Normal Enough

by Marie Sexton

  Now was his chance.

  The door opened and Reggie was suddenly in the same room with him. Wes waited until the door was closed, cutting off the microphones and cameras in the main shop, before he made his approach.

  “Reggie, hi.” He extended his hand. “Wes Morton from the network.”

  “Yeah, I remember you.” Reggie eyed him, but didn’t take the offered hand. He rubbed a shop towel over his own, and Wes couldn’t decide if the handshake refusal was intended to be snide or to keep from getting Wes’s hand greasy. He told himself it was the latter, but…. Yeah, right.

  “Ray told me last week someone was coming to town.” Reggie’s eyebrow rose slightly. “Something about a spinoff series?”

  Wes nodded. “Yeah.” He gestured at the briefcase he’d left propped up against the wall. “I brought along the contracts and infor—”

  “Whoa, whoa.” Reggie put up his hands, flashing the tattoo on his left palm. “Let’s talk details before we bring contracts into it.”

  Wes swallowed. They both knew damn well Reggie’s existing contract had him by the balls for this spinoff. Maybe “negotiating” would make him feel like he was in control, but he didn’t have much choice on this one whether he liked it or not. The network was counting on that in ways Reggie couldn’t imagine.

  “All right,” Wes said. “Is there a place we can talk privately?”

  Pursing his lips, Reggie glanced over his shoulder toward the garage he’d just exited. “How long do you need?”

  “We can keep it brief for now. I’ll be in town a few days if we need to discuss details more in-depth.”

  Reggie eyed him, then nodded. “Let’s go in my office.”

  Wes followed him into the office, and at Reggie’s invitation, took a seat in front of the desk.

  It was strange how much this reminded him of being in an office with one of the higher ups at the network. It couldn’t have been more different from their offices. Every piece of furniture in the network’s building was expensive, metal-and-glass with an art deco bent. Here, the furniture was old, mismatched, with the occasional grease smudge or faded sticker on the faux wood laminate. Reggie had probably bought that old computer the same year Wes had started with the network, while everyone Wes worked for had probably been through at least half a dozen machines since then. The walls—wood paneling on two sides, bare concrete on the others—were covered with photos of cars, some awards the shop had picked up over the years, and articles from the local newspaper instead of framed artwork, Ivy League MBAs, and a row of Emmy Awards.

  But sitting in this slightly wobbly chair, facing Reggie over a cluttered desk, Reggie couldn’t help feeling like he was staring down one of his bosses.

  Reggie tapped a broken pencil on the weathered blotter. “So, why does the network think there needs to be a spinoff?” He tilted the pencil toward the wall between the office and the garage where the rest of the crew was still filming. “We’re already running my entire shop into the ground with Wrench Wars.”

  Wes cleared his throat. “Here’s the thing. Wrench Wars isn’t doing so hot as far as ratings are concerned.”

  Reggie set his jaw and glared at him. “I’ve read the reports your boys have sent over. The ratings are down, but not by much.”

  “Down is down.” Wes sounded more dismissive than he actually felt—he’d had this conversation with the execs in LA several times, and knew it was pointless to try again. He cleared his throat. “Listen, the network’s considering… making some changes to the show.”

  “Changes? Such as?”

  “Well….” Wes swallowed. “Casting changes.”

  “Is that a diplomatic way of saying they’re thinking about axing my garage?”

  Wes nodded. There was no need to specify that it was Reggie in particular they wanted to eighty-six.

  Reggie exhaled. He didn’t seem all that surprised, but he wasn’t unaffected by the news either. “So, what’s the plan? Are they going to let us go?” He arched an eyebrow. “Per the contract, severance and all?”

  Resisting the urge to fidget, Wes said, “Not exactly.”

  “What does that mean? That contract specifically states that if we’re removed but the show continues, my guys get—”

  “I know what it says,” Wes said quietly. “What they want is for you to do this spinoff, in the hopes that it’ll boost ratings for Wrench Wars. You’ve got a fan base, and we’d like to capitalize on that.” His stomach was queasy—did they really expect Reggie to buy this?

  “So I have a fan base that’s enough to put me on a spinoff,” Reggie said, his tone flat, “but they still want to kick me off the show where my fan base expects to see me. I don’t get it.”

  “With all due respect, you don’t have to.”

  They both knew it. The clause about spinoffs was as ironclad as the one about severance pay for the garage crew. It didn’t matter why the network wanted him on a spinoff—if they did, he had to do it, or else he was in breach of contract.

