33. Chapter 30
Sloan
Ididn’t even get home before I had an email in my box from Tanner. Well from Nelly on behalf of Tanner.
That’s why I’m parked on the side of the road at the edge of my neighborhood with the car running, and the wind blowing in my hair. Tears of relief flood my cheeks, and I take the first full breath in over a year.
I’m free.
I’m free.
I’m free.
I sit for a second and think about what an incredible asshat he turned out to be, and how effortless it was for him to try and screw me over. He’s not going to get the fucking chance to do this again.
I open my email and finish the draft to Bay Productions I started in Tanner’s office. My email is short, but direct.
Dear Bay Productions,
I regret to inform you of serious concerns regarding Tanner’s conduct.
He has attempted to coerce me into violating the terms of my contract for personal gain.
He is continually abusing his position of power not only with me, but by engaging in behaviors that violate company policy.
He is engaged in an inappropriate relationship with his secretary in the workplace.
I have attached a video and audio recording as evidence, and request an immediate investigation.
Thank you,
Sloan Barrett
I send it, and the sense of relief that washes over me is consuming.
If this isn’t a metaphorical punch in the dick I don’t know what is.
My thoughts are interrupted by my phone ringing in the passenger seat, and for the first time ever, I wish this old car had bluetooth.
I answer the phone and put it on speaker.
“Jax, I’m free.” These are the only words rolling around my head as excitement overtake me.
“No fucking way. I thought it would take more than the video.” I can hear the sincerity in Jax’s voice.
“Me too. I mean technically, I had to threaten him a bit, I started sending the video to other people and that really sealed the deal. I mean, I just sent the actual email to Bay Productions right before you called, so it’s over.”
He’s quiet on the other end. I hear him breathing, but it takes him a few seconds to speak again. The seconds seem to stretch out forever before he breaks the silence.
“Damn, Sloan.” He laughs. “Remind me not to fuck with you.”
“Desperate times call for desperate measures, right?” I say trying to hold back the tears forming in my eyes.
“Jax, I’m free.”
“I know, baby. Ummm… Why are you parked there?” I look to my left and see him passing by.
“I pulled over to sign the contract that releases it all to me.”
“Shit, did you read it carefully? Are you sure you shouldn’t have had it looked over?” I hear the concern in his voice.
“It had one clause. An addendum, signing all rights to me, without the obligation to pay anything in exchange.” Both lawyers were on it, and mine sent me a separate email confirming the details before sending the contract.
“Good, I just want to make sure.” He sounds proud, and that makes my heart flutter. I put the car in drive and pull into the driveway next to him. He barely lets me out of the car before his lips are on mine.
“Congratulations, baby.” He smiles between kisses, and then lifts me, wrapping my legs around him and carrying me inside.
“Thank you for helping me find a way out of the hell I was living in,” I say honestly as we kiss our way to the couch.
“Let’s celebrate,” he says with a delicious smile that tells me exactly how he wants to celebrate.
“Can we just hang out, order food in, and chill?” I ask, hoping he will be ok with staying in. I’m mentally drained, and I need to just soak it all in.
His smile changes from suggestive to adoring, and I love how easy being with him is. “How about we order pizza and watch the game?”
“What game?” I ask. “We’re in that weird time of year where nothing’s in season.”
“The Junior Mango Ball Championship is on tonight on YouTube. We can stream it while we eat pizza.” I love his smile right now.
“That actually sounds really fun.”
By the time the pizza gets here it’s already the top of the second inning, and Jax is talking to the tv like he’s on the field coaching. To my surprise, he knows several of the players on the field, and narrates some of the trick plays he sees them do.
“What is this?” I ask with a laugh as the 12 year olds on the screen start dancing to “What Dreams Are Made Of” by Hilary Duff.
“Oh, this is the best part of the series, they play this song and all of the players line up and throw their best trick throw, and the fans vote on the winner.”
He sits forward on the couch, chin in his hands while his elbows are propped on his knees, and the admiration in his eyes is one of a kind.
Kid after kid throws the ball. There’s a windup pitch between the legs, a round the back throw that another player catches, one of them even throws the ball in the air, slides and then spins before catching it again.
“These kids look just like you guys.” I’m stating the obvious, but he bites anyway.
“I know, right?” he says with a huge smile.“So what’s the plan?” he asks me with a mouth full of pizza.
“What do you mean?”
“Are you going to start your own show?”
“Obviously. I just need to get all the details ironed out. I’m thinking I might see if Ali wants to help me.”
“That’s really smart. She knows all the ins and outs.” He nods, eyes still on the screen. “What are you going to call it?” he asks. Only this question has him looking at me.
“I don’t know. I want it to be catchy,” I admit.
“What about the Sloan Barrett Show?” He puts a hand on my thigh. “You deserve all the credit, plus, your name is powerful.”
I think about it for a few minutes before responding, eating my pizza and drinking a beer Jax got from the fridge. My legs are laying over his lap, and he rubs my leg in between bites. We’re so normal right now. Not a care in the world.
“I actually like that name for the show.” I smile. “Oh, how was your meeting with Horner?”
“It was ok.” His shoulders tense a little, and I instantly regret bringing it up. “He didn’t have a lot to tell me. It’s in the fan’s hands, and I just have to trust what’s meant to be, will be, I guess.”
He takes a long pull of his beer.
“He did reassure me if it was his choice, I’d be here for the long haul, so that made me feel better.”
“That’s good,” I say, trying to comfort him. “I guess, we just have to wait and see what happens.”
I sound sure, but my stomach hates the notion. The one that he could leave. Move to another team, and we would become Oscar and Maren 2.0. I don’t want that.
The only difference is, I could go wherever he goes.
Would I?
Would I go wherever he goes?
Maybe…