Chapter 14
Fourteen
S ybil
“So, what did you want to talk to me about?”
Benton slides into the backseat of the town car and buckles in.
I have a full-time driver to get me around Manhattan; my father insisted on it for all of his children.
Dad was above public transport—said it was dangerous and dirty.
But I like it. It makes me feel more like a normal New Yorker.
If Dad knew how often I ride the Subway, he’d probably find a way to haunt me.
“Hey, you,” I reply, giving Benton my best smile. “It’s been a minute. Sounds like you had a great season. It ended a few weeks ago, right?”
Don’t think I didn’t invite Benton out tonight without first doing my research.
He’s been busy with the New York Storm and honestly, I’m a little amazed I was able to get him to agree to hang out on such short notice. The man is busy.
Nerves race through my belly. I don’t want to spring the show on him, but I also can’t beat around the bush.
“It was an okay season,” Benton says, shaking his head. “At least we ended with a decent winning record, but we could’ve done so much better.” His handsome face drops all professionalism, his grin lifting and eyes following the curve of my neck. “Anyway, yeah, it’s good to see you too, Syb.”
His frown turns to a smile, and I take it in. He’s got two dimples framing his mouth, making his otherwise devilish appearance fucking adorable. He leans in to kiss my cheek.
“What’s the plan for tonight? Your place or mine?”
I elbow him in the ribcage, and he laughs.
If I could blow off this dinner, I would. It’s been a few months since I’ve had anyone in my bed. And while I have a few situationships I could call on, I haven’t been feeling it lately.
I’m pretty sure I’m broken when it comes to loving someone romantically. I haven’t done it since Ethan, and that was years ago.
“What are you up to now that the season has ended?” I ask.
If Benton is committed to something great, I won’t bring up the show. I’ll have the driver make a left at the next light and take Benton to my place, rescheduling a time to meet with the politician’s kids.
Benton sighs, the bridge of his nose scrunching. “The playoffs sucked. We barely made it, and we got eliminated in the first game. The fans were assholes about it.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
He nods. “And the paps were fucking vultures, too, but you know what that’s like.”
I only kind of know. We had a lot of press right after Dad’s passing. Benton and I had quite a few heart-to-hearts when all that was going on. He had really good advice on how to avoid the paparazzi, which was helpful, but eventually the news cycle moved on, and so did everybody else.
“Are you still enjoying hockey?” I question, eyeing him carefully.
Might be too intrusive to ask that of a starting NHL center, but Benton is my friend, and I care about him.
His smile is guarded. “I’ll always love hockey, and I’ll play as long as my body will let me and a team wants to pay me.”
“But…?”
He sinks into his seat, staring into nothing for a long second. “Listen, I know how lucky I am to be doing what I love most for a career and getting paid a shit ton to do it. Hockey isn’t the issue. It’s everything else that comes alone with it that’s been hard lately.”
Whelp.
We need to cast perfection if we’re going to get Top of the World green-lit for a second season. Only the best will get our show the kind of viewership and ad revenue needed to hit our goals.
I remind myself why I’m doing this.
For my family. My name. My chance to be director of the Foundation and all the good I can create with that position. For Perry’s future and even for Cooper. As messed up as it is, I’m also doing this for Dad.
Even though he’s gone, I still want him to be proud of me.
“Tell me what’s hard about it being a professional athlete, besides the obvious?”
He shrugs. “When you’re the biggest star on the ice, the manager is going to be up your ass about being perfect. You’d think they’d be happy about the wins, but they care a lot about public image and the brand. Not just one player.”
“Hmm.” I nod. “Sounds like you need to do some PR.”
He rolls his eyes. “Don’t even start.”
“Let me ask you this. Do you have plans for the summer?” I really hope Benton is open to what I have to offer. Top of the World will catapult his stardom to the kind of fame that could take him far beyond hockey.
He turns on me. “Why do I get the feeling you’re about to pitch me something?” He catches the look on my face, and his playful expression falls. “Oh shit, not you, too.”
Guilt—instant guilt.
“Hear me out,” I try as the car turns onto Cooper’s street. “You can say no, and I’ll respect your decision and never bring it up again. I’m a producer on a new reality television show I think you’d be very interested in hearing more about.”
He immediately shakes his head. “Fuck no.”
I sigh. “Okay, that’s fine, no hard feelings. We’ll find another athlete who wants guaranteed millions and fame and extra years added on to his career.”
He laughs, clearly annoyed, and I hope I didn’t just lose his friendship. “Extra years on my career? Be real, Sybil. Like a fucking tv show could do that.”
We stop at the red light, and I give him an incredulous look. “Do we not live in the same century?”
He arches a skeptical eyebrow, but I’m being serious.
“You think teams don’t care about fame? They do.
Athletes who bring in more money through merchandising and name recognition get better and longer contracts.
Why do you think so many athletes try to date popular actresses and pop-stars?
The added attention is mutually beneficial to both parties involved.
” I give him a pointed look. “Try to deny it, but what you do off the ice does matter.”
“You sound like my manager,” he deadpans.
“Your manager must be a smart woman.”
He rakes a palm through his thick brown hair. “She is… and she’d probably tell me to hear you out.”
“See? What do you have to lose? If it’s a no, that’s fine. We’ll find another athlete.”
He slumps back, a weary sigh escaping his lips. “Fine, give me the elevator pitch.”
I laugh. “Oh, no. We’re going to go meet some people tonight who are much better at pitching than I am.” Namely, Perry Hargrove, the pitch-master.
“We’re what ?” Benton snaps. “What the hell is going on, Laurence?”
The streetlight switches to green, and we accelerate again. “Relax. It’s at a private residence. No cameras. Nobody there to post your private business online. And we don’t have to stay long.”
“Will there be food?” he asks, and I bite back a grin.