  Reggie looked at Wes, but didn’t speak. Wes struggled not to shift under the mechanic’s scrutiny. He had to be absolutely on-point and one hundred percent confident when he had meetings like this, and letting on that Reggie fucked up his blood pressure would be inexcusably unprofessional.

  Finally, Reggie spoke. “Tell me about the spinoff.”

  Wes cleared his throat. “You’re familiar with Anything to Marry Him, right?”

  “I don’t watch it, but I’ve heard of it. It’s just like any of those other bachelor shows.” Reggie watched him silently again, brow pinched. Then, slowly, his eyebrows rose. His lips parted a little. “Are you… are you going to tell me they want me on Anything to Marry Him?”

  If there was one thing Wes hated about this job, it was trying to sell this particular brand of reality show. It was a slap in the face to marriage and relationships as far as he was concerned, and in this case, there was that extra sting of trying to sell it to a man who he’d sell his own soul to hook up with.

  Barely resisting the urge to sigh and tell Reggie how much he hated this, Wes nodded.

  “No.” The mechanic put up both his hands. “Abso-fucking-lutely not.”

  “Look, I know it’s a—”

  “No. Just… no. Are they insane? Are you insane?”

  Wes sighed. “Think about it. You’ve been to the cons, right?”

  Reggie pursed his lips and nodded.

  “And how many girls do you see lining up to meet you and have a picture taken? They love you, Reg. The girls fucking adore you.”

  Reggie’s eyebrow rose slowly. “So I should go on a bullshit TV show and make one of them think I’ll marry her?”

  “It’s….” Wes sighed, struggling to find the words. Selling this to anyone else would’ve been easy, but not when he could barely string together a coherent sentence in front of the man to begin with. “It’s a fantasy that the network wants to capitalize on. Everyone knows deep down it’s all superficial, and no one really expects the relationship to last. But all the girls who adore you? They can watch it and think they’re seeing what it takes to win you over. What makes you fall in love. And even if they don’t realize it—”

  “They think they could make me fall in love with them.”

  Wes nodded.

  Reggie stared at him. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  “Look, it’s just for one season. Then after—”

  “Seriously?” Reggie narrowed his eyes. “Are you really trying to sell me on this by saying it’s just for one season? You’re asking me to marry someone, man!”

  Yeah, it did sound like a dick move and a shit deal. Wes couldn’t argue with that.

  Reggie sighed and ran a hand through his hair, mussing it just enough to make Wes’s breath catch. “Listen. I need the show. My guys need the show.” He met Wes’s eyes. “But I can’t do the bachelor gig. It’s not an option.”

  Wes tugged at his crisp white buttoned sleeve. “You are aware of the ve
rbiage of your contract, right?”

  “I am.” Leaning back, Reggie folded his tattooed arms across his chest. “Is the network really going to force me to do a bachelor show in order to keep Wrench Wars going?”

  “The contract includes—”

  “I’m aware of what the contract says,” Reggie growled. “I’m not asking what it says. I’m asking if the network is really going to staple my balls to that clause for this kind of show.”

  Wes took a deep breath. Reggie wanted it straight and to the point, and he was the kind of guy who could smell bullshit from a mile away. Hoping the defeat and self-loathing didn’t make it into his voice, he said, “They are exercising that clause, yes. If you don’t agree to the spinoff, your shop will be replaced on Wrench Wars next season.”

  Reggie stared at him for a long moment, his eyes cold. Wes held his gaze, keeping his expression as neutral as possible.

  Finally, Reggie broke the silence. “Get the fuck out of my office.”

  Don’t miss how the story began!

  A Wrench Wars Story

  Everyone at Jim Irving’s garage is gung ho about Wrench Wars, a new reality show featuring mechanics. Everyone, that is, except talented mechanic Chandler Scott, the sole employee who has refused to sign the contract. The rest of the mechanics are pressuring him too, because without Chandler—and his volatile interactions with his boss—no one’s getting on the show.

  Chandler’s one ally is Jim’s son, Mark, who’s being forced to work for his dad until he pays down his student loans or finds a better job—and who’s been Chandler’s secret lover for a while.

  Then a playful tryst in the garage blows up in their faces, giving the network ammo to blackmail Chandler by threatening to out Mark to his father. Now Chandler is backed into a corner, and Mark needs to decide how far he’s willing to go to protect the man who’s been sharing his bed… and may have stolen his heart.

