Chapter 7

 

Chris

 

“Holy shit, dude, you and Mary James are all over the internet, and your Instagram has more followers than your own clients!” Danny said, hitting my shoulder as he walked to his cube by mine.

“Yeah, pretty cool, huh?” I asked, still staring at my phone and the picture looking at me of a smiling Mary in my arms as we danced the salsa.

This was just a fake relationship. She was just a client who needed some PR.

That’s what I kept telling myself at least.

“And a kiss on top of that? Is she your client or your fuck buddy?” Danny raised his eyebrows, peering over his cube.

I shrugged. “Business is business.”

The truth was, all of it meant more to me than I was going to tell my roommate, but I knew he’d give me shit and who knew what Mary thought for sure.

“I’m taking her to brunch this morning.”

Danny laughed. “Nice, man, tax write off and morning pussy.”

“Well when you put it that way, it sounds much more appetizing,” I said, turning on my computer.

I had to get some work done for different social media campaigns, but no matter what website I clicked on, Mary was front and center.

Any publicity was good publicity, and as long as the infamous sex tape wasn’t mentioned, I figured we were on the right path. Work wise at least.

 

***

 

I texted Brian, Mary’s bodyguard, to let him know we had reservations at a place near Central Park for brunch. That was half the truth at least, but I wasn’t going to give the guy my entire plan and have him shoot me down.

Mary’s penthouse was in a secured building with a doorman who looked like someone straight out of Curious George but way less smiley.

“Name, sir?” he asked, standing at his stand and staring at me like I was trying to sell him churros on the street corner.

Maybe I should have dressed better than the button down and jeans with my Converse, but I wasn’t thinking clearly either. I didn’t sleep much the night before, my mind reeling back to the way Mary’s body moved against me when we danced and how her body would move in the bedroom.

I had to shake, literally, those thoughts out of both heads.

This was a fake relationship with a client. One who knew how to play it for the cameras. I had to keep telling myself that, no matter how bad I wanted something with her, I just didn’t know what yet.

“Chris Garcia, here for Mary James,” I said, running my fingers over my now shorter buzz. The barber on the Upper East Side charged way more than my guy in Brooklyn, but at least I didn’t look like a guy who couldn’t afford a decent haircut.

The doorman smirked and picked up the phone at his stand, keeping his eye on me as he talked to whoever at the other end. I don’t know if it was Mary or some kind of butler or what. I’d never actually been in a secure building with a doorman, so this was all new territory for me.

The doorman hung up the phone then took a plastic key card, running it through what looked like a credit card machine before handing it to me.

“Ms. James is in the penthouse suite. You’ll need this keycard to get into the elevator and then to her floor,” he said, not even giving the hint of a smile as he handed me the little plastic piece.

“Thanks,” I said, turning and walking through the glass doors that opened before me and a rush of cold air wafted from the lobby.

The newer building was completely white from the walls to the marble flooring that led to two sleek, stainless steel elevators.

I swiped the card against a keypad, and the doors opened. Stepping inside, I again swiped another keypad above all of the other numbers along the wall.

“So this is how the other half lives,” I muttered, looking around the small space as the doors closed around me.

The loft in Brooklyn set me back most of my paycheck, and I shared the small space with two other guys. My parents’ row house in Jersey was attached to my Aunt Rosie’s. My parents, myself, my abuela, my younger brother, and sometimes chickens, all fit within twelve-hundred square feet that my parents were still paying a mortgage on that place after thirty years.

I’d never seen luxury like this and playing with the big dog clients like Mary was going to take some getting used to or maybe I was way over my head.

I expected the elevator doors to open to a small hallway with some other doors, but instead, it opened right into a large white living room with floor-to-ceiling windows that had a better view than my office ever did.

My phone buzzed just as I stepped off the elevator. Thinking it might be my mom, I went to silence it but instead got an alert saying Mary James was the number one trending topic on Twitter.

“Something interesting on that phone of yours?” A gruff voice asked.

I looked up to see Brian walking out of an expansive kitchen with Lance following behind him. Weird how close the bodyguard and driver were.

“Don’t mind them. They’re both just sexually frustrated and need to get back to their own apartment and bang it out,” Mary’s voice carried through the room before she walked down a few steps to the sunken living room.

“They’re place? They’re…umm….?” I pointed between the two hulking men.

“Lovers? Yes. Yes, they are,” Mary said, putting her hand on Brian’s massive bicep.

“We prefer partners, but you know, people don’t need to know the details of the bodyguard and driver’s love life unless they’re client happens to get them drunk and wants to do something to make an ex jealous…” Brian mumbled the last part.

Realization hit me as I looked between the smiling Mary and the two men.

“Wait a second…these guys are the ones from your…?”

Mary sighed. “Yes. The fake sex tape that was supposed to just make Eddie jealous and a hacker got, causing it to go viral. Think you could somehow swing that PR in my favor?” Mary asked, putting her hand on her tiny hip.

Even in jeans and a fitted v-neck, she looked way more put together than any girl I’d ever seen. Though her outfit probably cost more than my rent, looking at her other lavish expenditures.

“Ah, well, you’re currently trending at number one on Twitter, so maybe we can use that to your advantage.”

She smiled, stepping forward and looping her arm through mine. “Shall we discuss this over brunch?”

“Sounds good to me,” I replied.

Brian and Lance started forward, and I put my hand out. “Whoa, boys. I got this one. Why don’t you two take a break? Maybe get out those frustrations as Mary suggested.”

Brian smirked, crossing his arms over his expansive chest. “Mary? You think that’s a good idea?”

Mary nodded, patting my arm. “Don’t worry, Brian. If I need you, I’ll call. And Chris texted you where we’re going and I trust him.”

“At least one of us does,” Lance said with a laugh, but there was no humor to it.

I figured it would be easier to lay everything out with Mary if we didn’t have the two boyfriends around. That and they probably wouldn’t like my brunch plans, just sulking along.

“Shall we go?” I asked.

Mary grinned. “We shall.”