By My Side, Always

Greg paced back and forth in front of Gary, scowling down at him.

"She's going to find out I let Stefano steal from her for years. I even took a cut as she was the talented one, and I was so fucking jealous!" He was breathing hard, and tears were freely running down his cheeks.

"Now everything is ruined because you made her suspicious of Stefano and convinced her to do an audit." Gary's eyes were locked on Greg's face as the man began to shake his head violently.

"I can't! I can't face her," he said and sucked in a sharp breath, looking away from Gary, still lying on the floor, clutching the guitar case for its solidity.

"I-I can't live with what I've done to her."

Greg locked eyes with Gary. "Tell her I loved her... and I'm sorry."

To Gary's horror, Greg stepped backward off the platform as the next train rushed into the station. Someone screamed. The train slammed its brakes on with a terrible squeal, and Gary closed his eyes. He could still see the hopelessness in Greg's eyes as he dropped from view a split second before the train rushed past his position.

Gary's head throbbed painfully, but his muscles slowly began to unlock. He was able to push himself to a seated position as people started to rush across the platform.

A man crouched down next to him and said something, but Gary wasn't registering the words yet. It was too much.

"Sir! Sir! Can you hear me?"

Gary looked at the man's face and saw he was wearing a uniform. "What?"

"Can you understand me?" the policeman asked.

"Y-yes. My head hurts."

The man nodded. "An ambulance is on its way. It doesn't look too bad." He pressed something soft to the wound, and Gary winced, sucking in a sharp breath. "Don't move. This will stop the bleeding. What's your name?"

"Uh, Gary... Truman."

"Do you know the name of the victim? Did you know him?"

Gary's eyes lifted to look into the officer's questioning eyes. "Yes, Greg Yossman. I didn't know him well. I just played with him once."

The cop's eyebrows rose. "Yossman, the musician?"

Gary's mind was spinning with the reality of what had just happened. Selina! She needed to know. "Someone needs to tell Selina. She shouldn't hear about it in the news."

"We'll take care of that, sir. Who should we call for you?" the officer asked.

Gary jolted as he looked at the man in confusion. "I'm not dying!"

"No, I mean to meet you at the hospital," the cop corrected.

"Oh. Emma Patricks." He gave the officer the details of where to find her. "She might be running a class now." His head throbbed, and he winced.

The platform was very busy now, and some EMTs joined the cop to take over holding the cloth to Gary's forehead.

"What happened to you, buddy?" the medic asked.

Gary blinked at the thick Brooklyn accent, then glanced over at the bench. "I was thrown against that."

The paramedic saw the blood on the edge of the armrest. Then he shone a small light in Gary's eyes, making him wince in pain.

"My head hurts," Gary mumbled.

The EMT looked at his partner. "Let's get him on the stretcher. Facial laceration. Possible mild concussion." He looked at the officer. "We get a name?"

"Gary Truman."

"Hey, Gary. Let's get this backpack off." The man undid the buckles and pulled the straps off of his shoulders. He grunted when he lifted it. "Shit! What's in this? Rocks?"

"My accounting textbooks," Gary said, and the medic snorted as he handed it to the police officer.

They went to move Gary to their stretcher, but he clung to the guitar case handle. "Gary, you need to let go of the case."

"No," Gary mumbled. His headache throbbed.

"Officer Franklin will take good care of it. He's following us to the hospital," the medic said.

Gary looked at the cop and saw him nod, so he unclenched his fingers, and the EMT handed the case to the cop.

Once he was stretched out on the gurney, Gary sighed.

"Stay awake, Gary," the EMT said.

Gary wondered if he'd ever heard a worse suggestion.

-=-

Hours later, Gary was propped up in a chair in a police station across the desk from Detective Delgado once more. After visiting the hospital and getting stitches for the gash, Officer Franklin brought Gary and Emma to the precinct and handed him off to the detective.

Glancing at the wall clock showed it was almost two in the morning.

Gary's face ached, and his head was beginning to hurt again as the painkillers he'd been given at the hospital faded. The bruising and swelling had spread from his forehead down across his left eye.

His backpack was at his feet, and the guitar case leaned against the desk. He rested his foot against it, but he was still rocked by the reality of having it. If it hadn't been for the heavy books in his backpack and the bulky guitar case tangling Greg's feet, Gary would have been the one on the subway tracks.

