by JA Low
Shit! I can feel my cheeks redden from the memories.
“I’m sorry, Chris, but it was a mistake.” I look at him standing there like a fucking god.
“Why, because we work together?” His face is like stone.
“Yes.” I distract myself by playing with my phone in my hand.
“Talk to me, Ness,” Christian commands.
Letting out a heavy sigh, I respond, “Let me just message Camryn to come pick me up, then we can talk.” He nods in agreement and I send off a quick message to Cam to come and get me.
Christian is sitting in the living room on the couch with a bottle of water for each of us. Thankfully he has put on more clothes. He pats the seat next to him as he hands me the water bottle. Our legs touch as I settle on the couch, and I feel it, I feel the spark between us.
“You can’t deny the chemistry between us, Ness,” Christian whispers.
Looking at the floor because I can’t look at him, I whisper, “I know.” It’s the truth.
“Then tell me why we can’t try something. I’ve never wanted to try something with anyone before you, Ness. It’s freaking me out but for some reason I want something with you.”
Hearing his confession makes my heart sink, because in an alternative world I would love nothing more than to be with this man, but unfortunately we just can’t.
“There’s a reason why I left London and came to LA. This job offer came at the best time for me.” I play with the label on my bottle. Camryn and Sienna, my two closest girlfriends, are the only ones that know the reason why I left London and now, Christian will too. I just hope it doesn’t make him change his opinion of me.
“I worked for this indie record label in London. I loved it, it was the best job in the world. The owner was this young, hot guy and all the girls in the office had a crush on him. Yeah, I thought he was cute but there were heaps of cute guys in London to hook up with, I didn’t need to go after the boss.” I chance a glance at Christian, he smiles and urges me to continue. “We had to work on a project together and I got to know him better, and long story short we started seeing each other.” My heart is racing and I think I am going to be sick. “But what I didn’t know was that he was married.”
“Oh,” Christian comments.
“Yeah, oh. I found out he was married when we were working late one night and his wife surprised him at work. She caught us screwing on his desk.”
“Shit, Ness. I’m sorry.”
Shaking my head, I continue, “She screamed at him that she couldn’t believe he was stills screwing around with all these desperate interns. The month before she had caught him with someone else in the office. She called me a whore and told me that she was going to ruin me. I was obviously the straw that broke the camel’s back.”
Christian gives my hand a squeeze.
“And she kept her word. Apparently she came from a very wealthy family and he had used her daddy’s money to start up the label. He couldn’t lose everything he built so he let her destroy me. She made a scene in the middle of the office telling everyone, even clients, that the only reason I made it so far was because I was sleeping with people to get ahead.”
“Tell me they didn’t believe her? You are brilliant at what you do.”
“Most of the girls in the office were worried about their jobs because they had all apparently slept with him. So I was the scapegoat. What really did it for me was when I was invited to a meeting late one night for a big client. I arrived and it was a room full of men and my boss. He told them that a perk of owning his own label was the access to sweet pussy and what women like me would do to further their careers.” Christian’s hand tightens around mine. “He told me I needed to get on my knees and suck them all off if I wanted to keep my job at the label, if I wanted him to get his wife to back off.”
“What the fuck! That fucker, if I find out who he is, I am going to fucking kill him, you hear me.”
Looking at how angry Christian looked made me feel good, I just wished I had people like that around me in London.
“He is nothing, forget him. I have.”
“But Ness, you are amazing at your job. What you have done for us so far after a couple of months has been more than our old label did for us in years. You are fucking awesome.”
Christian’s praise makes me smile. “Thank you that means a lot. And just for the record, I picked up the jug of water on the conference table and dumped it over my old boss’ head and told him to shove his job and his pin dick before I walked out and never looked back. So that’s how I ended up in LA.”
“Nice.”
“Now you understand why I can’t do anything with you.”
Christian’s eyes looked at the floor. “Yeah, Ness, I understand. It sucks because I like you but I understand.” He doesn’t look at me.
My hand reaches for his chin to tip it up so he can look at me, those hazel eyes sparkling. “I wish things could be different, Chris, I want you to know that.”
He gives me a smile.
I lean forwarded and lightly kiss his lips. “Can we still be friends?” I ask.
“Yeah, Ness. I’d like that. If that is the only way, I can have you then I think I can handle that.”
My phone buzzes, Camryn is downstairs. Jumping up from the couch, I head toward the door.
“Ness,” Christian calls out.
I turn around and look at him.
“If you ever leave Montgomery Records or you are no longer our PR Manager then I’m coming for you. Just so you know, you’ve been warned.” The look he gives me is heated. Nodding my head, I sneak out the door.
3 years ago
“Welcome, boys,” Nate Lewis greets Axel and I at the Paradise Club.
“We thought you were in Europe?” Axel questions him.
“Yeah, just back and doing a quick run over the clubs. Hopefully I will see you two at the opening in Monaco next month.”
“Maybe we can arrange a quick trip over there,” Axel says with a smile.
