A FILTHY Marriage (Filthy Line Book 4) Read online

  My eyes went wide when I saw a picture of myself on the TV screen.

  Whoever wrote the story went on my social media and took pictures from it.

  Pictures including Grams too.

  We were both on TV…

  “This one is going to keep developing for sure, but our sources tell us that Wren has been on the hunt for someone to cover the astronomical medical expenses of her dying grandmother. Hey, we all sympathize with the way the healthcare system is right now, but running off to Vegas to marry a wealthy rock star just to get his money… then again, is that the worst idea in the world?”

  I gasped.

  “What the…”

  I looked at Grams.

  She looked at me.

  “You have to stay calm,” Bethany said. “Sorry for yelling, Wren. She got herself all worked up when she saw the story.”

  “That’s all a lie,” I said. “Grams, that’s just for show. You know most of these shows are fake. I’ve been telling you that for a long time.”

  “Why are they saying that about you?” Grams asked. “About me… wait… I thought things were okay here. Right? Are we okay with money?”

  “Grams, don’t even ask that,” I said. “Don’t ever ask that. Your only job is to focus on you.”

  “I can’t,” she said. “I’m a burden to you, Wren.”

  “Grams, you are not a burden,” I said. “Not even close to it.”

  “That’s what they’re saying on TV,” she said.

  “That’s not real,” I said.

  “You heard them… you married that guy for money…”

  “I did not marry him for money,” I said. “The truth…”

  Bethany shook her head.

  Now wasn’t the time for truth.

  Grams would be overloaded and something bad could happen to her.

  I took a deep breath and sat on the bed next to her.

  “Okay,” I said. “Grams. These shows you watch… they take a story and embellish it.”

  “How did they get our pictures?”

  “Social media,” I said. “My profiles aren’t private. Anyone can just click on an image and save it.”

  “Are we broke?”

  “No,” I said. “You have health coverage, Grams. And I make money. We are more than fine. I swear on my life.”

  “Wren…”

  “They’re trying to make up a story because they don’t know the truth,” I said. “That’s all it is. They don’t know what happened between Jay and I. So they’re just assuming. To get people excited.”

  “It certainly worked on you,” Bethany said.

  Grams looked at Bethany. “What would you think if they said that about your family member?”

  “The exact same thing,” Bethany said. “But I would also listen to the person involved. Not some reporter on TV.”

  Grams nodded. She looked forward at the TV again and sighed. “I did not expect this to happen.”

  “Neither did I, Grams. I’m sorry for putting you through this.”

  “I want to change the channel,” she said. “I don’t need to see that again. Oh, and those pictures of me. I look horrid.”

  “You do not,” Bethany said.

  “What if Ralph sees them?” Grams asked.

  “Ralph?” I asked.

  “Ralph Perchiano,” Grams said. “My high school boyfriend. My first love. What if he’s still alive and saw that story. If I would have known I was going to be on TV, I would have spruced things up a little for myself. You never know, right? Ralph could have seen it and called me. I wouldn’t mind one last roll in the sheets before I die.”

  “Oh, damn,” Bethany said.

  “Grams…” I shook my head.

  She laughed. “What? I’m an old woman with cancer. If I can still get horny, then good on me, right?”

  I stood up from the bed. “You know what? You’re right. Good on you.”

  Grams grabbed my hand. “Wren. I feel like something is wrong here. I feel like you’re not telling me the truth.”

  I swallowed hard. “Grams, I swear on my life, the crap you just saw on TV is not true. One hundred percent not true. Okay?”

  “Okay,” she said. “When do I get to meet this guy?”

  “He’s on tour,” I said.

  “Ah… right… did you send him off properly?”

  “What?” I asked.

  “You know, did you take care of his needs all the way? You don’t want him snooping around other women while on the road, do you?”

  I leaned down and kissed the top of Grams’s head. “I love you, Grams. Watch a game show or something.”

  “I’m just making sure my granddaughter isn’t whoring herself out because of my cancer,” Grams said.

  “Nobody is whoring themselves out,” I said. “Let me get you something to eat. And some coffee.”

  “How about a shot of whiskey to calm my heart?” Grams asked.

  I laughed.

  Bethany patted Grams’s shoulder. “Maybe for lunch we can do that.”

  “No.”

  It was one simple word.

  It was the one simple word I should have used that night with Jay.

  It was the one simple word I should have also used on myself that night.

  But I couldn’t go back and undo what was done.

  Especially now with the media picking up the story and running with it.

  What Grams saw this morning was just the beginning.

  They were digging into my life.

  They were really turning the story into something else.

  My evil scheme was to get married to Jay, spread the news like wildfire, and then get Jay to pay me to go away and shut up.

  Someone even reported that Jay had offered to end the marriage already and I demanded money for that to happen.

  “What choice do you have?” Nia asked.

  I had no choice.

  On the drive to Nia’s office, people were following me.

  Literally following me in their cars.

  When I parked and got out of my car, people did the same.

  Taking pictures of me.

