Tell Tale Kiss

Chapter Eight

It surprised Calem to hear a knock on his apartment door. No one ever visited him here. He unlocked his door to find Fennick standing on the other side. Calem opened it wider for him to enter.

"Nice apartment. It's obvious I've been overpaying you."

Calem laughed. "True, but I thought it be impolite to tell you that."

"Says the woman who only deals in truths."

"Ah, it's the man you have to worry about. You know we're all notorious liars."

"So, I've heard. A rather bold move setting up that account for Evelyn Quinn."

"Don't worry, there is nothing going on between us. I just think she deserves a shot at that restaurant."

"She's made quite the impression on you. Guess it wouldn't hurt if she broke up with that big bicep'd boyfriend of hers too, right?"

"That's not why I'm doing this."

"Really? Because that is what Kaylee Bardot is saying."

"What?!"

Alfred Fennick handed over the copy of Know Now that he had in his hand.

What Calem read made him sick...

Once again Sasha Miller would like us to believe that Calem Decker is some innocent bystander in some game Evelyn Quinn is playing to get more attention from her fiancé who isn't even in town to defend himself.

Decker and Quinn were seen together holding hands in the park after obviously enjoying a run together. So, I guess while the fiancé's away Ms. Quinn is free to play.

Or perhaps this was some sort of scheme set up by Decker and Quinn to get her the much-needed funds for her restaurant after she's been turned down six times for a loan from several banks.

And who can blame them? Would you want to back such a naïve woman? Good thing she's got Decker, the obvious brains behind the operation. Who, thanks to Sasha Miller, has managed to pull on the heartstrings of millions of women, asking them to pony up the dough to get his lady love a brand-new restaurant.

An amazing con, by a very clever con artist. I wish Calem Decker would have fallen in love with me. I would love to remodel my kitchen and I wouldn't mind using him to model for me in the bedroom either.

But hey, all you supposedly used woman out there, by all means, give him a dollar, or ten, but remember ladies he's only going to be dropping his drawers for Evelyn Quinn. So those dollars may be better spent at your local strip club. At least then you're getting something for your money.

Calem was livid. "How the hell?!"

"Has to be someone on the inside. Someone who knows what we're printing and giving Kaylee access to it, so she can write her response."

"Do you have any idea who?" Calem asked.

"No, and I can't go around accusing people either. I'm sorry to have to say this, Calem but I'm letting Sasha go."

"Wait? What? You can't. It's not fair."

"Life's not fair, but it's either I drop Sasha or I lose the entire magazine. She's become a liability and I'm months from retirement. I can't afford to screw up now."

"Neither can I. I've given up everything to come work for you. My life back in Missouri, my friends, my family. I lived at your office both day and night to build that magazine into something people could believe, could respect."

"I know, son and I'm grateful but I have hundreds of people working for me. I'm not going to lose them all over one. Many of them have families of their own."