Rock Hard Love, page 7
“No opinion?” I teased. Josie closed her mouth and shook her head slowly.
“That’s like some kind of modern day fairytale. Oh my God, you really slept with him?” Josie asked. I didn’t give her the details just teasing her with a summary of the more intimate matters.
“Yes and it was wonderful,” I told her.
“This is so cool! I’m roommates with James Turner’s girlfriend. Holy shit, girl,” Josie exclaimed as she began to find her words again.
“Whoa, I’m not his girlfriend. We slept together,” I said not wanting to move too fast and make assumptions. OK, I wanted to make assumptions but I forced myself not to. I suppose that wasn’t necessary after everything that had happened, but James hadn’t said it and so I refused to think it.
“Oh, girl. C’mon! You’re his girlfriend. I can’t wait to tell everybo…,” Josie began to say but I stopped her in her tracks.
“No! Don’t you dare. I don’t want Entertainment Tonight parked out in front of the apartment. This doesn’t leave the room. Not yet, OK?” I scolded Josie.
“All right,” she replied.
“Promise me,” I added.
“Promise,” Josie answered obviously disappointed by my demand. She was an unabashed gossip and I wondered if telling her was a good idea. She was my best friend in L.A. but I wondered if she could really keep quiet. I didn’t want James to have to deal with the paparazzi and I didn’t want to deal with that either. I’d been in the talent agency long enough to learn how vicious those people could be. I felt like things were going well and I didn’t want anything to ruin it.
~11~
Telling Josie everything weighed on me all evening and before we went to bed, I made her promise to keep quiet again. She seemed sincere, but she gossiped like most people breathed. It was too late to take it back so I had no choice but to trust her. But as I’d discover, the paparazzi were the least of my concerns. I went into work the next day as usual, except to my new squatter’s office. My name was still on the door and I took that as a good sign.
Peter stopped in and said good morning but with Victoria’s warning to him not to help me, he couldn’t risk staying long. I understood. I unpacked my briefcase and found the contract. I’d totally forgotten to show it to James and the band. I was so caught up in the excitement of the show and being with James it slipped my mind. I contemplated emailing it to James but I never got a chance. Before I could even figure out how to break what I hoped would be good news to the band, Victoria found me in my new office.
“Nice! I see you’ve given yourself a promotion,” she said coldly. I suddenly felt like a child that had been caught doing something bad. She had that effect on people.
“I just thought since it was empty...,” I replied weakly. I hated how she made me feel.
“Well, since you’ve got a fancy office now, we can talk here,” she said as she closed my door and took a seat. She grabbed the draft contract before I could put it away and looked it over, the good parts highlighted for James’ convenience. “Well, look at you. Looks like you’ve done well for your boyfriend,” Victoria said and I tried hard to keep a straight face but I know I reacted to her words.
“I just did what Mr. Turner asked,” I lied. The contract was all my doing and James knew nothing about it. I called him Mr. Turner in an attempt to deflect any thought of us being intimate.
“I see. Well I know you’re aware of company policy on such matters. I had my assistant pull your signed copy of those policies. They clearly state that sexual relations between company employees and clients if strictly forbidden,” Victoria said. I felt my face flush and I was suddenly hot.
“I…I’ll keep that in mind,” I said hoping this was all just Victoria’s way of screwing with me. I doubted she was going to apply the policies strictly but instead use them to keep me under her thumb. I was wrong.
“I know about your little trip to San Francisco and your little tryst with Mr. Turner. Never mind how I know. What’s important is the fact you’ve violated company policy. Pack your personal belongings and be out of the building in no more than an hour or I’ll have security remove you. Understood?” Victoria said coldly and then grinned smugly at me.
“But James wants me to be his agent. He’ll leave the agency,” I said desperately but I already knew Victoria wasn’t going to back down.
“I’ve spoken with Mr. Turner. He won’t be going anywhere. This contract you’ve so naively negotiated for me will help insure that. He’ll be grateful that I’ve negotiated so well on his behalf,” Victoria said and then added just to be mean, “Money is far more important to Mr. Turner than some halfwit floozy stupid enough to believe he really gives a damn about her.” I tried to ignore her mean-spirited words.
“I negotiated that, not you. You can’t do that. I’ve got copies on my hard drive and I’ll take them with me. I’ll tell him the truth,” I countered but in my haste to try to gain the upper hand, I gave away too much. Victoria picked up my phone and pushed a few numbers.
“Yes, I need a security officer to Simone Navarro’s office. She’s been fired and I need someone to ensure she doesn’t leave with any company property and escort her from the premises,” she told the person on the other end of the line. She hung up the phone and told me, “I’ll have your personal items sent to your address along with your last paycheck. For now, just hand over the credit card you conned Human Resources into giving you and be happy I don’t dock your last paycheck for the unauthorized expenditures.”
I was speechless. How did this happen? My mind whirled with theories. Did Josie talk and it had already gotten back to Victoria? Was James really staying with Roland even if they fired me? Was I just being used? I fought the urge to cry and fought harder to keep from punching the smug bitch across the desk from me. I waited silently refusing to look at the woman that had just fired me and moments later a security guard appeared. I went with him willingly hoping to preserve some of my dignity. I looked at Peter as I passed his office and he looked at me with concern. It wasn’t as if the walls were so thick he couldn’t have heard every sordid detail. I mouthed, “Thank you,” to him as I passed and he smiled and nodded.
