Watch Me

by Ada Frost

  “Huh?” I glanced over at the usually pristine man, who was now slumped in a chair, with his bow tie undone and hanging loosely around his neck. His jacket was discarded, and his hair was unruly. The ruffled hair was a sexy look on him, it was a shame about the drunken slob part. Sam was right though, it wasn’t Mr Stone. I glanced at Sam, finding his expression marred with concern. Loud raucous laughter startled me and caused a few other attendees to glance over at our table. A female actress and Scarlet, who had clearly had far too much to drink, were giggling flirtatiously with Lawson. God knows where her husband was. The laughter came when Scarlet climbed onto Lawson’s lap, essentially giving him a lap dance, and her friend leaned over him, displaying her ample breasts into his face. Lawson pushed at Scarlet, and it was more than obvious he didn’t want either near him by the way his body tensed. The dark, terrifying look in his eyes worried even me. I loved taunting him, but had he ever glanced at me the way he was glaring at the blonde in his lap, I would have run very fast, very far.

  “Is she not concerned her husband will see her?”

  “Scarlet is determined to get to Lawson any way she can.”

  “He’s drunk.”

  “And clearly she thinks that’s her way in,” Sam retorted.

  “Has she really tried to seduce him?”

  “On more than one occasion, yes. Her and Steve are an opportunistic pair. Lawson is right. His dad will discard her soon enough when the next pretty thing comes along.”

  We both turned our attention to Lawson when Scarlet squealed. Lawson’s face contorted in rage as he tried to push her off his lap. The man was strong, I knew that, but even drunk it was clear he would never hurt a woman. But Scarlet was clinging to him, making his polite pushes awkward.

  Kick the bitch to the floor.

  “Oh, hell. I would love to leave him to it.” Sam pondered. “I’d never hear the end of it though. He’s a whiney bitch.”

  I laughed. Sam winked and reached out to squeeze my hand.

  “Miss Warner,” called Lawson. Too loudly that my cheeks heated when numerous heads turned in our direction. He was adding to the freak show that was going on at our table. “Have you met my Miss Warner?” he asked the blonde creeper vine in his lap. “Look at her,” he insisted, turning Scarlet’s face by holding her cheeks in his hand. Squishing them so she looked like a pouty fish. The other woman behind him, who had jet black hair and ridiculously long eyelashes, leaned over his shoulder and wrapped her arms around him.

  I smiled and glanced at Sam, who was also grinning widely.

  “What’s funny?” Stone shouted, his brow scrunching in confusion. Sam spoke closely so only I could hear.

  “The vultures have been trying to fuck their way into his company or wallet for years. I feel bad sitting here and doing nothing, but I hated seeing the sadness on your face. He’s his own worst enemy sometimes,” he replied mournfully.

  I opened my mouth to ask what he meant when there was a scuffle at the opposite end of the table.

  “What are you doing?” Lawson roared. He was practically wrestling with the big breasted bitch in his lap. “Move,” he snarled. His approach may have been ill mannered but I loved that he wasn’t at all interested in her. He started to get up but her weight held him down. Sam moved quickly. Heading over to Lawson, he picked up Scarlet, moving her from Stone’s lap, and crouched to slide his shoulder under Lawson’s arm to help him up.

  “I can walk, goddamn it.”

  “Sure you can,” Sam taunted. “Come on, beautiful, I think it’s time to head home,” Sam said to me as he passed.

  I stepped around the table to retrieve Lawson’s jacket from the back of his chair, when Scarlet placed her hand on my arm.

  “He’s only using you. Don’t get too comfortable.” She sneered.

  I glanced over my shoulder at the men who were weaving their way precariously around the tables.

  “Thanks for the advice. Now let me offer you some. Stop trying to find your self-worth in the eyes of a man. That would be like Steve trying to get a non-chemically induced hard on.” I patted her shoulder and walked away.

  A few people stopped Sam and Lawson to congratulate them on their success tonight, seemingly totally unaware Sam was struggling to keep Lawson upright. When we reached a quiet corridor, Sam leaned him against the wall, and beckoned me forward.

