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I tip my head back and fill my mouth with nuts, not caring that I’m starting to drool or that I have hamster cheeks. Hey, that’s a thought. Maybe I should store some for later.
18
BROOKS
Recovered from my episode and feeling a hell of a lot better after some real protein, I head into Studio A. Kerry, Madge, and Izzy are sitting on the chairs that have been set out for the reporters who seem to want to watch me make a fool of myself every day.
I kiss Madge on the cheek, make a barely audible grunt in the direction of Kerry, and glower at the British sadist as I take a seat.
‘Ah, glad the weakling could join us,’ Izzy says, pretending to check out her nails, which are perfectly manicured and painted, in case you were wondering.
‘If I could make someone mute with my mind, it would be you,’ I snarl. I look from Izzy to Madge and find her smirking.
‘So, you two are still playing nice,’ she says.
‘The reason we’re here,’ Kerry begins, ‘is to let you know that this hate thing is working out well for book sales, and Madge tells me your gym isn’t suffering, either.’ She flicks a hand in my general direction. ‘But what’s really working, is this…’
She hands Izzy and me each a printout of a trashy online magazine. I read the headline:
From Haters to Lovers
There’s a picture that takes up half the page, of my hands all over Izzy as we dance the rumba. Her hand is reaching behind her to grab my neck. Her mouth is parted, as if she’s panting and wanting more. Hot. As. Hell. The look I’m wearing says I want to devour her.
Well, fuck me, I’m turned on looking at us together. My dream comes back to me. Or, at least, the thoughts I had and the things I was feeling immediately after I woke this morning. My throat feels dry and my skin hot. I hand the printout back to Kerry and focus on anything other than what is screaming at me from my boxers, begging to be satisfied.
I try to concentrate on something other than my raging cock. I find myself silently singing ‘A Little Less Conversation.’ In my mind, I sound just like Elvis Presley.
‘We want you to keep playing with the press like this,’ Kerry continues. ‘They’re lapping it up. Give them more of the same. Heat up the dancing and, I don’t know, think of something.’
‘No,’ Izzy says emphatically. ‘I can hardly stand to look at him, let alone hang around his neck.’
‘That must be the first thing we’ve agreed on. I’m not whoring myself out for her quest for fame. No.’
‘It’s helping you both,’ Kerry says, impatience obvious in her tone. ‘Honestly, the way you’re behaving, I wonder if you aren’t secretly attracted to each other.’
Scowling, I open my mouth to retort. Madge leans toward me before I do. ‘Brooks, you should consider it. It’s no more than you have been doing. A few looks, a few smiles. In fact, Izzy should come along for drinks tomorrow night. Make sure you get seen heading out together. I could even arrange it.’
‘Drinks with my friends on a Saturday night? No way is she coming. I’m not inflicting her on everyone else.’
Izzy glares at me. ‘Inflicting me? Am I really that bad?’
‘Yes.’
Ignoring me, she says, ‘I’d love to come along, thanks, Madge. Do you have a phone?’ Madge hands her cell to Izzy. ‘There, you have my number; you can let me know the time and place.’
‘So, there’s just one other thing I wanted to mention,’ Kerry says. ‘AMTV USA has asked if you two would do a slot on the breakfast show on the last day of your contest. You would talk about the experience, give the results of the two weeks, and so on.’
‘I’m not doing a TV show,’ I growl. ‘This whole thing has gotten out of control.’
‘You might want to look at these ratings figures before you say no.’ Madge hands me a piece of paper. ‘And that figure on the bottom is what they want to pay you. Each.’
‘There’s surely a zero too many on that?’ I ask.
‘Nope.’
As I exhale, the thought of the things I could use this money for whirl around my mind. I could buy Cady a car. I could provide better accommodation for her while she’s at college. I could keep the money for a down payment on her first pad.
‘I’m in!’ Izzy declares.
