He nodded, seeming thoughtful. “Okay, I get why you feel more comfortable around guys, and I’d never try to tell you who to be friends with, but just so we’re clear, you’ve never had a ‘benefits’ arrangement with any of these guys, have you?”
I laughed. Most of the men I’d maintained friendships with since college were former football players who’d gone to pot after they stopped playing. “No, definitely not. I have a policy against sleeping with my friends. It makes things too awkward.”
“Good.” He gripped his phone a little tighter. “So, uh, you don’t have any female friends?”
This wouldn’t have been such a big deal to him if he’d met most of my friends, but I smiled. “I’ve kept in touch with a couple since college and one or two I used to work with, but they’re all married with kids. It’s not easy to get together when everyone’s trying to balance a full-time job with a family.”
“I guess not.”
“But like I said, since my uncle got sick, I haven’t made my social life much of a priority. That’s why when I met Jarod, I figured—”
“Who’s Jarod?” he asked, scowling.
“The friend who called me just now.” I pushed off the desk and walked the few steps toward him. I slipped my arms around his waist, tilting my head back to look at him. “If this is going to work, you’re going to have to learn to trust me.”
He sighed. “I know. Crazy thing is I do trust you. And I swore to myself I wouldn’t let my guard down this soon, not after what happened with—”
“Amy. I know.” I tried not to be offended that he was comparing me to other women, but it stung. I wanted him to judge me based on my actions, not someone else’s.
“Forget about her,” he said, tightening his grip on me. “That’s the last thing I want to talk about. But before we bring this to a close, can I ask one favor of you?”
I knew Seb wasn’t an unreasonable man, so I said, “Sure.”
“Can I just ask you to keep me in the loop, you know, when you’re going out with other guys?”
I rolled my eyes. “You make it sound like I’m dating other people, and I’m not. I’m dating one person. You. That’s it.”
“I know.”
I reached up to smooth the crease lines from between his brows as I reminded myself we all carried baggage from previous relationships. Seb wasn’t alone in that. “Fine, I promise. Feel better now?”
He flashed a quick grin, stealing my breath with how incredibly handsome he was. “Good. Now before I forget, there’s one more thing.”
“What is it?” I asked, stepping back so I could concentrate on what he was saying instead of how hard his biceps were.
“The producers of my show caught sight of you when you were moving through the shop today.”
“I’m sorry,” I said, embarrassed I’d gotten in the way. “I’ll stay out of there from now on when I know they’re shooting.”
“No, that’s not it,” he said, reaching for my hands. “They seemed to think the camera loved you. And well, they might have caught me backing you up against the wall and stealing a kiss.” He looked so cute I couldn’t be mad. “I’m sorry, Skylar. Honestly, I had no idea they caught that.”
“That’s okay,” I said, touching his chest. I didn’t want my personal life splashed all over TV, but I believed he hadn’t meant for it to happen.
“They started asking all kinds of questions—like if you’re working for me, if you’re my girlfriend, that kind of thing.”
“What did you tell them?” I could tell by the way his eyes shifted that he wasn’t comfortable talking about it, which only made me more curious.
“I told them that we were seeing each other and you were helping me out around the shop.”
“Oh.” That didn’t seem so bad.
“They wanted you to sign a release, but then it occurred to me your uncle doesn’t know you’re working here, does he?”
“Yeah, I told him you needed some help with your website and stuff.” I shrugged. “I had to tell him something since I’ll be away from the apartment so much over the next little while.”
“Well, here’s what I’m thinking,” he said, his grip tightening on my hands. “Since the producers seemed so stoked about having you on the show, why not capitalize on it?”
“I’m not following.” Surely he wasn’t suggesting I become a regular on his TV show. That was ridiculous. I was a graphic designer, not an actor.
“Well, the show pays pretty well, even for secondary players like my mechanics and shop manager, so I’m sure there’d be a nice chunk of change in it for you if you’re interested.” When I didn’t respond, he said, “Since you’re going to be here anyway, why not make some money while you’re at it, right?”
I couldn’t deny it would be nice to get a paycheck, but I didn’t feel right capitalizing on Seb’s success. The show was about him and the magic he worked on those cars. I couldn’t figure out what they would want with me. I didn’t know a thing about cars except how to fill them with gas, check the oil, and change a flat tire, thanks to my uncle.
“I don’t know,” I said when I realized he was waiting for a response. “It doesn’t feel right.”
“I won’t deny it’s weird at first, having a camera follow you around everywhere, but you get used to it after a while. And the crew are really good guys.”
“It just doesn’t seem fair,” I said, trying to make him understand. “This is your show. You’re the star. I have nothing to offer.”
He chuckled, drawing me in for a hug. “Baby, you have no idea how much you have to offer.”
Okay, that made me smile. I pressed my cheek against his shoulder, trying to process what it would mean for my life if I appeared on the show. I drew back to look at him. “Do you think this is a good idea?”
He disarmed me with another heart-stopping grin. “I’m not gonna lie—my reasons for wanting you to do it may be kind of selfish.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, trying not to smile.
