He was incredibly enticing. With the production crew still around, I knew I couldn’t react in the way that I wanted. It would make everyone suspicious. “Yes, let’s get something to eat. I’m sure you’re hungry.”
He noticed my cautious wording and pulled himself back. “Is the driver ready?” I nodded. His acting abilities were impressive as well.
An hour later and with full tummies, we decided to return to the beach. The sun was sinking quickly in the sky and glowed vibrantly as it hovered over the wide blue horizon. Not a soul was around except for the seagulls that dove into the ebbing ocean waves. Ashton had his camera in hand, capturing the picturesque scenery.
I let my wavy hair flow freely down my back. The breeze moved through the strands, catching Ashton’s eye. “You’re naturally beautiful. Let me get some pictures of you standing in front of this sunset.”
Admiring my every angle, Ashton continuously captured shots of me standing near the waves.
“May I steal a kiss from the sexiest woman alive?” His voice was low and deep. It had just enough raspiness to make it very attractive.
“Hmm. You may,” I pondered teasing but decided against it. I hadn’t forgotten of his wishy-washy behavior but couldn’t seem to resist him.
“Can I take a picture of us kissing?” he whispered into my ear. “Just for fun?” He gently nibbled on my earlobe. The sensation sent chills through my body. His mouth encompassed mine. Gently, he guided me into the sand, making out with me as the water encircled us with each wave. In and out, the waves came. Pretty soon, in and out, he moved inside of me. I didn’t care that he was snapping pictures. The tide started to roll in and the last wave of water completely surrounded our bodies. He snapped another picture.
“Our clothes!” I interrupted the moment in panic. “The tide is coming in and it may wash our clothes out to sea!” He pulled out of me as I jumped up.
“I tossed our clothes far away from the water. What’s the rush?” he seemed disappointed, rather than finding the situation humorous.
“Oh thank goodness,” I gasped, seeing that my shorts and underwear were out of the water’s reach. When I saw a car drive down the highway that followed along the shoreline, I ducked, feeling embarrassed to be nude from the waist down. “Oh crap!” I yelled. Ashton was laughing heartily as he flung his pants back on.
“They won’t know who we are. Don’t worry about that.”
Shaking my head, I couldn’t help but laugh as well. In the back of my mind, however, I still sensed that something was off.
Chapter 6
“This will be a quick meeting,” I told my staff at the office. “I’ve given Alexis the day off today for spending two works days helping me with the photo shoot. I have many press meetings to attend today, so you may not see me again. I request that you send all messages for me to my office. I don’t want my cell phone blowing up with announcements while I’m working with the press. They’re nosy enough as it is. Any questions?”
Janet raised her hand. “Mr. Jackson, would you prefer that we avoid emailing you as well?”
“Yes. Definitely. My cell phone alerts me to new emails. Should you receive an email for me, print it out and place it in my mailbox on my office door. Any other questions?” No one else raised their hand. “Good deal. I will see you all later. Thank you for everything that you do. Janet is in charge while I’m out of the office. Good day.”
Everyone filed out of the conference room one by one. Janet was the last one, as usual. “I hope Alexis enjoys her day off. She really is a sweet girl.” Her smirk had more to it than kindness.
“Yes she is. She works too hard sometimes. I was really impressed with her ability to keep up during the business trip.”
“Mmhmm,” she muttered. The disbelieving grin spoke volumes.
“Janet, what are you fishing for now?” My frustration spoke on my behalf.
To my surprise, fear took over. “Oh, oh, nothing. I’m only teasing with you, Mr. Jackson. I apologize if I’ve gone too far with it.”
I knew she feared losing her job. “Apology accepted. Get to work, please.”
The first press release was a breeze. The reporters didn’t bring up any personal questions and stayed primarily on the topic of business. The second press release was a different ballgame. They prodded through my personal affairs with vigorous and unremorseful energy. Then a reporter asked about Alexis.
“What can you tell us about your new assistant? She is young and beautiful.”
I tried to conceal my unease by remaining stern but professional. “I’m not sure what my assistant has to do with the DVD sales and promotions, but she is a sweet girl.” The crowd jumped on my response, raising their volume and yelling multiple questions simultaneously. Some reporters were extending their recorders in hopes of capturing my response and the camera flashes could’ve lit up the entire room without the traditional lighting. It was bad. I didn’t want to answer any more personal questions and looked to my publicist. He knew that I was done.
“Okay, that will be all for the day. Mr. Jackson is finished with answering your questions.”
We stood to our feet to leave the press table but the reporters were relentless. They always were. They continued to push me for questions--personal questions--even though we had just announced I was done answering them. I wondered how they knew to ask these questions. That was concerning.
Once backstage, I was relieved to be out of the line of fire. However, I wondered who the snake in the grass was. I had just taken a sip of cold water when someone bumped into me, almost causing me to choke on the water.
“I’m waiting on that deal,” the woman spoke slyly, disappearing as quickly as she came. I became enraged. I hadn’t seen her since the papers were filed, and I certainly didn’t want to see her again. Immediately, I knew how the press learned to ask some of the personal questions. She was following me, and someone was feeding her with information on my whereabouts. I knew it.
