Infinity (10 page)

“In charge?” His lips curled into a smug smile before taking a gulp of coffee. “According to page five of the today’s newspaper, you’re an out of control superstar that needs her brother to remain in charge.”

He swatted me on the head with a newspaper and I made a grab for the paper, only to end up playing tug-of-war with the betraying jack ass.

“Don’t hit me with that shit, Mason.”

He snatched the paper, quickly flipping through it. “Oh how sweet. That’s you leaving my club looking high on Rejuvenators and being propped-up by your two groupies—uh, I mean friends. Oh wait; there you are giving the camera the one finger salute? Quit, the lady you are.”

My stomach plummeted. There was no way. I had been clean for months.

He rustled the newspaper loudly before reading loudly and with much too much enthusiasm for my liking:

“WHAT is going on with Infinity? The 22-year-old singer with the worst reputation for hard partying, arrived at her private celeb packed party at exclusive club
Shift-Rawr-Rock
last night showing off her svelte physique in a couture crème dress with sequin detailing. The much to do about nothing party was to celebrate her sold-out and controversial ‘Soaring Raven’ tour which opens tonight.

The superstar was on a six month hiatus due to alleged ‘exhaustion’ from her last tour. Many speculate that she is on another downward spiral with the pressure of pulling off another successful tour. I, for one, think that there may be a nugget of truth to the speculation when I saw a dazed Infinity leaving the party with friends, trying desperately to get her through the frantic paparazzi clamoring for photos.”

“First, I was not high on anything,” I mumbled snatching the paper and scanning the article quickly.
Damn!
This was not good. I looked high. “This is trash. I kicked the habit. Plus, you know it’s impossible for me to get drunk.” It was some crazy metabolism quirk, alcohol had no effect on me, no matter how much I drank, but Rejuvenators? More than a couple sent me on an unbelievable high.

He leaned over, pointing to the second photo of me getting into my SUV looking dazed and high with Diego and Zoe looking just as fucked up as I did. He smiled, “Oh how sweet, a fucking crotch shot. I see that you’re still on that no wearing panties phase. Well, at least you waxed.”

I flung the paper across the room with disgust. “You’re so freaking hateful. It’s no big deal. Just do your job and smooth things over.”

“Smooth things over with whom? With the press, or with Kara?”

I winched, mom was going to go crazy. “Both” I muttered.

“I’m tired of smoothing, Infinity. This out of control act is wearing really thin.”

I gritted my teeth, “No, you know what is wearing thin? You acting like you’re some exhausted parent that’s tired of dealing with me. Just do your job and smooth things over.”

I was wracking my brain trying to sort out my own reality show: a couple of Rejuvenator pills, some drinks not Rejuvenator laced, crotch shots immortalized forever, hot dream with hot angry Viking man, culminated by waking-up to Mason the traitor screaming in my face like a jilted lover.

“I’m paid to be your manager and not wipe your ass every time you shit.” He ran his fingers through his hair before taking a calming breathe, “I do this shit, and yeah I mean put up with you, because I love you and I’m the only person you trust to take care of your business.”

I snorted, “Yeah, trust, love….umm okay, right, apologies. I’m being an ass.”

His eyes narrowed, “A big paranoid one.”

“Don’t add, okay? Just accept my grudging apology and let’s move the hell on and turn the page on this, okay?” I sunk down in the bed and sighed. “I had a rough night. Plus, I had to deal with the Kir situation, which by the way, as management, you should have dealt with, not me.”

He gritted his teeth “I tried to deal with him, remember? But you insisted on keeping around in case you got up the nerve to fuck him. Just tell me that you put a period and the end of that train wreck called Kir-J?”

My eyes narrowed coldly, “Who, when and how to fuck is none of your business. You’re so focused on who I’m dating that you’re not around to take care of business. By the way, talking about business, what business could possibly keep you from attending a party that you insisted that I throw?”

He arched a brow, “I’m explaining myself to you now?”

“Any truth to the rumors, Mason?”

“None” His gaze narrowed as he leaned in and just stared at me.

This was another thing that I hated about him. How he would just stop speaking in mid-sentence and look at me with this weird mesmerizing stare, no words, just stare. What made it creepier was that the staring could go on for minutes without blinking.

