was fully expecting me to blow this thing. Everything was being held in the balance. My future as a singer, if that was even going to happen, but even more importantly, Chase’s reputation.
Chase was set to meet me out at the lake early that morning. I brought coffee with me and had planned to tell him what Leann had in mind. I thought he was going to blow his lid.
The morning mist had settled over the lake. A flock of birds broke from a cluster of trees as I arrived. This time he was the first one there. He was looking out, and had brought along his guitar which seemed a little unusual.
I made my way down to the dock and handed him a coffee. Setting it down he took a moment to hold me and kiss me. I could get used to this. A part of me wondered what it would be like to have him living in Lakeside. It wasn’t like he couldn’t still travel the world, and play his music. But this could be his home, away from the cameras and lights.
I envisioned owning a stone home up on the side of the hill overlooking the lake. The smell of baked goods cooking, and mornings out on the porch with him. I knew it was just a fantasy. Life could never be perfect. But I liked the idea of shaping the future with him in it. Who knows? Maybe if he lived here, the town would grow in size as people would come to know it as the home of Chase Bryan.
I snorted.
“What?”
“Oh nothing, just dreaming.”
“So what did she say?”
Chase sat listening intently, waiting for me to finish going over what Leann was hoping I would do.
“Little bitch.”
“You can’t blame her. She probably grew up never having to work for what she wanted. Daddy probably bought it for her. Now the only way she can attempt to control the competition is through blackmail. “
“Still, it’s a dirty move. I have little respect for folks who stoop that low.”
“Well, that’s what she wants.”
“Me gone, or both of us gone. Seems pretty obvious what would make sense.”
“Yeah, but you’re not going to pull out. I will have her head on a plate rather than see you walk away from this.”
“Let’s not forget you wanted me to walk away at one point.”
“I know, but I was being selfish. I wanted you. I mean, to be with you.”
I nursed my coffee, taking a sip. A warm band of sunshine bathed us and was beginning to chase away the mist that had been on the lake all night.
“Spike is going to help us.”
“What?”
“No, believe me. He’s good with things like this.”
“What? Does he deal with psychos on a daily basis?”
“You should see some of our customers.”
He chuckled.
“The way I see it, she only has one copy. I don’t imagine she’s had the good sense to back it up. Now I might be wrong there. She could have placed it on the cloud, sent it to one of her computers. Who knows? Even emailed it. But for now we have to get rid of the one that is on the phone. We’ll deal with what we can control and the rest we’ll figure out from there based on what she does next.”
“But she’s expecting you to bail tonight.”
“I know.”
“She’s not going to let that phone out of her sight. And no doubt she’ll have a passcode on it.”
“Of course. It doesn’t matter. Spike is a whiz at getting past the passcodes on phones. He uses a magnet.”
“What, is he Ethan Hunt from Mission Impossible ?”
I laughed.
“No, just Spike. Though he has changed his look.”
Chase shook his head. “Well, best of luck to you. I still think there is an easier way to go at this. I will just have her kicked off the show. Come up with some way to have her eliminated.”
“But that isn’t going to change the fact that she has that video. She would release it and you would then be screwed.”
“How the hell do I ever end up situations like this?”
I pointed between his legs.
“Thanks. You’re saying I think with my dick?”
“Don’t all men?”
We spent the next half an hour enjoying each other’s company. So much had changed
Chase was set to meet me out at the lake early that morning. I brought coffee with me and had planned to tell him what Leann had in mind. I thought he was going to blow his lid.
The morning mist had settled over the lake. A flock of birds broke from a cluster of trees as I arrived. This time he was the first one there. He was looking out, and had brought along his guitar which seemed a little unusual.
I made my way down to the dock and handed him a coffee. Setting it down he took a moment to hold me and kiss me. I could get used to this. A part of me wondered what it would be like to have him living in Lakeside. It wasn’t like he couldn’t still travel the world, and play his music. But this could be his home, away from the cameras and lights.
I envisioned owning a stone home up on the side of the hill overlooking the lake. The smell of baked goods cooking, and mornings out on the porch with him. I knew it was just a fantasy. Life could never be perfect. But I liked the idea of shaping the future with him in it. Who knows? Maybe if he lived here, the town would grow in size as people would come to know it as the home of Chase Bryan.
I snorted.
“What?”
“Oh nothing, just dreaming.”
“So what did she say?”
Chase sat listening intently, waiting for me to finish going over what Leann was hoping I would do.
“Little bitch.”
“You can’t blame her. She probably grew up never having to work for what she wanted. Daddy probably bought it for her. Now the only way she can attempt to control the competition is through blackmail. “
“Still, it’s a dirty move. I have little respect for folks who stoop that low.”
“Well, that’s what she wants.”
“Me gone, or both of us gone. Seems pretty obvious what would make sense.”
“Yeah, but you’re not going to pull out. I will have her head on a plate rather than see you walk away from this.”
“Let’s not forget you wanted me to walk away at one point.”
“I know, but I was being selfish. I wanted you. I mean, to be with you.”
I nursed my coffee, taking a sip. A warm band of sunshine bathed us and was beginning to chase away the mist that had been on the lake all night.
“Spike is going to help us.”
“What?”
“No, believe me. He’s good with things like this.”
“What? Does he deal with psychos on a daily basis?”
“You should see some of our customers.”
He chuckled.
“The way I see it, she only has one copy. I don’t imagine she’s had the good sense to back it up. Now I might be wrong there. She could have placed it on the cloud, sent it to one of her computers. Who knows? Even emailed it. But for now we have to get rid of the one that is on the phone. We’ll deal with what we can control and the rest we’ll figure out from there based on what she does next.”
“But she’s expecting you to bail tonight.”
“I know.”
“She’s not going to let that phone out of her sight. And no doubt she’ll have a passcode on it.”
“Of course. It doesn’t matter. Spike is a whiz at getting past the passcodes on phones. He uses a magnet.”
“What, is he Ethan Hunt from Mission Impossible ?”
I laughed.
“No, just Spike. Though he has changed his look.”
Chase shook his head. “Well, best of luck to you. I still think there is an easier way to go at this. I will just have her kicked off the show. Come up with some way to have her eliminated.”
“But that isn’t going to change the fact that she has that video. She would release it and you would then be screwed.”
“How the hell do I ever end up situations like this?”
I pointed between his legs.
“Thanks. You’re saying I think with my dick?”
“Don’t all men?”
We spent the next half an hour enjoying each other’s company. So much had changed
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