On this terrible night, the only bright spot was Emma, sitting on his right, clinging to his arm. Her support helped him greatly.

On Emma's other side was Selina Moreno. She'd been brought in shortly after Gary and Emma arrived. They'd had a tearful reunion but being together seemed to help. Her eyes were still a little puffy from crying, but she was keeping it together now.

Detective Delgado glanced across the desk at the singer. "Did Mr. Yossman drive a tan eighties Oldsmobile?"

Selina shook her head. "No. Greg doesn't--he didn't own a car. Stefano drives a tan Cutlass, probably from the eighties. He felt threatened by Gary. Now we know why."

The detective nodded and added those details to the report.

Another officer approached the desk and spoke to the detective, leaving him with a printed form.

"Shit. We got a hit on our search for Mancini. He boarded a red-eye flight to Buenos Aires, Argentina, last night. I suggest you check with your bank in the morning if he had access to your accounts."

Selina nodded stiffly.

Once the detective gathered a few more details, he thanked them for their cooperation and said the hit and run case was officially closed. The subway attack on Gary was being shut as well.

Selina, Emma, and Gary shared a look and climbed to their feet. Gary was still a little unsteady, so Emma braced him. Selina gave him a sad expression, but Gary just pulled her into a hug, then they made their way to the street.

A car service limo pulled up to the curb for Selina, and she turned to face Gary and Emma. "Please allow me to give you a lift home."

Gary wasn't about to refuse, and Emma smiled at her thankfully.

Once they were comfortably seated inside, Emma gave the driver their address, and Selina put up a privacy wall between them and the driver. Then she turned to face the young couple.

"I'm so sorry about all of this. Greg said this was all my fault," Gary said softly.

"No, Gary. This was Stefano's fault. And Greg's. As he told you, Greg felt jealous of my talent, so he allowed Stefano to embezzle from me for years and profited from it. He would have confessed his sins long ago if he truly loved me." She shook her head sadly. "I know Greg left everything to me in his will, so maybe I'll get some of that money back."

"What about the money your manager stole?" Emma asked.

Selina's smile became cold. "Stefano chose a poor location to run away to. I have family there. Very protective family. He'll be greeted by a welcoming committee when his flight lands." She shrugged, and her smile faded.

"I still have many tears to cry, for many reasons, but I need hope in my heart. Something to look forward to." She looked Gary in the eye. "Once this ordeal is done, and I find reputable management with integrity, could we get together and record that album?"

Gary smiled at her. "Yes, I would love to."

"Thank you, Gary. I'm sorry you got pulled into the drama surrounding my life. To compensate you for the song we did at Rocky's, send me the details, and I'll pay for the next year of your course. I'll also get you a fair contract when we meet again."

Emma was thrilled but Gary was stunned. "Thank you so much! That's such a relief! I want you to know I don't hold you accountable for what Stefano or Greg did or tried to do to me. You're a wonderful person and an enormously talented and brilliant artist. I look forward to creating music with you soon." Selina's eyes were glassy as she smiled at him.

The limo pulled up at the curb before their place, and Gary and Emma gave Selina hugs before they climbed out.

Emma got them inside the building and into their apartment before Gary finally released his grip on the guitar case.

"You've been holding onto your guitar case like it would disappear all night. I didn't know you brought it to college," Emma remarked as he flexed his fingers.

"This isn't my guitar--I mean, it's not my acoustic guitar," Gary said, flustered.

She looked closer. "I didn't even notice the case was different! I guess I had other things on my mind."

He smiled. "Mr. Nishimura, the professor I spoke to about the contract, gave me his guitar at the end of the day. His wife and daughter heard me play it in his office, and they insisted he give it to me."

He opened the case, and Emma gasped. "Oh my god! It's gorgeous! It's an electric guitar?"

Gary nodded. "If he doesn't change his mind and ask for it back, I have to learn how to play it, which means I'll need a small amp and earphones."

Then he sighed. "Or I can sell it and put the money toward the final year of my course."

"No! You can't sell this lovely guitar! Besides, selling it won't pay for your course," Emma insisted.

Gary looked into her eyes. "You're right, but it would go a long way toward covering the costs. It's a five-thousand-dollar guitar."

