by Ford, Mia
I tried to smile. “Thanks.”
“The segment will last four minutes, but seem like four seconds. Once the segment ends, they’ll come back after the last commercial break to end the show with you staying on the couch. I think Graham said that you’d hang around for another few minutes or so to answer any questions the audience may have. And that’s it. Easy peasy and hopefully your book sales will soar.”
“I wish I had your confidence,” I said, fanning my face and trying not to sweat through the heavy makeup.
She led me to a chair that was behind a heavy curtain that cordoned off the backstage area from the set of the set. “You can wait here and watch the show on that monitor until I come for you. The set is just on the other side of the curtain, so you’ll also be able to hear Dan and Erin and the audience. Any questions?”
“I don’t think so,” I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt.
Actually, I had a ton of questions, like, “What the hell was I doing there?” and “What the hell was Graham thinking?”
* * *
“Welcome back to the show!” Dan Williams, the “living Ken doll” host of Good Morning Manhattan said, waving at the camera and smiling like the happiest man on the planet. His “living Barbie doll” cohost, Erin Morris, smiled at Dan, then beamed at the camera. I had to smile. It was so corny it reminded me of a Saturday Night Live skit.
Erin held the smile as she said, “It’s Emerging Entrepreneur day here on the show. Before the break, we heard from Julie Dahl, who at age 23 founded Baby Dahl Designs, now one of the fastest growing lingerie lines for larger women. Julie had some great tips for those just starting out in the clothing business.” She turned to Dan, still smiling. “I don’t know about you, Dan, but I’m super excited to learn the success secrets from our next two entrepreneurs!”
“Ah, me, too, Erin,” Dan said. “So, let’s get to it!”
Erin read the introduction for the next guest. “Our next guest has built an amazing fitness empire from the ground up. Starting as a part-time personal trainer at age 24, he grew his business into what is now one of the fastest-growing fitness brands in the world. He’s also the go-to fitness guru for celebrities like Nicole Kitterman and Ryan Renault. And I’m sure most, if not all of you here today, know who I’m talking about! Now at the young age of just 34 he is living The American Dream. Would you please help me welcome the CEO and founder of Body by Chad , Mr. Chad Walters!”
My heart literally stopped beating in my chest when I heard his name… Did she really just say Chad Walters ?
I stared at the monitor and tried to breathe as the audience—mostly women— went wild. I put my hands to my chest because it felt like the wind had been knocked out of my lungs. I stared at the monitor in shock, waiting for him to appear from the other side of the stage.
And then, there he was…
And oh my god…
I sat on the edge of my chair and watched Chad walk to the couch and give Erin a big hug. He turned to the audience and gave them a smile, which made them cheer even louder. The camera went in close on his face.
“Holy shit…” I muttered. I had thought he was good looking in college, but he looked even better now. Tall, sandy hair, blue eyes, deep tan, Kennedy jawline… and that body… holy smokes… that body… He was lean and muscular, with broad shoulders and a thick chest that stretched against the dark Polo shirt he wore. He had a narrow waist and wore workout pants and tennis shoes, like he’d just come from the gym. I felt an old familiar twinge between my legs.
I had heard that Chad had started his own fitness business in Los Angeles, but I had no idea he was a “trainer of celebrities” and a fitness guru. I had even heard of Body by Chad , but I didn’t know it was my Chad… I mean… that Chad...
He sat on the couch next to Erin with their knees touching. A tingle of jealousy bit at my heart. I listened as he talked about how he had started the business and how he was moving his brand eastward to open a gym in New York City.
“And what does your wife think about your success?” Erin asked, a little too flirty for my taste.
Chad smiled and tried to look humble. It must have been hard, given how amazing he looked. “I’m married to my work, Erin.”
“You’re a bachelor?” Erin said, trying to sound shocked. She put her hand on his knee and looked at the audience. “Well, I bet a lot of the single ladies in the audience are glad to hear that! And maybe a few of the married ones!”
