Chapter 13
Thirteen
S ybil
“I knew you’d do anything for your family,” Cooper says to me when I slide into the booth across from him and Perry a week later. I bite my tongue from snarking back.
“Don’t worry,” Perry adds. “You won’t regret this.”
Somehow, I doubt that.
It only took one meeting with Mom and another with the board and Vale to convince them to agree to Cooper’s proposition. One week for both teams of lawyers to draw up the contracts Cooper and I signed.
Mom didn’t like the idea at first. She wanted to find another way, but I didn’t see another opportunity like this coming along, and she agreed to let me try.
I’ll make sure Perry’s show is successful. While I don’t necessarily trust Cooper, I know he won’t do anything to sabotage one of his best friends.
Deep breaths . It’s going to be okay.
Perry hands me a menu, but I don’t feel even the slightest bit hungry. I’ve been too nervous about this lunch since we put it on the calendar. “In the end, this will be a win for me, a win for King Media, and a win for Laurence.”
I nod, perusing the offerings but not really seeing them.
There’s more on the line I’m not telling Cooper or Perry. If I’m successful in getting that five percent, then the board has agreed to promote me to president of the Laurence Foundation. This is my dream, and I’m so close I can taste it.
“By the way, I know about Arden’s shares,” Cooper says, and I peek over the menu to level him with a hard stare. “She let you guys buy out her inheritance? Typical. Love the girl, but she needs to grow a spine.”
“She didn’t want ownership,” I bite.
He shrugs. “Maybe, but she should’ve kept it, anyway.”
“Not everybody is out to play the games your father taught you.”
Perry holds up his hands. “That’s enough. We have to work together, and I can’t deal with constant bickering. Let’s talk about the show, shall we?”
I sigh but nod. We need to make this show the breakout success of the year. It needs to go viral on social media, and to do that, the drama needs to be hot enough to spark debate online without being so hot that famous people end up suing us for defamation.
According to the contract, both Laurence and King contribute three hundred million to the project.
If the show makes enough to earn out more than what was put into it—and if it hits a high benchmark of viewership—then the show will be green-lit for a second season by King’s television network, and we’ll get Cooper’s five percent back.
If we fail? Coop gets to keep his stake in Laurence, and we can never negotiate it away from him again. He’ll get to be included in our board meetings and tied to Laurence for as long as he’d like. And really, that means Conrad will be tied to us.
“Tell us where we’re starting from.” Cooper turns on Perry, and for the next hour, Perry explains in meticulous detail everything he’s accomplished so far.
He’s got a penthouse rented for filming, most of the crew lined up, and has been recruiting an impressive cast. It’s almost like the royal family agreed to let cameras inside their homes and film everything—that would take a great deal of convincing and loads of money.
“We’ll call it Top of the World ,” Perry says with a devilish grin. That sounds perfect. I’m not someone who watches this kind of stuff and even I’m intrigued. “I’ve got the cast lined up, except for one key person… if we’re going to pull this off.”
“And who’s that?” I question.
“We lost our star athlete. He checked himself into drug rehab two days ago and wants nothing to do with the show. That means we’ve got a gap in casting. Any ideas?”
I look up to the ceiling, thinking through the professional athletes in Manhattan. One name immediately pops into mind. He’s perfect.
“It needs to be a local who won’t be traded within the year and isn’t prone to injuries,” I say, leveling the guys with a grin. “A man. Someone popular. Someone with influence in this city. Single and attractive. And with a playboy reputation.”
Perry and Cooper look at each other with blank expressions, clearly at a loss, and I want to kick my legs gleefully.
“Benton Beal.”
Cooper narrows his eyes, skepticism flashing across his face. “Doesn’t he have a horrible reputation? He gets into fights and sleeps around.”
“He’s a hockey player; fighting is part of the appeal. And who cares if he sleeps around? You do the same thing.”
Cooper shakes his head. “He sounds like a liability.”
Or Cooper doesn’t want me to have a win. “I see it as a positive. He’s incredibly popular with his fans and has about a zillion fan-edits on social media. People are obsessed with Benton.” I hold up my phone. “And lucky for you guys, I have his phone number.”
“Do I even want to know?” Perry laughs.
Coop glares, and I have to stop myself from calling him out. He’s clearly being judgmental, especially given what he said to me at that New Year’s Eve party about needing higher standards.
I give him my steeliest glare. “Don’t slut shame me for having sex with Benton Beal.
” I say it like it is. “It’s not a big deal when two consenting adults who want to get together and safely have fun.
Besides, don’t you have a phone full of women who casually sleep with you?
Are you judging them for doing the same thing? ”
Coop shifts but doesn’t say a word.
“Benton Beal is a fantastic idea,” Perry cuts in. “Call him. Convince him. Whatever you’ve got to do, Sybil. Make it happen. He’s perfect. ”
“Not whatever she has to do,” Cooper growls. “We’re not prostituting Sybil out for your show.”