Emma's eyes flew wide as her hands went over her mouth. When she recovered, she shook her head. "I can't take any more shocks tonight. Let's just go to bed. Are you allowed to sleep?"

Gary nodded. "The doctor said I didn't have a concussion."

"I should probably leave a message for Dennis to tell him to find someone else for tomorrow's classes," Emma said.

Gary put his hands on her shoulders to look into her beautiful blue eyes, which watched him in concern. "I'll be okay. I promise to take it easy tomorrow. Nothing physically strenuous or taxing for my brain either. Let's see how things are in the morning."

They stripped their clothes, brushed their teeth, then slipped under the covers.

"Could you do laundry tomorrow?" Emma asked quietly.

Gary chuckled softly. "Of course, my love."

Emma snuggled in, and Gary did his best to ignore the flashes, every time he closed his eyes, of Greg falling out of sight before the train hit him.

It took him far longer than Emma to fall asleep.

Chapter 8

Gary managed to convince Emma he was fine to be on his own, so she didn't call in to take the day off.

Dennis had been a little prickly the last few days, so she didn't want to chance him taking the classes away from her... yet. She was getting a lot of great responses from the clients.

As she walked the last block toward the building, she enjoyed the afternoon sun on her face. Living in the city sometimes felt like she was living in the shadows of all the tall buildings and was losing contact with real sunlight. She turned her face up to the rays and smiled as she enjoyed the warmth.

No sooner was she enjoying it than she stepped into a shadow. She glanced up in frustration and froze. It was a billboard blocking the rays, but the image on the billboard caused her chest to tighten, constricting her breathing.

There she was, twenty feet tall from the top of her head to her knees, wearing that skimpy purple workout wear. Her jaw dropped as she suddenly realized the image had been retouched to emphasize her nipples pressing against the tight fabric.

It was her body, but she'd never smiled like that when she wore the first outfit. More abusive image manipulation was going on here.

Most importantly, she wanted the billboard taken down. NOW!

Outraged, she rushed the final block to step inside the club. She spotted Dennis walking the floor and made a beeline to directly confront him.

Dennis beamed a smile at her and pre-empted her tirade. "Hey! Did you see that awesome billboard? It's already drawing in customers. I look pretty good too!"

Emma knew he was trying to defuse her anger, but he'd gone too far this time. It was time he started listening.

-=-

Dennis could see she was ready to yell, so he raised his hands and directed her to follow him to his office. They stepped inside, and he closed the door behind her, then took a seat behind his desk. Emma continued to stand in front of his desk with her arms crossed across her chest.

"I never agreed to the image you used or the outfit. That's a doctored photo, and it's humiliating! I want it down!

Dennis was getting annoyed with the red-haired vixen's prudishness. This small-town shit had been endearing at first, but now it jeopardized an expensive marketing campaign.

The last few days, her attendance had been spotty, and he was beginning to question her hunger for the job. Now she does this?

If she wasn't so incredibly popular, he'd kick her out on her amazing ass.

He realized he wouldn't sway her mind about the billboard, so he'd have to make her cognizant of life in the big city. "I don't have to get your approval on the image or outfit. You signed the model release, letting me use the pictures as I see fit." He smiled at her indulgently.

"I never signed the release."

Dennis looked at her blankly, then frowned. "Of course, you signed it! Dino handed you the clipboard. You took it to the change room, and I saw you leave it on the front desk."

"Yes, I brought it up to the front desk because the pen he gave me had no ink. Then you rushed us out of the office before I got a chance to sign the form. I didn't sign the release. Take the billboard down."

Dennis recalled pulling her from the office to avoid meeting the bikini sluts. He scowled. "I've already paid for the printing and the space for the next three months!"

"It comes down, or I quit and sue!"

Seeing the defiant look in her eye was too much for Dennis, and he blew his top as he dropped back against his chair.

"You selfish little bitch! After everything I've done for you!"

Emma leaned forward over his desk, resting her hands on the surface and exposing her cleavage. "I didn't ask for your help. I would have made it to the top eventually on my own."

Dennis' eyes were fixed on her tits, but he managed to sneer at her naive words. "The only way you got to the top was because I cleared the way for you to take Yvonne's sessions!"

Emma blinked her large doe eyes at Dennis, and his sneer grew wider. "Yvonne's contract had a clause indicating that she could renew her contract as long as she was physically able, or I bought her out. She had to go to let you shine! I made that happen for you!"

