by Hannah Ford
“I don’t know. Maybe because I was promoted?”
This caused the older woman to grimace and make a laughing sound. “Is that what you call it?”
“I don’t know. What would you call it?”
Remi shrugged. “Payment for services rendered.”
Nicole tried to control her voice, but it was shaking and the tears were close to the surface. “I asked to stay with this team because I love working with you. Red was going to move me to Public Relations.”
Remi folded her arms and made another face. “You should have taken the PR job. I don’t see why you should stay with the creative team.”
“I thought you liked the work I was doing.”
“I did, when you were an intern. There’s certain ways things have always been done around here. I paid my dues in this business. You don’t just get to cut the line because the boss likes what you do between the sheets.”
“That’s not fair.”
“Isn’t it, though?”
Nicole caught her breath. She realized that maybe Remi’s anger and scorn were justified. She had cut the line, she was getting preferential treatment from Red Jameson and it was wrong.
“I guess maybe you have a point,” Nicole told her. A single tear escaped and dripped down her cheek. “I really enjoy working with you, though.”
As she turned and left, she thought she saw a pained expression briefly cross Remi’s face, but Nicole didn’t stick around.
She went back to her desk, opened up her Internet browser, and googled The Rag. It brought her to a celebrity tabloid website with literally dozens of stories all over the page, most of them with horrible, demeaning headlines.
Kim Kardashian’s Lip Injection Nightmare Continues!
When Will Miley Cyrus Fall off the Wagon Again?
James Spader’s Weight Gain…Beach Pics Click Here
And then the worst one, the one she’d been hoping against hope was not on the site:
Red “The Mogul” Jameson Goes Slumming!
And when she clicked the link (against her better judgment), it took her to a page with the full story, including pictures of her and Red together. A picture of Red picking her up at her apartment, stopping for gas, and even pictures of the party itself at her parents’ house.
She read every word with mounting horror.
We at The Rag were pleasantly surprised yesterday, when a lovely tipster alerted us that Red Jameson was back in action with a new lady on his arm. We’ve always admired his beautiful black curls and his even more beautiful six-pack abs.
So when we heard that he was now seeing a “special someone,” The Rag had to have a look for ourselves at just who this wildcat was! After all, Red’s been spotted canoodling with the likes of Jenna Jameson, Charlize Theron, Kate Hudson, and many more. We know the aloof adman loves his ladies and we were certain this new girl would be a sultry sex kitten.
Imagine our surprise to find that his latest crush was just a regular ol’ gal like one of us! In fact, word on the street is, they met at the office. Can you say harassment? Out of court settlement?
Okay, fine. Maybe we at The Rag are just getting cynical in our middle age, but it was a little disappointing to see Red driving out to the wilds of upstate New York to get his BBQ on with a bunch of local yokels. If we want to see fat guys in Yankees caps grilling hotdogs and drinking Budweiser, we just go home for the holidays.
We want our celebs to be exciting! So Red, could you at least make a stop at Jay-Z’s crib next time? Or better yet, call Katy Perry up—we hear she’s a fun date on a Friday night!!
When Nicole finished the piece, she felt as though she’d been punched in the stomach repeatedly. She was sick—sick from shock. They’d made a mockery of her relationship as well as her family. And how on earth had they even known about the party in the first place? For god’s sake, Nicole had only told her parents.
She didn’t know how the tabloids had found out, and she supposed it didn’t really matter. The bottom line was that this was going too far. Her family couldn’t be made to be a laughingstock because of Nicole’s relationship.
Furious, Nicole hurried to the private elevator and was taken up to the top floor. She stomped to Red’s door and knocked loudly. “It’s Nicole,” she said.
“Come in.”
When she opened the door, he was alone at his desk, and he greeted her with a wide smile. “This is unexpected.” And then he saw her face and the smile died on his lips. “What’s going on?”
