ASHLEY:

      "Are you fucking serious!?" Shannon wheezes out between giggles, which earns her a few strange looks as we walk across the APFI parking lot. "Steph actually shoved the bitch into the water without her robe?"

      "She most definitely did," I assure her. "Last we saw of Alyssa, hotel security had thrown a beach towel over her and were taking her away. Don't know what happened after that, and don't really care, to be honest with you."

      "Can't blame you there, dude," Markie says. "Nobody else knows anything right now, either. She's deleted her Twitter and Insta accounts, and made her Facebook private, so I guess she's not in the mood to have anybody asking questions just yet." As we get to my car, she queries, "What's Stephanie up to today? I thought she might drop in to see you while we were here."

      "No, not today. Her family is flying in this afternoon, and she's getting everything squared away at home before they get here. Macy and Lylah couldn't get out of work today, and I know I'm gonna have to go into the studio a couple of days this week, so I just came in here today to take care of stuff that can't be rescheduled, like orders and payroll, so I can maximize my free time and get acquainted with her parents and her brother."

      "Well, you're handling it better than Johnny did the first time he met my folks," Markie snickers. "He was convinced that they weren't gonna like him because of the tats and the long hair, so he was a nervous wreck. No worries for you, then?"

      "Not like that would be a surprise to them, since we've conversed on Skype a couple of times," I explain. "Besides, it's not like they couldn't fuckin' Google me if they wanted to. Which, if you think about it, would be a lot more likely to upset them, what with all the crazy shit people seem to want to post about me on any given day. Today will be the first time we'll meet in person, and I suppose it's possible that they could find something that bugs them, but I'm hoping for the best. As long as Steph is happy with me, that's all I'm really concerned with."

      "Y'know, as tight as you two are, I figured that you would've moved in together by now," Shannon remarks, and I just smile and shake my head.

      "We've talked about it, and we're gonna hold off for awhile," I tell her. "Since we're going out on tour in a couple of months, she'd be stuck there by herself while I'm gone, so we've decided that she'd be better off staying with Macy and Lylah until the tour is over. Besides, I'm thinking about selling this house and finding someplace where the fans haven't already tracked me down, and there's no sense making her move all her stuff twice."

      They both agree that this makes sense, and as we get closer to my car, I hit the button to unlock my door, and Shannon does the same with her Jeep, which is just a couple of spaces further on. As she opens the door, she calls out, "Since I've never gone to your house from here, I'll follow you out, since I assume you've had plenty of time to figure out the shortcuts."

      I wave as I get behind the wheel, to let her know that I've heard her, then start the engine and pull out of my space. She falls in behind me, and we head toward my house to pick up the jacket she asked me to design for her, which I hadn't expected her to need until this weekend. But, apparently, her bosses at Sirius have decided to send her to cover some sort of album release party in New York, and she wants it to wear for some of her on camera shots. Fortunately, I don't have any shoots scheduled, because Ray and Ren are both out today, so there wouldn't be anyone to pick up the slack while I was out. Ren is in Tempe for his kid brother's graduation, and Ray called me last night to say that he has a line on a hot new model to replace Kelsey, and he's gonna meet with her today to discuss terms for a possible contract, then relay the details to me to either approve or renegotiate. 

      This is why I'm somewhat confused to see his car parked in front of my house when I turn the corner, with him leaning against it, looking sort of agitated. I turn into the driveway, Shannon pulls up next to me as I open the door, and Ray marches up, announcing, "Ash, we need to talk. Now."

      "Dude, I'm already busy with something right now, I think we can wait another five or ten minutes. We're talking about a modeling contract, not nuclear codes."

      "Yeah, you're right, that can wait," he replies. "But that's not why I'm here. I need to talk to you about something important, and I guarantee that you're not gonna like it."

      Then he glances over at Markie and Shannon, and says, "You might want to have them come back some other time, because I doubt you're going to want anyone else to be privy to this."

      Something about the way he's acting kind of puts me on edge, and makes me feel like it might be best to have someone else hear what he's got to say, so I tell him, "They've been my friends for years, and I trust them completely. So I've got no problem with them hearing whatever you've got on your mind. But that doesn't mean that I have any interest in broadcasting it to the rest of the neighborhood, so let's go inside before you unload on me."

