“It’s all over the internet. It literally just happened, which is why nobody at the club said anything, I assume. I don’t think they know yet. But it’s starting to spread like wildfire. It shows you and this girl, and in it you call her Lilah.”
“But how? I don’t understand.”
“I don’t know, James. Did this girl… Lilah… did she have a copy or something?”
“No. Definitely not. The video is still here.” Suddenly, James stopped and looked at Elton. “Oh no.”
“What? Did you remember something?” Elton asked.
“Yeah. Tammy was here the other night. She had used her key to get in, and she had a bag full of stuff. She said it was all her stuff she was taking back. I thought about looking in the bag, but I just wanted her gone. I didn’t even consider that she would’ve taken the tape. It didn’t occur to me. This is totally something that Tammy would do.”
Elton nodded. “That’s for sure. I wouldn’t put it past her. Shit, James. What are you going to do? Your dad is going to freak. Who is this Lilah girl anyway?”
James sat back down and proceeded to tell Elton the whole story. About how after Elton had taken Ashley for coffee, he had treated the rest of the boys to a show at Betsy’s. He told Elton how he had been transfixed with Lilah.
“Her full name is Delilah. And she is beautiful.”
“I know. I mean… I didn’t watch the video. That would be weird. But I did see the start of it. And I saw her. She is stunning, James.”
“I can’t believe that Tammy would do this to me. Although… actually I do believe it. But it’s still awful. She knows my father would freak out. He’s totally going to find out about this. It would’ve been bad if it were any girl, but the fact that it is a stripper makes it so much worse. And even worse is that she’s such a lovely girl. She’s going to be devastated. It was my damn idea to go and film the whole thing anyway. What was I thinking?”
“Well, obviously you weren’t thinking that your ex-girlfriend would come in and steal it. That’s the last thing you’d be thinking. So don’t beat yourself up about it. I always hated Tammy.”
“I know you did. You were the only one that told me that to my face. I should’ve listened to you. I’m such an idiot. Elton, what am I going to do? My father is going to be so disappointed in me. Oh no! What about Martha? She’s going to die of embarrassment. She’s always telling me how proud she is of me.
She’s always going around and telling people about me. And what if my father cuts me loose from all the money? I mean, I know that sounds like an awful thing to say right now, but I kind of don’t have anything else. I’m not sure if he can do that. But he might. I have no idea how it all works.”
“Do you think there’s any way he’ll understand if you talk to him? Tell him it was a mistake?”
James shook his head. “No, I don’t think so. I’ve been going around and partying every night and promising him that I’ve been thinking about my future. Which I obviously haven’t. After everything he’s done for me, this is going to come as a big shock to him. He has a big reputation to uphold, and I might have just ruined it now.”
“There’s got to be something you can do,” Elton insisted.
“What?” James took a big sip of coffee and lay back. His head was swarming with too many thoughts, and he thought he was going to faint.
“Hey! I have an idea!” Elton said.
James sat up, eager to hear anything that might get him out of his situation. “Yeah?”
“Why
“But how? I don’t understand.”
“I don’t know, James. Did this girl… Lilah… did she have a copy or something?”
“No. Definitely not. The video is still here.” Suddenly, James stopped and looked at Elton. “Oh no.”
“What? Did you remember something?” Elton asked.
“Yeah. Tammy was here the other night. She had used her key to get in, and she had a bag full of stuff. She said it was all her stuff she was taking back. I thought about looking in the bag, but I just wanted her gone. I didn’t even consider that she would’ve taken the tape. It didn’t occur to me. This is totally something that Tammy would do.”
Elton nodded. “That’s for sure. I wouldn’t put it past her. Shit, James. What are you going to do? Your dad is going to freak. Who is this Lilah girl anyway?”
James sat back down and proceeded to tell Elton the whole story. About how after Elton had taken Ashley for coffee, he had treated the rest of the boys to a show at Betsy’s. He told Elton how he had been transfixed with Lilah.
“Her full name is Delilah. And she is beautiful.”
“I know. I mean… I didn’t watch the video. That would be weird. But I did see the start of it. And I saw her. She is stunning, James.”
“I can’t believe that Tammy would do this to me. Although… actually I do believe it. But it’s still awful. She knows my father would freak out. He’s totally going to find out about this. It would’ve been bad if it were any girl, but the fact that it is a stripper makes it so much worse. And even worse is that she’s such a lovely girl. She’s going to be devastated. It was my damn idea to go and film the whole thing anyway. What was I thinking?”
“Well, obviously you weren’t thinking that your ex-girlfriend would come in and steal it. That’s the last thing you’d be thinking. So don’t beat yourself up about it. I always hated Tammy.”
“I know you did. You were the only one that told me that to my face. I should’ve listened to you. I’m such an idiot. Elton, what am I going to do? My father is going to be so disappointed in me. Oh no! What about Martha? She’s going to die of embarrassment. She’s always telling me how proud she is of me.
She’s always going around and telling people about me. And what if my father cuts me loose from all the money? I mean, I know that sounds like an awful thing to say right now, but I kind of don’t have anything else. I’m not sure if he can do that. But he might. I have no idea how it all works.”
“Do you think there’s any way he’ll understand if you talk to him? Tell him it was a mistake?”
James shook his head. “No, I don’t think so. I’ve been going around and partying every night and promising him that I’ve been thinking about my future. Which I obviously haven’t. After everything he’s done for me, this is going to come as a big shock to him. He has a big reputation to uphold, and I might have just ruined it now.”
“There’s got to be something you can do,” Elton insisted.
“What?” James took a big sip of coffee and lay back. His head was swarming with too many thoughts, and he thought he was going to faint.
“Hey! I have an idea!” Elton said.
James sat up, eager to hear anything that might get him out of his situation. “Yeah?”
“Why
Similar Books
