by S. C. Adams
“Morning, Kate,” Todd says.
“Good morning, Todd.”
“Where were you heading off to?” he asks.
“I need to get back to Tech Wreck.”
“Is that right?” he asks. “Anything on the agenda?”
“Yeah, you could say that.” I chuckle uncomfortably. “We… we’re preparing a press conference for tomorrow.”
“Why don’t we step into my office for a quick talk,” he says, not asking.
He doesn’t physically pull me in, but he gets close enough to me that he may as well have. I awkwardly meander into his office and he slams the door shut.
He stands there, livid and red in the face. He sighs, trying to retain composure.
“Todd,” I say. “I know that you’re angry, and I understand.”
“I’m not angry, Kate,” says Todd. “I’m furious. I considered firing you over the phone before you got in this morning.”
“If you want to fire me, Todd—”
“Don’t interrupt me,” he says angrily. “You and that Aiden Marx are ridiculous idiots that don’t care who you hurt. You’re making us look bad, Kate! It isn’t just this guy and his fucking tech company. It’s me—us—the agency!”
“This makes me look bad, too, you know,” I say. “I don’t know what I’m going to say to my parents.”
“Worry about your personal problems elsewhere,” says Todd. “For what you’re doing to the integrity of this agency, I should fire you right now on the spot.”
“Then, do it, Todd.”
“You’re still going to see Aiden, aren’t you?”
“Yes,” I confirm. “I’m headed there right now to fix things.”
“At this point, even trying is pointless, Kate,” says Todd.
“Well, if we don’t try, we won’t know, will we?” I retort. “That footage is from days ago. Aiden and I have it under control now.”
He laughs doubtfully.
“I’m going to figure this out,” I say. “I’ve come far already.”
“Yeah, you have,” he says. That’s why this is fucking heartbreaking. I don’t know how in the world I can possibly get you more work after this.”
“I’ll worry about my future here after I fix things,” I say.
“I have no clue what route you should take,” he says. “I say there’s no way the two of you can reverse this. You look like a couple of horny teenagers that are unable to keep it in your goddamn pants! What the hell’s the matter with you two?”
“I don’t know,” I answer honestly.
“You have forty-eight hours to have your mess completely cleaned up,” Todd says. “No exceptions, Kate. Fix this, or you’re fired.”
“It won’t need to come to that,” I assure him. “I’ve got this.”
I fight through another string of paparazzi when leaving the ad agency, and then again when I arrive outside of Tech Wreck. I don’t listen to their questions or their comments as I walk toward my destination, but I always notice when one of them says his name, Aiden. Aiden is worth the struggles, but I hope he actually has good ideas because I still have no direction.
When I get to Aiden’s office, Adam is in there with him. They look like they are in the middle of a heated discussion. I know it’s definitely about Aiden and me, so I feel like turning around.
“Hey, Kate,” says Aiden. “I’m glad you could make it back.”
“So, what is that thing you said earlier about job security?” I laugh.
“He didn’t fire you?” Aiden inquires.
“No, but he’s going to,” I reply. “Hi, Adam.”
“Hi, Kate,” he says in a weary tone.
“Adam, would you give Kate and me a few moments, please?” Aiden asks.
Adam gives Aiden a knowing look, and then he gives me a passing nod as he takes his leave, closing the door as he makes his exit.
“You want to have a seat?” Aiden offers. “I’d like to discuss my idea with you. It’s a bit wild and completely insane, and you can say no.”
“Let’s hear it,” I say with hopeful enthusiasm while I take my seat in front of his desk.
“We’ll hold our press conference tomorrow,” he says. “Right outside the building here. The press is already here, so we won’t have to gather anyone anywhere. We’ll do it early, so that the news can report on it all day and start erasing the bad publicity.”
“Okay, and what’ll erase the bad publicity?” I ask.
“Hear me out,” he says. “So, we’ll dress up, go to the press, appear smitten, and I’ll tell the world that I’m falling in love with you.”
I’m almost more flabbergasted by what he just said than by my sex tape.
“Hear me out,” he says. “We make up a story. Maybe we say you came in to interview for the job I eventually gave to Sarah, and even though I didn’t hire you, we started getting to know each other. That way, we’ve established a credible reason for why I’ve known you longer than like two weeks.”
“Okay.”
“And so, we’ll just say we’ve been close for a while,” he says. “If we look like we’re in love, it’ll make our sex tape seem less like a dirty reveal and more like an invasion of our privacy as lovers.”
I can’t admit it aloud, but I think his logic is sound. I’m actually kind of turned on by the level of critical thinking he’s given this.
“If we say we’re together, we can easily correct the media,” he says. “You can say that I’m not harassing you, we’re making love. I’m not harassing you, right?”
I laugh. “Right.”
“We may have to get a little corny, but it doesn’t have to last forever,” he says. “Do you think you could pretend to be my girlfriend for a little while? Just until the storm passes?”
I’m initially reluctant. It seems like a far-fetched idea to me at first, but then I think to myself, Why is it such a weird idea?
