by Fields, MJ
That was quite a depressing thought.
By the time Mady made her way back to the kitchen table, I’d found what I was looking for. “Nowhere in here does it state that you have to promote them. It only goes over what’s expected of you and the terms of your compensation, which is solely dependent on the success of your part. I’ll give them a call just to be safe, but based on the verbiage, it doesn’t sound like you’re obligated to do anything, it’s more of a request for you to post and what you’ll gain in return.”
“So you don’t think I’ll get in trouble if I back out?”
I reached across the table and grabbed her hand, giving it a light squeeze of reassurance. “No, nothing like that. I promise, Mads…I’d get it taken care of. You won’t have to post any pictures of you wearing that swimsuit.”
“Thanks, Finn. You have no idea how much that means to me.”
The way she regarded me as if I were her hero, or like I’d just saved her life, made it difficult to pull my hand away from hers, and even harder to break eye contact. Once again, this was a new side of Mady Russo I hadn’t seen before. Not the shy girl, and definitely not the confident beauty queen. In this moment, she reminded me of a terrified puppy, shivering in the corner during a thunderstorm. And as surprising as it was, all I wanted to do was scoop her up and calm her fears.
However, that would be beyond inappropriate, so instead, I packed up my things and left.
* * *
“So you still don’t know why she’s refusing to do the bathing suit deal?” Kyle stood in his kitchen, stirring something on the stove, while I sat at the breakfast bar keeping him company.
This was our Saturday night.
We’d grown up to be such badasses—Kyle, acting all domesticated, cooked dinner while we casually discussed my boss’s teeny tiny bikini and her decision not to wear it. Really, everyone should be jealous of us.
“Nope. Not a clue other than it’s too revealing.”
“Since when is that an issue? Whatever happened to that old saying, if you got it flaunt it?” He ducked down to check the pan he had in the oven and then popped back up to continue stirring the sauce on the stovetop. “I thought women her age—especially ones who look like her—gravitated to that kind of thing. The skimpier the better, am I right?”
I laughed, shaking my head at the shit that came out of his mouth. “Trust me, it took me by surprise as well. I mean, when I say she looked smokin’ hot…I’m not kidding. If she weren’t my boss, or if I didn’t care about this job, then I would’ve pulled out all the tricks I have up my sleeve.”
Kyle knew better than anyone that if I set out to get a girl, I’d get her. Granted, that didn’t mean I could keep her once the sun came up, but that never stopped me from taking what I could get. And since he was happily married, he’d spent the last ten years living vicariously through me—well, minus the short time I was married.
“Yet that didn’t stop you from getting her out of it. What’s wrong with you? Couldn’t you have just told her that it was a legally binding contract, and that she had to go through with it? If word gets out about what you did, men all over the world will be grabbing their pitchforks and coming for you.”
I closed my eyes and thought about the look on her face, the sheer panic in her eyes, and with a slow exhale, I once again felt at peace with my actions. As much as I would’ve loved to have a photo that I could pull up anytime I wanted to see her in that swimsuit, I knew it was in her best interest to ensure no photo of her in it would ever see the light of day. At least I still had the memory of her walking out of her room, her tits barely covered, ass on display, and those hips…
“Regardless, I would be a shitty assistant if I didn’t do what she wanted.”
He glared at me for a moment, letting his disappointment be known, and then reached into the cabinet below him.
“Are you seriously using another pan?” There was a reason we’d only lived together for a short amount of time, and this was it. He had a bad habit of using every available utensil while cooking…and then not cleaning a single one when he was done.
“Now you’re starting to sound like Marissa.” He raised his middle finger while continuing what he was doing. “Unless you’re washing up, you’re not allowed to make any comments.”
“Well, we both know you won’t be cleaning the dishes, and Marissa isn’t here at the moment, so someone has to come to her defense.”
He dropped his head back and let out the most feigned diabolical laughter I’d ever heard. “It doesn’t matter how much you defend her, Finn, she’ll never leave me for you.”
It was an ongoing joke between us. I’d made it no secret that I thought she was an amazing woman, but in truth, I only cared for her as my best friend’s wife. She truly was a saint for putting up with him for so long, but that was one of the reasons I idolized their relationship so much. She worshiped the ground he walked on, and he would move heaven and earth just to make her smile.
Their love was truly something to be admired.
I definitely strived to have a relationship like theirs someday.
Before I could formulate a witty comeback, my phone began to ring, vibrating along the counter in front of me. It only took one glance at Mady’s name displayed on the screen for me to snatch it up, answer it, and hold it to my ear as if I’d been waiting a lifetime for this call.
“Finn?” Her tear-filled voice all but stopped my heart.
I quickly slid off the barstool and turned my back to Kyle, as if facing him would somehow keep me from hearing what she had to say. “Is everything all right?”
