“I don’t know, Jett.” She grinned, crookedly. “Perhaps you’re falling in love with me.”
All I could do was stare into her doe-like eyes. “You think so, huh? And how about you? Are you falling in love with me, my little Asia?”
The bartender placed our drinks on the bar, and I took one, handing it to her then picked up mine and tapped our glasses together. Asia took a sip as I did then her eyes twinkled. “Maybe I am, Jett Simmons. What do you think about that?”
I thought that was the most frightening thing I’d ever heard!
Love, with a sub?
What had I gotten myself into?
Asia
The night of our party was at hand. Janice had me in a flowing white dress that went to the floor. High heels were hidden beneath the layers of gossamer. Jett was clad in a tuxedo, making him look like the groom he was pretending to be. Everyone stood and cheered as they clapped when we made our grand entrance into the ballroom at a fancy hotel nearby.
It was all a bit on the uppity side for me. I couldn’t say I wasn’t impressed because I was. But it wasn’t me. I didn’t feel like me at all. I felt like another person. A person who was vain and mostly empty inside.
But I went through the motions for Jett’s mother. The woman was dead set on being a part of the wealthy society, she’d only gained a place in once they made their little bakery into a billion dollar business.
Zane bowed, and I did what he did, then the band started playing, and he and I danced as they all watched. I had to close my eyes and lay my head on his shoulder. This wasn’t who I was.
Somehow, in the hurried pace of things, I’d lost the Asia I’d been. I was wearing expensive clothes. Riding in luxurious cars, the likes I’d never known before, and eating foods I didn’t know existed.
The only thing that was true about me was how I felt with Zane. I felt at home with him at all times. That’s what kept me going. He needed me to portray a particular type of woman, and I did that for him.
After the dance, his mother and father took the stage. Jett and I stood on the dance floor and looked up at them as his father took the mic. “Jett and Asia, how good it is to see you both so happy. As you know, your mother and I told you that we had a surprise for you. And the time has come to give it to you.”
His mother took the mic. “Asia, you’re the most remarkable woman I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. With your influence, our son has blossomed into the man we always knew he could be, with the right woman at his side. We adore you.” Applause rang out as my cheeks heated with embarrassment.
When I looked at Jett, I found his cheeks were red too. He leaned in to whisper, “God, I’m sorry about this, Asia.”
I nodded in understanding. Things had gotten way out of hand.
If only Jett had thought things through, all of this hoopla wouldn’t be happening. But it was, and things just kept going on and on.
His father took over. “It’s no secret that I’ve wanted to rest for quite some time. And now that Jett is ready and settled, the time has come for him to take over my job as CEO of Sin-a-buns Sweetshop.”
Jett’s jaw hung open as applause thundered through the large ballroom. I turned to hug Jett, knowing he never expected this. This would radically change everything. His life in Los Angeles would be over. “Oh, God, Jett. I’m so sorry,” I whispered in his ear. “We’ll figure this out.”
“Fuck, Asia. How’d things get this out of hand?” He held me tightly.
“I’m not sure. For now, act happy.”
“Yeah, you’re right.” We let each other go, and he waved at his parents. “I’ll do my best. Thank you.”
His mom and dad came off the stage and right to us, hugging us both. His mother held me out and looked at me with tears in her green eyes. “We didn’t want miles to come between you two every week. Now, you’ll see your husband every night, the way a marriage should be. Los Angeles is a thing of the past for Jett. His future is here on the East Coast with you and one day, your children.”
I smiled even though inside I was crying for Jett. He had no idea our fake marriage would cost him so much. His carefree days away from it all in Los Angeles seemed to be behind him. Now he had the responsibility of making sure the whole company ran smoothly.
He and I had never talked about his job. I had no idea if he wanted that kind of responsibility yet or not. But I was pretty sure, he didn’t want that. Not at that moment in time.
The band started playing, and Jett took me in his arms. It was then that I felt him shaking. I felt so badly for him. He never knew this would be thrust upon him. I knew it then, he was in over his head.
“I think you’ll make a great CEO, Jett.”
He looked at me with a frown on his handsome face. “Do you think that was a thing I wanted? Because it’s not. I never meant for this thing to change my entire life, Asia. I’ve made a mistake.”
My heart ached for him, but also for me. He looked like a tiger who’d just been caged, and he would do anything to get out of that cage and get back to the freedom of the wild.
I didn’t know what to say to the man. Lies are the root of all evil, right there next to money. If we could’ve gone back in time, I’d have cautioned him about what might happen. I had no idea his parents would give him the CEO job just because he said he was married, and I knew Jett didn’t think that, either.
After the song was over, Jett took me by the hand and led me away to a remote corner of the large room. He and I took seats and were quickly served Champagne. He gulped his tall glass down, then I handed him mine. “Here, you need this more than I do.”
“Thank you.” He took it from me and gulped it down too. “What’s happened, Asia? How did things get so completely out of my control?”
“I’m not sure. I think you should talk to your parents tomorrow and explain that you’re not ready for this.”
Sebastien Greenberg and his older sister, Madison approached us. Sebastien held out his hand to me. “A dance with the bride, please.”
