Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 162

I heard someone giggle in the background and couldn't help grinning at the thought of sharing another evening with Ashlee and Shea... especially if it was a more enthusiastic Ashlee.

"But that's for later in the week!" she said. "Tonight, I want you all to myself, buster!"

I chuckled. "That's fine. I can't wait, but it might be a little later than expected. We're invited to a rooftop party. Carlos Miguel will be there."

There was screeching, and I had to hold my phone away from my ear until it died. Eventually, I explained the situation to Ashlee and told her when it would be, deciding to give her a time a couple of hours later than I planned on being there. That would give me time to enjoy the party without worrying about Ashlee hanging on my arm the entire time. I had enjoyed flirting with Charity, and I was concerned I wouldn't be able to enjoy myself as much as I wanted with Ashlee nearby. The problem was that a small part of me felt terrible about continuously running around behind Ashlee's back We weren't dating, but it was starting to feel that way despite primarily bringing her along to discover her connection with Cartwright.

Surely, there had to be better ways of getting the information out of her that didn't require acting like I was in some weird sitcom.

"Okay! We'll see you there!" she said. "Oh! Chloe wants to talk to you real quick!"

A few moments later, Chloe was on the line. "Hey."

"Hey, Chloe."

"So, about this party... will it have security?"

"I assume so," I said. "There are going to be some big-name people there."

"Hand me to John," she said, and I did so.

John turned away from the desk and started talking to Chloe in hushed tones, so I looked at Ray, who was finishing a taco.

"So. Ray. Is that short for something?"

"Raymond, sir," he said as soon as he finished his bite.

"What's your middle name?"

I have two. Henry James."

"Ah," said. So, it looked like Ray broke my theory that all bodyguards or security guards were named John. I just happened to get a lot of them assigned to me. Maybe it was like buying a yellow car and seeing yellow cars everywhere. "Well, thanks for keeping an eye on me."

He swallowed another bite of taco and said, "Just doing my job, sir.

"Do you like it?"

"Like it? Yes, sir. It pays well, the perks are great, and you and Chloe have been the best bosses to work for in this career."

"Career, huh? How long have you been doing this?"

"About seven years."

"And I'm the nicest you've worked for?"

"You're the first one I've been allowed to eat with," he said.

On the one hand, I felt good about that... like was some morally superior being because I bought my bodyguards tacos and let them watch me have sex. On the other hand, I felt a little bad that I hadn't taken the chance to talk to Ray sooner. I'd been so busy building relationships with the ladies that I forgot Ray and the Johns were people, too. I'd been treating them more like NPCs.

"Well, I'm glad I can make a good impression, mari. Do you have a wife and kids?"

He hesitated and then said, "Husband. We're looking to adopt. We've been trying for a year."

"Good for you, dude!" I said as glanced at John. It looked like he was wrapping up the call. "Well, let me know if I can help with that. I know adoption can be expensive and tedious. If can help speed up the process at all, just say the word."

Ray nodded. "I'll let you know, and I appreciate it."

"No problem," I said as John approached me with my phone and informed us that he needed to go ahead to the Silver Mirage and ensure everything was squared away with security. He left me with Ray, and we continued to chat for another twenty minutes while he finished his tacos. Eventually, we found Emily, Natashya, and the other John and filled them in on the details of the party. They were Just as excited as Ashlee to attend an exclusive party with actual celebrities. Emily was especially enthusiastic to meet Charity, pulling out her phone to prove she'd followed the influencer for a while. After a round of squeals and hugs, we gambled a little more, and then we attended a show by a washed-up pop star from the early 2000s.