“We’ll make it worth your while,” Noah assures her. “Pay will be double your usual salary.” He turns to me. “Right, Holland?”
“Yep.” I keep my tone carefree, even as my hackles are raised like little barbed wires poking at the back of my throat. I couldn’t care less if Mallory wants to be onMEMas a contestant, but if she says no to coaching me, I’m not sure what I’ll do.
Mallory nibbles her lip. “I’m still not sure that would make enough of a difference…”
“There would also be compensation involved for going on the show as a contestant,” Vivian offers casually. She takes a slip of paper from one of the network lawyers, peeks at it, and slides it across the table to Mallory.
She opens it, and I don’t see the actual total, but I do see a lot of zeros, and I hear the slight gasp that escapes Mallory’s lips—those perfectly shaped, dusty-pink lips. I mentally slap myself on thecheeks a couple times for thinking about how much I’d like to taste them.
“You’d give me all this money for going on the show?” Mallory’s voice is higher than usual and strained with disbelief.
Vivian flicks her gaze to Caroline, who nods, before she looks back to Mallory. “We have a good feeling about you.”
“What’s the catch?” Mallory is incredulous.
“Just that you participate as a usual contestant. All the rules will apply to you, so—“
“I’ll need slight modifications to the rules,” Mallory interjects.
I cock my head in her direction. Is she actually considering Vivian’s offer?
“What kind of modifications?”
“The family situation I mentioned. I’ll need to have access to my phone to communicate with my parents and aunt. That’s non-negotiable.”
Mallory stares Vivian down, two powerhouse women squaring off. The only sign of Mallory’s nerves is the way her leg bounces ever so slightly beneath the table. I clench my fists, warding off the urge to reach over and place my palm on her knee.
“Seems reasonable,” Noah pipes up.
Vivian shifts her jaw. “Fine. I can agree to that. But otherwise, you’re to live in the house with the women. You’ll go on dates with Holland like the rest of the contestants.”
Mallory snorts again next to me, but covers it with a cough.
She’s going to give me a complex, I swear it.
“Right. Okay. I can do that. But what happens when this guy sends me home?” She hooks her thumb in my direction. “He’ll probably send me packing night one. Is my money contingent on staying on the show for X number of days?”
“Not at all.” Vivian flicks her wrist. “I mean, this is our base offer. You’ll get more money for each episode, or day of filming, you stick around for. But I’m not in the business of orchestrating fakerelationships or meddling in my contestants’ or lead’s love lives. All of that will be up to you…and Holland, of course.”
That seems a little rich coming from the woman who has offered an exorbitant amount of money to my golf coach to get her to come on the show in the first place, but maybe I’m feeling ornery because Mallory obviously thinks I’m the last person on Earth who she could be prevailed upon to date.
“Just to be crystal clear, there isn’t going to be a love life between Holland and myself. I think we can both agree on that, right?” Mallory turns to me, eyes wide. “For starters, I’m his coach, and besides, just…no.”
“Uh, right. Obviously.” To try to convince myself, I go through the list I’ve made of reasons why I should not like Mallory. Her order barking. Her lack of emotion in public. Her tense, never-have-any-fun attitude.
Unfortunately, that list pales in comparison to the one I have of things I admire about her. Her self-confidence. Her drive and work ethic. How classy she is.
I clear my throat. “You’re not my type, Coach.”
That’s only true because she’s way too good for me.
“Ditto,” Mallory says without hesitation.
“Whatever you say.” Vivian presses her lips together, like she knows some sort of secret Mallory and I don’t.
I glance to my left to see Mal frowning, but then she nods her head once. “Okay. I’m in.”
Vivian smiles. “Excellent news. We’ll have our lawyers draw up a contract.”
