Page 80 of All the Drama from New York

Ryan picked up his phone, and after scrolling through his contact list, rang a number he’d hoped he would never have to use again.

He called his Hollywood agent.

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

A fancy office on Santa Monica Boulevard, LA

Two weeks later

“What exactly do you mean, contractually obligated?” huffed Ryan.

Lee, his Hollywood based agent who was wearing an expensive dark gray power suit, tapped imperiously on the top of the thick contract which lay on the desk in front of him. “It’s all in writing, kid. The contract says if they wish to do a reunion or a reboot, you’ll have to be onboard.”

Ryan was getting tired of people who thought that calling him kid would make him behave. His agent might well be a powerful man in Los Angeles, but he had no right to speak to Ryan like he was a small child.

And to think I caught a 5.45am red eye flight to come all this way.

“But surely there is a time limit on that agreement.Bachelors on the Beachwas over four years ago.”

Lee, whom Ryan had never particularly liked, simply shook his head. “That’s not how showbusiness works, young man. Theyhave you under contract for at least five years. Five years from the date the show first aired.”

Five years. How the hell had he signed this contract without seeing that clause in the terms? Ryan thought back on that frantic period in his life. As soon as he’d been selected for the show, the producers, and his new agent had put him under enormous pressure to go ahead and sign the contract. He hadn’t been able to afford a lawyer to look over it.

A reunion show couldn’t be all that bad, could it?

Maybe if he went through with it, people would get their Ryan Collins dopamine hit, and be ready to move on with the next thing. But his initial hopes that the interest in him and Camille would die a quick death hadn’t exactly been fulfilled.

Far from it.

There was now a TikTok challenge called ‘the fabric fall,’ where someone tossed a huge bundle of clothes at another person, and the ‘victim’ had to fall down in the most outrageously over the top way they could muster. When the challenge went hyper viral, and even Saturday Night Live did a skit about it, Ryan had to finally accept that the next few months were going to be tough.

I just need to find a way out of this stupid reunion show.

“And what if I don’t have the time to do the show? I mean I have other work commitments. A life. I can’t just put everything on hold for a couple of weeks in order to do a reunion special,” he said.

Contractual obligations aside, it was worth asking. Maybe if the producers ofBachelors on the Beachrealized he was reluctant to work with them, they might just decide to back off. One contestant missing from the show wouldn’t necessarily kill it, would it?

His agent clasped his hands together and smiled sweetly at Ryan. It would be so good to knock that patronizing grin off Lee’s face.

If he calls me kid once more I probably will.

“As I recall you were the fan favorite on the show, Ryan. Which means they can’t make it work if you’re not onboard with the new project.”

Ryan was fast losing ground. He didn’t want to do the show. Didn’t want to be in LA. He just wanted to be back in New York, with Camille. And do the job he’d been employed to do.

He threw the dice one last time. “I have personal commitments which will keep me in New York. I can’t go on location.”

The irksome grin on Lee’s face transformed into a full-teeth smile. The image of what a crocodile would look like just before it pounced, popped into Ryan’s mind.

“Well that’s not going to be a problem. The showrunner wants to base the new show in New York City. And it won’t be a one off special—it’s a whole new series. And you, my boy, will be the star!”

The sugar laden continental breakfast he’d been served on the flight from New York did a full turn in Ryan’s stomach.

“They’re still ironing out the kinks when it comes to the working title of the series, but it’s gonna be something like Ryan in the City, or Ryan looking for Love. But who gives a crap about the title or what the series is about. All that matters is you’ll make a ton of money. And so will I.”

His agent was ecstatic, while Ryan was shocked and appalled.

This is a fucking nightmare.

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