  Calling out to me with questions about Jay and the marriage.

  It was absolutely horrible.

  “Think about Grams,” she said. “They’re going to show up at the house and not leave.”

  “Don’t bring her into this.”

  “I am,” Nia said. “I’m your friend. I’m not getting any money for this. You have to get out there and talk. You have to speak. You have to set the record straight.”

  “And then what?” I asked. “I’m supposed to just stand there and tell everyone the biggest and most embarrassing mistake of my life?”

  “I’m sorry, Wren. I really am. But you did this. I’m just trying to help. If you stay silent, this story is going to grow and spread and spin and twist… and they’re not going to leave you alone. Jay is an asshole. He’s hiding somewhere. Probably with some drugs and groupies. He has nothing to lose here. They know he’s a rock star. The story isn’t about Jay. It’s about you.”

  “I’m a nobody!” I yelled.

  “Exactly,” Nia said. “That’s what makes you intriguing. And that’s what makes it possible for them to say what they want. We have to act right now. There’s a bunch of reporters outside. Waiting for you to leave. They’re already spreading stories about you meeting with a PR company.”

  “Great. So it makes me look…” I walked to the window and looked down. There was a swarm of people waiting for me. “I can’t believe this.”

  “Welcome to the world of social media, Wren,” Nia said. “This is what I deal with all day long. Nothing goes hidden. Ever.”

  Nia fell silent.

  I took a deep breath.

  I really had no choice in the matter.

  I knew that.

  I just wanted to go back to that moment… outside the wedding chapel… right after Nia’s wedding. So I could talk to Lola and Audrey again. And I could
have just stayed with them. We could have gone somewhere for drinks or to tell stories and laugh. I wouldn’t have met Jay and…

  “I married a rock star in Vegas while drunk,” I said.

  “That’s the truth,” Nia said. “This is one time where the truth is going to help you.”

  “It’s really that simple?” I asked.

  “It has to be.”

  “If Grams sees this, it’ll hurt her.”

  “Better than having reporters scaring her,” Nia said. “You do this and then you go home and talk to her.”

  I looked back at Nia. “And the fact that I’m still married?”

  “Doesn’t matter,” Nia said. “It was a joke. A farce. A drunken mistake. You’re already drafting the paperwork to end it. You’re a lawyer. And if you can’t do it yourself, then you already have someone doing it. Simple. Thank them for their time. Smile. Apologize for wasting their time because there is no exciting story. Yes, Grams has cancer. Yes, she’s going to die. No, it’s not a money thing. She has health insurance. You have a good job. You were in Vegas for a friend’s wedding and got carried away.”

  When Nia put it like that, it didn’t seem so hard to do.

  But to stand in front of those people… they were going to be recording me.

  I was going to end up on TV again.

  All over social media again.

  I took a deep breath and spun around.

  I put my lawyer face on.

  “Ready?” Nia asked.

  I grabbed a bottle of water off the table.

  “Let’s end this mess right now.”

  I stepped out of the office building and Nia paused and gently touched my lower back. This was the moment when I had to step out on my own. She was just there for moral support, or if something went terribly wrong.

  Everyone started shouting questions at me.

  I was not meant for this kind of life.

  My hands started to sweat and shake.

  My entire career was built from working on contracts. Reading contracts. Navigating corporate law, most of the time on my own. And even in meetings, they were controlled meetings with an outcome. It was black and white on paper. If anything got out of hand, then it went to other lawyers or even a judge to make a decision.

  But all of this… this was on me.

  This was because of me.

  I wanted to blame Jay, but I knew I couldn’t.

  He was just an idiot rock star celebrity looking for a story.

  If anything, he was the one looking for attention.

  Not me.

  I prided myself and my life for not having any attention at all.

  And this attention wouldn’t be for long.

  A quick statement and I was done.

  This was over.

  My night in Vegas was lingering, but it wouldn’t linger forever.

  I put my right hand up to quiet the reporters or paparazzi or whatever they are.

  “Please stop taking my picture,” I said. “I came out here to talk. So please respect me. Respect who I am. And who I am… I’m just a regular person. A simple person. Okay? I work as a corporate lawyer. I want nothing to do with the glitz and glam of being in front of a camera or even talking to you. I’m scared to death right now. And speaking of death…” I licked my lips. “Yes, my grandmother is dying of cancer. I will not discuss her medical issues publicly. My grandmother is the greatest person in my life. And she-”

  “What about the money?” someone asked.

  “There is no money,” I said.

  “Reports say you need the cash,” someone else said. “Your grandmother is out of money. You need it for treatments.”

  “How did you convince Jay to make this work?” another yelled.

  “Did you know about the band and their past?”

  “How far in advance did you plan this out?”

  “Is Jay going to just give up the cash?”

  The questions started to fly from all angles.

  I looked back at Nia.

  She was looking at her phone, smiling.

  “I, uh… this wasn’t…”

  “How come you’re wearing your wedding ring?”

  “Does your grandmother know what you’re doing?”

