Page 31 of The Fake Out Flex

"Why is your family doing it?"

"The show, you mean?"

"Yeah."

I lean back into the sofa and hook an ankle over my knee. "Dad thinks it'll be good for his business."

Evie smirks. "Tough times in the luxury yacht industry?"

"It's the economy," I reply. "The multi, multi, multimillionaires are struggling at the moment."

Evie keeps a straight face. "They really are the silent victims."

We share a smile.

"He thinks it'll be a good exercise in branding. You know, like the Kardashians or the Hiltons."

"That's his benchmark?"

"Tell me about it."

"What about your mom?"

"She's going along with it because she wants to revive her acting career. The offers have dried up, and whatever does come in are usually mom roles."

"But she is, you know, of mom-age."

"Don't ever let her hear you say that. You won't get out alive."

"Noted."

Sometimes I think about how different Mom and Dad are. They're from two completely different worlds—Dad from old-school money and five generations of proud yacht-making, Mom from Orange County. Her family had nothing, but she always dreamed of becoming a star.

Yet when it comes to some things—like fame, money, and power—they couldn't be any more alike.

I've also never seen two people more in love. It's a beautiful thing. Except for the constant PDAs. They're vomit-inducing. You'd think after being married for almost thirty years, they'd be over it. But nope. They're still very much into each other.

"What about your brothers? And Dawn? What do they think about doing the show?"

"Trace"—oldest brother, total Dad clone—"just goes along with whatever Dad wants."

"Right."

Dad's grooming him to follow in his footsteps and take over the family business someday. I have no issue with that. My problem is that Trace needs to stand up to Dad once in a while. He needs to be his own person outside of who Dad wants him to be.

"Meanwhile Clayton"—second oldest, human equivalent of a fireworks display—"he's loving the attention. Lapping it up like there's no tomorrow. Mom's always been disappointed that none of her kids have any acting talent."

"But Clayton does?"

"Not actual acting talent, but it's good enough for reality TV. He loves the spotlight. Thrives in it. Almost as much as Mom."

"I thought he was into woodwork?"

"He is. But being famous versus being a carpenter? Not much of a contest. It also sucks that he and Trace have had to move back home to film the show."

"They have? Why?"

"So it looks like we all live together and are one big happy family, even though they're both in their twenties. I thought I'd finally gotten rid of them."

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