James Black

by Skye Turner

  Chapter Twenty-One

  James

  It’s been almost three weeks since that day at Top Notch Transport. AJ hasn’t spoken to me and she asked to be removed from my service via a formal written request sent to me through Hugo.

  I was almost tempted to tell her no, but I didn’t want to be any more of an asshole, so I just signed it.

  She’s avoided my calls and texts and finally, with no other choice, I just listened to Hugo. He told me to give her some time to think everything through.

  It’s hard though. Patience is not a virtue I typically possess.

  I’ve had a male driver since the day after the incident. That’s what I’m calling it. The incident.

  Yeah, what I should call it is, “the day I fucked up one of the best things that has ever happened to me.”

  It’s not looking good, J. Not looking good at all.

  And the sad part is… I understand it.

  The driver is an older black man who doesn’t communicate much. He gets me where I need to go and doesn’t talk to me other than to say, “yes, Sir” or “no, Sir.” I don’t think he cares for me very much.

  I miss AJ.

  I’m in my trailer staring at the cold coffee in my cup. Finally, I realize Hugo is talking to me. “… three… tickets are sold out… three hundred people… money.”

  I look up at him. “Sorry, what? I wasn’t listening.”

  He glares at me. “Look, man. I need you to get your head in the game. I get that you’re torn up over how things happened with AJ and that she’s not talking to you, but… your life… your career needs to go on. You’re walking around in a fog here lately. People are starting to talk. I can only cover up so much shit.” He’s watching me. “Can you please at least try?”

  He’s right. I’m wallowing and I don’t wallow. Besides… she’s not talking to me. She’s pretty much made her decision clear. I need to respect that.

  I will respect that. She wants nothing to do with me.

  I can deal with it. Yeah, I have to deal with it.

  I nod. “Yeah, I’m sorry, man. I knew it was a possibility, but I wasn’t really expecting her to end it. I know I deserve it, though. She’s made her choice and it’s not me. I will get back to being ‘James Black.’ I’m on it.”

  He smiles sadly. “Good. James Black makes the money. Though, I wouldn’t completely lose the qualities AJ brought back out of Jaye.”

  I grimace. Yeah, that’s a problem.

  “So, what were you saying? What’s happening?”

  He taps his phone. “The shelter event. The Black-Tie dinner you agreed to attend. They’ve sold out of the tickets. Three hundred of them. They’re also auctioning off a date with you, which you also agreed to. Do you remember that?”

  I sort of remember it. I nod. “Yeah. When is that again?”

  He groans. “Next month. You’re being auctioned off to the highest bidder and they get you for dinner and a date, lasting three hours. There’s a lot of interest and the news station wants to interview you.”

  “Your shoot for shelter adoption is also this weekend and they want you both with the shelter animals and some of you and Marie Leveau. They were thinking shelter, park, and maybe some in your apartment. Are you ok with that? I have to confirm with the photographer today.”

  I can do that. I like that idea. They’re wanting to have me take photos with the animals up for adoption and I think we’re filming the commercial to run for a month on the local TV stations. I’ve donated the money to cover the production and editing and I’m also covering the TV spots.

  I’ve told them I don’t want a big deal made out of it. It’s just money and I have tons and more accumulates every day.

  It’s kind of pointless to hoard money when I can use it to help others and fund some worthy causes.

  “James, are you ok with the ideas for the shoot?”

  I realize I didn’t answer out loud. “What? Oh sorry, I thought I answered you.” I nod. “Yes, that’s great. I’m fine with that.”

  He shakes his head. “Ok. Oh and I have the details on Clive’s student loans. I just need you to sign off on the funds being transferred and the bank can do it in a day.”

  “Ok, good. Make sure to cover all of them. Send in a recommendation to the School of Veterinary Medicine and call to make certain they receive it. And I want an account set up for him for the next few years to cover whatever expenses come up. How long does he have left?”

