Grey

“You had a couple of calls while you were gone Sir.”

“Really? Anything that is worth me actually calling them back about? I have had a long day and I don’t want to deal with anything else unless it is urgent.”

I was ready to get home. I had a bad loss today in court and all I wanted to do was get home and have a drink. I wasn’t going to let the loss get to me, but I wasn’t ready to concede yet either. There was always another way and I just had to figure out what it was that I needed to do. I wasn’t sure yet, but I would be soon enough. I needed a little liquid help to get me thinking clearly and my assistant was standing in the way of that.

“Well mostly just the same old, same old, but I did get a strange call from a dentist that says he wants to meet with you. He left his name and a number, said it was very important.”

I wasn’t too worried about what a dentist had to say, but my assistant wasn’t going to let it go. It seemed that she thought that it was important.

“I don’t know Sir. I really think you should at least call him back. He sounded strange on the phone and it was the way he sounded. I just got a feeling that it is about something you should take care of.”

I took the number, but I didn’t think anything of it until I was in the elevator on my way out. I looked at the name and it took a minute, but I remembered that it was the same name that was on the building that I went into the week before to see Cameron. Since I hadn’t seen her since then and she wouldn’t take my call, maybe I should take this one. I didn’t know the guy, but maybe it was Cameron and this was her way of getting in touch with me. I wasn’t sure, but I was sure that I wanted to see her again and I was hoping that this was the way. I just had to figure out what it was all about.

So when I got to the car, Leo opened the door for me and I had already dialed the number. I asked for the name on the message and a jovial voice greeted me.

“I can’t believe that it is really you Grey. You are a bit famous in the city and I am lucky that you took the time to call me back.”

It wasn’t Cameron, but it was her boss and now I was intrigued. What in the world would this guy want with me? When I realized that it wasn’t about Cameron at all, I almost hung up. I didn’t have anything to say to him and I still needed a strong drink to set me right.

“What can I do for you?”

It was her boss, so I was going to be as nice as I could. I remember her telling me how much she liked her job and I didn’t want to do anything to mess it up.

“Well I have some video and information that I would like you to see. I am not sure what I am going to do with it and I think that I should ask you if you have any suggestions. Can you meet me at Finnigan’s in half an hour?”

I knew the place, but I still was unaware of what this man wanted of me. I didn’t want to meet him or anyone else, unless there was a stiff drink involved and that didn’t seem to be the case. So I asked him what it was all about.

“I would rather not discuss it over the phone, but it has to do with one of my past employees that I think you know pretty well, Cameron.”

“Past employee?” What was I missing? I hadn’t seen her in a week, but from what she told me, she hadn’t been there long at all. Why was she a past employee and what did that have to do with me?

“Yes, like I said. This is a delicate matter and I don’t think that it is wise to have this conversation over the phone.”

There was something in his voice and now I knew what the assistant had heard. She was right to tell me. There was something off with all of this and I wanted to know what this delicate matter that he spoke of was. I wasn’t sure that I was going to like it. I actually almost knew that I wasn’t going to like it, but I had to hear it because it had to do with Cameron.

“Fine, I will be there in thirty minutes. This better not be a waste of my time.”

“I know that you are a busy man, but I think you will want to hear what I have to say.”

I hung up and saw that Leo was looking at me. He had a strange look on his face and he didn’t even have to ask. I wanted him to know what was going on, or at least where I was going. He was the driver after all.

“What is going on boss? Are you not going home?”

“Not yet. Take me to Finnigan’s. It looks like I have someone that I have to meet.”

He waited for more, but since I was already under the impression that he knew too much, I didn’t volunteer any more information. I didn’t want him to know that it was about Cameron; because I didn’t want to hear his comments about her again. I was already irritated and I had a feeling that it was only going to get worse once I met with her boss or her former boss rather.

***

I told Leo to wait for me. I wasn’t going to be here long, but there was the fact that I would at least be able to get something to drink. I ordered a drink at the bar when I got in there; I had a feeling that I was going to need it one way or another. The man that I talked to on the phone came up behind me and then sat down next to me to introduce his self.

“I am a big fan of yours.”

“Really? How so?”

“You had what I couldn’t get and from the looks of the tape that I have in my possession, you did a damn good job with her.”

“What are you talking about? Are you Cameron’s boss?”

He nodded that he was and I was starting to get a really bad feeling about it and what he called the tape in his possession.

“Yes I am. Well she was let go last week once certain information came to light and since she didn’t take me up on my offer, I was about to download the video to the internet, see if I could get some revenue off of it, when I realized that the man in the video was you. I had to crosscheck your name in the patient file to make sure. Once I realized you were the face of one of the biggest firms in the city, I thought that you might be a better way to get the money that I seek.”

The pit of my stomach was in knots. “You fired her?”

“Yes, having sex with a client in one of the rooms is not okay in my line of work. Maybe it is acceptable in yours, but not in mine. So now that we know what we are talking about, I will give you a chance to keep it off of the internet. Something like this could really mess with your reputation and considering some of your clients, I thought that you might want to keep this hush. So for the right price, I will give you this tape and you can do what you want with it. If I were you, I would take this offer. I will not ask for more than you will lose if this gets out.”

The man was a weasel and I wondered what he had tried to get from Cameron for the tape and to keep her job. I know that he hadn’t asked her for money, which told me that he had asked for something else. I didn’t like him and I certainly didn’t like getting blackmailed, but I knew that he was right. I had some very high-profile clients that I would lose if this got out. It wasn’t like it would be the first time that my dalliances had gotten out into the media, but this would be one that could cost me, as well as smear Cameron and I didn’t want that to happen. The press alone would eat her alive, this much I knew for sure because I had been dealing with them for years.

“How much?”

“Make me an offer.”

“I would offer not to throat punch you, but that doesn’t seem to be what you are getting at. Tell me what you want because as you say, I am a busy man.”

He gave me a price and then he gave me a bank account to wire it to. I knew that the greedy man would have a big price and it was high, but saving Cameron from the media was worth it. If it wasn’t her, I doubt I would have paid it, but I didn’t want her to have to deal with it. It wasn’t right. She had already lost her job because of me. It was the least I could do.

“Fine, I will send the money, but if I ever see you or hear from you again, this will end a lot differently. I know a lot of people that would make short work of a guy like you and I don’t mind paying a little extra to silence you. Guys like you make me sick and I deal with a lot of scum.”

His face turned red and I didn’t know if it was from fear or anger, but I didn’t really care.

“And stay the hell away from Cameron.”