  “Watch him for me while I go find Lacey and Leah.”

  I nodded, praying he would hurry.

  “He won’t touch you, unless I say he can,” slurred Lawson from behind me.

  “Excuse me?” God the man was insufferable tonight. He wrapped one sloppy arm around my shoulders and dragged me forward toward a doorway.

  “This is my kingdom, Miss Warner. I am Prince of this very empire. Twenty fucking eight and this shit is all I have.” He waved his arm at the scene in front us. He staggered slightly, grabbing onto me and pulling me against him. We kind of tumbled against the wall together.

  “Prince of your own ego, more like.”

  “I was born into this industry, and I am sitting quite happily at the top, and I work bloody hard to keep it that way. And Sam,” he said as an afterthought. “Sam is my best friend.” He grinned. It was the first time I’d heard him use someone’s nickname. His brows knitted together. “I’ve always seemed to struggle to make friends. Little freak I am.” He rested his cheek against my naked shoulder. “I’ve already lost you.”

  “How long have you and Sam been friends?” My voice quivered when his hands started stroking over my stomach and under my breasts.

  “Err...” he started, turning his head so his other cheek was on my shoulder and his lips were caressing my neck. “I think we were about twelve. Dunno.”

  “Did you go to school together?” I needed the mundane conversation to avoid doing something stupid like turning in his arms and plastering my lips to his.

  He brought a date, and she wasn’t you!

  “Yeah. You smell incredible.”

  I shivered when his nose brushed against the sensitive skin of my neck.

  “Were you in the same form?”

  “No. But we had P.E. together. He stopped some dickheads kicking the shit out of me in the changing rooms.”

  “What?”

  “Just some spotty faced bastards who thought because they’d shagged a few popular girls they were real fucking men. I was a scrawny lightweight. Sam was used to scrapping. He’d spent years defending himself so he knew how to throw a punch. I might have had a black eye, bust nose, and thick lip, but I gained a best friend that day. It was worth getting the shit kicked out of me. I’d never had a friend before. Parents didn’t like their kids hanging with the kid of porn stars, especially ones that were fucked up on drugs most of the time.”

  “Kids can be cruel,” I muttered.

  “I should never have been scared of the pile of shit. He’s not amounted to anything, whereas I am the Porn Prince,” he boasted and laughed against my neck as if it was the most hilarious thing in the world.

  “So you and Sam just decided to start a porn company? What, too many hours of tossing off you thought you knew it all?” I smiled when he tutted.

  “I already told you, I was born into this world. I took over Stone Industries from Dad.”

  I’d had an idea that’s what had happened, but I’d never asked anyone for clarification.

  “I understand you were around this industry a lot growing up. But you didn’t have to follow the path. It’s not like this was your vocation.”

  “On the contrary, I was conceived on set. My mother and father were both filming for a different company at the time. Suck Wars, it was a parody, and my mother was saving the galactic empire one blow job at a time.” He laughed, but it held no humour, only bitterness. He pressed his face into the crook of my neck, making his words hard to understand.

  “Mum was too far along in the gestational stage when she found out she was pregnant so they had no option but to progress with the pregnan
cy. Didn’t prevent them from fucking, using and partying. I was merely an inconvenience. How I wasn’t born addicted to something is nothing shy of a miracle. If they could have found a way to put me down like a dog when I was born, they would have. The plan was to have me adopted, but a month before my birth Steve’s manager suggested they use the ‘MILF’ brand as a marketing gimmick,” Lawson said as he rested his chin on my shoulder. “My mother went into labour during a shoot and while I was being born, dear old dad was creating the film that lead to him creating Stone Industries. I was dubbed the Porn Prince the moment I was born. Destined to follow in daddy’s footsteps.” I felt him shrug his shoulders.

  “Lawson, I don’t know what to say.”