His eyes flickered with disappointment. “I don’t understand why you’re still not ready.” His gaze flicked over to my nightstand, taking in the half filled bottle of pills. He frowned, snatching them up. “You’re still taking the Rejuvenators? You told us that you stopped.” He shook them in my face tauntingly, “How long?”

I tried to snatch them back, but he moved them away quickly. “I did stop. That bottle was full. I don’t even know why I’m explaining anything to you.”

“How long have you been back on them?”

My brows arched, “Okay, did you just hear what I said?” This crap between us was getting real old. We just didn’t trust each other anymore.

His eyes narrowed. “So it’s the tour, and not
Kir-J
?”

“What’s with this crazy obsession with Kir? Not that it’s any of your business, but it’s definitely not Kir-J.”

He smiled, huge. Switching from angry to very happy. “I’m just concerned about you and your crazy obsession with losing your virginity. You know that it’s actually very sexy when a woman is pure and virgin like.”

“Uh, first, you really need to get some help for your mood swings and second, what do you know about pure women? You only date women who put out within the first fifteen minutes of meeting you.”

He wagged his eyebrows salaciously. “That is true, but nonetheless, a couple of nights ago I saw a documentary about pure, virgin-like women before the war and how they waited for their true mate to have sex. It was actually really hot in a perverse way.”

I rolled my eyes, “And knowing you, you probably thought about all of the ways you could get between their legs stripping them of their purity before they found their true mate.”

He grinned, “You know how I like a challenge.”

I scowled, “This conversation is over. I’m not talking about my virginity with my brother.”

He rubbed his palms together gleefully. “I know that I’ve touched a nerve when you pull-out the brother and sister card.” He took a sip of coffee and smirked. “And we’re not blood related, so the sibling rule doesn’t apply. Secondly, during one of your Rejuvenator binges, you know the ones where you get all chatty? You told me, in great detail mind you, about your ridiculous quest to solve your virginity problem.”

I scowled at him. “You’re an ass.”

“And you need my advice when it comes to men because you’re freaking clueless to the games we play.” He leveled a serious stare as he drained his cup. “It’s like community service. I keep on giving and you keep on taking.”

“I know how to handle men, been wrapping them around my finger for years. Present company included.”

“You manipulate, flirt, and dangle the promise of paradise to the unworthy. Prime example, Kir-J, I can’t believe that you actually considered having sex with him.” Something flashed across his eyes then disappeared before I could evaluate it. “You could do better. Way better.”

I felt a twinge of uneasiness, “I’m good Mason, really I am.”

“When are you going to realize that there’s a guy out there for you that will ensure that there is no collateral damage? You’re worthy, you know that right?” He reached out, trailing a finger gently across my cheek. “More than worthy, you’re special. Look for a guy that treasures that, and works hard to win and keep all that you offer.”

I blinked, my breath hitched. It was times like this that made me realize just how sweet Mason could be when he wanted to. It also made me long for the days when I knew without a shadow of a doubt that he really had my back no matter how hard he rode me about some of my less than brilliant decisions. “Just be patient with the process.” I trailed my finger across his cheek which he grabbed quickly pressing my palm tightly against it.

I sighed, letting go all of the tension and in a blink of an eye, his face hardened, releasing my hand.

“How many times?”

I swallowed, not liking the uneasy feeling that returned. “What?”

“How many times have I heard that from you? You’re not letting me down, or Kara but yourself. You got a whole world of destiny to fulfill and you’re failing before the real challenge begins.” He paused, “I know you, Infinity, really know you. You’re hard on the outside because you’re dealing with a lot of crap, some you choose the share, and some you hide.”

I tried to interrupt, but he cut me off.

“But I want you to know, and there’s nothing, I mean nothing that I’ll judge you for.” He paused, “Except for stupid ass crotch shots, partying way too hard and popping those toxic pills. Those things I’m judging, and real hard. In other words, get your shit together or I’ll sort it out for you, and I won’t be warm and cuddly about it.” He wrapped a finger around my hair and tugged real hard. “You feel where I’m coming from?”

