Page 64 of Follow Your Bliss

She wound down her sales pitch and looked at me expectantly. “So tell me, what are you thinking? What questions do you have?”

“Wow,” I chuckled. “Um, a lot. So…help me out. You said something about being single? Do you mean that I couldn’t have a girlfriend while I was under contract?”

“Of course you can. We can’t dictate that. But you’d have to keep the relationship under wraps to embody StudFinders’s branding. At least for the duration of the contract.”

Well, fuck. “I see. And…how long did you say the contract is for?”

“One year to start,” Faduma supplied, “negotiable for more if both parties agree. I’ll send you the contract to look over later today, but what do you think?” she asked, her brown eyes lit with excitement. “How would you like to be the face of StudFinders?”

My mouth opened, but nothing came out. All I could think about was the amazing woman I spent last night with who was back at the condo waiting to hear how my meeting went. Who was probably going to bolt the moment she heard about this.

Faduma laughed. “Did I make you speechless, Jason? I know it’s a lot to take in, and I did pull a switcheroo on you.”

I laughed along. “Yeah, it’s definitely…a lot. Can I think about it?”

The corners of Faduma’s mouth turned down in what looked like puzzled surprise. She didn’t expect that. Shit. Would she rescind the offer?

“Yeah! For sure. I get that it’s a big ask for a young guy like yourself, and of course you haven’t even looked over the contract yet. I’ll email it to you this afternoon. How does that sound?”

“Sounds great.”

“Great!” Faduma stood up from her chair, and I followed suit. “I have to get to another meeting, but it was great meeting you. Let me walk you out.”

She scooped up the Deck Daddy shirt I’d brought her and herded me toward the door with promises of more information to come. I walked out with her and ended up on the sidewalk outside with little idea of how I got there. But the heavy dread in my chest suggested I’d messed the whole thing up. Maybe she wouldn’t send me the contract at all. Maybe people didn’t usually ask hercan I think about it?

I looked up and down the street, oriented my feet toward my car, and obsessed over every detail of the meeting and every implication of the contract she wanted me to sign for the hour-long ride back to the condo.

Back to Rose.

When I got there, I went up to the condo with a black cloud trailing over my head. Rose opened the door just as I fit the key into the lock.

“Hey!” She threw her arms around my neck before pulling back, her face an excited question mark. “How did it go? Tell meeverything.” She pulled me inside and shut the door.

“It went great, I think.” The dryer hummed in the background, the plastic was back on the sofa, and Rose’s packed bags sat near the door. “Wait—we can go home?”

“Surprise! Power’s back on at your house! I’m finishing up washing our dirty sex sheets right now, but we can go whenever you’re ready and that’s done.” She sat on the sofa, and I sat beside her. “What happened? I’ve been dying over here. I thought you’d maybe call me when you were leaving.”

“I’m sorry.” I squeezed her hand. “I absolutely should have. She kind of dropped a bomb on me, and I wasn’t thinking.”

“How do you mean?”

I looked around the condo. I’d driven all this way, but I was antsy to get on the road and see what was going on back home. “You know what? Let me tell you while I pack up.”

An hour later we were cruising on the interstate toward home, and I’d told Rose all about my meeting. Well, almost all about it.

“Spokesmodel Jason!” She clapped her hands in excitement. “I knew they’d love you! You told her yes, right? It’s a fantastic opportunity.”

“And so much money. I could turn the community room into a frickin’ mansion with that kind of money.”

She raised her eyebrows and lowered her head, holding my gaze. “So…what did you tell her?”

I returned my eyes to the road, sighing. “I…asked her if I could think about it.”

“What? Why?”

I sighed as I took a fork in the interstate. “They have a stipulation in the contract I’m not crazy about and didn’t expect.” I glanced at her. Her face was neutral, waiting. I rushed it out. “They don’t want me to date anyone publicly for the duration of the contract.”

Her brows lowered in a frown. “They can actually dictate that?”

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