I looked at Jett who nodded. “It’s tradition for the bride and groom to dance with whoever asks them.”
I feigned graciousness. “Of course, Sebastien.” I didn’t want to dance with him. I didn’t want to leave Jett’s side, but I had to. Fucking social etiquette dictated that!
And as soon as I was led away by her brother, Madison swooped in on Jett like a hawk on her prey. He got up and took her long, bony-ass hand and followed us out onto the dance floor.
I couldn’t take my eyes off them. I was a jealous mess. Jett’s hand rested on the small of her back, their other hands clasped. He did leave space between them, but as the song went on, the bitch managed to move in a bit at a time until their bodies were flush against each other’s
Sebastien pulled me close. “You’re a great dancer, Asia.”
“Jett taught me. That’s why I’m any good at all.”
“Oh, I bet you were always good. I doubt he’d take all the credit for you.” He spun me around, and we ended up next to Jett and Madison who were talking in whispers to one another.
It was like torture, watching them!
“I bet he’d take all the credit. He’s taught me everything.”
Turning me the other direction, Sebastien took me away from them just as the song ended. “How about another dance, Asia?”
Jett looked around the room then his eyes landed on me. He smiled and let Madison’s hand go as he came toward me. “No thank you, Sebastien.”
I met Jett in the middle of the room. “I hated that.” He pulled me into his arms. “I don’t give a flying fuck about tradition. I’m changing that shit with us. My wife dances only with me.”
A deep sigh came out of me. “And my husband only dances with me.”
We danced the rest of the night away, just like the story we made up about the first night we met. Things were moving along, maybe not how we expected them to, but like all things, what we had was moving forward.
&nbs
p; Maybe the pace was too fast, but it seemed we were helpless to slow it down.
Jett
It was our last night at my parent’s vacation home. The party was over, and so was the first reason for having a fake wife. Things had happened that shouldn’t have.
I was given the role of CEO. That meant I had to stay in New York. My beach house in Malibu would become only a vacation home. My life, as I had known it, was over.
Along the way, I’d fallen in love with my sub. A thing that was stupid on my part.
Asia was young, beautiful, and had a bright future ahead of her. And she was as naïve as they come. The next morning we were saying our goodbyes and heading back to Harrison. There were three more functions I needed her for, then we’d see what would happen between us.
My mother had tears in her eyes when we drove away. She made us promise to call her as soon as Asia’s parents could make it to a dinner party. She was dying to meet them.
I was dying to end the lies with them. But I didn’t know how to. I had until the end of August to continue my vacation. On September 1st, I was supposed to report to our headquarters in New York City to begin the transfer of power over the company from my father to me.
Was I ready for that?
No, fucking way!
But I had yet to figure out exactly how to get out of it. About the only thing I’d come up with was if Asia and I broke up. Then I could say I was too shattered to deal with that responsibility.
If I stayed with Asia, it meant I’d have to take over for Dad. Was I ready for any of that?
I didn’t think so.
“Would you put the top down, Jett?” Asia ran her fingertips over my cheek. “Fresh air would be nice.”
Pulling to the side of the road, I dropped the top then started going again. “My mother told me she’s changed her mind about us waiting to have kids. She thinks we have something real and extraordinary. She’d like to see grandchildren by Christmas next year.”
Asia laughed and threw her hands into the air, letting the wind rush past them. “Oh, the craziness of life, Jett!” She turned her pretty face and leaned her head on the headrest. “We could just actually go to Vegas, get married for real, and do just that, Jett.”
Glancing at her, I thought she had to be joking. But her expression was serious. “Asia, marriage is a serious thing to me.”
She sighed and turned her head to look up at the afternoon sky. “I know. I was just saying, it could be done. Then we’d never have to tell your family how we lied to them. They’re very nice people, Jett. They treated me like family. It was so, so… wonderful.” She looked away from me.
I ran my hand over her shoulder. “People shouldn’t actually get married just to cover up their lies.”
“You’re right.” She looked at me again. “Can I be honest?”
“Yes.” I put both hands on the wheel as I tried to brace myself for her honesty. I wasn’t sure what she was about to say but knew I was probably going to have an issue with it.
“I never expected to like them. I thought they’d be typical rich snooty people. But they weren’t. They were down to Earth, and I really grew to care about them all. Even the pesky twins, Jett. If this ends, what we have, it’ll leave a hole the size of the Grand Canyon in my heart and soul.”
And there it was!
I would hurt her immensely if I ended things.
“Wow, no pressure there, Asia,” my tone was sharp. I hadn’t meant it to be. But there it was, sharp and a bit on the bitter side.
She looked away without saying another word. As a matter of fact, she didn’t say a thing for the rest of the ride home. Silence is golden some say. That period of silence was anything but golden, it was more black and dark, ominous and deep as an abyss.
When we parked in the garage at home, Asia got out of the car. She walked inside as I sat in the car and gripped the steering wheel as I tried not to scream.
I felt like I was on a see-saw. Up one minute, down the next. I loved Asia, I knew I did. But was my love for her going to last? And if it did, would it be enough to stop me from going back to being the selfish man I’d always been?