He was looking at me with that frown I hated. It was that frown that said the days of him being that carefree, fun, happy boy were long over. The frown that made his light eyes turn a deeper shade, his beautiful chiseled face harder, his pale ivory skin rosy and his lips transform into that firm ‘I’m taking no prisoners’ line.

When he got like that, there was no reasoning with him; it was his way or no way. It was like he was some old soul hidden in a twenty-six year old body laying down the parental rules.

My shoulders tensed as I moved away from him. “What in the hell is going on with you, Mason? One minute you’re sweet and cuddly, the next you’re all prickly and angry. Will you fucking pick a personality and stick with it, because the Jekyll and Hyde shit is running pretty thin right about now.”

We just stared at each other in some weird battle of wills that made me grit my teeth with frustration. I couldn’t do this with him anymore. It was either the business relationship or the family relationship, because it was becoming more than obvious that the two couldn’t coexist anymore. It was time for the talk.

I hardened my heart, steeling myself for a battle. “Mason...look...”

My phone rang, giving me a reprieve from starting that awkward ‘you’re fired’ conversation.

“Well? You know who it is.” He of course crossed his legs, looking at me like everything was cool between us and it certainly was not.

“No help. You’re freaking no help.” I mumbled, letting it ring as Anya walked in looking like she just stepped out of the boardroom opposed to the kitchen handing me a steaming cup of her special brewed of coffee as she leaned to kiss my on the cheek.

“Thank you, Anya.”

“No problem, baby. Now answer the damn phone before she gets more even more pissed.”

I sigh loudly before putting it on speaker, “Hi, Mom.”

“A crotch shot? Nothing says good morning than a steaming cup of coffee, a newspaper and a photo on page five of your daughter’s crotch.”

Mason chuckled into his cup spurring me to throw a pillow at him. “Mason shut it.”

“Good Afternoon, Kara” Mason said sweetly.

“Good afternoon my ass; there’s nothing good about it. There’s nothing good about a day filled with clients gossiping about my daughter’s crotch. Nothing.”

“Well at least business at the spa probably tripled today with everyone clamoring for a wax just to be like our girl here.” He mumbled.

“Stop being rude,” I barked.

“Anya?” Mom asked.

“On it,” She responded as she swished pass me, slapping Mason on the back of his head.

“Hey,” He rubbed it shooting her an evil glare. “No hitting.”

Mom laughed, “Thank you, Anya.”

“My pleasure,” Anya clucked her tongue while waving a finger at him. “Not nice Mason. Not nice at all.” She grinned at me, “Are you hungry love?”

I smiled at her wickedly because I loved how Kara and Anya knew each so well. They were like mischievous sisters when they wanted to be, and like tough, take-no-shit mama bears when anyone messed with me.

“Nope, and I hope you didn’t make any of your famous macaroni and cheese, because I think I’ve gained ten pounds since I’ve been staying here.” My mouth was salivating, Anya was a good chef and as testament to her culinary skills, she finally moved from being Kara’s personal chef to opening her own restaurant.

Anya circled me with a smile. “Please, are you fishing for compliments again? Yes, Infinity, you’re gorgeous. Yes, Infinity, you’re sexy. Blah—blah—blah.”

I looked at her smirking, “That’s plain rude. By the way, you could have simply come in here, and woke me up instead of sending golden boy wonder.”

She rolled her eyes, “Please, I didn’t send him anywhere. I helped raise you, so I know how to deal with your unruly ass. I don’t need a wet behind the ear cub to run interference for me. If I wanted to wake you, I would have dragged your ass out of bed like I’ve done almost every morning since the day you grew pubic hair.”

I made a gagging sound, “Anya? Really? Language…”

She snorted, “Don’t get all self-righteous with me when you curse like a fucking sailor. See you in the kitchen.” She tossed her shiny auburn hair over her shoulder before bustling out of the room laughing.

Mom sighed, “So what’s the deal, Infinity? I thought we turned the corner on your reckless behavior.”

I hated having to explain myself over and over. “I’m going to say this again and please listen, digest and move on from this topic. Last night I had a total of two Rejuvenators, which is not enough to give me a buzz. Someone must have slipped Rejuvenators in my drinks.”

Mason sat forward attentively, “Impossible! My club is secure.”