Chapter 3 - Secrets Exposed
by CameoLover93
WRITTEN BY CAMEOLOVER93
SECRETS EXPOSED
After having notified his unruly son that his new bodyguard would be arriving at any minute, Thomas suggested to Aiden that he clean himself up in order to look
Somewhat presentable for Julian McAndrew - the new roommate that Aiden hadn't been expecting and still didn't want. Rather than retort with an unnecessarily vulgar remark, much to everyone's surprise, Aiden agreed with Thomas.
He'd been binging out on alcohol and takeout for the last four days, so it wouldn't kill him to do at least one productive thing today by showering. He needed to wash away all the dirt, grime, and only God knows what else that's built up on his body ever since he went a little too wild with those feisty blondes over the weekend.
Come to think of it, maybe he needed more than just a shower. Perhaps a few shots of penicillin would be beneficial as well.
"Your ride is about to leave," Aiden mumbled to Kyle as he lingered behind while their parents headed towards the front door. "It's nothing personal, but I really don't want any company right now and I'm sure you've got other places to be."
"Yes, but I have to talk to you about something. It's important." Kyle followed in behind Aiden as he headed upstairs to his bedroom. "I just got a text--"
"If it's something business related, forget about it. I definitely don't want to hear it right now," Aiden grumbled. "With Thomas putting me in a fucking corner with this bodyguard shit for whom he had the audacity to make my roommate because I apparently don't have a say over anything in my damn life..." Aiden paused his ranting, took a deep breath in and then exhaled as he tried to calm himself down. "There's just not much more that I can take today before I completely snap."
"If you'd shut up for a second and let me talk then I'd be able to tell you that it's not business related. It's actually about your little blackmailer problem." Kyle sighed and then turned away in revulsion as Aiden began to strip out of his clothes to prep for a shower. "Can you please wait until I leave before you do all that?"
Aiden ignored him. "What about my problem? Was another package delivered to my office? Did you find something out about who's behind it?"
"No, no, it's none of that." Kyle shook his head. "While you and Thomas were going at it, I got a text from my friend, Karla. She works for Little Town Magazine. She tipped me off and told me that one of the writers there is about to publish a very lunsavory article about you. She told me that they received a tip from an anonymous source stating that you were a drug addict, a pill popper, to be exact."
Aiden scoffed, feeling apathetic towards the news. "How many times have we seen that story plastered on the front of some stupid magazine? About a dozen, I'll tell you. Little Town is nothing but a joke for trying to revive old news. That story is so played out."
"They have pictures, Aiden. Actual evidence this time." Kyle pulled out his phone to show Aiden the proof before he could ask for it. "It's you! There's no denying it. Not this time."
"Son of a bitch." Aiden frowned at the image. His face was as clear as day and the photo didn't look to be altered at all either. "I've never actually been caught in the act before. I don't...I can't remember any of this. That night, whenever it happened, it's all a blur to me now."
In the photo on Kyle's phone, women whose faces were blacked out had all been dressed in nothing but G-strings and nipple pasties as they hung all over Aiden like he was the President. His surroundings looked to be like that of some night club, possibly a strip joint. Aiden looked partially zoned out in the photo, but he was still conscious at the same time. He knew he was being photographed because he was looking directly at the camera with his tongue hanging out of his mouth as three tiny white pills rest on it.
"Of course it's all a blur. You were high as hell that night, obviously!" Kyle placed his phone back into his pocket. He knew that he'd have to be the one to fix this somehow, and he wasn't looking forward to the tedious work by any means. "Now I've got to go and do damage control."
"That picture could've been taken anywhere at any time," Aiden said, lost in thought. "As many strip joints that I've been to, narrowing them all down would be nothing but a waste of time and energy. And who even knows how old I was then. That could have been from years ago for all we know. I did a lot of crazy shit in my early twenties, I can't deny that."
