CHAPTER 5
Willow
‘You, Willow. I need you.’
The place my brain goes when Dev says those words is nowhere near appropriate for our relationship or current venue. I can only hope he can’t see the way I’ve flushed from head to toe or feel the heat radiating off me, because I’m practically the same temperature as the surface of the sun.
I’ve had such a hard time keeping it together since Chava and Mark abandoned us that I’ve resorted to rambling on about marketing and image recovery in an attempt to avoid awkward silence, but then he had the nerve to open his mouth and say he needs me.
I think I’m going to faint. Or puke. Maybe both? Oh god, I don’t know.
He’s scrutinizing me, his brown eyes wide and his face hopeful. All I can do in return is gape at him like a fish.
‘Can you . . . repeat that?’ I request, amazed that the words are coherent.
I expect him to rephrase and tone down the way he’s looking at me, because he’s gazing like my face holds all the answers to the universe. Obviously, it doesn’t, so I’d love to know what exactly is going through his mind right now.
But Dev’s expression doesn’t dull. Not one bit. And the next thing I know, he’s gripping my shoulders and standing even closer. His proximity sends the scent of his cologne and something uniquely him wafting around me.
‘You’re exactly what I need, Willow.’
Fourteen-year-old me would have absolutely lost her mind and collapsed into a puddle of goo at that kind of confession from Dev. Twenty-one-year-old me, however, takes a step back and puts her hands up. I don’t like where this is headed. We’ve already made our mistakes; we don’t need to make more.
‘I’m gonna need you to explain your thought process here,’ I say slowly. ‘Because you’re not making sense.’
That gets him to blink, and some of the reverence in his eyes clears away. Another second passes before he drops his hands from my shoulders and takes a step back too. ‘Oh, shit. Sorry,’ he blurts, glancing around, likely checking to see if anyone noticed the interaction. ‘Got a little caught up.’
‘Uh-huh.’ The heat of his touch lingers on my skin, but I do my best to pay it no mind. ‘So . . . explain, please?’
‘Yeah. Right. Okay.’ He inhales deeply, his hands lifted, palms pressed together like he’s ready to beg or pray. ‘Willow . . . I think you can fix me. I think you can fix my image. I’d like to hire you to do it.’
Once again, I’m lost for words as my brain tries to compute what he’s just said. He wants to . . . hire me? To fix his image?
‘Is this a joke?’ I blurt, leaning to one side to peer around him, waiting for a camera crew or some guy with a phone to pop out and say gotcha! ‘Did Oakley put you up to this?’
Dev’s brows furrow, and he drops his hands to his sides. ‘What? No. I literally came up with the idea while you were talking.’ He wets his lips and stares at me like he’s searching for the right words to say.
He better search hard, because I can’t take many more of these vague statements about being needed.
‘I want you to help me do all the things you said would fix this. You’re perfect.’ Oh god, again with the compliments that make my heart tumble over itself. ‘You clearly know how to handle situations like this, and I’d be lucky to have you working with me. So, what do you say?’
Right now, I can’t say a single thing. There’s no way he’s asking what I think he is. ‘But why me?’ I finally manage. ‘Yes, I know what I’m doing. Kind of. But don’t you want someone with more experience? Someone with a proven track record? Someone who’s actually done this as a job?’
Dev shakes his head. ‘I’ve had that, and it didn’t work for me. Plus, I . . .’ He takes a breath, his eyes darting away from me for a second before coming back. The vulnerability in their depths surprises me. ‘I don’t trust many people right now, all right? The idea of handing myself over to just anyone scares the shit out of me.’
‘And you trust me?’ I scoff.
I feel a little bad when the corners of his mouth flick down, but he’s got to get this through his head.
‘Come on,’ I try to reason. ‘I’ve known you since we were kids. I know all the stuff you and my brother got up to. I could make what your old social media manager did look like child’s play. We both know I have more blackmail material than almost anyone.’
‘And you’d never use it,’ he counters. ‘You’re not that kind of person.’
It’s my turn to frown. ‘You don’t know that.’
‘Uh, yeah, I do.’
He says it like he really knows who I am at more than a surface level. Maybe he thinks he does, simply because we’ve known each other for so long, but we haven’t spent much time together over the past few years. And I’ve changed.
‘If you never told our parents about the stuff Oak and I did, then you’d never tell the whole world.’
‘Okay, but what if you pissed me off and I pulled a Jani?’
‘Like I said, you’re not that kind of person.’
God, this man is impossible. I don’t like being told who I am and what I’m capable of, but he’s right. I don’t think I’d have it in me to drag a person through the mud, no matter how badly they wronged me. If I didn’t do it when I found my then-boyfriend in bed with another girl, Dev’s crime would have to be especially heinous to even get me to consider a revenge plot.
Dev clasps his hands together again. ‘I’ll pay you whatever you want,’ he pushes on. ‘Name a number; it’s yours.’
My stomach drops. This is starting to feel more like a bribe than a job offer.