"I never wanted that!" Emma gasped.

"Oh, grow up! You took all the time slots. Even when I added some Yvonne never did. You benefitted the most!"

"You crippled a good woman, then told me I was only covering her sessions until she healed from a broken leg. You asked me to do a photoshoot and then manipulated the picture to oversexualize my image. I never signed the release. Then you got greedy when my classes proved popular and added extra sessions without asking if I could handle the extra load. There are a lot of excellent trainers here. You could have shared those extra sessions with them, but instead, you abused my good nature."

Emma gave him a look of loathing. "You're a monster! I want nothing to do with your criminal behavior. I quit!"

"You can't quit! I did those things to boost your career! I made you!" Dennis snarled.

Emma pushed back from the desk and stormed out of the office.

She needed to be in a public space for what came next.

-=-

Dennis surged to his feet, ready to strangle the fucking bitch.

That's when he saw the page button on his phone flashing.

His face went pale as his mind went back through what they said to each other from the point when she leaned on his desk. Fuck. Fuck! FUCK!

Reaching out a finger, he turned off his page. He heard the distinct click over the speakers now that his door was open.

He rushed out of his office onto the floor to see everyone staring at him. Many of them were on their cell phones as they kept their eyes on him.

Emma was standing with the other trainers glaring back at him.

He was fucked! Dennis took his only option.

He ran.

-=-

Nancy Delaney waited for the other trainers to finish speaking to Emma before walking up to the woman.

"That was brilliant!"

Emma smiled at her, then frowned. "Now that I've quit, how will I get that billboard taken down?"

"Did Dennis ever give you a contract?" the lawyer asked.

Emma shook her head. "I was only covering the classes until Yvonne returned. I just had a regular employment contract."

Nancy patted her arm. "I'll take care of it. When I'm finished with Dennis and the Fitness Club chain, Dennis with have nothing, and the chain will be kissing your feet, begging you to come back. You really didn't sign the model release?"

"They gave me an empty pen to sign it with, then Dennis rushed me out of the office for some reason, so I forgot," Emma explained.

Nancy nodded with a gleeful grin. "How doctored is the photo?" she asked.

Emma sighed. "It's my head and body, but the photographer only got one picture of me wearing that skimpy outfit. I changed into my usual clothes after that. I wasn't smiling like you see in the billboard when he got that first shot. He also over-emphasized my chest."

Nancy was grinning like a shark. She was going to enjoy this. "I'll take the photographer down too."

Emma looked at her nervously. "I was bluffing about suing Dennis. I don't have any money for a lawsuit, and I just lost my job."

Nancy patted her arm once more. "Emma, I'm going to do this pro bono. It makes me feel good to right wrongs like this."

Emma gave her a hopeful smile.

Truthfully, Nancy's efforts weren't completely unselfish. She wanted to ensure Emma continued as a trainer at the club. She always felt so good after her sessions.

She also loved to crush little shits like Dennis and his sleazy photographer friend.

This case would be particularly fun.

-=-

Gary's exams were over, and college was done for the year. With his second year paid for, the pressure was off, but he knew he would have to go farther afield to find new bookkeeping clients to augment his income to pay for year three.

Unless the album Selina planned to produce generated some income for him. He knew nothing about music industry financials, so he wouldn't count on that as revenue.

The weather steadily improved as June arrived. The predictions for the summer were pleasant for once.

In the first week of June, Gary and Emma were invited to a celebration of life ceremony for Greg Yossman.

They packed for a long weekend away and met at Selina's place early on a Friday morning. She'd chartered a luxury coach to bring her and some friends up to her place in Martha's vineyard. Gary brought his guitars, as requested, since there would be many musicians in attendance, and this almost guaranteed informal jam sessions would spontaneously pop up.

Emma was delighted to see so many famous and talented people from the industry climbing onto the bus, and Gary was pleased to meet them as well. There were three guitarists, two bass players, a keyboardist, a drummer, and three lovely women who sang backup vocals in Selina's band. She indicated she was expecting more people to be at the ceremony as they'd find their own way up to Martha's Vineyard.

Everyone on the bus was super friendly, especially when Selina introduced Gary as the mystery guitarist from her last release. Emma generated friendly responses just by being herself.