by C. T. Sloan
My lover leans over and hugs me. The traffic continues to speed down PCH. It’s not like either of us care. My life has changed over the course of a few hours. And my anonymous lover doesn’t seem to give a fuck what anyone thinks about him. I would love to know what it is like to have that kind of power and confidence. Perhaps I will learn about those feelings when I begin my official recording career.
We get dressed. My lover blindfolds me again and puts me back into the Ferrari. We speed back to the Malibu mansion. Even though it is almost one in the morning, I am anything but tired. I would love to go at it again. But my lover does need to get back to work in a few hours. And I have a big day ahead of me as well. I will have to get back to Santa Monica to sign that contract.
***
“I thought you could afford to sleep in a few hours. I called the office and told them that I would not be in until eleven,” my lover says as he takes me back to Santa Monica. I am starting to get used to wearing this blindfold as I ride in the Ferrari. It’s actually kind of soothing. Once I got over the initial trepidation of having my sight taken away from me, the calming darkness can do wonders for one’s imagination. We arrive in Santa Monica at about 10:30 a.m. My lover removes the blindfold and congratulates me on the big signing. “Enjoy this moment. You’ve earned it,” he says I get rewarded with a nice kiss on the lips.
I skip up to my producer’s building and ring the buzzer. The door is unlocked. I trot up the stairs and find the reception area decorated with balloons and streamers. A giant banner drapes across the reception area with the words, “Congratulations Carrie!” written across it in big bold letters. Damn, I am going to cry again. Several people from the company escort me back to Jonathan’s office. They are all looking at me as though I am some sort of big celebrity. It’s so weird. I was literally a “nobody” just a few days ago. I enter the office to find several people in suits sitting on the sofa examining pieces of paper. At Jonathan’s desk is a woman looking over what I assume is the recording contract. The producer himself is sitting on the sofa staring at his laptop.
“Hey Carrie!” Jonathan says as he hops up from the sofa. We hug. The producer looks a little tired from last night. I’m sure we both have a hint of rings around our eyes. “Carrie. This is Alison Lipowitz. Her and her staff have been reviewing the contract since it came in about three hours ago.”
Miss Lipowitz stands up and shakes my hand. It’s one of those strong handshakes that nearly breaks all the bones in my fingers. “Congratulations on the record breaking deal,” the attorney says. “Sony’s contracts are usually rather straightforward. We just want to make sure that there is nothing in here that is objectionable.”
“Sounds great!” I say as the intimidating lawyer sits back down and reviews my contract.
Jonathan grabs his laptop and pulls up TMZ’s website. “You were all over the gossip sites this morning. In fact, the incident at the bar has been on the morning news shows. Sony should be happy. You are already generating tons of press.”
“Wow. That’s awesome,” I say as I look at TMZ’s website. On the front page is a grainy video screencap of me kissing my anonymous lover.
“So I didn’t know you were dating the elusive Mr. Ames,” Jonathan says.
“Who?!”
Jonathan laughs. “Your boyfriend. Liam Ames. The billionaire!” he says.
Ailson Lipowitz turns around and stands up from her chair. All the blood drains from her face.
“You are dating Liam Ames?!” she says. Now, I am starting to get nervous. My anonymous lover’s name seems to strike some sort of instant visceral reaction.
“I know you are going to think I am insane, but I don’t know the name Liam Ames,” I say nervously.
Alison shakes her head as she looks at the website. Then she puts down the laptop and stares at me. “The Ames Family essentially runs the global banking system. And your boyfriend, Liam Ames the Fourth, runs the family. He refuses to be photographed by the media. Until now, most people didn’t even know what he looked like. If you don’t mind me asking, where exactly did you meet him?”
“In a parking garage,” I say meekly.
“And he never told you his name?” Alison says with a look of utter shock on her face.
“I guess he wanted to keep his identity a secret,” I offer.
“Wow. I wonder how he is going to react to this,” Alison says as she looks at the video screencap image on the gossip site. Her words just hang there for a moment. I don’t react. She goes back to her chair and continues to read the contract. How is he going to react?
Of course, he is not going to be happy. My lover goes to great lengths to protect his privacy. Because of me, that privacy is forever shattered. I may lose him. Suddenly, my heart begins to sink. This should be the happiest day of my life. I am about to become the one-in-a-million LA dreamers who becomes rich and famous. Yet, there is a sick feeling, in the pit of my stomach, that the one man I love will finally break it off with me.
“The contract looks good,” Alison says to me and Jonathan.
“Excellent,” the producer says. “The folks at the label want Carrie to sign it over at their place and make a big photo op out of it. We’ll call them so they can send the limo over.”
I look up with the most pained expression on my face.
“What’s wrong?” Jonathan asks me.
“Nothing,” I lie.
“Oh, you’re just nervous. I’ll make sure everything goes okay. Alison and I will protect you and make sure everything goes over well,” Jonathan says in his most assuring voice.