      I unlock the door and let everyone into the house, then close the door behind me and question, "Okay then, Ray, what's on your mind if it's not about this impossibly spectacular model you were supposed to be meeting with?"

      "Oh, I did meet up with her, and I'll give you my notes on contract terms later, if you're still up to it," he replies. "But after that, I went to lunch with Bianca, and I saw something I wasn't exactly expecting..."

      His voice trails off, and he goes silent until I prod him by saying, "And that would be what, exactly?"

      He pulls his phone from his pocket and sighs, then looks at me and announces, "Your chick, all over another guy. And before you start calling bullshit, I've got proof right here."

      For a split second, it feels like there's a lump of lead in the pit of my stomach, but then I remember that it's Steph he's talking about, so I just turn my head and roll my eyes at Markie and Shan, who just shake their heads and snicker, because they know as well as I do that he's either jumping to conclusions, or lying through his teeth. And if it's the latter, he's going to regret it. So I turn back to him and say, "Okay, let's see it, then."

      He nearly drops the phone in his rush to pull up the photos, and after a few seconds of fumbling, he extends it to me, saying, "I couldn't get pics of the worst of it, because there were too many people going back and forth, but these were just the start of it. By the time Bianca and I left, they were all over each other. I'm actually surprised they didn't get thrown out of the restaurant."

      I take the phone and see a picture of Steph embracing a tall guy with short, black hair, and a face that I've seen several times before, even though we haven't actually met yet. I turn it so the girls can take a look, then tell him, "Ray, either you're a complete fucking idiot, or the biggest liar I've ever met."

      A look of absolute shock spreads over his face, and he just gapes at me for several seconds before he manages to sputter, "Ash, what the hell!? Are you in denial or something? Because there's no way in hell you can stand there and try to tell me that's not her!"

      "Oh, this is definitely Steph, I don't deny that," I reply. "But I also know that she's not screwing around behind my back. Especially not with this guy."

      "Damn, I knew you wouldn't believe me if I couldn't prove it happened, but I thought you'd have enough sense to acknowledge what's right in front of your face," he grumbles. "Okay, I'll bite; what is it that makes you so sure she's not bangin' this particular dude behind your back?"

      Before I can answer, Markie taps my shoulder and directs my attention to the living room window. I look, and see that a vehicle has parked next to mine, and that two people have gotten out and started toward the door. She and Shannon give me questioning looks, and I just grin at all of them, and say, "Give it just a sec, Ray, and all shall be made clear."

      Steph opens the door, they both step inside, and she looks a bit puzzled when she sees everyone else here. She greets the girls, then queries, "Are we interrupting something, babe?"

      I cross the room, wrap my arms around her, and reply, "Nah. Nothing important, at least. Ray here decided to come over and try to play some more head games, but I think we can shut that down real fuckin' quick, now that you two are here." I give her a quick kiss, then turn and extend my hand to her companion, saying, "Hey, Max, it's nice to finally meet you. I'm Ash."

      A grin plays on his lips as he retorts, "I sure as hell hope so, since you're being so touchy-feely with my sister. Nice to finally meet you, too."

      Ray's mouth drops open, and the girls get the giggles as his face turns a rather blotchy red, which seems to completely confuse Max, and causes Steph to raise an eyebrow at me. "So, would you care to revise your statement now, Ray?" I inquire. I let go of Steph and start walking toward him, keeping my voice very calm as I add, "While you're at it, maybe you should explain what in the screaming blue fuck gave you the the absolutely ridiculous idea that you have any motherfucking right to butt into my personal business and try to cause trouble. And you'd better do it pretty quick, while you're still capable, because I'm about three seconds from breaking your goddamn jaw."

      He starts backing away from me, holding his hands up in a defensive gesture as he stammers, "Come on, Ash, you- you don't mean that. Just- just calm down, dude, I did it for your own good."

      "Would somebody mind telling me what the hell y'all are babbling about?" Steph interjects. "Considering his attitude when we started dating, I'm guessing that has something to do with it, but can I get some specifics?"

      I remember that I'm still holding his phone, so I tap the screen to bring the picture up again, then toss it to her and inform them, "Apparently, you're steppin' out on me, darlin'. Or at least that's what fucknuts here thought he'd get me to believe."

      She glances at the screen, then lets out a snort and holds it up for Max to see. He studies it for a few seconds, then turns to glare at Ray, who backs up even further. Can't say that I blame him for that, though, since he's roughly my size, and Max has about six inches in height and maybe eighty pounds in weight on both of us, so I wouldn't want to tangle with him, either. 