  He nods. “Already on it. He’s already been accepted into the LSU program, and he’ll be covered for tuition, books, and miscellaneous expenses. He won’t have to worry about anything but school for up to five years. If anything is left, he can use it to travel or to start up his own clinic.”

  Good. He saved my baby… and stayed with AJ. I owe him.

  Stop, J. Stop thinking about her. Nothing good is going to come out of that.

  Hugo once again breaks into my thoughts. “One last thing. The Awards. You’re presenting and have a guest ticket. Any idea on who you want to bring?”

  I know who I want to bring, but she’ll never come.

  I frown. “No, but I’ll try to bring someone.”

  He chuckles. “You need someone on your arm. It’s important, J. Do you want me to put out some feelers?”

  I shudder at the thought. God, no.

  That’s the last thing I want. Some young actress trying to sleep her way to the top, getting a leg in the door by accompanying me.

  I frown. “No. I’ll figure it out. How much time do I have?”

  “Awards are in eleven weeks.”

  “Ok, I’ll find someone by then. But, do not set me up or stage a date. I can handle it on my own.”

  He grins. “You always do, J. You always do.”

  Looking at the clock, Hugo stands up. “Ok. Back to set for you. I’ll be back later, but I have some things to handle.” He holds up a file and we head out the door before we part ways.

  *

  Avangeline

  Julee is at my apartment and we’re talking wedding stuff. She’s so excited and I’m excited for her, but I just can’t get into it.

  I feel bad. She’s my best friend, but I just can’t handle all the happy. I’m miserable and depressed and pissed that I’m miserable and depressed.

  I’m also sick. I think I’ve caught something. I’ve been feeling like shit the past couple of weeks. I hope to hell I don’t have the flu. It’s going around.

  Julee is pointing at a dress in a bridal magazine. “What about this one? Do you like this style? Are the sleeves too much?”

  It’s a gorgeous, vintage style gown adorned with lace sleeves, sewn with shimmering thread, and a sprinkling of tiny sporadically placed rhinestones. It’s beautiful and she’ll be breathtaking in it.

  I nod. “No, I think it’s perfect.” My stomach turns and I jump up. I barely make it to the bathroom.

  Julee follows me in and leans on the door with a concerned expression. I flush and stand up to rinse my mouth and grab some Tums. “Ugh. I need to go to the doctor. I think I’m getting the fucking flu.”

  She hums. “How long have you been sick, AJ?”

  I look at her in the mirror. “A little more than a week. I need to go get a shot and some Tamiflu. Maybe you should go home, Julee. I don’t want to get you sick, girl.”

  I notice the expression on her face and it causes me to get uneasy. She says, “When was your last period?”

  The fuck?! When was my last period? My last period…

  Oh shit! No. No. No.

  She thinks I’m PREGNANT!

  Fuck… what if I’m pregnant?!

  I cannot be pregnant… can I?!

  I do the math in my head and have to sit down. I look up at her and she can read my face. “How long, AJ?”

  I whisper, “About eight weeks.”

  She mutters, “Shit!” Then, she straightens and holds out her hand. “Only one way to find out. No sense in freaking out if you really only h
ave the flu. Come on. We’re going to the drug store.”

  * * *

  We’re both staring at the three white sticks sitting on my bathroom counter. Finally I look up at her and my eyes fill with tears.

  She leans down and hugs me. “Oh, Hunny. Don’t cry. It’ll be ok. It’ll all be ok. I promise. Whatever you want to do, I’m behind you.” She leans back and looks at me. “What do you want to do, AJ?”

  What do I want to do? I have no fucking idea. I mean of course I know. I’m having a baby. There is no other option for me. It’s the only plausible thing as far as I’m concerned. There is no other option.

  I’m having a baby…

  I look at her and tears fall, but I smile. “I’m having a baby.”

  A baby… I’m having a baby. My baby. I’m going to be a mother.

  She squeals and hugs me. “You’re going to be an amazing momma.”

  I am. I will be great. I’ve always wanted kids, but then I got divorced and turned thirty… I wasn’t certain being a mom was in the cards for me.

