His Hired Mistress: A BWWM Billionaire Romance (2 page)

“How? She’s lying saying I raped her,” Marco explained.

“Has she gone to the police?” Jamie asked.

“No,” he said as his chest practically vibrated in an attempt not to have another bout of tears.

“What exactly did she say over the phone?”

“I didn’t talk to her; she left a voicemail. She was trying to call me but I didn’t answer. I had already had my fun, you know? I never planned on seeing her again. She was just a groupie bitch and the lay wasn’t even that good so I didn’t have much interest,” Marco explained.

“Ugh, why do you men keep bothering with these ratchet hoes? Don’t you want a challenge? You know what? Never mind. Play me the voicemail.” She didn’t like being judgmental towards her clients, but at what point would they learn? How long would it take for them to see that certain women were trouble? However, if they ever caught on, she would be out of the job.

Marco picked his phone up from the white leather ottoman. He looked for the voicemail and put it on speaker. Jamie closed her eyes as she listened to the woman’s voice.

“Hey Marco, this is Alana. I know that you’ve been avoiding my calls. You couldn’t even be man enough to face what you’ve done. I have called to let you know that you’re not going to get away with what you did to me. You can’t go around treating women this way. You… you raped me. The world is going to know what you did. I’m going to go to the police and your life is going to be worse than Kobe’s. You’re not going to get a championship from behind bars. I’m not going to stop until everything you have is gone. You had no right to treat me like this!”

Jamie sighed when he put the phone back down. The woman sounded more pissed than hurt. She knew just how to handle it. “You’re going to give me another hundred thousand dollars for dealing with this.”

Marco nodded quickly, “Anything. I’ll give you anything, just make it go away.”

“Clean yourself up. Go to practice before you get suspended. If you get fired then you mess with my money and I can’t have that.”

He laughed, “Yes ma’am.”

“Really? I’m ma’am now? Damn, thirty-two isn’t old.”

“I know you’re not old. Nothing about you says old. You look really good,” he grinned.

“See, that’s what got your young ass into these problems in the first place. Keep it in your pants; stop sleeping with randoms or at least stick with women that have references. If you’re gonna date hoes, then date real ones. Pay them in the beginning, but only in expensive gifts, and then you won’t have these problems. Geesh. You think she just wanted to sleep with you for nothing? You thought that letting her screw you in a VIP suite was going to be enough? No sir, women like that want funds,” Jamie informed him as she prepared her things to leave. “Write down her number for me.”

“I’m not about to pay a chick for sex, I don’t get down like that. I can get a woman to sleep with me for free. Why would I pay for it?” Marco asked.

“So that you won’t have situations like this,” she said plainly. “You’re a mark. Women see you and they see dollar signs. The fact that you’re a basketball player is appealing because you have money and because you can give them access to a life that they’ve been shut out of.”

“Man, fuck all of that,” he said. “If I’m gonna pay for some shit then I might as well get a girlfriend.”

“Now you get it,” Jamie smiled. “Either way, you’re gonna pay. Either you can pay slowly over time with a girlfriend or you can just pay a hoe upfront, your choice.”

“Damn Jamie, you’re wild,” Marco laughed. “I texted you the phone number. I swear, you sound like my uncles and the other men I grew up around.”

“Men can give pretty fucked up advice, but in this case, they’re right. You need to listen so that you don’t ever find yourself in this situation again. The next time you may not be so lucky. The next time you might encounter someone that’s out for blood,” Jamie warned him. “Now, get ready for practice and get the hell out of here.”

“Yes ma’am… I mean... Okay.”

She grabbed her belongings and made her way out of his home. That was one good thing that she had to say about him—he was fiscally responsible. He could’ve gotten a crazy big house, he was the number one draft pick the year that he started professional basketball, now he was twenty-five and still living a pretty modest life. His house wasn’t small, but it wasn’t the kind of home that you would see on MTV Cribs. It reminded her of the kind of house you would expect a doctor at the top of his field to live in.

When she emerged from the house, Perry exited the SUV and opened her door for her. “Thank you. Let’s sit here for a moment while I make a phone call. After I’m off the phone, I’ll let you know where we’re going.”

“You got it,” he said before he closed her door and returned to the driver’s seat.

Jamie knew just what to do.

***

Everything was in place. Jamie sat in the private room of Maudee’s Cafe and Tea room, with her sat one of the lawyers from her PR firm. They were accustomed to dealing with tramps like the one that they were waiting for. There was no question in Jamie’s mind that Marco was telling the truth, but that didn’t mean that they were going to play hardball over it. She was going to pay the girl and have her sign a document that ensured her silence.

Charles looked at his watch, “She’s late. Are you sure she’s coming?”

