lulu you stand to inherit ten million dollars?”

  Aiden was so astonished he didn’t know what to say. He stared at Harrison. “You’re kidding me, aren’t you?”

  “No,” Harrison replied.

  Aiden blinked. “Ten million dollars!” That was a lot of cash. A hell of a lot of cash. What was Lulu thinking? She paid him well. He had a place to live, and she gave him a lot of freedom to do his job. “Damn her.” He didn’t need to be remembered in her will.

  He sat back to contemplate what she had done. He wondered if she’d left her best friend, Isabel Montgomery, money too. Lulu and Belle had been friends since seventh grade. Belle was a doctor with Doctors Without Borders and part of her charity was funded by the Bennington Foundation. Should he ask Lulu about Belle? No, he didn’t think he was supposed to know about the ten million dollars.

  As he thought about the money he started to feel better. Not because Lulu was leaving him money, but what the generous offer meant. Lulu intended Aiden to be a part of her family for the rest of her life. That level of profound trust humbled him. He wanted to jump up and find her and give her a big hug. Right after he yelled at her for giving the money to him. But then he thought, he wasn’t meant to know about the money.

  “If I wanted to kill Lulu for the money, trust me, I don’t have the patience to stalk her. I’d just get it done.”

  “We kind of figured that,” Harrison said, “but we wanted to talk to you anyway.”

  Aiden pursed his lips. He and little Ms. Moneybags were going to have themselves a long talk. “Are we done?”

  “Are you okay?” Harrison eyed him.

  Aiden pursed his lips. “Mmmhmm.”

  “Are you upset about the money?”

  “Just a smidge. Plus I have to deal with TCB today and trust me there isn’t enough Prozac, bourbon, and chocolate to deal with that woman.”

  “TCB?” Noah said suddenly alert.

  “That Crazy Bitch Bethany Forrester. You know, Jake O’Malley’s girlfriend. You met her at the premier. She horns in on Lulu’s action. Bethany thinks she can just walk off with Lulu’s man and then work for Lulu’s charity just like that.” He snapped his fingers. “They are having lunch today and there are wars that have taken less planning.”

  “Don’t like Miss Forrester much, do you?” Harrison asked.

  “Hate her,” Aiden replied.

  Noah and Harrison exchanged looks.

  “If something ever happens to Miss Forrester, we should probably take a hard look at you,” Harrison said.

  “I wouldn’t kill her, I’d ruin her career. If I could just find the right scandal I’d put an end to her with just a word.” Aiden snapped his fingers.

  “Jake is next on my list,” Harrison said with a glance at Noah.

  Noah nodded. He wrote something on his notepad and then glanced up at Aiden. “Thank you for coming in. We appreciate the enlightening experience,”

  “De nada, you’re welcome,” Aiden said. “Not a problem. Always happy to help.” He rose from the chair and walked to the door, happy to be gone. He needed to yell at Lulu.

  Lulu’s office was empty except for her secretary Maris who crouched in front of an open file drawer.

  “Where’s Lulu,” Aiden asked when Maris looked up from her filing.

  “She’s on the Interludes set. Some trouble with one of the actors. Be careful she’s riding her broom.”

  That’s good. He was getting out his flying monkeys because she was going to change that will today.

  Aiden took the elevator down to the set. Besides hosting her own talk show, she also filmed a TV show, Interludes, that was sexy enough only to be broadcast on cable. Aiden loved her talk show, but he adored Interludes. Lulu had wanted a show with a sexy plus size woman. It was one of the top rated cable shows in the nation. The lead actress, Chloe DeNova, was a plus sized woman and as proud of her curves as Lulu.

  Aiden entered the studio. The light outside the door wasn’t on which meant the cameras were not filming. Lulu stood in the center of the sound stage talking to the lead guest actor for the current episode. He looked mutinous as he glared at Lulu. In the background, Chloe stood holding a thick robe closed while tears dripped down her cheeks.

  Aiden approached carefully. He didn’t like the anger showing on Lulu’s face even as she maintained a façade of control.

  “Sweetie, you knew what this show was about when you accepted the role,” Lulu said calmly.

  “I can’t find my motivation,” the actor said almost smugly. He was handsome in a slick, almost too perfect manner. Blond hair fell over his forehead giving him a vulnerable look. The pout on his lips was probably supposed to disarm Lulu, but Aiden knew she wasn’t charmed by his act.

  “You mean a paycheck isn’t enough?” Lulu asked.

  “Look at her.” The actor pointed at Chloe. “How can anyone be turned on by that?”

  Oh no! Aiden thought. He braced himself for Hurricane Lulu.

  Lulu placed her hands on her hips. “Sweetie, you should go. I think you should call your agent and let him know that you won’t be paying him his commission.”

  “What the fuck?”

  “Do you want a check for doing something you find morally repugnant? People will call you a whore.”

  The actor lifted his chin defiantly. “I’m not afraid of you. I don’t like fat women. What man does?”

  Ian stepped up to him, grabbed the actor by his wrist and twisted. “I like them. Now apologize. You’ve offended every person here.”

  The actor stumbled to his knees, lips pressed together tightly. He glared at Ian but refused to say anything.

  “Apologize to Ms. Bennington and Ms. DeNova,” Ian twisted harder.

  “Sorry.”

  “Not good enough,” Ian said as he twisted the actor’s arm.

  Lulu put her hand on Ian’s arm. “Let him go. You can’t break his wrist, he’s going to need his hand for flipping burgers.”

  Ian let go and the actor stumbled forward, but caught himself on the arm of a chair. He stumbled away without looking back.

  “Thank you, Ian,” Lulu said.

  “He’s lucky Noah wasn’t here,” Ian said.

  Lulu turned to comfort Chloe. Leading her off the set, Aiden followed. “Aiden,” Lulu said, “run over to the commissary and get Chloe some chocolate, please. You know the ones she likes. Those white ones with the caramel inside.”

  “Before I do that, we need to have a little talk.”

  “Oh dear,” Lulu said, finally looking at A
iden. She settled Chloe in her dressing room. Lulu stepped out into the hall and eyed Aiden. “That’s your ‘I’m angry with Lulu’ face.”

  Aiden crossed his arms over his chest. “Ten million dollars worth of angry. Really?”

  Her eyes widened. “Do you think it’s not enough?”

  “It’s ten million too much.” She paid him well and helped him invest his money wisely. He didn’t want to be dependent on anybody and the fact that she’d written this into her will bothered him. “Did you rewrite your will because you’re afraid the stalker will get you?”

  “No,” she said. “The provision has been in my will for a couple years. Who’s going to take care of you if something happens to me?”

  “I don’t need you to take care of me. I’m all grown-up now. I think I’ll manage. I want you to take me out of your will today.”

  Lulu tilted her head at him. “No. It’s my money and if want to leave some to you, I can. There is absolutely, positively nothing you can do to make me change my mind.” She crossed her arms over her chest, mimicking him.

  He turned over in his mind what to do. “I could quit,” Aiden threatened. That was a hollow threat. He’d never leave Lulu. He could probably just donate the whole amount to charity. But then again, he would never need to worry. Nothing would happen to Lulu. She was indestructible.

  “No you won’t,” Lulu said her lower lip quivering. “You love me. You would never abandon me.”

  “Lulu, what am I going to do with you?” She could be so frustrating. He almost felt like he understood Noah.

  She patted his arm. “Sweetie, we’re together forever. Regardless of whether you want to be or not. We’re like Hermes and purses. Chocolate and truffles. Christian Louboutin and shoes. Now, you go along and get Chloe some nourishing chocolate.”