‘I know your parents and your brother can support you, so that probably isn’t the biggest draw,’ he concedes, which just makes my frown deepen. ‘But this would be the best thing for both of us. All you’d have to do is follow me around the world for a couple of months, and then you can put it on your résumé. Think about how good that’ll look. You’d not only get the experience, but you could brag about rehabbing my image. It’s a win-win situation. And, hey, you don’t have to work for me for ever. Just until my reputation isn’t in shambles any more.’
‘I don’t do personal social media managing,’ I tell him, shaking my head. ‘All my internships were for brands and teams. I can’t do—’
‘You can,’ he says, his eyes boring into me. ‘I’m not blowing smoke up your ass when I say you’re the best person to do this. You know me, you know the sport, and you know how to fix this mess. Think of me as a brand, just one that’s a little more . . . human. This reinvention needs to come off as authentic as possible. Like it’s me personally behind it, even though there’s no way I can be.’
Silently, I take him in, pulling my lower lip between my teeth. I don’t want to even consider his offer, but I . . . think I am. The spark in his eyes and the confidence he has in my abilities – even though he can’t know for sure that I’m capable of what he’s asking for – are making it difficult to say no. No one else has had that faith in me. At least no one with hiring abilities.
‘Wills, please,’ he begs, his voice softening.
That tone makes my knees go weak and my resolve all but hit the ground. Besides, everything he’s saying makes perfect sense. It would look good on my résumé. Amazing, even. And I could be back to my life in New York in a few months, hopefully having accepted a permanent position. This could set me up for the success I’m looking for. And I’d be making money in the meantime, so I wouldn’t have to move back to San Diego with my parents.
I’m determined to stand on my own feet, and this is the perfect opportunity to prove that I can.
‘What do you say?’ Dev presses. He’s standing so close that he’s all I can see. The rest of the party has fallen away. ‘We could even put a hard end date on it. How about Alisha’s wedding?’
His sister is getting married in mid-August, and considering it’s practically June now, this would only be a two-and-a-half-month commitment. Like a summer job. I’ve had plenty of those throughout my life, so what’s another? This time, though, instead of scooping ice cream or waiting tables, I’d get to do what I love.
I down the rest of my champagne and let Dev take the glass from me. Instantly, he makes it disappear like a bad magic trick. Right now, the world around me feels like an illusion, but I’m about to agree to something all too real.
‘Fine,’ I say before I can overthink it. ‘I’ll do it.’
The way Dev’s face lights up has me blinking like I’m staring into the sun. ‘Oh, thank—’
‘But,’ I cut in before I lose myself in his smile. ‘Only if Oakley is comfortable with it.’
His joy dims a fraction, though it’s still practically blinding. I can already feel myself smiling back. His energy is so infectious it makes it impossible not to.
‘Deal,’ he says, his eyes flicking to something over my shoulder. ‘But don’t tell Oakley until tomorrow, all right? I’d like to have a good time tonight without worrying about what he’ll say.’
I shouldn’t be so hung up on my brother’s opinion, but after what happened with Jeremy, I owe it to him to get his approval first. The break-up wasn’t my fault, I know that, but I still feel guilty for having a hand in shaking up Oakley’s friend group. Now, when it comes to anything involving his friends, including a job offer from one, I’m determined to run it by him first.
Dev seems to understand that too. He was part of the wreckage. He and Chava and Mark took my side in the break-up, while two of their other friends defended Jeremy. The aftermath was nothing short of carnage.
‘Yeah, I can wait,’ I agree, just as an elbow lands on my shoulder, always my brother’s armrest.
‘Dev, your agent looks like he’s about to shit a brick,’ Oakley announces, though thankfully, it doesn’t seem that he’s overheard our conversation. ‘Go do his bidding so we can all get out of here and hit an actual club.’
Ducking out from under Oakley’s arm, I shake my head. ‘You can count me out of clubbing,’ I say as Mark and Chava rejoin, holding the drinks they promised when they abandoned me with Dev. ‘I’m jet-lagged and want to be able to function tomorrow.’
Chava offers me a fresh glass of champagne and then his upturned palm. ‘You can ditch us tonight, but only if you dance with me now. Yeah?’
I don’t miss how the question is directed at Oakley, who nods in my periphery. They do this like they think I don’t notice, but they’re cautious around me now. If I didn’t still feel so ashamed, I might call them all out on it. For now, though, I’ll continue to let it slide.
Still, I’m hopeful Oakley will sign off on me working for Dev, because the more I think about it, the more I want to do this. I want this step up. And honestly? Travelling the world and following a thrilling sport for a few months doesn’t sound half bad either. Besides, he has no reason not to want this for me. Things might be different if he knew about the little indiscretion between Dev and me last year, but we seem to be on the same page about keeping it a secret.
I take Chava’s outstretched hand and glance back at Oakley and Dev. I have no idea which way Oakley’s going to go on Dev’s offer.
But come tomorrow, I guess I’ll know my fate.