Page 7 of Broken Love (Love 2)
She presses her lips against mine. "I want us to experience the rest of life's firsts together, Cade."
We both carefully stand up and move away from our angels. "After our sand angels, 'life's firsts' became sort of our couple's mantra, didn't it?" she says.
"We did a lot together. Experienced new countries, new restaurants, new feelings. You even forced me to do one of those classes where we had to paint a picture. I must have been in love," I say with a laugh. "Good thing I didn't tell my brothers. I'm pretty sure they would have pulled my man card."
The ocean breeze blows her hair across her face as she laughs. I automatically tuck it behind her ear.
Palmer's hand grazes my forearm as I do. Her touch is like lightning on my skin, sending a jolt of regret pinging through me.
"Come on," she says, leading me to the door of her hotel. "Now you can tell your mother that I arrived safely."
I look down, my eyes landing on the lush mounds barely concealed under her dress.
Her fingers move to her collarbone and then slide down toward her cleavage. "Hard to believe this broke us up."
"That's not why we broke up."
"It's what started our, um, disagreement," she argues.
"No," I say hotly. "We broke up because you wouldn't listen to me. And you can be so fucking stubborn."
"Pot, meet kettle." Her face breaks out in a wide smile. The smile that always made my days brighter. "You didn't have a problem with your other clients showing their assets. You were jealous, plain and simple."
"That's not true at all. Your--never mind. It doesn't matter," I say, my hand immediately touching the spot near my hairline. "I still have the scar to prove it."
"You have a scar?" she says, standing on her tiptoes, grabbing my cheeks, and studying it.
"Well, you did throw a hot curling iron at my head," I say, causing me to drift back in time.
"I have good news," I say, walking into my bathroom, where Palmer is curling her hair.
"I have better news," she says, setting the iron down, and throwing her arms around me, planting a kiss on my lips. All she's wearing are skimpy little boxer shorts and her bra. Although we're supposed to be at her mom's for dinner shortly to tell her the good news, I'm thinking we may have to be a little late.
"My brother is in town! He's coming to dinner tonight. We can tell them both!" She pulls back, holding out her left hand and gazing at the sparkling diamond engagement ring I slid on her finger this weekend when she said yes.
I back away, sitting on the edge of the tub. "I was hoping to tell your mom first," I say. Her brother, Pike, my long-time best friend, doesn't know I've been seeing his little sister behind his back. "He's not going to be happy for us. He's going to be pissed."
"You've wanted to tell him since our first date six months ago, now all of a sudden you're scared? Don't worry, Cade. He'll be fine about it."
"No, Palmer, he won't be. I can't believe I ever let you talk me into hiding our relationship. Especially from my best friend."
"It hasn't been that hard. He travels all the time."
"I still feel guilty every time I talk to him."
"Cade, seriously. I'm an adult, and I can date whoever I want."
"That's not the issue. The issue is that we have been lying about it."
She leans against the counter, looking sexier than ever. I really don't want to fight with her about this. I'm dying to tell her my good news. "Never once have we lied about it."
"Lying by omission is just as bad."
She rolls her eyes then turns her back to me, picking up the curling iron and wrapping a strand of hair around it, ignoring the subject. Our relationship is complicated because I've been friends with her brother since high school, which is exactly why when we were just hooking up in the beginning, she didn't want him to know.
"Once we started dated exclusively, we should have told him." I run my hand through my hair, pushing it back, knowing he's going to kill me and now not looking forward to tonight.
She looks at me in the mirror, while she curls another strand and argues, "But I didn't want to. I didn't want him lecturing me about dating my agent. About dating his best friend. If he gets pissed, just blame me. I'll take it. I can deal with my brother."
"It's not that I can't deal with him. It's the fact that I asked you to marry me without asking for your family first. That's not the way I was raised. If your dad was still alive, I would have asked him." And I would have. On his deathbed he told me to take care of his girl. I never knew if he meant take care of her from a career standpoint or if he could tell there was more between us.
Tears fill her eyes. "I still can't believe Dad's gone," she says. Her dad passed away three months ago, after discovering he had stage four pancreatic cancer. I had convinced her to tell her family about us just before we got the news about his diagnosis. She was devastated and said she couldn't deal with it. When I would push the subject, she'd break down crying, and I felt like an ass. And as much as it is a subject of contention between us, everything else about us is amazing. Deep down, I don't want to rock the boat either.