“She’s only two minutes late, have some patience,” Jamie said in amusement.

“You know that I lack tremendously in that area. Just for that, we could knock ten thousand dollars off of the offer,” the lawyer grinned deviously.

“I actually like that idea. It would be nice to make her sweat a little.”

Soon, a pretty average looking white girl with a basic Louis Vuitton bag came into the room. She wore jeans, a crop top and platform heels. Her dark black hair was pulled into a high ponytail. Jamie wasn’t impressed. She only knew what she looked like from her pictures on Facebook and Instagram. Her looks online were greatly exaggerated by makeup and camera angles.

“Yes, I’m Alana,” she said.

“Come in and have a seat. I’m Jamie and this Charles. We’re basically here to clear all of this up so that we can all move forward. Are you willing to accept money?” Jamie asked, cutting right to the chase.

“I don’t know,” Alana said, “How much money are you talking about?”

“Fifty thousand dollars and you have to sign a document that says that you won’t speak of this ever again.”

“That’s it? After everything that I’ve suffered?” Alana said in outrage.

“Oh please, this is the best that you’re going to get. We both know what did and didn’t happen in that room. So let’s just cut this foolishness out. You’re getting something for absolutely nothing. Take the money and go screw with your next mark,” Jamie said plainly.

“I could make this much harder for him,” Alana said. “I can go to the police and this will possibly ruin his career.”

“See, that’s where your problem comes falls apart. He has me and I’ll squash you like the insect that you are,” Jamie said. “I’m being nice here. You’re late and my time is money. For the sake of expediency how about we make it sixty thousand and get the hell out of here?” Jamie asked.

“Whatever. Let’s do it.”

Jamie held her composure and kept her inner grin hidden. After all of the paperwork was finished, Alana left the room with the check clutched in her hands.

Charles laughed. “Damn, I said take ten thousand off, not forty. That’s hilarious. She didn’t try to play hardball at all.”

“That’s because I know a rat when I see one. She’s a cheap hoe. He could have gotten her a pair of Steve Madden shoes and she would have been grateful, but now he has to learn a hundred thousand dollar lesson,” Jamie said.

“So, you’re still making him pay in full?” Charles asked.

“Oh, so you don’t want a bonus?”

“Never mind, forget that I said anything.” Charles made a motion that mimed him zipping his lips shut and throwing away the key.

“All right, let’s go. I’ve got places to be. I hate that we had to pay her anything but image is everything. I’ll have some of our team monitor her for a bit. If she makes even a peep, I’m going to ruin her.”

Chapter2

The following week, Jamie was prepared to give Nathan and his wife a full presentation. She sat in his office with them and laid out the publicity campaign that she and her team came up with.

Nathan’s wife Stephanie kept a beauty queen smile on her face the entire time. She wore a simple white and expensive dress that clung to her curvaceous body. Jamie couldn’t help but wonder if she’d gotten some work done. She looked like her body was created on an operating table and maintained in the gym. Her dark blonde hair fell in loose curls past her shoulders. She was classically pretty and reminded Jamie a lot of Kelly from Saved By The Bell.

Nathan sat on the same couch as his wife, but their bodies weren’t close. Their body language was off. Stephanie angled her body towards her husband but Nathan angled away from her and his arms were across his chest. There was trouble in paradise, but it wasn’t any of her business.

Jamie continued with her plan, “So I really want to push the two of you as a package and as a golden couple. It’s going to be very easy because you’ve been married since you were twenty and twenty-one, and let’s face it, the two of you are hot. Everyone is going to want to be you and I’m going to make it impossible for them to hate you. Once we get you out and in front of some cameras, the world is going to absolutely fall in love with you. Who doesn’t love a hot billionaire couple that’s actually hard working? You two aren’t resting on your parent’s money, you’ve built an empire.”

Stephanie’s face lit up, “I love the sound of that! You’re good! I didn’t know what to expect at first and I was a bit skeptical but I have to admit that you’ve given us some wonderful ideas.

“I’m just doing my job,” Jamie replied. “So you two can expect to be very busy. I’m going to need you to do more philanthropic work. I know you donate to a ton of causes but it’s time for you to get your hands dirty. That way, when you drop your new products and start your new businesses, it won’t feel like you stepped into the limelight for that. Actually, I think that’s where the public will first be introduced to you both. We’re going to have some reporters just happen to catch a power billionaire couple feeding the homeless at a soup kitchen. Everyone is going to eat that up and they’re going to be hungry for more. I hope the two of you are ready for all of the press that’s coming your way because once you start on this path, there is no going back.”

“We’re ready,” Nathan said. “I can’t wait to get started. I’ll do whatever you say; you’re the boss here.”

