Fk5

=========================================================================

POV OF DIAMONTE

“Asher, are you ok?”

“I just spent the night in jail. I slept in a cell with 20 other guys. One told me he would take my pretty face off and wear it if I slept in his spot...”

It's a Saturday. I had to pull some strings so that Asher didn't spend the weekend in jail. I sent my Ox Williams to bail him out. Ox walks into the room and owns it. He's the best in the business...expensive but worth it. I knew he would pull the strings to get Asher out of jail. He stands in the middle of my condo delivering on his promise right now.

“Ox...thank you.”

Ox walks forward. He grabs my hand and kisses it. He's a manly man, built more like a body builder than a lawyer. He's straight but we were became good friends when I began dressing his wife Allison Williams who was a famous model in LA.

“It's my pleasure.”

“How's Allison?” I ask.

“She's doing good. She got the gold dress you sent for her. She says it fits like a glove. After seeing how good she looked in it you know I owed you one.”

I smile at him.

“Well thank you for delivering,” I say, “What did they charge Asher with?”

“Not murder...luckily. They are lacking any real evidence so they were holding him for drug possession.”

“Drug possession?” I ask.

I look over at Asher. I had no idea that this guy did drugs.

Asher shakes his head, “I was driving my roommate's car and he had some weed in the glove compartment when they pulled me over.”

“They illegally searched the vehicle so I'll make sure all the charges are dropped,” Ox explains to me at that moment.

“They weren't looking for drugs,” I say.

Ox shakes his head, “No they weren't.”

“Those motherfuckers are trying to send me up the river!” Asher explains before taking a few steps forward, “Yo. I got to run. I got to get the fuck out of town.”

“Asher---shut the fuck up and go sit over there,” I scream at him.

He's panicking. I can tell. Asher is pacing back and forth looking like he's about to lose it. Ox is calm. This isn't our first try at the rodeo especially with all the fucked up shit that I had to get Alexander out of. Alexander was no angel and Ox knew it more than anyone.

Ox stands next to me at that moment, “Even if they don't have enough evidence to charge him right now he is a suspect. They are trying to build a case right now. I have no doubt about that.”

“There is no case,” Asher responds, “I probably just fucked the guy. Unless the Dick strangled him I don't know. I mean...god. My mom always told me my dick would get me in trouble. I swear I should have listened to her. I should have...”

I grab Ox and pull him outside.

Asher can't be around for this. I'm on the balcony with Ox. The LA hills are cascading below us and Asher is tripping inside the house.

Ox gives me a knowing stare, “What's with the boy?”

“He works for me,” I explain.

Ox puts an arm on my shoulder, “You're smarter than this Diamonte. He's an liability. I'm amazed he didn't go in there and confess to murder when he got arrested. He's handsome Diamonte . You hired him? Seriously? You need to let him go.”

“I can't just let him go.”

“They are watching him now. You bailing him out is NOT a good idea. You helping him is not a good idea. You hanging around with him...that gives him incentive to kill. The successful fashion owner's boyfriend kills his husband. Detective Brody will get a promotion for making that headline come true.”

Ox may have been trying to scare me.

He may have been succeeding.

“He's not my boyfriend.”

Ox looks at me seriously, “As your friend, I'm giving you the best advice possible. Drop him. Let him burn for this. This is LA. It's a hard knock life out here. And you can't just go around saving people because they look good.”

I'm struggling with this. Ox may be right. It would be so easy to let Asher take the fall for this. I look back in my condo. He's leaned up at the edge of the couch. He's staring at a rug and seems to be talking to himself shaking his head. He's lost, confused and he doesn't know what to do. The only person he called when he was in jail was me. He didn't call his roommate, an ex or even his family. He called me.

“I don't need advice right now. I don't need a friend right now.”

“Diamonte...”

“I need a lawyer. I need an attack dog. Will you help?” I ask Ox.

Ox nods hesitantly...very hesitantly, “I'll keep him safe.”

When Ox leaves Asher is still shaken up. He's sitting on the couch just looking lost. I walk over to the couch to speak to him. He's really panicking and doesn't even notice me when I sit on the couch beside him. I grab a glass of wine and swish it around.

