CHAPTER 21 - A COURTESAN’S CONFESSION, A WHORE’S WRATH AND A WHALE’S WILLY

BRENT ASHER’S HOUSE, LOS ANGELES - SATURDAY AFTERNOON

DAPH

I have been itching to get my ‘mouth’ on this guy for years! When I first met him, my immediate thought was smarm! Lots of smarm! But lots of smarm has got him this place, it’s ugly rich. A bit like him! Finally, I can hear someone opening the door, and on seeing me, the guy’s face falls.

“Move!” He scurries backwards, without a word. “And stay quiet!” I rasp and storm inside with an equally angry, but not sure why, Cyn hot on my heels. “Oh, Brent!” I call out sweetly.

“Daphne?” Brent sticks his head out of a door. “What are you doing here? Is everything okay with Justin?”

“The recording. Now!” I order and start to take off my jewellery.

“I told Justin that I would mail it to him.” He replies stiffly and unwisely remains where he stands.

“And Justin and Brian Kinney told us to retrieve the recording by any means necessary, which will include me ripping your face off and then telling the world why.” Cyn steps up to him.

“And you are?” He stares at her.

“Taller than you in my flats. You are lucky you are low to the ground; you won’t have so far to fall.”

“Alexi.” I turn to the asswipe still by the door. “Do you know where it is?” He nods. “Go and get it, or should it be them?”

“Them.” He admits.

“How many?” I demand, rolling up my sleeves and he swallows hard.

“Recordings, just a few! It’s not as if Justin wasn’t aware of it! He didn’t want to watch them though. Why do you want them?” He asks, and judging by the angry hissing of the asp, something is about to be divulged he would much rather wasn’t!

“Why did you try and blackmail Justin with them? You know, to help you get ahead in the orchestra?”

He shifts on his feet. “I can play, I am not just a good fuck. But he said he wasn’t going to abuse his position as lead cellist. I was angry...”

I step up to Brent. “Sit down. Right there!” I point to the floor before jabbing him in the shoulder and even though he does it slowly, he sits down. He looks up at me, as if he is taunting me. I merely stare down at him before turning to Alexi. “And you here, too.” I order.

“I thought you wanted the recordings?” He says as he sits down.

“Oh, we do, but first some further discussion is called for. So what did you do with them?”

“I gave them to Brent, as usual.” Alexi starts before swivelling his head around. “He likes to watch me fuck, for his private collection.”

“Always someone he knows?” I ask.

“Yes. But he doesn't like me to fuck them for long…doesn’t want me to get too attached. Okay, after he said no to helping, I shouldn't have said I would do what I said. But I calmed down by the time he told Brent about it.”

“You said it. You didn’t send it?” Cyn has caught on judging by the way the asp starts looking very guilty indeed!

“God, no! I wouldn’t do that. I’m on there too! But unlike Justin at the time, I was out and I gave…” Slowly he gets up and then heads towards a room a couple of doors down. I swiftly follow.

“Oh please, please move! I am begging you to move!” Cyn's ice cold tones carry and there is a hiss of pain. “Oops, didn’t see your finger there!”

BRENT’S MOVIE ROOM

I watch him rifle through some drawers before he finds a key and opens a cupboard, to reveal a flat screen TV and a small stack of CDs. “Is that them?” He nods. “When was the last time he watched you two?”

“It doesn’t matter. As I said, they have Justin on them. And they are the only copies.”  

“Coming your way!” Cyn yells and I hear the stomping of feet followed by the sound of someone hitting the floor and air being knocked out of their body. “No longer coming your way!”

I turn back to Alexi and see him looking thoughtfully at another drawer.

“And this…” He pulls out the drawer. “...has some other orchestra members.” My jaw drops and my stomach roils. “Both past and present.”

“Did they know?” I grimace.

“Yes, they knew!” He looks indignant.

“But, let me guess, you promised to delete them?” I sneer, he just nods the once. “You are as bad as him! So, what are you going to do?” I jerk my head in the direction of the ruckus. “You might not care but they will! Be a decent person instead of a fucking dick and give them to me!” I demand.

“Alexi...ow! Don’t you dare!” Brent shouts. “Those are my private...ouch, for fuck sake! Let go of that! It hurts!”

“Here...” He hands me the laptop. “He would download the video and then send them the blank disc. We just hadn’t gotten around to putting Justin’s on. He was going to wait for Justin to be calmer and then tell him what he’s found.”

“How in fuck would that have worked?!” We hear Cyn demand, then there is silence. We exchange worried looks and go and see what she has done and we find she has him in a headlock.

“Uh, Cyn? I don’t think he’s supposed to go that colour.” She lets go of him and he slumps to the ground, gasping for air.

“He moved and also didn’t answer my question!”

“I don’t have to!” He croaks out, regaining some of his pallor and standing up. “What happens now?” He gives Alexi a filthy look. “Apart from helping this traitorous whore to pack?!”

Alexi just laughs, much our surprise. “I am not going to have a Road to Damascus moment and change my ways. I loved fucking each and being fucked every one of them.” He chuckles again. “He never expected Justin to do that.”

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” I demand.

“He’s been controlling his career via the media for years!”

“Shut up, you whore!” Brent screams.

“I prefer courtesan. Calling me a whore is not going to get me to play nice, B-man!” Alex snickers. “He’s pissed because the people specifically requested Justin and only Justin to be the lead on the Oz trip. He’s not told them that he said no, but he told Ethan that he can do it, hoping that when he told Justin that it would have him scurrying back. But of course, the arrogant blowwrong beat him to it by going to Pittsburgh to crow, and it’s backfired on B-man big time.”

“Don’t suppose you know the deal he has with the people?” Cyn queries, pulling out her phone.

“Yep, pillow talk is a wonderful thing. Not so much for you now.” He sneers at Brent. “Ladies, follow me.”

We go past the movie room and into his office. “This is where the devil does his best work. And this is where he keeps his files. Uh, Cyn, judging by the huffing there is a corpulent crapfuck coming our way.” I snigger at his words and the speed with which Cyn leaves the room. “Seriously, some days it was like being fucked by a very short dicked but very fat whale. Why do you think I agreed to his assignations? I gotta get it somewhere.”

An hour later, the three of us are heading to the airport with Brian promising to bring hell upon Brent’s head and Alexi making us cringe and cackle in equal measure, as he regales us with of tales of the B-man’s inability to say, let alone reach, his prostate!