  But, it is…

  Leaning back, she says quietly, “What are you going to do about James, AJ?”

  James…

  What AM I going to do?

  I have no idea and selfishly, I don’t want to think about it right now. I just want to absorb the fact that I’m having a baby and I’ll figure out the rest later.

  She breaks into my thoughts again. “AJ, you are going to tell him, right? You have to tell him. He has a right to know. It’s his baby, too.”

  She’s right. It is and I know I have to tell him. I just can’t right now. I can’t even understand it myself and I’m not certain what his reaction will be…

  I’ll tell him. Just not yet…

  I have to decide what I want from him before I drop this bomb on him.

  I shake my head to stop the anxiety. I look down at the tests, then my stomach. Julee is looking at me and making no attempt to conceal her anxiety.

  I take her hands and squeeze them. “I will tell him, Jules. Just, not yet. I can’t tell him yet, ok?!”

  She nods, but I can see her uneasiness.

  Smiling, I get up and head back into the living room. “I need to make an appointment to see how far along I am and make certain everything is ok.”

  Picking up my phone, I make the appointment. A cancelation has just happened and they ask if I can get there in the next hour. I say I can.

  “They had a cancellation. This afternoon. I’m going now.”

  She smiles and I see the excitement she can’t hide. “Can I come?”

  I smile. “Of course you can. You’re my best friend.”

  She grabs her keys. “I’m driving.”

  Laughing and linking arms, we head to her car and off to the OB/GYN to see what’s going on with my unexpected gift.

  * * *

  I’m lying on crinkly paper and staring at the grey and white screen in the office. Julee is at my head and we’re waiting on the doctor to see if she can get a heartbeat through my abdomen. She told me she wanted to try it that way first and if the image was unclear, we would try the transvaginal. I’m holding my breath and Julee is doing the same at my side as she holds my hand.

  After a minute of moving the wand around, a tiny blip is visible on the screen. It’s blinking. She points to it. “There it is. That’s your baby’s heartbeat, Miss Price.”

  I lean up and stare at the tiny image on the screen. A sob tears out of my throat and that’s all it takes. Julee starts crying, too.

  Dr. Bird looks at me and smiles. “It’s a strong heartbeat. Perfect measurements for eight weeks.” I laugh in delight as I continue to stare in wonder at the screen.

  That’s my baby.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  James

  Filming is going great and we’re about halfway through. I’ve been in Louisiana for four and a half months now and it’s been almost two months since I’ve seen AJ.

  I miss her. Badly. But, I only think about her ten or twenty times a day now instead of constantly. My thoughts are no longer scattered and I’ve become accustomed to my silent driver.

  He takes me around on my off time, but he has no commentary and he sits in the car while I roam, so there’s no real thrill for me. It’s very bland and kind of boring.

  I miss AJ’s taunting and insults. I miss her warming my bed. I just miss… her.

  You fucked it up, J. It’s all on you.

  I know. I own that. Now, I just have to live with it.

  I clear the stages and head toward my trailer. As I turn the corner, I can hear yelling from outside. It sounds like Hugo and he sounds pissed. He’s screaming at someone. Hugo doesn’t scream.

  Quickening my pace, I head into the trailer to see what has him so worked up. His laptop is sitting open on the table, but he’s pacing the small space, covering the entire distance in a few strides. “NO! I want to know who leaked it! Don’t tell me you can’t disclose that information. I will call every lawyer on the planet and I will hold them up in court for ten fucking years. I want a fucking name! I don’t care what you have to do; you find me a fucking name! And you tell them we have no fucking comment!”

  That is a lot of “fucks”… this sounds bad…

  My spine ices in apprehension and I chance a look at the computer screen. Hugo sees me and hollers, “NO!” It’s so out of character for him, I jump. He snaps into the phone. “J just walked in. I need to brief him… Today! I want that shit today! No excuses!”

  What is he talking about? What name?

  “No comment” on what exactly? Brief me on what?

