Fifteen Minutes Ch. 03

She wasn't sure what response to expect, but it certainly wasn't his mocking laugh. "A mistake?" he spat. "You mean you were caught out in one mistake. How many other mistakes have you made that haven't been discovered? Yet?"

Madison swallowed hard as he sat back down and slipped his arm around Janet's shoulder. She wanted to fly at him. Why was she taking second place to this woman? "Don't you want to hear what I have to say?"

He sent her a contemptuous half-smile. "No I don't. Not a word. Not... one... fucking... word. You made your bed, you lie on it."

"Dad..."

"Did I say bed?" His sarcastic smile cut into her heart. "It was the back of a car, wasn't it? Dirty little bitch, just like your mother..."

"You bastard!" Madison couldn't help it. How dare he criticise her mother? "Don't talk about my mother like that."

The upset teenager waited for him to jump up again. Hit her, even. It wouldn't be the first time. She was prepared for it. Maybe it would have helped?

Instead, his chilling smile told her everything she needed to know, even before he said the words. "I always knew you'd grow up to be an absolute slut..."

When the tears began to flow, she turned on her heels and ran out.

***

Madison yanked open the passenger door and jumped into the seat. Despite the tears running down her cheeks, her eyes spat fire. "That bastard!"

"Oh, baby, I'm sorry," Peaches murmured, shuffling across in her seat to slip a comforting hand around her friend's shoulder. She'd feared the worst. Neither of Madison's parents was worth a fig. Both were selfish, intent on pursuing their own happiness at their daughter's expense. Ever since she'd met Madison met, her friend had lurched from one identity crisis to another. It was only when she'd moved into her own flat that she'd begun to regain her self esteem.

It was one reason Madison had always been so adamant about having only one boyfriend at a time. Peaches knew she hadn't wanted to follow her parent's promiscuous path.

"Don't be," the brunette spat, banging a fist down on the dashboard. The action helped stem the tears. She threw her head back in frustration. "I never want to see that bastard again."

"Here," the blonde softly murmured, pulling her into a comforting hug. Her hand softly stroked her friend's shoulder length black hair. "Want to talk about what he said?"

It took a good couple of minutes for Madison to answer. Reaching for the box of tissues at her feet, she wiped the tears from her face. "It's all unravelling, Peaches."

"You don't belong in that house," her friend simply said. It might not be the most helpful comment in the circumstances, but it was true.

"I know," Madison said, blowing out a long sigh. Her head was clearing. "I'll never go there again."

"What did he say?"

"Basically.... I'm a dirty little bitch, just like my mother," Madison answered, swallowing hard. She was absolutely not going to cry again! "That he always knew I'd grow up to be an absolute slut..." Damn, there were those tears again. She took another tissue and fought them back.

"The bastard!"

Madison nodded. "We're agreed on that one. He's still with that Janet, you know?"

Peaches pulled a face. "Which one's Janet? Is she the poison dwarf or the one with the moustache?"

Despite herself, Madison giggled. "Neither. They didn't last long. This one's the dyed blonde with loads of make-up."

"And over-sized tits? I remember her."

"Yeah. He's going to marry her..."

The two young women stared at one another. Silence filled the inside of the car. "You have got to be joking," Peaches eventually gasped. "He's marrying that trollope?"

"Trollope?" Madison burst into laughter. It was infectious. Soon tears were running down both their faces, but this time they were happy ones. "Gosh, I wish I'd have thought of that word," she said, holding her sides. She could hardly speak. "I... I could have called her that."

"You're welcome to my father, you trollope," Peaches boomed in a deep voice, as she wiped her eyes. It set them off again and they both reached for the tissues

"Oh, Peaches," Madison chortled, reaching across to hug her friend again. "You do make me feel better. Thanks."

"You're welcome, baby" Peaches murmured. Despite the mirth, she knew this was all so unfair. It wasn't easy to rid herself of that guilty feeling. She'd known Nate and Ethan had wanted to swap partners, and yet hadn't tried to dissuade them. And she'd been the one who'd suggested the club that night.

"Okay..." Madison sighed, glancing at her watch. She'd completely lost track of time. Her stomach lurched. "I'm meeting Jay-Jay in twenty minutes..."

The two young women exchanged anxious glances. It never rained but it poured.

***

Jay-Jay Kazan sat silently in his sumptuous office, staring at the young girl across from him. Everything about her features screamed out her unease. But then, she'd been apprehensive ever since she'd arrived five minutes ago. Her face twisted, her voice trembled, her hands rubbed together. Even the way she nervously played with a lock of her black hair was a clear sign of how anxious she was feeling.

He hadn't helped the situation, of course. His ruse of keeping her standing, while he responded monosyllabically to her apologies, had only made the young brunette more edgy. It was a tactic he'd used many times in similar situations. Keep 'them' on their toes until he decided which way to go.

Leaning back in his plush leather chair, he steepled his fingers against his chin. It was a question of balance. On the one hand, Madison had broken most of the rules he set out for his employees. That put him in a difficult position, even if he did feel sympathetic. If he didn't come down on her like a ton of bricks, his other workers would think he was going soft, and that would make it open season for all sorts of misbehaviour.

And yet...

The girl was beautiful, and had the sort of curvaceous body that men fell over themselves for. She could easily be a Page 3 model. But this one was smart, too. The teenager had already proven her value in the office. She'd shown good instincts and an initiative he'd normally only expect from someone more experienced. And she was loyal, trustworthy.

It was quite a dilemma.

"I'm sorry," she said again. That was the third time. As if she felt she had to fill in the silences with an apology.

