Playboy Jason

Alex's fingers tapped the phone screen in quick succession, dialing Sarah's number over and over. Each attempt ended with the same soulless voicemail message, heightening his anxiety with every beep. His thumb hovered over the call button again, but his patience finally snapped, and he cursed under his breath. If Sarah wasn't picking up, then at least she'd see he'd tried to reach her. She had to know he was worried, despite… whatever mess Tommy had stirred up with his drunken call.

Letting out a deep sigh, Alex made his way upstairs. He noticed a door down the hall, slightly ajar, and heard the unmistakable sound of Tommy's snoring. Shaking his head, Alex nudged the door open to confirm: his brother was sprawled out on top of the sheets, fully clothed, and dead to the world. Alex couldn't help but feel a surge of irritation mixed with a reluctant smirk. Tommy's antics were beginning to drag him to the edge, he feared. But somehow he was supposed to cope with it, apparently, this was his brother or something.

He closed the door, retreating to his own room. Once inside, Alex stripped off his drenched shirt and dropped it on a chair, then loosened his tie with a frustrated tug. He flopped onto the bed, staring at the ceiling, his thoughts a jumbled mix of concern for Sarah, confusion over Jessica's cryptic behavior, and an acute awareness of the drama surrounding him. This was Jason's life, he reminded himself, not his.

As if on cue, his phone buzzed with incoming messages. The flood of notifications from Jessica practically lit up his room.

> "Seriously, Jason? You drop everything because your PA sounds a little shaken up?" "You always put your little 'loyal' minions before us." "How long am I supposed to wait around like this?"

Alex closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. This wasn't just frustration – Jessica's messages dripped with something more raw, some deep-seated insecurity that tugged at him. The accusations of neglect, the bitterness about his priorities, her obsession with proving her place in his life… it all painted a picture he hadn't quite expected.

Finally, he tapped out a response, aiming to defuse the tension.

> "Jessica, I'm sorry for tonight. I know this was important to you. Can we do a proper do-over soon? Just the two of us, no interruptions."

The reply was instantaneous.

> "Fine. But if you bail again, Jason, I swear…"

Alex typed a quick reassurance, then put the phone aside, breathing a little easier. Hopefully, she'd let it slide for now.

He pulled himself upright and slipped his jacket back on. Heading downstairs, he spotted Mike, one of the security guards, stationed by the foyer. Mike straightened immediately, a hint of curiosity flashing in his eyes as Alex approached.

"Need a favor, Mike." Alex handed over his Sarah's card, and the guard pocketed it without a word as Alex instructed him on what to do. His nod was as discreet as his promise to get the job done.

"Understood, Mr. Rivers."

Alex could only hope that whatever plan was brewing in his mind would be enough to smooth things over with Jessica for the time being. Her resentment was palpable, but he couldn't afford for her to start causing a scene. He needed her on his side, especially with the LA trip looming.

For now, though, his thoughts drifted back to Sarah. What was she going through, alone in some hotel, potentially seeing those candid photos of him with Jessica, blown up and romanticized on social media? He couldn't shake the feeling that she needed him, even if he wasn't sure exactly how.

---

He tossed and turned for the better part of the night, his sleep restless. The echo of Tommy's snoring carried through the walls, interrupted only by occasional drunken mutterings. Each buzz of his phone felt like a jolt of static. More notifications, more updates – more of the life he was somehow supposed to navigate now.

When dawn finally crept in, Alex lay staring at the ceiling, mentally cataloging the whirlwind awaiting him in LA. The trip was a pivotal moment; it could redefine his career trajectory and cement his new identity. But even amid the professional stakes, a sliver of worry lingered about Sarah. He hoped, in a strange, guilt-laden way, that she wasn't as shaken as he feared.

. He pushed himself up, rubbing his temples. The memory of Tommy's sloppy, drunken voice and the off-key rendition of "My Heart Will Go On" drifted back to him, pulling a faint groan from his lips. 'What a goddamn circus,' he thought, swinging his legs out of bed.

