was one I never expected to hear.
“What do you mean, if it were up to you?”
“I mean, it’s not just me. I have the show, management, agents, publicists. Everything I do affects people’s livelihoods. In my last contract, there was a condition that I would be fined and/or fired if I gained more than ten pounds, so obviously, pregnancy was out of the question.”
“Is that legal?”
“Legal? Yes. Ethical?” She shrugged. “It’s something I’m fighting to get taken out in my new contract. But, now…now I’m not sure how much leverage I have.”
Her phone buzzed and she glanced down at it.
“What do you mean? Leverage?”
Out of my peripheral vision I saw her look back up at me. “With everything going on with Drake, they’ll be able to use our breakup as a liability against me.”
“How?”
“The powers that be are convinced, and they say they have the data to back it up, that my popularity or should I say Alexis’ popularity is contingent on my off-screen relationship with Drake. Now that that’s over, they might say that I’m not worth what I’m asking to get paid, which is equal to what Drake makes.”
“He makes more than you?”
“Yes, even though I’ve been on the show six years longer than him. But he’s got more Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube followers than I do.”
“That stuff matters?”
“Big time. It’s called social proof. It used to be that if you had a little bit of talent, and the right representation, you could have a career. Now, it’s more complicated than that. Now you get hired based on what built-in audience you already have.” Her phone dinged and she looked down at it. “Sorry, this has got to be really boring for you.”
“I could never be bored around you.” My admission sounded like a line, but it wasn’t. It was the truth. I knew that being around her would never get old. I’d never get tired of spending time with her. She could talk about watching paint dry and I’d be captivated.
I looked over at her to gauge how it had hit her and I saw her grinning from ear to ear. Her smile washed over me like a hot cocoa on a freezing day. It warmed me from the inside out. And I knew, in that moment, that if I was lucky enough to see that smile every day for the rest of my life, I’d never get tired of it, it would never get old. I’d feel the same way in fifty years looking at her as I did right now. But I kept that to myself. I had a one cheesy admission per date limit and five minutes into our date, I’d already reached my quota.
Chapter 17
Sasha
“The best things in life might technically be free, but that don’t mean they don’t come with a cost.”
~ Barbara-Jean Nelson
I felt like I was starring in a real-life romantic comedy. The sun was shining, birds were chirping, we were surrounded by green trees with a backdrop of bright blue skies dotted with white fluffy clouds. There was a light breeze and the air smelled fresh, like morning dew and water. And I was seated next to the Sexiest Man Alive. He may not have the official title from People, but I had deemed him with the honor, and I would fight to the death anyone who challenged me on that.
My feet dangled over the dock and I tried not to stare at Beau’s chiseled forearm that was resting on his thigh beside me. I kept diverting my eyes from his strong, muscled bicep which ran up to his rounded shoulder. I was doing my level best not to notice the way his crisp white T-shirt contrasted the tanned skin of his lickable neck. The ink he had on his arm and neck weren’t helping my plight. Neither was the way his ball cap shaded his face causing the sunlight to beam directly on his mouth and jaw.
I’d never met or seen a man I was more attracted to. Every time I was around him it became clearer to me that while a huge part of his appeal was his drool-worthy physique, near-perfect bone structure, and panty-melting bedroom eyes there was something even more sexy that I was drawn to. He had an air of authority and complete absence of insecurity. It was something intangible yet palpable at the same time. I didn’t know how to explain it I just knew that I felt it radiating off of him