  “Drugs, alcohol, and sex were readily available in the Stone household. Didn’t matter that I was a kid. Women would still offer to suck my dick, ask to be fucked while I tried to study for my chemistry exam. Every boy’s dream, right? Wrong. It gets old pretty fucking quick when you live in a shit hole. You can’t find a seat without having to check for needles, condoms, and illegal shit. You couldn’t take a drink from the fridge or one your parents made in case it was laced with narcotics. By the age of twelve I had learnt how to cook, where to shop for food, and how to use a cash machine so I could pay for my school supplies. Marie, my nanny, is the reason I’m probably still alive and am a half decent human being. She is the only one to ever care for me. She and Brie are the only women I can safely say I’ve ever loved.”

  Something akin to agony pulsed through my body. I wasn’t naïve enough to believe a few steamy sessions equated to love, but it still hurt for some reason.

  “Who is Brie?” I asked, hating how shaky my voice sounded.

  “She’s perfection. I try and keep her away from all this crap.”

  “You…you protect her from what you do?”

  “Wouldn’t you? She’s important to me,” he slurred. I tried to shrug him off of me, but he held on tighter. I didn’t want to be jealous. What we shared was nothing more than sex, but somewhere out there was his ideal woman, and clearly that wasn’t me.

  “Have you ever performed in a film?”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. I fuck in private, Miss Warner.”

  “Where is your mum now, does she still...perform?” And where is Brie?

  “St Augustine’s cemetery.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “She was incredibly beautiful, my mum. But she destroyed herself with drugs, alcohol, and partying. She was a ridiculous female. See how you should never trust people. I was fourteen when I found her with white powder on her face and dried blood on her nose. My dad was passed out beside her with two naked women tangled around him. Used condoms, dildos, empty plastic bags, and fuck knows what else littered the floor.”

  “Oh my God, Lawson I am so sorry.”

  “You dabble with a cocktail of hardcore drugs and drink, you gamble with your life.”

  “Surely your feelings aren’t that cold?” My heart hurt at the thought of this woman dying and no one loving her, that the men in her life were so indifferent to her life ending.

  “She chose to put that shit in her body.”

  “But —”

  “She died. End of story.”

  “Losing my mum broke my heart. I’ve never felt so much pain. Her life was my life. It’s a story I never wanted to end.” I was aghast. My heart ached for him. I had nothing but absolute heart breaking love for my mum. I missed her hourly. There wasn’t a day that went by I didn’t miss her. A moment where I couldn’t just call her and tell her a funny story I’d heard. That was why I was clinging so hard to the house. It was the only thing I felt I had left of her.

  His strong arms tightened around me. His face dropped back into the crook of my neck. “Don’t look sad. I hate when you’re sad. The difference between us, is that you’re lovable. My own parents despised the sight of me. How can a boy love when he’s never been shown how?”

  I shivered, the utter desperation in his voice caused the strangest feelings inside me.

  “Be mad at me instead. Don’t be sad. Anything but sad.”

  “I’m not sad.”

  “Your mum would be proud of who you are.” The man was an absolute arse ninety-nine percent of the time, but in that tiny moment he couldn’t have said sweeter words. I was relieved when Lacey and Leah came into view, closely followed by Sam, before I did or said something I would later regret.

  “Sorry, Abby,” Sam said, rushing ahead of the girls so he could take Lawson’s weight.

  “Heeey.” Lawson grinned sloppily at Sam. “I’m struggling to feel my nose, and I think my teeth have gone somewhere too.” He slapped his hand on Sam’s chest.

  “Too much pop, bud.” He laughed, wrapping Lawson’s arm around his shoulder.

  “She’s smells incredible. I want to play. I forfeit the bet, as long as I can touch her. I’ll beg,” Lawson slurred. Sam’s expression froze, his face paled as he faced me. My stomach plummeted.

  They had some stupid bet running?

  Sam gave me an apologetic smile. “Not when you’re two sheets to the wind, pal. You’re going to regret that little slip, you twat. I think Miss Warner deserves more than a sloppy drunk fuck. Don’t you?”

  “Hmm. I can’t stop thinking about her,” Lawson whisper shouted. “You can’t have her. We can’t share her again.” Lawson tried to straighten to his full height but staggered forward into Sam’s chest.

