by Stella Rhys
“You just said it yourself. You have no money and you’re about to commute four hours a day into the city. You took a job there, probably because you thought you were going to move there, but now you’re living two hours from there all alone because Matt dumped you and took your new lease all for himself. Tell me I’m wrong.”
“His name is Mike.”
“Don’t care. Am I wrong about the rest?”
I breathed hard through my nose.
No. Not at all, I conceded in my head. But my tongue refused to give Drew the pleasure.
“Yeah, I’ll take your silence as a no,” he went on briskly. “Anyway, on top of all the benefits I already listed, you’d be living at my penthouse in the city. We’ll start you at a hotel while we adjust to each other, but move-in should happen within a week or so. Aside from the gifts and meals I’ll be publicly buying you, you’ll have a salary and per diem that you can discuss with my agent. I’m at the clubhouse nine hours a day, if I’m even home. Otherwise, I’m on the road, which means you’re free to do your own thing ninety percent of the time. My driver can take you to and from your work meetings, or you can take the subway just to spite me – I don’t care. As long as you act like you’re in love with me while we’re out together, I won’t give two shits about what else you do with your time. Sound good to you or what?”
I simply stared. I was still going back and forth between being reactive and needing a second to even process all this.
“Also, speaking of your little shitstain ex, this would be a damned good way of getting back at him.”
“How?” I squinted. “Being engaged to you would make him think less of me.”
“No, being engaged to me would make him feel like he let go of the best thing he’s ever had. Nothing gets a man’s attention like his ex dating Drew Maddox.”
“Do you do this a lot? Referring to yourself in third person?”
“It was fitting for that sentence. Want to keep deflecting from the point because you’re realizing how tempted you are to say yes?”
I glowered.
“Don’t you think Mike would see a ring on my finger and think, ‘Well, damn. There goes my chance’?”
“No. I think he’d feel a sense of urgency and try to get you back. He’s had you for longer, he’s going to be naturally possessive, and he’s also going to think that if Drew Maddox wants to wife it, then so should he.”
“Can you not refer to me as ‘it’ or you as ‘Drew Maddox’ ever again?”
“Yes. But I need your answer on this already, because I can’t sit here anymore. The Botox brigade is staring at me like they want to fucking eat me.”
I chewed on my thumbnail as I stared out into space, listing all the pros and cons in my head just for shits and giggles.
You could live in the city. You could get out of that crappy apartment. You could be closer to work and save money on rent. You could get Mike’s attention. He is obsessed with baseball. He hates the Empires. This would rile him up like no other, and there’s no way in hell he won’t call you asking for answers within the first week.
I chewed on my lip as I thought of the cons. You have to play house with Drew Maddox.
It was only one con but it was a big one. Drew growled with impatience.
“Look, whatever it takes to make it worth it for you, you can negotiate that with my agent. Money talks, and I’m sure you have a price.”
Eyes narrowed, I crossed my arms.
“As charming as your insane cynicism is, you should know that I wouldn’t actually accept the payment from you. I own a company and I have a job. Yes, money’s tight but I don’t want or need yours. Especially if I’ll already be saving on rent by living in your apartment.”
Drew raised his eyebrows, looking genuinely impressed.
“Unexpected,” he remarked.
“Sorry to shake up your sexist view of the world, but not all women you encounter are gold diggers.”
“Duly noted. Now let’s get back on track. Are you in or are you out?”
I pursed my lips and dropped my gaze into my lap, trying to figure out at what point it was during this conversation that I’d begun to genuinely consider this.
Because I was, and I was only just realizing that now.
“Look, if the problem is that you don’t trust how hot and bothered you get around me, then I understand.”
I looked up to see Drew grinning that fucking grin, both of us knowing well that this was his stupid reverse psychology at work again. But just like the last time, despite the sane half of my brain screaming no on repeat, I tipped my nose up and put on my best game face. I pictured Mike’s face when he saw me with Drew in the papers, and before I knew it, I said the words I told myself I wouldn’t.
“Fine. Consider me in.”
7
From: Iain Thorn
To: Evie, me
Just to fill you in, Drew – after meeting individually with Evie this afternoon, we came to the agreement that tomorrow would be a good start date since it’s your only off day till next month.
We need to quickly convey in your first public outing that Evie is unlike any of the women you have been photographed with in the past, and since you’ve only been photographed with women at events, parties and nightclubs, we’re going to lose the flash and go low-key/non-trendy for this outing
This will involve an 11AM lunch at a restaurant of Evie’s choosing. Somewhere relatively unknown and outside of a trendy, hotspot neighborhood (SoHo, Meatpacking, LES) would be ideal. After your meal, you will accompany Evie while she completes errands around the city. The more mundane, the better.
Evie, once you send me your itinerary, I will arrange for photographers to be in each location you hit. These will be cell phone shots sold to the likes of TMZ so dress according to how you would like to be seen in the papers.
