Page 8 of Need to Know

We were both silent for a suspended moment where our eyes met and fixed. I felt his all-consuming look down deep in my balls. “So, eh, what happened?”

“Turns out Killian had a substance abuse problem that I hadn’t known about. That’s the thing about drug addicts…some of them are skilled liars and can hide their habit really fucking well. I wouldn’t have touched him with a shitty stick if I’d known he had a habit. I even told him on our first date that drug use was a total deal breaker for me.”

I’d heard Jack’s anti-drug views before and I respected him for it. There’s so much substance abuse in our industry and it was easy to get sucked in. I’d even dabbled in my early twenties but that lifestyle wasn’t for me. Luckily, I got out of it unscathed, unlike so many young, pretty men and women looking to get a break in Hollywood.

“Apparently Killian owed money to his dealer and couldn’t make enough by legal means to cover his debt. But it doesn’t matter now. I’m so over him,” Jack said with finality.

“He never deserved you. Rise and shine, gurl!” I snapped my fingers with dramatic flair, making Jack laugh. “Back-atcha, sista!” he replied. Jack’s laughter was infectious and made me forget my woes for a moment...just a moment.

“So, um…what are you going to do when you get home to New York?” Jack asked haltingly.

“Get tested for starters,” I said grimly.

“Oh, man, that’s brutal. But you’re right.”

“I suppose I’ll have to turn my phone on to find out if there’s even a home worth going back to!”

”No time like the present,” he encouraged gently.

I slumped back and frustratedly fisted my hands in my damp hair. “Ugh, this sounds so dumb…but…I’m fucking terrified of turning my phone back on,” I sighed pathetically.

“Oh babe,” Jack sighed, “Been there. Sometimes I just want to yeet my phone into the sea,” he said wanly. “You know I keep mine in the hotel room safe when I’m on junkets or I’d be rage posting on social media about all of the injustice in the world.”

“Amen!” I pulled the phone out of my hoodie pocket and slid it across the breakfast table. “Could you, eh…do the honours?” I asked sheepishly.

Jack picked up the device, and pressed the button on the side to turn it on. It shuddered to life in his hand and I leaned across to press my fingertip to the biometric reader on the back. Within a minute the expected gunfire of notifications sounded and I winced. Jack jumped in his seat with the shock of it. “Fuuuck!” he exclaimed, then with a few flicks of his finger against the screen he said,

“Oh-kay, one thing’s for certain, you’ve got a lot of people worried about you, babe.” I knew he was right. I was grateful to have a small band of wonderful friends and family. It also hadn’t escaped my notice that he’d called me babe a few times, and I kinda liked it.

“Is there eh…anything from Erik?”

Jack scrolled the calls and messages then frowned and shook his head. Shit. Insistent knocking on the suite door made our gazes collide and hold for longer than strictly necessary.

“The jig is up my friend!” Jack said as he passed the phone back to me, stood, and sauntered through the lounge. It wasn’t my imagination. There was definitely heat in the moment we’d just shared. Hungrily, I watched Jack walk away, appreciating how the loose fabric of the wide-legged trousers draped over the globes of his stunning ass, his hips swaying gracefully with each step. From where I sat, I could see through to the lounge and hallway as Jack opened the hotel room door. I couldn’t miss the nasal screech from my agent. Jack held up a calming hand and succinctly he said,

“Good morning Roz. No, there is no need to call security to break down Nate’s door. He’s fine; we’re having breakfast on my balcony.” At that, Roz barged in, followed by Benji.

“Um, come in?” Jack said deadpan.

My agent marched through the lounge and began berating me, “Don’t you dare scare me like that again, Nate Linden. I was so worried. Is your phone on the fritz? I called you so many times…I’d thought you’d self-harmed or something after—”

My hackles rose and I clenched my jaw, pissed-off that Roz could even think I was so emotionally fragile that I’d self-harm because I’d been betrayed by that spineless asshole…what the fuck? I thought she knew me better than that!

“I switch my phone off last night and forgot to put it back on, sorry,” I placated calmly, but I wasn’t sorry at all.

“We’ve got a busy day, the just tuxedos arrived,” Roz informed before Jack’s press agent Benji chipped in.

“The team from Vogue will be here at eleven to set up in the ballroom,” he drawled.

“Who’s the photographer?” I asked.

“Some bloke called Max Erdmann,” Benji shrugged while scrolling on his phone. “Never heard of him,” he added, sounding bored.

“What? Dude, he’s not just some bloke, Erdmann’s an award-winning fashion photographer, I love his work,” I gasped in surprise. The fact Erdmann was photographing us was amazing as he was known to be very selective about his gigs.

“Did you hear? We’ve got the cover and a center spread of the September European edition,” Jack called to me. This day was getting better and better! I rose and walked into the lounge to join the others. Roz then added,

“I got the fitness center closed to other residents from nine am to ten for exclusive use by our team. I booked the wellness center for ten-thirty, so you’ll both have a full-body massage. We’ll go down to the ballroom for the Vogue shoot at twelve and leave for the première at six.”