Two minutes later, I was standing on the sidewalk in front of the building. I broke down right there, dropping my head into my hands and crying. People walked by staring but no one said a word or offered help. I felt utterly alone. After a minute, I composed myself enough to walk to the parking garage and get my car. By then my anger had taken over and I managed to make it home without crying. But it wasn’t long before everything hit me again and I curled up on my bed and sobbed. The events overwhelmed me and I was unable even to form a coherent thought as I cried on my bed.
I don’t know when I fell asleep, but Josie woke me up when she got home from work. I must have slept for at least six hours but it felt as if I’d run a marathon. I immediately accused Josie of talking about James and me. I stood up and got right in her face, “Who did you tell?”
“What’s wrong? Why are you here? I can tell you’ve been crying,” she said.
“Who did you tell about James and me?” I asked again even more forcefully.
“No one. I swear I didn’t say a word. I promised you and I meant that,” Josie said. I collapsed on her and she hugged me tight as I cried again. She held me for a moment until I composed myself.
“I’m sorry,” I offered and Josie led me out to the living room and sat with me on the sofa.
“Tell me what happened,” she asked gently. I did, able to keep my emotions in check for the most part. I told her all of it. Victoria firing me, her assertion that James was staying with the agency and then about Victoria taking the contract I’d negotiated and promising to claim it as her own.
“What a bitch! You don’t believe that James is part of this do you?” Josie asked.
“I’m not sure what to think. I don’t want to believe that, but…,” I answered not wanting to finish my thought. Part of me wasn’t so sure. I wondered if maybe James was using me in some way, though I couldn’t figure out why. If this was somehow designed to secure a beneficial contract, there were certainly easier and less convoluted ways to do it.
“Have you called him?” Josie asked.
“No, I’ve been asleep since sometime this morning. I guess I should,” I said though I was afraid of what he might say. I hated myself for not trusting him but I hadn’t known him for that long. I didn’t want to believe he was using me but I was in Los Angeles and he was a celebrity. He wouldn’t be the first rich and famous person to lie to get what he wanted. I retrieved my phone and dialed. I got his voicemail. I hung up and called again and like the first time, I got voicemail. I didn’t want to dump all this on James in a message so I only asked him to call me.
“Hopefully he’ll call and straighten this all out,” Josie offered. I hoped she was right but I didn’t feel like talking about it. Josie was sweet, telling me everything would be OK, offering to get me dinner and telling me she could cover the rent until I found another job. I wasn’t hungry, but I appreciated the offer. Honestly, I was ready to go back to Idaho and get the hell away from here. We watched television all night and it helped to keep my mind off of everything. However, as soon as I went to bed, I lay awake as my imagination ran wild.
Why wasn’t James calling me? Was Victoria telling the truth? Was James avoiding me now because he got what he wanted, a night in the sack and a favorable contract? I didn’t want to think that, but as more time passed without hearing from him, I couldn’t help but wonder. I fell asleep sometime after two in the morning but I didn’t sleep well and at seven, Josie talking to someone roused me.
I got up and found her at the front door, “She’s sleeping. I don’t know if I should let you in. I‘m not sure she wants to see you.” It was James and my heart was suddenly in my throat.
“It’s OK, Josie,” I told her. I was afraid of what he might say, but I needed know. Josie let James in. He looked tired.
“Get dressed, we need to settle this,” he demanded. I expected a hug or an explanation, not an order.
“Tell me what’s going on,” I replied but he refused to talk. He only told me to get dressed and come with him and then his eyes looked at Josie. I assumed he didn’t want to talk in front of her. I went to do as he asked and Josie followed me to my room.
“Are you sure? What if that bitch was telling the truth?” Josie asked.
“I trust him. I have too. I’ll be fine, thanks,” I told Josie and hugged her. She stayed with me protectively as I threw on a comfortable jogging outfit and tennis shoes. I brushed my hair and then went to leave with James. Josie followed me to the door and watched me leave. She was a good friend and I felt bad about thinking she had broken her promise. I followed James out to the parking lot. He didn’t have his truck, instead driving a mid-sized rental car. Something was up but I was at a loss to see it.
James was quiet on the way to wherever he was taking me. I asked him what was going on and all he said was, “You’ll see.” He wasn’t helping to ease my conspiracy theories but I tried to reserve judgment. Traffic was hell and it was slow going but I could tell we were headed downtown. After nearly an hour, we got off the freeway and drove directly to the Roland Talent Agency. James parked in the loading zone in front of the building, apparently his favorite spot to park, and then James got out of the car, came around to gather me and tugged me by the hand towards the front doors.
“What are we doing? I was fi…,” I began to say but James looked back at me as we hurried into the lobby.
“Trust me,” was all he said.
