“Are you blackmailing me?” I asked. “Is there anything in the handbook about that?”
He shook his head. “I think the administration would want me to come forward. I don’t want to do that, though. I think you’re just a guy who made a mistake. If you’re going to right your mistake, I don’t see any reason for you to be punished.”
I took a deep breath. I was afraid my answer was already given to me.
“Why don’t you be straight with me? I’m not going to dance around the subject anymore to find out that I didn’t do what you wanted and you fucked me over because of it. Are you telling me that you’ll take your file folder of stalker photography to the people in charge if I don’t deny Rebecca Hunter of the internship?”
“Yes,” Kevin said, his voice slightly wavering.
“Is that all?”
He looked at the ground, then cleared his throat. “I believe I am the strongest candidate for this position and you should choose me for my academic prowess and my ability to go after what I want.”
I rolled my eyes. “By cheating.”
He shrugged. “Finance is a cutthroat industry. I’m sure a lot of people do things they don’t want to do in order to make it.”
“Let me get this straight before I let some punk ruin my career—you’re going to show those pictures if you don’t get the internship?”
Kevin looked around the room before nodding.
I sighed. “Go sit down. Class is about to start.”
Looking smug, he found his seat amongst the other students. I tried not to look like I was on the verge of losing my mind. I had no choice but to hire this little asshole. He was probably qualified enough, but I didn’t want him working for me.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Rebecca walk in. I couldn’t look at her. She would be so upset to hear that I was giving away her internship to someone else, after all I put her through. Though she might understand if I told her what happened, there wasn’t enough time to talk. Class was starting and all of the students were eagerly awaiting news that could affect their summers and future careers.
Little by little, my family was ruining hers. I ruined her chance at having a fast-tracked career by yanking out a promise from underneath her. I didn’t know of she had become attached to me, but with the marriage of our parents, I didn’t think I could continue to see her. My dad was certainly going to wreck their home and their marriage in a short amount of time. I needed to find a way to make it up to her, but that would be an impossible feat. In a few weeks, we would part ways, more bitter than we were before. It was wildly unfair, but it was how life worked. Kevin was an ass, but his behavior would likely go unpunished and would instead suit him in his future endeavors.
Rebecca would hate me. Normally, I wouldn’t care about that, but something was different this time. I really didn’t want her to walk out of my life, but there was no way to save our friendship.
Not able to stall for any longer, I stood up from my seat and quieted the class. “Okay, settle down,” I mumbled, feeling slightly queasy. “I want to keep class short today. We’re going to have a quick discussion about careers in finance and then I’ll return your papers and announce the new intern.”
I looked up at the class, and accidentally made eye contact with Rebecca. She gave me a kind smile and I nearly walked away from the class right then and there. I felt terrible, but there was no going back in time and changing things. I had to move forward.
23
Rebecca
My stomach was in knots as I sat down in Alex’s classroom. I had been so nervous to see him, when in reality, I didn’t have any reason to be. I would simply sit in his classroom as I had so many times before. Before I ever introduced myself, I was just an anonymous student. I tried to go back to that time by sitting quietly and not drawing any attention to myself.
Alex said that he was making his internship announcement at the end of class. Though I feared that he might change his mind after our parents’ marriage, he gave me the impression that he was planning on going forward with his selection. Besides my own insecurities, I had no reason to think the job was anyone’s but mine. He didn’t know this, but after we left his office, his dad went on and on about how glad he was that I was getting the opportunity to work in the office. And, all of Alex’s superiors were seemingly excited to have me join them for the summer. I had to remind myself that my job status would not change, even if our relationship status did.
Throughout class, I tried to look over at him, just to make sure we were okay. I fully understood if he wanted to put an end to the sexual aspect of our relationship, but I had gained a valuable mentor and I wasn’t ready to be released into the world on my own. I still wanted to talk to him and get advice from one of the best in the business.
I completely spaced out Alex’s lecture. Since I had a very clear career path, I didn’t really worry about fallback plans. I would do my internship throughout the summer, start business school in the fall, and hopefully graduate in a few years with lots of job prospects. For the first time since I started college, I felt relieved. Everything I had been working toward had all paid off. And, with my new stepfather’s generosity, I wouldn’t have to live like a poor person for the next few years. As cynical as I was about their relationship, I hoped it would last long enough for it to pay the bills.
Toward the end of class, Alex grabbed his stack of papers and called out names. He handed out the essays, looking uncharacteristically nervous or sickly. His usually bronzed face looked ashen. I figured he was either hungover or short on sleep. I’d been feeling the same way, too.
When he gave me mine, he didn’t even look at my face. I was a little confused, but then remembered that he was about to give me an internship, and didn’t want to make it look like I had to do anything extra to get it. In reality, I had put in overtime for this award and felt as though I went above and beyond to deserve it. I dealt with his poor behavior and bad attitude, stressed over every detail at the charity dinner, and put up a lot of convincing arguments.
I looked at the top of the paper, and it only contained one short sentence in Alex’s messy handwriting, next to the large A.
