“Hey, we have no secrets here, do we Carter?”
Carter regards me like I’ve lost my mind. I raise an eyebrow at him, and tip my head.
“No, we have no secrets,” he admits. “It’s just a little contract for me to invest in John’s gym.” He smiles at the guy, and I can see the friendship in the smile, the trust that Carter thinks exists between them.
“Have our lawyers looked it over.” I deliberately say ‘our’ to ensure John knows Carter has backup here. Ash smirks.
“We don’t need lawyers betweenfriends, do we Carter?” John emphasises the friends part. “And Ash has agreed to be a witness.” He points at Ash, all smiles again.
I raise another eyebrow at Ash, and he shakes his head imperceptibly.
“Well, I think we do. Friends or not, it’s always wise. Will only take a day, tops. Shouldn’t derail your plans, should it, John?” I’m smiling with all sweetness and light. He wants to play games? Okay, I’ll play.
It’s then I notice Carter's face.Shit. He’s embarrassed I’ve called his judgement into question. And he lets us all know it.
“I’m not an idiot, Jackson. This is a small amount of money for me, but means so much for John. It’s a gift for him, for our friendship and time together. No other obligations for me.” He focuses on John's face. “Right?”
John looks down, and my heart plummets. He also goes slightly pale. Ash doesn’t miss it, and neither does Carter. I feel sorry for the man—he’s trusted his friend and has potentially been stabbed in the back.
“Okay, but just to be sure, let’s get it checked out. I might add some more bits in for you, John. The lawyers will be generous.”
Carter blinds us all with his smile, but I can see it’s faltering around the edges. His eyes, usually so vivid blue-green, havedulled. He knows there’s something wrong, he just doesn’t want to believe it.
“Tell you what. Why don’t we meet you tomorrow at the Daisy Cafe,” I say to John. “I’ll sign as witness, or Ash will, depending on who’s there.” I smile at him, careful to keep my face neutral. I don’t want to tip him off that I think he’s a fraud. Or that I’m well versed in the falsity of friends.
He doesn’t smile. Instead, he grimaces and agrees, leaving all the documents on the table. I wave up at him as he goes to leave, my nose already in the contracts.
23
Carter
It’s happening again.Someone else I thought was getting close to me for me is trying to scam me. And I’m a generous guy.
As John leaves, I stand behind Jackson and watch with trepidation as he dissects that contract like a seasoned lawyer, writing the damning words on a notepad.
One hundred thousand dollars.
He looks up at me and I nod. “That is the figure I agreed on.” But then he writes another word.
Annually.
I gasp. “I never agreed to that.” I lower myself carefully into the chair, feeling enough of a fool as it is. I don’t want to seem like a total idiot, but I watch in horror, as he writes:
Guarantor for Rental.
Four appearances minimum per year.
Promotion of the positive effects of his workout regimen.
“Due to Ash’s hard work.” My voice rises to a falsetto I haven’t heard since puberty. “That treacherous little fart.”
“Carter, he's got you down for a full PR campaign, including personal photos of you and him together. Do you know which photos they are?”
I shake my head. “I never agreed to any of that. What is he thinking?”
I sit, completely numb, my mind ping-ponging to the friend I know, and then to this… This joke of a contract. It’s like amateur hour, and I was nearly the jester. He obviously thought I was the back end of the donkey. He’s treated me with contempt, literally tried to scam me, and I can’t wrap my head around it.
Tears fill my eyes. Why does this always happen? Can nobody like me, for me? I’m not sure how long I sit there, I can’t compute anything. Tea is put in front of me, sandwiches, cakes. Ash and Jackson force feed me for what feels like hours.