The Beautiful People

48. Joshua

     After having some coffee and left over sushi for breakfast, I immediately went upstairs to take a shower. I had considering inviting Meghan to shower with me, but thankfully good judgement got the best of me. I used up a lot of hot water and had a nice scalding shower. After washing up and feeling like a million bucks, I went downstairs and into the kitchen wearing only a big towel around my waist and a smaller towel wrapped around my head like a silly turban.

      "Meg, you've got to try this shower..." I called out as I emerged from the kitchen behind her.

     My intent was to surprise Meghan in the kitchen and maybe provoke some more funny business, but there was an even bigger surprise waiting for me in the living room as I emerged from the kitchen. Mr. Parsons, his wife, Nicholas, Rachel and my Angie were all in the main room looking at me with weird and even shocked faces. I had a moment very similar to a deer getting caught in the headlights, but I shook out of it and decided to just be friendly.

     "Oh, hey!" I called out, smiling at them all. "Welcome back!"

     "Josh," Mr. Parsons said, "Glad to hear you like my shower."

     "Forget that, David." Mrs. Parsons said, "Who the hell is the blonde and what is she doing here half naked in my home?"

     "That's a good question," Angie then called out, with her arms aggressively folded.

     "Oh," Meghan started, "I... Umm..."

     "She's with me," I blurted out, "This is Rosemary Jones and she was sent out here to do business for my agent. It was running a little late when she got here and it was too dark for her to head back out, so I insisted she stay the night. I even offered her my shirt because she hadn't packed to stay the night. I was just trying to be hospitable."

     "Is that so?" Mrs. Parsons asked, somewhat doubtful. "What business is she here for?"

     "She came to deliver my latest offer," I quickly answered, using a shred of truth to sell my lie. "Bidding for the new book is getting out of hand and for some reason my agent couldn't contact me out here. So, he sent this young lady to deliver the latest offer, which I believe I am going to accept."

     "That's very interesting," Mr. Parsons said, as he seemed to be buying what I was selling. "I take it the offer you were made was quite impressive?"

     "Very impressive," I confirmed. "But most of the details I have to keep hush, hush. You know that sort of deal. I'm going to my room to change, I'll be right back."

     I was tempted to retreat back to the kitchen and use those stairs to get back to my room, but I was so close to the main staircase it took those and bolted right up to my bedroom. I tried to close the door behind me, but Angie has followed me up the stairs and came into the bedroom with me. She closed the door behind me and still looked as fierce as she did earlier in the living room.

     "That was a very impressive load of bullshit you dumped there, Josh." she started, "Care to tell me the truth now?"

     "The truth is overrated," I slyly replied.

     "Who is she really?" Angie asked, still angered.

     "She's a mistress." I honestly replied, as I just ripped off the band-aid.

     "Why would you invite your mistress up here?" Angie said, "Why do you even have one?"

     "Hey, she's not my mistress," I replied, "That young tart is your boss' mistress."

     "Hold on," Angie said, as she couldn't believe what she just heard. "What did you say?"

     "What I'm saying is we now have the upper hand," I said as I walked closer to her, "I covered for your boss and said she was with me to help you. We can totally hold this over his head and that means the new promotion is as good as yours."

     "That's why you said that?" Angie said, slightly shocked. "You plan to blackmail him?"

     "Of course not," I said, repulsed by the idea. "I'm simply going to hint that he owes me, and I hope he'll get enough of the hint to make the right decision. His wife already knows that girl is someone's mistress... might as well let her think she's mine. But if we want to sell this, you need to be alright with it."

     "I am not alright with it!" Angie said, sounding very upset.

     "Honey, that whole thing you saw," I said with a calm voice, "It was set up on purpose. I wanted you all to see her in my shirt, and me wrapped in a towel getting caught red handed. It all takes the head off of your boss. Anything less, and she totally would have suspected the truth. I have to pretend she's my side chick, or your boss is toast."

     "So, what you're saying is this was all an act?" Angie asked.

     "Yes!" I said, reaching out to give her a hug. "I slept on the couch downstairs."

     I could feel Angie's lung release as she let out a huge sigh, and it let me know that she was believing my total and utter bullshit. Truth was I took advantage of the young girl and spent the better part of the night shagging her rotten. We made out until the wee hours of the night, but Angie didn't need to know that. After all, it's all an act to save her boss from landing in the dog house... and we were going to use that to land Angie that sweet promotion.

     "And the part about the offer is partly true," I continued, "We have ten million reasons to be very happy this morning."

     "Shit!" Angie said, as that was the first time she was hearing that figure. "Wow!"

     "I know, right?" I said, kissing her brow. "For now we need to focus. So if they ask, we are in an open relationship and I'm polysexual."

     "What?" Angie said, as she thought about it for a moment. "So, you're serious. You're going to take the bullet for my boss?"

     "I can handle it," I reassured her, "As a result, your boss will owe us, big time. I can assure you there is only one thing that will buy my silence, and it's not money. I already have too much of that as you just found out."

     "Alright," Angie said as she smiled for the first time since we started talking. "I'm in."