Chapter 37
“ A nd why would we be interested in a repeat performance?”
I fought the urge to roll my eyes. Miles had told me they would try to play it cool and wear me down to give them as much as they wanted while giving me as little as possible in return.
“Because I am well aware of how much money my show produced.”
“There’s no reason to think you would make that much again. People have already seen you.” Jeff and Kyle were a pair of pissy pants. Their sour expressions matched their too-sharp citrus scents.
“People have already seen my pack before too, and they still show up. You don’t think new people are going to buy tickets who have never seen me before? Besides, I can offer you something your other performers can’t.”
“Oh?” Jeff raised one eyebrow. “What’s that?”
“Another live bonding during the show.”
The two of them exchanged a look.
“You can’t pretend it didn’t get results for all of us when it happened the first time. How many people are ever going to get the opportunity to see an omega bonded during a heat unless it’s their own? Market it. Sell the experience.”
Kyle narrowed his eyes at me. “It’s not enough.”
All right, then. Let’s add the next layer of sugar to sweeten the deal.
“What about a new alpha? I know people like the omega to be the inexperienced ones, but I think it would be fun to have an alpha experiencing everything for the first time.”
“And you’re just going to let some random alpha join your heat?”
“Not a random one,” Miles stated from behind me from where he was supervising the meeting. “Me.”
Jeff burst out laughing. “Are you fucking serious? You finally got tired of standing on the sidelines?”
“No need to be an ass,” I snapped. “There’s also no need to pretend you don’t want the money you know will come from this. I know you’re both smarter than that, and you can play this game all you want, but if you don’t want me, I can take my talents elsewhere.”
Kyle snorted. “Talents? Is that what we’re calling it now?”
“If the two of you think it’s so easy, maybe you should take a turn onstage in your own show. But I can understand why you might not want to. I doubt either of you could keep it up that long, and I know you prefer to leech off the labor of others instead of doing actual work yourself.”
“Callie,” Miles said quietly, his voice laced with anxious warning.
I only shrugged. “I’m only giving them this opportunity because of you, Miles. If they don’t want me, I’ll head right over and sign my other offer.”
“Whoa, wait. What other fucking offer?” Jeff asked.
“You can’t take our performers,” said Kyle. “They’re under contract.”
“I’m sorry, do you think we can’t read? There’s no non-compete clause anywhere in their contracts.”
“Jesus Christ.” Jeff crossed his arms over his chest. “It’s still not enough. What else can you offer?”
I shared a look with Miles. I had only been bluffing about the other offer, but the management didn’t need to know that. “Tell your patrons it’s a breeding heat. I won’t take the birth control beforehand.”
That seemed to get their attention. I had already laid out the terms: all pack members would be released from their contracts with no buyout required, and everyone would continue to get paid at their same percentage rates, plus tips.
“I’ll help with the cinematography this time. I think if you took down the option of a livestream and turned tickets into an auction, you’d make just as much.”
“The livestream brings in half the income,” Kyle pointed out.
“Start the ticket price at triple.”
“You’re awfully fucking confident you can pull this off.” Jeff’s gaze swept over me head to toe and Miles stepped up against my back.
“If you market it properly, and you don’t see the results you’re looking for in the first few days of sale, we can bring back the livestream. We can also sell portions of it recorded.”
“You don’t want to livestream, but you’re fine with it being recorded?”
“They would pay for each portion. Give them all the button and when they hit it, it’ll mark out thirty seconds prior and record for the next five minutes. They can choose their favorite pieces of the heat as a keepsake.”
If anyone actually paid for the entirety, we could probably all retire early.
“Get out while we discuss,” Jeff ordered. “We’ll come get you when we’ve decided.”
Miles and I slipped through the doors and sat down on the chairs outside.
“How do you think I did?”
“You’ve got them hooked like fish.”
“You think so?”
Miles nodded, pulling me in for a hug. “I know those bastards very well. They’ll make us wait a bit to try to make us sweat, but they’re both totally into the idea.”
I snuggled against him, breathing in his crisp mountain air scent. “You’re still okay being part of the heat?”
“I think so. It’s nerve-racking, but I want to be there for you and it has the bonus of getting our pack into a much better situation. You’ll have to give me tips for handling it as a first-timer.”
“I don’t think you’ll be able to use my tips, considering I’m high as a kite off heat hormones during the show.”
My phone buzzed and I pulled it out to see if one of the pack had messaged, but it was Jerry’s name on the screen. I hit ignore and a few seconds later a call came in again.
“Fuck’s sake.” I ignored it again and the call came through a third time.
“What do you think he wants?” Miles asked.
“I guess I’ll find out since he’s not giving up.” I answered with a sharp “What?”