“Look on the bright side,” I tell Asher, “When you go to jail it won't matter that you have no sense of fashion and you'll finally be judged solely because you're beautiful. I don't know if that's a good thing though...”

Asher lifts and eyebrow, smiles roughly, “Did you just make a joke?”

“Well your frowning. That's causes wrinkles. If you get wrinkly then I mean what good are you anymore?”

“So you admit it. You keep me around because I look good.”

“I keep you around because you killed my husband.”

Asher looks over at me at that moment and grabs me by the wrist, “Diamonte I didn't kill your goddam husband.”

“I just hired Ox Williams to defend you---if you need it, which you probably won't. He's the best in the business,” I explain to him, “There is no need to bullshit with me. You don't got to lie Asher.”

“I'm not lying---” he states before stopping and adding, “Wait. Did you say his last name was Williams?”

“Yeah.”

“And earlier you said something about his wife being named Allison?”

“Yeah as in Allison Williams,” I explain at that moment, “She's a B&R favorite. She's closing my show this year. Thinking about hiring her on as a spokesperson. Building a B&R army like Balmain has.”

That is when I see his face fade to gray while I'm talking, “Oh ok.”

“Do you know her?”

“Of course not.”

“Asher.”

“Ok I had sex with her.”

My mouth drops at that moment. I look over at Asher, “Please tell me it was at least 2 years ago.”

“More like 2 weeks.”

“Jesus Christ.”

“I didn't know she was married,” Asher explains at that moment, “I'm sorry.”

“Asher. You do realize that you slept with the wife of the only man in LA who can fucking help you?” I ask at that moment.

Asher looks at me. Dumb faced. Why am I saving him?

“Yo you probably think I'm the biggest fuck up right now.”

“Is there anyone else you fucked that I'm associated with?” I ask him.

Asher gives me a hard look, “One...other...person...”

“Who?”

“Neverland...”

“Get out.”

“Diamonte.”

“Leave. Ox was right. Neverland was right. I don't know why I'm protecting you. You literally are a walking fuck up. Guys like you never get anywhere in life because you think with your small head and not your big one. So get out. You can keep your job for as long as Remus doesn't want to fire you. You can even keep Ox as long as he doesn't figure out you slept with his wife. But I'm not helping you anymore. You're a man ho, Asher. A man ho that needs saving and I'm not captain save-a-ho.”

=========================================================================

POV OF ASHER

I wake up and roll out of bed the next morning. It's early. I have to get to work in a little bit but I definitely need my breakfast. When I walk out my best friend is sitting at the bar. He looks shocked when he sees me walk out of my room, grab the cereal box away from him and start setting up my own bowl.

“You're here?”

“Um...yeah...”

He looks drunk, “I called you figured you were going to spend the night out. You weren't picking up...”

“Is it a problem that I'm in my own house?” I ask him.

That's when I realize why Sebastian is acting funny. I watch as Tyson walks out of his room, buttoning up his shirt. I look at Sebastian. I look at Tyson. Tyson doesn't give me much expression. He just ignores me and walks out of the apartment as if he isn't doing the meanest walk of shame in LA history right now.

“Really?”

“Come on. You know damn well you weren't even interested in him,” Sebastian states, “You introduced me to Tyson at 3am and referred to him as your 'hot pocket' of the night. You've fucked my exes before. Besides he just fucked me to get back at you. You going to let him? Are we really going to act like we are moral motherfuckers now.”

I sit there for a second and think.

Sure my best friend just fucked a guy I was in a relationship with.

“Nah. You're good,” I laugh giving him a dab, “Was the ass good at least?”

Sebastian laughs before rolling up a blunt, “Man I'm pretty sure your dick stretched him out a lot. He was real comfortable. Homie was doing like yoga on my dick and not in a good way.”

“It's not my fault my dick is the size of a cucumber,” I laugh, “That's what you get for sloppy seconds...”

“Talk about sloppy seconds where were you last night? I'm trying to get all your sloppy seconds when it comes to Diamonte Rose,” Sebastian states.