The audience went wild. Just then, someone touched my shoulder. I nearly jumped out of the chair. I turned to find Sara standing there holding a clipboard to her chest. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you.”
“Oh, no, just nerves,” I said.
She gave me a concerned look. “You look a little pale. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yes,” I said, swallowing the lump that had lodged in my throat. “I’ll be fine.” It was a blatant lie. I was not fine. I couldn't tell her that my heart was screaming and my stomach twisting in knots because my ex-boyfriend—my super-fucking hot ex-boyfriend that I dumped in college—was just on the other side of the curtain.
“Okay, I’ll take you on-set soon as this segment is over.” She turned to watch Chad on the monitor. “Wow, he’s really hot.” She bumped me with her elbow and lowered her voice. “He sort of reminds me of the guy in your book, the blond guy who’s into S&M, Brad? I bet he’d be great in bed.”
“Yes,” I said quietly. You have no idea…
Sara was wearing an earpiece so the director in the booth could speak directly to her. She held a finger to the earpiece and listened for a moment, then said something into the little microphone and gave me a smile.
“Okay, Zoe, this segment ends in one minute. We’ll give them a minute to clear the set, and as soon as this guest leaves I’ll walk you out to take a seat. The books will be passed out during the commercial break so everyone in the audience has a copy.”
“Um, right, sure…”
I followed Sara to the edge of the set. I was twenty feet away from Chad, who was hugging Erin and shaking Dan’s hand to thank them for having him on. I felt as if I had lapsed into a dream. My head was swimming and my vision started to blur. For a moment, I thought I might faint, but I forced myself to pull it together. I held my breath and stood behind Sara, waiting, wondering if he would even recognize me as he walked past.
I heard the crowd clapping and peered around Sara’s shoulder. Chad was walking towards me, smiling at the audience, waving goodbye. At first, he just glanced my way, then stopped and did a double take, then stood staring at me with his mouth hanging open.
“Oh my god,” he said, holding out his hands. “I don’t believe it. Zoe? Zoe Maxwell? Holy shit. I tried to call you last night.”
“You did?” I was mumbling, having a hard time forming words. I put my hands in his and he pulled me in for a hug.
“Jesus, I’ve missed you,” he said, brushing his lips to my ear. Before I could say or do anything, Sara had put her hand on my arm.
“We have to get onset now,” she said forcefully.
“Uh, okay,” I stared into Chad’s eyes. “It’s great seeing you.”
“You, too,” he said, letting go and taking a step back. He glanced at the copy of Pleasing Him Sara was holding to give me onset. “Oh my god, you’re that Zoe Maxwell. The writer?”
“We have to go,” Sara said, tugging on me now.
“Okay, well, it was good to see you,” he said as I was dragged away. He held up a thumb and smiled. “Break a leg.”
Break a leg? Oh, don’t worry. I’d probably break a number of limbs as I stumbled blindly through this interview. Chad Walters. Chad Fucking Walters, in the flesh, as if he had stepped out of the pages of my book and back into my life. At least I hoped he was back in my life…
After Sara sat me on the couch and introduced me to the hosts, I looked back toward the curtain. Chad was gone. My heart sank. Then the lights came up and audience
clapped and Barbie and Ken started the segment. The next few minutes were a blur because all I could think about was Chad, the man I pushed away.
CHAPTER EIGHT: Chad
Zoe Maxwell.
Zoe fucking Maxwell.
A part of me still couldn’t believe it. I was halfway through the lobby, phone in my hand dialing Martin, when I stopped and turned to look at the large TV that was hanging on the wall. Zoe looked incredible in that pencil skirt she was wearing, the blouse that clutched her breasts, those sapphire eyes. She was smiling at the camera, and I could have sworn I was looking at the girl I had once know so many years ago. It’s like she hadn’t aged at all.
