"Vince, I can explain…" John started but Vince raised his hand, cutting him off. Not willing to hear an excuse, so I offered my help.
"He was joking. Jeff has developed a little bit of a crush on me. John was just trying to get him to get over it. He just went about it the wrong way. What can I say? He's a competitor; can't expect him to be a rocket scientist, too." I smiled sweetly, hoping the pile of bull I'd just laid out before the chairman would be bought.
"It really was a bad way to go about that. I can understand why Jeff would be interested. He needs a good woman, just needs to start looking at women his own age." The inflection of the word woman was meant for John. He couldn't prove anything, he knew that, not without my help and I obviously wasn't going to cooperate. Just as well, the reasoning I offered up was slightly logical.
"Thank you." John said and walked away.
I turned around and began walking toward the diva's locker room. When I turned the corner I stood face-to-face with Jeff, who honestly looked a little hurt.
"So, I guess there's no point in trying to talk you into coming out with me tonight." He said sadly.
"No, not really." I responded and he walked away. Not really anything more that needed to be said. He had lost and he knew it.
"So, not to scare you with another face around a corner but we need to talk about this." I heard Vince from behind me and felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Thank god that conversation hadn't gone further than it had.
"What do we need to talk about? I already told you what happened."
"No you didn't. You really expect me to believe that pile of garbage. I mean obviously it was half true after what I just saw with Jeff but John isn't stupid enough to say something like that; it would just cause a fight and an unsanctioned fight is a good way to get hurt and or suspended." Vince hadn't bought anything I'd said. He just wanted John to think that he had.
"What can you prove without me?" I questioned, nonchalantly I tried desperately to sound unconcerned, but could hear a slight franticness in my voice.
"Not much. Just what came out of John's mouth."
"Which doesn't prove a whole hell of anything. Yea, we've been in bed together. We watched movies."
"You… watched… movies…" Vince pondered the statement for a moment. And finally replied, "How stupid do I look to you?"
"Like someone who doesn't have a case." I said firmly turning and walking away, thinking to myself. How stupid could I be? I just pretty much flat out admitted what was going on and shoved it in his face.