Great job, as always.
I smiled to myself. Praise from Alex was rare, no matter how minimal it was. I’d have to take it.
“Now,” he said. “I’m going to announce the summer intern. I don’t want to discuss it now, because it’s not the time or the place, and I have a lot to do at the moment. I’ll just say the name, and the winner can expect a welcome packet from the HR department in the mail in the following week. I understand that many of you already have jobs lined up and summer plans settled, so hopefully it won’t make or break your summer.”
I wrung my hands, wondering if I should act surprised when I heard my name, or just act casual. I was practically bouncing in my seat. I was ready to graduate and dive head first into some real work.
“The new summer intern is Kevin McNamara. Class is dismissed.”
I was frozen for a minute. There must have been some mistake. I had clinched that position over a week ago, but it wasn’t my name that was called. Everyone else got up and mumbled to each other while some other student smiled like an idiot. Even Alex packed up his things to leave.
Feeling tears welling up in my eyes, I pushed past my classmates toward the door. I didn’t want anyone to see me cry over Alex and his stupid internship. I felt horribly betrayed by someone I was beginning to trust.
“Hey,” Alex muttered as he discreetly tried to pass through the doorway beside me. “Call me later. I want to explain what happened.”
I shook my head. I already knew what had happened, and I didn’t need his poor excuse of an apology. I stormed out of the building and walked briskly back to my dorm to sob in peace.
Luckily, Carol wasn’t home when I got back. I didn’t want her to tell me that she told me this would happen. She was right, and I had been too naïve to see it. I felt like such an idiot for thinki
ng that I could manipulate Alex Rye into getting what I wanted. Instead, I allowed him to play me.
In my room, I let my tears flow freely. I had tried to put on a tough face while everything around me threatened to blow up in my face. I fought back when Alex had been rude to me. I stayed optimistic when my mom sprung her surprise marriage on me, when I could have potentially talked her out of making a terrible mistake. Instead, the universe continued to play cruel tricks on me while I pretended like I was in control.
Once I finally started to calm down, I heard my phone buzz. Out of instinct, I checked it, to find it was from Alex.
I know you’re probably very upset with me, but I really want to talk to you. Meet me at the Millennium hotel today. Let me know when you’ll be arriving. I can’t stay all day, but I’ll wait as long as it takes. I’m sorry.
“Fat chance,” I said to myself. I was going to make him wait there all day expecting me, just like he made me wait around, expecting to have work this summer. He deserved worse, but if I could provide him with a little inconvenience, it would make me feel better. Besides, if he wanted to speak to me so desperately, he would come to me and grovel at my feet, not make me take a cab to a fancy hotel and watch him check out bartenders and sip expensive drinks.
I heard my phone buzz again, and this time I ignored it. I was going to let him sweat it out all day. For all I cared, he could assume I was dead.
Then, it kept ringing, so I decided to turn it off. However, I realized that the persistent calls were from my mother. I called her back, to hear her sobbing harder than I had been.
“Mom, what’s wrong?” I asked, all of the most horrible scenarios going through my head. I imagined any number of my relatives to be dead and it made me feel sick.
“It’s Winston,” she managed to blubber out.
“What happened to Winston?” I asked, my heart pounding.
“Nothing,” she wailed. “It’s what he’s done to me!”
“Oh, Mom,” I said, pitying the poor woman. I hadn’t even had the chance to tell her what I had learned from Alex. “What did he do?”
“I caught him in bed with his maid,” she cried. “I went out to go shopping, but halfway there, I realized I forgot my new credit card. I turned around and came back to his apartment, but he was screwing some young thing. We’ve been married for less than a week, Rebecca. I loved him. Why did he do this to me?”
I wanted to start crying all over again, but I needed to be strong for my mother. “It’s not your fault,” I said. “He has a reputation for doing that sort of thing. Where are you?”
“I’m on my way back to Hazelwood,” she said. “I can’t be in the city right now. I can’t see or speak to Winston, I’m so upset. I just want to stay in my own home until I can sort this out.”
“Do you need me to come home?” I asked.
“No, I really don’t. You have school to finish and this is my problem. Perhaps if I hadn’t done this so hastily, I wouldn’t be in this problem.”
She was right about that, but I wasn’t going to say it.
“Are you sure you’re fine being there alone?” I asked.
“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. In fact, I think I would like a little alone time. I’ll call you later. Sorry for dragging you into this mess. I know it’s already weird with your internship and everything.”
With all that had been going on with my mom, I had momentarily forgotten about the internship debacle. I wasn’t going to bring it up now. Instead, I felt a fire boiling inside of me, threatening to explode at any moment.
“Don’t be sorry,” I said. “It’s not your fault. It’s these Rye men. They can’t be trusted.”
“You’ve got that right,” she sniffled. “Thanks for talking to me. I already feel a little better. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Bye,” I said, before hanging up the phone. I clutched it tightly in my hand. My nerves absolutely on fire.
I decided that maybe after all, I would have a chat with Alex. I didn’t want to meet with him so I could hear his side of the story, but to give him hell for everything he and his father had done to ruin my happy family.