“Yo don't fuckin' play like that,” I quickly say.

Sebastian must think I'm joking because he continues on, “I'm saying. I was crushing on him first so honestly I think it's only right that I fuck him first. That way he'll still be a little tight.”

“I SAID DON'T FUCKIN' PLAY!”

I don't know what comes over me. I get out of my jail and push Sebastian off the stool that he is sitting on. The blunt he is smoking falls in his crotch and causes him to yell out at that moment. Sebastian is standing there struggling to put the smoke out of his crotch the next couple of minutes and I'm so annoyed by him that I don't even help him.

He literally runs to the faucet and dumbs a cup of water down his crotch to let out the burning fabric.

“Yo what the fuck man,” Sebastian says at that moment, “You trying to kill me?”

“You're being disrespectful.”

“Was the ass that good?”

“I didn't sleep with him,” I respond.

Sebastian seems even more confused, “Wait. So are you saying you almost burnt my dick off over a guy you didn't get ass from? Please tell me you got some IVY LEAGUE head from him?”

“No?”

“A handjob?”

“No...”


“Wait, wait, wait...so what the fuck did you do with him?”

I shrug at that moment, “We just...I don't know. We talk.”

“So let me get this right. I just had donkey fucked your ex and you're not mad about it, but you're pissed because I disrespected some guy who you have conversations with. Oh my god. Where did your testosterone go? Should I start calling you Caitlyn?”

Sebastian is right. It's scary how right he is. I'm sitting in this chair right now the same way that I was sitting in that jail cell and thinking about who would I reach out to. I was in trouble with this whole murder thing and the only person that I trusted to help me was Diamonte. Why the fuck couldn't I get this dude off of my head?

“It's like he...put a spell on me,” I admit to Sebastian, “He is such a dickhead and for some reason that shit turns me on so fucking much.”

Sebastian raises a concerned eyebrow, “Wow. You're serious.”

“Dead serious.”

Sebastian sits on the stool next to me. Smoking crotch and all. He lights up another blunt and hands it to me. The way we sit there and smoke in silence or something for the next couple of minutes is almost as though we are having a moment of silence. The moment of silence is me handing in my player card. The moment of silence is me...god...I didn't even want to say it.

Luckily Sebastian knows me well enough to finally have the courage to whisper it, “Yo. Never thought I'd see the day. Asher, you're catching feelings yo.”

“He's been helping me. It's all business---at least to him. With me it's just more.”

“What's he helping you with?”

I sigh a little bit.

“Can't tell you.”

“Shit...that must be a lot of help he's giving you.”

I sigh a little bit, “You have no idea.”

Diamonte was saving my life right now.

“Well why don't you make it more than business.”

“Don't you think I tried?” I asked, “I took him out on a date. It started off horrible, it got better and then it went back to shit. I told him that I was incapable of love.”

“What the fuck Asher?”

“Well it's kind of bad. I told him we had that in common. I told him we both were.”

Sebastian looks me up and down at that moment, “You have no idea what you're doing with this catching feelings things, do you?”

I admit, “Hell nawl.”

“Well. What are you going to do?”

I look at Sebastian, “Did you hear me? The date ended up being a mess. Every time I see him I'm fucking up. He already knows about two girls I slept with that work for him. One of them is his assistant. These models from hell. They are making my life at the job a living hell. Everyday they let me know that I'm not good enough for Diamonte Rose.”

“How so?”

“Those bitches snigger at my man-style trends like they are some fucking fashion police,” I respond,

By the time I realize I'm complaining to Sebastian about my man-style it's far too late. The look on his face says a million things all at once and they are all screaming in disappointment.

Sebastian lifts his head, “Dude---please tell me you are quoting something, someone, anyone.”

“It's not about them. I'm a fuck up. It's too late. I already look like a fuckup to Diamonte.”

Sebastian nods, “Well that's the good thing about falling for someone huh?

“What?”

