It was so nice to be able to call her up again. I missed be able to turn to her for advice when I was with Mick all those years, and I was so grateful we’d reconnected.
We were so close when I was a child; I couldn't wait to come home from school every day to tell her everything that happened, and she would listen in rapt attention while she fed me a homemade, grilled cheese sandwich, all warm and melted, fresh from the skillet.
Then, when I was in high school, somehow we grew apart, and my relationship with Mick put a wedge between us that drove us even further apart until we were no longer speaking. By the time I realized it had been a mistake to run off to L.A. with him, I was too embarrassed to call her and admit that she'd been right all along.
Now, I was glad the rift between us had been mended and we were now closer than we had ever been before. I could talk to her now, not as a child talking to her mother, but as best friends. We were now two women sharing secrets and advice, and I cherished every moment.
"What did he say when you asked him? Was he secretive? Did he refuse to answer? Because if he did, that's a huge red flag, sweetie, and you should get out of the relationship before you get in any deeper. Don't stay with a man you can't trust."
"Actually, I didn't ask him," I confessed, and felt my cheeks flush with chagrin.
My mother laughed into the phone. "Well, sweetie, you can't expect a man to read your mind. If you want to know what's bothering him, ask him."
"I know you’re right, I just don't want him to feel like I'm prying."
"It's not prying to care about the problems of someone you love. I'm sure he'll be grateful to know that you're there for him. Heck, he's probably wanting to talk to you about it, but fearful that he would be burdening you with his problems. Men are silly that way. It took years for me to get your father to talk to me. He thought it would make him less of a man, but once I convinced him otherwise, the floodgates opened and now he won't shut up."
"You really think Ethan wants to tell me, but just doesn't have the courage to open up?"
"Absolutely. He's probably dying to confide in you, he just needs to know that you want to share in his worries, as well as his joys. So, the next chance you get, ask him. It will make your relationship all the stronger."
"Thanks, Mom," I beamed. We talked for a little while longer about life back home and the sprinkler system Dad tried to install in the back yard before Mom finally called a professional to come in and fix all the damage he'd done. Then we said our goodbyes with tears misting in the corners of my eyes.
"I love you, Mom."
"I love you, too, sweetie. Call again soon, or better yet, come visit again."
"I will," I promised and hung up the phone.
It was getting to be late in the morning, and I had to get going with my day. I did a workout in the awesome home gym Ethan had on the second floor of his mansion. It had more equipment than the one I used to pay a membership for downtown. Then, I took a relaxing steam in his sauna room, followed by a nice, cool shower to wash away all the sweat and grime
. His shampoo smelled fantastic and was imported from Sweden. When I went back to the bedroom, a new dress had been laid out for me by one of the maids.
I wondered when Ethan found the time to shop, or if he had a secret storeroom filled with clothes that the maids kept drawing from. It didn't matter. It was just fun to have fabulous new dresses appearing out of nowhere every time I needed, and knowing that Ethan cared enough me to make sure it happened.
This time, it was a fashionable design from Christian Dior, in a lovely blue, floral print that was feminine with just a touch of sexy. Blue strappy sandals matched the dress to perfection, and gold bangles with gold and sapphire earrings and a sapphire pendant necklace in shape of a flower completed the look.
When I peered at myself in the mirror, I was amazed how the right clothes made me look sophisticated, chic, and desirable. I was the woman on the cover of the spring fashion magazine that every man wanted to date and every girl wanted to be. I was iconic.
Feeling happy and confident, I had Ethan's driver take me to my new agent's office. I'd hired him with the money I'd made from the Speed Magazine shoot. So far, he was amazing and made me see just how much time had been wasted when Mick was my manger. He wanted to take my career to greater heights, and he had the connections to do it. I felt good having my career in the hands of seasoned professional, and I knew I could trust him. His name was Dave Dynamo, which was obviously a pseudonym, but if he could get results, he could go by any name he chose.
Dave had already left a series of messages on my phone, sounding increasingly desperate to talk to me. I could have just called him back, but I thought dropping in on him in person would be more fun.
"Kayla, wow! Just the client I was hoping to see." Dave's grew wide with excitement. He was short with a goatee and kept his graying hair pulled back in a ponytail. His taste in clothes was questionable, but his list of clients was impressive, and he practically guaranteed results. As I sat down, he looked me up and down with surprise. "What have you done to yourself? You look incredible!"
"Thanks. Just a little update to my wardrobe." I blushed. I still wasn't used to receiving compliments or the kind of attention I'd been getting lately.
I took a seat in one of the uncomfortable, plastic, padded chairs in front of Dave's desk and he got right to the point. "Offers have been pouring in ever since Speed Magazine hit the shelves Friday morning. And, being seen at that party with the owner was the kind of publicity you can't buy. Brilliant."
I wanted to tell him dating Ethan wasn't a publicity stunt, but I couldn't get a word in, Dave was rambling so fast. He pulled out a stack of papers and thrust them at me, saying excitedly, "Look at all these messages. A lot of the job offers were crap. I threw them out and told the companies to call back when they were serious. But this one right here is the one we've been waiting for. This is the big time. This is how you'll make a name for yourself that everyone knows."
He handed me the paper and I read the letterhead. Gasping with surprise, I couldn't even read the rest of the memo. "This is from Jay Wendt, director of marketing for Revving Engine Bikes. R.E.B. is the second biggest motorcycle company in the country right now and Speed Motorcycles’ biggest competitor."
"I know. First Speed and now R.E.B. Overnight, you've become the face of America's motorcycle industry. I have offers for everything having to do with motorcycles, from engine parts manufacturers to bike dealerships, but this is the offer I think you should take. If you do this ad campaign, back-to-back against the Speed Magazine cover shoot, you'll be an overnight success. You are the it girl for motorcycles right now, and Jay Wendt wants you bad."
"How bad?" I knew it was a betrayal to Ethan to work for the competition, but my curiosity was piqued. I'd never had anyone clamoring for me to model for them. Up until now, I had been the one begging for jobs, and now a major company was vying for me to accept an offer from them. I wouldn't be human if I wasn't at least a little curious to know what that offer was.
"See for yourself. You've got the job proposal in your hands." Dave tilted his head towards the memo I'd forgotten I was holding. I read it from top to bottom, and then I read it a second time, and then a third just to make sure my eyes weren't playing tricks on me.