I wiped my tears, slipped on my shoes, and went looking for a cab. It was time to make Alex Rye pay.
24
Alex
With a cold drink in one hand, I massaged my temple with the other. I had been sitting at my dad’s table for less than ten minutes, and I already wanted to finish off the bottle behind the bar. When I found my dad at the bar, he was already well on his way to getting absolutely sauced. I guess drinking problems away ran in the family.
“Start from the beginning, won’t you?” I asked exasperatedly. “You’re not getting your story straight. As much as I don’t want to hear about your personal business, I can’t help you if I don’t know all the facts.”
“I was alone in my apartment,” he slurred. “I meant to leave, but my cleaning girl was stopping by and I wanted to catch a glimpse of her before I left. She’s a pretty, young thing and she’s a total flirt. She knew I was getting married and was really going after me. Anyway, talk led to action, and we ended up in bed. We were nearly finished when Miranda came back. I think she forgot her wallet or something.”
“Jesus, Dad,” I groaned. “What did Miranda do?”
He shook his head. “I don’t even remember—it happened so quickly. She didn’t even yell at me, though. She looked shocked, like she didn’t know what was going on. Then, she just started crying. She ran out and said she was going back home.”
“Well, I guess you’ll see her again in court,” I said dryly. “You’ve really outdone yourself this time. That lady was so nice she didn’t even try to kill you when she walked in on you. She didn’t even yell at you. She sounds like a saint.”
“She really is,” he moaned. “I’ve probably said this about all of them, but she was truly great. She has such a kind and gentle spirit, but she’s so much fun to talk to. She’s a sweetheart, but has a special energy to her.”
“I know the type,” I said, thinking about Rebecca. “So, what are you going to do?”
“What can I do?” he asked. “She doesn’t want to talk to me. I don’t want to show up at her house, or she’ll probably call the cops. I can’t send her expensive things because she’s not easily bought. I’m going to have to wait until she’s settled down and wants to talk to me.”
“Well, you’re probably in for a long wait. Think you can get her back?”
“I don’t know. Do I just cut my losses?”
I took a swig. “If you do, you’ve got to stop doing this. I’m telling you, you really can’t get married again.”
“I know.”
“I don’t think you do,” I said, chastising my father for his stupid mistakes. “You keep getting married after a few months, then get divorced in about the same amount of time. It’s pretty insane that you keep doing this to yourself. Why?”
“Do you know what it’s like to be in love?” he asked, his eyes crinkling a little.
I frowned. “No.”
“That’s the problem. You don’t know how it feels to be so infatuated with a woman. When you find one you really like, you’ll want to give them the world. You can’t imagine living without them. You’d do anything to make them happy. You take them to fancy dinners, stay in with them all weekend, and buy them expensive gifts they’d never buy themselves. You get married because there is no greater gesture to show her that you love her. You’re so overwhelmed with love that you can’t help yourself.”
My dad’s eyes lit up when he spoke like that. I wondered if I had been depriving myself of something good. But, at the same time, love sounded like a burden. He couldn’t control what he did because of the way a woman got into his head. He made it seem great, but I’d seen lives get ruined, first hand. My poor mother still dealt with the effects of their split.
My mother is lovely in every way, but my father brought an ugliness in her. She’s the kind of woman who would
never speak ill of anyone, but when she hears about my dad and one of his new girls, she gets this sour expression on her face. She was hesitant to start seeing men again because she didn’t want to be hurt that way ever again. She’s a woman with lots of love to give, but she held off in fear of being ruined again. I loved my dad, but I found it hard to forgive him for that. While I didn’t really give a shit about the other women, I had gotten to know Rebecca, and didn’t want the same fate for her.
“If that’s what love is, I don’t think I want it. If you loved Miranda, why would you fuck some random broad?
My dad gulped. “I don’t know. It’s an addiction, isn’t it?”
“You tell me.”
He shrugged. “I don’t know what’s the matter with me. I think us Rye boys have an appetite that can’t be suppressed.”
“And that’s why I don’t go making promises to women,” I sighed. “I’ve learned from your mistakes.”
“Ah, and that’s just one of the ways I’ve ruined you,” he said wistfully. “You used to be such a loving kid. You used to snuggle with your mother every night when you were little. You were so open to being best friends with everyone you met. Then, when you got older, you started closing yourself off to people.”
“Is that so?” I asked in disbelief. “I think I have plenty of friends.”
“But what about girlfriends?”
“I’ve had a handful.”
“But you never told them you loved them.”
“Because I didn’t.”
I could see where my dad was going with this. My girlfriends were like long-term friends with benefits, but without really being friends. There was lots of passion, but little substance. Often times, they were waiting around for me to take things to the next level. They wanted to meet my parents or move in. That was about the time I cut them loose. The moment they realized that I wasn’t capable of giving them what they wanted, they were gone. Even beautiful models have dreams of starting a family one day. Even socialites want love.
Faking It: A Fake Girlfriend Romance Page 13
