SWNOVELS Wild Ever After: Chapter 35
“Your schedule is seriously hindering my sex life,” I tell Declan, as he packs his bag for another away game. They’ve had three out of town games this week already. I’ve spent more time alone in this bed I’m currently sitting on while I watch him get ready to leave again, than I have with him in it the past five days.
He smiles, then his gaze drops to my bare chest. My body heats at the way he looks at me. I have no room for complaints, really. We were up late last night making up for his absence the two nights prior, but I do sleep a lot better when he’s here.
I stand on the bed and drape my arms over his shoulders. “Call in sick?”
Laughing, he places a soft kiss on my lips and then circles my waist and pulls me off the bed. “I’ll be back tomorrow. Quick trip and then I’m home for a whole week.”
“Seven whole days,” I mutter dryly. Though, truthfully, I’m ecstatic. A month into the season and I don’t know how he does it. I’m exhausted just trying to stay awake long enough at night to answer his calls after every game.
“I gotta go.” He swats my ass playfully. “And you need to shower and get ready for work.”
“I don’t want to wash you off me yet.”
He groans, drops his bag and picks me back up. The kiss is quick but still manages to steal my breath. Dropping me back on my feet, he says, “I gotta go. Call you tonight.”
I don’t follow him downstairs, but I wait for the sound of the front door announcing his departure before I head into the shower.
I use his body wash. If I can’t smell him on me, then I’ll have to settle for smelling like him.
When I get into the office, I’ve no more than set my purse on my desk when Scarlett appears.
“Is everything okay? You didn’t show for coffee.”
“I’m sorry. Declan and I started saying goodbye around six this morning, and, well…it went through coffee.” I sit at my chair and get out my laptop.
“You’re forgiven.” She holds a coffee cup out to me with my name written in black Sharpie.
“Oh, you’re the best.” I take it from her and then enjoy a long drink.
“I know.” She leans against my desk. “So? Did he say it again?”
My face grows warm. “No. I’m pretty sure I dreamt it.”
“You did not dream it.” Scarlett shakes her head and laughs. “He is in love with you. Everyone can see that.”
“Then why hasn’t he said it? It’s been weeks since that night.” I was almost asleep. It’s possible I didn’t hear him right.
“I’m not sure,” she says. “Maybe he knows you heard him and he’s waiting for you to bring it up.”
My skin feels tight, and the back of my neck gets hot. There is no way I’m bringing it up.
Changing the subject, I ask my best friend, “Did you read the interviews I sent you earlier this week?”
“Yeah.” Her face lights up. “I can’t get enough. Leo, too. Who is it? Someone we know?”
“I can’t tell. It’s anonymous.” I started reaching out to friends of friends, old colleagues, and classmates to see if any would be willing to answer questions about their marriage. I’ve received a wide variety of responses. A few that have been married less than five years, several in the five-to-ten range, and one couple that’s celebrating their twentieth anniversary this year. I don’t know what it all means or where it’s going, but it’s been fascinating to read their love stories.
“Ugh. I want to know! They are so sweet. I hope Leo and I are like that in twenty years. When do we get to read more?”
“That’s all I have back. I’m waiting on five more to respond, but who knows if or when they’ll get it to me. And I still have to figure out how to use the individual interviews from divorced couples.”
She pouts.
“You’ll be the first to know when I get more. Promise.”
“I love it. You’re turning into a total romantic. Who would have thought?”
“It isn’t about romance. It’s figuring out why some people make it work and others don’t.”
“It’s a little about romance.”
Melody’s office door opens. Scarlett straightens and we both look over to see our boss standing three feet away.
“Jade, can I have a minute?” She smiles, but I still get an uneasy feeling low in my stomach.
“Of course.” I stand on wobbly legs.
Melody disappears back in her office and I shoot Scarlett a nervous glance.
“Lunch?” she asks.
“If I still work here,” I whisper back. “No, I take that back. Lunch either way. But if I get fired, I’m drinking my lunch.”
“She wouldn’t,” Scarlett says, then adds, “she better not.”
I take several deep breaths and smooth out the invisible wrinkles on my skirt on the short walk to Melody’s office.
As I take a step into her space, she glances up and says, “Shut the door, please.”
My pulse quickens as I close us in and then take a seat in front of her desk.
She’s smiling at me again, and for some reason that has me even more nervous than if she were frowning.
“I got an interesting call this morning,” she starts, leaning back in her chair.
My first thought is that someone has figured out the truth about Sam calling off the engagement and me marrying Declan to save face (and my job). But why would she be smiling about that?
“Oh?” I try to ignore the way my voice wavers.
“Do you remember Olivia Benton? I believe you met her at the charity event back in July.”
“Of course.”
“She is doing the PR for a new reality show. It’s still in the conceptual phase, but if everything moves as fast as she thinks, they’ll begin filming in a few months.”
I stay quiet, brain churning to figure out where this is going.
“Think Real Housewives meets NBA Wives, but make it hockey.”
“Hockey WAGs?”
“Precisely. They already have three other wives signed on. She couldn’t say who, but I know she wouldn’t be involved unless it’s going to be huge.”
“That’s great,” I hear myself saying. My mind can’t seem to process the information fast enough, because I still have no idea where this is going.
“She is hoping for one more. You.”
“Me?” I croak.
Melody nods. “She’s a big fan of the magazine and of you.”
“I’m flattered,” I start, and Melody jumps in.
“You’ll film for a few months. You can continue your regular life, including working here, but we’ll have to figure out what kind of access to give them and if we want to tweak your angle to include the show.” She sits forward. “Those are things for me to figure out.” She pushes a card toward me. “This is Olivia’s number. She’ll go over everything else in more detail.”
I take the card and run a finger over the gold lettering of Olivia’s name. “This is so flattering, but I don’t think this is for me.”
“Jade, I don’t think you understand what a huge opportunity this is for you.”
“No, I do.” Adrenaline pumps through my veins. It’s the kind of publicity that could mean hundreds of thousands more people might read my words. But Declan would hate this. Cameras following us around and invading our lives? No way. “I’m sorry.”
I start to get up, but she levels me with her next sentence.
“Twenty-five thousand per episode with a signing bonus of five hundred thousand.”
I sort of fall back in my seat. “How is that possible?”
“It’s an invasive process. They understand that it needs to be worth your while, and they feel confident that it’s going to be a hit.”
Holy shit. Five hundred thousand dollars?!
I could quit this job and take time to write a book or… anything. The sky is the limit with that kind of padding in my savings account.
Melody stands. “Olivia pushed hard for you. At least take a day or two and think it over.”
Numbly, I nod and get to my feet. My hands start to shake as I get back to my desk. I stare down at Olivia’s card. I can’t say yes. I start to toss it in the trashcan but can’t bring myself to let go.
Declan will never agree, but maybe it wouldn’t hurt to have all the information.