The House Always Wins - 5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

"Here, drink this," Mr. Black said, pouring a glass of golden liquid from a crystal decanter and handing it over to me. "You look like you could use it."

I took the glass and swallowed it in one gulp, realizing too late that that wasn't the smartest thing to do. My throat constricted and I almost couldn't breathe, and started to cough and thump my chest. Mr. Black softly began to laugh.

"Little sips, that's the key."

"Thanks," I coughed, when the constricted feeling subsided. "Next time, tell someone that up front."

He inclined his head to me and sat down.

"I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions; I had not seen that the guest started all of this," he apologized, "I thought you were a hustler, a small pest in this town, and drew my conclusions from that."

"It's okay now, right? I'm not going to be arrested?" I asked, still a bit unsure.

"No, you won't."

I sighed relieved and rose from the chair.

"Thank you. And I'm sorry to have caused so much trouble. I'll leave now and won't ever come back, I promise."

"Where will you go, JJ, with no money? You won't get very far. I meant it when I said that I might be able to help. We may even be able to help each other," Mr. Black spoke, nodding at the seat I had just vacated. "Please."

He had a point there. Although... when I'd gotten up, I felt in my pocket and now pulled my hand out, revealing the five hundred Mr. Pastel had given me.

"Keep it," Mr. Black said. "That should be an expensive lesson learned for him."

I blushed and sat down, still fingering the money.

"Well, I can now at least get out of town."

"Yes, but what will you do after? How much is that; four or five hundred? It won't last you that long. I may have a more elegant solution; beneficial to both you and me."

"Okay," I said. "What do you want me to do?"

"I can't believe I'm going to propose this but I don't have much time to arrange something else. I've landed myself into a spot of trouble recently, and I need some help. It concerns a personal matter."

"Okay," I repeated, slowly.

"Let me explain: for almost two years now, my mother has made it her mission in life to see me 'happy'; to settle down with a partner, a dog and a house with a white picket fence. She has been parading a whole string of candidates in front of me, and I need it to stop."

I looked at him and nodded, and he continued.

"Now...a few weeks ago, she announced that she was coming over again. She comes over from England once a year, and stays for about a month - six weeks at the most. Since I had no interest whatsoever in her trying to fix me up with every available guy in the state, I told her that I had met someone. The one, so to speak, and I was deeply in love." He was gay? Could've fooled me!

"But..." I asked, not really understanding where this was going.

"But I made it up; that person does not exist. Now, I'm a busy man, I have a lot on my mind, more important things, and the date of her arrival simply crept up on me until it was too late. She arrives tomorrow evening, and I had forgotten about my claim of having found the one."

"So what does that have to do with me? Why not just tell her you broke up?"

"And have her start "Dates R Us" all over again? No, thank you. No, I need help; and you're the only help I can get, this fast. It'll have to do.."

"Doing what?"

"Pretend to be that guy; the one. In exchange for your help, I'm prepared to pay you handsomely. Say; $20,000? That should be more than enough to get you on your feet; look for a job and a place to live."

"Excuse me?" I gasped. I had to have heard that wrong.

"Pretend to..."

Seriously?

"No, I heard you the first time. Excuse me but; ever heard of the word hypocrite? Ten minutes ago, you accused me of being a hustler, all too ready to hand me over to the police," I said, jabbing my thumb at the door, "And now you're asking me to actually become a hustler?"

His face took on a sour expression and he smirked.

"Believe me; the irony has not escaped me but I think we have a bit of a misunderstanding here - this is all going to be an act. Empty. No sex; just show affection for each other when my mother is around. And for your information, I'd never pay for sex."

"Oh..." I felt like an idiot.

"Think about it; its perfect. You're gay, so am I; you need help, so do I. We can help each other."

I swallowed several times, my mind racing. Twenty thousand! That would more than...wait a minute... this would never work.

"JJ?"

"It wouldn't be very believable, even to me. I'm 19, you're what, 33, 34? Aren't I a bit too...umm...young for a man like you?"

He frowned.

"Sorry, I didn't mean that you're old, or that you're a pedophile or something" I stuttered, blushing.

"You didn't seem to have any problem with it an hour ago," he said, frowning. "I'm 35. And I prefer my partner to be younger than me. Granted, you are young, but you look older than 19, and you'll definitely be believed as my...choice. Adding to that your willingness to entertain an older man..." He let his voice trail off into silence and gave me an inscrutable look.

"I umm. . ." I stammered, blushing. Oh my god, he was for real!

"My mother knows me; she knows, or at least thinks she knows, what I look for. I know I'm not the ugliest person in the world, but if you think you can't do it, pretend to be in love with a person of my age..." he said, frowning.

"No, no, no," I said, quickly, "I think you're..."

"Ah, so you do think I'm attractive enough? How about hot or sexy?" He asked, sarcastically.

"No! What I meant was not too old...in my opinion."

He seemed genuinely surprised at that and I looked away, shyly.

"I see...so it wasn't just the money, you actually do prefer older men," he realized. "That should certainly help sell the act. Now, you realize what this all entails? We have to act the part; if we don't, she'll catch on and it's all over. No peace and quiet for me, no money for you." He said that last warningly.

"I'm not a dumb jock you know...of course I know what it entails." It shouldn't be too hard to convince an old woman that you're lovers, right?

"Well then... do we have a deal? I pay you for helping me out, for as long as she's here."

I didn't have much of a choice here. He was right; the five hundred wouldn't last me very long. What he offered would start me off to a life on my own, maybe even go back to school and finish my degree.

He came around his desk and extended his hand, giving me an expectant look.

"Alright, you have a deal," I replied, taking his hand. "$20,000, right?"

His long fingers wrapped around my hand, and they were cold. Like his eyes.

"Right. Excellent, we'll get started immediately. This way, please." He extended his arm, inviting me to what was apparently a private elevator, and he followed me inside. The door whooshed shut as quietly as it had opened.

"Where are we going?" I asked, frowning when he pushed the top of the three buttons, and we went up instead of down to the lobby. "Don't I need a room?"

"What, you think I'd let the love of my life stay in a room in my own hotel? She'd never buy that for a second; she'd know I‘d want him as close to me as possible."

I stared at him.

"You're moving in with me, of course," he said. "As of right now."

Live with him, for a month? Jesus...

"Right," I replied, sighing. "I just thought...never mind."

I'd just have to keep my eye fixed on the solution to my problems; twenty thousand dollars.