  Leah and Lacey gawped at me.

  “Oh mate, you’re going to regret waking up in the morning.” Sam chuckled.

  “You little tart.” My cousin laughed, poking me in the ribs. “Don’t even think I will forget this. You’re explaining.” She laughed again. “My little Abby, boinking the boss. Both bosses.”

  We all made our way outside to the limo, me with a bright red face and murder on my mind. I could totally make it look like an accident. Sam wrestled Lawson into the back, where he slumped against the seat. Sam motioned for me to get in the car before him. I paused, stifling a small laugh when I noticed Lawson passed out across the bench seat. His face mushed against the leather. His arm dangled over the seat. One leg was twisted beneath him while the other was in a kneeling position on the floor.

  “Wow.”

  “In his defence, he doesn’t drink,” Sam said in a placating tone, glancing over my shoulder.

  “I can see why.” The hurt of Lawson’s words made it hard to breathe, let alone smile. I was the result of some fucking bet. And there was perfect Brie to contend with.

  “He hates the loss of control. He’ll be a total bitch tomorrow.”

  “He’ll be in pain tomorrow too. Hangovers suck.” I smirked, glad there was some retribution to be had.

  After taking Lacey and Leah home, I’d insisted on helping Sam get Lawson back to his house before they dropped me off. It didn’t seem fair Sam be lumbered with him alone. Sam argued with me until he realised I had a very stubborn streak and that I refused to take no for an answer. Plus, I was a little curious as to where Lawson lived. Would it be a super modern newly built apartment or a traditional Victorian house? I could see him in something modern, slick and clean.

  “Where are we going?” I asked when I realised we were heading away from York down the A64.

  “He lives just outside of Harrogate. It isn’t too far.”

  “Okay.” I glanced over at Lawson. He hadn’t woken once in the car ride back to his home. It was a newly built contemporary detached building in a quiet part of town. There were no lights on when the car pulled into the driveway.

  “Can you unlock the door, if I grab Sir Snooze-A-Lot here?”

  I nodded and after he fished Lawson’s keys out of his pocket and gave me the alarm code, I rushed up to the front door and opened it. Putting on some lights. Then I froze.

  The house was bare.

  It was an open plan, the only thing remaining was a grey sofa in the centre of the room facing the fireplace.

  “Sam, I think h
e’s been robbed.”

  Sam huffed as he carried Lawson in through the front door fireman style.

  “Follow me,” he grunted as he ascended the stairs. I followed a little slower, because I wasn’t entirely comfortable with the floating steps or lack of a handrail. It was a freaking death trap.

  We entered a room, which again had barely anything in it, other than a bed, two cabinets, and a TV mounted on the wall. The bed was huge though. It would have taken up the entire room in my house. It had black silk sheets that looked so soft.

  “We need to...I need to get him undressed,” Sam muttered.

  “It’s a little late for modesty, don’t you think?”

  “Naughty, Miss Warner.”

  My cheeks blossomed a bright red, and to hide it, I started to help Sam undress the dead weight. Who had started to snore, rather loudly.

  “He hasn’t been robbed by the way. This is it. He hates fuss and mess. Drives him a little crazy.” Sam stood over his friend, watching him with concern. “I have no idea what the hell got into him tonight.”

  “Stress?”

  “Lawson lives and breathes stress it’s like a drug.” His brow knitted together. “He won’t talk to me; I just have to watch this one play out.”

  “A bit like the bet,” I said bitterly. I didn’t want it to lay heavy between us. But I thought Sam was becoming a friend.

  He groaned and threw his head back. “Stupid shit like that always comes and bites me on the arse.”

  “What was it? You bet him he couldn’t get into my knickers, and he bet he could?”

  “Quite the opposite,” Sam retorted, yanking the sheet over Lawson, and turned to leave the room. I followed, hating the decent of the stairs even more than going up. I clung to the wall and tried so hard not to look like a terrified idiot. A sigh of relief escaped me when my foot hit the solid hard wood floor at the bottom.

  “That staircase is horrible.”