Breakdown 7-11-24
June 4
Santa Barbara
Valentine home
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“You’re fucking with me, right?” Tommy stared at me in disbelief. “Asher Hayes?”
“I wish I was fucking with you. I damn near punched his face down his face.”
“His… what?”
I waved my hand in annoyance. “See? I can’t even talk straight, I’m so pissed!”
We were sitting outside near the pool, each with a beer. I had grabbed one immediately after getting home from Sparxxx Studios. Tommy could tell I was upset so he grabbed one too and followed me.
“So Jakob basically hid this partnership from you so you’d sign.”
“Yes! He practically admitted it! With that stupid shrug and smug smirk.” I shook my head. “I really hope I won’t have to deal with him much. Or see him. At all.”
“Right, I’m sure it’s hard to focus on looking sexy when someone you hate is nearby.”
I downed the last half of my beer. “Oh, you think?”
Tommy sat back in his lounge chair and sighed. “I want to suggest something to you that I know you’re not going to like initially, but I’d like you to think about it seriously.” I raised an eyebrow, having no idea what the fuck my husband was about to say. “Talk to him.”
“Who, Jakob? There’s no point, I can’t trust a fucking word he says.”
“No… I meant Asher.”
I sat up straight, to the edge of my chair, and stared. “Are you out of your fucking mind?”
Tommy chuckled. “I knew you wouldn’t like it.”
“Then why—”
“Think about this professionally, babe. Whether you like it or not, he’s there. They said what, a few weeks? You’re going to have to deal with it. And it might be easier to do that and get work done if you clear the air, call a cease-fire, whatever you want to call it.”
“Did you hit your head and lose your memory? Or do you remember the things he said and did to me over the World Championship?”
“I remember perfectly fine, thanks. But that was months ago, and this isn’t wrestling.”
“Oh for fucks sake!” I shook my head and started to get up.
“Wait, where are you going?”
“That’s the same thing he said, and I can’t deal with him and you on the same page.”
“That’s what I’m trying to tell you, though. The two of you need to be on the same page… or at least the same chapter, if any of this is going to work without the damn building exploding. Talk to him.”
I stood there, staring. As much as I hated it, Tommy was probably right. Like it or not, Asher was part of the company. Being a business partner, he was kinda sorta like my boss. Gross. I had to admit, he seemed ready to forget the past and try to work together. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something screwy about all of this, and I don’t mean just the videos we’d be starting soon. I crossed my arms and glared.
“Fine.”
“You’ll talk to him?”
“I guess it’s worth a shot to try.” I leaned forward and held finger up. “Once. If he throws attitude though, I can’t promise I won’t throw hands.”
Tommy chuckled again. “You wouldn’t be you otherwise.” I had to grin. “Do you know where he’s staying?”
“No. But I can probably find out.” Tommy nodded. ‘Since I’m already up though, do you want another beer?”
“Sure.”
I went inside to get the beers, but stopped at the counter and made myself take a deep breath. The last thing I wanted to do was get along with Asher Hayes. I didn’t want him to think for half a second that I might have forgiven him, or like him in any sliver. But… business was business. Tommy had to learn to work with Drachewych when he bought out David’s half of Ante Up, and those two had been at odds more often than not, from what I’ve been told. If he could do that? Maybe I could suck it up and play nice with that motherfucker for the few weeks he’d be in town.
Fuck.
June 11
Los Angeles
Beverly Hills Marriott Hotel
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I didn’t see Asher at the studio again, although I knew he was there. Apparently, he was in the office going over the accounts while Jakob was working with the women. He still planned to stary filming actual porn soon. A few men started working that week, posing in the pictures and short teaser videos with us. One of them, Julian Steele (Yeah, I know) was around my age and I’ll admit it – fucking hot. I wondered if this was the guy Jakob had hired for me to work with once we started full videos, but I didn’t ask. I had fun doing the pics, though.
By the end of the week when I still hadn’t seen Asher at the building, I wondered if maybe he was avoiding me, so I sucked it up and asked Jakob where he was staying. He claimed he didn’t know, but he’d tell Asher to contact me. I figured it was a brush off, until an hour later I got a text. From Asher. He had apparently kept my number in his phone from years ago that one time we hooked up. I can’t imagine how many contacts are in his phone if he never deletes any.
