Fake Marriage Box Set

“Thanks, Martin. I’ll let you know how the shoot goes. And please, if you hear anything about any commercial auditions, think of me.” I turned to leave.

“Some people are just better standing still in front of a camera than walking around,” he said. “Keep that in mind.”

I rolled my eyes and left his office. He believed that modeling was a more promising gig that acting, which plenty agreed with. Nancie herself had given up acting a while ago, but that was only because she was getting modeling contracts at a steady rate. It wasn’t that I didn’t love modeling, it had its perks, but I would have done anything for another acting gig. Even the shortest commercial, with a single line or glance at the camera, could get my heart racing like nothing else.

I leaned against my car and unlocked my phone to tell Nancie about the photoshoot when it rang. An unknown number appeared, and I hesitated for a moment before answering it.

“Hello?” I asked.

“Maddie?” Gavin’s voice replied. I gasped inaudibly and covered my mouth with a hand. Gavin was reaching out to me! But for what?

“Yeah,” I said after a moment. “It’s me. Is this Gavin?”

“Yes,” he said curtly. He didn’t sound happy, but of course, he almost never sounded happy. “Can you meet me for dinner tomorrow night?”

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

“Yeah, of course,” I said. I thought I heard him laugh, but when he spoke, he was stoic as ever.

“Six o clock at the Jazz Bistro,” he said.

“I’ll be there,” I said. “Thank—” He had hung up before I could even thank him.

I got into the car with my jaw wide open. He wanted to meet me. Was he accepting the offer?

My face paled. That meant he was offering to pay me. How much would he pay? How much would I ask?

I remembered all the kind things my parents said about him, and how much he loved his mother. Maybe I shouldn’t ask him for the money. Maybe this is something I could do for free, to help out a son with a wish from a dying mother?

>

My phone chimed, and I opened it to find an email from Martin. The contract for the photo shoot, I realized. In the contract, it listed the amount, and I electronically signed my name beneath the $200 amount.

I shook my head. My career wasn’t going anywhere. It would never go anywhere if I remained here. My life was waiting for me in Hollywood, and with the money from Gavin, I would be able to pick up my life and restart it in the hills of Hollywood.

I knew what I had to do, but would I be able to do it?

Chapter Eleven

Gavin

I left my house in a hurry before realizing I wasn’t wearing a tie. If I were going straight to the dinner, I wouldn’t have cared, but I was having a drink with mom beforehand, and I knew she would make a fuss out of it. I returned to my dressing room, picked out the same gray tie that she loved, and walked to her house.

Karen met me at the door, and shortly afterward I was beside mom’s bed, listening as she discussed how upset she was with Karen’s cooking.

“She doesn’t cook anything from scratch,” I said. “She heats up precooked meals. You can’t blame her for those. If you want, I can order your meals from a different restaurant.”

“It doesn’t matter,” she said. “I don’t eat any of them anyways. And I can blame her for whatever I want. I’m the one that’s dying. Not her,” mom argued. But she seemed to be in a better mood than the day before, and it wasn’t long before I found out why. “You look nice, Gavin. I’m sure Maddie is just going to faint when she sees you.”

I winced at the mention of Maddie and finished my beer. Mom always made sure there was some sort of alcohol at her house for me, even if she couldn’t enjoy it herself. “I hope so,” I lied.

She was still watching the superhero show and paused it as she turned toward me.

“How is it?” I asked and gestured at the TV.

“Pretty good,” she admitted. “Thankfully the entire season is out at once. I don’t know what I would have done if I had to wait every week for an episode.”

I held my tongue. All that waiting would have wasted a good chunk of her time.