“Are you okay?” my publicist asked.
“I’ve never been better.” I lied, glaring sternly in the direction she had disappeared.
“You’re lying,” he replied.
“Yes, I am. “
“This isn’t the place to chat about it?” he surmised.
“No, it sure isn’t,” I confirmed. I wasn’t sure that I wanted to discuss it with him anyway. Although, it seemed that the woman wasn’t going to give me much choice. If she could manipulate the reporters, she could compromise my pristine reputation.
“Would you like to check your cell phone, Mr. Jackson?” he changed the subject.
I wondered if Alexis had messaged me. “Sure, I will check it. It may get my mind off of things before the last press conference.” He handed me the cell phone. Alexis hadn’t sent me a message, so I sent her one.
Hey, hope you’re enjoying your off day. About to work the last press conference.
I didn’t know if she would message me back. I walked to the snack table and grabbed an apple. My appetite had shrunk significantly after running into the creeper.
I am thank you. Hope it goes well!
. I wanted to ask her what she was doing but refrained. I worried that the creeper would approach her in some way. It seemed that she knew about Alexis and leaked the story to the reporters. As soon as the last press conference wrapped, I would call my attorney. Things seemed like they were about to get very interesting.
“Are you ready for the final press conference?” My publicist tried to sound optimistic.
I sighed. “Let’s get it over with.”
“Remember, if they start asking personal questions, you can always refuse. Would you like me to make an official statement about it? I can instruct everyone to keep their questions strictly on business.”
“Let’s just see how it goes. Official statements may cause more curiosity. They may think that I have something to hide.”
“You think like a publicist,” he grinned.
I tossed th
e apple core, straightened my collar and walked toward the stage for the third time. Any anger or rage, I stuffed internally so as to not spark suspicion. Some of the reporters were like sharks; they could smell blood from miles away.
Chapter 7
I felt refreshed after having Monday off. The ladies in the office were quietly gossiping and snickering around me, but I didn’t care. They no longer made me nervous. In fact, I no longer felt jealous toward Ashton. It was odd. I stood at the coffee maker and poured cream and sugar in my mug. They weren’t hiding their slanderous ways and knew it. I merely smiled and shook my head. If it gave them a reason to get through the day then so be it.
Before I could return to my desk with my warm coffee cup, Ashton called on me in mid stride. “Alexis, I need you in my office please.” He disappeared as soon as he notified me. The ladies snickered even more.
I walked in. “What’s going on?” I asked in curiosity.
“Take a seat,” he pointed to the chair by his desk. I sat down while clutching my coffee cup with both hands. He seemed stressed. He let out a deep sigh, grasping both arms of his chair to guide him into the seat. I waited eagerly for his update. “I hope you enjoyed yesterday,” he forced a grin.
“Yes, I did very much. Thank you,” I replied respectfully. He anxiously flipped through some papers.
“Good. That’s good,” he remarked, seeming as if his mind were somewhere else. “I had a hectic day yesterday.” I didn’t say anything because it was clear that he was in mid-thought. “I’ve noticed the ladies out there are snickering more than usual. Honestly, I wish I could fire them all and rebuild my team. However, I’ve not had a good legal reason to release them from their jobs.”
I didn’t know how to respond to that comment. “I’m sorry,” I replied.
“Have they told you what they’ve been gossiping about? By any chance?”
“No. They never tell me things they’re gossiping about,” I answered.
He looked disappointed. “Damn.”
“Why? You’ve always told me to not worry about them. Should I be worried now?” I started to wonder what was really going on.
“No. I just wanted to know if they had said anything to you.”
Perplexed, I tried to figure him out. “Do you think it has something to do with the beach trip and then giving me the day off yesterday? Maybe they suspect that we have a fling going on?”
He stuttered over his words. He didn’t want to tell me much. I knew I wouldn’t get the full answer. Little did he know that I was highly intuitive. “No, I don’t think that’s it. I had some strange events to happen yesterday that have me questioning a few business matters. I am genuinely concerned about the press pulling my personal life into the business arena.”
“Oh. You think there is a spy that could be relaying messages to them.” I regretted my comment as soon as it left my lips.
He looked surprised. “You’re smarter than I gave you credit for.”
“Look, I understand that you can’t tell me business matters. I get that, but this game of ‘Choose and Tell’ is getting really old. I’m getting whiplash over here. What are you keeping from me?” I couldn’t hold my thoughts back.
“Like I said, you’re smarter than I ever gave you credit for.”
“Ashton?” I pressed further.
“It’s nothing to worry about. Yes, it is business. I can’t share everything with you right now. I know it’s frustrating and hard to understand.”
I grimaced.
“Your face says it all. I understand. But, since you do work for me and you are involved with me, there are some things that come along with it. Sometimes, you’re going to have to trust me even when I can’t give you all the details.”
“Yeah,” I muttered unhappily. I slurped on my coffee that was starting to cool.
“I do want you to tell me if a strange woman were to approach you and tell you random, untruthful things about me, okay?” he softened his voice. I wasn’t expecting that. What on earth was going on?
“What?!” I blurted out a little too loudly.