I love being with him. I enjoy my job more because I know I get to see him during work hours. He is easily the best lover I’ve ever had, and he genuinely seems to care about my wellbeing.
“Okay,” I agree. “I’ll be your temporary girlfriend until the storm passes.”
“Really?” he asks happily. “Kate, would you really do that for me? I’m asking for a lot here. You never agreed to something like this when you took the job.”
“I said I would never let you down,” I remind. “Truthfully, I have no idea how else to handle all this. I think your idea is actually quite intelligent and will probably be effective. I don’t think it’ll be hard pretending to be your girlfriend. You’re a pretty awesome guy. And you’re sexy as fuck.”
I see it in his eyes. He interprets those words as an invitation.
“So, maybe you should come over to my place tonight,” he suggests. “If you’re up for it. You want to crash with me? We could chill in the hot tub, sip on some wine, have sex until the sun comes up.”
“I’m afraid I’m going to have to decline, sir. I think until we have our press conference, it would be better and safe if we stayed at our respectable homes tonight.”
“Okay,” he says, disappointed. “And after our press conference?”
“You can take me back to your house and do whatever you want to me,” I say.
“Anything?” he asks devilishly.
“Anything, baby.”
15
Aiden
When I wake up early Tuesday morning, the first thought that enters my head, and subsequently remains in my head, is whether going with the whole “secret romance” façade will be enough. Will Kate acting like my girlfriend be enough to satisfy the fickle public? That footage of us having sex is pretty explicit.
I know there are plenty of people in love that don’t have to get married, but what the media is doing is painting Kate and me as randy freaks that can’t control their urges. I can’t help but ponder on our strategy.
Being in love is one thing. We can claim we’re in love as many times as we wa
nt, and who’s going to tell us otherwise? I know the press isn’t just going to want a show; they are going to want assurances. We can both act as though we’re professionals, but I start to fear that nothing we say will matter. We can’t just say something—that video is damning—we have to show and tell.
Before leaving my house to confront the press, I go and grab something from the bottom drawer of an old dresser in my basement. It’s a small jewelry box.
When I get to Tech Wreck, everything is set up. The crowd is no longer disorderly and chaotic, but it’s still hungry and ready for us. I’m not as prepared as I want to be, but I’m as ready as I’m going to get.
Kate has been texting all that morning, running through the plan. I’ve played it as vaguely as I can with her, since I’m not sure what I want to do, and I’m nervous about proposing to up the game from boyfriend and girlfriend to fiancé and fiancée. I realize that springing something this big on her so suddenly is a dick move, but she admitted to me that she has no plan. I’m going to do what I think is best.
When I get up to the podium, Kate is there waiting for me. She is smiling at me like I’ve never seen her before. I interpret this as a look of adoration and roll with it. I beam at her, sensing her nervousness clearly, ready to take on the press.
I clear my throat and take center stage. “Thank you all for coming here today.”
The cameras and cell phones are clicking away rapidly in the audience. I only pause for one second, but they are prepared to throw questions at us right away, some expected and some bizarre.
“Mr. Marx, Ms. Harly, can you explain the security footage?” “Is this how you always conduct your business?” “Is it true most of your customer service jobs are located in Japan?” “Did you rape Sarah Blackburn?” “Will you resign as CEO?” “Ms. Harly, is the sex between you two consensual?”
“Everyone, please,” I say with my hand raised. “I’ll answer some of your questions in a moment, but I did not come to entertain you. I called this press conference to tell the whole world about my relationship with Kate Harly. I need to be completely and totally honest for the first time in a long time.”
I look over to Kate, seeing that beautiful smile forming on her face again. Her kind eyes tell me everything I need to know about moving forward. Whatever comes of it, I’m willing to risk it and face the consequences. I have to believe she will understand.
“Kate and I, we’ve been seeing each other for a few months now.”
“Why haven’t we seen her before now?” a reporter asks.
Kate leans in to a microphone. “I prefer to keep a low profile.”
“Everyone, like I said,” I repeat in annoyance, “I will get to questions when I am through. If anyone interrupts me again, this press conference is over.”
While the crowd’s voices go silent, their phones and cameras do not.
I clear my throat and carry on. “Last year, Kate interviewed for the very job that I gave to Sarah Blackburn. I didn’t hire Kate, because… I wanted to date her.”
Kate smiles wider at me, blushing. To my surprise, a couple of people in the audience seem to chuckle.
“I know how ironic it may seem, me saying that after the footage that is leaked to the press,” I continue. “I typically don’t date or sleep with my female employees. What’s happening in my life—and in Kate’s—right now is exactly why I don’t typically do either of those things.
“In a brief moment of stupidity, I gave myself to a horrible woman who wanted to use me like she’s used so many other men. Now, I’m paying the price of sleeping with an insane woman. But then, as I dealt with this scandal, I turned to this woman beside me.”
I take Kate’s hand in mine, squeezing it tight.
“It may be inappropriate to some, but it’s not against my values to work with someone I love,” I say. “People in love have sex. They don’t always have it broadcast to millions of people, but it happens. Trust me.”
More laughter breaks out in the crowd.