“You rock star, you!” Martin cheered when he finally picked up.
I kept my eyes on the screen, unable to pull away from those eyes that gazed right into the camera. She was nervous, it was clear as hell. Like a deer in the headlights. I would have felt sorry for her if I wasn’t still getting over the shock of running into her.
Of all places.
“Did you know that Zoe Maxwell was going to be on the segment?”
“Thank you, Martin. You’re a genius, Martin. I would be nothing without you, Martin. Those are the words I expect to hear come out of your mouth first.”
“Sure, you’re a God among men,” I replied, for some reason frustrated with the back and forth. “Zoe Maxwell. Did you know she would be here?”
“Zoe who?”
“The writer.”
There was a pause, and I turned to the girl at the desk and signaled her to turn up the volume. Dan was asking Zoe something, and I could see how Zoe tried her best to maintain eye contact. Like she had been trained or something. She looked so awkward, it was ridiculous.
“Wow, she’s a babe,” Martin’s voice broke through my daze. “What about her?”
“That’s my ex-girlfriend,” I replied. “The one I told you about years ago.”
On the screen, Zoe was smiling. It was fake, like it had been plastered on her face before the show along with the make-up.
“Where do you come up with the ideas for your books?” the blonde was asking her. “I find them simply… delicious! Don’t you audience?”
“Well, um, thanks,” Zoe was saying. “I guess I draw from personal experience, and – ”
“Personal experience?” Dan asked, winking at the audience. “Do tell us more.”
The audience laughed, and so did Zoe, although it looked a lot more like uncomfortable laughter than anything else. I remembered reading one of her books, or at least trying to. Who was I kidding? I had skipped most of the regular bullshit and concentrated on the sex scenes. I remembered thinking how kinky the writer was, but that was before I had any idea that Zoe Maxwell was my Zoe.
“No, nothing that personal,” Zoe said. “It’s still fiction.”
“Yeah, right,” I said.
“What’s the problem?” Martin asked in my ear.
I forgot he was still online. “You could have told me she’d be here. I felt like a fool running into her like that.”
“Sorry, but it’s kinda hard to keep track of who you’re dating, who you’re fucking, and who gave you a hand job while you showed them how to do their Pilates properly,” Martin replied. “I don’t keep tabs on your girls.”
No, you don’t. But I should have. I stepped closer to the TV, taking in the whole of her, my eyes running over every inch of her body. I noticed that she wasn’t wearing a wedding ring. I should have tried calling her last night again.
“Are you still there?” Martin asked.
“Yeah,” I replied, “I’ll call you later.”
I hung up before he could say anything else and pocketed my phone. I stared at the TV screen, watching as Zoe’s head turned from Erin to Dan and back again. They were boxing her in, trying to get something juicy out of her. I looked at the girl behind the desk who was also staring at the TV. She had a wide smile on her face, and in front of her were a stack of books that had a shirtless dude on the cover.
“Are those her books?” I asked.
The girl looked at me and her smile widened. “Yeah, she’s an incredible writer. This book is sooo hot... I just read the first few chapters and I’m already in love with it.”
“You have to be careful, Dan,” the blonde was saying on the screen. “Zoe might just use you as a character in her next book.”
The audience laughed again, and Zoe shifted on the couch uncomfortably, then crossed her legs. Those long, beautiful legs. Legs that I remembered wrapping around my waist when I was making her scream.
“I’d make a dashing protagonist, I hope,” Dan said.
“I’m sure you would,” Zoe said, playing along, winking at him.
The audience laughed again, and I couldn’t hold back my smile. Dan fidgeted, Erin clapped her hands together, and the audience began to clap as if they were watching a magic show. It was magical… The way Zoe was winning them over, and looking sexy as hell while doing it.
I grabbed one of the books off the desk. Pleasing Him. I turned the book over and stared at the sapphire eyes of her picture on the back. She was so successful; the book didn’t even need a fucking blurb. The picture alone sold it.
