Page 6 of Solid Foundation
“Or a good time on a Saturday night,” he countered. “Anyway, did you need anything?”
“Troy around? Wanted to talk to both of you.”
“Sure, I’ll go get him.” He jogged away and a few minutes later, he returned, Troy close behind.
“What’s up, boss?” Troy asked.
I opened my mouth to protest that I wasn’t their boss, but then I closed it. I kind of was their boss, and if they joined the TV project, I definitely would be. “Listen, have you two heard of this TV show thing?” When they nodded, I continued on. “I’ve been tapped to put together a crew and lead the team. What do you think?”
“That’s great, man,” Reid said. “Congrats.”
“Yeah,” Troy agreed. “It sounds pretty awesome.”
“No—not about me leading. What do you think about joining my crew?”
They looked at each other before looking at me. “I mean, hell yeah, I’m in.” Reid grinned his usual crooked grin and winked at me again. “As long as I get to drill some studs.”
I pressed my fingertips to that spot between my eyebrows again and sighed. “Walking HR violation,” I repeated.
Troy gave Reid a little shove and laughed, shaking his head. “Reid’s penchant for sexual harassment notwithstanding, I’m in, too.”
“Alright then. I guess I’ll give Doug a call and see if they still want us. Thanks, team. I’ll keep you updated.”
Instead of calling Doug whatever-his-name-was again, I decided I’d let him stew overnight and call him the next morning.
Things got hectic and the next day passed more quickly than I expected. It was nearly lunchtime before I had a chance to call him back. I had to admit, I enjoyed the idea of some TV executive waiting on me for a green light. When I decided I couldn’t put him off any longer, I grabbed my phone out of my truck, where it usually lived while I was working, and pulled up the number that had called me the day before.
“Doug Cutler.”
“Yeah, uh… hi. This is Jake Young.”
“Jake! I’m so glad to hear from you.” His tone was effusive and he sounded incredibly fake. “Have you made a decision?”
I hesitated before answering. It was my last chance to get away. Then I remembered all the crew members I’d recruited and Levi’s kind but insistent request. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Apparently I have. Count me in.”
“That’s excellent news.”
I groaned inwardly. What had I gotten myself into? “Something like that. So… what’s my next step?”
Chapter Four
Max
Aweek later, once I’d gotten the go-ahead from Doug to hire the host I wanted, I texted Sterling, telling him to meet me for drinks at HQ, the gay bar we frequented, later that night.
Sterling: Everything okay?
Max: A hundred percent. Met with the boss today. He loved my ideas about the new show. Let’s celebrate after work.
Sterling: Hell yeah. You don’t have to tell me twice.
Hours later, I was home, showering and picking out my clothes. I seriously debated wearing a crop top and snug jeans, and I also considered putting on eye makeup—at least a little eyeliner or something. After what felt like a long debate in the mirror while I worked on styling my hair, I decided to change the whole vibe. Instead, I settled on wearing dark jeans and a light blue T-shirt, black boots on my feet. I didn’t have any intention of picking someone up, and I didn’t want to dress like I was on the prowl. The night was for celebrating and business—not getting laid.
It wasn’t long until I was on the sidewalk in front of HQ, vibrant neon lights casting a glow onto the street and the people milling around. As I entered, my heart lightened, the tension of the workday draining out of me. The place was a sanctuary for us, somewhere Sterling and I had been visiting since we’d met at work, having both moved to New York only a few weeks prior.
I spotted Sterling, his blond hair perfectly styled, his smile contagious even from across the room, sitting in our usual corner, chatting with a guy who looked slightly older than us, and far too buttoned-up and professional for a night at HQ, but just Sterling’s type. The guy’s gaze was laser-focused on Sterling. I chuckled and shook my head. Sterling always could command attention, even without trying too hard. It was one of the things that made him an excellent TV host.
It didn’t hurt that he was easy on the eyes. He looked stunning, and if I weren’t his best friend—I would’ve absolutely gone for him. He was wearing a fitted black shirt that showed off his muscular frame, and his smile was magnetic, even from across the room. I waved at him and nodded before gesturing to the bar to let him know I was getting a drink. In response, he raised his bottle of beer and nodded.
