by Joanna Blake
Tonight, she had to get Nick Falcon on TV. And she had to make sure he was good. Being sober was the first step. She'd been texting with Marley all day. The guy was funny- rough around the edges but he seemed to have his heart in the right place. He definitely looked after Mr. Falcon.
Somebody had to.
She'd been reading up on her client's exploits for the past 24 hours. She never read gossip magazines but once she started, she went straight down the rabbit hole.
Nick had been married to three supermodels. Super. Models. You would think he would date an actress to break up the monotony, but no. He really seemed to have a type. Light blond hair, tall, skinny as a rail.
Nothing like her at all.
Which was funny, because she could have sworn he had a crush on her. Or at least, he wanted to bed her. She was the complete opposite of his regular type. No matter how much she ran, she had a very womanly shape. An hourglass they called it. Not that she was heavy. She didn't have time to gain weight. Plus her hair was dark blond. He seemed to really like that bleached out, drugged out look.
She shrugged. None of that mattered. After what she'd read about him, there was no way she would ever sleep with him, let alone date the guy. So he might as well give up now.
Where the hell had that come from?
Get a grip Sabrina. Why was she even thinking about that? It's not like he'd even asked her out. He only asked to- what was it again?
Oh right.
Rub his wang on her tits.
Classy.
Nobody had ever spoken to her that way before. She was still outraged that he would mention his private parts to a woman he had just met. Hell, he'd mentioned her private parts too. All in one, incredibly vulgar sentence.
Not that she was a prude but- that was disgusting. She'd gotten a clear visual of him gleefully waving his dick in the air too. She frowned. Something about that was intriguing somehow. No matter how piggishly he'd suggested it.
Sabrina pushed the image aside. She had business to attend to. Business with a very difficult client.
Clearly Nick Falcon was used to doing and saying whatever he wanted to. But that was going to stop now. Today. Definitely before he went on the air. She grabbed her purse and briefcase and walked out to her car.
Four
Marley was pacing in the green room while Nick watched. He grabbed a handful of grapes from the platter left out for them, popping several in his mouth.
"Mate. You are driving me mad."
"Sorry, I'm just nervous. Where is she anyway?"
Nick shrugged. He was feeling a bit put out that Sabrina wasn't there to be honest. "I'm the one who is supposed to be nervous. You sit, I'll pace."
Marley sat down and immediately started jiggling his leg. Nick knew how he felt. His nerves were out of control. He was worried that he'd over dressed in his gray Armani suit and plum silk shirt. At least he'd resisted all of Marley's attempts to get him to wear a tie.
He ran his hand through his hair, mussing it up accidentally. Dam, the hair stylist would have his knickers for that. He patted the top of his head and then gave up. His wavy hair always did what it wanted to anyway.
Nick glanced at the clock. The show was halfway over already. He was to be the last guest. He was, quite literally, almost on.
"Thank god you are here!"
Marley was on his feet. Nick turned to the doorway, expecting to see little miss priss in her corporate garb. What he saw instead stopped him in his tracks.
Jesus Mary and Joseph.
Her outfit the other day hadn't done her justice. Hot as she was, this ensemble showed her assets to the fullest. He swallowed, realizing she was the best looking woman he'd ever seen.
Sabrina was wearing her hair pinned up in a chignon, which showed off her beautiful face and long, slender neck. Her dress was- dear lord- it looked like it had been poured onto her. He hadn't realized she was quite that curvy… he licked his lips as his mouth suddenly felt like the Goddamn Sahara.
He was still gawking at her, staring now at her stupefyingly long legs when she cleared her throat. Twice. How did the woman walk in those spindly heels? He liked them though. He liked them a lot.
He raised his dazzled eyes to her face. He was gratified to see that she looked a bit shell shocked herself.
"Nick. Are you ready?"
"Huh? Oh yeah, right. I'm ready."
"You read my talking points? List of topics to avoid?"
"Yes m'am."
She cocked her head at him.
"I'm serious. Come here, let me smell your breath."
He grinned, ready to take her up on that offer. He'd be happy to let her smell his breath- while he was kissing her senseless.
"He hasn't had a drop Ms. Newton. I can vouch for him."
Nick gave Marley a dirty look which only made the dolt look confused. Did he not know he was cock blocking him?
He smiled at Sabrina the way a lion smiled at a steak.
"You look lovely, my dear."
She looked a bit scandalized at the term of endearment. He didn't blame her. They'd been at odds since the moment they met after all.
"Thank you. I- I was just stuck behind a ten car pile up. I'm sorry I was late."
He raised an eyebrow. He doubted she ever did anything wrong. An apology seemed out of character for her. He might only have known her a brief while, but he felt certain that he understood her already. What made her tick.
And right now, he was the one making her tick. Damn if she wasn't checking him out surreptitiously. The suit. It must be the suit.
He decided he should wear suits more often.
A young man with a clipboard and a headset poked his head in the doorway.
"You're on in two."
"Alright then, let's do this."