I bite my tongue, a million thoughts eager to spill over.
Perry holds up his hands. “Chill. That’s not what I meant.”
“To hell it wasn’t.” Coop turns his sour expression on his friend. “I love you Perry, but sometimes you can be so singularly focused on your goals you forget to check yourself.”
I roll my eyes. “Hate to break it to you, Cooper, but Benton Beal can get any woman he wants. He doesn’t need me to convince him by offering sexual favors. Besides, he’s already slept with me on multiple occasions. He can get me into his bed because I like him.”
Cooper’s jaw tightens, nostrils flaring. I’ve clearly struck a nerve and have to bite back a grin to keep myself from seeing just how deep that nerve goes. Truthfully, I haven’t slept with Benton in a while. We’re friends more than we’re friends with benefits.
“I don’t care who you sleep with, Valentine,” Cooper cuts in.
That name again. He keeps using it, and I would keep correcting him, but an expected realization stops me. “Seems like you do care.”
“Don’t mistake this for something it’s not.”
“And what am I mistaking it for?” Because to me, it seems like jealousy and possessiveness, and as strange as that is coming from Cooper, at least it’s not cold indifference or hatred.
He takes a deep breath and pinches the bridge of his nose.
“Listen, we don’t do unethical shit like that at King Media.
” Dropping his hand, he pins an accusatory gaze on me.
“In fact, if Benton decides to do the show, you’ll need to keep your legs closed around him from now on.
We can’t have any conflicts of interest.”
Logically, I get where he’s coming from, but emotionally, my veins are burning with righteous indignation. “You’re already accusing me of being unprofessional?”
Cooper chuckles, and Perry intervenes. “Okay, I’m going to stop you two again .
We can’t start fighting before we’ve even done anything.
You’re going to have to learn how to get along.
You used to be friends, remember? I’m not saying you have to be friends again, but for the love of God, figure out a way to work together without fighting all the time.
If you want to talk about being professional, how about you start with that ? ”
“Fine.” I extend my hand across the table to Coop. “Truce? We can be professionals and not friends.”
He holds my gaze, but when he shakes my hand, I don’t feel as vindicated as I thought I would. A hollowness has opened in my chest, aching to be filled. “Besides securing an athlete, are we ready for the dinner party tonight?” I ask Perry, dropping Cooper’s hand.
While we want the cast to meet each other for the first time on camera, there are a few Cooper and I are unsure about.
Perry had the idea to bring them round to dinner first. They’re a brother and sister pair, children of a political dynasty who are now coming into their own, and I’m not sure they’re famous enough or interesting enough for Top of the World .
No offense to them, but politics is divisive, and a lot of people try to avoid it when they’re watching television.
But Perry is adamant they’re a perfect fit for what he’s looking for.
“I’ve got my private chef lined up,” Cooper says. “Tonight’s a go.”
Wait. What?
I frown. “We’re going out to dinner, aren’t we?”
Perry shakes his head. “Cooper thought it would be more discreet to have them to his place, and I agree. How about you see if you can get Benton there tonight, too, so we can talk to him about the opportunity?”
Going to Cooper’s place is the last thing I want to do, but he makes a good point, so I don’t push it. But Benton? Tonight? Already? “Shouldn’t Benton meet his potential new cast mates on camera? Maybe we should wait on him.”
Perry waves off my concern. “It’ll be fine. We might not cast all three people, and if we do, it’s not a big deal if they’ve met in advance.”
I sigh. “I’ll see what I can do.”
As nervous as I am to contact Benton, I’m more nervous about going to Cooper’s apartment. I’ve been to his building a bunch of times. Ethan and Arden live there. But Cooper’s place feels like crossing into enemy territory.
We finish lunch, and on our way out, Cooper holds the door for me.
As I pass under his arm, his familiar scent nearly stops me in my tracks.
He’s not covered up by the new pricy cologne he wears these days.
Instead, for just a second, I’m back with the boy I grew up with, the one I considered one of my best friends.
A weight presses down on my heart that I can’t acknowledge. I won’t.
We step onto the sidewalk, and his phone rings. A flash of a smile crosses his lips, and his eyes dance when the name pops up on the screen. Roxanna .
The weight on my heart presses harder.
For years, Cooper had a roster of beautiful women ready and willing to hook up with him. Could Roxanna be one of those? Or maybe he’s dating someone. Finally gotten serious about a relationship.
How much do people really change? I wonder.
He doesn’t bother with goodbye as he strides away to take the call.
I can’t help but notice the way his right pant leg looks a little different than the left or how his gait has changed.
I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to see Cooper the way I used to.
It’s as if he’s become someone else entirely, someone who’s been forever changed by a summer evening that cost us both so much.