Chapter 31
Chapter Thirty-One
Paige had spent the day making content and had managed at least six usable videos. Feeling proud of getting that done, she made herself an iced vanilla decaf as a reward. She was just giving it a stir and thinking about lunch when her phone rang. Joe’s name lit up the screen.
She answered immediately. “Hi.”
“Hey,” he said. “Thanks for being flexible. I realize this is a lot later than we were supposed to talk.”
“No problem,” Paige replied. Her day had been plenty full all the same. “I hope everything went well. It sounded…intense.”
Joe gave a brief, humorless chuckle. “That’s one way to put it. Natalie’s soon-to-be-ex attempted to take their son, Tyler, to school this morning. It couldn’t wait. I got her a temporary injunction, so we’re through the worst of it now.”
Paige took her drink to her chair and leaned back, gratitude rising alongside a familiar respect. “I’m glad she’s got you. And I know Cece feels the same. Truly.”
“I’m happy to help,” Joe said simply. Then his tone shifted into a more professional one. “All right. This is about you now. Let’s talk about Luminelle.”
“Give me just a second.” Paige set her drink aside to grab her laptop. She pulled up the contract, the copy Joe had made notes on. “I read through your notes twice. Some of them three times.”
“Nothing wrong with being thorough,” he said with a soft laugh. “Let’s start with exclusivity. Unless there’s something else you want to cover first?”
“No, that’s fine.”
They walked through it section by section, Joe explaining what was standard, what was aggressive, and what was vague enough to cause problems later.
Paige took notes even when she wasn’t sure she needed to but felt like it would be good to have them to refer to later.
She appreciated the way he slowed down whenever she asked a question.
It seemed to really matter to him that she understood.
“They want you as a brand ambassador,” Joe said. “That’s fine. What’s not fine is locking you out of other skincare or beauty-related partnerships for a full year without clear carve-outs.”
“So I’d be unavailable,” Paige said. “Even if something additional came along.”
“Potentially,” Joe said. “Which is why we push back. If they want you exclusively, they either offer you more money, or strike that language.”
They moved on to content approval, which was a big topic for Paige. In fact, it felt like the biggest one. She needed to know who controlled the messaging, how much oversight Luminelle would have over her posts, and what happened if their values stopped aligning with hers.
“This is important to you,” Joe noted. “I know that.”
“It is,” Paige said. “My audience trusts me, but it’s more than that. It feels like I’d be giving them the power to muzzle me. Or to make me say something I don’t want to. I can’t have that. Being truthful is non-negotiable. And I refuse to give up control of my own channel.”
“Agreed. It’s a trust issue, too. For you, the trust you have with your audience is a major asset,” he said.
“Any company worth working with will understand that. If you check your notes, you’ll see I rewrote that section to give you the power.
They will, however, have the option to cut ties with you should an issue arise. You can’t expect them to do otherwise.”
“No, I suppose not. But I’m okay with that.”
By the time they reached compensation and termination clauses, Paige felt less bewildered and a lot more in control. The opportunity was still real and still very exciting. But now it had boundaries that made sense. Ones she could live with. If they agreed.
Joe paused. “Overall, this is a good offer. It just needed tightening and clarity.”
“Which we accomplished today,” Paige said.
“If you’re happy with everything we’ve discussed, I’ll draft the suggested revisions and send them over for you to look at,” he continued. “If you approve them, you can send them on to Luminelle. Then you wait and see how hard they push back.”
Paige smiled into the phone. “I really appreciate this, Joe. I’m happy with what we discussed, so go ahead with those revisions. Also, you can send me a bill whenever you’re ready.”
“Paige—”
“No,” she said kindly but firmly. “I can afford it, and I want to. I don’t expect your time for free. I would have been paying another attorney if you hadn’t agreed to help, so what’s the difference?”
Joe sighed, but there was warmth in it. “All right, you win. I’m already thinking Luminelle doesn’t have a shot against you.”
She laughed. “Let’s hope.”