The Paradise Club is an exclusive sex club for celebrities, the rich and famous and anyone who is a VIP and can be harmed by the press finding out about our extracurricular activities. Nathaniel Lewis is the king of the domain. He has opened exclusive clubs around the world and my brother and I always try and make it to an opening, since they’re pretty legendary.
“Well, have fun tonight, boys,” Nate encourages, clapping us on the back as he walks off into the darkness.
“What are you up for tonight?” Axel asks.
My brother has certain tastes when it comes to sex. He’s into domination and kink, whereas I am just down for sex. Hot, hot sex with a beautiful woman …or two or three.
“Might check out the voyeur room. It’s always a good place to warm up.” He nods and follows me toward the large glass wall that looks into a room which has basically one large bed. Sometimes it has a couple of people in it other times it can have a full orgy going on. People like to congregate around and watch, sometimes that leads to people fucking up against the window. It’s hot.
Looks like tonight there is an orgy going on. The room is full with beautiful women and only a couple of men. Axel and I watch for a couple of moments, my eyes landing on a hot brunette going down on some blonde while a big hairy man pounds her from behind. Nice. Girl on girl action always gets my dick twitching.
“Shit. Is that Kane?” Axel nudges me.
Looking at the man who currently has a blonde riding him, while eating out a brunette, I shake my head, I must be seeing things. But I swear I see his football tattoo on his arm. I’ve been looking at that ugly tattoo for the past two years ever since he started dating Vanessa. He was a grade A douche bag, but Ness seems happy so I put up with him.
“No, there’s no way in the world that is him, is it?” Shaking my head, Axel and I stare for a little longer trying to work it out. The brunette moves off his face and toward another man and that is when I see red.
“Chris, don’t.” Axel grabs
me.
My eyes watch as Kane keeps fucking the blonde, his hand playing with some other chick’s tits.
“I am going to fucking kill him,” I growl.
“Yeah and you are going to get us kicked out of here,” he whisper yells at me.
“I don’t fucking care! He is cheating on Ness. Our Ness. Don’t you fucking care?”
Axel pulls me away from the voyeurs watching as we are definitely ruining their vibe with our fighting. He pulls me out past security, out of the building, and back into the dark alleyway. When he finally lets me go, I kick a trash can over.
“Calm the fuck down!” He yells at me.
“Fuck you! Ness is our friend and you don’t give a shit.” Grabbing my brother by his collar, I push him up against the brick wall and get up in his face.
“Of course I give a shit but I don’t think we should make a scene.”
Letting go of his shirt I pace the dark alley. “I have to tell her, Axe.”
“I know, man, but she loves him,” my brother reminds me. My stomach sinks at the thought that Vanessa is in love with this fucker. “I don’t want to break her heart,” he adds.
Leaning back against the wall we both stare into the darkness for a while.
“She needs to know that he isn’t the man he says he is. How many times has he done this to her? He doesn’t deserve her.”
“Do you want to tell her because it’s the right thing to do or do you want to tell her so she’s single again and you might have a chance?”
I stiffen. “Fuck you.” I push off the wall and start pacing. “How the fuck could you say that to me?”
“Sorry, I just know you have feelings for her.”
“We’re friends, I told you that.” Didn’t take long for Axel to work out who the mystery girl was every time we were around each other.
“Yeah, I know but I also see the chemistry between the two of you.”
“Hey, I make sure I don’t flirt with her, she has a boyfriend.”
“Chris, I’m not saying you flirt with her. I’m saying that you guys get along really well. It’s nice seeing you two together, that’s all.”
“So your saying I shouldn’t tell her, let her think this dude is trustworthy?”
Axel shakes his head. “She might not believe you so…” He trails off.
Shit, what happens if she doesn’t believe me? I have no evidence because no phones or cameras are allowed in the club. I just have to trust in our friendship that she does.
***
“Hey,” Vanessa greets me, bouncing through my front door. She has her own key, it’s easier as she’s always here anyway. “It sounded serious on the phone. Please don’t tell me I am going to have to do damage control because of last night?” Her green eyes look at me.
“No, no, I was pretty tame last night.” I give her a weak smile as I kiss her cheeks.
“Then what’s the matter? What’s so important that you needed to see me so early on a Sunday?”
We sit down on the large couch in my living room which looks out over the pool, down the valley over downtown LA. The view is spectacular but at the moment it makes me feel sick.
“So, well…um.” Fuck, I’m nervous. “Last night Axel and I went out to this club.”
Vanessa nods following the story so far.
“It’s a special kind of club,” I add.
Vanessa frowns. “What, like a night club?”
I shake my head before I answer her. “No, more…um…exclusive and set up for um…you know…” Why am I embarrassed to tell her about it?
“What; like a sex club?”
“Yeah. It’s basically set up for VIPs to have uninhibited fun without the paparazzi finding out or people selling stories to the media.”
Vanessa smiles. “Cool. I’m glad you have somewhere you can go and relax. It
sounds like fun. If I were single I would totally be there checking it out with you.” She gives me a giggle and the sound hits my dick making it twitch to life. Fuck, I had no idea Vanessa would be interested in something like that.
“And, I get it, especially after the couple of disasters we have had recently with the paparazzi.” She tells me as she gives me the mom look.
