Chapter 22 – Jasper #2
At least Lizzie hasn’t commented on the son-in-law statement.
I have no idea where that thought came from or why I said it out loud.
Otis hasn’t even moved in yet and my brain is already thinking of a future that neither of us have discussed.
I know that it’s a future I want, if Otis stays around after the Clive issue.
“Right. I have just spoken with Lars. He’s on his way over with the car. Once he’s all parked up we will get you out,” Marcus announces, and I hadn’t even seen him on the phone.
“What about the race? I can’t take Lars away from that,” I reply. Vincent knowing about Clive is bad but to add pulling Lars from a race is unbearable.
“Jasper, the race is over. It’s fine,” Marcus adds. “Plus the news is beginning to filter into the team.”
“Fuck, the team,” I mumble. This is getting worse by the second. The team members are never going to respect me after this.
“First we need to talk to Vincent and Charmaine. Then we can deal with the team,” Otis adds. “And again, if they have any issues, I will deal with them.”
“Fuck,” Marcus exclaims. “Looks like this article is starting to make the news outlets. The demands for a response will be coming soon.”
“If I come out and say it’s true will it affect your business?” I ask.
“I have no idea, I don’t think so, as Clive has never mentioned me. I can just deny that I knew anything,” Kimber replies.
“Then you are to do that,” I state. “And you are going to need to call Mum and Dad, too.”
“Why?” Kimber questions.
“Because the fucking press vultures will call them. I actually don’t care if they talk. They aren’t going to say anything nice about me and it could also help you,” I reply.
“This fucking sucks,” Kimber states. “I’m going to call Doug.”
“Doug?” Marcus questions.
“I hired a private detective to look into Marj,” Kimber explains, “I should have called him when the image of her and Clive came out, but I didn’t. I need him to investigate Clive. We will get some answers.”
“Will he keep everything private?” Marcus adds. “We don’t need any more fuel being added to the fire.”
“Oh, didn’t I mention, he is also a client. He fucks us over and I will scream like a canary or get my lawyers involved. We can trust him.”
“Good,” Marcus replies. “The more evidence we can get the better.”
“Guys!” I exclaim. “I need to tell them the truth. Counter Clive’s story.”
“I think we need to discuss this with Vincent before we do anything,” Marcus adds. “I think making the news has upped the ante on this story.”
Before I’m able to respond to this, Marcus’s phone starts ringing, which he answers and just says, “give us five minutes.”
“Right, Lars is here,” Marcus starts. “He has managed to park at the back of the hotel. There is no press there. Vincent has spoken with the management, and they’re going to help us all get out. Jasper you are to go down first. Get into the back seat. Crouch down and cover yourself with a blanket.”
“Like a fugitive?” I grumble.
“Yeah,” Marcus confirms. “Otis will follow a few minutes later and get into the front with Lars. We are hoping that this will distract the press.”
“And you guys?” I question.
“We are going to leave by the front of the hotel,” Marcus says, “hopefully adding another distraction. We are all going to meet at your place.”
“I only have room for two cars.” Which in the grand scheme of things is a daft thing to say.
“That’s fine. We can be dropped off. We just need to come in the back way,” Marcus adds.
“Okay.” Because I have no opinion but to say this.
“Right, come on,” Marcus adds.
Suddenly, I’m being pulled to my feet and ushered out of the hotel room. I thought that we would be going into the lift, but Marcus opened the door for the stairway.
“Safer,” Marcus adds, and I just nod in agreement.
We make it down the stairs, go through the staff only entrance, and finally push open a door to the kitchen. The place is empty. Surely this place should be a hive of activity.
“Where is everyone?” I ask over to Marcus as we get to a door at the far end of the kitchen.
“Removed for five minutes. I couldn’t risk photos being taken. They were told a VIP was coming through,” Marcus explains.
“You’re thinking of everything,” I mumble.
“Just doing my job.”
“Your job was to deal with social media, not protect your friend,” I state.
“Protecting you from being splashed all over social media,” Marcus replies with a smile.
“Still this isn’t what you signed up for,” I tell him.
“Jasper, don’t let Clive win. The last time I heard you talk like this was when that piece of shit broke you. You aren’t that person anymore. You have a huge group of people around you who love you. Look at Otis. We will get this piece of shit.”
“But what if he wins again?” I mumble as we stop at the door.
“He won’t,” Marcus confirms.
Marcus pushes open the door and there just outside the door is a bright blue Mercedes that belongs to Lars. How the hell is this plan going to work? I must be crazy for going along with this.
“Right, in you go,” Marcus announces, as he steps forward and opens the passenger side door.
“The press will be on my side on the way out,” Lars states. “Get in behind me. Sit in the foot well. I have pulled my seat forward as much as I can. There should be a black blanket.”
Getting into the car, I follow the instructions as best as I can, but it’s a tight squeeze and not very comfortable. If this is the only way I can get home, then I’m going to have to grin and bear it.
“Once we’re away from the hotel, we’ll stop so you can move,” Lars states. “I’m not going to make you sit there all the way back to your place.”
“That would be nice,” I say as I pull the blanket over me, and I hear the door being shut.
I sit there in the darkness for what feels like hours, but then I hear a door opening and shutting.
“I’m in,” Otis’s voice sounds. “Let’s get moving.”
Lars starts the engine and I feel the car start to move. “Jasper we’re coming up to where all the press are. Try and stay still.”
I actually hold my breath. So worried that the press would look into the car and see the blanket moving and know that I was hidden there.
“It’s only Lars Anderson and Otis Young,” I hear a reporter shout, so they had to be close to the car, “Look someone is coming out the entrance.”
“The press are moving,” Otis’s voice sounds, and I finally let out the breath that I had been holding.
“Just a few more minutes, Jasper. I just want to get some distance between us and the hotel,” Lars says.
“Don’t stop,” I say. “I think I will be able to get out. I just want to get home.”
“Are you sure?” This time it’s Otis’s voice.
“Yeah.”
Eventually Lars says we’re clear. I manage to manoeuvre myself out from my hiding place and get onto the back seat.
“How are you doing?” Otis asks, turning to me.
“I just had to hide in the back seat of a car, and my ex is destroying my life. How do you think I’m feeling?” I didn’t mean to snap at Otis, but the words just seem to fall out of my mouth. “Sorry,” I add.
“Jasper, it’s okay,” Otis replies, and not for the first time since I started dating Otis, I ask myself how the hell did I deserve to have someone as wonderful as him. “It was a stupid question, but Clive is not going to destroy your life. I’m not going to fucking let him.”
“I second that,” Lars adds. “And Vincent... Well, he is pissed.”
“He has every right to be,” I reply. “I’ve brought Montague Racing bad press, which made the news.”
“Oh not at you. At Clive,” Lars adds.
“Clive?” Not sure I’m believing what I’m hearing.
“Yeah,” Lars confirms. “Vincent thinks of Montague Racing as a family. Last year with Richard and David, I think he realised how close he was to losing it. He has changed. Now, he is going to fight. A part of me actually felt a little sorry for Clive, then I remembered the prick deserves whatever is coming to him.”
“Oh.” Because that feels like the only response that I can give him. It was nice of Lars to say that, but I think Vincent is going to be saying something very differently when I’m sitting in front of him, explaining that most of his story is true.