“I hate to bother you this late on a weekend, but I need you. It’s so bad.” Her words became sobs, making it almost impossible to understand what she was trying to tell me. All I was able to decipher was that it was bad—whatever “it” was—and that she needed me.
That was all I needed to hear.
“Where are you?” I asked while frantically searching Kyle’s house for my keys, which inadvertently turned out to be in my pocket, something I discovered when I tried to find my phone—the one I had pressed against my ear. Fuck! There was something about the sound of Mady’s tears that left me lacking in the braincell department.
“M-my house.”
“Okay, don’t go anywhere. I’m coming over.” Despite wanting to stay on the line with her until I got there, I wasn’t a 9-1-1 operator, so I hung up and ran to the front door, shouting my goodbyes to Kyle over my shoulder.
I didn’t have to worry about that offending him; he knew I’d fill him in on everything the next time we talked or saw one another. And if it was important enough, he’d hear from me sooner rather than later.
As I drove, a million things of what could’ve happened crossed my mind. I worried about that fucker coming back and hurting her, which did nothing but make me so angry I could barely see straight. Aside from that, there was no telling what had sent her into a panic, but either way, I wouldn’t know until I got there.
I couldn’t seem to drive fast enough, not giving a shit about speed limit laws.
When I finally made it to her house, I ran up the walk to the front door and immediately began to pound my fist against it. “Mady, it’s me. Open up.”
Rattling came from the other side, and then a split second later, she had the door unlocked and flung open. Her red, blotchy face gave away how long she’d been crying, and it took every ounce of strength I possessed to keep from gathering her up in my arms and holding her to me until I was sure she was okay.
Unlike yesterday, she waited until I stepped in before walking away, leaving me to close the door and follow behind her. But rather than sit at the kitchen table, she led me to the couch. I took a seat next to her and quickly glanced over her to make sure she hadn’t been physically harmed. Aside from the bloodshot eyes and tear stains, I couldn’t see anything unusual.
“Thank you for coming, Finn. I didn’t know who else to call.”
I placed my h
and on her knee and asked, “What happened? You’ve had me worried. I didn’t know what I was going to walk into when I got here.”
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to freak you out.”
Incredulous laughter bubbled out before I could swallow it back down. “You called hysterically crying, telling me you needed me and how bad it was. Of course I’m going to worry. But don’t ever apologize for calling me. I’m just glad you’re physically all right.” I leaned a little closer and met her glassy stare. “You are, aren’t you?”
“Yeah. I mean, I’m not bleeding or dying, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“Then what is it? What could be that serious?”
With the sleeves of her sweatshirt pulled over her hands, she wiped her tears and turned toward me. Tucking her feet beneath her, she sat sideways on the sofa and said, “Gia posted something on social media and tagged me in it.”
I tried not to bulk. That’s it? She called me over here in a panic all because of a dumb social media post? I couldn’t think of anything supportive to say, so I stayed quiet and waited for her to continue.
“You probably think it’s stupid.”
I’d never been in that kind of spotlight, so I didn’t exactly have any room to judge what was considered a big deal in this type of situation. I’d only been on the job one week, which clearly wasn’t enough time to gain a complete understanding of the influence social media has over someone like Mady.
I grabbed her hand and then held it on my thigh; it was the only way I could think to show her my support. Words would only take me so far. “I don’t even know what was posted to even have an opinion. Why don’t we start there?”
“Earlier today, we were texting each other, just joking around about some of the programs we like to watch together. They’re true crime shows—there’s like a million different ones, but they’re all basically the same. Anyway, I’d made a comment about how they all have attractive actors and actresses who play the real-life people, but then, at the end, they show a picture of what they actually look like, and most of the time, they’re not good looking at all.”
“Oh-kay…” I dragged out that one word, more confused now than when I first sat down. “I’m not following. What’s the issue here?”
“Well, she took a screenshot of our messages and posted it on her account, and then tagged me in it. It’s been shared by some of my followers, and now everyone’s saying really mean things about me that aren’t even close to being true.” Tears began to track down her face again, and it was a struggle not to dry them for her.
I could somewhat grasp what the problem was now, yet I still needed a bit more to understand the full picture. There was no way I’d be able to help without knowing all the details. Since she didn’t seem capable of putting the facts in order, I was left to dig for the specifics. “What are they saying?”
“That I’m shallow and disrespectful, which I’m not. I take pride in who I am; I’m always sincere and mindful of feelings. They’re totally twisting my words. I never meant anything bad by it. I was only making a joke about how the actors never look anything like the people they portray, or they’re better versions of themselves. It was a private conversation between me and my sister, and now, who knows how many people have seen it and twisted it around to make me sound like some kind of insensitive bitch who judges people based on their looks. That couldn’t be further from the truth.”
I had to admit that, when she’d first mentioned what she wrote in her texts to her sister, my initial thought was along those same lines. But now, hearing her side of things, I no longer believed that to be true. How many times in life did things get twisted into something worse? I still didn’t know her well enough to say for sure that she hadn’t meant it that way, but I was pretty confident that her comments had been innocent. We all let our guards down amongst those we trust.
