“There are some pictures of you with a woman popping up on some of the gossip sites. Do you want me to prepare something?” He asked as heat flooded my face.
“Fuck. How close are they?” I asked as I pulled up my computer to do a search. I found them quickly, relieved to see that they were taken at the beach and quite grainy. That was the point when Elisa was all bundled up and wearing her hood as well, so you couldn’t see her. Of course, the story talked about the inn and my romantic weekend with the mystery woman as I groaned. I didn’t understand how we escaped further photos but I think I was in the clear. “If anyone asks, it’s nothing serious.”
“Of course,” James agreed as we ended the call. There had been bits and pieces about me in the gossip columns, pictures with women along with a lot of speculation. That didn’t matter before now, since it was never an employee. I didn’t want Elisa to suffer the backlash that would come with the publicity. There was a good chance that I’d escape without any damage, but she was just starting her career.
It was a couple of hours later that she tapped on the door and walked inside as I told her it was open. “Good afternoon,” Elisa greeted me as she sat down and licked her plum stained lips. She looked stunning in a simple outfit that showed her curves, parts of her that I was very familiar with after this weekend. “How are you?”
“I need to talk to you,” I started to say as her face paled. “There were some pictures this weekend that showed up online. You’re not recognizable in them at all, but I wanted you to know in case anyone said anything.” All the color drained from her face as I reached out to take her hands.
“Mark drove me in today. You sent him.” I nodded, not realizing than what it could do to this situation. “Autumn saw me and I passed it off as him just being a friend. What if she sees the pictures and someone knows who he is? This wasn’t supposed to happen like this, Damon. It has been so brief.”
“I have a plan. I will get someone to pose with me in a few convenient places, a friend. That will make everyone think it was her with me at the Inn and the beach and all of this will go away,” I told her as Elisa narrowed her eyes.
“Who?” Her voice was small, and I stroked her hands with my thumb.
“Nobody that I’m involved with, Elisa. She’ll only be a prop,” I promised her, knowing that I’d slept with Brooke a few times during some drunken nights. She was a friend of the family and it was never meaningful in the least, but it would get people talking. She just made the most sense in the moment for me. “That is the quickest way to deal with this before people start digging.”
“Fine. Do what you need to.” I saw something cross her face before she took a deep breath. “What can I help you with today, assuming we’re done with that?”
“I haven’t gotten any work done at all today. I’ve been thinking of you,” I told her as I looked at the door. “Go lock that.”
“No. There’s enough chance for chatter as it is, Damon. We need to work.” I saw her pulling away again as I turned to my computer. I emailed James and told him to make a reservation at a trendy place in town and get Brooke there so we could get that started.
“How did it go last night? Did you tell them?” I asked her as she shook her head. “Why not?”
“We’re rarely home at the same time. That’s going to be hard, but I was going to try tonight. Should I?” She asked me as I stared at her silently.
“Of course. The apartment is yours.” I cleared my throat. I can meet you at my place later tonight. I’ll send Mark to get you.”
“Bad idea. I think that we should just keep our distance for now so you can…do what it is you’re going to do with your prop,” Elisa said as she ran a hand through her hair. “I am going back to the team. We’re not going to get anything done today.” Elisa stood and walked out, leaving me alone and in shock as I watched her close the door. A part of me wanted to tell her to get back here, to do everything I could to get her to comply with my wishes as my cock hardened. I couldn’t believe that she walked out on me.
I let the urge to demand her return go and focused on the details of tonight. Brooke and I suited each other, at least to the public. She was the wealthy daughter of a CEO and right for me, by society’s standards. She was beautiful but to be honest, the sex was never great and the attraction mild at best. When I got involved with her, I was younger and willing to sleep with anyone that wanted it and Brooke was convenient. I didn’t know how that would affect my plan but I needed to do something fast.
I stayed in my office even though I was desperate to talk to Elisa and fix this. I hadn’t been in this situation before but a prop had always calmed down a rumor before, this being one I needed fixed immediately.
I made myself go to lunch just to get some fresh air.
My phone chimed in my pocket and I found a text from Brooke telling me she’d meet me looking stunning for the cameras. I rolled my eyes and set the phone down, knowing how much she loved the attention. I kept looking out to the street and that was when I saw Elisa walking with her team, looking a bit lost. The man was close to her, seeming to guide her and I narrowed my eyes as he reached for her arm. Elisa looked at him with a slight smile as if he caught her off guard and moved back into the group as they made their way to an Italian restaurant.
I threw the rest of my lunch away and stalked towards the door and back to the office. I was desperate to touch Elisa and my body raged at me to turn around and claim her while the remaining logic in my head told me to give her some space. It was useless to try and work as I just sat at my desk and sipped coffee, only making myself more jittery.
I sent a text to Elisa towards the end of the day, telling her that I missed her. I promised her that everything would be okay, and we could resume everything, but she only told me to do what I needed to do. I didn’t know if she was still moving, working for me or even what she was doing tonight.
