Authors: Carly White
Consequence
Chapter 1
Ashlea watched the footage and grimaced. She usually wasn’t used to such violence, but with a new client that she had just been given, she was apparently going to have to with Jesse ‘Badboy’ Ronald on her docket. He was the best at what he did, but out of the hexagon, Jesse apparently didn’t know how to act. She saw the young man get more and more angry at the paparazzi camera being pushed into his face. It looked like he was going to leave it be and get in his car and then the cameraman said something that changed the trajectory of that night.
“Hey Jesse, how does it feel to lose custody of your kid to the stripper?”
The dark eyes narrowed and then he turned around with a round house. The next thing on the video was the feet of Jesse coming towards the camera and then blackness as he stomped it out. What the video didn’t show was the multiple times he stomped the cameraman and the screams that on-lookers heard. There was of course supplemental videos from the many smart phones that captured the moment.
Ashlea sighed and looked back at her boss. “So what exactly do you want me to do Neil? He is being sued and most likely will lose if he lets it go to court. These videos are everywhere, they went viral. I don’t think I can sweep this one under the rug.”
Neil nodded. “I agree. It is too big to sweep, so we have to take it on head first. Spin it. I know you can.”
Ashlea was the queen of doing just that, but even that may be out of her league. She was the best at the firm and even she couldn’t readily see a spin. “I mean, the only angle I can see is the kid. Is he willing to push it? He will still have to pay, but he could get some sympathy from the fans. If he gets that, the league will let him come back.”
“See I knew you would be the one for this. So you need to go out there and uh, keep an eye on him for a bit, just until we get the settlement done. The worse the fallout, the higher the negotiation number is going to go. It wouldn’t hurt him to go kiss some babies or something. Just keep him out of trouble for a few weeks.”
“I am not a babysitter Neil.”
“With this commission you are. The lower the better and in a few weeks, we will all get a bonus. He is a little abrasive, but so are you, so perfect fit. He likes his reps pretty too, so doll it up a bit.”
Ashlea shot him daggers. “I can’t believe you just said that.”
“What? A little makeup and a short skirt goes a long way with men like him.”
Ashlea looked down at her tailored suit. She went to a more streamline style that apparently was not meeting approval. That was kind of the point though. “Well fine Neil, but I am going to remember this and one day you are going to have to do something for me for it.”
The older man blushed and then looked away. He nodded and Ashlea got up. The man was a hopeless perv and she went to his assistant to get the man’s information. She would take another day to learn about him, researching his style and then of course, the darker personal life that she was trying to gloss over. Even the best athletes can be taken down with bad behavior. Jesse was no different and she wondered if he was truly as cocky as he appeared on all the videos. The consistency made it so and she let out a deep sigh as she packed up for the weeks she would be in California. The weather was hot and the people were crazy.
Ashlea took her boss’ advice and went and picked up a few pieces to add to her wardrobe. She got her hair cut and layered at the salon. While she didn’t like the idea of primping, it felt rather nice and she was pretty relaxed by the end of her day. She was ready to go meet the angry man in the tape and convince him to stop acting like a three year old. PR Rep didn’t quite incorporate all of that into the title when she had chosen the job, but she had learned quickly it was a lot like raising kids.
When she finally got on the plane later that evening, she tried to get a hold of him to let him know she was coming, but he never responded and she got a few hours of sleep while she was in the air. It was such a stark difference when she got out of the airport. The air was thick and warm, nothing like the cool breeze she had left in New York. Out there, her no-nonsense suits made her feels like she was going to melt. Ashlea was suddenly happy she had brought more with her than her usual navy skirt and blouses.
There was supposed to be a car waiting for her and she saw her name on the back of a
placard that a man was holding. She waved to the man and dragged the carryon bag behind her. He helped her, taking it from her hands and opened the door for her to enter the dark town car. She was thankful for the small bar in the back and took a glass of wine to unwind from the long trip. It was only three in the morning and she should have gone to the hotel, but Neil had strongly suggested that she stay in the house with Jesse. “You need to be close and besides, there is twenty plus rooms in his estate.”
