Nancie paused the movie and looked at me.
“What?” I asked as she shook her head. The disappointment in her eyes was obvious. I knew she would have gone through with it herself, and it was so hard to keep the truth from her.
“You were going to get a big chunk of change from a hot, rich billionaire, and you just took it off the table? Are you fucking with me?” She had the smile of someone who wasn’t sure if they were being tricked or not.
“I’m serious, Nancie. I just couldn’t take the money from him. He’s sweet and kind, and actually cared about what I was saying.” I realize that I was thinking about our first dinner date when it truly felt like there was something between us. “No guy has ever listened to me the way he did. He’s special,” I said honestly. “Not to mention my parents both think he’s the second coming of Jesus.”
“Maddie, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you actually have feelings for him,” Nancie said. “Please tell me you don’t.”
“I don’t,” I said immediately, and then realized that I had grown defensive for no reason. I was supposed to tell people about our relationship. “I mean, maybe? I don’t know. I think I do. He asked me out on another date this weekend.”
I winced as Nancie’s eyes bulged out of her head.
“Maddie! You’re being ridiculous! You and I both know that having a boyfriend while modeling is impossible. It would be jealousy from both sides! Men have to think that you’re always available, not tied down to some rich guy.” She had a point; I had to admit it.
“You know I’m more interested in acting,” I said. “And no one cares who you’re with when you’re on stage or in front of the camera.”
Nancie rolled her eyes. “Yes, but right now you’re a model and promoter. You can’t post pictures of you cuddling up with some guy and expect to gain more followers. If anything, you’ll lose them,” she said.
I hadn’t considered that. One of Gavin’s request had been to post pictures for his mom to see, but I didn’t expect to lose followers because of it. Still, half a million dollars was worth it. But I needed Nancie to believe that Gavin himself was worth it.
“You should meet him,” I said. “I think you’d understand.”
“I wouldn’t even if I could,” she said. “Which brings me to another point: what are you going to do when I’m in Hollywood and you’re stuck here playing girlfriend to this guy?”
“Hollywood?” I leaned forward. “Are you going?”
“Oh.” She pursed her lips. “I forgot I hadn't told you. I accepted the offer today. And I was hoping you would meet me out there within the next year or two.”
I sat against the back of the couch and closed my eyes. One deep breath. Two deep breaths.
“I’m sorry, Maddie. I know it’s your dream as well,” Nancie said in a whisper. “I’m leaving at the end of the week, though.”
“So soon?” I asked.
“They need me ASAP,” she said and stood. “You should watch the documentary from the beginning; it’s really good.” She left me alone in the living room with a movie about serial killers. I sighed and started it from the beginning. Might as well watch it while I still had a roommate.
I hadn’t expected Nancie to move so soon. I knew she would eventually accept the offer, but it still felt like a blow. I needed time to process it, but I also had so many other things to worry about, mainly my half-million-dollar scheme.
I ended the night beneath several blankets with a scary documentary and tried forcing my brain to stop processing and stop thinking, but it was useless. I couldn’t stop.
Chapter Thirteen
Gavin
The whiskey swirled in the glass as I sat at my bar waiting for the door to ring. Dinner was starting in a little more than an hour, and I told Maddie to a
rrive early. She was already getting on my nerves, and our pretend relationship hadn’t even started yet.
Mom was ecstatic when I asked about dinner later that night. I told her I was planning a dinner with Maddie and wanted her help, and she insisted on having it at her house. According to mom, Maddie and I were practically in our honeymoon phase already, and I knew I would have to act the part. Still, I sent over the first half of the money the day after I received Maddie’s signature on the contract, and while it hardly made a dent in my various bank accounts, it still stung nonetheless. It was the principal of the matter.
I didn’t want to even be in the same room as her.
But mom was so happy that she made the dinner menu herself, and decided on cooking everything from scratch. I begged her not to. I offered to hire a top chef from one of her favorite restaurants to come over and cook in her own kitchen, but mom had gotten offended and asked if her cooking wasn’t good enough.
“Of course it’s good enough,” I said. “I just don’t want you getting tired.”
“I’m always tired. If I did nothing while I was tired, I wouldn’t ever do anything again.” she said and went back to her menu planning.