They wrapped up a few minutes later, and when Paige set the phone down, she sat quietly for a moment longer, looking at the contract on her screen.
This incredible deal felt pretty good now. If, like Joe had said, Luminelle didn’t push back too hard. There were a few things she might compromise on, but not too much. The bottom line was, she didn’t need Luminelle. They needed her.
She reminded herself of that as she closed her laptop and took another sip of her iced coffee, already feeling more confident about what came next.
Paige didn’t let herself sit for too long. She was eager to share this next step with her daughter. She picked up her phone and called Randi, pacing the length of the living room while it rang.
Her daughter answered on the third ring. “Hey, Mom.”
“Hi,” Paige said. “Do you have a minute?”
“I have about ten, then I need to get started on laundry. I have to strip the beds. What’s up? Luminelle news?”
“Yes.” Paige smiled and stopped by the window, looking out at the expanse of blue water beyond the dune grass. “I talked to Joe.”
“And?” Randi asked. She sounded like she was holding her breath in anticipation.
“He thinks the offer is solid,” Paige said.
“It just needs some changes, which he’s going to write up for me.
Exclusivity, content approval, that sort of thing.
He’s sending revisions over for me to read, then I’ll send them on to Luminelle.
If they agree, and I’m really hoping they do, I’m going to accept. ”
“Oh, Mom. That’s huge,” Randi said. “Congratulations!”
“It still feels strange,” Paige admitted. “Good, but strange. You know I’m not doing it for the money. I just don’t want to make a careless decision.”
“You’re not,” Randi said without hesitation. “You’re doing it exactly the right way. That’s why you went to Joe.”
“True.” Paige hesitated, then added, “Which brings me to something else. Since the money isn’t the deciding factor…is there anything you need right now? Anything you and Sean could use? Something for Liam, maybe? I don’t want to overstep, but I have to ask.”
There was a short pause on the other end, thoughtful rather than awkward.
“That’s kind of you,” Randi said. “Really. But we’re okay. We don’t need anything. And you’ve already funded Liam’s college account.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes,” Randi said gently. “What we need is you excited and confident about this. As far as the money goes, I’m sure you’ll figure out something to do with it.”
Paige exhaled. “All right,” she said. “I just wanted to make sure.”
“I love that you’d even think of asking,” Randi added. “But you’ve worked hard building that channel and that audience. And after everything with dad…you should get to enjoy this.”
Paige smiled quietly. “I’m trying. How are things with your father?” She hated to even ask.
Randi sighed. “He keeps texting. Keeps trying. I just don’t know what to do.”
“Whatever your decision, I support you. I know how hurt you were by what your father did.”
Randi gave a bitter laugh. “Yeah, but you took the brunt of it.”
Paige’s heart hurt for her daughter. The memories of how upset she’d been, the tears she’d cried, were seared into Paige’s brain. “It was very hard on both of us.”
“What would you do in my situation? Would you let him see Liam? Would you let him come to a tee ball game?”
Paige hesitated. “I might let him come to a game, but that feels like giving an inch.”
“And Dad will take a mile. I know. That’s what I’ve been thinking, too.”
“I’m sorry you’re in this situation.”
“I’m sorry for both of us. I should get moving. Love you, Mom. Keep me posted about Luminelle,” Randi said. “Especially if and when you sign.”
“I will. Love you, too.”
When the call ended, Paige set her phone down and stood there for a moment longer, absorbing the fact that the decision was really hers to make.
She was interested to see how Luminelle responded, but now Peter, her ex-husband, was on her mind again. Should she reach out to him? Tell him to leave Randi alone? And if she did, would it do any good?
She shook her head, answering her own question. Peter’s track record showed time and time again, he did what he wanted. What worked best for him.
Talking to him would only upset her. Just like he was upsetting Randi. If Randi let her father back into her life, she would come to regret it. Paige knew that with a hundred percent certainty.
She picked up her phone and set Randi a text, telling her that very thing. Protecting her daughter and her grandson mattered more than any deal with Luminelle.