I wasn’t sure. And I never knew if I’d become sure.
The lie of a marriage was turning on me, like a pet dragon that began to yearn for its freedom. It was breathing it’s fire on me, trying its best to make me let it go.
We had a wedding to go to in one week. Greg Blankenship, my college roommate, a man my exact age, was about to make Sandra Goldenbloom his lawfully wedded wife. In front of their families and friends, they were going to make it real.
And I was going to take my fake wife to see them step into a real marriage. It all seemed very pathetic then.
Getting out of the car, I went inside. Straight to the kitchen, I went, getting myself a beer then going to sit in the den to drink alone. One beer turned into ten as I sat there, staring out the window at the beautifully manicured lawn. When the sun set, the lights came on, filling the dark corners so intruders wouldn’t feel safe in our yard.
I hadn’t bothered to turn the lights on in the room. Darkness seemed more fitting for how I was feeling.
In a chair that faced a window, I sat perfectly still. Soft hands ran around from behind me, a light breath warmed my ear. “You should come to bed.”
Running my hand up her arm, I mumbled, “You don’t hate me?”
“I could never hate you. Come to bed. Tomorrow will be another day. Things always have a way of looking brighter in the sun’s light.” She slipped around the side of the chair and gently sat on my lap.
Her dark hair was hanging in damp strands. I ran my hand through them. “Asia, I’m not who I seem to be. I’m a very selfish man. I’d make a shitty real husband. Can you understand that? You deserve a great husband. I can’t be that for you.”
“Jett, you and I have a contract. I’m to be whatever you want me to be until August 31st. If you want a sub, I will be that. If you want a fake wife, I will be that. I will be whatever you want me to. Leave the real things out of it for now.”
My throat was growing tight, tears were filling my eyes as I looked at the most beautiful and understanding woman in the entire world. “I love you, Asia.”
Her smile tugged at my heart. “And I love you, Jett. Now come to bed and let’s get some sleep. We’ve had a long, hard week. We need to rest up for the coming weekend, and all that will entail. Let’s spend this week, chilling by our pool, maybe taking in a movie, and doing some normal things. What do you say to that?”
“I say, that sounds great, baby. Especially the part where you told me that you love me. You mean that, right?”
She nodded, got off my lap, and took me by the hand. “I love you, Jett Simmons. No matter what the future holds for us, for now just know that I love you, for real.”
She led me up the stairs all the way to our bedroom. A room I found I missed when she took me through the door. It smelled like she and I mixed all up together. It smelled like home.
Could I really make a home with her? Would she want to put up with me and my ways forever?
There was a lot of doubt in my mind that she would want to put up with me.
I sat on the edge of the bed, at her prompting and she undressed me, then helped me get underneath the covers. She pulled her robe off, and laid next to me, naked in our bed.
Asia pulled my arm out, and laid her head on my shoulder then pulled my arm to wrap around her. It was the way we’d slept together since the very first night. “I never want us to go to bed angry, okay?”
“Okay, baby.” I turned my head, and she kissed me, sweetly. “Goodnight, my love.”
“Goodnight, Jett. I love you. Now, have some sweet dreams.”
With a sigh, I closed my eyes and let myself fall away from it all and sank into a deep sleep.
Asia
It was the night before the wedding. Jett and I had gotten along great the whole week. We did normal things as we hung out together and life was
easy.
That night, when we went to bed, things got odd.
“We have to be ready to go by noon. The driver will be here, and he’ll take us to New York. This time around, I want you to be quiet as a church mouse. I don’t want anyone getting too close to you. I don’t want Greg and Sandra to think we’ll be going and doing a bunch of things together as married couples. Got it?” He pulled off his shorts and climbed into bed.
“Okay, get to know no one. I understand, completely. We won’t have a rerun of what happened with your family, Jett. I promise.” I pulled off my clothes and climbed into bed too.
We usually made love before we went to sleep, but Jett turned over and turned out his lamp and stayed turned over. I was lying on my back, staring at the ceiling.
Why the sudden onset of worry? Why was he shutting me out?
Jett was a complex man. His parents didn’t seem to notice it, but I did. He was immature in a lot of ways. I guess not ever being serious with a woman had him bouncing back and forth along the relationship spectrum.
One day, he’d be all about us. The next, it was how he was going to do this, and he was going to do that.
I’d never had a relationship to compare it to, but I knew he was yoyoing about making things real with me. Even though I made sure not to say a word about wanting anything past August 31st.
That night I slept terribly, and the next morning Jett rushed me, making me anxious and nervous. He was so cool toward me. The entire ride there, he was on his cell. Doing what, I didn’t know. All I knew was he was preoccupying himself. Trying to stay away from me.
Then we arrived at the chapel, and he ran his arm around me and turned into the man he normally was with me. There was a man in a blue suit who met us at the door. “Jett Simmons, you old dog.” He grabbed Jett’s hand and shook it. “Long time, no see.”
“Jason, this is my wife, Asia.” Jett looked at me as I shook his old friend’s hand. “We hung out together in college.” He turned his attention back to Jason. “How’s Greg? A mess I bet.”
Dirty News (Dirty Network Book 1) Page 36