“Falling ain't cute. I ain't never see no body fall and look dope doing it. Everyone who falls looks like a dumbass. They look clumsy and stupid as fuck. That's the point of falling. You can't stop yourself. See you a suave motherfucker. You always look cool. You never fell before. You just glide right past the hoes. But now you're falling and you need to just fall. You need to stop trying to hold on for anything and just admit that you're going to look stupid. Nothing's going to stop you. You're going to fall and bust your ass. And you'll be a better man for it.”

I can't believe I'm taking advice from Sebastian right now, but honestly it has to be the advice I need.

I was looking dumb as fuck when it came to Diamonte but I was going to turn this around.

I arrive at work with a suit on. Neverland and the other assistants are staring at me. They've ignored me largely since I've come here. To them I was just another pretty face with no real ambition. The fact that I was arriving in a suit right now seems to blow them away...even if I just bought the suit on the way here.

I have to impress Diamonte and let he know that I'm a guy that he's worth knowing.

“If I see another man with a rented suit I'm going to beat him with a GQ magazine,” I hear one of the assistants whisper to Neverland.

Ok. Ok. I didn't buy the suit. I rented it. How the fuck do they know that though. I see Diamonte's assistants giggling amongst themselves. Neverland thinks she must be the head bitch in charge around here or something because she waves the skinny little bitches away and they leave without saying a word. Then she makes her way towards me. B&R heels with a bad ass attitude.

“Did you tell Mr. Rose that I snitched on you?” she asks me.

Her eyes are cross.

“No...I didn't...”

“He questioned me this morning. I denied it. I don't like to have to defend my job at 6am in the morning over something I didn't do.”

Truth is I didn't get it. If Neverland didn't tell the police that I had something to do with Alexander's death then who tipped them off. Why were they investigating me? Why the fuck was I really arrested?

I shake my head, “Well I don't like to defend myself at 8am in the morning. So is there something I can help you out with?”

“You're lost,” Neverland walks up to me.

She is a stone faced bitch. She always has been. She looks me dead in my eyes and I can feel the awkwardness draining from every pore. I remembered when we had sex in the closet. Even then she was a stone faced bitch. She didn't even moan. I knew my dick wasn't little. It was literally the most challenging thing I'd ever done.

“Excuse me? I'm waiting on Diamonte,” I say, “What am I doing today? Scouting models in the lookbook?”

I got paid a good amount to go through the online look book and stare at jawbones, titties and abs all day. I'd say I had a pretty good fuckin' job.

“You've been reassigned.”

“Come again.”

“Diamonte wants you helping Remus on the fashion line.”

“You're fucking with me.”

She leans over the table at that moment, “Get up. I'll walk you down there.”


Walking down to Remus's office was like going into the lion's den. Sex and fashion were one thing. With Diamonte it was different and seeing a guy who was clearly trying to get with Diamonte was really fucking with my head.

Remus is in a work room. He's surrounded by different seamstresses. He looks over at me.

“A rented suit---really?” he asks me.

I don't respond. My face is flushed with embarrassment as several other clearly gay guys who work under Remus look at me and start laughing. Even Neverland has a slight smirk on her face and the bitch never really smirks.

“Diamonte sent him here to work with you, as promised,” Neverland says.

Then I see it. She's smiling. She is blushing red in front of Remus. I'm not imagining this shit. Neverland is sitting there batting her eyes at this guy.

Remus thinks he's the man too. I can see how he glides across the room like some long lost Casanova or some shit. He thinks he has so much swag with his expensive ass suits. I watch as he leans over grabs Neverland close.

“Thanks gorgeous, we still on for dinner tonight?” he asks.

“Of course,” she smiles.

The look at the gay guys around the table let me know that Remus has been doing this with Neverland for a while. It's interesting. One thing I knew was when people were fucking. Neverland wasn't tight when we had sex. Someone had been digging out that vagina.

And it's clear that that person had to be Remus now.

He watches her ass as she walks away and finally turns to me. When Remus looks at me his face is stone cold.

“Well I've heard a lot about you,” Remus explains, “Mr. Douchebag.”

“Excuse me.”

“You've had sex with every pretty model in LA, man or woman. You're damn near famous for it. Too bad your not famous for much of anything else.”

I thought Diamonte was the dickhead.