“I have no doubt they’re going to want to play up the girlfriend angle.” He gestured to my body. “I mean, come on, hot girls and cars just go together. Guys already tune into the show to see what I’ve got going on, but I’m sure they think they’d get even more viewers by using you as bait.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Bait? I’m not sure I like the sound of that.”
He laughed, shaking his head. “I don’t mean it like that. It’s just that you’re a gorgeous woman. Men will be interested in seeing you on screen. The producers know that.”
“You said they’d want to play up the girlfriend angle. What does that mean exactly?”
“Expensive cars, hot woman, and lots of money… it’s sexy, right? Makes for great TV.” He smirked as he stepped back, eyeing me. “The viewers who watch this show like to live vicariously through me, Skylar.”
I could understand that since I suspected my uncle did the same. “Meaning?”
He chuckled, looking almost embarrassed as he shook his head. “I don’t know. The producers tell me the guys tune in because they like and respect me. They know I know cars, and they want to learn from me. Plus, they’re kind of in awe of what I do.”
“I’m sure.” I was in awe of what he did, and I didn’t appreciate cars as much as his viewers.
“Having a hot girlfriend would just give them another reason to respect me, I guess.” He raised a broad shoulder. “I don’t know. That’s the way the producers tried to sell it to me. But you’ve got to do what feels right to you. I told them I’d talk to you, see what you thought of the idea.”
I turned my back on him, crossing the room as I considered the implications. Going public with our relationship might put a lot of unnecessary pressure on us. Plus, it would put me in the spotlight, which I’d never wanted. People would know my name and face when I walked down the street. They’d point and whisper, identifying me as Seb Steele’s girlfriend.
“Are you sure this is what you want?”
I asked, trying to read his body language. “I mean, this would basically take you off the market, right? Women would assume you’re spoken for. Are you really okay with that?”
He nodded slowly, obviously trying to read me too. “I am if you are.”
“This is a lot to process,” I said, rubbing my forehead. “Can I sleep on it and let you know tomorrow?”
“Sure, no pressure.”
But I was feeling the pressure… of making the wrong call and ruining everything.
***
When I got home that evening, I felt compelled to talk to my uncle about the network’s offer to put me on Seb’s show. Since Uncle Charlie was a fan of the show and a fan of Seb’s, I thought he might be able to help me put things in perspective.
“You’re getting in kinda late,” he said, muting the TV and setting the remote on the small side table beside him. “Must’ve been a busy day on the new job.”
Obviously I couldn’t tell Uncle Charlie my work with Seb wasn’t a job in the traditional sense—that would ruin the surprise—so I smiled and said, “Yeah, it was productive. I got a lot done, so that’s a good thing. In fact, I think my responsibilities will be expanding to include some admin stuff. Seb is hopelessly disorganized.” I reached for my bottled water and twisted the cap off before bringing it to my lips.
Uncle Charlie chuckled, shaking his head. “That’s what happens to us bachelors. When we don’t have a woman to keep us on track, everything falls apart.”
I thought of Mrs. Ryan and wondered if he did too. I knew his illness had no bearing on the way she felt about him. If he wasn’t so stubborn, he would see that too. But this wasn’t the time for one of my lectures or pep talks about staying positive.
“Seb had someone,” I said carefully. “An old girlfriend worked for him as sort of a personal assistant, I think.”
“Hmm, what happened to her?”
“They broke up.” Since Amy wasn’t really relevant to the conversation, I tried to brush it off. “I guess he hasn’t had the time or inclination to replace her.”
“You think he’s still holding out hope she’ll come back?”
That was my uncle, cutting right to the chase. “I don’t think so. They broke up a long time ago. He’s had other relationships since.”
“Is that how you’d describe what’s going on between the two of you? A relationship?”
“I think it’s too soon to define it. We just started seeing each other.”
“Sometimes you know right away.”
Love at first sight? I’d never subscribed to that theory. Maybe because I’d never experienced it. “The thing is one of the producers who works on Seb’s show saw me in his shop today, and it seems they’d like me to be a regular.”
Uncle Charlie laughed. “You? But you don’t know anything about cars.”
“No, but I guess they’re looking to add a new dimension to the show.”
“Ah.” He shook his head. “No, I get it. Pretty young lady, huh?”
“We could really use the money,” I reminded him. I still had some savings stashed away from the sale of my house. My uncle’s pension covered the rent while my earnings covered my car payments, gas, and insurance, but we had to use my savings to cover some of the medical expenses, so I knew it wouldn’t last forever.
“I guess we could at that,” he said, looking grim. “But I don’t want you to sell yourself for the sake of—”
“It wouldn’t be like that.” I rushed to put his mind at ease. “They have no interest in objectifying me.” At least I didn’t think they did. They wouldn’t be asking me to wear Daisy Dukes and halter tops, would they?
“No, I don’t imagine Seb would allow that.”
My uncle was right. Seb would never go for that. “So you think I should do it then?”
“How does your boyfriend feel about it?”
My first instinct was to argue that Seb wasn’t my boyfriend, but if I agreed to this, that’s exactly how the world would see him. “He likes the idea.”
