The Love Of Money - S01 E196

Story 2 months ago

The Love Of Money - S01 E196

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 196

Introduction:

Marcus has his house party and things start to heat up.

Friday, 11:29 am

It was the first time I'd stepped foot in my gym. "Jesus, this is a lot of space!" I said.

"It better be," Erin said. "It's one of the largest rooms in the apartment."

"Yeah," Tara said, her hands on her hips as she spun in a slow circle and took it all in. "Reckon it'll do nicely."

While she was distracted, I took the opportunity to check her out and appreciated the fact that Erin had done it again.

Tara Gellar was stunning. There wasn't another word for it. She was Caucasian but had a soft, golden complexion that suggested she'd recently had some sun. Her almond-shaped eyes were a mesmerizing multi-toned hazel a mixture of blues, greys, and browns that reminded me of a rolling ocean. She had a perfect Greek nose, with a slight uptum at the end, and her cupid's bow- shaped lips were perfect - neither too big nor too small, and a softly defined jawline set above a slender neck.

Any of the ladies in my life could have walked the runway, but this was different. At 5'8" and with her classically beautiful, good looks and sleek build, Tara could have been picked up as a Victoria's Secret model or in makeup commercials. The luscious mane of brown hair spilling down her back in gentle waves and gently applied makeup made her seem more unattainable. There was no way this girl was single. Jesus Christ... Erin had better not have sent me another beautiful woman who was already taken! Was she telling me my dance card was getting a little full?

Tara wore tight jeans and a well-fitting T-shirt that said 'Running late is my cardio' across her chest. The hem stopped just short of the waist of her jeans, displaying two inches of tantalizing, sun- kissed skin. I suspected her entire ensemble was ************ed to ensure I knew how fit she was without being too obvious about what she was doing.

I couldn't blame her. Erin had given me a brief backstory of the woman. She was from Australia and had moved to Los Angeles about two years ago after networking with a veteran B-list actor working on a project in the land down under. He convinced her to move to LA and train with him, claiming he could connect her with others belonging to the Hollywood elite. She'd done well for herself, attracting a few other clients, but had hit a wall in her progress. She was pulling in roughly $150,000 a year, which was decent, even in Los Angeles, but it didn't leave much wiggle room for savings and business growth.

My personal trainer would start at $500,000 annually with paid Insurance, a paid-for apartment in a high-end residential space, and all utilities paid. Her commute was almost non-existent. On top of that, Erin had arranged to fly her out here on my dime - first class and put her in a nice hotel while she was here. It was a massive jump for someone like her, and I imagined she was salivating the entire flight.

However, if she was desperate, she wasn't showing it. From the moment we met, she seemed at ease. She had an easy smile, and nothing in her posture gave me the impression that she was nervous, which impressed me. I would have been a wreck if I'd been in her shoes.

"So, what's your first impression so far?" I asked.

"Would I be able to get some different equipment here?" Tara said, turning to look at me. It seemed like my heart skipped a beat every time she did that. It didn't make things easier that her accent made her seem even more sexy.

"Why? Does the equipment suck?" I asked.

"No," she said in that very Australian way, "there's just a few pieces missing, is all."

"Oh. Yeah. You can purchase whatever you think we need," I said.

We weren't the only ones in the gym. Chloe had been on the treadmill when we entered and was currently leaning against the wall, silently watching the conversation. Her tight lycra pants and sports bra showed off her toned stomach, and her arms were crossed over her chest. The sheen of sweat covering her light, freckled skin enhanced her tone.

Having arranged the entire thing, Erin was also present and seemed to get along well with my potential trainer. Then there was seemed to get along well with my potential trainer. Then there was Bobbi, who had not said a word over the last twenty minutes that Tara had been here. I'd insisted that she hang around at least long enough for introductions. Considering she would no longer have a job, she would likely spend most of her time around the apartment. Bobbi was in great shape, and I wanted her to stay that way, so my personal trainer would be spending just as much time with her as with me.

Tara glanced at Erin, at Bobbi - especially the collar, which was currently blank, and then back at me.

"Not gonna lie," she said, "I'm interested. It's a lot of money and some really nice perks. I think we get on well, too."

"Yeah," I said. "I agree. You come highly recommended, and Erin says you check off all the boxes. Having seven years in Muay Thal is a big plus. The job is yours if you want it."

She smiled, not looking surprised but definitely pleased. "Thanks. There's just a couple of issues. First, my visa's coming up for renewal soon."

"You take the job," said, "and you won't have to worry about that. I have a team of lawyers that can help you, and I'll cover all the expenses."

"Well, that was easy enough."

"What's the other?"

She hesitated, glanced at Erin and Bobbi, then said, "Can we talk? Just the two of us?"

"Sure. You guys mind?"

Erin and Bobbi moved to leave, but Chloe didn't move.

"I hope it's okay if my bodyguard stays behind," said as Erin shut the door behind her.

"Eh... I guess so," Tara said. "So, I appreciate the opportunity, but there's something you should know before we close on this." She took a moment to continue, and my imagination ran wild with possibilities. Was she about to tell me how her relationship status was 'It's Complicated? Was she secretly a man? My long-lost sister? My life had become crazy enough that I wasn't ready to take any possibility off the table.

take any possibility off the table.

"I know what's going on here." She gave Chloe an apologetic look before continuing, "Erin... Bobbi... you're sleeping with these women." She paused, giving me a moment to respond. Her tone wasn't accusatory, and her hesitance appeared more for Chloe's sake than mine. Like Chloe, this woman was direct, but unlike my bodyguard, she seemed to have a bit more of an opinion on the nature of my relationship with the ladies.

When I didn't respond, she moved on. "That's not what this is going to be."

Well, there went my dreams of having my hot personal trainer scream at me while I finished my third set of bench presses and then strip down for some hot, sweaty, after-workout sex. To say I wasn't disappointed would have been wrong. Being as hot as Tara should be illegal, but it wasn't like was starving for female companionship.

I decided it didn't matter. Even if sex wasn't on the table, I still liked her and thought she would make an excellent addition to the team. "That's fine," said.

She stared at me for a long moment, and I realized I didn't feel nearly as awkward as I might have a few weeks ago. Old Marcus might have felt shame at essentially being called out for having sex with the women he hired, but that was becoming a thing of the past after having to explain myself to Emily. Being confronted by a woman looking for a job was infinitely less embarrassing than having to talk about the details of my complicated sex life with my sister. Especially after catching her fucking one of the women who was part of my sex life.

"Just out of curiosity," I said, "and feel free not to answer if you don't want to. Can I ask why?"

"I'm not interested in men," she said.

So, I probably wouldn't get lucky, but it looked like there was hope for Erin. In fact, she might have ***********ed Tara for her own selfish reasons. I wouldn't put it past her.

Friday 5:53 pm

I was in my study looking over an email from Chandler when there was a soft knock on the door. Then it opened, and Erin came in. "Hey."