“Shh. Watch your volume. Those ladies are already gossiping enough. We don’t need to give anything more to talk about.”
“What is going on, Ashton? Should I be concerned over my safety? What the crap?!” I was becoming livid.
“Absolutely not! You’re perfectly safe. It isn’t anything like that.”
“Are you sure?” I demanded to know the truth.
“Didn’t I just tell you that you need to trust me even when you don’t understand?” he reminded me. In that moment, he almost sounded like my father.
“Whoa, you spoke to me in a fatherly tone. That’s almost creepy considering what’s happened between us.” Our age difference was definitely showing out in that moment.
He shook his head. “Never mind the childish talk. That’s absurd. Just let me know if you ever get approached and don’t freak out over it. It’s part of living in the celebrity world. People stalk you from behind every corner and try to sell their false facts to the press. It’s how some people make their living. Do you understand?”
“I get it,” I answered, trying to show him that I wasn’t too concerned.
“Good. Well, I will dismiss you so that they won’t start to wonder what we are doing. Keep this to yourself.” He looked down at his papers and continued with whatever he was writing when I first entered the room. Rolling my eyes, I returned to my desk and sipped on my sweetened coffee.
Chapter 8
Jessica was at work. I had just finished folding some laundry when someone knocked at my door. “Who is it?” I hollered from the other side.
“Chocolate service!” Ashton’s voice echoed from the hallway. I opened the door to greet him.
“A box of chocolates? What did I do to deserve this?” I grinned with excitement. He had excellent taste in chocolates.
“You don’t have to do anything to deserve this. Enjoy them.” He handed them to me. “Are you busy?”
“Not really, I just finished folding some laundry. Doesn’t that sound fun?” I laughed, motioning him to come inside.
“That sounds great.” He chuckled, standing with both of his hands in his pockets. “I didn’t come to intrude on your evening. I just wanted to surprise you with something sweet.”
“You’re okay! I’m just chilling. Nothing big. Have a seat,” I insisted. He joined me on the sofa, reaching for my hand. His thumb softly caressed the top of my hand.
“Your skin is always so soft.”
I blushed. “Thank you.”
“You’re beautiful, Alexis. Never forget that.”
His compliment was spoken in a tone that he had never used before.
“I won’t,” I replied. Our eyes connected in silence. He placed his arm around me and leaned in for a kiss.
“You’re guarded,” he whispered, pulling back.
“I just don’t know that I’m in the mood for smooching,” I grinned nervously. He understood and backed off.
“What’s on T.V.?” he changed the subject.
“Well, I’ve been watching dramatic talk shows. Are you sure you can handle that?” I teased him, poking his chest with my index finger.
“Try me,” he smiled, kissing my fingers. I rested my head on his shoulder. The scent of his cologne drew me to him. Pushing away all the questions that crowded my mind, these moments made him nearly irresistible.
“These people are crazy,” he commented after watching the talk show for a moment.
“Maybe it’s scripted,” I joked half-heartedly.
“I hope so for their sake!”
I got comfortable and almost fell asleep when there was a knock on the door. “Who now?” I wondered out loud. Ashton remained comfortable on the sofa.
“Seth!” I exclaimed, after opening the door. “What a surprise!”
“Hey, I hope you don’t mind that I stopped by. I probably should’ve called or messaged you before showing up.”
“No, no, don’t worry! It’s not a problem at all,” I reassured him. Then, I remembered that Ashton was sitting on the couch. An awkward tension instantly formed.
“Oh, I didn’t realize that you had company.” Seth’s voice was shaky. “I just wanted to drop off some of these. I thought you would enjoy them.” He handed me a small stack of novels and five special tea bags. “This tea came from England. My mom just brought them back from her trip. I thought you would enjoy them while reading through these novels.” His gesture was so sweet and thoughtful.
“Oh, thank you, Seth. That’s so kind of you! I will definitely enjoy these. You know me well.” I set the books on the dinette table. Ashton stood, expecting me to introduce Seth. It was obvious that we had been slightly more than comfortable, and that Ashton looked very familiar to Seth.
“I’m Seth. It’s nice to meet you,” he extended his hand to Ashton.
“Seth, nice to make your acquaintance. I’m Ashton.” They smiled at each other but the tension was apparent.
“Well, I need to head on home. I’ve got a lot of work to do. I will talk to you later.” Seth nervously grinned and headed for the door.
“You don’t have to rush, but I understand.” I didn’t know what to say. I hoped that Seth wouldn’t connect the dots between me and Ashton. Unfortunately, I knew what he had to be thinking.
“Oh, but I do,” he insisted. “See you later.” I watched as he ran down the concrete stairs. I could feel Ashton’s eyes behind me. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.
“So, that’s Seth, the guy from your dating website, right?” Ashton spoke behind me.
“Yes, that’s him,” I replied solemnly, turning to face him.
“Do you have feelings for him?” he asked calmly.
“We are only friends.”
“But do you have feelings for him?” He insisted that I answer his question.
“No, I don’t. Like I said, we are only good friends. Why are you so paranoid anyway?”
Hang Em' Up: A Bad Boy Sports Pregnancy Romance Page 137