The driver already had the address and within ten minutes and two glasses later, he was pushing in a code at the gate. Jesse had finally text her back, not returning the call, but it was his driver that was sent. He told her to stay in the rose room if he wasn’t back. She wished he would have called, but at least he wasn’t being a jerk about her being there. Undoubtedly the last thing he wanted was for some noisy lady in his business, judging everything he did.
But she had to and Jesse had heard about her. She had kept a few people in the game and he was hoping she could do the same for him. So rather reluctantly, Jesse had agreed to her terms.
The driver walked her up to the house and then showed her to her room. The man didn’t say much and the silence in the house was unnerving. She had half-expected Jesse to have a party going on. She expected music, nude people, not the quiet estate she was in. Looking around as they walked up the stairs, she thought she saw someone in the bedroom she passed with the door cracked open, but she passed so quickly she couldn’t be sure.
“Is uh, Jesse in?”
“He is, but he has requested you join him for breakfast at ten.”
“At ten?” Ashlea couldn’t help but laugh a little.
“Okay thank you.”
He left her then and she turned around to the ‘Rose Room’ and it was clear how it got the name. It was girly and pink. There were roses everywhere and it was almost so much that is was comical. She had never seen such a room and it looked like it belonged to a small child. Upon further inspection of the closet, there was clothing hung that justified her suspicions and made her wonder about the accuracy of her information. She didn’t remember reading about him having a daughter and she certainly didn’t hear about one living with him. And why was she put in there? Were all the other rooms full as well?
The only thing she was happy to see was the large tub in the bathroom that seemed to be shared with the room next door. It was the one she had seen the person in and when she got her things together, she made sure to lock the other door. The claw tub looked old, but beautiful with a slight patina over the outside and metalwork. It was large and she was quickly submerged completely in a hot, frothy mix of bubbles. After the long day and long flight, it felt like heaven and she dozed off in the quickly cooling water.
Chapter 2
Jesse woke up around six in the morning. He had a rough lunch and didn’t make it to dinner the night before. His eyes were painful in the bright lights of the bedroom. He apparently had forgotten the lights on as well and he covered them with his hand, while the other searched for the button to turn them off. His groping hand finally found it and he sighed as he was finally able to see again. Gingerly he got used to the darkness, noticing the lights on underneath the adjoining bathroom.
There was no sound from the bathroom and getting up to piss, he realized that it was locked. A slight memory that a woman was supposed to come stay with him, keep him line as he went through negotiations. Looking at the clock again, he figured she had left in on when she got up. Jesse threw on some sleep pants and walked over to her door. He knocked softly and waited for her to answer. When she didn’t, he checked the knob and found it turned. Pushing it open, she was still nowhere in sight. The bed was still made and his interest was peaked. “Hello?”
His voice was low as he walked towards the bathroom. The light was the only thing on in the room and it filtered out into the bedroom. He stopped at the door and looked to the mirror across the wall. It showed a reflection of a blonde woman sleeping in the tub. Her long golden curls hung out over the edge and at first all he could see was her arms holding her up. As he moved into the room, her full body came into view, her tits floating up to the surface for attention.
Biting his lip to stop the noise, he almost woke her, to see her reaction. But he remembered the words of the league and remembered he was supposed to be on his best behavior. The woman in the tub would determine his future, so he crept back out and went back to the other side of the door. Knocking loud, he heard the water splash as she jerked up.
“Hello, is anyone in there?”
“Uh, just a second.”
“I just need to piss. Can you unlock the door?”
“Just a second.” Her voice was getting an edge to it and she was still trying to shake the cobwebs out of her head. She almost slipped as she got out. Her body was freezing and her nipples were so hard they hurt. Covering herself with a towel, she unlocked the door and it immediately came open.
The tall man pushed in and she stood back. Turning his back to her, she started to hear the sound of his stream hitting the toilet water and she felt her face getting red. She turned back around and went into her room. She shut the door behind her and didn’t say a word to him. It was only a moment later he was knocking on her door.
“Boundaries. Give me a damn minute!”
Jesse smiled behind the door. He liked the sound of her voice, the way she seemed bothered. He couldn’t get her body out of his mind and he wanted to see what she looked like clothed. When she finally whipped the door open, he was smiling big back at her. “Good morning. You must be my new PR rep.”