  He throws the phone onto the couch and runs his hands down his face. “Sit down, J.”

  I don’t sit down. “What the fuck, Hugo? What’s happening? Tell me.”

  He looks at me and I can see he’s warring with himself. Finally he sighs and says, “The story broke… The tabloids have your name and background.”

  What?

  They have my name and background… How the fuck?

  Those records are sealed. I paid exorbitant amounts of money to keep those records sealed. They are supposed to be untouchable…

  No one knows that shit…

  Avangeline.

  I slump onto the couch. “AJ?”

  He looks pained. “I don’t know. It’s gone viral and everyone is talking about it. It’s trending on fucking social media. It’s out there, J. There’s no containing it now.”

  Ok.

  “Just how bad is it?”

  He looks at me and I can see his lips are white. “Bad. The spin is bad. And… it’s not just you.”

  My blood goes ice cold in my veins. “What do you mean?”

  “Scarlet. They have Scarlet, too.”

  What the fuck? No. No. No.

  I need to call her. I have to.

  This is my fault. I trusted AJ and she betrayed me. She was mad at me, so she spilled my secrets and not just mine… Scarlet’s. Sweet, gentle Scarlet.

  I’m livid. Pointing at Hugo, I say coldly, “Get me a driver here. Now! And find her!”

  He nods and opens his phone.

  I walk to the bar and grab the closest bottle. Without looking at it, I drink straight from the top.

  I don’t care about me. But to involve Scarlet…

  Fuck that.

  She’s going to pay for doing this.

  Hugo walks over to me. “Your driver had an emergency. They’re sending another driver and Charles has seen the story. He’d like for us to head there. We need to form a plan of action since it’s only a matter of time before paparazzi swarms and we need to be prepared.”

  He looks at me. “What are you going to do, James?”

  I don’t know.

  I have no idea, but the rage coursing through my veins is all too familiar. It frightens me.

  A short while later, there’s a knock at my trailer door. Hugo opens it and a pretty, albeit provocative, blonde is standing there. I roll my eyes as Hugo say
s, “Not now, Hunny. It’s not a good time. How did you get in here, anyway?”

  The blonde laughs and the sound grates on my nerves. I am so not in the mood. “I’m your ride. I’m here to take you back to Top Notch Transport.” She looks over at me and her eyes gleam. “I’m Mitzi.”

  Great. Just what I need.

  Hugo says, “We’ll be out in a minute. Thanks.” She just stands there and he says, “You can wait in the car.”

  Her face shows her annoyance and she looks at me again. A trace of uneasiness flits across her face as I glare at her but then it’s gone. She nods. “I’ll be outside when you’re ready.”

  The door shuts and Hugo looks at me. “You ok, James?”

  I laugh harshly.

  Am I ok? Yeah, I’m fucking great. My fucked up past is now headline news. My career might very well be in shambles. And my best friend and first love is in the spotlight because I trusted the wrong woman.

  I’m fucking just great.

  “No, I’m not.” I look at him. “Don’t let me kill her.”

  He jerks back in shock. “Er, ok. You need to calm down.

  “J, we don’t even know for certain it was her. I think you need to think it through and we need to hear her side. I just can’t really see her doing this. No matter what you did to her. She doesn’t seem like the vindictive type.”

  I glare at him. “Who else would it be, Hugo?”

  He shakes his head. “I don’t know. But I really don’t think we need to make assumptions without hearing her out.”

  I laugh humorlessly.

  Yeah, let’s see your explanation, AJ.

  Assumptions, my ass.

  *

  Avangeline

  I’ve just parked my Tahoe in the service department and asked the guys to check the oil. She’s running a little sluggishly and I want them to check it out when I see Charles racing down the hall, barking orders at people. Charles never barks. What the hell is going on?

  Thanking the service tech and handing him my keys, I follow Charles.

  He heads into his office and slumps into his chair. Walking in, I perch in a chair near his desk. “Charles.” I startle him and he jerks his head up. “Charles, what’s going on? Is everything ok?”