“Yes, as well as a couple of other people who are interested in the show. You can talk to our show creator and see what this is about. No pressure.”
“I don’t know,” he mumbles, and I feel bad for springing this on him.
“Listen, the payment will be great. It might even be more than your NHL contract.”
He snorts. “Bullshit.”
“Tell your manager we are working with seven and even eight figure payments for three months of filming.” I give him a wink. “I’m sure she’ll be happy to negotiate a payout for you both.”
His mouth drops open. “That’s better than most of my endorsements.”
Money always talks. My Dad taught me that.
Benton is wealthy from his hockey success and the endorsements that followed, but he doesn’t have the kind of wealth that comes from generations of success.
I obviously don’t regret my upbringing, but I’m aware of the privileges I’ve been afforded.
It’s my duty to give back. It’s part of why I’m so passionate about the Laurence Foundation.
“Well, you will have to do more. We’ll be filming for three months of your life over the summer. It won’t mess with your off-season too much, so I think it’s perfect for you, which is why I asked you before anyone else.”
“Fine, I’ll hear you guys out, but if this bites me in the ass, I’m going to blame you for it.”
I’ll blame myself, too.
“It won’t,” I assure him. “It’ll make America fall in love with you more than they already have. At least the woman will.” I give him a sly smirk, and his dimples pop again.
I’ve got him.
Ten minutes later, we roll up to Cooper and Ethan’s building. I refuse to be nervous, pressing my palms to my thighs and ignoring my rising heart rate.
Benton and I ride the elevator together to the penthouse floor.
The building is newer, with the largest apartments at the top. There are only two penthouses, and Ethan and Cooper purchased them both.
Ethan’s was impressive before, but now that Arden is living with him, it’s even better. Mostly because I helped them design it. Neither of them has an eye for that stuff and asked me for help.
The elevator opens, and we step out into a long, luxurious hallway, a door on either end.
“It’s this one,” I say, pointing toward the door I’ve yet to use.
Benton whistles low, his eyes roaming the decor. “Who are we meeting, Syb? Nobody on my team can afford a place like this. Not in this city.”
Cooper and Ethan inherited billion-dollar trusts a few years ago.
I don’t talk about how much I inherited when my dad died.
It’s not a billion, but it’s millions, plus the stocks.
It’s more money than I’ll ever know what to do with, and I’ll always be more than comfortable, but I’m trying to focus on my career goals regardless of what’s in my bank accounts.
“This is Cooper King’s place. He and Perry Hargrove are the other producers on the show, but Perry is also the creator. Cooper is offering his place for these dinners since it’s discreet. Nobody will ever know what you talked about here unless you decide to do the show.”
“King?” Benton shakes his head. “Is that the family you hate?”
I wince. “Hate is a strong word.”
His eyes widen. “Come on. You hate them.”
“I know what I’m doing.”
“Do you?”
I elbow him in the ribcage for the second time tonight.
“Shush, you. Just think about the money, will you? There’s new money and old money coming to the table for this show.
My family is the old, but King Media? They’re the new money, and they have a lot of it.
The Hargrove’s money runs deep, too, but Perry is doing his own thing.
He gave up the family ready-made career in plastics manufacturing and is following his talents instead.
It’s admirable. Have you heard of a tv show called The Verb ? ”
Benton nods. “I watched some of it. That show is insane.”
Yes. It’s a social experiment show where contestants have to live together, competing under a different “verb” in each episode. One might be “compete” and the next might be “compromise” but the way it’s built creates tons of drama. It’s a fun and interesting concept and has gone on to do well.
“It’s popular,” I say. “That was Perry’s first show. He sold it, and this new show is his baby now. He needed capital, and we came together because we believe in him.”
He raises a big brown eyebrow. “That’s pretty weird, considering your companies hate each other, but okay. Whatever you say. Let’s go talk to these guys.”
“Great! We’ve already got three people who have signed contracts. We’re looking for six cast members in all. You and two other people will be in there tonight to talk about the possibility of joining the show.”
He scratches the stubble on his jawline. “Who’s already in?”
This is what I’ve been waiting for.
“Oh, no big deal, only a pop star, an international supermodel, and a movie star.”
He blinks. “Names?”
I shake my head. “Gotta save that for cameras.”
“What about the two who are already in there?”
“Members of the Maguire family.”
He thinks on that for a second. “Aren’t they a political dynasty?”
“And their father plans to run in the next presidential election.”
He shakes his head. “That’s… intense.”
“Indeed.”
He lets out a deep breath, and I realize he’s probably as nervous as I am right now. Maybe it’s contagious.
I knock, and a few seconds later, Perry greets us with his megawatt smile, immediately extending his hand toward Benton. “Benton, we’re so glad you could make it. I’m a huge fan. I’m Perry Hargrove, creator and executive producer of my new show, Top of the World . Please, come in.”
“Uh—hi,” Benton stumbles over his hello, which is unusual for him.
The guy is typically as smooth as the ice he plays on.
“Thanks for having me. You know, my manager has been wanting me to find something like this. She wanted me to do Dancing with the Stars, but I turned it down. I need something more on brand for me, and I don’t want to leave the city.
I’ve got my systems here, and it’s important that I keep on top of training. ”
“Of course, that makes perfect sense. Top of the World will showcase your lifestyle and let your fans behind the curtain and into your world,” Perry says. “Does that sound like something you’d like to do? For the right price, of course.”
Benton pretends to think about it, but I’m certain he’s in. When he nods, walking into the apartment, I chuckle to myself, my nerves instantly unraveling.
Convincing men to agree with my ideas is one of my specialties. No doubt that by the end of tonight, we’ll have secured our guy.
At least, that’s what I think until I actually step into the apartment and see the icy glare on Cooper’s face… directed right at Benton.