Perfect, Page 5

  “I hope the amount is sufficient,” Delaney says. “Because if it’s not I can increase it.”

  “No!” I stammer. “No…that…that’s not it! The amount’s fine! It’s better than fine!”

  Delaney smiles. “Good,” he says, and takes out a Mont Blanc from his pocket and clicks it, hands it to me. “Just sign on the dotted line and we’re good to go.”

  What the hell, I think and start scribbling my signature. It looks strange on that foreign paper. Delaney takes the contract and places it in a tray. “I’ll get my assistant to make copies for you too, so you can take it home and study it.”

  I know I probably should have done the studying before signing it but Delaney said it was urgent. Besides, aren’t all of the best life decisions made in haste and on the spot? I can stand regretting what I’ve done but I don’t think I’d be able to bear it if I regret not doing something. Three years is not that long, I can always leave. And my father’s a lawyer; he can probably get me out of the contract if something does go wrong. Delaney gets up and I do too. He walks over to me and I hand him the pen but he refuses to take it back. “Keep it,” Delaney says. “You’ll be doing a lot of signing now.”

  “Do you mean more documents?”

  “Well, that too. But I meant autographs. Soon, people will know your name, Sebastian. They will know who you are, and we will make sure they never forget.”

  “Thanks, Mr. Delaney.”

  “Liam,” Delaney says. “Call me Liam, please.”

  “Liam,” I say.

  Liam shakes my hand again. “It’s a pleasure to have you on board, Sebastian.”

  I wonder how the hell I’m going to explain all of this to my parents or my friends. Everyone’s going to act like I made another mistake, because they all treat me like a baby, but I’m not a kid anymore, I’m an adult and I can make my own decisions.

  Liam buzzes in his secretary and she comes right in. Liam hands her the contract. “Holly,” he says. “I need you to make several copies of this and send one to Mr. Spanner and one to the client.” I realize I’m Mr. Spanner and it makes me feel a little out of place. “And bring our best champagne, Holly. We’re celebrating a contract signing.”

  “Liam,” I say. “You don’t have to do that.”

  “Holly,” Liam says and Holly gets the message.

  When she leaves Liam turns to me. “And this weekend there’s going to be a celebration in your honor at OBLIVION.”

  “OBLIVION? That place is impossible to get in. And don’t they need you to get a reservation months in advance for parties? I know because Holden tried to get them for our graduation party and couldn’t get it.”

  “Well,” Liam says. “I have my ways.”

  I can’t help but notice that he’s staring at me and it makes me feel uncomfortable. “When’s the client coming in?” I ask to break the tense atmosphere.

  “He should be here soon,” Liam says. “Is everything okay? You look tense.”

  “No…I’m fine.”

  “Sebastian, you’re not fine. Tell me what it is. Are you having second thoughts about signing the contract? Sebastian, the contract is just paperwork. If at any time you decide you don’t want to work with me, or you’re not happy with this decision, I’ll tear up the contract.”

  “You would do that? Why?”

  “Because I can’t stand seeing you unhappy, Sebastian.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Sebastian,” Liam says. “Don’t take it the wrong way, but we’re friends now. And I always take care of my friends.”

  “What happens if we’re not friends?”

  Liam thinks about it. “You think friendship depends on some contract some lawyer chalked up?” he says. “I told you before, this contract is simply formality, nothing more. Our friendship is more important to me than some business deal or some client. You have to trust me, Sebastian. I won’t let any harm come to you.”

  No one’s ever said that to me before. Sure, Teague can be protective when he wants to be but other times, it’s me who protects him from stupid shit he can’t stop doing. It was the same with Holden. I’m sure Daniel would help me any way he could, but there was something about the way Liam was saying all of this that made me feel different. “Let’s hope it never comes to that,” I say. “And I’m sure we can be good friends, Liam.”

  “I know we can,” Liam says.

  Holly comes in with the champagne and we move over from the desk to the sofas placed on one side. She pours us the champagne but there’s still no sign of the client. Liam keeps talking, about the new projects and about his life and how happy he is to have me as a model, and hours pass without me having noticed.

  “Sir,” Holly comes in. “Mr. Liddell says he won’t be able to make it. That you should do the signing yourself.”

  “Fucking Liddell,” Liam says out of nowhere.

  Holly blushes but doesn’t move. “He says he has an early flight tomorrow,” she continues. “He says he will catch you in Vienna.”

  “Whatever,” Liam says.

  “Sir,” Holly says. “What would you like me to do about the dinner reservations?”

  Liam turns to me. “What do you say, Sebastian?” he says. “Should we go for dinner? I’m starving and I’m sure you are too.”

  “Sure,” I say glancing at the watch. It’s almost 7:00. There’s still about three hours left for my plans with Teague.

  “We’ll go in the limo,” Liam says.

  “What about my car?”

  “We can come back here if you want,” Liam says. “Or you can pick it up when you come here tomorrow.”

  “But I won’t have a car for tomorrow.”

  “My chauffeur will drive you anywhere you want, Sebastian. It’s not a problem.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Of course I’m sure!” Liam says, getting up. “Now, let’s go. The reservation’s for 7:30 and there will probably be some traffic at this time.”

