Page 11 of How We End
I took a deep breath, settling my nerves.Normal new client nerves.This had nothing to do with Julian—or how he looked.
He was just a man with a cock.
And all cocks work the same.
CHAPTERSIX
JULIAN
October 18
I wondered if this was what rock bottom looked like.A casino with postmodern decor and a blue velvet couch.An STD test, a background check.A cryptic text message sent to a woman named M and five thousand dollars.
All done as a last-ditch effort to unfuck my life and my career.
On the drive over here, I actually let myself believe that this would fix me.Fix my game.My life.That these four hours with some random woman—I didn’t even know her name—would change everything.That somehow, having sex would make everything better.But now, sitting here in the warm glow of the mood lighting in a suit I normally wore for game day, I doubted anything would fix whatever this was.
I didn’t even know whatthis was.
“Mr.X.”
Margo, Anders’s sister, was standing there.“Oh shit.”
“He didn’t tell you?Typical Anders.Don’t worry, you’re no one to me but Mr.X.”Margo tapped something on her tablet.
“It’s not what you think.”I wasn’t sure why I said that.
“You’re not here for sex?”
“No, I am, but…” I was told this entrance was only used for private parties.No one would see me or know I was here tonight.
“This is my job, Mr.X, and I take it very seriously.Whatever reason you’re here is between you and her.I simply take the money and make sure you’re clean.Follow me, please.”She turned and headed to a wall of elevators.
Here’s to rock bottom.
“Before I take you up, you understand that the activity you are about to participate in is illegal within the city limits of Paradise and Las Vegas.Should you be caught, you will be responsible for your own legal fees.We do everything we can to ensure your anonymity, but nothing is one hundred percent.Do you understand?”
I was pretty sure all the podcast and sport reports were wrong.Last night’s game was not the end of Julian Silver; this moment was.“Yes.”
Margo smiled and pushed the button, and we both stepped inside the mirrored space.It was weird, seeing her again here like this.Last I heard, she had been dating some drummer from a band.She and Anders had the same dad, but Margo grew up with her mom here in the States.“So this is where you ended up.”
Margo was scrolling on her tablet.“Yep.And this is where you ended up.”She flashed a quick smile at me.“Listen, Mr.—”
“Cut the shit.You know my name.”I spent two summers with her.We lived in the same house for three months out of the year.We couldn’t undo that.
“I’m not judging you, and I don’t give a shit why you’re here.My concern is her.So whatever you have going on, don’t bring it into that room.Jackson is her security and takes his job seriously.He’s there to protect her, not you.And you keep your mouth shut about her.No bragging to your teammates.And never give that number out.Do you understand?”
“I could say the same for you.What’s stopping you from telling the fucking world that Julian Silver has to pay for sex?How much is that worth?Huh?”Anders and she weren’t close, so I knew very little about Margo.“Maybe this was a bad idea.”
Margo pushed the stop button.“I’m bound by an NDA.If I say anything, I will not only lose my job but open myself up to a lawsuit.One that would ruin me.”Her words came low and sharp.
“That hasn’t stopped people before.”Ex-teammates had sold photos of me.Their sins for selling my secrets were forgotten long before mine were.
“You are not her only famous client, and you’re pretty minor compared to some.I could get a lot more money from selling those secrets.I don’t give a shit who you are or were.You are a client to me, like all the others.”Margo took a deep breath, looking at me.“Listen, if you don’t want to do this because of some moral or religious reasons, fine.But don’t make this about me because I don’t care who you fuck and how you find them.Once we get to the penthouse, there is no turning back.You don’t get a refund.So tell me now, Julian, whether or not you want to continue.”
In the smoky mirror, I saw a man in a designer suit who seemed to have the world by the balls.But up close, the cracks showed—his grip was slipping, and he was inches from losing everything.I had to do something, or my career was over.And I didn’t have a backup plan.
“What else do I have to lose?”I leaned over to hit the button.
