Page 24 of Shape Of My Heart
Chapter7
That first dayof trying to get Josh to wake up wasterrible.
Amy had hung in there, with her fingers and toes crossed that each day had to get better. But it didn’t. Each day actually got worse, and one week later saw her at the same spot, in the same position, with no progresswhatsoever.
She’d had a week of hell where she tried everything she could think of to wake Josh up, but he wouldn’tbudge.
After that first Friday she decided that if she wanted Josh to wake up at eight she’d have to be here at seven. She thought she was being generous in giving some of her personal time, but it was all for nothing. He ended up cursing her out of the room and didn’t wake up until eleven thirty. The same thing happened every day after, and he’d be in the worst mood with her for the rest oftheday.
And here she was again, with a fresh week, the week that counted, no further than she was when she began. On Friday they would need to be at the studio at ten. That meant leaving here ataroundnine.
As she watched him lying flat on his face, passed out with a bottle of rum next to him, she wondered what the hell she was going to do. It was seven thirty. She’d been trying to wake him up now for the past half an hour, to no avail. Amy was tired herself. In fact she was exhausted and could have used her normal boost of energy that propelled her in the mornings. However, this whole exercise had taken its toll on her and she was getting more uncomfortable in her apartment to the point where she found it difficult to sleep. She kept feeling like someone was standing outside her door. The impression filled her the other day and itterrifiedher.
When she looked at Josh with this massive house, with all its bedrooms and rooms, she felt aggrieved because he didn’t know how lucky he was. Right now, her budget was so low that her main meal was lunch and then anything she might be able to grab her hands on while shewashere.
“Josh, get up.” She was getting fed up now and he was seriously beginning to work her lastnerve. “Josh.”
She rested her hand on his shoulder just above the soft cotton of his jersey and tapped him. He stirred a little but that was allshegot.
A flutter of hope filled her when she shook his arm a little harder and his eyes fluttered open. He rolled onto his back and ran a hand through hisruffledhair.
Most people looked like hell when they just woke up, but Joshua Mancini managed to carry the look off and still look sexy. There was no wonder why GQ wanted him to do photo shoots, and it was for their cover. Same with Men’s Health and a few of theothers.
“Woman, what the hell doyouwant?”
“You, youdumboaf.”
“Oh, well why don’t you just take your clothes off and climb in here with me.” The corners of his sensual mouth slid up into a sexy grin that made her blush, and scowlathim.
“That is not what I meant.” If she didn’t know him she would have thought he was joking and laughed that comment off, but since she did, she knew he was totally serious. Amy didn’t know how anyone could be like that. So openly and explicitly sexual. “Getup.”
“Baby, please think about it, you could have so much fun, and you wouldn’t be so uptight all the time like you’ve got a stick up your gorgeousbehind.”
This was not working, and everything he said was worse than the first thing he’d come out with. She couldn’t even tell if that was the drink talking or him. She hadn’t been with him long enough to make the distinction. She just knew that he became even more sexual at the point when he’d had too much to drink. The normal him was just grumpy andspiteful.
“Josh, can we please stop talking about me. Get thehellup.”
“I haven’t had sex in days.Comehere.”
She grabbed a pillow and hit him with it several times hoping it would take his mind out of the gutter, but to her utter surprise he fell asleepagain.
It was the same thing the next day. Tuesday. Zelda told her that a PR rep was coming here on Thursday to go over some of the questions Josh could be asked. She’d also sent some practice questions so Amy could run through them, too,withhim.
It was a great idea, but once again she found Josh flat on his face with a bottle of rum, and when she did eventually wake him up he looked at her, licked his lips and said, “Baby, your breasts look really good in that top.” Then he went back tosleep.
She had to put the image of her mother in her mind at that point, and by the same token she felt deeply sad because it was looking like she wasn’t going to be able to wake him. And if she couldn’t wake him, then she wasn’t going to be able to get him to the show. If that didn’t happen, she wouldn’t get the upfront bonus to put down the deposit for her mother’s treatment andsurgery.
Her job here would be over because Josh would more than likely get cut from the team. She had to do something, fast too before she lost hersanity.
He stayed in bed all morning so she used the time to respond to emails. Despite his protests, she booked in the appearances at the schools, charity events, and the photo shoots. Just before lunch Hilda came into the office and handed her a glass of orangejuice.
“You’re too kind.” Amysmiled.
“And you work too hard. You’re one of those people aren’t you? Thatneverstop.”
“Sadly yes.” Shesighed.
“Well you should. Don’t always be in work mode. We should ditch this place and go do ournails.”