Glancing at his watch, he picked up his phone and called through to his PA. "Lucinda, I'm due in a meeting with Tony at four. Push it back half an hour."

Replacing the phone, he plonked both feet on his desk in what Madison recognised as a typical Jay-Jay pose. The last time she'd seen it he was delighted with her. This time, the meditative expression on his face had her confused.

"I understand why you look so nervous," he said, his pensive eyes staring at her. "This is a fine mess you've got me into, as Laurel said to Hardy. Or was it the other way round?" He nodded towards one of the chairs in front of his desk. It was time to ease the tension. "Have a seat."

"Thanks," she said, meeting his gaze.

He nodded at her. When she'd arrived, she hadn't been able to meet his eyes. Now, despite her anxiety, she was showing some spirit. He liked that. "What are we going to do?" he asked, tapping his fingers on the desk.

"Jay-Jay—" she began, leaning forward, but his upraised hand stopped her.

"It was a rhetorical question," he said, his smile thoughtful. "It was meant to indicate that this situation, even for someone as experienced as me, is quite a predicament."

For a moment, it looked like she was going to speak, to apologise again probably. But wisely, she kept those glossy red lips closed. His demeanour, as well as his words, suggested silence was the best route until he spoke again. He was pleased she was sufficiently intelligent to pick up on that.

Sweeping a hand through his silver hair, he continued. "All I know is what I've read in the papers. Tell me more..."

"Most of that—"

"Is crap," he finished for her, curling his face into a so-what gesture. "I know that. This is my territory, remember. They get the germ of a story and suddenly it's a three act play. But that's what sells newspapers, Madison-baby. It's what makes the world go round. It's what makes me money and—until now—it's what has paid your wages."

Until now? Madison shivered. Closing her eyes for a brief moment, she hoped that when she opened them this would all be a dream. Instead, he was pointing at her.

"Skip the sordid detail," he snapped at her. "And explain what actually did happen. Just the key points."

The deep breath she took helped her to stay calm. Only just. She'd replayed this conversation over and over in her mind. "We'd bumped into Frankie and Leon—"

"Leon? Leon Baxter?"

"Yes."

"He was involved?"

"The papers don't know about that part. He and Peaches went off together, and Frankie and I did the same. We didn't see them again..."

Kazan nodded thoughtfully. "So, you met them at the club that night? Goodfella's?"

"We'd met them once before and went back to the club that night. I'd just finished with my boyfriend." It was important to her that Jay-Jay understood she was unattached. Her father thought she was a slag and she didn't want her employer to feel the same.

"Go on..." There was that finger again.

She gave a deep sigh. This really was painful. "One thing led to another. I agreed to go back to Frankie's but on the way there..." She could feel her chest tighten. She wasn't explaining this the way she'd rehearsed in her mind. "Well," she tailed off, "I'd had far too much to drink..."

The PR Guru shrugged. "Often the way," he casually said, as if it was an everyday experience. It probably was. "Any drugs?"

Madison hesitated. Damn, now there was a question! Her voice softened to little more than a whisper. "He gave me an Ecstasy tablet."

His face didn't change. "You're into drugs?"

The way she shook her head was almost violent. "I've never taken any before... ever!"

His leather chair creaked as he dropped both feet to the floor. "You didn't have to tell me about the drugs?" His unwavering eyes stared into hers.

Madison choked back the bile rising in her throat. "You asked me," she hesitantly answered. "You told me I'd earned your trust. Never give it away, you said."

For a few moments he didn't speak, and then he rattled his knuckles on the top of his desk. "Madison-baby, there aren't many around like you. There's no doubt about that."

A smile creased her face. That was a good sign, wasn't it?

"So basically, on the way back to this asshole's place, the two of you couldn't keep your hands off one another. You parked up, and in the middle of your sexual aerobics the men in blue came along. Very careless, wouldn't you say?"

Her smile disappeared.

"Another rhetorical question," he snorted. "Tell me this. Having broken just about every rule in the book, do you seriously expect to keep your job here?"

Madison saw the trap, but couldn't avoid it. "I know it's asking a lot—"

"Oh, it's asking a lot?" he asked, his eyebrows rising in emphasis. "Let me tell you my problems. One—what the other worker's will think? Do I have one rule for them and another for you? They'll see this as gross misconduct. Two—what will the press do? Camp outside my offices like they're doing at your flat? What will that do for my business, Madison-baby?"

It felt like someone had gripped her stomach and was squeezing tightly. He was right, of course.

Kazan nodded, seeing that she was catching on. "Then there's my standing in the media world. The finest of reputations painstakingly built up over twenty years. My clients have always been thought of as innocents, haven't they? People who've been taken advantage of. And yet I'll be seen to condone what you've done by continuing to employ you. Tell me, as a businesswoman, does that make sense to you?"

Her head threatened to explode. A moment ago she'd thought the conversation was about to take a turn for the better. Now he was kicking her while she was down. Her eyes returned to meet his, but he just shrugged his broad shoulders and walked across to his drinks cabinet.

"All of those reasons make it impossible for you to continue to work here," he admitted, reaching for the whisky decanter. "There's only one conclusion."

"I understand, Jay-Jay..." she softly said, almost choking on the words. There was nothing else to say. It felt like the world was on her shoulders. She rose to her feet.

"Whoa there," she heard him say. "Where are you going? We have terms to discuss."

"Terms?" She hadn't expected any leaving payment. Gross misconduct, he'd said.

"Absolutely," he said, holding up two drinks. "We've just acknowledged that I've always represented innocents, people who've been taken advantage of." He walked across to the confused girl and handed her one of the two glasses. "I'd say the description fits perfectly, wouldn't you? I'm not losing an employee. I'm gaining a client..."