Chapter 24 – Jasper #2
And just like that, the team knows, and they seem to have taken the news better than I thought. Deep down I knew that they were going to be okay with Otis and I, but it was my previous job that I thought that they might have had an issue with.
“Jasper,” someone shouts. “Did you really work on street corners? Because I can’t see that.”
I had a feeling that this question might have come up at some point during the day, so I had been discussing options with Kimber and her lawyers.
Because Kimber keeps her business so secret, it was agreed that we would say that I worked out of a high-end place, but that I wasn’t able to give any information on the place.
“Clive lied there,” I start. “Because the place I worked had NDAs. But I worked out of a house that had a very select clientele.”
“You shag anyone famous?” a voice shouts.
“If I have, I’m not able to tell you,” I reply with a smile.
“Are you able to get mates’ rates?” another voice calls.
“No,” I state, and when I look over to Vincent, I see him roll his eyes and take a step forward.
“I think that’s enough, guys,” Vincent says. “I want you all to know that I don’t care about Jasper’s past. All I care about is how he works here, and I think you can all agree that he slotted in with the team well.”
There is a sea of nods at this statement, and I breathe a sigh of relief. Vincent really has created a family, not just a team, and I’m starting to feel very grateful that I’m a part of it.
“Right, we need to move this to the hotel,” Charmaine states. “Jasper and Otis, at this time you are going to need to travel separately, but we have organised some vans to take you.”
“You okay?” Otis whispers over to me.
“Yeah, this went well,” I tell him.
“The press won’t be as understanding,” Otis replies.
“Thanks Otis. I really needed to hear that.”
“Sorry, but I wanted to try and get you prepared. But I’m going to be there standing with you. Well, at the end anyway,” Otis says.
“I know.” And I pull him into a hug.
“Guys get a room,” one of the techs shouts, and I can feel Otis laughing in my arms.
I take Otis’s hand, and I keep hold of it as we walk out of the conference room and make our way out of HQ. When we get to the main doors, I let go and pull him into a hug, again. Needing to feel his body next to mine. Soaking up his warmth and strength.
“See you at the hotel,” I whisper to him, before pushing open the door and stepping out into the sunshine.
Today, of all days, the British weather feels like it’s against me.
I wanted today to be grey and overcast. Matching the mood.
But it’s not. There is not a cloud in the sky and it’s warm, almost too warm for the UK.
Parked in front of the building are two black vehicles that remind me of vans but are actually small minibuses, and all the windows have been blacked out.
“You’re travelling with me,” Charmaine says, coming up next to me. “I wanted to go over some last-minute interview prep with you.”
“Okay,” I reply, as I climb into the back of the minibus.
I had hoped that the hotel would have been some distance away from HQ, but only ten minutes later we’re pulling up outside, and I’m not sure if the last-minute prep helped me or has in fact made me more nervous.
I know that the press is going to eat me alive.
That I’m going to have to keep my cool and try and win them over.
“Jasper, you will be fine,” Charmaine says as we get out. “Plus, Otis will be joining you, and he’s amazing with the press.”
“Otis is good,” I confirm.
“We are just going to wait for the others to arrive. They’re going to head into the room first, and then we’re going to follow,” Charmine explains. “The whole team is behind you.”
“That doesn’t make this any less scary,” I mumble.
I have no idea how long we wait for the others to arrive, but finally Charmaine gives the nod and we walk into the conference room. I’m scanning it instantly to find Otis, needing to see his face, and I spot him at the back of the room, where he gives me a smile.
At the front of the room, a platform has been set up, so that we’re higher up than the reporters. On the platform there is a long table, three chairs. and some microphones. We step up and take our seats, and Charmaine addresses the reporters.
“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining us today. Jasper Knight will make an announcement and questions can be asked after that,” Charmaine states.
Charmaine turns to me and gives me a slight nod of the head and I know that it’s now my turn to talk, so I take a deep breath.
“I’m sure that you are all wondering about allegations that have been in the press about me and my relationship with Mr. Dunn. Well, for the record, some of them are true,” I start.
There is a murmur among the press, which we expected. Charmaine said that this statement would get their attention, and it has.
“Mr. Dunn. Clive. Was a client of mine, but I didn’t meet him on some street corner as he states. This fabrication would have been as a result of the NDA he had to sign, due to the establishment that I worked in.” I pause for this information to sink in before I continue.
The reporters listen to my every word as I explain about my relationship with Clive.
I don’t miss the few gasps that come from the reporters at certain pieces of information.
The biggest coming when I tell them that he was married.
Then finally, it’s time for the questions, and for the first time I wish Otis was up here with me, but I know that he will be joining me soon.
“Any questions? These will be asked one at a time,” Charmaine announces, and instantly I think all the reporters raise a hand. “Yes, you?” As Charmaine points to a reporter.
“Mr Dunn stated that it was you who broke his heart by refusing to stop taking clients. Are you saying that this is a lie?”
“Yes,” I confirm. “Mr Dunn was the one that told me that I had to stop taking clients. Even though, at the time, this was my only source of income. I listened. It was at this time that I discovered his wife.”
“Mr. Dunn never mentioned he was married?” a reporter asks, and I hadn’t even spotted that Charmaine had gone onto the next reporter.
“Never. At the establishment I gave a specialist service, that I would like to remain private,” I add, “So I just thought that Clive was coming to me for that.”
“Yet you started a relationship with him,” the same reporter asks.
“One question at a time please,” Charmaine states.
“It’s okay,” I respond. “Due to the nature of my speciality, I had many repeat clients, and I always kept it professional. I broke my rules with Clive, and I have to say that he almost broke me.”
Charmaine keeps pointing out the reporters and I answer all the questions as honestly as I can. I confirm that Vincent Montague knows about my past. I have no idea if I’m helping or potentially making the situation worse, but it felt good to get my truth out there.
“One more question,” Charmaine announces, and it’s one that she told me she had planted, “Yes, Nicky?”
“Has your history with Clive affected your relationships since then?”
“Yes, it did. I stopped dating altogether,” I confirm. “But I recently met someone, in fact we got engaged, and I’m sure you are all wondering. Yes he knows about my past.”
All the reporters’ hands shoot up. We knew this was going to lead to more questions. It’s why Charmaine had approached Nicky. He had agreed to ask, I think, as a way to get back into Vincent’s good books after the interview he had last year with David.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, it has been agreed that, due to the reports from Clive, we will announce Jasper’s engagement today. This was a relationship that was to be announced at the end of the year. So, you do have an exclusive.”
I look over to Otis and smile, and he starts to make his way to the front of the room.
I get to my feet. We need to make sure that the reporters know that this is real.
That Otis and I are together. And from the mumblings coming from all the reporters, and the flashes of cameras, they know this is true.