  “Where are we going?” I ask when we get into the elevator.

  “BOURBON.”

  “BOURBON?”

  “What you don’t like it?”

  “Actually,” I say. “It’s my favorite place in Springvale.”

  “They have the best Camembert in my opinion.”

  “Yes. They do.”

  Liam laughs. “You seem surprised.”

  “I am. I’ve never seen a connoisseur of French food in this town.”

  Liam laughs harder. “Next time,” he says. “I will invite you over to my place. My chef makes the best buckwheat crêpes and pan-seared foie gras. And I have a nice collection of Boudreaux that will go perfectly with it and that I think you’ll enjoy.”

  “If I didn’t know any better,” I say, as the elevator doors open. “I’d think you’ve been stalking me for years to find all this information and now you’re using it to keep me bound to that contract of yours.”

  “You never know, Sebastian.” Liam says and gets out of the elevator ahead of me and turns to face me. “I might have done exactly that.”

  He winks and it makes me laugh. “You’re nuts.”

  “Thank you for noticing!”

  “And full of yourself.”

  “You say that like it’s a bad thing,” he says, holding the door open for me. We head out into the cold and the limo is standing right outside, waiting.

  We both get inside. “You are also narcissistic,” I say as the limo starts to move. “And have sociopathic tendencies.”

  “Who doesn’t these days.”

  I’m about to come up with another retort when my phone rings and its Teague so I pick it up. “Hey.”

  “Sebastian,” Teague says. “Pick me up from Mia’s place in two hours.”

  “What happened to temporary celibacy?”

  “It went down the drain when Mia brought out that really tiny dress I bought her last week.”

  “I’d say the two of you fuck like bunny rabbits, but I’ve actually seen rabbits not fu
cking so it might be insulting to them.”

  “You know I can’t resist a quickie,” Teague says. I can hear him drinking something, probably more Gatorade. “But I’ll be fine in a couple of hours.”

  “And Mia still doesn’t know?”

  “No,” Teague says. “And if she ever finds out I’m going to kill you, Sebastian.”

  “Yes, I’m aware of that. I’ll come and pick you up in two hours.”

  I hang up and start staring out the window.

  “Friend of yours?” Liam asks.

  “Yeah.”

  “Do you have to be somewhere?”

  “Not right now,” I say. “Not saying no to Camembert.”

  “So, your friend. Is there something he’s keeping from his girlfriend?”

  “You sound like you know them.”

  “Look,” Liam says. “We’re the celebrities of this town. You know things about me and I know stuff about you. We’re always in the news.”

  “That’s true, I guess.”

  “So, are you going to tell me what he’s hiding? Is he having an affair or something? Are you covering for him?”

  “No, it’s nothing like that,” I say. “It’s something much, much worse.”

  “And now you’ve got me intrigued!”

  I’m about to say something when the limo comes to a stop. I look outside and we’re right in front of the restaurant.

  Inside, there’s a table waiting for us and it’s not just any table—it’s the best place in the entire place and I can’t believe Liam actually managed to pull something like this off. The staff probably knows me just as well as they know Liam but today they’re being extra nice.

  “So,” Liam says when the food arrives. “Tell me more about you.”

  I dig into the Camembert, no idea what to say to him. “There’s not much to tell, really.”

  “Sebastian Spanner,” Liam says. “You are far too interesting to not have an actual response to my question.”

  “Okay. Well, I grew up in Springvale, Indiana but you already knew that. Holden, Teague, Daniel and Mia are my closest friends, we grew up together, went to the same school. We even ended up going to the same college. I have two parents who don’t get along so well with each other but they don’t like to admit it and I always feel like they’re disappointed in me. First, they were disappointed that I wasn’t getting good enough grades and now they’re worried why I haven’t yet found a career.”

  “But, didn’t you go to college?” Liam says. “What was your major?”

  “Economics.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Yeah, well. It wasn’t my decision to be honest. My dad said the only way he was going to pay for my college tuition was if I majored in something…”

  “Career-oriented.”

  “Well, yes.”

  “What did you really want to study?”

  “Don’t…don’t ask me that. It’s embarrassing.”

  “Come on! Tell me.”

  “Performing arts.”

  “You mean like acting?”

  “Yeah. Or music maybe.”

  “Were you always creatively-inclined?”

  “Sort of.”

  “You shouldn’t have let your father pressurize you into picking a career for you.”

  “I know that. But I’m not good with confrontations.”

  “I can see that,” Liam says.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “No I just mean,” he says. “You seem like a person who avoids confrontation. You run away from things instead of facing them.”

  “That was incredibly rude, but the fact is, you’re right.”

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude.”

  “No, Liam I was kidding. I like that you’re blunt.”

  “Well, too much of a good thing can be bad. Right?”

  “Guess we’ll have to see,” I say and I’m about to take a sip of my wine when the phone rings. It’s Teague again. “I’m sorry, I have to take this,” I say and pick it up. “What?”

  “You were supposed to pick me up!” Teague is practically yelling. I glance at my watch and can’t believe all that time has passed.

  “Sorry,” I say to Teague. “I kind of lost track of time, I’ll be right there okay?”