“Excuse me?” I ask again, shocked Remus is pulling this shit.

“Let's quit the bullshit,” Remus explains, “You and I might be able to be friends. I need your eye. I'm going to show you some outfits...men's lines and women's line. You need your opinion on where the line is going so far.”

Just at that moment he calls out for one of his assistants to bring out a look. The look is a nude sheer dress with a choker. It has long sleeves and cascades down the floor. When it hits the floor there is a small train of heavy looking ruffles that outline the floor.

Remus looks at me. The other men are looking at me now too. I swear to god these people really are looking at me for my opinion of this shit.

“Listen I'm not really fashionable if you haven't noticed,” I explain.

Remus shakes his head, “Clearly. No---A douche bag isn't a fashion accessory. We don't make B&R douche bags. I don't need your opinion on the fashion. I need your opinion on the sex. I need to know if this is a woman you'd fuck or not.”

Well if you put it that way...

“No. She looks too...restrained. Like she's trying to hide genital itch or something,” I respond before looking at the model and adding, “No offense.”

Remus nods a few times.

“Start over,” he tells the designers.

“We spent all two weeks making this. It's exactly what Diamonte sketched,” one of the designers stated.

“The fashion show is coming up. We have to make this perfect for him. The last thing any of us want is a pissed off Diamonte. Isn't that right Asher?”

He knew my name.

I nod at that moment, “Yeah. A pissed off Diamonte is no good.”

Remus smiles at me and pats me on the shoulder, “Follow me.”

At that moment Remus takes me into his office which is connected to the dress floor. I'm standing in the office at that moment.

Remus is glaring at me.

“So Neverland tells me that you and Diamonte talk a lot,” Remus smiles at that moment, “What is it the two of you talk about?”

“Sir with all due respect---that's none of your business.”

“Actually it is,” Remus responds, “Because Diamonte is mine.”

He sounds so confident at that moment. Remus is looking at me as though I'm some sort of insect in his way and he looks like I'm the sort of insect he wants to crush.

“Does he know that?”

Remus laughs, “He'll figure it out. Just like he'll figure out that you're a bad look. And you know Diamonte Rose is all about his looks. Right now his libido is fighting with his fashion sense. That's all it is. That's all you are.”

Remus had his claws coming out. It's clear now.

I lean over the desk, “If it was just his libido you wouldn't be calling me in your office attempting to intimidate me. You're scared there's another reason Diamonte is keeping me around.”

“Someone needs to go down for killing my brother,” Remus explains before getting up, “You think Diamonte was responsible for bringing you around. Who do you think put it in Diamonte's ear that my brother was planning on leaving him? Diamonte was going to do something desperate. I just had to wait for it to happen.”

I raise my eyebrow, “What...are you talking about?”

“Who do you think hired you for that show---a boy who I knew was my brother's type. Diamonte's smart. He can put two and two together. He'd have to find a reason to leave my brother before my brother left him. He'd hire you. You'd go to his house. My brother always drank his alcohol late at night, especially if he knew he was going to have sex. It didn't take much to put a little something in his drink...when a cute guy headed over there.”

My mouth opens.

“It was you...” I realize.

Remus laughs at that moment, “You'll never be able to prove it. I made sure of that. Here's a one way ticket to Spain with enough money to keep you afloat for several years. I'd advice you take it. I'd advice that you leave.”

“And if I don't...if I go to the police. If I go to Diamonte?”

Remus pulls out a folder and smiles, “You know I'm gay. I always have been but if I'm going to fuck a female...I'll make sure it matters...”

Neverland.

My heart skips.

“What is that?”

“The benefit of fucking the help is that I got a copy of your background. I know about your father---the drug addict. I know where your mother lives. I wouldn't even have to do it myself. See money and power is all that matters. If I'd have my own brother strangled for it imagine how easy it would be to get to your family...”

He was threatening me.

It was clear.

“Jesus Christ...you're heartless.”

“I kind of like to say I wear my heart of my sleeves. Designer sleeves. Welcome to the fashion world.”

To read the next chapter go to www.crushedcrown.com