Double Love

Chapter 14: Mystery

Zack

We flew her out as soon as we realized the extent of the damage. Our stepsister had been victimized by someone, although it’s still a mystery who.

“Wasn’t me boss, nuh uh,” said Ralph over the phone. I could almost see him chewing his cud, he was so f*****g gross. But he had a point.

“Why would I endanger my living?” our employee asked. “You pay me good money to scout girls, and I fuckin’ love this job. So why would I throw it away?”

“Because, you asshole, journalists pay for scandal. It makes or breaks their careers,” I snarled. “Did some reporter come by the Donkey Club looking for a scoop?”

I could hear him chewing.

“Naw,” he drawled. “Nothing outta the ordinary.”’

“Well nothing better have happened,” I threatened into the headset. “You lost control over those videos and now a little girl’s life is destroyed!”

“What the f**k?” ground out Ralph. “She was looking to be a porn star. If anything, this is a step in the right direction.”

I stopped to consider his words. There was some truth to his statement, to be sure. Many a reality TV career was launched on the back of an illicit s*x tape. But the problem was that Melanie wasn’t a Pam Anderson or a Kim Kardashian. She was a sweet co-ed trying to earn money for tuition. She was smart and resourceful, and not some attention-grabbing w***e.

“Listen,” I said wearily. “We’re keeping an eye on you. DON’T f*****g LET ANYONE INTO YOUR OFFICE!” I roared into the phone.

“Got it, boss, got it,” Ralph mumbled, before hanging up.

But I wasn’t so sure that he got it. We dispatched a private investigator in New York to trail that skeezeball in an attempt to figure out what the f**k had happened with Melly’s tape. In the meantime, I’d encouraged her to fly out to LA.

“Listen baby, it’s bad, I know,” I soothed. “Why don’t you come and hang with us? Zeke and I miss you, and you were going to come back anyways.”

“I know I was, as soon as exams were over, but Zack,” she cried, “What do I do about right now? Everybody looks at me when I walk by now. I’m a pariah,” she sobbed tearfully into the phone.

My heart broke. An eighteen-year old girl’s college career and future job prospects had just been flushed down the toilet because that’s what the adult entertainment industry does. Good-bye to a white collar job. Good-bye to leading a normal, quiet life. The internet is forever these days and Melanie would likely never be able to escape the claws of her past.

I was floored. I didn’t know how to comfort her except to say, “Come to Los Angeles, honey. Everything will be better here.”

Feeling hopeless, our baby agreed. Now she’s due to arrive in a few days, but what can we do to help? My twin and I don’t know either, and that’s the problem.