“Yeah, yeah I know, that’s why this club is great. I can get my rocks off without creating a headache for you.”
Vanessa laughs. “I love how considerate you are, Christian.”
“But I saw something last night and you need to know about it.” My stomach sinks now that I have started the conversation.
“Why?” she asks.
“I saw Kane there.” I think I’m going to be sick.
“Kane? No, you have to be wrong. He is away on some football thing.” I can see the frown lines marring her forehead.
“No, Ness, Axel and I were both sure it was him. I saw his tattoo.”
Ness stills for a moment. “What was he doing?”
Shit, I don’t want to tell her what he was doing. Fuck, she doesn’t need to know that. “He was with a couple of women.”
I can see the information hit her and slowly the realization sinks in.
“You’re wrong, you have to be wrong.” Tears start to flow as she hits me with her hands.
Fuck, I hate it when she cries. Pulling her against me I wrap my arms around her. “I wouldn’t be telling you this, Ness if I wasn’t one hundred percent sure it was him. He cheated on you and from what I have found out from the club, he has been a member for the past three years and frequents the club a lot.”
She lets out a sob, her whole body is shaking with tears, she cuddles into me. “I’m sorry, Ness. I’m so, so sorry. He doesn’t deserve you, that fucker doesn’t deserve a beautiful, wonderful, caring, hot, sexy woman like you.” I comfort her stroking her hair.
Vanessa is silent for a long time. The sobbing has turned from all consuming to now intermittent sniffling. “Are you sure, Chris? Like really sure.” Her bloodshot eyes stare at me.
“Yeah, babe I am.”
“Fuck, how could I be so fucking stupid.”
“No, he is the stupid one. Who the fuck cheats on someone like you?” Looking down at her my heart breaks. She looks so lost and fragile not like the strong, confident, ball breaking Nessa I know.
“I guess I just wasn’t enough for him.”
Grabbing her face in my palms, I look into her eyes. “Never. You’re more than enough for a real man to handle. He is nothing but a low life punk who doesn’t realize the incredible gift he has in front of him.”
Her lips touch mine in the barest of kisses. “Thank you, Christian.”
My heart is racing because here she is wrapped in my arms and all my dick can think about is burying itself so deep inside of her, hoping to make sure she forgets about her loser boyfriend. But that’s not what I do, instead I pull her tighter against me and hold her because that is all I can ever do.
“Can I stay here with you, I just…” She hiccups on her tears.
“Of course you can, you know I would do anything for you,” I whisper, kissing her forehead.
That’s where we stay for the rest of the day; sitting on my couch watching movies, eating ice cream and pigging out on popcorn. Vanessa’s phone keeps ringing. It’s Kane, and she ignores every one of his calls and a million and one texts which makes me happy.
“What does he want?” I ask, because curiosity is getting the better of me.
“I don’t know. Here you read them.” She hands me her phone.
There were heaps of messages from him asking where she was and who she was with. He told her he was working hard and even took selfies of himself training. This is bullshit, the lying fucking bastard. “He wants to visit you tomorrow, seeing as he is passing through town back to San Diego. What do you want me to say?”
“Fine tell him I’ll see him back at my place tomorrow.” Vanessa is emotionless as she watches some old black and white movie.
“Want me to come for moral support?”
Look
ing at me, she gives me a weak smile. “No, I can do this. It will be easier if you’re not there, you two don’t get along as it is, adding this on top of it will just fuel the fire.”
Yeah, Kane and I are most definitely not friends.
“Chill out, man, it’s going to be okay,” Evan says as we work out in my studio.
“I’m just worried about her,” I tell him. The boys see that Vanessa and I get along quite well, they used to rib me for it but over the years they can see the genuine friendship between us.
“She’ll call if she needs you,” Axel reminds me.
I just hope Kane doesn’t try and convince her that it’s not true or ask her to forgive him. Not sure how I will react if that’s the way she is going to go.
A couple of hours later we are in the swing of things at my home studio when my phone starts ringing. Jumping up I answer it.
“Hello.”
“Christian.” It’s Camryn and she’s crying.
“Nessa…, is Nessa okay?” My heart is racing. I know something has happened.
“No, she’s in the hospital. I found her unconscious on the floor. Kane hurt her. There was so much blood.” Camryn bursts out crying again.
What the fuck? “Text me the information, I’m on my way,” I yell at her before hanging up.
“I’m going to fucking murder that son of a bitch!” I scream, racing for the door.
“Dude, what happened?” Oscar asks.
Nearly pulling my hair out with stress I yell, “That fucker, that fucking piece of shit touched Ness. He put his fucking hands on her. Camryn found her unconscious, she’s at the hospital.”
The rest of the boys jump up from their places in the studio when I say hospital.
“I’ll call Isla, get her to organize a car,” Finn says, running off to find our assistant.
“That fucker,” Axel growls, punching the wall.
***
It wasn’t long until we arrive at the hospital and find Camryn in the waiting room looking pale. Her blue eyes widening when she sees us, she launches herself off the plastic black chair into my arms.