I went home to dress for dinner, since it was one of the best places in the city. Mark picked Brooke up along the way and opened the door so she could slide into the car. I gave her a glance, seeing that she was dressed in something skimpy before I looked away. “Someone is in a bad mood. What the hell is wrong?” She asked as she moved closer to me, filling the car with an acrid scent of her floral perfume.
“Nothing. I just need the paps off my ass. You know the drill,” I said as I felt her hands slide over my shoulders, tensing.
“I do, but I also know where this has led us before. I haven’t been with a man like you since last time, Damon. Let’s have some fun with this.” She slipped her hand around my arm and moved closer as I looked outside to see how close we were to the restaurant. This was going to be miserable.
I put on my best smile for the cameras as we left the car, taking Brooke’s arm as she beamed. I knew that there was a part of her that got off on this, a part that I was all too familiar with. I was still horny from earlier and my emotions were all over the place as we walked up the steps and inside, looking every bit the couple that we weren’t. People called out, asking if she was the woman from the beach as Brooke winked coyly at them. With her curly hair recently done in a lighter, caramel shade I figured that someone could easily assume that it was. I kept my head high and my smile charming as I worked the room, feeling Brooke inch closer and closer to me with every step. We took our seats in a cozy little booth where she moved close to me yet again and I fought the urge to grit my teeth. “Who is beach girl?” She asked in a whisper as someone approached to take our drink orders. Brooke ordered a glass of wine and I asked for Hennessey on the rocks as her eyes twinkled. “Did the man with no feelings suddenly develop them? Poor Damon.” Her hand slid over my thigh, making me jump.
“You are a prop tonight. Nothing more,” I told her in a low voice as the drinks were delivered and I smiled as I thanked the waiter. I assured him that we’d be ready soon as I grabbed the menu, hating my body for reacting to a woman’s touch after the day that I had. “Enjoy your free dinner and the spotl
ight, Brooke. That’s all you’ll be getting.” I gave her a cold look. “You must be lonely after Ben dumped you.” I knew that her engagement had ended recently, one to a good guy that I knew from my family. I didn’t think it would ever happen when I did hear the news, but Brooke got caught with another man and ended things badly. “That was a bad move. This might boost you up if you stop acting like a desperate whore.”
“Fuck you. You called me Damon, or had your attorney do it. I think that this night is on your shoulders,” she shot back as the blood in my veins turned to ice. I reminded myself that it was just a few hours as I smiled and faked a toast with her as we read the same menu together. There would be a lot of pictures from this night and I needed them to be convincing. We stayed at dinner for two hours as I forced the meal down my throat, smiling and laughing as I flirted with her. We left in the same rush of camera flashes and questions but I told Mark to pull into my private entrance and let me out before he took Brooke home. She stared at me as I slid towards the door, almost in disbelief. “That’s it?”
“I’ll see how this works out over the week and James will be contacting you if we need a repeat.” I got out and closed the door. This was something that we all did from time-to-time and it wasn’t her first rodeo. I didn’t understand why she was acting this way unless she really wanted me to fuck her. I was aching with need but it was all for Elisa as I watched the car pull back out into the street.
I walked into my empty apartment, feeling the silence heavy in the air. I reached for my phone and saw that there were some google alerts but I pulled up the phone screen to call Elisa. The phone that I’d given her was powered off and I fought the urge to throw my IPhone across the room. I dropped it on the couch and went to take a shower, jerking off like an animal as I played back the times I’d made love to her. I came all over the tile, despondent at the fact that it had been solo since I’d fucked Elisa in here. I used up all the hot water and dried off, tugging some shorts up my legs before I went back to the living room to do some damage control.
The pictures were surfacing one by one and I felt sick at how convincing they looked. In an alternate universe, Brooke and I would be a great looking couple but it wasn’t going to be this one. I just hoped that it worked and everything calmed down so I could get Elisa back as I walked into my kitchen for the bottle of whiskey.
The alarm woke me up on the couch as I blinked and looked slowly around. Shit, it was only Tuesday. I needed to be at the office but I felt like complete shit. In truth, what would I get accomplished? I sent a text to my managers, telling them that I had a bug and was staying home. I could sleep this off and not fight the urge to go find Elisa and beg to talk to her. I stumbled to bed, ignoring the return texts as I left my phone on the couch.
I passed out for a few hours, tossing and turning as I kept waking up from scrambled dreams. I hated the fact that I could still smell Elisa in here, making myself curse the idea that I’d brought her to begin with. I also wondered if I’d ever wash the sheets again as I pulled her pillow to my face and inhaled deeply.
Eventually, I stumbled back to the living room to order some food for delivery and checked the gossip sites. Everything was where it should be and the comical speculation was running rampant. There were murmurs of Brooke and I being back together after her heartbreak from earlier this year and speculation that she was the woman on the beach, off for a romantic weekend with me. I was glad that it seemed to be working but knew that none of that was true.
There was also a single text from Elisa, asking me if I was okay. She’d heard some mention of my being sick and I shook my head as I read it. I told her that I missed her and that I was hungover from that, knowing or hoping that she’d keep these communications to herself. I told her that the previous night was awful. I knew that I was babbling but I had the sense to stop when there was nothing in return. I didn’t want to lose all sense of dignity in this process, so I ate and went back to bed.