Just like in the bathroom, he pushed through the door, not taking no for an answer to a question he never even asked.
“I am. Ashlea. And you must be the man-boy I have to keep in line before the settlement.”
He shook her hand as she offered it, pulling her to him. She didn’t respond, but to jerk her hand away. “You forgot the really strong and cute part of it too.”
She looked at him with clear blue eyes and a no nonsense look. Her eyes told him that she hadn’t, but she did not voice it. Ashlea had to remind herself that it would do no good and serve no purpose for them to fight.
“So would you like to get dressed so that we can get started, since you are up before noon?”
“Sure, but I’m not getting dressed and you will have to follow me to the kitchen. I’m starved.”
Ashlea pushed her hair back, wishing she had met him when she was more together. She assured herself that it was her lack of time that made her feel so frustrated in his presence. “Fine. I guess we might as well get used to this. I couldn’t find a schedule for you, so can you bring a copy with you?”
“I don’t have one. Cindy used to take care of it, but that didn’t work out. I am looking for another assistant.”
“I do PR, not schedule your STD check-ups, keep looking.”
“Are you always this rude in the morning?”
Ashlea bit her tongue to stop the rudeness that was dying to seep out. She didn’t want to be there and the fact that her whole life had been upended because of him, made her less inclined to want to be in his presence. “Well I need to know your schedule. We will need to spend the next few weeks together, all of it.”
“All of it?” His brown eyes twinkled and the look on his face became suggestive.
Ashlea made an aggravated sound in the back of her throat and started to walk out of the room. He was just as bad as he was in the videos and matches. Jesse was not a bad boy. He was quite simply an ass. It was a shame too she thought. He was so damn cute and had the body that could make a girl wet in seconds. Well not any girl, but most she assumed. But as soon as he opened his mouth, the over-confident swag ruined it. At least she wouldn’t have to worry about anything romantic with him. He wasn’t her type at all and though he was gorgeous to look at, Ashlea needed more than a pretty face to get her hot and bothered.
Jesse tried to push her to that state several times in the kitchen. His eyes held hers for moments and he brushed against her backside one too many times and she finally took a seat to save herself from his onslaught. It was more than she had anticipated.
“We need to get serious. Some of us at the firm think that you should do a couple of interviews to tell your side.”
“You really think it is wise to put my side out there. Wouldn’t that just give them evidence for leverage?”
Finally he moved to the other side of the table and no longer towering over her. She could sigh with the loss of his presence that was playing tricks on her psyche. “Well not your truth but the truth that needs to be said.” She paused, not sure how to broach such a sensitive subject. “You could say something about the emotional pain caused from the verdict, how you just kind of lost it for a minute.”
He stopped eating the pile of eggs on his plate and looked up at her. “I am not going to bring that up. He didn’t have a right to bring it up. If I wasn’t with the MMA, there would be no way someone would have that right to walk up to me and say it. Just because I have money, shouldn’t make me a target.”
It was not what she had expected him to say. She had expected some of the same cockiness from before, but mentioning the court case seemed to affect him more than she had thought it would. He really did care. “As true as that is Jesse. We have to get you out of the criminal charges and he is willing to drop them if you can come to an agreement. This is what is best for everyone. You know, I am just here for damage control, so the quicker this is resolved, the quicker I can go back home.”
“To your family?”
She was taken aback by his question. “No, um I have a cat.”
“Sounds intriguing.” His eyes roamed over her again and she crossed her arms over the breasts he seemed fixated on.
“It doesn’t matter. What matters is you play nice, act like you have some sense for a few weeks and we can all go on with our lives. You will still have the civil to worry about later, but that won’t be my worry. I just have to keep you out of trouble for now.”
“How old are you?”
Ashlea was exasperated. “Twenty-six, what does it matter?”
“Just wondering, you seem so much older. Is this how the week is going to be?”
She sighed and picked at her eggs. “We have a party later this evening and some shopping to do before that. That is the schedule. Tomorrow? I will let you know when I know.”
“Thank you. That is all I ask.”
Ashlea didn’t even look up for the breakfast and neither one said another word. There was a line drawn in the sand that each of them was toeing.