Before heading downstairs, he took a quick detour down the hall to check the guest room. To his surprise, the bed was empty. The room bore no evidence of his brother's chaotic presence—no empty wine bottles, no crumpled suit jacket tossed onto the floor. It was as if Tommy had vanished without a trace, leaving only a headache in his wake. 'Good riddance,' Alex thought, shaking his head. 'One less complication this morning.'

He slipped his phone from the nightstand, glancing at the screen. Notifications flooded in, a mix of messages and tags, most about him and Jessica. Swiping through Instagram, he was greeted by an array of fresh memes, most with captions roasting his apparent "obsession" with Jessica. One meme had Jessica grinning over candlelight with the caption: "Just like bad weed… it sticks around."

Another thread offered a history of Jessica's public "scandals" — everything from starting a fire at a high-end restaurant to, allegedly, punching out a Jason Rivers fangirl who asked for an autograph. 'So, Jason… this is what you liked, huh?' Alex smirked, scrolling further.

Each new post fed a fire inside him. Despite the ridiculousness, something about Jason's wildly different life was starting to grow on him. Maybe it was the absurdity. Or maybe it was just the realization that Jason had managed to stay in shape amidst all this chaos. As he walked down to breakfast, he caught his reflection in the hall mirror, eyeing the lean, muscular frame beneath his shirt. 'Guess this is what bad decisions and good genes look like.'

In the kitchen, the chef had already set out breakfast, a spread that looked more like art than food. "Morning, Mr. Rivers," the chef greeted, nodding at the steaming dishes arranged on the granite island. Eggs in some rich sauce, a medley of roasted vegetables, and a small tower of what looked suspiciously like truffle-topped toast filled his plate.

"Uh… good morning," Alex replied, eying the display. He couldn't name half of what was in front of him, but his stomach growled in approval. 'Here's hoping this is what kept Jason's body so ripped, because I'm starving.'

Sliding onto a barstool, he took a tentative bite and quickly realized he'd been starving for something this good his whole life. As he worked his way through the meal, his thumb scrolled idly through social media. The more he read, the more surreal Jason's life seemed. He'd barely scratched the surface of this mess, and he was starting to wonder just how much of it was salvageable. 'God, this guy's social life is like a car crash. You know you shouldn't look, but you just can't help it.'

Just then, the click of heels echoed down the hall. Alex glanced up, spotting Sarah approaching with a tablet in hand, her expression as unreadable as stone. She was dressed sharply, the fitted lines of her pencil skirt drawing his eye as she walked over. But there was something different about her today. She'd pulled her hair back into a strict knot, glasses perched on her nose, and her stride was all business—no warmth, no smile, just a focused, hard edge.

"Good morning, Mr. Rivers." Her voice was clipped, precise, and startlingly formal. She didn't even wait for him to greet her before launching into her list. "We're set to leave for the airport in an hour, so I suggest you finish up quickly."

'Mr. Rivers…?' Alex blinked, feeling the formality slap him across the face. Was she really mad about Jessica? Or was it the gas leak scare from last night? He wasn't entirely sure, but the stiffness in her tone was a complete 180 from the easy rapport they'd had lately.

"Uh, morning, Sarah," he said, flashing what he hoped was a disarming smile. "You good? After the whole, uh… gas leak incident last night?"

She glanced at him over her glasses, her expression unchanging. "I'm fine, thank you." Her tone was a bit sharp, a bit too professional. She tapped something into her tablet, clearly not interested in small talk. "The private jet is ready, so we'll meet the driver in thirty minutes. I'll have your things packed and ready."

'Ouch. Someone's pissed,' he thought, trying to assess the best way to respond. "Sarah," he began carefully, "are you… upset? About something? Look, I know you saw that whole thing with Jessica—"

"Your personal life is none of my concern, Mr. Rivers," she cut in crisply, eyes fixed on her screen. "My only concern is ensuring you meet your commitments."

A flash of irritation mixed with guilt flared up. "Right, but last night—look, I didn't know Tommy would… you know, mess with your phone like that. And as for Jessica…" He trailed off, unsure how to frame the chaotic circus he'd just walked into. "That's not really what it looked like. Just… old drama."

Her mouth twitched, though he couldn't tell if it was irritation or amusement. She lifted her gaze from the tablet just long enough to pin him with a look. "Well, then. Shall we get going? You have a busy day ahead, sir."