"Well, it's too late to do anything about it now," Kyle informed him. "Little Town is publishing the article online in less than twenty minutes. I've tried reasoning with them, even bribing them but no amount of money will get them to pull the story. I'll have to get with the team after I leave here and write up some kind of a statement for the press because they're going to have a field day with this."
Feeling confused, enraged, and embarrassed, Aiden stumbled over to his bed to take a seat. He was a little bit too tipsy to deal with this unsettling news right now. Too much was happening today, he felt like he was drowning in all his problems. Not to mention that the argument with his father earlier had really taken a lot out of him.
"Do you think it's her?" Aiden asked Kyle. "The woman who's blackmailing me? You think she's behind this somehow?"
Kyle nodded. "It's not a coincidence that this tip came out right after you got some random threat from a person just a few days ago who also happens to be anonymous. The two events have to be tied together. This has to be the work of the same person."
"Whoever this crazy woman is, she has a lot of dirt on me, obviously. The real question is how much? What else could she possibly leak about me? What else is she holding back and waiting to release? Goddamn her!" Aiden yelled, doing what he did best whenever he neared his breaking point. "Little Town won't give us the number that the person with the tip called in from?"
Kyle shook his head. "They shut me down and said something about tipster's privacy, confidentiality, and junk. I looked it up. It's legit."
"Then you'll have to make them budge somehow, someway." Aiden glowered at Kyle. "Either you handle Little Town or I will. And you really don't want to see the havoc I'll wreck upon that piece of shit company if I have to go down there myself to handle this."
"Chill, Aiden. I'll get it done. Don't I always clean up behind you when shit like this happens?" Kyle snapped. It was during times like these for when he wished he could sling his quick-tempered friend across the room and knock some sense into him. "Look, I gotta go, so I'll catch you later. I'll keep you updated on what's going on."
"Yeah, you do that." Aiden rolled his eyes as Kyle left the room.
Aiden eventually found his way into the shower and it took almost everything in him to not break out and scream at the very top of his lungs. He didn't mean to be such an ass to one of the few people that had his back in all this, Kyle, but damn was it hard for him to keep his emotions under control, especially during tense situations.
Aiden had never been good at talking things out in a calm and sophisticated manner. When he reached his boiling point, he'd simply explode. He'd lash out at whoever was near. That's all he knew how to do, unfortunately. And with him, apologizing for his wrongs was rare.
I swear when I find this woman she'll wish that she had never fucked with me, Aiden thought to himself as hot water cascaded along his slender body. He tried his best to relax, but he couldn't seem to get his head clear from what all was going on around him. A distraction, that's what I need right now; a beautiful, sexy, distraction with long dark hair, chocolate colored eyes, and an hourglass body...
He grew hard at the image of the imaginary woman he created in his head. He couldn't help but laugh at how ironic this moment was for him. He was in the chaotic situation that he's in now because of a woman, yet here is fantasizing about being buried inside one.
About fifteen minutes go by and before Aiden's dirty little fantasy gets out of control, the doorbell rings. It had to be no one other than Julian McAndrew.
Thomas must have already told him the code to get past the front gate, the bastard...
As Aiden climbed out of the shower, he wrapped a towel around his waist and slicked his chestnut colored hair back as if that was somehow going to improve his look. He would've thrown on some clothes, but he didn't see a reason to given how over this day he felt. Besides, Aiden wasn't shy nor was he trying to make an impression on his new roomie. He spoke his mind and held nothing back. Aiden Grayson was blunt and forward, practically an open book.
And little did he know that Julian McAndrew would turn out to be exactly the same way.
"I can't believe that I actually agreed to this." Aiden sighed heavily as he walked downstairs to answer the door. Not knowing who was waiting for him on the other side, Aiden hesitantly opened the door and was pleasantly surprised at who his eyes landed on.
It was a muscular, and - he was secure enough to admit it – handsome man with bright brown eyes, a buzzcut, and somewhat enticing smile. Julian McAndrew stood tall, equaling Aiden's height at six feet, sporting a five o'clock shadow with an overall intimidating look.
