Page 101 of Wild Ever After
“Oh?” I try to ignore the way my voice wavers.
“Do you remember Olivia Benton? I believe you met her at the charity event back in July.”
“Of course.”
“She is doing the PR for a new reality show. It’s still in the conceptual phase, but if everything moves as fast as she thinks, they’ll begin filming in a few months.”
I stay quiet, brain churning to figure out where this is going.
“Think Real Housewives meets NBA Wives, but make it hockey.”
“Hockey WAGs?”
“Precisely. They already have three other wives signed on. She couldn’t say who, but I know she wouldn’t be involved unless it’s going to be huge.”
“That’s great,” I hear myself saying. My mind can’t seem to process the information fast enough, because I still have no idea where this is going.
“She is hoping for one more. You.”
“Me?” I croak.
Melody nods. “She’s a big fan of the magazine and of you.”
“I’m flattered,” I start, and Melody jumps in.
“You’ll film for a few months. You can continue your regular life, including working here, but we’ll have to figure out what kind of access to give them and if we want to tweak your angle to include the show.” She sits forward. “Those are things for me to figure out.” She pushes a card toward me. “This is Olivia’s number. She’ll go over everything else in more detail.”
I take the card and run a finger over the gold lettering of Olivia’s name. “This is so flattering, but I don’t think this is for me.”
“Jade, I don’t think you understand what a huge opportunity this is for you.”
“No, I do.” Adrenaline pumps through my veins. It’s the kind of publicity that could mean hundreds of thousands more people might read my words. But Declan would hate this. Cameras following us around and invading our lives? No way. “I’m sorry.”
I start to get up, but she levels me with her next sentence.
“Twenty-five thousand per episode with a signing bonus of five hundred thousand.”
I sort of fall back in my seat. “How is that possible?”
“It’s an invasive process. They understand that it needs to be worth your while, and they feel confident that it’s going to be a hit.”
Holy shit. Five hundred thousand dollars?!
I could quit this job and take time to write a book or… anything. The sky is the limit with that kind of padding in my savings account.
Melody stands. “Olivia pushed hard for you. At least take a day or two and think it over.”
Numbly, I nod and get to my feet. My hands start to shake as I get back to my desk. I stare down at Olivia’s card. I can’t say yes. I start to toss it in the trashcan but can’t bring myself to let go.
Declan will never agree, but maybe it wouldn’t hurt to have all the information.
36
THIS IS REAL
DECLAN
We losein regulation to Boston, giving up two points. It’s our second loss this week to teams we should have easily beaten, and when I step on the team jet to head home, the mood is thick with frustration. We want to send a message this season.We’re out for blood. Get the fuck out of the way. It’s our year.
