You Better, You Bet
I sit down in the studio in my basement with Trace and Marty, listening to a few chords of a song that could possibly be put on the next album. Marty laughs, “I can’t believe you asked her to cheat on her boyfriend with you. Again.”
I lean back, tossing a foam ball into the air, “I didn’t ask her to the first time, it just happened and I’m not done with her yet.”
“What do you plan on doing now? Going to her house and begging her to do you?”
“Don’t be stupid,” I reply, tossing the ball through the mini hoop hanging on the wall.
“So what’s the plan?”
“The plan is I am going to do whatever I have to get Scott Fisher back for everything he’s ever done to me and his girlfriend.”
Trace starts to laugh, “And you’re going to go through Paige to do that? Yeah, I totally don’t see that blowing up in your face.”
“You underestimate my ability to get my own way,” I counter, putting my hands behind my head.
Trace taps his fingers to the beat on the arm of his chair, “So tell me this master plan.”
“I’m going to screw her.”
“How will that help? She’s dumped Scott by now, she probably broke his heart to pieces already. Poor fucker,” he laughs.
“Yes it does. Just because they’re broken up doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt to watch your ex get screwed by a guy you hate. And what could be better than breaking her heart after you tell a girl you only slept with her because you wanted to get her and her ex back?”
Marty smiles, “So how are you going to do it wise ass?”
All I have to do is bump into her a few times.”
“Ah, because it’s only New York. You’re bound to bump into her at all kinds of place like the grocery store or the post office. God I love small areas like this.”
“I will run into her because I probably have thousands of times without knowing it.”
Trace laughs, “You think so Sherlock?”
“I know so. Paige has worked with UCS for the past five years, which in turn means that every party in New York I have attended in the past five years she has been there. She’s the main writer over there. And by deduction, I can now look for her. I just need a little more time with her and I’m golden.”
“That’s your master plan?”
“That’s the master plan.”
Trace kicks his feet up, “And when do you plan on seeing her?”
“Tonight actually.”
He raises his eyebrows, “How?”
“That party tonight in the city for Jive’s award from the Billboard Charts for best selling record company. Everybody will be there, including the media.”
“Those people are kept away from us, how do you plan on getting her through?”
“I left instructions at the door to let her into the VIP room. She won’t know who put her on the list and I can conveniently run into her.”
Marty nods his head, “I’ll hand it to you, if you can pull this off you will be the master. But considering your chances I would bet against you.”
I turn to him, “How much?”
“What?”
“How much would you wager on this bet?”
He turns to me and smiles, “You get Paige to have an ongoing fling with you and I’ll set you up with my ex.”
My interest is peaked, “But what if I lose?”
“Than that pretty Jag in the driveway is mine. You have one month to seduce Paige Jenkins and rub it in both their faces or I win.”
“You guys, do you really thing this is a good idea?” Trace asks concerned.
I ignore Trace and put my hand out, “You’re on.”
________________________________________________________________________
My leg bounces up and down on the floor quietly as Scott sits there and gives a speech to all the staff members before a big event. The whole, get in there, get in their face, get the shit and get out. I watch as his eyes avoid mine at every turn of his head as well as Trish.
She hasn’t said anything to me since I walked in on the two of them and I have put her on my “Whore List.” I mean I have worked with Trish for the past two years. We have shared countless drinks and complaints over each other’s significant partner at the time. I have never ever worried about leaving the two of them together because I trusted her. Now I’m plotting her death.
“So as usual, you guys will be teamed up and go to the party. I need to people to cover the front, two photographers outside to snap photos and of course, two to cover the inside. Now, I will take my best writer in where all the celebrities will be.”
Everyone nods their head in agreement, knowing that I always get the inside job. The only question is, who will be my co-captain.
Scott gives everyone a smile, “Paige will of course be inside, now we just need someone to join her. Since so many of you want in on it, I have delegated it to Marie, our co-president to decide who is worthy enough of the big time.”
We all clap as Marie stands up, “Thanks guys. As you know, we are having one of our best years thanks in great part to Paige, who is willing to hunt down anyone to get her story and picture.”
My cheeks burn as I feel someone pat me in the back. The last thing I want right now is any attention drawn to me. I’m liable to shout things out like, oh I don’t know, Scott slept with that slut once named Trish. Random things like that, “I’ve looked over articles that have generated the most buzz worthy gossip,” Marie continues, “and the person who will be joining Paige tonight will be Trish Romans.”
I close my eyes and try to drown out the clapping once again. I slowly squint and see Scott as white as newly fallen snow before I look at Trish, whose eye divert from looking over in my direction. This could not get any worse.
I plaster a smile on my face and go over to Scott, grabbing my by his arm and dragging him over to the side, “What did you do?”
“I didn’t know she was going to pick Trish. Do you think I would have done this for my own amusement? I’m still trying to get the feeling back into my testicles.”
“Just tell her to meet me there. I am not going to ride in the car with her, I might send it off a cliff,” I say, pushing away from him.
“You want me to talk to her?”