“What the fuck did you do, Callie?”
“What did I do? What did you do?”
“Why is the bank account frozen?”
I took a deep breath, rubbing my fingertips on my temples, where a headache was already brewing. “I’m sorry. Did you think I wouldn’t ask the bank what was going on?”
“It’s a joint account. I’m just as entitled to the money in there as you are.”
“I know that. But you know what you’re not entitled to?”
“What?”
“Impersonating me and signing it over to just you. That’s bank fraud and identity theft, dumbass. You know, things that are federal crimes?”
Jerry growled on the other end of the line. “Give me the money.”
“I couldn’t even if I wanted to.”
“Callie, I’m not fucking joking. If you don’t give me the money, I’m going to call your family and tell them where it came from.”
Ice poured down my spine.
Miles leaned close to whisper in my other ear. “The company name that deposited the money won’t lead to the shows. He’s bluffing. He can only guess where that much money came from.”
“Fuck off, Jerry. I’m not the one who froze the money, and it’s not getting unfrozen until the investigation is over.”
“In-investigation? What the fuck are you talking about?”
I rolled my eyes, looking skyward. “You fucked up legally . This isn’t about screwing me over. You committed multiple crimes. Did you seriously not think this through?”
“Shut up.”
Miles made a grabby hands motion for the phone and I passed it over. “I sincerely hope you’re not considering continuing to speak to my mate that way.”
I leaned close so I could hear Jerry huffing and puffing.
“ Mate ?” he squawked.
“Yes. Callie has four of those now who actually give a shit. I think any further communication with her should go through us, since you can’t be bothered to treat her with any respect.”
“Callie, you stupid slut!” Jerry shrieked. “How long were you cheating?”
Miles ended the call and turned to me. “I’m sorry he spoke that way to you, sweetheart.”
It wasn’t very often that Jerry hauled out language like that, though it certainly wasn’t unheard of. “I’m used to it, mostly.”
Miles’s frown was so deep it etched lines in his face. He cupped my cheeks and pressed a soft kiss to my forehead. “You never have to be used to that, and I will personally make sure no one ever speaks to you like that again.”
I tipped my face up and kissed him at a luxuriously slow pace, pleasure making my toes curl as my body woke up. The door to the office opened, and we pulled apart as Jeff and Kyle joined us.
“Come back in,” Kyle ordered.
Once the doors to the office were closed again, they both faced us.
“We accept the terms,” said Jeff. “We’ll have the contracts drawn up and the current ones nullified.”
“Thank you.”
“When is your natural heat due?” Kyle asked.
“About six weeks.”
“And what’s your plan if it doesn’t start on time? We use the serums for a reason.”
“I’m told preheat with a bonded alpha will be just as entertaining for an audience as a heat. Warn them that it’s a natural heat so they can plan accordingly.”
“Fair enough. That’s all for now. Miles, we’ll be in touch and your job will continue normally in the meantime.”
Once we were dismissed, I threw myself into Miles’s arms. They locked around me instantly and I drank in the taste of him. He was still a little hesitant, taking a second or two before he melted, but this was much better than him seeming like he was afraid to touch me at all.
“Do you want to get in some practice?” I asked when my toes hit the floor again.
His cheeks flushed bright red. “I absolutely do, but…”
“But?”
“Would you think less of me if I said I wanted it to be special?” He gave a nervous laugh. “I’m the only one of the pack to get that opportunity with you for the first time.”
As ready as I was to climb this man like a tree, I could understand where he was coming from. “I think it’s sweet.”
“Oh, thank god.” He laughed in earnest this time. “I was worried you would think it was lame.”
“You’re much too cute for me to think that.”
“Well, that’s good.” He took my hand as we walked, diverting to get some iced coffee before we would head back to the pack house. “So, full confession, I’m not a virgin by any stretch of the imagination, but I definitely fell into the habit of watching more than doing the last few years.”
Heat rolled through me. “That’s a little bit hot, Miles. Probably a great start for you too.”
“Start?”
“Yeah, for our practice. We can’t get you any of that on stage before the actual heat, but if you’re nervous about participating, I have no opposition to you watching me get railed until you’re ready to rail me yourself.”
“Not sure how long I’ll last doing that.”
“Figure out our special first time fast and then you can join the fuck puddle.”
He immediately pulled out his phone and scrolled.
“Whatcha doing?”
“Booking us a place near Lake Mead for next week.”
“Hell yes.” I swung our joined hands and we fell into line at the coffee shop. “The pictures I’ve seen are beautiful. I can’t wait to go there with you.”
He kissed the top of my head and looped his arm over my shoulders. “And I can’t wait to get to learn every perfect inch of you.”