It’s hard for me to savor this moment. All I can do is think of my lover - Liam. I wish I could call him. I don’t know his number. I could probably track down his office and ask for him. Oh yeah, that would go over well. I just have to sit and wait and hope that he will come back for me.
Everything around me becomes a whirlwind. A limo is sent. I walk downstairs and find this beautiful white limo. This will be my first limo ride in my entire life. Yet, I am not happy. I feel as though I am headed towards a funeral. I don’t care how much money I am going to have at the end of the day. If I lose Liam, my heart will break. I lean my head against the window as we ride towards the Sony Records offices. I look out at the billboards for various movies, TV shows and record labels. I look at the famous people on those billboards - the movie stars, the rock stars, the celebrity icons. I will be joining them. Today, is the emptiest victory I could possibly imagine.
We arrive at Sony Records. There is a group of twenty men and women decked out in business suits. There are also several photographers and a cameraman. The limo door opens and I get out. The people begin to applaud. Photographs of me are taken. An older gentleman walks up to me with his hand extended. “My name is Archie Well, the CEO of Sony Entertainment. We are honored that you have decided to join us.” I am too much in shock to react properly to this moment. The CEO puts his arm around me and smiles for the various photographers. I try my best to fake a smile. I am dying on the inside.
We are whisked into the building. Various execs are trying to get my attention. “We can’t wait to get you into a studio!” says one exec. “We already have plans for TV appearances,” another one says. This is all just becoming too much for me. About fifty of us are rushed into this massive glass and bamboo conference room. The ceiling is about two stories high. There is a giant cake with a toy piano on top. Banners with my name are all over the place.
The CEO begins to speak. I can’t hear the words coming out of his mouth. All I can think about is my lover. He has a name now. Liam. I picture Liam looking at those photos on the Internet. I can see him closing his laptop and swearing off ever knowing me. My legs feel wobbly. Everyone in the room is smiling except for me. A pen is placed in my hand and the contract is presented in front of me. I look down and begin to sign my name on the papers. This should be the happiest moment of my life - the culmination of all of my dreams. But all I can think about is Liam. My visi
on begins to blur. I see a woman grab a giant knife and begin to cut into the celebratory cake. The blade slides into the frost. My knees buckle. I try to grab onto the table. I go down.
Everything goes black. Suddenly, all of the pain is released from my body. I feel calm now. I am letting go off all of the hurt. I begin to see myself on the ground. Everyone is running towards my body. I am floating further away from them. Am I dead? Is this how it all ends? The further I move away from my body, the more comfortable I feel. Perhaps it’s all for the better. Maybe my life was never meant to be a happy one. Perhaps a girl like me - a girl who hooks up with strangers in a garage - was never entitled to everlasting love. Perhaps I deserve to become another L.A. cautionary tale. The people around me are beginning to panic. A young female executive is crying. As much as I want the pain to go away, something pulls me back down.
***
“Carrie. Carrie,” a familiar voice sounds in my head. I open my eyes. There in front of me is my lover. The lover who now has a name. I say the first word that is in my head. “Liam.” My lover looks at me, smiles and gives me the greatest hug any man has ever given me. I hug him back.
“You are okay. You are with my personal doctor. Everything is going to be fine. You passed out at the record company. When you awoke in the emergency room, you went crazy and started screaming at everyone so you were sedated. I was notified about the situation by Jonathan and I dropped everything to make sure that you are properly attended to.”
I look around and notice that I am in a palatial looking room with medical equipment. “Where am I?” I ask.
“You are in a hospital suite at Cedars-Sinai. I have arranged it so you can have complete privacy. So why did you pass out?” he asks me.
Tears begin to roll down my cheeks. “I thought you would leave me when the media plastered your name all over the place. I just couldn’t take the thought of losing you,” I mumble.
Liam takes a moment to collect his thoughts. He holds my hand and says, “The day I read all those crumbled little pieces of paper in my house was the day I fell in love with you. I’ve spent my entire life trying to avoid a close relationship because of my responsibilities. And when I read those words, I realized that pushing you away would be pushing away the only woman I have ever loved.”
We embrace. We kiss. I am not exactly sure if I had died. But I am damn sure that I am re-born!
