forehead ever so gently.
She looks at me as if she has words on her lips, but when I tell her that I’m going to draw her a bath, she just starts to cry all over again.
I feel like shit for bringing this all upon her, and I need to get her settled so I can figure out my next move.
Once the bath is ready, I tell Tess to take as much time as she needs, that we aren’t going anywhere, and that I’m gonna be making some calls.
She smiles softly, already seeming more settled from her tea. As she walks into the steamy bathroom, I notice that she doesn’t close the door. Instead she looks over her shoulder at me, the corner of her mouth still upturned.
Whatever was on her mind before, it’s been replaced with other things.
Things I can fucking get behind.
She slips off her skirt, bending at the waist—and, fuck, I’ve got to adjust my cock as it gets hard at the sight of her ass.
My phone rings; it’s Lola.
Really? Now?
I walk away from the bathroom, knowing I need to deal with this, and go to my office.
Turning on speakerphone, I set the iPhone down on my desk and take a seat. Propping my feet up on a stool, I try to focus on the call at hand and not on the vision of Tess’s fine backside.
“Hey, Jack, it’s Lola. And Kirby is in on the call, too.”
“How you holding up, buddy?” Kirby asks.
“Good. Tess and I are back at my loft. I mean, she keeps a low profile and doesn’t use social media or anything, so no one is bothering her.”
“And you?” Lola asks. “Have you experienced any backlash yet?”
“No,” I tell them. “But honestly, we just left the casino, and came directly here with Ace’s private security. They sent a crew over to Tess’s apartment, as well.”
“Good. Now, we’ve put together a press release. I’m gonna read it to you,” Lola says. The release is a simple explanation stating that the leaked footage was from an unknown source, and that neither party granted permission.”
Straightforward, but I can already see how it will only bring more attention to the video. “Sounds good. I mean, there isn’t a lot we can do here to soften the blow,” I tell them. “Though Ashley admitted to being the one behind it all.”
“What, what?” Lola says. “That’s important. Why didn’t you tell me that?”
“Because I don’t really give a shit about Ashley right now. I should never have trusted that girl. And besides, right now I’ve got another woman on my mind.
“Speaking of Tess,” Lola begins, “is she with you right now?”
“Yeah, I told you she was here. She’s not in my office, if that’s what you mean, but you can say anything to me that you’d say to her.”
Lola gives a low sigh. “Um. Okay. Well, I want to be delicate about this—about her, since you say you’re friends.”
“Okay,” I say, not having a lot of patience. “Well, you’re the PR person. You should be able to say whatever it is you need to say.”
“The thing is, Jack, most people’s histories are pretty easy to trace. A name alone will tell us more than we need to know. With a snap of the finger we can get information on hometown, parents, high school. Where you shop online, what bank you use. What cars you’ve owned. The thing is … with Tess, there’s nothing. Zero. Zilch. Nada.”
“I get it.” I close my eyes, not liking where this is headed. “What are you trying to say, Lola?”
“I don’t think this girl is who she says she is.”
I could piece that together on my own. Granted, I didn’t realize that she might have falsified that much information about herself.
Not that I actually have all that much information on her in the first place. What do any of us know about Tess? I don’t know what city she lived in growing up. I don’t know her birthday, her parents’ names. She moved here and seamlessly wove herself into our lives.
“And what if she isn’t?” I ask, looking out the window to the strip beyond.
“Then we have to ask ourselves what
She looks at me as if she has words on her lips, but when I tell her that I’m going to draw her a bath, she just starts to cry all over again.
I feel like shit for bringing this all upon her, and I need to get her settled so I can figure out my next move.
Once the bath is ready, I tell Tess to take as much time as she needs, that we aren’t going anywhere, and that I’m gonna be making some calls.
She smiles softly, already seeming more settled from her tea. As she walks into the steamy bathroom, I notice that she doesn’t close the door. Instead she looks over her shoulder at me, the corner of her mouth still upturned.
Whatever was on her mind before, it’s been replaced with other things.
Things I can fucking get behind.
She slips off her skirt, bending at the waist—and, fuck, I’ve got to adjust my cock as it gets hard at the sight of her ass.
My phone rings; it’s Lola.
Really? Now?
I walk away from the bathroom, knowing I need to deal with this, and go to my office.
Turning on speakerphone, I set the iPhone down on my desk and take a seat. Propping my feet up on a stool, I try to focus on the call at hand and not on the vision of Tess’s fine backside.
“Hey, Jack, it’s Lola. And Kirby is in on the call, too.”
“How you holding up, buddy?” Kirby asks.
“Good. Tess and I are back at my loft. I mean, she keeps a low profile and doesn’t use social media or anything, so no one is bothering her.”
“And you?” Lola asks. “Have you experienced any backlash yet?”
“No,” I tell them. “But honestly, we just left the casino, and came directly here with Ace’s private security. They sent a crew over to Tess’s apartment, as well.”
“Good. Now, we’ve put together a press release. I’m gonna read it to you,” Lola says. The release is a simple explanation stating that the leaked footage was from an unknown source, and that neither party granted permission.”
Straightforward, but I can already see how it will only bring more attention to the video. “Sounds good. I mean, there isn’t a lot we can do here to soften the blow,” I tell them. “Though Ashley admitted to being the one behind it all.”
“What, what?” Lola says. “That’s important. Why didn’t you tell me that?”
“Because I don’t really give a shit about Ashley right now. I should never have trusted that girl. And besides, right now I’ve got another woman on my mind.
“Speaking of Tess,” Lola begins, “is she with you right now?”
“Yeah, I told you she was here. She’s not in my office, if that’s what you mean, but you can say anything to me that you’d say to her.”
Lola gives a low sigh. “Um. Okay. Well, I want to be delicate about this—about her, since you say you’re friends.”
“Okay,” I say, not having a lot of patience. “Well, you’re the PR person. You should be able to say whatever it is you need to say.”
“The thing is, Jack, most people’s histories are pretty easy to trace. A name alone will tell us more than we need to know. With a snap of the finger we can get information on hometown, parents, high school. Where you shop online, what bank you use. What cars you’ve owned. The thing is … with Tess, there’s nothing. Zero. Zilch. Nada.”
“I get it.” I close my eyes, not liking where this is headed. “What are you trying to say, Lola?”
“I don’t think this girl is who she says she is.”
I could piece that together on my own. Granted, I didn’t realize that she might have falsified that much information about herself.
Not that I actually have all that much information on her in the first place. What do any of us know about Tess? I don’t know what city she lived in growing up. I don’t know her birthday, her parents’ names. She moved here and seamlessly wove herself into our lives.
“And what if she isn’t?” I ask, looking out the window to the strip beyond.
“Then we have to ask ourselves what
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