“And after being with Kate for only a few months, I knew how I felt and I knew what I wanted… so, I proposed to her.”
Everyone erupts. People are asking questions all at once. I look over to Kate, and I’m thrilled to see that she isn’t wearing a dumbfounded expression or even a shocked one. She is visibly puzzled about my new lie for a brief moment but quickly composes herself without saying a word.
She smiles at me, still holding onto my hand. I take this as my sign that she will go along with my new cover-up tale.
Many of the reporters call her name, trying to get her attention.
“It’s true,” Kate tells the press. “We’re engaged.”
While photos are being taken, Kate and I are each constructing realities that encompass the lies.
“What is your history with physical abuse towards women, Mr. Marx?” someone else asks.
“He’s never hurt a woman in his life,” Kate says for me. “He’s never abused me, he didn’t harass Sarah Blackburn, and none of what she says is true.”
“When did you propose?” someone asks me.
“Just recently,” I reply. “We had dinner at my house, danced to our favorite songs, it was wonderful. I’m sorry, I don’t mean to get carried away.”
“What is your response to the scandal you two are involved in?” someone else asks.
“There is no scandal,” I respond. “Kate is my fiancée. I’m in love with her. That security footage only proves that Kate and I can’t stay away from each other. There are no boundaries with us, and frankly, I mean, I don’t want to speak for her, but we’re pretty crazy about each other.”
“He’s the greatest man I’ve ever known,” Kate says with sincerity, rubbing my arm affectionately. “And we are crazy about each other. If you thought what you saw on that security footage was bad…”
We give each other a knowing, sensuous look. This prompts whistles, hoots and hollering from the crowd.
“The sex tape is bad, don’t get me wrong,” I say. “It looks horribly unprofessional, especially considering it is right here where I work. I don’t want anyone working for me to feel like they’re working in an uncomfortable work environment or one that encourages sex in the workplace.”
“To be fair, it was after hours,” Kate adds.
Cue more laughter from the audience and more pictures being taken.
“Where’s the ring!?” someone shouts.
“Can we see the ring, Ms. Harly?”
Without missing a beat, I hold up a finger and reach into my jacket pocket.
“I was actually out getting it properly sized for her finger,” I explain. “Having only dated her for a few months, I was kind of guessing what size to get it in.”
I hand Kate the small jewelry box from my old dresser. She opens it out of sight from the cameras, and her eyes widen like dinner plates.
To her astonishment, I have an engagement ring there for her. The ring is fine platinum and the diamond in the center is big enough to kill someone with. I truly don’t know if it’s going to fit Kate’s ring finger, but I have faith that it will.
Sure enough, I’m able to slide the ring on her finger without any effort at all. We hold her hand up to the press, showing off the massive engagement ring. The crowd is more shocked by the ring than anything else concerning Kate or me.
“What do you know?” I whisper into Kate’s ear. “It fits perfectly.”
After the conference, Kate and I quickly step away and take our leave, with security escorting us safely into the building. We spend the rest of our Tuesday waiting and seeing what is going to occur now.
Things seem to be turning around quickly. Aside from my perplexed staff, the whole country appears to be eating up our story like Tuesday brunch. The sun hasn’t even set before we realize that what is trending isn’t the sex tape, but rather our engagement.
We are generally surrounded by people. Adam can barely find the words he wants, the board is mostly indifferent but please
d that the scandals seem to be evaporating, and family and friends all around the world are congratulating us.
I finally get a private moment with Kate after lunch. The ring is sparkly and looks elegant on her finger.
“Thank you so much for going along with all of this,” I say to her.
“Well, I mostly did it because the media seemed to be more accepting of the explanation that we were engaged, so I rolled with it,” says Kate. “I’d rather them think I’m your fiancée and not that you just fuck all your PR managers.”
“Right.” I nod. “I promise we won’t have to pretend for long.”
“I’m a professional, Aiden,” says Kate. “I’m just doing my job.”
“Oh, just doing your job?”
“Well, I do like this ring,” she says, holding her hand out to admire it.
“So, we’re cool?” I ask.
“Of course, we are,” she replies. “Things are already looking up, and the day isn’t even over. We can stop being engaged once the coverage dies down.”
“And I swear to you Kate,” I vow. “I’ll find out who leaked the tape. I still feel convinced that it was Sarah, but I’ll figure out for sure as soon as possible. I won’t stand for this humiliation. Really, I don’t care what it did to me, but to you? You did nothing wrong, and someone is willing to jeopardize everything for you.”
“Aiden, I’m fine,” she says. “We’ll figure it out soon. Don’t ruin this good day with vengeful thoughts. Fuck Sarah, and fuck the tape. Just be glad that we both still have our jobs, and we can keep staying at each other’s places overnight.”
“Fuck yeah,” I agree. “So, at the risk of further rejection, I have to ask. Would you like to come over to my place tonight? We can celebrate our engagement. After all, you did say I could do anything I wanted to you after our press conference. I’d like to play with you tonight.”
The desire is palpable, and I can see that she doesn’t even need to consider it. She runs her hands through my hair, staring into me with her stunning amber eyes.
