Page 33 of Size King
There we are, Kate and me, the two of us having sex in my office the week before. It’s office security footage, with multiple angles of the building showing Kate and I while we had our way with each other. There are people talking over the footage, but neither of us hear anybody’s words. We are too busy processing it all to catch anything else.
The security footage angles are not ideal for their purposes, but they show quite enough. So much is shown in it that they have to blur out some of the images. Even with about two full minutes of footage, which felt like ten minutes, they manage to replay it all at least three times during one news cycle.
“Oh my God,” Kate utters.
We freak out immediately, unable to form logical thought.
“How?” Kate asks. “How?That is our office’s security footage!”
“No kidding.”
“Oh my God,” she says. “How? How is this footage even released? I thought you said—you said there weren’t any cameras pointed at your office!”
“Check out the footage. None of the cameras are pointed directly at—”
“If I had known there were cameras eventhatclose, I wouldn’t have gone through with it. Oh my God. Holy fuck. We’re so screwed.”
“How was this released?” I now ask. “Who could’ve done this?”
People on Channel 8 continue discussing the scandalous tape and what a horny animal I am. They too are debating who they think put the tape out there and why. Most of their words keep going in one ear and out the other. Kate and I are still too transfixed on the footage itself, horrified to know that the entire world could see it. Our sex life is no longer a secret and it is now at the forefront of the news cycle.
Channel 8 suspects that I put out the security tape myself. Their logic behind that theory is that I’m trying to show the world that I don’t discriminate who I have sex with. I fuck often and fuck many, and Sarah is obviously lying.
“That’s not true,” I say to myself.
Continuing to discuss the tape, another Channel 8 correspondent suspects that someone in the media discovered that the footage exists and wanted to release it to stir the pot of controversy that’s been boiling at Tech Wreck for many days now. Somehow, I knowthatisn’t the case, either.
We check a different news outlet, and while it isn’t the top story, we soon see the dreaded footage come back and the words of judgment from the anchors and journalists (and even the people writing on social media) flooding our ears. They talk about how Sarah is probably one of many employees that took my sexual harassment and I likely always conduct business this way.
“You’re clearly not forcing me or coercing,” Kate says aloud. “They keep playing the goddamn footage on repeat. Can’t they tell I’m enjoying myself?”
I agree with everyone’s assessment that I’m a horny animal that likes to have sex often, but I hate the implications and straight accusations that the media is stapling onto the footage without even reaching out to Kate or myself. I’m not sure if anyone has reached out to my office for a comment, but I’m pretty sure they haven’t. They love being able to repeatedly say they “reached out for a comment” and received none.
We change the channel to another news show, and I’m slightly relieved to see one media personality get it right.
“It’s pretty obvious what’s happening here,” the guy says. “It doesn’t take a genius to know that the stories that have come out lately about Sarah’s behavior with other men have originated from Aiden Marx’s camp. This is a duel going on right now between Tech Wreck and one of their former employees. They released stuff on Sarah Blackburn, so Sarah Blackburn is releasing stuff on them.”
I’m already starting to suspect Sarah, and now that I hear the same suspicion on national TV, I don’t feel as paranoid anymore. I know just how much of a liar she is, and I look at all of this the same way as that guy on TV does: a duel, a battle to win, no matter how much it costs everyone on both sides.
“I might be going out on a limb here,” says Kate. “Do you think it’s possible that anyone still working for you at Tech Wreck—in that office—could’ve leaked this? Are there any disgruntled employees, or other staffers wanting to get revenge?”
“I don’t know.” I shrug. “Maybe. I don’t think so, though. This has Sarah written all over it.”
“She doesn’t work for the company anymore,” says Kate. “How would she have had access to the footage? Oh my God, this isterrible.”
“Yeah, it is,” I agree. “We can’t exactly pretend the video isn’t real. I mean, wecould,but I don’t think anyone would buy it.”
“I can’t believe she could pull this off,” Kate says. “I mean, she worked at your office for a while. Maybe she made some friends who were willing to help her out. She had to have help getting the tape, if she’s even the one responsible.”
“It is definitely her,” I say with assurance. “I know it’s her.”
“This is a fucking disaster,” Kate says, freaking out even more. She leaps from her bed and begins getting dressed frantically while I continue to stare in disbelief at the TV. I can’t move.
I check my phone and see another text from Adam saying, “Get your ass over here now bro. I moved all your morning meetings but you gotta get here right away.”
“This is going to destroy my career,” Kate says while she puts her outfit on. “This has undoubtedly ruined our case. I’m probably going to get fired from my agency.”
“You’re not going to get fired, and your career is far from over,” I say.