Attraction - temporarily available

Chapter 5

A week had passed when Chris called, asking me to check the meanest city tabloid. He sounded amused more than anything else. Smug.

I had a vague idea of what Chris might be talking about and wasn't sure how I felt about it. My eyes were tired from working well into the night with some new remixes, but I managed to sit by my laptop and found a webpage that hosted both the incriminating photo and a few lines of text. The photographer hadn't known my identity, but Tom was mentioned as a close acquaintance to Lara Demalier and Dante Heron. There were photos of the others as well, but they had nothing to worry about. Lara had even been prepared with a graceful pose.

"Joah," Chris was still on the line.

"Yeah. What?" I was still staring at the picture. We looked hot together.

"So you left with Tom after all. You never told me." The guy was keen for gossip.

"I should have known you'd find this. I mean, who else reads this crap?"

"Don't you wonder how Tom reacted?" he asked, sounding like the tease he was.

"It's just a picture." I doubted Tom had said anything about it. He didn't seem like the type to comment on rumors. I began to walk back and forth in the apartment, skirting past clutter and stray items of dirty clothing that others had left behind.

"Well, it's more or less implied you're a couple."

"It's gossip, Chris." I could have lied to create some healthy drama, but that might land me in real trouble.

"So, you didn't go home with him? I'm not sure I believe that." Chris had smelled a bone. The question was if he would drop it.

"He drove me back here, but considering that I haven't even let you see this place, do you really think I would have let him inside?"

"Fair point. Anyway, Lara wants to go shopping and she asked me to join. I told her you might be up for it instead."

I almost laughed. "Wait, first you call to question me about my sex life, then you want a favor? Tut tut."

Chris whined. "Oh but come on! You know how much I hate shopping. I'm begging you here."

"What do I get in return?"

"I'll let you know that Tom snatched the magazine from me and wouldn't give it back."

"That's useless information." I suddenly imagined Tom ripping out the page and burning it slowly above a tiny lighter.

"Tom will be driving the two of you around."

Now, that was a much better incentive. "Fine. I'll do it. I have to get out of here anyway. Might as well kill some hours before tonight."

"Are you playing?" Chris asked.

"Yeah, at the regular club. Why don't you see if you can get Adam there?" I hadn't seen Adam for a while, something I should have realized sooner. If anyone needed friends around, it was Adam. That lousy ex-boyfriend of his had all but ruined the guy. Adam needed some fun, and definitely friends who cared enough to check how he was doing.

"I think he's left town. He said something about a road trip."

"Bring someone else, then. But you owe me, so be there."

"Fine. I'll call Lara and tell her to pick you up," Chris replied. The bastard sounded smug again.

* * * *

The sleek Bentley waited by the curb a few blocks away from my place where Tom had dropped me off a week ago. The tinted windows prevented me from seeing who sat behind the wheel, but my nerves began to tingle anyway.