He looked alert and if need be, ready for a fight, one that he'd most likely win. And flexing a little in his fitted black top, Aiden noticed just how ripped Julian was. One thing was for sure there and it was that he was far more muscular than Aiden would ever be. That realization alone made Aiden slightly uncomfortable in a way that he'd never felt before.
Meanwhile, Julian had been thinking that he could probably bench Aiden's weight if he really wanted too. He'd heard plenty things about the infamous Aiden Grayson but seeing him now face to face, Julian didn't get the vibe that his new boss was threatening or intimidating. In fact, he was simply...average, all in all. Aiden's lanky appearance made him wonder just what the hell all the hype was about when it came to all the women that were currently obsessing over him.
"I'm Julian McAndrew." Julian smiled brightly, showing off his flawless pearly whites. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Grayson. Your father has told me so much about you that I feel like I know you so well already. And I hope you don't mind, but I saw that your mailbox was overflowing, so I went ahead and emptied it for you."
Julian tried to pass Aiden the stack of mail that he was holding, but Aiden was momentarily caught off guard and couldn't move. For the life of him, he couldn't figure out why he felt the way that he felt right now - confused and maybe even a little emasculated - but Julian could tell that he was having some kind of effect on his semi-attractive boss. He didn't make it known, though. He didn't want to make the poor guy any more uncomfortable than what he already seemed to be.
"Are you all right, Mr. Grayson?" Julian asked. "You don't look so well."
"Uh, yeah, I'm fine. Just a little drunk, is all." Aiden laughed nervously as he finally reached out and took his mail. The men brushed hands in the process, making Aiden's pulse race unexpectedly. "So, I guess you can come inside if you want, or whatever."
"Sure, yeah. I'll just need to get some of my things from the car first." Julian smiled as Aiden shrugged his shoulders at him in response, turning swiftly to disappear into the house, having left the front door wide open.
This should be interesting, Julian thought to himself, laughing quietly as he walked back to his car while wondering just what in the hell it was that he had gotten himself into.
Watch out for part 4.. Thank you
by CameoLover93
WRITTEN BY CAMEOLOVER93
SECRETS EXPOSED
After having notified his unruly son that his new bodyguard would be arriving at any minute, Thomas suggested to Aiden that he clean himself up in order to look
Somewhat presentable for Julian McAndrew - the new roommate that Aiden hadn't been expecting and still didn't want. Rather than retort with an unnecessarily vulgar remark, much to everyone's surprise, Aiden agreed with Thomas.
He'd been binging out on alcohol and takeout for the last four days, so it wouldn't kill him to do at least one productive thing today by showering. He needed to wash away all the dirt, grime, and only God knows what else that's built up on his body ever since he went a little too wild with those feisty blondes over the weekend.
Come to think of it, maybe he needed more than just a shower. Perhaps a few shots of penicillin would be beneficial as well.
"Your ride is about to leave," Aiden mumbled to Kyle as he lingered behind while their parents headed towards the front door. "It's nothing personal, but I really don't want any company right now and I'm sure you've got other places to be."
"Yes, but I have to talk to you about something. It's important." Kyle followed in behind Aiden as he headed upstairs to his bedroom. "I just got a text--"
"If it's something business related, forget about it. I definitely don't want to hear it right now," Aiden grumbled. "With Thomas putting me in a fucking corner with this bodyguard shit for whom he had the audacity to make my roommate because I apparently don't have a say over anything in my damn life..." Aiden paused his ranting, took a deep breath in and then exhaled as he tried to calm himself down. "There's just not much more that I can take today before I completely snap."
"If you'd shut up for a second and let me talk then I'd be able to tell you that it's not business related. It's actually about your little blackmailer problem." Kyle sighed and then turned away in revulsion as Aiden began to strip out of his clothes to prep for a shower. "Can you please wait until I leave before you do all that?"
Aiden ignored him. "What about my problem? Was another package delivered to my office? Did you find something out about who's behind it?"