“Great. I also need to say one more thing because there is a giant elephant in the room that can’t be ignored,” Jamie said.

“What is it?” Stephanie asked with concern in her eyes.

Jamie stared at the both of them with a serious expression on her face. She needed for her words to sink in. Other people would skirt around the issue but she was going to face it head on. “Whatever is going on between the two of you, you have to fix it and fix it quick. The media doesn’t destroy marriages but it does expose weaknesses. I suggest you consider therapy. If you need any recommendations, I have a few. If you want your marriage to last, then you have to get rid of whatever issues you’re holding on to.”

Stephanie shook her head, “We don’t need therapy.”

Nathan looked at Jamie with wonder and confusion, “What would make you say such a thing?”

“It’s just that judging from your body language, something is wrong. I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t say anything. I would do your marriage a disservice if I kept that information to myself. I try to mind my own business, but right now, your business is literally my business. I don’t want to have to clean up any public messes regarding your marriage. Not because I don’t feel like dealing with it, but because I respect marriage and I don’t want to see yours break apart,” Jamie said honestly.

Nathan couldn’t believe his ears. This beautiful and intelligent woman was sitting in his office trying to save his marriage and the only thing that he could think about was her; why did she have to be so damned pretty and blunt? It got his juices flowing. Jamie made his wife look like a consolation prize. His wife was obviously trying too hard but Jamie’s beauty was effortless. Her class was natural and she had just enough bite to never be anyone’s pushover. He tried to force those thoughts out of his head. They were wrong, but his body didn’t get the memo.

“I appreciate your honesty,” Nathan said. “I would like to assure you that you wouldn’t have those kind of problems with us. We’re generally well-behaved.” He gave her his biggest smile. He couldn’t remember the last time he smiled that way. It felt genuine; it
was
genuine.

“I’m glad to hear it.”

“I’ll have to work on making you happy more,” he grinned and then caught himself when his wife gave him a quick scowl. Was he flirting with her? Did he just flirt with a woman and do it in front of the woman he was married to?
Get yourself together
, he thought.
You can’t do things like this and expect peace. Jamie is your publicist and you’re married. So your hormones will have to be kept in check. She probably doesn’t like white men anyway.

Let’s just always be honest and open with one another,” Jamie said to break the silence. “You two can lie to the world but don’t ever lie to me. If I don’t know the truth than I can’t help when needed. I try to remain objective in all situations but if there is a reason that I can’t, I will still do my job. My job is to make sure we create and maintain the image we want the public to see. I know my stuff so just trust me and I won’t steer you wrong.”

Why did she feel so damned hot all of a sudden? Was she tripping or did Nathan flirt with her? For a quick second she considered flirting back. If her skin were light, then the blush that went to her cheeks would have embarrassed them all. Why was this happening? She had to snap the hell out of it. He was not only her client but he was someone’s husband! Her thoughts were not okay.

She didn’t learn much from her mother but she did learn that lusting after another woman’s husband was low. There were so many nights that she saw her mom up crying over the cheating that her father had done. There were some days when women showed up on the doorstep looking for her dad. They had no respect, none for the union and none for their household. It was sickening. That was a huge reason that Jamie couldn’t stand hoes. They were treacherous and they only cared about themselves.

This was a rare situation but she could get through it. Usually she wasn’t attracted to her clients because she knew everything about them but the more she learned about Nathan, the sexier he got. Maybe it was the beard.

***

After Jamie left his office, he did a background check on her. He was more interested in her past dating history than he was in the issues that should truly concern him. Her ex was in prison for fraud and since then, she hadn’t been linked to anyone romantically. Before that, she had a few sporadic relationships with men that didn’t last past a year and all of the men were black with the exception of one, and that relationship only lasted a couple of months.

He wanted to ask her if she was okay since her ex got arrested but it wasn’t any of his business. Her life wasn’t any of his business and she didn’t make any of it known to him, which meant she wanted him to stay out of it. He was aware of boundaries and he could respect them, but he had this overwhelming need to know everything about her. Reading about her was better than any novel that he’d ever written or read and he’d read tons.

*

Jamie walked into her home and sighed. She didn’t get to spend nearly as much time as she liked in it. Her home was the exact kind of place she saw herself living in as a child. It was the home that she never had. She loved the huge inviting foyer and all of the open space that her loft provided. It was dark, sleek and sophisticated just like her.

When men came to her place, they were usually shocked because it reminded them of a bachelor’s pad. Hey, men weren’t the only one that enjoyed leather, dark wood and stainless steel.

