Her words bewildered him. What the hell? How did Katia know he’d spent the night with Demi? Had one of his brothers or cousins blabbed to her? Chase opened then closed his mouth. His heart was racing, beating in double time, but he projected calm, didn’t let his fear show. “What are you talking about? And how do you know Demi?”
“Everyone knows who Demi Harris is,” Katia said, her tone matter-of-fact. “She’s a social media darling with a million followers and Geneviève’s kid sister, which is mad cool.”
Confused by her words, he scratched the side of his head. “Geneviève who?”
Mercedes scoffed, her short, auburn curls bouncing around as she fervently shook her head. “Duh, the chart-topping singer from Philly with the killer voice who’s won every prestigious music award under the sun.”
His mind was reeling, jumping from one thought to the next. Chase didn’t understand why Demi hadn’t told him the truth about who she was. Did she think he’d blab to the press? Was she afraid he’d use her? Growing up in one of the wealthiest communities in the world, he knew what it was like to be deceived by people who wanted to improve their social standing, and he suspected Demi had kept her identity a secret because she hadn’t trusted him.
You did the exact same thing, argued his inner voice. You didn’t tell Demi your last name, or give her your cell number because you didn’t want her to know you’re a Crawford, and that you own one of the most profitable app companies in the nation.
“This is crazy. Are you sure Demi is Geneviève’s sister? Maybe it’s fake news.”
The women shared a look then set their sights back on him, wearing identical smirks.
“You spent the weekend with her. Didn’t you talk? Or was it all fun and games, if you know what I mean?” Mercedes quipped, wiggling her eyebrows.
“I’m so excited I could scream!” Katia spoke with her hands, gesturing wildly in the air as she paced the length of the office. “This is best news ever. Imagine what this could do for Sparks. It’s just the kind of publicity we need to promote the app—”
Chase interrupted her. “How do you know I spent the night with Demi?”
“Because she posted about it.”
Panic ballooned inside his chest. “C-c-come again?”
“During a live stream with a friend, Demi mentioned having a one-night stand in Ibiza with a dashing, debonair New Yorker named Chase, which got us thinking,” Mercedes explained. “You were in Ibiza, and I know for a fact you stayed at Hotel Nobu Ibiza Bay with your family, so it was easy to put two and two together.”
Her words hit him hard, like a fastball to the side of the head, knocking the wind out of him. She. Did. What? Stunned by the news, Chase needed a moment to process what he’d learned. He didn’t know what to think, feeling as though he was dreaming with his eyes open.
“She didn’t reveal your last name, but it was obvious to us she was talking about you,” Katia continued, flashing a thumbs-up. “Good job, boss man. You singlehandedly saved Sparks and I couldn’t be prouder.”
“Me, too!” Mercedes closed the door then danced around the room. “This is awesome!”
“You can’t be serious,” he said, refusing to believe the outlandish story. His marketing manager loved to have fun, to prank her colleagues when they least expected it, and Chase suspected this was another one of Katia’s outrageous jokes. A thought came to mind, one that made perfect sense. Had Jonas told them about his weekend with Demi? Was this Jonas’s way of getting even with him for hitting him in the face with the football?
“See for yourself.” Katia raised her iPhone in the air, tapped the screen with a manicured nail and then thrust her cell in his face. “Watch, this is the best part...”
But when Demi’s silhouette filled the screen, a warm sensation flowed through his body and his anger evaporated into thin air. At a loss for words, he stared at her for a long moment. He liked her bare-faced, ponytail look, and even though her mustard T-shirt and denim overalls were simple, her curves made the outfit sizzle. Demi was on a private plane, sitting in a cushy seat with the words Urban Beats Records embossed on the headrest. He could see a female steward in the background, serving drinks and food to passengers. Her surroundings were luxurious, filled with framed awards and posters, and the earth-tone décor was striking.
“I met Chase at Infamous the night of Geneviève’s album release party and the moment I laid eyes on him, I knew I had to have him.”
Chase loosened the knot on his navy Burberry tie so it wouldn’t choke him to death. He didn’t need to be strapped to a monitor to know his blood pressure was high. His chest was pounding, his head hurt and every breath was a struggle.
He felt exposed, as if the whole world knew his secrets, and he hoped Demi didn’t repeat anything he’d told her in confidence. Though, if she did, he’d only have himself to blame. He never should have opened up to her about his personal life and now his loose lips during pillow talk were coming back to haunt him. He wanted to stop the video, but he couldn’t bring himself to turn away. Demi had a vivid personality, was giddy and playful on camera and, for some odd reason, watching the video gave him a rush—and an erection. He loved her energy, her enthusiasm, how comfortable she was in her skin, and he was captivated by her dazzling smile.
“I’ve been a fan of Demi’s for a while, and I love all her posts, but this one is my all-time favorite,” Katia said, pocketing her cell. “Gosh, I almost died when she said the name Chase...”
Chase swallowed the lump in his throat. You almost died? Imagine how I feel. He was upset, frustrated that Demi had posted about their night together online, but he wanted to see her again. He wanted to talk to her, to touch her, wanted to kiss her one more time.
His cell phoned buzzed and he snatched it off his mahogany desk. It lit up with text messages from his brothers and cousins, and dread pooled inside his stomach. They’d seen the video Demi had posted and were now teasing him about being the latest online sensation.
Jonas was the worst. He’d posted on his social media pages that Chase was Demi Harris’s Ibiza lover and thanked Chase for his newfound popularity. He claimed women had been propositioning him all afternoon and that his cell was ringing off the hook with dinner invitations. Chase believed him. He’d seen females throw themselves at his brother countless times before and how much Jonas loved the attention.
Jonas owned an exotic car dealership and rental company aptly named Royalty Motors, and his larger-than-life personality served him well in his business. Instagram models promoted his web site and starred in
his TV commercials and magazine advertisements, which caused wealthy millennials to flock to Royalty Motors. He’d recently opened dealerships in Los Angeles and Miami and wanted to branch out to Europe.
“I’m so happy, I could kiss you!” Katia enveloped him in a hug, rocking him from side to side. “You hooking up with Demi is a marketing manager’s dream come true, and we’re going to milk this opportunity for all its worth.”