      "Yeah, I saw you at the restaurant where we were having lunch," Max growls. "You were a couple tables over, with a dark-haired gal wearing a yellow blouse. I remember because she looked familiar, but I couldn't quite figure out why."

      "That was his fiancee, Bianca Sutton," Markie explains. "My guess would be that you've spotted her in a pic somewhere with her TV producer dad, or her brother the best-selling sci-fi novelist. Or maybe in the wedding pics from when her sister Gabrielle married one of the Rams a few months ago."

      "That was Cormac Sutton's sister?" Max queries. "He's actually one of my favorite writers, not that it has any bearing on this bullshit. So, what's your name? Ray? Okay, Ray, why don't you tell us what gives you the idea that you have fuck-all to say about who my sister does or doesn't go out with, before I decide to help Ash here beat the stuffing out of you?"

      "Yeah, why don't you do that?" I add. "We've already had this conversation once, and I thought I'd made my position pretty clear, but I guess I was wrong. So I'd appreciate it if you'd explain to me what the fuck your problem is with me dating Steph, when you're in basically the same situation."

      "Oh, come on, Ash, do you honestly need me to spell it out to you?" he explodes. "Just because you're not thinking about what's good for the company doesn't mean that I'm not going to! Nobody, and I mean nobody, is gonna take you seriously if you're with her. I can get by with being thought of as a chubby-chaser because I don't have your visibility yet. And like Blondie over there already pointed out, Bianca's family is loaded, so that compensates for a lot. I mean, I could look at it as a game plan if Stephanie's family had anything to make it worth the time you're wasting on her, but they don't, and I'd really rather not become a partner in the company just to have it go belly-up because you let yourself become a laughingstock!"

      It takes me a few seconds to fully process what he's just said, but when it finally clicks, I start laughing so hard that I actually can't speak for a minute or so. But once I get myself under control, I finally manage to wheeze out, "Partner!? Where the hell did you ever get the idea that was gonna happen!? APFI is my company: I started it on my own, and I've managed to keep it afloat for the last four years, so I don't have any plans on taking on any partners, and I don't recall ever saying anything to make you think differently."

      His expression changes, and in a blink, the friendly, easy-going guy who has worked for me for the last two-and-a-half years is gone, and I'm looking at someone I don't even know. "Oh, yeah, we all know it's your company, but somebody needs to keep you from running it into the ground like you seem to be trying to do," he sneers. "I admit that your partying and all of your rock-star stuff actually pull in some customers, give the brand that 'edgy' vibe, or however you wanna look at it. But you're losing the edge, and I'm trying to keep you from taking the company down along with your reputation. I mean, if you were playing the long game, like I'm doing, I could get behind that, but she can't do a damn thing for you, so I can't think of one single good reason why you're dating her."

      "Well, gimme a sec to think about that one," I reply in a very sarcastic tone. "Let's see here, how about because she makes me fucking happy? Is that a good enough reason for you, dumbass, or does that not count for anything?"

      "Oh, yeah, happy," he sneers. "And how long do ya think that's gonna last, once you figure out everybody is laughing at you behind your back? And for your information, I've been working on an alternative that would make everybody happy. Well, except Stephanie, of course, but it is what it is. Yeah, I admit I fucked up by not doing my research, and not knowing this dude was a relative, but if things had gone according to plan, you would have had a new model and some smokin' hot arm candy to keep you entertained, the company wouldn't be in jeopardy, and you wouldn't be taking a chance on embarrassing your bandmates by screwing up your image by being seen with a fat chick."

      "Oh, of course, your fabulous new model candidate. How did I not see that coming?" I retort. "So in your world, if I dumped Steph, and jumped into the sack with this chick, then everything would be all rainbows and fairy dust, or some similar happy crappy, is that it? Somehow, I don't think so. Actually the only thing that brings to my mind right now is the question of whether you need to stop taking drugs, or start."

      "You'll be singing a different tune when you see her, dude," he informs me. "This one's right up your alley. Fantastic rack, legs up to her chin, and lips that're just meant to be wrapped around somebody's dick. Who knows, you may just decide that I'm right when you clap your eyes on her."