“She’s doing a signing afterwards,” the girl at the desk said.
The audience had begun a long applause over the music going into the break. Zoe was shaking hands with both Erin and Dan. The camera panned to show an audience on its feet, every member holding a copy of her book in their hands.
I shouldn’t have let her dump me so easily.
I should have put up a fight.
I should have fought for her.
It occurred to me then, stronger than ever, and even though she had always been in the back of my head, actually seeing her made something in my mind snap, like a switch being thrown.
All of a sudden, I felt like there could be a lot more to this than just a chance encounter and the dilemma of whether to call her again or not.
I’m gonna get more than a book signed…
I made my way back to the studio.
***
I waited for her behind the curtains, watching as she signed one book after the other, posed for pictures, and shook hands. It was clear she was feeling uncomfortable again, because she kept looking at her watch and calling the segment producer with the tight ass over.
When it was finally done, I stepped out from behind the curtain and made my way to the table where she’d been signing books. She was getting her stuff together and shaking hands with Dan and Erin again when I caught her eye and saw her freeze.
“Chad?” she blinked at me under a frown. “What are you still doing here?”
“My book,” I said, smiling at her, holding up the book and shaking it. “Got time to sign one more?”
She hesitated for a second, then a nervous smile itched at the corner of her luscious lips.
“You two know each other?” Erin asked with a suspicious smile, as if she had just uncovered the biggest story of her life.
“We go way back,” I said as I watched Zoe fumble with her pen. Her hand was shaking. “Isn’t that right, Zoe?”
“Huh?” Zoe glanced up with a deer in headlights look, then muttered, “Uh, yes, long time, old friends.”
To help cover her nerves in front of Erin, I laughed and said, “She doesn’t like to talk about me. I’m the one who got away.”
Erin wanted to hear more, but the segment producer came by to pull her away. “Well, I’ll leave the two of you alone to catch up,” she said. “It was a pleasure meeting you both.” She gave me the eye. “And Chad, be sure to give me the address to your New York studio once it’s up and running.”
She placed a hand on my arm and squeezed. I would have replied to that, maybe even offered a private session under the guise of a marketing strategy. But I didn’t. All I could think about was Zoe. I looked at her for a brief second, then shook Erin’s hand again and smiled.
“I’ll have my manager let you know,
” I said formally, without a hint of flirtation. “And thanks again.”
I could see the look of disappointment on Erin’s face, but I didn’t care. Right now, I just wanted her to get the hell away so I could be alone with Zoe. I watched her leave just as the segment producer gave Zoe a quick hug.
“Thank you, Sara,” Zoe said. “Couldn’t have done it without you.”
“You were great,” Sara said to her, then nodded at me. “It was nice meeting you, Chad. You should read that book. I was just telling Zoe that the male protagonist seemed a lot like you.”
“Is that so?” I asked, looking at Zoe as she turned to look away.
“Yeah,” Sara replied. “Read the book in one sitting. Kept me up all night.”
“I’ll be sure to give it a read,” I said. “Besides, it is Zoe Maxwell, after all.”
Sara left, and I felt the book being lifted from my hands. Zoe sat down and quickly started scribbling her name on the front page.
“You did really well,” I said, bending down a bit to try and meet her eye.
She smiled, but kept her eyes fixated on the page. “Thanks,” she said. “Your segment was really great, too. I didn’t know you had become this successful.”
“I guess we’re both full of surprises,” I said as she handed me the book.
Her eyes finally looked up at mine, and I found myself in that same messed up place I had always been whenever she looked at me. For a second I was thrown back to when we were in college, a rush of emotions bursting through me, a shitload of stuff that I had forgotten and was suddenly making me very uneasy.
I tried my best to keep my cool. “So how have you been?” I asked.
“Good,” she said, attempting another smile that didn’t work. She was obviously nervous. “Busy.”