More Than Dare You - Shayla Black Page 0,10
She’s feeling out what it’s like to be next to me. And she’s beginning to relax. I see it in the set of her shoulders and the subtle sway of her hips.
“Noah has been good for Harlow,” she says.
“She’s been really good for him, too.”
“When Harlow was engaged to Simon, I knew he wasn’t right for her and that she wasn’t happy. Thom and I double-dated with them once.” She rolls her eyes.
“Disaster?”
“Simon thought Thom was uptight.”
“Isn’t that true?”
Masey bobs her head like I’ve got a point. “I suppose so. And Thom thought Simon was, in his words, a prick.”
“I saw the video Harlow played before she ran out on their wedding, so I know that’s true.”
“Oh, it is.”
I’m guessing neither liked their respective boyfriends because they both saw too much of themselves in the other. I’m glad they’re both free of their exes.
“But it’s funny,” she continues. “In college, Harlow and I thought I would be the first one married and pregnant. Now, I don’t know if that will ever happen for me.”
“Is that something you want?”
“Yeah. It probably sounds old-fashioned. And after everything that’s happened, I should probably rethink my long-term plans, but family has always been important to me. I’ve always wanted one of my own, but…” She sounds somewhere between wistful and resigned.
I feel for her. But she’s wrong. “It will happen, just not with Thom.”
“That alone is a blessing. My mom has been telling me for years that Thom wasn’t the man for me. I didn’t want to hear it. She also told me that everything happens for a reason. When he broke up with me, I didn’t see what purpose there could possibly be for me to lose the future I’d envisioned for myself. Now, I’m grateful. Ever marrying him would have been a big mistake. Having kids with him, even worse. I just don’t know where that leaves me. My brother, Chase, is way less poetic. He just threatened to kill Thom. And since he’s some badass special ops guy, I’m sure he could.” Then she seems to realize where she is, and that I’m a relative stranger. She flashes me an awkward smile. “Sorry. Way more than you wanted to hear.”
“You’re fine. I’m happy to listen.” After making a mental note to avoid her brother, I lean in and whisper, “Like I said, more than my penis functions.”
She laughs. “It would seem. You’re easy to talk to.”
“You’re interesting to be with.”
Masey scoffs. “Woe-is-me crap is never interesting.”
“You’re not woe-is-me. I don’t hear you crying and blaming Thom for everything. You were with him for ten years. It’s normal to wonder where you’re going next in life.”
“Thanks for understanding. At least I still have work. That’s been my constant.”
“Harlow told me you’re filming while you’re here. You brought all the equipment with you? That’s dedication.”
“Testing product and filming helps me keep my mind off things. And it’s not that much stuff to ship over. Well, the product is. I’ve got so much of that. Spring launches are here, and I’m super behind.”
I don’t understand makeup, so I don’t grasp what she’s saying. “Spring launches? How many tubes of mascara does one person need?”
“You’d be surprised. But it’s way more than that. I have so many palettes, foundations, and lip stains, not to mention self-tanners, sunscreens, and masques. Body creams, nail polishes… I could go on.”
What the… “You buy all this stuff?”
“I buy some, but most brands send me free product to test and review. Despite that, I give my honest opinion—always. Some influencers are too beholden to various brands to be unvarnished. They want the cash, trips, and other perks that come with kissing ass. But I’ve always prided myself on giving praise or criticism to products whenever it’s warranted. That means I’ve been blacklisted by certain brands for being too honest. That’s fine. My sole responsibility is to my followers. I only want them to spend their hard-earned money on the good stuff. I wouldn’t have a channel without them, after all. They seem to appreciate how seriously I take my role.”
“That makes sense…but how does that equate to money?”
“Mostly YouTube ad revenue. I also speak to various entrepreneurial and women’s groups. I do some online personal beauty consulting. Next month, I’ll be starting negotiation on a collaboration that I’m not allowed to talk about yet but it’s beyond exciting. I have a few sponsored videos about products, but only those I stand behind one hundred percent.”
And that’s enough to afford swanky