Page 93 of Plus Size Player

“You had no idea who I was?”

“No!” I scoffed loudly, frustration getting the best of me.

“Okay. I know you’ve already signed everything this morning, but you can still break your contract. It’s not too late. If that’s what you want to do, I could get you out of it.”

It wasn’t just my personal goals of growing my platform and making more money that made me sign the RLF contract. The opportunity to grow my brand and reach even more big-bodied women was a huge deal. I wasn’t just thinking about myself; I was also thinking about my impact. So for him to even suggest that I void the contract was outrageous to me.

I made a face. “You mean the contract I turned down other brand deals to sign? This opportunity is a great move for me and my career. Why would I have to be the one to lose out?”

“I’m not saying you have to. I’m just…” His sentence trailed off as he appeared to be warring with himself. “Nina…” He chewed his lip for a moment before gesturing between the two of us. “Did you plan this?”

“Did I plan this?” I let out a short, dry laugh as I regurgitated the question in bewilderment. “Are you serious?”

He blinked. “Yes.”

My eyebrows shot up. It felt like I was in the twilight zone,because there was no way he was standing in my home accusing me of using him for the job.

“No, I didn’t plan this,” I snapped. “Did you?”

The crease between his eyes deepened. “No.”

“This is your business, but you didn’t know who was being hired to promote it? Shouldn’t you know that information?” I stepped forward. “Did you know who I was when you got me off at the party? Or when you whisked me away yesterday?”

“No. I didn’t.”

“So, you see how ridiculous it sounds for you to ask me if I planned it or if I knew?”

He laced his fingers and sat them on top of his head. “What else am I supposed to think, Nina? It looks like—”

“I don’t care what it looks like,” I interrupted. “I care what it is.”

He crossed his arms over his chest. “Then what is it?”

“Well, first and foremost, I didn’t seek out this job. Remedy saw me at an event in New York and sought me out.” I put my hands on my hips. “Second, I thought Remedy ran things. She was introduced to me as the person in charge. I had no clue you were part of the company, let alone the CEO. Third of all, what would I gain from keeping this from you if I knew this was your company? This opportunity is a huge deal for me, and I wouldn’t squander it by playing games with the person who is cutting the checks. That doesn’t even make sense.” I shook my head. “To come here acting like I was trying to date you for this opportunity is complete and utter bullshit.”

His head rocked back, and he scrubbed his face with his hands. When he finally looked at me again, his features had softened and there was a resigned look in his eyes. “You’re right,” he sighed. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I just…” He squeezed his eyes shut. “I just don’t understand how this happened.”

“I don’t understand it either.” I threw my hands in the air. Shaking my head, I walked past him and took a seat on the couch. “Today was my first day. I didn’t know what you did for work, so when Sasha said we were meeting with executives, I didn’t expect you to be one of them. The main one.”

“Yeah.” After a few seconds, a small smile pulled at his lips. “It was all over your face.”

My lip curled slightly. “Your eyes bulged out of your head when you saw me.”

“I’ve never been so shocked in my damn life,” he admitted, unbuttoning his suit jacket. He joined me, taking a seat on the other side of the couch. “I believe you didn’t know. I’m sorry I came at you like that. My gut told me you didn’t. But my head has been all over the place and”—he lifted his shoulders—“I had to ask.”

“It’s a wild situation, but to think I was plotting on you is just…” I shook my head. “What have I ever done to you that would make you think some shit like that?”

“Charge it to my head, not my heart. I couldn’t make sense of it and I just…” His sentence trailed off. “I’m sorry. I should’ve known better.”

“Yes, you should’ve. But how did you not know they hired me? Don’t they have to run these things by you?”

His phone rang and he looked at it but didn’t answer.

“Yeah, typically. Remedy’s the chief creative officer and I gave her the go-ahead to expand the marketing within the parameters we set. There were four models selected before I went into my last meeting on Friday. I was scheduled to meet them Monday. That’s why I was so thrown off.”

Before I could respond, his phone rang again.

He let out a deep breath. “I need to take this.”

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