I am stupidly in love with this girl.
My mom says that love knows no boundaries, and I suppose this is true.
"So what's your good news?" she asks, changing the subject.
"I got a contract today for the movie you auditioned for. You got it, baby! They want you for the starring role."
"Oh my God! Are you serious!" She sets the iron down and throws her arms around me again. "What an amazing week! First we get engaged and now this! Can you believe this? It's my dream, Cade!"
"I'm your agent. Of course, I can believe it. You're beautiful, talented, and funny. This role was made for you." I give her a long congratulatory kiss. "There could be one little catch, but I'll take care of it."
"What catch?"
"They requested a nudity clause. I told them no, of course."
"You what?! Why would you do that without asking me first?!" Her face turns red; she has a quick temper like her brother. I stay calm.
"Part of my job and why you should have an agent negotiate for you--is because you're too emotionally involved. Besides, we agreed early on that you wouldn't do that. You said it's what you wanted." And it's also what I promised her brother, when he came to me after she'd gotten her first small role and asked me to be her agent.
"So they want me to get naked? Like completely?"
"The clause calls for a shot of sideboob in a love scene."
"Sideboob? That's it?"
"It's a little more than that. In the movie, it will look like you're making love. You'll be sitting on top of your co-star. They asked for a naked side shot from the waist up. I told them it was nonnegotiable."
"Why would you do that? This is my big break, Cade! What if they change their minds and don't want me?"
"Then we find another movie to do."
"It's not that easy. Do you know how many auditions I've been to? How many roles I've missed out on? I want you to call them back right now and tell them I'll do it. I was a model, Cade. It's not like people have never seen the side of my boob before."
"I realize that, but this has a different context. It's a sex scene. Your boob will be against your co-star. Of course, they would put a flesh-toned pastie over your nipples, but still. And--"
"Is that what this is all about?" she yells, angry tears forming. "You just don't want me to do this movie because you're jealous! It's acting, Cade. If you can't deal with me doing love scen
es then we shouldn't get married!"
"I'll deal with it. I promise. I'm a good negotiator, and I'll get them to take it out. Calm down."
"Don't tell me to calm down. Don't you dare. I'm signing it. Give me the contract. Now!"
"No, you're not."
"You can't tell me what to do."
"I'm your agent. I'm supposed to help guide your career."
"You're not acting like my agent! You're acting like a stupid jealous boyfriend! Do you not understand what this means to me?"
"Fiancee," I correct. "This is business, Palmer, not personal. This is what you told me were your priorities since I took you on as a client. Think about how your dad would have felt if you did a scene like--"
"Oh, don't you fucking dare bring my dad into this!" Tears pour down her face. "You're being a jealous asshole!"
I try to pull her into my arms, but she throws her arms up in the air, blocking me. "Don't touch me. Either agree with me or you're fired."
"Palmer, I don't think we'll lose the deal over it, or I never would have told you about it."
"Not told me about the deal of a lifetime? I can't even believe you'd be willing to risk my career over a fucking sideboob!"
"Palmer, there will be other movies if this isn't the right one."
"I want to do this movie. This movie is my big break. It's everything."
"Not this way."
"Fuck you, Cade! You're fired!" She throws the curling iron in my direction. I duck, but the hot barrel pings against my forehead and tumbles to the ground as she storms out of the room, crying.
I run after her. I just need to calm her down so we can discuss this rationally.
I round the corner into the hall and see her reaching for the knob on the front door.
"Palmer, don't go!" I yell.
She takes off her engagement ring and sets it on the table. "I'm sorry, Cade. I can't marry someone who doesn't support my career."
Then she storms out the door, jumps in her car, and drives away.
I stand still, looking down at the ring. The ring that represents my future happiness.
I take a deep breath.
She's just mad. She'll calm down. We'll talk tomorrow. Have amazing make-up sex. Everything will be okay.
But as I pick up the ring and hold it in my hand, I have a moment of doubt. Was I wrong? Could I ruin her career before it really gets started over something so stupid as a sideboob? If she was any one of my other clients, I would have been fine with the clause.