"No, no, it's none of that." Kyle shook his head. "While you and Thomas were going at it, I got a text from my friend, Karla. She works for Little Town Magazine. She tipped me off and told me that one of the writers there is about to publish a very lunsavory article about you. She told me that they received a tip from an anonymous source stating that you were a drug addict, a pill popper, to be exact."
Aiden scoffed, feeling apathetic towards the news. "How many times have we seen that story plastered on the front of some stupid magazine? About a dozen, I'll tell you. Little Town is nothing but a joke for trying to revive old news. That story is so played out."
"They have pictures, Aiden. Actual evidence this time." Kyle pulled out his phone to show Aiden the proof before he could ask for it. "It's you! There's no denying it. Not this time."
"Son of a bitch." Aiden frowned at the image. His face was as clear as day and the photo didn't look to be altered at all either. "I've never actually been caught in the act before. I don't...I can't remember any of this. That night, whenever it happened, it's all a blur to me now."
In the photo on Kyle's phone, women whose faces were blacked out had all been dressed in nothing but G-strings and nipple pasties as they hung all over Aiden like he was the President. His surroundings looked to be like that of some night club, possibly a strip joint. Aiden looked partially zoned out in the photo, but he was still conscious at the same time. He knew he was being photographed because he was looking directly at the camera with his tongue hanging out of his mouth as three tiny white pills rest on it.
"Of course it's all a blur. You were high as hell that night, obviously!" Kyle placed his phone back into his pocket. He knew that he'd have to be the one to fix this somehow, and he wasn't looking forward to the tedious work by any means. "Now I've got to go and do damage control."
"That picture could've been taken anywhere at any time," Aiden said, lost in thought. "As many strip joints that I've been to, narrowing them all down would be nothing but a waste of time and energy. And who even knows how old I was then. That could have been from years ago for all we know. I did a lot of crazy shit in my early twenties, I can't deny that."
"Well, it's too late to do anything about it now," Kyle informed him. "Little Town is publishing the article online in less than twenty minutes. I've tried reasoning with them, even bribing them but no amount of money will get them to pull the story. I'll have to get with the team after I leave here and write up some kind of a statement for the press because they're going to have a field day with this."
Feeling confused, enraged, and embarrassed, Aiden stumbled over to his bed to take a seat. He was a little bit too tipsy to deal with this unsettling news right now. Too much was happening today, he felt like he was drowning in all his problems. Not to mention that the argument with his father earlier had really taken a lot out of him.
"Do you think it's her?" Aiden asked Kyle. "The woman who's blackmailing me? You think she's behind this somehow?"
Kyle nodded. "It's not a coincidence that this tip came out right after you got some random threat from a person just a few days ago who also happens to be anonymous. The two events have to be tied together. This has to be the work of the same person."
"Whoever this crazy woman is, she has a lot of dirt on me, obviously. The real question is how much? What else could she possibly leak about me? What else is she holding back and waiting to release? Goddamn her!" Aiden yelled, doing what he did best whenever he neared his breaking point. "Little Town won't give us the number that the person with the tip called in from?"
Kyle shook his head. "They shut me down and said something about tipster's privacy, confidentiality, and junk. I looked it up. It's legit."
"Then you'll have to make them budge somehow, someway." Aiden glowered at Kyle. "Either you handle Little Town or I will. And you really don't want to see the havoc I'll wreck upon that piece of shit company if I have to go down there myself to handle this."
"Chill, Aiden. I'll get it done. Don't I always clean up behind you when shit like this happens?" Kyle snapped. It was during times like these for when he wished he could sling his quick-tempered friend across the room and knock some sense into him. "Look, I gotta go, so I'll catch you later. I'll keep you updated on what's going on."
"Yeah, you do that." Aiden rolled his eyes as Kyle left the room.
Aiden eventually found his way into the shower and it took almost everything in him to not break out and scream at the very top of his lungs. He didn't mean to be such an ass to one of the few people that had his back in all this, Kyle, but damn was it hard for him to keep his emotions under control, especially during tense situations.