He held out his arms and did a slow turn for Sabrina's benefit. If she wanted to look, he was more than happy to let her.
"Do I pass muster then?"
She looked him over. He couldn't help noticing that she seemed to like what she saw... even though she tried to hide it. That was interesting…
Very interesting indeed.
"You look good."
"Just good?"
She rolled her eyes.
"You know you're hot Nick, just get out there already."
He was grinning from ear to ear as he stared at her. She started turning pink.
"What?"
He leaned in and whispered in her ear.
"You finally called me Nick."
**********
Sabrina stood off stage, alternating between watching the monitor and the live interview happening just a few feet away. She felt the tension leaving her body, replaced with something else.
Relief...
Well, mostly relief. She was feeling something else too. She was starting to develop a crush on her client.
Not good. Not good at all.
Nick was killing it. He oozed charm and confidence. He was telling stories about starting out as a scrappy english lad from a working class neighborhood. Later he alluded to the scandalous behavior of several A listers. He kept it loose and juicy. He made the host look good.
Sabrina felt herself responding to his winning manner. He was so warm and intimate. He made you feel like you knew him. Even better, he made anyone listening feel like he knew them.
He was irresistible.
Even she was falling under his spell by the time they cut to commercial. She caught Nick glancing at her while he chatted with the host and sipped a bottle of mineral water. His gaze felt hot- almost palpable. She looked away, pretending to be doing something with her phone.
Coward.
She didn't know what was getting into her. She worked in the business for god's sake! She'd met tons of stars. Brilliant, talented men and women. None of them had ever made her feel like this.
Particularly not after acting like such a pig. No, a goat. He was a stubborn, horny old goat.
Damn it.
The
commercials were over relatively quickly and the interview continued. Then Conan brought up something that hadn't been on the talking points. Warning bells went off in her head.
Uh oh.
"Nick, you are famous for not doing interviews. What changed your mind?"
"Well, I hope I'm famous for something other than that."
"Yes of course. Your music has influenced a whole generation of artists. But, seriously, you've never made any appearance like this before. What's going on with that?"
"Well I have a new rep at my label. She wanted me to do some interviews here and there. Get the word out about my upcoming tour."
"She just asked you? That's all it took after all this time?"
"She's very persuasive."
He wiggled his eyebrows at the host, obviously implying that Sabrina was giving him something else entirely. She felt like a fist had landed in her stomach.
Jesus Christ.
He wouldn't.
He couldn't.
"She must be very convincing."
"Conan, she could convince a sheep out of its trousers. I mean- wool."
He laughed and covered up his supposed mix up. But Sabrina wasn't fooled. He'd done it on purpose.
He was getting even with her.
The rest of the interview went by in a haze. She stood there, feeling utterly naked as people stared at her, whispering. And this was nothing compared to what they would do when she got to the office tomorrow.
He'd just ruined her career with a casual comment.
He'd destroyed her.
Everything she'd worked for was gone.
Conan was giving his closing remarks and plugging the next show while Nick sat there, looking supremely relaxed.
Finally the clasped hands and it was over. He came off stage and smiled at her.
"Well love, how did I do?"
**********
Nick was feeling rather pleased with himself. He'd managed the interview well- much better than that in fact. He'd nailed it.
And he'd managed to get a little dig in at Sabrina by implying she'd slept with him. Staring at her in that dress off camera during the commercial had given him the idea.
Never mind that he was starting to desperately wish that it was true. The girl had some sort of hold over him. That never happened. All his prior relationships had been ones of convenience. Hot sex, yes. But mostly he'd just gone with the flow when one gorgeous girl or another fell into his lap.
This was something else entirely.
He'd walk through fire to get this girl in the sack.
"So how'd I do then?"
Nick smiled at her, expecting a witty reprimand. He liked the way she made him feel like a naughty school boy. He was even starting to enjoy her scolding. But he wasn't prepared for the look in her eyes.
She looked devastated.
Christ.
She covered it well, glancing at her phone. It was buzzing and flashing. He felt guilty suddenly. As if he'd done something wrong.
Conan chose that moment to walk by. When he saw Sabrina he raised his eyebrows appreciatively.
Crap. He hadn't just made a joke at her expense. He'd made her sound like his groupie hadn't he? Or his girlfriend. No, that would have been better.
He'd made her sound like a whore.
"Let me take you out for a drink. Make it up to you?"
"I don't drink. I'm sorry I- I have to take this call. You did well tonight Nick."
He had to hand it to her. She was professional even after what he'd just done to her.
Too professional.
He'd have preferred it if she yelled at him. Told him to go to hell. Really taken him to task. If he was honest with himself, that's why he'd done it to begin with. Just to see her reaction.
Nick watched her proudly walk away from him. Her little shoulders seemed so stiff, like she was holding back tears.
Christ, he'd made her cry again hadn't he?
He had to think of a way to make it up to her.
Marley came running up with a cold beer. He knew Nick was going to need a celebratory drink after that.