“Well you slept with her, I would assume you could do other things with your mouth,” I hiss quietly.
________________________________________________________________________
I pull up to the party and toss my keys to some young kid who’s going to get behind the wheel of my new car and park it. I considered parking it myself and walking but these shoes I’m wearing does not allow for much in the way of moving other than on the dance floor. Walking along the bumpy sidewalk and gaining blisters before I even get inside is not a good idea.
I brush off the insecurities about the car and wait for someone to let me in, winking at Mark and Dustin who are filming everyone who enters and exits the building. That’s the nice thing about this place, no back door. There is no where to run.
Someone clears their throat behind me and I turn around to see Trish standing there, staring at her feet while fidgeting. It takes everything in me to remain calm, “Here are the rules, stay away from me and I won’t kill you.”
“When are we going to talk about this?”
“When hell freezes over, you bitch.”
Trish stands back and I cock my head to the smile, “Kay.”
“Name?”
I turn back around to the overly preoccupied guard at the door, “Paige Jenkins.”
“And Trish Romans,” she pipes up in the back. I have the urge to kick her with my heels, hoping maybe I hit something vital. It’s too bad nothing hangs like it does for guys, I might actually have a better chance when sending my leg backwards into her.
The man looks over his list and point to Trish, “You are in the front. And you,” he says pointing at me with his permanent marker, “you are in the VIP lounge.”
I stop searching in my purse for my lipstick and look up, “Are you sure?”
He gives me a pissed off look, “Is you’re name Paige Jenkins?”
“Yes….”
“Then you are in the VIP lounge. If you prefer you can wait outside until you can make up your mind,” he says, ignoring me.
“I’ll take it,” I say, taking my pass and wiggling my fingers at Trish.
I pick up a drink from the waiter going around and down it, heading to the VIP room. I sit down on the couch and watch Trish flirt with the guys in front. I grow angrier by the second. What I used to view as bravery that she could go up to any guy she wanted and bag them has now become my worst enemy.
One of the servers comes around again and I place my empty glass on his tray and pick up a new one. I take a very long sip, forgetting my assignment.
“I wouldn’t drink that one as quickly as the other. I’ll end up carrying you out of this place.”
I look up to see none other than Justin Timberlake standing over me. I roll my eyes, “Whatever. What do you want?”
“Something wrong with New York’s princess?”
I pick up the jumbo shrimp on my napkin that was placed next to me during one of the waiter’s run, “What kind of name is that?”
He shrugs and sits down next to me in one slick move, “The kind that fits you perfectly.”
“Oh yeah, how so?” I ask, leaning in to be able to hear him over the music pounding in the background.
“Because you’re perfect on the outside. Long blonde hair, perfect body that you spend hours on in the gym, nail done to perfection. What else would someone conclude?”
“How original. You know, there is more to me than what I look like,” I snip, going back to my drink.
He sits back and smiles, “So what is the matter with you?”
“Nothing,” I mumble.
“Come on, you felt comfortable telling me your boyfriend cheated on you with you’re coworker but you won’t tell me what’s wrong? Talk about a walking contradiction.”
“I told you that stuff because I was drunk and I thought I would never see you again. Well, I would see you, you would never remember me.”
“I’ll always remember you,” he purrs.
I laugh, “Do you have any idea how many times we’ve seen each other?”
He frowns, confused, “No.”
“Hundreds of times. And each time, you never noticed me. You even hit me once and you still don’t recognize my face.”
Justin sits up, “I hit you?”
“Accidentally.”
“Where?” he asks, leaning in as well.
“In the city. I got behind you and you elbowed me in the face.”
He reaches out and rubs the side of my face, “Sorry about that one.”
I pull back and take a deep breath, “It’s fine. No pain no gain.”
“Right, you need that dirt.”
I scowl, “I just want the truth.”
I move the glass to my lips once again but he takes it away, “Look at it this way, you tell me why you’re drinking like a fish and I’ll stop bugging you. Besides, what does it matter if I know? I won’t tell anyone,” he whispers.
My eyes go over to Trish, gossiping with some C list celebrity and I can't control my feelings towards dishing her dirt, “See that girl there?” I ask, pointing to her.
“Yeah, who is she?”
“She’s the slut.”
“She’s the girl who screwed your ex?”
“He’s not my ex.”
Justin snaps back to me, staring, “You didn’t break up with him?”
“Of course not, we’re the power couple. Don’t you read?”
He hands me back my glass, “Drink up.”
________________________________________________________________________
I watch as she mumbles something about the girl as she sways from side to side. I hang on to her steadily as I lead her over to my car, “Alright, in we go. Don’t throw up in the car.”
She laughs as I shut the door and get my keys back. Okay, maybe it wasn’t a smart move getting her drunk but it was the only thing I could think of. I hop in the car and watch as her head hits the window, eyes closing slowly.
“Paige, which way to your house?”
She can barely keep her eyes open, “I don’t remember.”
I sit in the car for a moment before deciding what to do, “Alright then, we’ll go to my place.”
4