Thanks,
Iain
From: Evie Larsen
To: Iain, me
Hi Iain,
I’ve chosen the following for our outing tomorrow:
Lunch: Louisa’s in Cobble Hill (Brooklyn)
Errands: Groceries at Sahadi’s followed by returns at Urban Outfitters. I will probably wind up dropping by Trader Joe’s at some point since there’s one in this area anyway.
Hope this works!
Evie
From: Drew Maddox
To: Iain, Evie
I don’t think I have the words to express how uninterested I am in all this.
From: Iain Thorn
To: Evie, me
That’s fine. You’re not supposed to be interested in errands. You’re doing them because you’re whipped by your girlfriend whom you love dearly. The world has never seen Drew Maddox do something unselfish. This is your chance to show them a change.
I have photographers arranged to be in both these general areas tomorrow. Keep me posted via text when you arrive at each location.
Thanks,
Iain
From: Drew Maddox
To: Iain, Evie
Did you have returns just sitting around your house for this moment Evie why didn’t you do them earlier
From: Evie Larsen
To: Iain, me
Because I bought this stuff online and there isn’t an Urban near my part of Long Island. Also, Iain asked for mundane errands or I wouldn’t be dragging you along on this. Trust me, I’d rather get this done without your inevitable commentary.
From: Iain Thorn
To: Evie, me
Right. I’m glad you two are already fighting over errands like a real couple but if you want to continue this argument please do so in a separate email thread.
Dick. I smirked at Iain’s last email as I waited near the F Train stop Evie said she’d be getting out at.
I had no idea where I was. I went into Brooklyn
often to get to the stadium, but I never ventured beyond that point. In my head, when I heard Brooklyn I saw either hipsters with handlebar mustaches or fat, loud guys who pronounced it “New Yawk.” But clearly, Brooklyn wasn’t just the stupid, stereotypical shit in my imagination because whatever this place was, it was nice. I liked it. It was busy but quiet. All the little streets were lined with trees and townhouses, and the main street I was standing on was full of small restaurants and colorful storefronts. I got a good amount of glances and a couple excited reactions – mostly the wordless big smile-slash-point thing – but I went a full ten, twelve minutes out there before someone even asked for my autograph.
“Hi, Drew?”
My eyebrows went up as I looked down to see the tiniest, jet-haired kid standing in front of me.
“My mom said I could ask for your autograph if I was fast and I left you alone afterwards.”
“Hey, man, it’s all good,” I laughed as the kid presented me with my latest ESPN cover and a new Sharpie. “Damn. You just had this on hand?” I grinned as I sank to a kneel.
“Huh?”
“You just had this magazine with you?”
“No, we bought it from the store when we saw you. We were getting bubble tea and then I saw you, and I told mom, and then we went to the newspaper store down over there to buy the magazine. And I think my mom had the Sharpie in her purse already. She has snacks in her purse too.”
“Got it.” I felt my eyes crinkling as I laughed. I loved when kids just rambled on about stupid shit you didn’t really need to know. It was so honest. They didn’t know how to censor themselves yet or present themselves as anything but what they were. And as annoying as kids generally were, only an asshole wouldn’t get a kick out of that. “Alright, what’s your name, boss?”
“Parker.”
“Parker. Fuckin’ solid name,” I nodded. “Sorry. Don’t curse.”
“Okay.” Parker flashed a toothless grin as I handed over his signed magazine. “Thank you.” He looked down at it and up at me before covering a mischievous giggle. “Did you…” He paused as if to work up the nerve to ask his next question. “Did you really make Cody Bryce cry when you hit him?”
“Ah, shit, you saw that didn’t you.”
“Yeah.” I hid my left hand in my pocket when I saw the kid glance at my knuckles. “Daddy let me stay up late, you’re his favorite. And he said he saw Cody crying when he got kicked off the field. But my friend Braden said he wasn’t. He likes L.A. But not me.” Parker shook his head vehemently.
“Well, between you and me, I think I heard Cody kind of do one of these,” I said, making a particularly bitchy sniffling noise that made the kid laugh like crazy. God, I was going to be the worst dad. “That said it’s wrong to hit people. No matter what they say to try to provoke you. I mean that. Okay?”
“Okay.”
“Alright. And do me a solid, don’t tell your mom that we made fun of Cody,” I said just as I saw a woman come up behind Parker.
My eyes landed first on her ankles strapped into heels then traveled slowly up those killer calves. Fuck. And here it comes, I thought, blood rushing to my cock as I made out that valley between her luscious thighs, all thanks to the sunlight beaming through the fabric of her peach-colored sundress.
Jesus Christ, this kid’s mom was a smokeshow.
I knew I shouldn’t be looking at a woman like this in front of her kid, but there was no stopping my sex drive when it kicked into gear, and goddamn did she hit all my weak spots. Those round hips, that little waist – they looked too damned good wrapped so nice and tight in that dress. I rose slowly to my feet, forcing myself to hold back a groan when my eyes made their way up to her full fucking tits. She was wearing a bra, but I could see that her nipples were hard under there and suddenly, all I wanted was to get this girl alone so I could rip that dress clean off her perfect body.
