“I hope you’re interested, because I don’t think other offers are coming.” Zach leaned forward, all the anger that had accompanied their recent interactions abruptly gone. “If you want a career in Hollywood, this is your way back in. The only way.”
Work. Work he’d actually enjoy. Work that would allow him to continue supporting his mother, his charity, and Dina, and maybe even offer a comfortable life to—
His belly dropped, and he sat with a thump on the remaining Adirondack chair.
If he was out on the road all the time, where would Wren be?
His agent was still laying out the details. “They want you to have a partner, like in your videos. They’re looking for banter. A bit of flirty tension. That sort of thing.”
Oh, thank Christ.
“Then we’re set. Lauren can be my partner.” Alex grinned at his agent, renewed excitement kindling in his veins. “They can have the exact chemistry they loved from the videos, and I can have her with me. Win-win.”
She wouldn’t even need to pick between her two shitty job options. No ER, no therapy bros. Win-win-win.
Zach’s mouth opened, then closed.
When he spoke again, each word emerged slowly, tentatively, as if he were sounding it out in his head first before saying it aloud. Alex had no idea what that process must feel like, but from Zach’s furrowed brow and pinched expression, it wasn’t enjoyable.
“I … don’t think they’ll agree to Ms. Clegg,” he said.
“Is that so?” Alex folded his arms across his chest. “Have you asked them?”
“As a matter of fact, yes.” His agent sighed. “Alex, I know you. I’ve known you for roughly two decades now. I realize you care about her, but—”
“It’s Lauren or no one.”
His pinwheeling thoughts wouldn’t be corralled, couldn’t be, but that much he knew.
Zach’s jaw worked. “I’ll ask again, if you want me to, but …”
“What?” He leaped to his feet and resumed pacing.
“When I mentioned the possibility earlier, they …” Zach traced the grain of the wood on the chair arm with his forefinger. “There were concerns about her … audience appeal.”
Alex would never understand.
After what Wren had shared of her past, after their encounter with his asshole fan, after what her own cousin had written, he knew many people—maybe even most people—considered her compelling, asymmetrical features and her charmingly round, short body ugly. He also knew the meanest among those people would use that as an excuse to dismiss her as unimportant or abuse her in some way.
He knew it. He still didn’t get it.
Symmetry was boring as shit, and they lived in fuckingL.A. Tall women with slim bodies weren’t precisely an endangered species.
Wren was not only the cutest, hottest goddamn bird-woman on the face of the earth, but also unique and funny and smart and charming and kind and the perfect cohost of a travel show, and he’d fucking fight anyone who tried to argue otherwise.
“I suggested that perhaps she could stay behind the camera, as she’s been doing up until now.” Upon seeing Alex’s expression, Zach rushed to add, “I got the sense she was uncomfortable being filmed, since we’ve only seen her arm.”
Okay, fair. Alex’s fists unclenched at his sides, and he continued pacing.
“But they want an on-camera companion, and they won’t accept her in that role. And if you insist, I suspect they’ll withdraw the offer.” Zach scrubbed his hands over his face. “Help me out here, Alex. Tell me how we can make this offer work for both you and StreamUs.”
There had to be a solution, but his head was all over the goddamn place.
Dammit, he needed to be able to concentrate for such a crucial discussion, which meant taking his meds, which meant breakfast. So much for getting back to the room quickly.
“Lauren and I are a package deal.” That was the one thing he knew for certain. “So let’s order some food, and I’ll take my medicine. Then we can talk through negotiation strategies. If we figure out the right approach, we can convince them to bend on this. I know it.”
“That makes one of us,” Zach muttered, but he stood and slipped his phone in his pocket. “Okay. Let’s take the morning and try to come up with something.”