I sit up. I feel good enough to jump out of bed. But I know my lover wants to tell me something. He sits down next to me and holds my hand. “Remember when I told you that there were rules to this relationship. Those no longer exist. There are no more rules. You deserve to know about me and my life. My name is Liam Ames the Fourth. I am the Chairman and Chief of Ames Holdings. For over four centuries, my family has controlled banking in Europe and for the last two centuries, we have controlled various banking interests in the United States. Many rumors have been written about my family. Some say we start wars. Other people claim we control entire nations and Kingdoms. None of that is true. However, having this kind of financial power brings much scrutiny to my family. That is why I prefer to have a private life. Ten years ago, my father took his life due to the stress of running the family business. And so, at the young age of 24, I was forced to take control of the entire bank. I was not prepared. The world was on the verge of a financial collapse and we were literally 72 hours away from ruin. I was able to save the business and engineer a comeback for the firm. It wasn’t easy but I was able to save my family’s legacy. To help deal with the stress of running my family business, I have had relationships with anonymous women. It helped me. I would blow off steam and not have to deal with a close relationship. Deep down inside, I knew this wasn’t the way I wanted to live. And so you came along. At first, I was attracted to your body. Then I became attracted to your art. Now, I am attracted to your soul. I no longer care if the media learns about our relationship. Let the press say what they want to say. I’m ready to deal with them.”
I am speechless. This is the first time in my life that I‘ve heard a man say that he loves me. Liam lies down next to me. We just enjoy this moment together in the hospital bed. My lover crosses his legs and says, “This is actually pretty comfortable.” That makes me laugh. It’s the first comfortable laugh that I have had in a long, long time. I take a deep exhale and for the first time in a while, I feel comfortable. I hear a knock at the door. A nurse comes in and checks my vital signs at a nearby computer. It takes me a moment to realize that I have a couple of tubes hooked up to my body.
“Heart rate is a little elevated but everything else is normal,” the nurse says. “I will call in the doctor and if he says it’s okay, then you should be on your way.” Trust me, that is the best news all day. This is my first time in a hospital and I don’t want to be back anytime soon. Even though I am inside a room that is four times the size of a normal hospital room, I don’t like be in this place.
***
“Why do I have to be in a wheelchair?” I ask as Liam pushes me out of the hospital.
“It’s hospital policy. They don’t allow any patients to walk out on their own,” my lover tells me. That seems so weird. I feel good enough to hop out of this chair and skip out of the front door. I’m not complaining. Liam escorts me out of Cedars-Sinai. Much to my shock, there is a valet with my lover’s black Ferrari. This couldn’t be a more L.A. moment. Liam tips the valet a hundred bucks and gets into his car. I hop into the passenger’s side car and close the door. Liam looks at me with a smile. “We can forgo the blindfolds from now on,” he says. Then he adds, “At least in the car. The bedroom is another story.”
“I think it’s about time you are introduced to the rest of my life,” Liam says as we get on the 10 Freeway
.
“Where are we headed?”
“To my office.”
Wow. We are going to downtown LA. It’s where I used to work. It’s where we first met. I am so familiar with this drive. It used to depress me. Now, it excites me. My lover is ready to introduce me to a world he has vigilantly guarded his entire life.
Much to my surprise, we don’t pull into one of the parking garage buildings. Instead Liam takes his Ferrari into the parking garage of the U.S. Bank Tower, the tallest building in Los Angeles.
“This is where you work?”
“Yes. It’s my building.”
“I thought U.S. Bank owns this building?”
“My firm owns a majority stake in U.S. Bank,” Liam explains. Wow.
The Ferrari races over to a large double-sized parking space right next to an elevator. Two men stand next to the parking space. They open the doors to the Ferrari.
“Welcome back, Mr. Ames,” the men say.
The elevator next to the parking space opens. This is unlike any elevator I have ever seen before. It is opulent. The wall paneling is made of oak. The floor appears to be some sort of marble tiling and the ceiling features an array of ambient lighting. Even the hand bars appear to be brass or gold plating. Something tells me this is Liam’s personal elevator. The doors close and the elevator begins to rocket upward. I nearly fall over.
“Oops. I forgot to tell you to hang on,” Liam tells me as he grabs my waist. I watch the LED read-out of the floor numbers. We are moving much faster than one floor per second. In under fifteen seconds, we are already at the fiftieth floor. The elevator slows to a stop at the seventy-third floor.
The doors open to a luxurious looking room. Several men and women welcome Liam as the door opens. Right now, I really feel like some sort of intruder. I hang back and give enough space for Liam to deal with the people before him.
“The Singapore office is ready and waiting for you,” one of the men says.
“Tell them to take a ten minute break,” Liam says.
One of the sharply dressed women hands my lover an iPad with some numbers on it. “Closing commodity positions,” she says to him.
Liam glances at it for about five seconds and hands the iPad back
to the woman. “I want Asian offices to keep buying gold across the board.”
“Yes, sir,” the woman says as she marches off. I have never seen this side to my lover before. He is all business. I am turned on! Watching this man inside his element is really something to behold. Liam turns around and smiles at me. “I hope you don’t get bored,” he tells me. Then Liam looks at his staff and pulls me towards him.
“Everyone, I would like to introduce you to Carrie. You have already heard from the news that we are an item. This morning Carrie signed a record-breaking recording deal with Sony Music. Pretty soon she will require the service of our wealth management bank,” Liam says with a smile.
My lover’s employees welcome me with kind smiles. Liam begins to walk. The rest of the staff try to keep up.