  “Are you on a date or something?”

  “Why would you think that?”

  “I don’t know,” Teague says. “Cause you sound like you’re on a date.”

  “Well, I’m not. It’s a long story. I’ll tell you when I see you.”

  “So it is a date,” Teague says. “You just don’t want to tell me!”

  “Teague, shut up. And I’m going to hang up now.”

  I place the phone on the table and turn to Liam. “I’m so sorry about this,” I say. “But my friend needs me to go somewhere with him.”

  “Right. The big secret.”

  “Yes.”

  “I’ll ask for the bill,” Liam says and takes out his phone. “The driver will drop me off first and then you can take him wherever you want.”

  “Liam, thank you so much. I really appreciate it.”

  “Sebastian. Paying for dinner is really not that big of a deal.”

  “No…I didn’t just mean the dinner.”

  “Sebastian, I’m not doing you a favor. The only person your employment is a favor to, is me and my client. We’re about to make a lot of money off you so it’s really not some kind of charitable act.”

  “I know that. But before last night I didn’t even have a job, let alone a career.”

  “You think your parents will be happy now that you’ve finally picked a career?” Liam asks as we head out.

  “I’m going to be a model,” I say. “That’s not exactly perfect son behavior. They’re going to hate my guts.”

  “And, you’re okay with that?”

  I grin as the chauffeur holds the door to the limo open. “I don’t know how I’ll live with myself knowing that they’re so disappointed in me.”

  Liam laughs. “I thought you were all goody-two-shoes, Sebastian. But you’re not. You’ve got a bit of the devil in you.”

  “Yeah well,” I say. “Takes one to know one, I guess.”

  “Not bad for Mr. I Took Economics Because My Dad Told Me To.”

  “What you’re so much better?” I say getting in. “You think I don’t know your dad left you all that money and the business that you once said you never wanted to be part of?”

  Liam goes silent for a long time. “How…did you know about that?”

  I must have struck a nerve. Guilt comes over me and I know I have to try to make it right. “I’m sorry,” I say. “Small town.”

  “Yeah, I suppose.”

  “Liam,” I say. “Were you close to your father?”

  He nods. “As much as I tried to go against him all my life, he never gave up on me, never hated me for it. He was even supportive when I told him I would take a year off college and travel Europe. He actually came to drop me off at the airport, the one place he hated so much because I refused to go in his private jet. But he was there and I don’t think I ever did anything for him. I was busy being so angry so much of the time I never thought for a second there might come a day when he wouldn’t be there; when all I would be left with were his…his words and his…memories.”

  “God, Liam. I’m so sorry. I mean, my parents aren’t that great but I’d miss them if they ever…I mean…if they weren’t there for some reason.”

  “Anyway,” Liam says, forcing a smile on his face. “It’s been five years since the accident. I’m fine. Really.”

  “No, you’re not. And you don’t have to pretend to be.”

  He looks at me. “Sometimes I feel like pretending is all I ever do. Do you ever feel that way, Sebastian?”

  Once again, the limo stops and I’m saved from giving a response. “Well,” Liam says. “It was great meeting you, Sebastian. Will I see you tomorrow?”

  “Tomorrow?”
br />   “I told you. You have your first shoot, for the client.”

  “Right. So, what time should I be there?”

  “How about ten?” Liam says. “That should give the makeup people plenty of time to prepare before the photographer arrives.”

  “I will be there at ten.”

  “Great.”

  “I’ll send back the limo soon,” I tell him before he’s left.

  “Take as long as you need,” Liam says and gestures to the driver. “Steven’s one of my best men. He’ll come pick you up tomorrow whatever time you give him.”

  “You don’t have to do that, Liam. I’ll get my friend to drive me.”

  “Nonsense,” Liam says. “I insist.”

  I watch him go inside his impressive home.

  “Where to, sir?” Steven asks.

  I don’t know why but I find myself oddly dumbfounded. “You know how to get to Naples Avenue?”

  “Of course, sir. I know the place.”

  He starts driving.

  “Thanks, Steven.”

  “No problem, sir.”

  The Philosophy of Fight

  TEAGUE

  I can hear the blood pumping in my veins.

  My head is filled with fluid that’s swishing away inside my skull, ocean waves lifting me above it all so I see myself in the cage as though I’m a spectator even though I’m not…

  Put two fucked up people in a cage who are angry enough or desperate enough to murder one another and all the crowd wants, is more blood. I’m not sure if I’m more disgusted by their primal blood lust or mine because I want the same thing. Only, I would appreciate if the blood flying about wasn’t mine. But these cage fights have taught me some things; mostly about myself, the rush you feel every time you realize you have the power to bring someone down, or the way it feels to have your blood be so hot that you can’t feel a thing—not until the adrenaline is gone and you’ve had time to recuperate. Then, it always hurts worse than it did any time during the fight but that’s why God created Vicodin.

  Just like that, I’m back in my body, figuring out my next move because this is the last round and I’m worn out and I’m sure so is that other guy whose name I can’t remember—the only reason I remember my name is because there are people shouting it in loud voices like a chant… Teague Teague Teague Teague…