“How did you find out about this?” I remembered Mady telling me earlier that she never read the comments that were posted on her pictures, so there was no telling how long this had gone on before she’d caught wind of it.
“My friend Julie called and told me. But she doesn’t have a clue how to fix it. You’re the business guy. You’re the people person.” Her face scrunched up again, right before another wave of tears rolled down her blotchy cheeks. “What am I supposed to do, Finn?”
Instantly, I went from her friend and supporter to her assistant. “Show me the post.”
Seven
Mady
I was frantic, absolutely convinced that I would never be able to come back from this, especially without the Beach Babes deal. But if anyone knew what to do, it was Finn. He always seemed to have a level head when problems arose. Which was why he had been my first call.
“Here it is.” I handed over my phone and waited.
“Have you looked at it? Or are you just going off what your friend told you?”
I licked my bottom lip and contemplated how best to respond, finally deciding on, “Only what Julie told me. I mean, she read off some of the comments and then mentioned some of the other places it’s been shared. But no, I haven’t actually looked through it myself.”
“Okay. Well, the good news is, it doesn’t seem to be as bad as you’re making it out to be. Yes, it’s been shared a few times, and there are a few negative comments peppered through those. But in the grand scheme of things, it’s actually rather tame.”
“It’s on every social media site, Finn. You’re only looking at one.”
He handed me back my phone and faced me. “Regardless, it’s not as big a deal as you think. This can be fixed, Mady. Before you know it, it’ll blow over, and no one will even remember it happening.”
I doubted that, but I appreciated his optimism.
“What did your sister say?”
“I haven’t spoken to her yet.” I clenched my teeth and rolled my eyes. “I’m too angry.”
Finn was quiet for a moment, the silence nearly strangling me. “So she has no idea that her post is having a negative impact on you?”
I shrugged as if it weren’t a big deal, but the truth was, if I said anything, things could go from bad to worse. “She didn’t post it to hurt me. It was a funny conversation between sisters that she wanted to share and get some laughs from her friends. The last thing I want to do is make her feel like I’m accusing her of doing something malicious.”
“I get that, but shouldn’t you at least have her take it down?”
“No.” I adamantly shook my head and sat up straight. “I may not be very business savvy, but I do know a thing or two about controversial posts. If she deletes it—which I know she immediately would if I said anything about it—then the haters will have something else to talk about.”
Confusion lined his brow as he stared at me. “I don’t get it. How does that make any sense?”
“It’ll look like what they’re saying about me is true, and that’s the reason I had it taken down. That’s why this is so bad. I’m damned if I do, damned if I don’t.”
“Listen…” He put his hand on my thigh, his touch instantly calming me. “I’m not going to pretend to understand all the ins and outs of this, but that doesn’t mean I don’t completely grasp the severity of this situation and what it could potentially mean for you. When your business is dependent on your name, everything rides on your character. So I get why you’re freaking out, but please, just trust me when I say it’ll be all right.”
“How? What’s your plan? What do we do to fix it?”
Finn didn’t act overly concerned, yet his voice was gritty and serious when he said, “I’m not sure, but that doesn’t mean I can’t come up with something. Give me some time to take a look at everything and figure something out.”
I did trust him, otherwise I wouldn’t have called him; however, that didn’t make any of this easier to swallow. “This all must seem so pretentious to you, but I could literally lose everything. Especially after backing out of the Beach Babes deal. If that
was still going ahead, I wouldn’t be so worried. I’d have something positive to drown out the negative attention I’m getting.”
“Then I guess that means we need to find you something, huh?”
“You think we can do that?”
He balked and rolled his eyes, tsking past the slightest smile. “There comes a point in every man’s career when he must prove himself. Well, Mads…be prepared for me to do just that. If there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s finding a solution to almost any problem.”
His lightheartedness warmed me from the inside out. “You’re only good at one thing?”
“Yeah. The rest I’m amazing at.”
For the first time in hours, I laughed. It came from deep in my belly and rolled all the way through me, leaving my body buzzing with the euphoric sensation of easy happiness. And considering the mess I currently stood in, it was amazing. Ten minutes ago, I didn’t believe I could come back from this, and now, I had no doubt that I’d come back shining.
“Thanks, Finn. You have no idea how much this all means to me,” I said once I calmed enough to be understood. “I guess the experience of owning your own business has truly come in handy after all.”
“See? And just think…you weren’t going to hire me.” He squeezed my leg, just above my knee, and winked. “You’ll be fine, Mady. But if we want to take control of the matter, we need to get busy coming up with a solution.”
“Yeah, you’re right. If you want to go home, I understand. I’ll probably be up for the rest of the night trying to figure out something else we can do to replace the bathing suit deal.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. Did I give you the impression that you had to handle this yourself?”