“Because he thinks it would be good for the show?” Uncle Charlie asked, turning the TV off as he turned in his chair to face me.
“No, because he thinks it would be good for me. For us. He understands our financial predicament, and he knows this opportunity could help us. A lot.”
“Then you want to do it?”
I took a deep breath, trying to process my thoughts. Did I want to do this? “I think so.”
“What happens if things don’t work out between you and Seb?”
That was a legitimate question, but I didn’t want to think about the end when we’d just barely begun. “I don’t know. I guess there’ll be some clause in my contract about that. After all, it’s Seb’s show. I’ll only be a part of it for as long as he wants me to be.”
“Sounds fair,” he said, nodding.
“But this will mean some changes for us,” I said, regarding him carefully. “I may not be around as much.”
My uncle looked good today. He was wearing a pale blue golf shirt that brought out the color of his eyes and a pair of clean dark jeans, instead of the T-shirt and sweatpants he usually wore. I assumed he’d dressed for dinner with Mrs. Ryan. The thought made me smile. Love could have been just the thing my uncle needed to give him a new lease on life.
“It’s about time for some changes around here, don’t you think?” my uncle asked gruffly. “You’re too young and vital to be sitting around this little apartment all day, playing nursemaid to me, don’t you think?”
I leaned over and gripped his forearm. “I love taking care of you. You know that.”
“Don’t think I’m not grateful, honey, because you know I am.” His eyes shone with affection when his hand covered mine. “But I think part of the reason I’ve been so down in the dumps is because I’ve felt guilty you had to give up so much for me: your home, your job, your boyfriend, your friends.”
“Uncle Charlie, you know my relationship with Ethan had run its course. Even if you hadn’t gotten sick, we would have broken up eventually. He just wasn’t the man for me.”
“But you think Seb is?”
Wow, that was a loaded question. “I have no idea. Maybe. I guess only time will tell.” I had no intention of letting Uncle Charlie go on with the ridiculous notion that my love for him had cost me anything though. “But for the record, selling my house and taking time away from the daily grind was a good thing for me. It taught me to appreciate the little things and not put so much stock in material things.”
He rolled his eyes, obviously not convinced. “Yeah, you just keep telling yourself that, girl.”
“I’m serious.” I gently slapped his arm before I sat back in the recliner that matched his. The décor in his little apartment screamed old bachelor, but he loved everything in it, so I wouldn’t have dared suggest changing a thing. “And as for my friends, they’re still there. We keep in touch through social media and fire off the occasional text or email when we can.”
“Flo told me you made a new friend recently,” Uncle Charlie said, pursing his lips. “Why didn’t you tell me about him?”
“Not much to tell really. I’ve only been out for coffee with him once, and I’ve talked to him a couple of times on the phone.”
“Does Seb know about him?” My uncle was old school like Seb. He had a hard time believing a man and woman could have a platonic relationship.
“Yes, he does, as a matter of fact.”
He sighed. “Oh well, it’s your life. You’ll live it as you see fit, I suppose.”
“Just like you taught me to,” I challenged. My uncle had always told me to consider my own opinion above anyone else’s.
“I knew that would come back to bite me one day,” he said, shaking a finger at me and smiling.
“It’s so nice to see you smiling again.” I leaned over to squeeze his hand. “Does Mrs. Ryan have something to do with that?”
His cheeks took on a ruddy hue, making my smile grow wider. “That’s
none of your business, young lady.”
I laughed. “So let me get this straight. You’re allowed to ask about my love life, but I’m not allowed to ask about yours?”
With a sharp nod, he said, “That’s right.”
“On that note, I’m going to grab a shower. I have a couple of hours of work to do before I hit the sack. Do you need anything?”
“No, thanks.”
“Okay, I guess I’ll text Seb and ask him to set up a meeting with the network so we can sit down with them to see what they have in mind for me.”
His eyes twinkled “Imagine that, my niece appearing on my favorite show. What are the odds?”
“Yeah, what are the odds?” I muttered, thinking about how much my life had changed since I walked into Seb’s office begging for a favor.
My life just kept getting better, making me wonder how much better it could get before the wheels fell off the bus. I wasn’t a pessimist, but I wasn’t a Pollyanna either. Life was always a mix of good and bad. I’d had my fair share of good lately. I just prayed the bad wouldn’t come in the form of another doctor’s warning.
Chapter Ten
Skylar
I’d been working with Seb for almost a week, learning everything I could about the business, and we’d finally arranged a meeting with the network for today to discuss the possibility of me joining the cast of the show.
I was nervous about the meeting, but I tried to distract myself by shadowing Amanda, who worked the front desk. I’d offered to fill in for her whenever necessary: lunch breaks, sick days, or when she wanted some vacation time. She’d been so grateful for the offer she gave me an impulsive hug, telling me she was thrilled to have another woman on board.
“So you and Seb are dating, huh?” she asked when we took a little break from training.
Seb hadn’t tried to hide it, hugging and kissing me in front of his staff. “Yeah, we are,” I said, peeling the top off my yogurt container before dipping my plastic spoon into it.
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