Figuratively, not literally, kind of hard to meet someone if they didn’t come in the room.Zairn would just love this, learning she was going to be alone with new people.After her meeting with Reeve, her love’s heart rate may not have returned to normal yet.And they were in the suite, alone, with her security on the wrong side of the front door.She could invite security in… Come to think of it, she hadn’t seen Stephen that day, he was her main LA guy.Hmm, he’d been pretty scarce of late.
“Zairn approves.”
Hatfield’s response interrupted her pondering.Did he just say…?
“Zairn a—oh, he approves?Does he?My Zairn?The man I talk to fifty times a day?The only man on planet earth—” and all other planets “—allowed inside my beautiful body?The man who failed to mention new people?Maybe he isn’t as fond of being inside me as I thought.”
Yes, facetious, what else could she do while silencing an internal growl?Keeping secrets?Keeping secrets?What was her Casanova thinking with so many secrets these days?And, huh, she went on alert.If there were surprises now, what would happen at the wedding?One secret was enough for such a big day.Were there others she wasn’t in on?Shame she couldn’t corner her guy and fuck the truth out of him.
“Uh… I don’t know about that,” Greg said.“We, uh, thought you might be happy.”
Happy?Now she was suspicious.“I can’t even say I’ll only be happy if a super-hot, billionaire, fuck machine walks through that door because I already have one of those.Hiding in New York.Hmm.He can’t hide forever.”
“If you want me to cancel—”
“No, I’m intrigued now,” she said with a cleansing breath, correcting her posture and shaking her hair down her back.“So schedule, new people, what else?”
“Your requirements—”
“Those should already be in the contract.Dunlap’s looked it over.I’ve been assured it’s all spelled out.”
According to her guy, but he wasn’t exactly the most forthcoming these days.Maybe she should hide something from him,surprisehim, see how he liked it.
“He has.”
“Rules are: no one in our New York pad, and I have full editing rights.I don’t want things twisted around.If I say no, it’s a no.”
“That was the only way you would sign the deal.”
“This is my life, Greg.My life and the lives of people I care about.If something happens and I say out, everything stops, immediately.”
“We would never disrespect you or Zairn.”
“He would never allow you, or anyone, to disrespect me.This is an odd situation and not one I thought I’d ever… It’s important for the brand, and I like people liking the brand.It’s what I do to pull my weight ‘cause Zairn does most of the heavy lifting with the businessy stuff.He’s the bacon bringer.”
“What are you talking about?You’ve carried the team.Do you have any idea how popular you are?There’s a reason the media and fans call you the ‘Stream Queen,’ we’ve never seen anything like it.”
“That’s the problem when you marry for love, Greg.You’re left carrying the weight of your mooching partner.”This guy was out of practice, Roxie practice, because he didn’t relax until she laughed.“I’m kidding, geez.I’m popular because Zairn’s popular and I get to ride him every night.”When they were in the same state.“I’m the sex proxy for the fans… I talk about it more than he does.”
“Okay, which gives me a perfect segue to remind you, we will have two edits.”
“Two, yes,” she said with a sure single nod.She remembered why the… Okay, she didn’t remember.“Why are there two?”
“One goes out on the network and the other is behind a paywall for members on the Crimson site.”
“Right, yes,” she said.“For my Delights.”
“Yes, and anyone else who pays to join the Delights or the Crimsettes.”
“I like that we’re including our faithful fans, but charging them extra just to see—”
“It’s not about the money,” he said.“The lawyers were clear this is a requirement.Not to line pockets but to ensure—”
“A mature audience, right.”She remembered.“For the naughty bits.Credit card required.That’s right.That’s right.”Crossing her legs toward him, she locked her fingers around her knee to lean in.“Do Z and I have to have sex with the camera crew standing right there or can we set up a tripod?”Hmm… “I suppose there’s a joke in there about Z providing his own, but I’m sulking with him right now, so no bueno.”
Just since the new people thing.Her lover didn’t know she was sulking, but he didn’t have to for it to be effective.She’d hold her breath a while and probably be over it by the next time they talked.Especially since he had a habit of talking her in, over, under, out whatever her point was in any call… Though she couldn’t deny her own proclivity for tangents.Not that they’d be engaging in that because, right, her phone was dead.Sigh.
“I know you like to play,” Hatfield said, “but we have to be careful.”