There was so much that she still needed to do, but her mind and body just weren’t in the mood for it. She walked to the kitchen and placed her phone on the counter. There had to be something in her place to eat. She wasn’t in the mood to order anything because she didn’t want to wait. Also, she would just end up ordering pizza or something else that was unhealthy and then she would have to spend an hour or two in the gym just to work it off. She opened the fridge, grabbed a bottle of water, and settled for her chicken lettuce wraps that she didn’t get to finish the day before.

“Thank God for leftovers,” she said as she made her way to the couch.

After positioning herself on the couch, she looked around for the remote and then changed her mind. She spent way too much time being inundated with the news. She needed a break even if it was just for ten minutes.

What time is it? Ugh, Nadia is on. I can’t miss this.
Jamie reluctantly turned on the television and turned it to channel seven. There was her beautiful friend Nadia, as she was every weeknight at nine. Her friend looked good behind that desk. God knew that she deserved it. That world was difficult for women, but she handled everything with finesse and she didn’t mind kicking a few people to get what she wanted. It was why the two of them were friends. Jamie didn’t like weak women; they upset her stomach. Life was full of so many opportunities so women that cried about what they didn’t have got on her nerves.

Jamie wasn’t born with a silver spoon in her mouth. Hell, she was hardly born with a plastic one. Her parents abandoned her so Jamie was taken care of by her grandfather on her father’s side. She loved that man to pieces and there was nothing that she wouldn’t do for him. He didn’t have much, but he gave her everything that he had. He worked well past retirement to make sure she could finish college. She purchased him a house as soon as she could afford it. It was why she worked so hard and didn’t take no for an answer in business; her papa taught her that and she took those words to heart.

Now, her papa wasn’t the cuddly type. He was the hardworking, hustling, gruff type. However, there was nothing that he wouldn’t do for her. She knew that he loved her and he told her every now and then but most importantly, he showed her all the time. Now he was in a new house and driving a new car. She leased him a new one every year so that he could drive in style and change it up. It was just a small token of her love towards him, which he reluctantly accepted it all. Now he was living the life of a retired old bachelor. She was sure that he was driving all of the ladies at BINGO crazy. The women loved to see a fine old chocolate man entering smoothly into a room.

Jamie stared at her friend on the screen and smiled. Nadia was just so damned gorgeous and the public loved her. She came off as humble and personable. The public didn’t really know about her feisty side and she figured it was best that way.

Jamie bit into the wrap and listened to Nadia read the prompter in her silky-smooth and confident voice.

“For our entertainment segment tonight, we’re covering Nathan Sparks. He is the owner of Spark Publications as well as many other businesses. It’s being said that he’s getting ready to make some huge moves. You may not be familiar with Mr. Sparks, but he is considered to be a quiet storm. He’s not just an excellent businessman, he’s a philanthropist. Here’s some footage that we’ve caught of Nathan and his wife, Samantha leaving a soup kitchen. When asked what they were doing inside, they quickly blew off the cameras and got into their car,” Nadia said matter-of-factly. “We were able to catch up the owner of the soup kitchen. Our correspondent Mark Hayes is with the owner Mable Evans now. Mark, how are you doing?”

Jamie was giddy on the inside as she watched all of her handiwork come into play. She met with Nathan and Stephanie a week ago and the media ball was already rolling. The screen cut to a petite woman with a hair net. Although she was the owner of the soup kitchen, she got her hands dirty too. It was admirable. Mark, the reporter, was a white guy that wasn’t going to stay in the field for long. Jamie was sure that he would be behind a desk somewhere reading the news from the prompter soon. He started confidently and asked Mable to give some information about Nathan and Stephanie. Mable looked overjoyed to be in front of the camera.

“Well, Mr. Sparks and his wife are the reason that we’ve been able to keep our doors open for the last two years. They are truly heaven sent. They both are very humble people and they take care of this place. Today, they came by to check out the upgrades to the facility that they paid for and they even served food! Most people don’t know that they’re standing in the presence of billionaires. They never make the people that come through these doors feel less than. It makes my heart happy to know that people like them exist in the world,” Mable stated.

Mark had a trained look of interest on his face before he asked, “Do they usually come here?”

Mable nodded, “They come by once a quarter and that means a lot. I’m sure that they’re very busy people. I’m just glad that I get to see them at all.”

“As you can see,” Mark stated into the camera, ”These two are just genuinely great people and it’s a rare occasion that they’re noticed. We’re hoping to see much more of these two again. Back to you Nadia.”

Jamie turned off the TV, put her plate on the coffee table, and rested her head against the back of the couch.
Now the real work will begin. Getting them noticed will be easy, guiding the narrative about them will be the tricky part. People love to hate the rich but this isn’t going to be the case with them.