Maddox, you are one hell of a piece of shit, I thought just as I brought my gaze up to the bombshell’s face – which greeted me with a wry smile.
“Hi,” Evie said.
My eyes popped damned near out of my head when I realized it was her.
Wait. What? I blinked down, confused till I saw that the little kid had already run off and was waving his autograph in front of his smiling mom down the block. Evie turned her attention from him back to me.
“Well, that was annoyingly cute,” she smirked. “Kind of pegged you for someone who despised children.”
Her hair looked different today. A lot of things did. I couldn’t tell what it was, but it had me at a loss for words for a good two seconds.
“All dressed up for the paparazzi today?” I asked.
“Certainly not for you.”
The little grin on her pouty lips made me clench my jaw. Smart little mouth. There was nothing I wouldn’t give to see it wrapped around my cock right now.
“Well, I’m surprised. You clean up nicely,” I said, enjoying the eye roll I got from her. “I take it you brushed your hair today?”
“My hair was brushed the last time you saw me, too, so let’s retire any future jokes about what I looked like the first night we met. That was clearly a fluke.”
I gave her another once-over.
“Clearly,” I muttered, getting caught on those tits again. She didn’t have much cleavage showing, but it was apparently enough to keep my blood rushing.
Alright. At ease, I told my dick as Evie turned around and peered over her shoulder.
“Well, shall we? You’re in for a very long, very boring day of errands. I really hope you’re ready,” she teased as I let her walk ahead so I could soak in the view of her ass in that dress.
Actually, I kind of was ready for this.
8
EVIE
Walking down the street with Drew Maddox was fascinating.
Male or female, stares just flew to him. His height and physique commanded attention from well down the block, and he wasn’t even the type who looked a little better from afar. He actually got mercilessly hotter as you got closer – I’d dealt with the experience myself coming out of the subway – and I could actually see some girls struggling to tear their eyes off of him.
Nah, I feel you, I thought as one girl flashed me a sheepish smile for instinctively checking him out.
“What?” Drew turned to me when he heard my giggle.
“Nothing. This girl was trying really hard to stop staring at you out of respect for me, and I thought it was polite and kind of sweet. Almost makes me want to tell her that this is all a sham and to check you out as hard as she wants.”
Drew shot a look at me and stared for several seconds.
“You’re insane.”
“Insane? Geez. Kind of a strong choice of words, don’t you think?”
“You just made friends with a complete stranger in your head.”
“Uh, no, I related to her and we had a friendly, non-verbal exchange,” I corrected.
“For two seconds. With a complete stranger,” Drew reiterated. I squinted up at him.
“Look, I know that someone who doesn’t even trust his own friends wouldn’t get this, but it’s not completely wild for girls who don’t know each other to bond quickly over something. Do you know how many best friends I’ve made in the bathrooms of bars?” I asked, knowing well that I was losing him at this point. “No one holds your hair while you’re puking in the bathroom of a bar like a girl you’ve never met before in your life. It’s just part of the unspoken sisterhood among us women. Just because you don’t know doesn’t mean it hasn’t been true for centuries.”
Drew narrowed his eyes at me, looking confused to the point of irritation.
“You know, I thought this day might end up being tolerable but then again, maybe not.”
I laughed, a bit too entertained by what big, bad Drew Maddox looked like completely weirded out by me. I couldn’t out-muscle or out-snark him, but clearly I could out-sunshine him, so there was that.
Though admittedly
, within minutes, I was out of sunshine myself.
“Crap,” I cursed when we stopped in front of the “Closed for Renovation” sign hanging on the door of Louisa’s.
Our lunch spot was closed, and Drew Maddox was hangry.
“Damn it. Dammit, dammit, dammit,” I cursed again ten minutes later while waiting outside the deli where Drew was grabbing some “hold me over” food. Leaning against the window, I shot an apologetic text to Iain about the change of plans. He had seemed very nice and cordial when I met him in the city yesterday, and upon noticing my fidgety nerves, managed to make me laugh by assuring me that I’d have plenty of space to hide in Drew’s triplex should Drew get too annoying. But he was also professional to the point of being intimidating, and I was afraid he was going to hate me for failing to pick a restaurant that was, at the very least, open.
“Oh my gosh… Evie?”
I had just sent the text when I heard the familiar, clear-as-a-bell voice in front of me. Blinking up in the sun, I gasped.
“Oh my God – Hillary. Hi!”
We laughed as we threw our arms around each other and went straight into talking about her new restaurant – the one with the menu I designed – and how the big opening was in just over a week.
“I can’t believe it’s finally happening!” Hillary laughed, pressing her manicured hands on her makeup-free face. Save for special occasions, Hillary never wore an ounce of it. Since college, she’d rocked that all-natural, girl-next-door, Chapstick-is-my-makeup beauty that I only wished I could pull off. “Evie, I am so excited for the masses to taste that amazing menu of yours. I literally haven’t slept since last week! You’re still coming to the friends and family opening, right?”
“Yes! Of course. How could I not?”
Her blue eyes were still bright though her smile somewhat faltered.