      "Somehow I doubt that," I reply. "And if she's so spectacular, why not make a play for her yourself? I mean, it wouldn't be the first time, would it? I'd be just about willing to put money on the fact that you were banging Kelsey before I fired her."

      "Because she won't give me the time of day," he calmly acknowledges. "She knows what she wants, and with her looks, she obviously doesn't have much trouble getting it. I don't have a snowball's chance in a blast furnace, because she's laser-focused in on you, my friend. Also, for the record, you'd win that bet you were talking about, and while we're on the subject, thanks a bunch for screwing up my free-time entertainment. Because of you kicking Kels to the curb, I've been stuck with just Bianca for the last couple of months, so it's been pretty fuckin' bland."

      "Wow," Shannon responds disdainfully. "Just... wow. Way to talk about your fiancee. If she doesn't appeal to you any more than that, why marry her anyway?"

      "Because Gabi already had a boyfriend when I met her," he admits. "I probably should have expected that, considering how smokin' hot she is. But, as luck would have it, she also has a single sister who works as a backup plan. Obviously, she doesn't have people standing in like to get in her pants like Gabi did, so it was a lot easier to get her to fall for me. Got her hooked, proposed, and now all that's left is to actually seal the deal. And since it appears that I've actually got to put in a little effort to get where I wanna be, I suck it up for a year or two, then divorce her fat ass and leave with a nice alimony settlement. And if I happen to knock her up before then, Daddy'll have to pony up a lil' something extra if they don't want me to file for custody of the rugrat."

      Everyone's jaw drops, and the room is totally silent for several seconds, because none of us can form a coherent response to this statement. Finally, Steph opens her mouth to say something, but before she can get the words out, Ray's phone rings. She's still holding it, and he holds out his hand, wiggling his fingers to indicate that he wants it back, so she moves to hand it back. But before he can take it, Max reaches out and plucks it from her fingers, saying, "Whoa, what the fuck do we have here?"

      She gives him a quizzical look, so he tips the phone to let her see the screen, then her expression changes from confusion to a look of barely contained rage that causes both Markie and Shannon to take a step back from her. 

      "What's going on, you two?" I inquire, but instead of replying, she takes three quick steps across to Ray and hits him with both hands simultaneously, on both ears.

      "What the fuck do you think you're doing, you crazy bitch!?" he squawks. "I'm gonna call the cops and file assault charges on you! If you think you..."

      He gets cut off when she moves forward, forcing him against the wall, and snarls, "One more word comes out of your mouth, and I'll kick you so hard in the schlong that it'll qualify as gender-reassignment. The only reason I haven't already is because I'm waiting to find out if you're simply as stupid as all the rest, or if you're really enough of a stool sample to do this deliberately."

      "Babe, what's going on?" I repeat, and Max tosses me the phone.

      "See for yourself, dude," he says, so I look at the screen and see that a PM has followed the unanswered call. As I read it, and see the profile pic on the account, the hair on the back of my neck stands up, and I feel my own temper start to boil over again, because it reads:

      "Ray, why aren't you picking up, I need to know what's going on!? Did he fall for your story, or do we need to think of something else to convince him? Let me know ASAP, so I can come over and take his mind off of things, like only I can."

        "Really!?" I growl, holding the phone just out of his reach. "You were fucking stupid enough to think I'd let you bring Cyndee, of all people, anywhere near me, or APFI? Not just no, but hell no! So guess what, Ray? You're gonna help fix this little problem you created."

      "And what if I don't?" he challenges.

      Before I can answer, from the other side of the room, we all hear, "And since it appears that I actually have to put in a little bit of effort to get where I wanna be, I suck it up for a year or two, then divorce her fat ass and leave with a nice alimony settlement."

      "Cormac Sutton is a friend of my cousin's, and an investor in his restaurant," Markie announces. "So either you sit down, shut up, and do everything Ash tells you to do, or I'll not only forward this to my cousin to give to him, I'll drop it on every form of social media I can find, which will basically make you a social leper after she dumps your ass. Your choice."

      He stares at her for a few seconds, then glances around the room at everyone else before letting out a sigh and slumping against the wall. Steph pulls him over to the couch and shoves him into it, then looks over at me and queries, "So, do you actually have any ideas, babe?"

      I let a smirk spread across my lips, motion everyone else over, and inform them, "Yes, I most certainly do, and I'm gonna need all of you to help. Here's the plan."