Aiden had never been good at talking things out in a calm and sophisticated manner. When he reached his boiling point, he'd simply explode. He'd lash out at whoever was near. That's all he knew how to do, unfortunately. And with him, apologizing for his wrongs was rare.
I swear when I find this woman she'll wish that she had never fucked with me, Aiden thought to himself as hot water cascaded along his slender body. He tried his best to relax, but he couldn't seem to get his head clear from what all was going on around him. A distraction, that's what I need right now; a beautiful, sexy, distraction with long dark hair, chocolate colored eyes, and an hourglass body...
He grew hard at the image of the imaginary woman he created in his head. He couldn't help but laugh at how ironic this moment was for him. He was in the chaotic situation that he's in now because of a woman, yet here is fantasizing about being buried inside one.
About fifteen minutes go by and before Aiden's dirty little fantasy gets out of control, the doorbell rings. It had to be no one other than Julian McAndrew.
Thomas must have already told him the code to get past the front gate, the bastard...
As Aiden climbed out of the shower, he wrapped a towel around his waist and slicked his chestnut colored hair back as if that was somehow going to improve his look. He would've thrown on some clothes, but he didn't see a reason to given how over this day he felt. Besides, Aiden wasn't shy nor was he trying to make an impression on his new roomie. He spoke his mind and held nothing back. Aiden Grayson was blunt and forward, practically an open book.
And little did he know that Julian McAndrew would turn out to be exactly the same way.
"I can't believe that I actually agreed to this." Aiden sighed heavily as he walked downstairs to answer the door. Not knowing who was waiting for him on the other side, Aiden hesitantly opened the door and was pleasantly surprised at who his eyes landed on.
It was a muscular, and - he was secure enough to admit it – handsome man with bright brown eyes, a buzzcut, and somewhat enticing smile. Julian McAndrew stood tall, equaling Aiden's height at six feet, sporting a five o'clock shadow with an overall intimidating look.
He looked alert and if need be, ready for a fight, one that he'd most likely win. And flexing a little in his fitted black top, Aiden noticed just how ripped Julian was. One thing was for sure there and it was that he was far more muscular than Aiden would ever be. That realization alone made Aiden slightly uncomfortable in a way that he'd never felt before.
Meanwhile, Julian had been thinking that he could probably bench Aiden's weight if he really wanted too. He'd heard plenty things about the infamous Aiden Grayson but seeing him now face to face, Julian didn't get the vibe that his new boss was threatening or intimidating. In fact, he was simply...average, all in all. Aiden's lanky appearance made him wonder just what the hell all the hype was about when it came to all the women that were currently obsessing over him.
"I'm Julian McAndrew." Julian smiled brightly, showing off his flawless pearly whites. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Grayson. Your father has told me so much about you that I feel like I know you so well already. And I hope you don't mind, but I saw that your mailbox was overflowing, so I went ahead and emptied it for you."
Julian tried to pass Aiden the stack of mail that he was holding, but Aiden was momentarily caught off guard and couldn't move. For the life of him, he couldn't figure out why he felt the way that he felt right now - confused and maybe even a little emasculated - but Julian could tell that he was having some kind of effect on his semi-attractive boss. He didn't make it known, though. He didn't want to make the poor guy any more uncomfortable than what he already seemed to be.
"Are you all right, Mr. Grayson?" Julian asked. "You don't look so well."
"Uh, yeah, I'm fine. Just a little drunk, is all." Aiden laughed nervously as he finally reached out and took his mail. The men brushed hands in the process, making Aiden's pulse race unexpectedly. "So, I guess you can come inside if you want, or whatever."
"Sure, yeah. I'll just need to get some of my things from the car first." Julian smiled as Aiden shrugged his shoulders at him in response, turning swiftly to disappear into the house, having left the front door wide open.
This should be interesting, Julian thought to himself, laughing quietly as he walked back to his car while wondering just what in the hell it was that he had gotten himself into.
Watch out for part 4.. Thank you
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