“We’ve always had other sexual partners,” Helen said in a strong voice. “We both enjoy it. Our very first encounter was a threesome, and we’ve dated other couples over the years. But then, with one of our lovers, it became something more. The father of my baby has been with us for some time. You could say we’re exclusive, but he’s not ready to go public yet.”
“Well,heis ready,” Pierce corrected. “But I advised him not to do it yet. He has a promotional tour ongoing.”
“And you think the connection to you two would disrupt it?” I asked.
“His coming out would.” Pierce’s tone suggested I was slow on the uptake, but I still didn’t understand.
The baby’s father would need to come out? As what? I glanced at Eddie, but he was just smiling encouragingly at Helen.
Pierce must have lost his patience with our dancing around the subject. “My dick was in his ass and my venom in his blood when he impregnated Helen.”
Helen glared at him, but he shrugged and gestured to us dismissively. “I’m sure they’ve heard worse.”
Turning slowly back to us, Helen took a deep breath. “Look, we don’t want to lie, but we can’t really tell the public my husband is fine with me having sex with another man because he fucks him too.”
“Why not?” Eddie asked quietly.
Pierce sneered at him, but Eddie wasn’t deterred. “How do you feel about the label polyamorous?” he pressed.
Helen’s impeccably formed lips curved into a sardonic smirk. “Most people are skeptical about whether such relationships are sustainable.”
“It has been sustainable for you, hasn’t it?”
They looked at each other, and this time, even Pierce almost smiled.
“Fidelity is a social construct with many interpretations,” Eddie continued. “But in this case, you can easily argue you haven’t been cheating on each other. The sexual relations you’ve had outside of your marriage happened only when the other one approved of them, am I correct?”
“I’ve never fucked a guy without Helen there,” Pierce replied. “What’s your point?”
“Let’s explore a scenario. Theoretically. You come out as polyamorous in a lifestyle interview but don’t announce the pregnancy yet. You use honest but carefully formulated sentences to describe your relationship in as much detail as you feel comfortable with. We accompany it with strategic social media posts while monitoring the reactions. You will receive some backlash, but it will be from predictable sources in predictable ways, the usual bigots coming out of the woodwork. We adjust the content accordingly. When it becomes clear that you’re pregnant in a few months, we’ll circle back to polyamory and how it’s not mutually exclusive with a loving marriage. We don’t have to suggest either Pierce or the baby’s father is bisexual because it’s nobody’s business what exactly you do in the bedroom. We simply make it clear that you all were conscious of everyone’s wishes and consenting.”
“And this is your best advice?” Pierce asked, frowning. “You just volley that out?”
I was about to jump to Eddie’s rescue, but he had it under control.
“No. Ideally, we reserve time to analyze your current media presence and image. Then we provide you with several alternative scenarios, the polyamory angle being one if it still holds water after the analysis. We have several possibilities, including various white lies, and more will probably occur once we have the full picture. We will recommend the most suitable strategy, but the final decision will be up to you. Also, we might need to consult the biological father. Will he be willing to cooperate?”
Pierce narrowed his eyes, studying Eddie with deeper focus. It seemed that he was finally taking him seriously. “We’ll talk to him and get back to you.”
“Thank you. Your family’s future will be an important factor in how we’ll approach the crisis. Will you eventually live together, all three of you? How much public scrutiny will you need to tolerate once the child is born, once they start school, and in their teenage years? The way you explain the baby’s parentage can have a different fallout years from now. During the time we prepare the strategy, you should consider these angles.”
Eddie made a few notes on his tablet as he spoke while the couple watched him with consternation.
I exhaled slowly, still reeling from Eddie’s stunt. Had it been a stunt? Or was he justthatclever? Whatever the case, one of the most arrogant vampires in Hollywood was now staring at Eddie with somewhat stunned respect. I decided to roll with it.
“It’s not always that we advise our clients simply to tell the truth,” I said. “But from a long-term perspective, transparency is oftentimes the most sustainable approach.”
We talked for thirty more minutes, branching out into different scenarios. Helen seemed to agree that they would eventually need to be honest, gradually bringing Pierce on board. We reiterated that the final decision didn’t have to be made today and settled on a few deadlines, considering that Helen had to start informing her producers about her pregnancy.
By the time we shook hands by the door, she seemed to think that Eddie was a gift from heaven, and I was inclined to agree. The best-tasting, most enticing human I’d ever bitten might also be one of the smartest men I’d ever met. Just my luck that he was the least available one.
The bodyguards picked the couple up, and the door clicked shut. In the subsequent silence, I could hear Eddie’s heartbeat. He stood by the desk where we’d spread our laptops and the contracts, looking at the mess distractedly.
“That was bold, Eddie.”
His head snapped up, and he blushed, but then his expression hardened. “I genuinely think it’s the best strategy.”
“For them or for you?”