"She didn't look happy. You probably shouldn't have said that Nick."
"I bloody well know that!"
"I thought you liked her anyway?"
"Yeah I do."
"You didn't bag her though did you?"
"No, Marley. Not yet. Christ, what a bloody mess."
"She's not going to forgive you for that. You blew it mate."
Nick grew thoughtful for a moment. Then a sly smile spread across his face. He wanted her. There was no use pretending otherwise anymore. She was angry. He didn't bloody care. He would make her want him back, whether she liked it or not.
"What if she doesn't have a choice in the matter?"
"What's that?"
He slapped Marley's shoulder hard.
"Get me Jerry on the phone will you? I have an idea mate."
Five
Sabrina walked out of the building, avoiding the stares of the staff. It felt like hours had passed by the time she was outside in the dim light of the parking lot. Her cheeks were burning red with embarrassment.
She was humiliated, yes, but the phone call concerned her more. Her aunt was calling again. That meant her father was not doing well. They had been doing this for so long that they rarely spoke about anything else.
She fished out her car keys and calmly unlocked her car door. She wasn't going to cry. Not this time. This time she felt like screaming. She pulled out her phone and called Aunt Petra.
"Hello?"
"Sabrina. Your father was calling for you earlier. But he's resting now. Can you call back in a little while?"
"Yes, of course. How are you?"
The older woman sighed.
"He's getting worse. It's been a hard week."
"Alright, I'll call you later. In about an hour?
"Yes that will be good."
"Thank you Aunt Petra. Goodbye."
"Goodbye Sabrina."
Her aunt hadn't said a word about herself. That's what happens when you take care of someone you love. Someone who was dying.
That's something nobody understood who hadn't been through it. Both her parents had cancer while she was growing up. It had taken her mother a long time ago, when she was just a girl. But her father… she'd had to watch him suffer for years. Thank god for her Aunt Petra. Otherwise, Sabrina would never have even left home, let alone gone to college. Or business school. Never mind moving all the way to Los Angles on her own.
Her father had encouraged her, telling her to go. He'd been so proud of her accomplishments. But she still felt guilty for doing those things.
She felt guilty all the time.
Even though her salary was paying for her father's expensive at home hospice care. The paltry insurance he'd had from his job in construction had long since ran out. But he hadn't died quickly as they'd expected to.He'd just hung in there. For years.
If he could do it, then she could to. She had to.
It was the main reason she didn't date or socialize. Who could understand where she was coming from? The minute she opened her mouth to talk about any of it- it just sounded like a sob story. So she just didn't say anything at all.
Besides, if she have abandoned her father for her career, it was going to be worth it. She was going to be a success.
And now it was all for nothing.
Her phone rang again. It was Nick. She pressed a button, sending him straight to voicemail.
Damn it, if she didn't get out of here he would find her. She couldn't face him right now. His smug self assurance. His sense of his place in the world.
His bedroom eyes.
Right about now she couldn't decide if she hated him or wanted him to comfort her.
He'd looked guilty as hell when he'd come off stage. Not right away but all the same… He wasn't a complete monster. Then again, that could just be his charisma and the mixed signals he'd been sending her since they met.
>
She sighed and started the car.
What's done was done. Nothing she could do about it now. She'd run some damage control tomorrow. Maybe talk to the in house PR girl about placing some tidbits to debunk his story. It might help. A little bit anyway.
Either way, she'd forever be the girl who slept with Nick Falcon.
**********
"Hello Jerry!"
Nick winked at Marley who was sitting across the back of the limo looking nervous. Marley looked nervous a lot lately. Nick considered it part of his job to keep his cousin on his toes.
Maybe he'd take him on vacation after the tour. To a spa someplace exotic. Get him a massage. He'd earned it.
"Nick! Saw you on Conan- great job!"
"Thanks Jerry. It was all due to my new A&R girl. She's brilliant if you didn't know."
"Sabrina's great. I got to ask man- was that true what you said?"
"Now come on Jerry, you know I don't kiss and tell."
"Like hell I do!"
Jerry Dermott owned the whole label. And a telecom company. And a small island. He and Nick went way back. Nick had made him his first million.
Never mind the boatloads of cash he'd made for the bastard since then.
That's how Nick knew he was going to get what he wanted from him today.
"Strictly off the record, it was a bit of a fib. I've got to keep my reputation up, don't I?"
Jerry laughed.
"I bet you'll get an earful from her tomorrow."
"No, she was there with me. She's strictly professional- too bad for me!"
Jerry laughed even louder at that. He was quite the skirt chaser himself back in the day. Nothing even close to Nick's epic list of conquests, but nobody really stood a chance against him in that department.
"What can I do for you Nick?"
"That's the thing. I'm really concerned about this upcoming tour, the appearances, everything. Since Sabrina has done such a good job so far, I would feel much more comfortable if she was there with me. In person."
He grinned at Marley who was gaping at him with his mouth open. He looked like a fish.
