Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 88656 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 443(@200wpm)___ 355(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88656 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 443(@200wpm)___ 355(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
“Yeah, not everybody gets to smoke weed with their boss, have slumber parties with them, or lay out in the seat of their convertible. I guess I’m pretty lucky.”
“So I’m your boss now? What happened to client?”
I threw my hands up in the air. “I don’t know. I give up trying to figure out our dynamic. It is what it is, no matter what we call it.”
“True. Though technically my uncle hired you.”
I pondered that for a moment. “Kage, do you find it odd that I’ve been here for over three weeks and still haven’t met the guy who hired me?”
Kage’s mouth pulled into a bleak line. “My uncle is not the kind of man you just pop in to meet. If he wants to meet with you, he’ll make it happen. Otherwise, it won’t.”
“So you think there’s a possibility I could work here all summer and never meet him?”
“I doubt it. You’ll probably meet sometime. Do something he doesn’t like, and I can almost guarantee he’ll come find you.”
I gulped. “That sounds terrifying. Why you gotta say shit like that?”
He chuckled, but he didn’t say anything to try to put my mind at ease. That was not a good sign.
THE gym was a great success, if I do say so myself. I hadn’t had a clue what to expect, so I was pleasantly surprised that we pulled it off without a hitch. Of course, some credit had to go to the gym owners and employees.
When we got there, the owners ushered us to a private sparring room where we briefly discussed what we wanted to happen. Kage conducted a mini class on MMA techniques and answered a lot of questions about his philosophies of fighting. I set up my camera and took tons of pictures and video.
In attendance were MMA students and gym regulars, many of whom had come in specifically to see Kage, and they all seemed to love him. The gym printed out copies of the front of my flyer, and Kage signed his autograph on the backs. I made a mental note to bring pictures for autographs next time. It was a rookie mistake, but as Kage said, we were winging it.
“I felt like a fraud,” he said when we got back into the car.
I started laughing. “That is exactly what I told my professor after I posed as a reporter the night we met. But that was the first time I’d ever done anything of the sort. You are an expert on fighting, so I don’t understand how you could possibly feel like a fraud.”
His expression was unusually vulnerable. “You presented me as some sort of celebrity. Those people think they’re going to see me fighting on TV or something. They have no idea that the only place I fight is a secret place, and it’s by invitation only. They would never be welcome there.”
“It’s okay, Kage.” I wrapped my fingers around his wrist and swung it back a forth a few times, a playful gesture to cheer him up. “Look, you hired me for a reason. I’m doing my job, and I’m going to get you on TV. It’s only a matter of time before you’re a legitimate celebrity. You’ve got the talent, now I’m getting you the exposure you need.”
That seemed to appease him, thank goodness.
13
HE DROVE up to a hotel that looked way too expensive, and a valet practically whisked the Corvette from under us.
“Come on, we don’t have to stay in a place this nice,” I told Kage as I hurried to keep up with his long-legged strides through the hotel lobby. “Except for your place, I’ve hardly ever stayed in a hotel that had the doors on the inside of the building. I’m used to cheap, you know? Wonder how much this place is. It’s really not necessary.”
Kage stopped abruptly, and I nearly fell over him. “Shut up, Jamie. Let me pick the hotel I want. It’s my money.”
“But taking this trip is my fault. You wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for me. It’s nice of you, but—”
“But nothing.” He turned and placed a hand on my shoulder. Bent down so that our eyes were even as he looked into mine. “I want to do this, okay? You shouldn’t have to fight off roaches and bed bugs on your birthday.” He smiled. “Besides, I don’t want to sleep in a dump. Haven’t you ever noticed I’m spoiled?”
A smile crept over my face. “You remembered my birthday?”
“Of course,” he said, looking almost shy.
“Well, I appreciate the gesture. I think you’re letting your imagination run away with you, though. Cheap motels aren’t all that bad, for the most part.”
Kage stopped smiling. “Jamie, I grew up in motels. You’ve lived in a house all your life. Between the two of us, I think I know what the fuck I’m talking about.”