Conway was a young man at the peak of his sexual exploration. He was bedding all kinds of women, experiencing new things constantly. But Andrew was happily married to the same woman he’d been with for twenty years. He was a father of two boys, making him a family man.
But Conway was right, after all. Marrying me would only destroy his inspiration.
“Alright,” Andrew said. “The last offer I extended was three-hundred million. I’m willing to keep that amount, but I have a few terms.”
I’d told him Conway and I had gone our separate ways, so I expected him to lower the price since I didn’t have any other options. The fact that he didn’t made me respect him, made me see him as a nice guy. “What are they?”
“This is a ten-year commitment. You model for me and no one else.”
That was more than fair. “Alright.”
“The ten-year contract will cover the full amount I’ve offered. So, for the first year, you would receive thirty million dollars.”
That was more than enough. I couldn’t even grasp what it would be like to have that kind of money.
“I’ll pay that up front, that way you can get properly settled. In the event that you break this contract, you’ll have to return everything I’ve paid you, plus a twenty-percent fee. Your responsibilities include participation in the fashion shows and lots of photographs. You’re going to be my biggest model, so expect to see your face plastered everywhere. If all those terms are agreeable to you, we can add our signatures.”
He was more than generous, and I could commit to those responsibilities. I wouldn’t be able to eat as much anymore, but it was a necessary sacrifice. “That’s fair.”
“Alright.” He grabbed a pen and pushed the contract toward me. “Sign and date here.”
I hesitated before I filled it out, missing Conway as I stared at the contract. I used to be his muse, the inspiration for everything he made. But then he turned his back on me, treated me like I’d done something unforgivable simply by loving him. He hurt me so much, and I was grateful I got something out of the ordeal. It wasn’t the career I wanted, but it was a career that would pay the bills.
I signed it.
“Great.” Andrew added his signature. “Welcome to Lady Lingerie. We’re happy to have you, Sapphire.”
3
Conway
Another week went by.
My waistline was slimmer, and my sleep was even worse.
I didn’t get any work done–not because my inspiration was no longer around, but because I was so worried about her.
My muse.
I needed to know if she was alright.
In my heart, I believed she was. But I needed to see it with my own eyes. I needed to hear her tell me she was okay. I knew my pain wasn’t from missing her. It was simply from the protectiveness ingrained in my mind.
But her phone never came back online, and none of my guys had seen her in Milan or anywhere else. I was combing the streets looking for her, but I was trying to be discreet about it because if I announced that Muse was missing, Knuckles would see it as a perfect opportunity to snatch her.
If he didn’t already have her.
When I got desperate enough, I called Carter.
We met at Club Lingerie in the middle of the day. There was hardly anyone there, so we sat at the bar and ordered round after round. He turned on his stool and stared at me, looking at my full beard with pity. “I want to ask what’s wrong, but I already know.”
“You do, huh?” I asked before I downed more scotch.
“You ditched her.”
No, I did something worse than that.
“What the fuck are you thinking? So what if the woman loves you? You should feel like a king hearing a woman like that pledge her undying love for you—on camera. Even if you don’t feel the same way, which I doubt.”
I dragged my hand down my face.
“Con, if you want her back, just tell her. She’ll give you another chance.”
“It’s more complicated than that…”
“How?”
I told him the story, up until the point where she had my car returned.
Carter wore a look of pure shock. “You kicked her out of your house? When she doesn’t have a dollar on her?”
“I gave her three hundred thousand dollars—but she didn’t take it.”
“Still. You’re a fucking asshole.”
I didn’t argue with him. “I know.”
“And the fact that she didn’t take it makes her a class act. Don’t you get it, Con? She’s never wanted you for your money or your cars. She wants you for you. How many rich men can say that about their women?”
I understood I was lucky. I never doubted that for a second.
“You need to fix this before it’s too late.”
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
It hurt to say the words out loud. “I can’t find her…”