“I wish I stumbled upon your book sale without hidden intentions.” Not letting go of my hand, she takes us to the table. “Season 3 ofLove? Check!is under production right now and we’re currently looking for two more contestants to join. I stumbled upon your Headshot page a week ago and I feel like you’re the perfect candidate. Sophisticated and beautiful.”
I blink a couple of times. There’s no way she’s asking me to be a part of a dating show, is she?
I fought with a fifteen-year-old less than twenty minutes ago.
“As exciting as this opportunity is…”
“Don’t say no,” she’s quick to add. “Season one won $100,000, season two won $300,000, and this year it’s half-a-million.”
My brain stems stop purposefully making my cells trip. I’m listening. Fully intent, aware, and in my sense. I hate being the type of person convinced by money, but goodness? Did you hear that amount? That can solve all my problems.
“What gave my problem away?” I ask her. Because there’s no way she thought of money to convince me like that.
Her eyes glance at the books. “Lucky guess? Are you a florist?” She looks at the shop, a smile on her lips. Dammit, everyone knows we don’t make much.
But in front of her, next to her, being close to her—I am nothing. Heck, a florist is like the premise of a career. We don’t exist on the list. We’re a hobby to society.
One look at her and despite not seeing a hint of judgement, I can’t help myself when I say, “No. Actually, I’m an editor. This is a…”
I see Sunny wiping her hands on her shirt as she makes her way out to us. “It belongs to my best friend over there. I help out from time to time.”
“And this?” Irene points at the books.
“That’s all me,” I shrug out a careful truth. “Need some extra money, you know how it is.”
She does not know how it is at all.
“This opportunity came at the right time for you then,” she opens a clutch I didn’t notice before and hands me a card. “I’ll let you think it over, but if you don’t call me by tomorrow night, I’ll assume youpassed on the offer.” She offers another soft smile, then dips her head in a greeting at Sunny before walking away.
“Was that who I think it was?” Sunny steps in next to me. Both of us watching the model of a woman walk away.
I hand Sunny her card.
“I think she just asked me to be onLove? Check!”
She looks at me with a mischievous light in her eyes. “What’d you reply?” She asks.
“Something crazy.” I smile, big, wide and tooth-filled.
CHAPTER 6
“Sunny,” my eyes widen in bliss. Stars are shining in them. I am happy. I am more than happy. I died and went to heaven, and this is it. “They have awaterfountain!”
The party is in full swing.
People are talking to each other, drinks in hand, live music is on, fairy lights curve over the top of us (I’m not sure how they did that), and right in the middle of it all is a large water fountain carved from granite stone.
When the invitation said rooftop, I thought an average rooftop somewhere with live BBQ, not this.
I bounce with excitement. My hands clasped together in front of me while I turn back to look at Sunny, who’s holding her dress with both hands and actively shooting daggers at me. “Fuck the water fountain, I can’t move in this dress.”
A dark blue long-sleeved hourglass dress falls off Sunny’s shoulders. It hugs her body and curves in a way I envy. On top of that, she used one of my Adelaide Mikael original hairpins to throw back one side of her hair.
Did I force her to wear the dress? Yes, but she looks beautiful. Sacrifices needed to be made.
“Sunaira Farsi,” I mirror back a glamoured glare. “You are glowing in that dress. If I hear another bad word out of your mouth, I’m going to tell Azar about your yoghurt incident.”
“Nova,” she drops her hold on the dress and points a finger at me. “Don’t you dare.”