“I don’t know where to start, actually.” Her fists were clenched and she was sweating, clammy, and shivering. “I’m pretty upset right now.”
“I can see that.” He rose from his chair and came toward her.
“No. Stay there. I can’t be close to you right now.”
She saw the look of hurt cross his features momentarily. “Fine. What seems to be the problem?”
“The tabloids know about us.”
He shrugged and walked towards the bar. “I guess it was only a matter of time before they caught on. I’m surprised they found out so quickly, but, it’s what they do. Their specialty, I suppose.”
“Haven’t you read the story? They make us into a joke. Seems I don’t hold a candle to Kate Hudson or your other famous conquests.”
Red turned and looked at her. “Don’t read that stuff, Nicole. It will only make you crazy.”
“How can I not read it? I heard people at the office laughing about it, mocking me. Apparently Casper’s got nothing on me when it comes to pasty white skin.”
Red’s expression hardened. “Tell me their names.” He walked to her. “Tell me so I can…” He worked to control himself. “So I can have a chat with them.”
“I don’t know them, and even if I did, I wouldn’t tell you. I don’t want to get anybody fired.” She plopped down into the chair across from his desk. “Everything’s going wrong.”
“Welcome to my world,” Red chuckled as he made two drinks at the bar. “Extra dry Martini,” he said carrying both glasses over and handing one off to her.
“I can’t drink during a workday,” she complained, but took it anyway.
“This isn’t just any workday.”
“True.” She sipped it and made a face. “Yuck.”
“Keep drinking, you’ll get used to it,” he said, taking a sip of his own and smacking his lips contentedly. “In the old days, ad men drank about ten of these a day and nobody blinked. Different times.”
“You weren’t an ad man during those times.”
“True, but I’ve heard stories, believe me.” He smiled and sat on the edge of the desk like he had that first day they met.
“Why aren’t you upset?” she said.
“First of all, I’ve had a long time to get used to this stuff.” He took another gulp of his martini. “And secondly, I can’t allow myself to get pulled into the drama of what people are saying about me. About you and me. I won’t let myself get dragged into the mud—that’s what these people want. They want to hurt me—have me calling up their offices with a rebuttal story. They want my attention. And I’m not going to give them what they want.”
“You make ignoring their insults sound easy.”
“Well, it’s not. But I’m a good actor.” He smiled at her. “You have to understand, Nicole. You’re in my world now, and it’s a pretty rough place.”
“Yeah, I’m starting to figure that out.” She shivered.
He stood up from the desk and moved behind her, started to massage her shoulders. His strong hands felt so good, so incredibly safe, and her nipples grew stiff and the blouse tightened across her breasts. “I remember the first day you walked in here and I could hardly contain myself. I wanted you so badly.”
She closed her eyes and smiled as his hands continued to work. “It didn’t seem like you wanted me.”
“You couldn’t tell by the way I was looking at you?”
“I thought you were annoyed.”
He laughed. �
�Hardly.”
Red’s hands moved down from her shoulders and started to drift beneath her dress. “Red…” she moaned. “We shouldn’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because…” She was having trouble remembering why. And then her eyes fluttered open. “Because I’m supposed to be working. You said before that you didn’t want me taking advantage of our relationship. Remember?”
He laughed again. “At the time—“
“No.” She stood up and faced him. “Do you realize everyone down there hates me now?”
“No, they don’t.” He wasn’t taking any of this seriously. His face wore a bemused smile and it was upsetting her a little.
“They do, Red. They look at me like I’m the lowest piece of garbage. That story in The Rag, and you promoting me all in the same day…Do you realize how bad it makes me look?”
His smile faded. “I know it’s difficult,” he said. “I should have warned you more about what might happen, what you might have to deal with being engaged to me.”
She nodded. “A heads up would have been nice.”
“I wouldn’t blame you for backing out,” he said softly.
“Backing out?”