  “Frankly, Wren, what gives you the right to do this to someone?”

  “I’m not doing anything…”

  My chin started to quiver.

  The group of people then got louder.

  They started taking pictures again.

  Before I could say anything, a hand touched my back.

  I sucked in a breath and turned my head.

  My jaw dropped when I saw Jay standing next to me.

  His hands slowly moved from my back to my side, pulling me closer to him.

  “I’m going to set the record straight right now,” Jay said. “So, shut your fucking mouths and listen.”

  That actually worked.

  Everyone shut up.

  Jay looked down at me and winked.

  Then he looked forward.

  “This marriage between Wren and I… it’s the real thing.”

  13

  JAY

  What choice did I have?

  I felt Wren try to move away from me.

  This was not the way she wanted it to happen, but we were too far gone from that.

  This was the only way to stop the story and keep everyone off Wren’s back.

  At least for the most part.

  “Before you start shouting again at my bride, I’ll address this,” I said. “You all owe her an apology. Showing up like this. Digging into the bottom of the dog food bowl for stories. You know who eats out of that bowl? The guys in RAUNCHY RECKS.”

  That got the paparazzi to laugh.

  I nodded.

  “That’s right. Print that. Post it. Throw a video up of it. As far as my bride and I go, leave us alone. Who are you to judge when a person finds love and wants to take the next step. Last time I checked, a wedding in Vegas is still a wedding. In fact…” I looked back and grinned. “That woman right there at the door…” I pointed. “That’s Wren’s best friend. She got married the same night we did.”

  I whistled.

  Wren’s friend gave a red-faced wave.

  “Are you going to harass her too?” I asked, addressing the paparazzi again. “The only reason Wren is here is to see her best friend. This has nothing to do with PR. Fuck PR. Fuck spinning a story. There is no story to spin. This isn’t about money. Wren is smart and beautiful and makes plenty of it.”

  “Jay…”

  “I said to keep your mouths shut,” I ordered. “I’m not fucking around here.”

  Wren tried to move away from me again.

  So I made my move, turning to face her.

  I quickly reached up and touched her face.

  “Listen to me, sweetheart,” I whispered. “I’m here to save your ass from yourself. Play the game for a minute.”

  Since I was facing her, I had no choice… I had to kiss her.

  Our first kiss was our wedding kiss.

  Wren had been drunk and attacked my face with her mouth.

  Her sloppy tongue had been all over me - along with her hands. A drunk Wren knew exactly what she wanted. Sober Wren was like a lonely cat stuck in the rain looking up at me with helpless eyes.

  I had to kiss her again. Right now.

  In front of the paparazzi.

  I lowered my lips to hers and touched gently.

  I turned my head just a little and brushed the tip of my tongue to her lips for a quick second.

  Then I turned back around and took her hand.

  I could feel Wren shaking.

  “Not sure what else you want here,” I said. “This is our life. Our business. Wren and I did not marry because of some arrangement. She’s not getting money out of me. I mean, I plan on spoiling the hell out of my bride. Sure. And I plan on doing the same for my grandmother-in-law too. But that’s my decision. Nobody is holding something o
ver my head. This is real. I don’t need some church and a big wedding to validate how I feel.”

  “What about the rest of the band?”

  “What about them?” I asked the woman in big glasses.

  “Why weren’t they there?”

  “Who says they weren’t?” I asked. “Someone grabbed a picture of Wren and I as we exited the chapel. How do you know the band didn’t go out the back to get into their ride? How do you know we didn’t go back to the hotel and party?” I waited a second. “That’s right, you don’t know. You don’t know a thing.”

  “Hey, Jay, can you-”

  “One more thing,” I said. “If someone posts a fake story again… about my bride or her dear grandmother, I will use every dime I’ve ever made making music to track you down, sue you, and make it so you live with nothing but the clothes on your back for the rest of your pathetic life.”

  I let Wren’s hand go and touched her back again.

  I turned us both around.

  “Walk back inside now,” I said to her.

  Behind us, the paparazzi yelled question after question.

  We walked in silence back into the building…

  But I knew things were going to get very loud, very soon.

  The door shut and Wren looked right at her friend.

  “What was that, Nia?” she yelled. “You were supposed to be there for me.”

  “You were doing great,” she said.

  “You were looking at your phone!”

  “I was answering an email, Wren. I have a job to do. It’s not all about you.”

  “You said you were going to help me,” she growled. “I can’t believe…”

  Wren slowly turned her head and looked at me.

  I put my hands up. “Don’t swing at me, sweetheart.”

  “Sweetheart?” Wren asked. “What the hell are you doing here? Haven’t you done enough?”

  “Me?” I asked. “What have I done to you?”

  “My life is upside down because of you.”

  “I think we both know that’s a lie,” I said. “This marriage was all you, Wren.”

  “You went along with it!” she yelled.

  “Of course I did,” I said.

  “Why?”

  “Because I’m a rock star,” I said. “It’s what I do.”

  Wren shook her head. “So now everyone out there is going to run stories that we are really married.”