The next day, I started the morning with a jog life I usually did. I was going to make life as normal as possible until this storm settled, hoping that I’d get my prize.
Elisa
This whole world was a parody in my eyes. I was in shock when Damon mentioned using a prop to get the rumors deflected. A prop? He was going to dinner with a woman, fake or not. Worse yet, they’d have to act like a couple more than if they were together, for show. I’d heard about these things in Hollywood, never realizing that it applied to business celebrities as well. I got through the work day, assuring my team that I was free to assist them as I laughed along to their jokes and accepted their dinner invitation.
I felt like a fool when I got home and searched for the pictures online. Not only did I find convincing ones from tonight’s dinner, but a few other occasions where Damon had dated this woman. Her name was Brooke and she was tall and gorgeous, exuding sexuality with every movement. There was no way that they’d never slept together.
I also found the pictures that he’d mentioned to me, and they were grainy and distant. I didn’t even recognize myself in those, but there was one in town with my back to the camera that seemed like it looked more like me. Apparently, the paparazzi in smaller cities was less aggressive than Boston.
Conveniently, Brooke had a hair texture like mine with a hair color that could be easily mistaken for me. Did this woman do that this day for her role? I didn’t even understand any of it as I pored over the pictures at dinner; Damon laughing, holding her hand as they walked in and out of the restaurant, toasting her with a warm smile in his face and the worst one of all, the kiss outside before they got into the car. Fake or not, it was long and intense and it made all the food in my stomach want to rise right back up.
Still, when I heard that he was out sick from my team this morning I couldn’t help but to send him a text. No matter how I was feeling, I wanted him to be happy. I hated myself for offering the olive branch and shut the effort down when he responded later to me.
I still hadn’t mentioned the apartment to my roommates, despite thinking about it every moment. It wasn’t just for my perks, but my mother. She’d have a better place to live and at this point, I’d live with her and find a way to pay some rent. That was what mattered to me the most and I’d suffer through the job, internship and a hundred other ones to take care of my mom.
When Melody asked what was going on, I told her that things might have changed and went back to studying in my small bed. “That’s good. I like sharing this space with you, even if it is the size of a closet.” I smiled at her and told her the same, wondering if there might be a friendship forming here.
Wednesday was my day to work with Damon but I had weighed that heavily in my mind during my sleepless night. I could intern, go to school, and work a part time job to afford the apartment. It would be crazy but tons of college students did that every day. It wasn’t permanent and I would graduate sooner rather than later and get a great job. I did get some financial aid but it wasn’t a great deal and not enough to support my mother and me.
I decided to talk to Brent today and tell him that I was just going to be sticking with the internship. I’d blame school and family issues, which usually worked and were the truth. I would compose an email to Damon and send it off, feeling motivated by the offer of a weekend job at the coffee shop in my favorite bookstore. I could keep my financial aid with the few hours and hopefully budget enough in for something for Mom and me.
I did the email from my laptop, surprised that the weak Wi-Fi was working so well. It sounded professional and I thought that I sounded upset as I explained a phantom college issue, asking to be replaced. I offered all the items that he gave me for the new person as well as any passwords that he’d given me. I didn’t want anything to do with the job anymore and I hit send before leaving for the few classes that day.
I changed into a dress at the apartment and took a bus to work. I had the phone along with everything else in my bag, powered down and I intended on going to be with my
team today. I’d made myself clear in the email. I stepped onto the elevator, finding it empty for a change as I glanced around and pushed the button for my floor. Surprisingly, the elevator stopped on Damon’s floor and I stared forward into his icy blue eyes before he told me to meet him in his office and walked away.
It was obvious that he’d received the email, that he was at the very least angry and that I’d be in for it once I reached his office. I licked my glossed lips and walked out calmly, as if I was just going in for my shift. Nobody seemed to notice me as I approached his door and tapped softly with my stomach in knots. Damon was standing at his desk, staring at me as emotions crossed his face, one after the other. “What the fuck was that email about?” He asked as I stood in a stunned silence, not knowing what to say. “Do you want to pretend that you never knew me when I’ve been thinking about you every fucking second of every single day, Elisa? Did you want to pretend that we mean nothing to each other?”
“Damon, I…” He walked over to me, his hands capturing my face as I started to talk again. “No, don’t do this.” Even saying that, I made no effort to pull away. I was intoxicated by his heat and his scent, feeling dizzy in his presence. I reached forward, clutching to his shirt as I closed my eyes and dropped my head forward. “I want to be over you.”
“No, you don’t.” His lips captured mine as he lifted my face to his, claiming me. I felt my mouth part as his tongue met mine, dancing together. I felt my arms slide around his neck as he lifted me and carried me somewhere. I didn’t care where, since I was consumed with my want for him.
Damon made quick work of lifting my dress when I was on the couch, opening my bra as he sucked a nipple into his mouth. “Oh, God,” I murmured as his teeth dragged against me.
The Reconstruction of Cyprian Page 103
