Page 76 of Cloudless
She’s nodding her head before I finish my sentence. “You could say that.”
I raise a brow. “Alright. What would you change about the contract, then?”
She blows out a breath before turning her attention back to my laptop. “Well, for starters, the agent fee is way too high. Eight percent? More like three to five percent, max.”
A sinking feeling settles in my stomach as reality sets in. My elbows dig into the hard wooden table as I lean closer to her. “Go on.”
She tucks her hair behind her ears as she straightens in her seat. “He’s also wanting to sign you for five years. I wouldn’t sign for longer than two. One year would be ideal. There’s also a line here that was a huge red flag.” Her eyes move quickly over the screen before victory takes light in her eyes. “Ah! Found it. ‘Theagency retains the exclusive right to license and monetize the client’s image, likeness, and name in perpetuity.’” She turns her attention back to me with a grimace of her own. “That basically means only the agency can make money from your image and name. You wouldn’t legally be able to do it on your own.”
I scrunch my nose as my eyes fly over the screen without actually seeing anything. “Well, that sucks.”
“That’s not all.”
I roll my eyes. “Of course not.”
I watch her eyes as she reads, “‘All disputes shall be settled exclusively through binding arbitration from an arbiter of our choosing, with no right to pursue legal action in a court of law.’” Her eyes flick to mine.
The words flying through my mind hold no meaning. “You might as well be speaking Spanish right now.”
I can see the apology in her eyes and hear it in her voice. “That’s their way of having you sign away your right to sue them.”
I rub the tension from my temples as I let out a defeated breath. “So, what you're basically saying is, my future agent is trying to screw me and taking our negotiations class hasn’t helped me at all?”
A mischievous lightness fills her eyes as a small smile lifts her lips. “I wouldn’t say that.”
Somehow, she brings a smile to my face. I grab the edge of her seat and pull it closer to mine. “Of course. How could I forget? Without that class, I wouldn’t have met you.”
“Get a room! Some of us are trying to be productive here!” Dax’s voice echoes through the house to compete with the sound of revving engines coming from the living room.
Our smiles grow as Posey’s muffled voice filters through the air. “Don’t even try to use them as an excuse when I win later.”
I push a strand of stray hair behind Lila’s ear as I laugh. “Have you told the twins about us yet?”
The lightness in her eyes dims as she pulls away from me. “I don’t want to confuse them.”
“Confuse who?” A red popsicle muffles Jasper’s voice as he comes around the corner from the kitchen. He tilts his head as his eyes volley between our two very close seats at the table. “Is this about you and Kam?”
Lila’s eyebrows raise as she wipes her palms on her jeans. “Uh, I uh.”
“Cause if it is, we already know.” He licks a melted stream of red syrup from the side of his hand like he didn’t just explode his sister’s world.
“You, uh, you knowwhat,exactly?”
His shrug almost forces a laugh from my lips. “That you’re together. You know, like a real couple.” My laugh breaks free as Lila tries to pick her jaw up off the floor. “It’s a good thing. Just so you know. You smile more now.”
My laughter dies as my heart warms. My eyes roam over Lila’s face as she fights the tears threatening to break free. She clears her throat before dabbing at the corner of her eyes. “That’s good. Really good.”
Dax’s voice breaks the spell between us. “Yo, Jas! It’s your turn!”
Lila’s body turns to jelly as her brother disappears into the living room without a backwards glance. “Well, that happened.”
My fingers glide over her back as I let out the full force of my laugh. “At least we’ve got that out of the way.”
Mace pops his head out from the kitchen with a gleam in his eyes that I know from experience can mean one of two things. One, dinner is ready. I don’t smell anything cooking, so that can’t be it. Or two, he has a wild idea. “Hey, guys! Did you submit that group project you were working on?”
I reluctantly nod my head. “Yeah. Lila was just helping me go over the contract Richard sent over this morning.”
He rubs his hands together as he fully emerges from the kitchen. “I have a great idea.” I fight a groan since past experience means this could either be fun or end in a hospital visit. “Hear me out, Cap. The rink is empty tonight, right?”