'Damn. Somehow, "sir" has never sounded so disrespectful,' he thought, hiding a smirk behind his coffee cup.

'Sir?' He practically rolled his eyes at the way she clipped the word. She might as well have spat it at him. "So, we're back to 'sir,' are we?" he muttered under his breath.

She ignored the comment entirely, gesturing towards the hall. "If you're ready, the car's waiting."

Alex set down his fork, wiping his mouth as he took a last look at the untouched half of his breakfast. 'Well, so much for that,' he thought, grabbing his jacket off the back of the chair.

Following her out, he couldn't help but notice the extra sway in her walk today, the way her skirt hugged her figure as if it was tailored to make his day harder. 'Damn, that skirt's practically a weapon,' he thought, smiling despite himself. But as he moved to break the tension with a half-joke, she didn't even look back. She simply marched on, straight ahead and all business.

They stepped outside, and one of the security guards took his bag from her, offering a polite nod.

The guard nodded, slipping the card into his pocket with an understanding smile. "Yes, sir."

Sarah's heels clicked on the pavement as she approached the car, her shoulders tense, posture stiff. When he joined her, she barely acknowledged him, eyes forward, focused only on the day ahead.

'Guess we're doing things the hard way,' he thought, his mouth twisting in a wry smile as the car pulled away. 'This is going to be a long flight.'

With one last glance at his phone, he caught sight of yet another trending post of him and Jessica—the two of them looking like Hollywood's most toxic, scandal-ridden couple. He groaned, tucking the device back into his pocket, silently hoping the jet had Wi-Fi so he could start clearing the latest mess before it spiraled even further.

. As he made his way behind Sarah, he spotted Mike, one of the security guards, standing at his post by the foyer. The moment Alex came into view, Mike straightened up, a flicker of knowing in his eyes.

"Morning, Mr. Rivers," Mike greeted, his tone low and discreet.

"Morning, Mike," Alex replied, about to brush past, when he noticed the familiar card in the guard's hand.

Mike cleared his throat slightly and leaned in. "Just wanted to let you know, sir—I covered the delivery as you asked last night," he said, sliding the card discreetly back to Alex. "Flowers should be in her hands by now."

"Good man." Alex slipped the card back into his pocket with a nod, his expression cool but satisfied.

Not even a moment later, his phone buzzed. Glancing down, he saw a text from Jessica lighting up the screen. The message was a flurry of emojis and a gushing, OMG, thank you for the flowers! So sweet of you. Didn't know you could be so… thoughtful. He could practically feel her smirk through the text.

Alex grinned, rolling his eyes but unable to hold back a chuckle. 'Guess I'm getting the hang of this whole Jason Rivers routine,' he thought, amused. Playing Jason—the infamous playboy—was surprisingly easy, and Jessica Montgomery? Well, she was certainly the right kind of hot mess to start the lineup with. Rich, scandalous, and wildly impulsive. A bad girl with a taste for trouble. Perfect.

Of course, this was strictly off the radar. 'Sarah doesn't need to know about this,' he thought with a smirk. 'No need to add fuel to her fire.'

Still chuckling, he tucked his phone back into his pocket. With a final glance at Mike, he gave a nod of approval. This was shaping up to be an interesting day already.

As Alex's phone buzzed with Jessica's grateful message about the flowers, another notification popped up on his invisible system screen.

---

[Transaction Complete: $150]

[Cashback Earned: 22.5 points]

[Cashback Rewards Balance: 202.5 points]

[Current Account Balance: $180.00 + 22.5 points = $202.5]

[Note: Points are redeemable at a 1:1 USD ratio]

---

'Nice. So, I get paid just for keeping Jason's playboy reputation intact,' Alex mused, a grin spreading as he realized how lucrative this game was becoming.

Sarah's heels clicked on the pavement as she approached the car, her shoulders tense, posture stiff. When he joined her, she barely acknowledged him, eyes forward, focused only on the day ahead.

'Guess we're doing things the hard way,' he thought, his mouth twisting in a wry smile as the car pulled away. 'This is going to be a long flight.'