Page 115 of Take the Lead
The innwashome, since they didn’t actually live at Nielson HQ, but Stone didn’t correct her.
“I’ll be right back.” He went into the bathroom and rushed to get dressed, in case his mother started snooping. Not that he had anything to hide, except—shit, there was a giant box of condoms in the top drawer of the dresser, the first place she’d look.
He almost fell in his hurry to pull his jeans on, but when he came out, his mother didn’t appear to have moved.
“Where’s Gina?” she asked.
Or maybe she had snooped. He picked up a comb and ran it through his wet hair. “At her apartment, I guess. Big day tomorrow.”
“I’m looking forward to watching you from the audience. Lark was like to burst when she found out we were coming. Stage-side VIP seating, too.”
“I bet.” He’d been like to burst when he’d seen them in the hallway.
“We were hoping you… and Gina… could join us for dinner.”
Of course they were. “With cameras?”
His mother flushed. “It’s the price we pay. They sent us down here so they could film us acting like country bumpkins in the big city.”
It was ridiculous. Pepper had lived in St. Louis when she was younger, and the family had lived in Seattle before moving to Alaska after Winter was born. Stone scratched his beard. “And they were hoping to get more footage of me with Gina.”
“You know the game.”
He did. And he hated it. But compromises had to be made.Living Wildhad lent him toThe Dance Offfor the time being, but they still owned him.
“No Gina. But I’ll go to dinner with you.”
“Great.” Pepper stood. “We already have a reservation. Now thatyou’re decent, come out and greet the others. We’ll have to reshoot you opening the door. Try to look surprised and happy, okay?”
He grunted. “I’ll do my best.”
After dinner, when the cameras shut down, Stone pulled his mother aside before she could climb into the waiting SUV with his siblings.
“Did Miguel tell you I called? One of the other contestants made a threat to expose us.”
She nodded, her expression turning serious. “I heard.”
“What’s going to happen if she tells?”
Pepper sighed and tucked her hair behind her ear. “It’s always been a possibility. A few smaller blogs have already run the story, which is probably how your nemesis found out, although it hasn’t affected the ratings. Your father doesn’t like to think about it, but we’re on borrowed time. This show won’t last forever. They never do.”
As much as Stone hated being part of it,Living Wildhad been a good source of income for all the Nielsons. “ThatSwamp Huntersshow is on its tenth season.”
Pepper patted his arm. “I only ever wanted enough to live comfortably, on our own terms, and to help send the girls and Winter to college.”
Stone was the only one with a four-year degree. Reed had gotten an associate’s degree from a community college, and Wolf had said college wasn’t for him. Then they’d gotten the show, so Winter and Raven had put off going to school. Everyone had made sacrifices forLiving Wild,but the money had been too good to pass up.
Gina would have said the cost outweighed the benefits. She wouldn’t sell her integrity for money or fame, even though she wanted both.
It was hard to fault her for it, especially when he was so damn proud of her. She was going to get the show in New York, he just knew it.
And then she’d be even farther away from him.
“We’ve got your medical bills, too,” Stone reminded his mother. And himself. It was the reason he’d come to LA in the first place. For the money.
And then he’d met Gina. He couldn’t bring himself to regret it.
“We’ll get to those. You kids are more important. And you have your own student loans to pay off. I do wish you’d do those first.”