“Pulling out of our engagement. This is going to be a nasty business in the press—the tabloids, your co-workers downstairs. Everyone’s going to say things, they’re going to be jealous and bitter and make up stories about you. About us.”
“I would never break our engagement.” She stared into his eyes. “Are you having second thoughts? I mean, maybe I’m more of an embarrassment than you realized when you first proposed.”
Red looked into her eyes and grabbed her shoulders firmly. “You’re not an embarrassment to me. I’m the one who feels embarrassed right now, because the way I’ve lived my life has brought about a situation that causes you pain. I’ve lived my life in front of cameras, encouraging the media to report on my private life, fostering a certain image. While it might have made me some money and given me a bit of fame, nothing is worth causing you even the slightest discomfort.”
She believed him. She put a hand up and caressed his cheek. “I’ll be stronger, Red. I won’t complain about the stories from now on. I just…I was caught off guard by all of it.”
He nodded. “Of course you were. I should have talked to you about it, but I’ve grown accustomed to this sort of thing. It was wrong of me not to think of you.”
She smiled up at him, knowing that they were in this together now—a real team. It was the first time in her entire life that Nicole had truly felt like there was someone on her side, battling with her and for her.
Because of Red’s words, and the way he held her, a horrible day had been turned into something magical.
“I love you, Nicole,” he whispered, kissing her ever so softly on the lips.
After the beautiful kiss, she looked at him. “I love you too. Thank you.”
“Stay a moment longer,” he said.
“I should go back to my desk.”
His hands moved down to where her blouse was tucked into her skirt. He began pulling her blouse out, sliding his hands in between the fabric, his fingers touching the bare skin of her hip.
“Don’t leave just yet.” His mouth was against her ear, warm breath that tickled and aroused her senses.
“I can’t stay. Not now.”
“Stay.” His voice was insistent, hungry. “Let me make it all up to you.”
“How?”
She wanted him to show her, and so he began. He grabbed her by the waist and lifted her. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he carried her to the desk, and she lay back onto it.
Red pushed the papers and books and little awards statues off the side of the desk, and they clattered to the floor.
Nicole’s legs were wide open as he thrust his hips against her, his nostrils flaring.
Her blouse was a button up little number, and he reached down to her shirt and began unbuttoning them one by one. First, her breasts were revealed, then her stomach. He admired her body as she lay there.
Red placed a hand on each leg and then ran his hand all along her leg, up her thigh, pushing the skirt up to her waist. As one hand moved slowly up the top of her thigh, his other swept up her stomach and to her breasts, slid under her bra and began playing with one nipple.
Next he was kissing her firmly on the mouth, his tongue exploring, reaching. Nicole felt the heat building between her legs as he stimulated her body with his nimble fingers. She arched into him and grabbed his belt buckle.
“No,” he said. He took her by the wrist and pinned her arm over her head as she lay across the desk. Then he grabbed her other wrist and pinned that above her head too. He pressed his body against hers and she could feel his hardness through his pants, rubbing against her wetness.
“I want you inside me,” she begged, writhing beneath him.
“I want your panties off,” he replied, and let go of her right wrist long enough to tear her little black panties off of her. With her skirt hiked up to her hips, the air of the room was cool against her nude lower half.
“I’m so wet.”
“Let me taste for myself.” He let go of her completely and dropped down, pulling her legs over his shoulders. Red engulfed himself in her warmth.
Nicole moaned and thrashed, so close to orgasm, wanting to have one, but also wanting to put if off. She couldn’t stop herself from finishing though--Red’s mouth and tongue were masterful, playing all the right notes on her instrument.
She bucked and thrust against his lips, and he pressed his tongue to her nub, flicking it endlessly while she cried out in ecstasy.
Finally, she was spent. Red stood up, grinning. “That must have alleviated some tension, Nicole.”