  More from Marie Sexton

  A Tale from the Curious Cookbook

  Three months after losing his parents in a car crash, Denver weatherman Daniel Whitaker returns to Laramie, Wyoming. It’s bad enough dealing with the death of his parents and his failing relationship of fifteen years, but when he finds his childhood home full of clutter, Daniel is at a loss. He enlists Landon, his parents’ sexy neighbor, to help him sort through the mess. Landon Kushner is a study in contradictions. He builds wind sculptures out of scrap metal and loves the outdoors, but he also rides a mint-green Vespa and has an affinity for knitting and fortune-telling. He’s been friends with Daniel’s parents for years, and he’s more than willing to lend a hand.

  Their plan is simple: clean the house so Daniel can sell it and get back to his life in Denver. But when a strange cookbook comes into Landon’s possession, Daniel begins to realize that the universe – and Granny B – may have other plans.

  Part of the Coda Series

  Jared Thomas has lived his whole life in the small mountain town of Coda, Colorado. He can’t imagine living anywhere else. Unfortunately, the only other gay man in town is twice his age and used to be his teacher, so Jared is resigned to spending his life alone.

  Until Matt Richards walks into his life, that is. Matt has just been hired by the Coda Police Department, and he and Jared immediately become friends. Matt claims he is straight, but for Jared, having a sexy friend like Matt is way too tempting. Facing Matt’s affair with a local woman, his disapproving family, and harassment from Matt’s co-workers, Jared fears they’ll never find a way to be together—if he can even convince Matt to try.

  Part of the Coda Series

  Zach Mitchell is stuck in a rut. His college boyfriend left him ten years ago, but Zach still lives in the same apartment, drives the same car, and feeds his ex-boyfriend’s ungrateful cat. His Denver business, A to Z Video Rental, is struggling. He has annoying customers, eccentric neighbors, and an unfulfilling romance with his landlord, Tom.

  A combat boot-wearing punk with an attitude, Angelo Green was raised in foster homes and has been on his own since he was sixteen; he has never learned to trust or to love. He doesn’t do relationships, so when Angelo takes a job at A to Z Video, he decides Zach is strictly off-limits.

  Despite their differences, Zach and Angelo quickly become friends, and when Zach’s break-up with Tom puts his business on the line, it’s Angelo who comes up with a solution. Together with Jared and Matt, their friends from Coda, Colorado, Zach and Angelo will find a way to save A to Z, but will they be able to save each other too?

  Sequel to A to Z

  Part of the Coda Series

  Zach and Angelo have settled into their new lives in Coda, Colorado, finding their place in the community with the help of their good friends Matt and Jared. Zach and Angelo are also working out the particulars of their relationship, but when they make a decision Jared disagrees with, Angelo finds himself at odds with his partner’s best friend. And his best friend’s partner.

  When the four decide on a quick trip to Vegas, Angelo thinks he and Jared may be back on the right track. But a chance encounter with Zach’s ex-boyfriend will make Angelo question everything about himself and his relationship with Zach. Matt and Jared have always been there when Zach and Angelo needed help. But when it comes to sorting out their relationship, their friends may do more harm than good.

  MARIE SEXTON lives in Colorado. She’s a fan of just about anything that involves muscular young men piling on top of each other. In particular, she loves the Denver Broncos and enjoys going to the games with her husband. Her imaginary friends often tag along. Marie has one daughter, two cats, and one dog, all of whom seem bent on destroying what remains of her sanity. She loves them anyway.

  Facebook: www.facebook.com/MarieSexton.author

  Twitter: @MarieSexton

  By Marie Sexton

  Lost Along the Way

  CODA

  Promises • Putting out Fires

  A to Z • The Letter Z • Paris A to Z

  Strawberries for Dessert • Fear, Hope, and Bread Pudding

  Shotgun

  WRENCH WARS

  By L.A. Witt: Last Mechanic Standing

  Normal Enough

  Paperback only:

  Tales of the Curious Cookbook (Multiple Author Anthology)

  Published by DREAMSPINNER PRESS

  www.dreamspinnerpress.com

  Published by

  DREAMSPINNER PRESS

  5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886 USA

  www.dreamspinnerpress.com

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of author imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Normal Enough

  © 2016 Marie Sexton.

  Cover Art

  © 2016 Garrett Leigh.

  http://blackjazzpress.com

  Cover content is for illustrative purposes only and any person depicted on the cover is a model.

  All rights reserved. This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of international copyright law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines, and/or imprisonment. Any eBook format cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Dreamspinner Press, 5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886, USA, or www.dreamspinnerpress.com.

  Digital ISBN: 978-1-63477-383-6

  Published August 2016

  v. 2.0

  Second Edition published by Amber Allure, 2014.

  Printed in the United States of America