~12~
Up the elevator we went and James was still quiet but his hand held mine fiercely. I still wondered what his role in this was but I was getting the feeling he was pissed off and not at me. The vein above his temple twitched as it did the day I met him. The elevator opened and we walked briskly through the reception area, past the vapid receptionist as she asked, “May I help you?” We left her behind and then walked through the offices. Peter caught sight of us and I could see the puzzled look on his face as James and I walked by. I looked at him and shrugged.
James led me into Victoria’s outer office and he stopped in front of her secretary and asked, “Is the Fraulein in?”
“If you’re referring to Ms. Roland, she’s in but occupied,” the woman answered giving the standard response. James turned and pulled me with him as the secretary called after us, “You can’t go in there!”
We burst into Victoria’s office and found her on the phone, her long legs and high heels propped on her glass and metal desk. “I need to go,” was all she said and hung up the phone. “So, my little fib has been exposed. Oh well, it doesn’t matter,” she said. I expected James to go off on her, blow up and lose his mind. I half expected him to wring her neck. As much as I hated to admit it, I would have liked to see that. Instead, he calmly approached her desk.
“I suppose it doesn’t. Vicky, you’re fired,” James said. I looked back and found Peter and a couple of other employees standing in Victoria’s outer office watching and waiting to see what might happen.
“Fired? How original,” Victoria answered and then stood and walked around the desk towards me. She stopped and asked, “Who’s going to represent your horrid band now? This slut?” Victoria said and I suddenly felt Peter behind me. He obviously sensed something was about to go down and was there to support me or hold me back, I wasn’t sure which. I looked at him and he shook his head. Good thing because I was about this far from punching the Fraulein in the face.
“Actually, yes. Simone is the band’s agent. I saw the contract she negotiated and she’s a hell of lot better than you ever were, Vicky. I asked you to assign her to the band for several reasons, not the least of which is that you suck as a talent agent, not to mention as a human being. Samuel’s agency died with him. This mess is all on you. You can take your piece of shit agency and shove it up your squeaky, tight ass, Vicky,” James said calmly but with force. I had no idea how he’d seen the contract but then I looked back at Peter and he nodded. I smiled at him.
“How dare you? This agency is still the best in the industry. You’ll find out soon enough that Miss Navarro’s negotiating skills aren’t so effective without my name behind her. Good luck, Mr. Turner. I hope you and your girlfriend will be happy. It’s a good thing I’ve helped you become so wealthy. You’re going to need it because I’m going to ruin you and Miss Navarro,” Victoria said ominously. James came over to me and his hand found the small of my back.
“Bring it, Fraulein,” was all James said and we turned to leave but Peter stopped us before James could lead me away.
“Victoria, I happen to agree with James. You can take my job and shove it,” Peter said totally out of character. James and I laughed and Victoria tried hard to remain stoic, but I could tell she was beyond angry at losing control of the situation. Peter joined us as we walked out of the offices and made our way to the street.
“Breakfast is on me,” James announced once we found ourselves outside. We all climbed into the rental car and James pulled into traffic.
Peter sat back and sighed deeply, “I know you don’t drink James, but I’m having a fucking bloody mary. Did I really just quit my job?” I looked back, offered Peter my hand and smiled warmly as he took it.
“Thank you, Peter. You’re a good friend and you have balls of steel,” I said. Peter laughed as James turned to regard him as we stopped at a red light.
“Pete, don’t worry. I take care of mine. You’ll be fine,” James told Peter who thanked James for saying so. I could feel Peter’s hand shaking in mine. Peter wasn’t used to this kind of thing. Honestly, neither was I but I had a feeling that life with James would be full of moments like this. I had to admit that it was quite exhilarating if not a little frightening. I took James free hand and squeezed. He looked over at me.
“You were having bad thoughts about me, weren’t you,” James said and I looked away sheepishly.
“Yes, I’m sorry,” I answered and then looked back at him with fire in my eyes and said, “but not as bad as the thoughts I’m having right now.” James’ eyes flared and he squeezed my hand.
“Look, I’m happy for you two, but don’t forget I’m back here,” Peter remarked. I laughed and blushed at my brazen behavior and James was smiling too. We simmered down and found a place to eat. It wasn’t nine o’clock yet, but Peter sucked down two bloody marys and I matched him cup for cup with coffee. James joined in with a virgin mary of his own. I sent Josie a text letting her know everything was fine and I’d tell her all about it when I saw her. After we ate, Peter insisted on taking a cab home.
He told James and me we should be alone and we didn’t need a third wheel. He wasn’t looking forward to telling his wife about quitting, but James assured him again everything would be OK. Peter thanked him and gave me a big, drunken hug before climbing into his cab. James and I climbed into the rental and headed for his house in Malibu. I knew where I stood after James confronted Victoria, but I still had questions.
“What was all the cloak and dagger stuff about?” I asked referring to our nearly silent ride downtown.
“I like a little drama now and then,” James told me. I frowned.
“You could have said something. I was so confused after Victoria fired me. I even wondered if what she said was true. I’m sorry for that,” I explained. James took my hand.
“I understand. The Fraulein has that effect on people. I hope you trust me, really trust me, now,” James said and looked at me meaningfully.
“I do,” I replied and then asked, “So, how did you know what happened. I didn’t say anything in my phone message.”