She climbed off his desk as he straightened his clothes. Nicole buttoned her shirt and pulled her skirt down, adjusting her clothing self-consciously. “I can’t believe we just did that in your office.” She glanced to the enormous picture window and her eyes went wide with terror. “Your window. Anybody could have seen in—the paparazzi, anyone!”
“Relax,” he laughed, picking up his martini and having another sip. “The window is tinted, nobody can see in. I’m not a complete fool.”
“Oh.” Nicole sighed, relieved. “So now I suppose I go back downstairs and pretend everything’s normal, even though nothing is.”
Red came and put his arm around her, kissed her on the forehead. “Just be yourself. You’re a hard worker. You’re very smart and skilled. Nothing’s changed any of that. Don’t let them make you ashamed of who you are.”
She nodded, not entirely convinced, but still feeling better than she had a few minutes ago.
“Thanks,” she said, “for the pep talk and…the other thing.”
“Anytime. And I mean that.” He walked to the side of his desk and started picking up the papers and things he’d swept to the floor.
“Let me help you,” she said.
“No,” he waved her off. “Back to work. Go. Go.”
And so she went, after first giving Red a quick kiss on his clean shaven cheek. Feeling oddly naughty, but also rejuvenated.
As she rode the elevator down, Nicole started to get a little angry at the way her co-workers had treated her today. Who were any of them to judge her? Nobody had even bothered to actually ask her what had happened or get her side of the story. They’d simply decided she was a gold-digging tramp getting special privileges because of her affair with Red Jameson.
So what if she’d gotten hired to an entry-level position without “paying her dues” the way everyone else did? That kind of stuff happened all the time in business, and at least Nicole was a hard worker, willing to learn and grow.
Nicole decided to tackle Remi’s treatment of her head on, striding out of the elevator and right to her boss’s office. The door was closed so she knocked twice, emphatically.
“Come in.”
When Remi saw who was entering her office, she rolled her
eyes. “I’m kind of busy right now.” She turned to her computer and started to type.
“Can we just talk for a minute or two? Or can I come back in a little bit when you’re less busy?”
“Who said I’d be less busy in a little bit? I work all day, I don’t take time off for extra curricular activities.”
Nicole folded her arms. “Is that a dig at me?”
Remi sighed. “I really don’t have time for this, Nicole.”
“Well, I’m not going to be bullied into quitting or moving to a different department. I’m staying on at this position.”
The older woman finally turned her gaze to Nicole. “Fine. You want to work hard—you want to earn your way in this business? I’ll make sure you earn every last red cent we pay you with blood, sweat and tears.”
Nicole smiled a little. In her heart, she knew she was a fighter. None of these people—except Red—truly understood that about her. “Bring it on.”
“Can do, Miss Masters. Can do, and will do. Ta ta now.” Remi wiggled her fingers at Nicole, and the younger girl turned on her heel and left the office.
***
When Nicole returned home to her own apartment that night, it was well after eight o’clock at night. She and Red had gone out to dinner after work, to a tiny little Thai Restaurant on the Upper West Side.
He’d wanted her to come back to his house (their house) in Connecticut afterwards, but Nicole explained that first she needed to speak to her old roommate. Danielle may have been a jerk, and perhaps the friendship had run its course, but Nicole didn’t feel right just disappearing without an explanation.
Red had been understanding of her wishes, if disappointed. “Have your heart-to-heart with Danielle and then come back with me. I can wait in the car. I’m patient,” he’d told her.
But it just felt wrong to do that. The changes taking place were massive, and Nicole needed to try and take some control back of her life. Setting things to rights with Danielle was part of it. Besides, there would be plenty of nights to share her new home with Red, but this might be her last night in her old apartment, her old life.
When Nicole opened the door, Danielle was sitting on her laptop at the kitchen table. She looked up and saw Nicole and her jaw dropped open. Danielle was so surprised—she looked as if she were about to dispense Pez from her mouth. It was so comical that for a brief moment, Nicole had to hold back a burst of laughter.