Anyway, so that’s how I found myself walking into the Beverly Hills Marriott to go meet up with him. He’d asked me to go to his room, but there was no way I was gonna do that. He settled on meeting me in the bar. I walked in, looked around, and didn’t see him. I took a seat at the bar, and a young blonde served my beer. After one sip, I looked up and saw Asher walking in. He looked… almost normal. Jeans, t-shirt, hair pulled back. Then again he probably thought the same about me. I’m also in jeans, an Ante Up t-shirt, and my hair in one thick braid. He caught me looking at him, nodded, and came over, taking the bar stool next to me.
“Glad you showed up.”
“I thought about turning around.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“Morbid curiosity.”
Asher laughed. “Not the answer I expected, but I’ll take it. Now since apparently this whole thing was your idea—”
“First of all. It was Tommy’s idea.”
“Be that as it may, you asked Jakob where I was. So we’ll call it yours.” I started to roll my eyes, but stopped myself. “As I was saying… since you initiated this, what can I do you for?”
“I’m gonna ignore that… and get right to the point. Did you know Jakob was going to approach me for this job?”
“Not at all. If he’d asked me I’d have told him he was crazy. I mean, he is crazy. But crazier. He really didn’t tell you I was involved?”
“Nope. Never mentioned any partner at all. You saw him, he basically admitted he kept it from me on purpose.”
“But was he right though? If he’d have told you, you wouldn’t have signed on, right?”
“Fuck no!”
Asher put his hand over his heart sarcastically, just like the day in Jakob’s office.
“Am I really that bad?”
“Do you really want me to answer that?”
“Actually… I don’t. Look, I get it. You have every right to be pissed. Jakob signed you under false pretenses, or something like that. He did most of the hiring without telling me anything about it. But here’s what you gotta understand. When he says I’m just the money? He’s right. I’m what you call a silent partner… you and Tommy Boy know a little something about that, don’t you?”
I glared. “What are you talking about?” Very few people know who bought Helms’ half of the business, and I don’t think Asher is on the short list.
“I know. Don’t ask me how, but I know. So keep that in mind, okay? I’m as silent as he is.”
I stared at him a moment. I would have to ask Tommy how the fuck could Asher possibly know D was the partner? “Okay. Let’s say I believe that you actually know, and let’s say I also believe you plan to act the same way. That leaves me with one question. Why are you here?”
“Money. We’ve been over this. Just now. Fifteen seconds ago.” I glared agains. “Okay, to be a little more specific… my finance guy found some things he thought looked funny so I came to poke around and see if everything was kosher. The last thing I need these days is to get myself tied up into anything that even resembles illegal. I may be silent, but numbers don’t lie.”
“So you’re digging in the books?” Asher nodded. “The place is barely off the ground, how could anything be off?”
“If the whole shebang is a cover for something else. Or if the contracts are riddled with fizzy math.”
“Fuzzy.”
“What?”
“Fuzzy math. That’s what the dumb phrase was.”
“Oh. No, I meant fizzy. Full of air bubbles where money can hide.”
I shook my head. The turns of phrase that came out of this man’s mouth never failed to amaze me. Or amuse. Depending on my mood.
“You know what? I think I actually believe you.”
“Good! So no more telling me to fuck myself? Because that isn’t as easy as everyone makes it sound.”
“Nah, I’ve realized you’d only end up disappointed.”
Asher laughed, hitting the bar. “Good one! That’s funny, because we did that, and you’re saying I was bad. Nice shot!”
“Have you been watching Suits?”
“What?”
“Nevermind.”
Asher looked confused for a moment, then shook his head. “Okay. Anyway. So are we good?”
“Good? No. I can’t just pretend all of SCW didn’t happen. That said… for this business, I’ll stay out of your way if you stay out of mine.”
“As long as you’re not doing anything shady, you won’t be in my way.”
“Good.”
“Good.” We stared at each other a few seconds. Asher then nodded towards my glass. “What are you drinking?”
“No.” I stood up. “You are not buying me a drink. I’m leaving.”
“Fine. I tried to be nice.”
“Bye Asher.”
I threw a ten on the bar to cover my one drink and walked away without looking back.
I still don’t like this, but there’s clearly nothing I can do about it.