Текст книги "Seeing Stars"
Автор книги: J. Sterling
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Текущая страница: 9 (всего у книги 9 страниц)
Eight Weeks Later
I sat in my tiny office at the Warren Taylor Agency, filtering through my day’s e-mails and waiting for my only client to arrive. The agency had wanted me to start there right away and I had obliged, beyond thankful for the opportunity. The staff and I bonded immediately over our distaste for poor business practices and even poorer bosses.
I had been wrong in my assumptions of the industry as a whole. Not everyone was a bad guy only out for one thing. So far, this company seemed to practice the ethical business standards that I held dear.
To be honest, a few of my new coworkers were wary of me in the beginning, not hiding their opinion that I only got a job because I was Walker Rhodes’s girlfriend. I couldn’t even argue the notion since it was in fact, pretty true. But once they saw how hard I worked and realized that I wanted to make a decent name for myself in the business, I earned their respect and friendship.
This job had already been completely different than when I worked for Jayson. Who, speak of the devil, seemed to be just as successful as the day I left. Part of me hated him for it, but the rest of me was thankful that I didn’t have to look in the mirror every day and see his face. I could hold my head high and feel good about the person I chose to be. I highly doubted that he could say the same.
“Knock, knock.” Walker’s voice drew my attention away from the computer screen and toward my office door.
“Hi!” I pushed back my rolling chair and ran into his arms. “I love it when you come see me in the office.”
“Because seeing you at home isn’t enough? You’re addicted to me.”
I smacked his shoulder and faked a scowl. I had practically moved in with Walker, spending nearly every night there. And I was pretty sure I’d be moving in officially before the end of the year. Keri had already approved of this plan and offered to kick me out if it would help speed up the process, but I didn’t want to leave her high and dry. It wasn’t like she struggled for money, but it was the principle. Besides, I liked having my own space. Not that I seemed to ever need it.
“I think you’re the one who’s addicted in this relationship,” I told him.
“You got that right. I’m no dummy.” He lifted me off the floor and planted a sweet peck on my lips.
Walker and I had fallen into a comfortable routine. Everything between us flowed easily and naturally, like we were always meant to be together.
He stopped hanging out at night clubs and I met his friends. It turned out all of them knew exactly who I was, even from before the night of the concert. Most of them had been friends with him for years, and were there through Walker’s breakdown after we lost contact. They were thrilled for him, and couldn’t believe we’d finally found each other after all this time.
Sometimes I still couldn’t believe it either.
My parents had been just as excited when I brought Walker home one evening. My mom had actually started crying when she saw him, saying she couldn’t believe that the little fifteen-year-old boy from Malibu had turned into such a successful and handsome man. She insisted on telling embarrassing stories that Walker reveled in hearing.
I’d wanted her to stop, some of the memories were too painful to relive, but Walker had seemed genuinely interested in knowing everything I went through during our separation. My dad had just smiled, seemingly content with the chaos around him, and I felt tremendous relief at their approval. Everyone around us called our situation unbelievable, but I knew it was more along the lines of a miracle.
Walker grinned at me and set me gently back on my feet. “I’m here on official business, woman. So we should get to it.”
I tugged down my black pencil skirt to straighten it and walked back toward my desk. Stalling, I fidgeted with a stack of papers as Walker made himself comfortable in my guest chair.
“Did you finish reading the script?” he asked, knowing full well that I had finished it last night.
“I did. Did you?” I countered, knowing he finished it last weekend.
“Yeah. I really liked it.”
I smiled. “Me too. I think it’s a brilliant first role for you. It’s so different than how the public sees you, so you won’t get typecast and only get scripts where you’re a lonely singer or a musician on the run. I love that this character doesn’t sing. Thank God there’s no singing at all in the whole movie,” I exclaimed, throwing my arms wide with enthusiasm.
He laughed as I recalled the multitude of scripts I’d received since the announcement in the trades proclaiming that I was his agent. Every script had included a singing role for Walker to play; it was beyond ridiculous.
That was, until the day Keri’s dad had a script couriered over to me with a role for Walker that was unlike him at all in real life. It was an action flick, with Walker’s character a single dad fighting for his daughter. Apparently he blew them away at the audition. I hadn’t attended…by choice. Agents didn’t normally accompany their clients on auditions, and I wanted to keep that line clear. Our professional relationship was already muddled enough.
“So, the contract looks pretty standard,” I told him. “You’re getting a really nice flat-rate paycheck with a bonus if the movie grosses a certain dollar amount upon release. There are also a couple of other bonus provisions based on DVD sales and such. Before the film is released, you have to keep quiet about the details of the story and only reveal things about your character that have been approved by the producer or director.” I pushed the stack of papers toward him. “You just have to sign all the pages I’ve flagged.”
Walker grinned and accepted the pen I offered. His hand scribbled furiously from page to page, each signature more illegible than the last. He looked up. “That’s it?”
“That’s it. I’ll courier these back to Mr. Sampson’s office, and will get in touch with your manager with regard to your schedule. They plan to film for six weeks straight, but things don’t always go smoothly, so I’d plan for extra time. And then there will be a press junket afterward, both domestic and international. You shouldn’t schedule another tour yet.”
Walker laughed. “Another tour? I need to get in the studio and record all the new songs I’ve been writing first.”
“Yeah, you do. You’re such a slacker.” I laughed at my own joke, knowing how untrue my words were.
Walker never stopped. His head constantly churned with new melodies and lyrics. He carried a notepad in his pocket everywhere we went, and he utilized the voice record feature on his cell phone more than anyone I’d ever known—humming, beat boxing, and singing chords into it at all hours of the day and night.
And I loved it. His dedication, determination, and work ethic only made me love and respect him more.
“Well,” he said. “I’ll let you get back to work. I might stop by the studio on the way home and lay down some tracks. Text me before you leave to see where I am, okay?”
“Okay.”
Walker leaned across my desk and gave me a soft kiss. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
As he headed out of my office, I watched his backside until he suddenly stopped. He turned around, catching my gaze on his ass, and said, “Oh, Madison. I almost forgot.”
I cocked my head to the side and waited.
“I got you a gift to celebrate our first movie contract.”
“A gift? Walker,” I started to object, realizing I’d never get used to the way he spoiled me.
He pulled a small jewelry box from his baggy jeans pocket and my heart started to pound, completely out of control. It was way too soon for this, no matter how right it all felt. He opened the box to reveal a simple ring, a line of diamonds channeled within a solid band of platinum.
“I know it’s too soon to get engaged, even though I’d marry your sweet ass tomorrow if you’d let me, Sparkles.” His smile grew wider as I giggled at the nickname. “But I wanted to get you something to show you that I don’t plan on going anywhere. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever.”
I reached for the ring and read the words etched inside the band.
2day. 2morrow. 4ever. Walker + Madison
My eyes filled with tears as I looked up at him, my heart feeling too full for my chest. “It’s beautiful. Thank you.”
“Put it on. And never take it off.”
When Walker slid the cool metal band onto the ring finger of my right hand, I felt a little tremor run through me. I knew without a doubt that I’d never spend another day without this man by my side.
We were good apart, but together we were unstoppable.
Thank You
I hope if you read and enjoyed this story that you know it’s just the beginning. This book was meant to be an introduction into the celebrity world we all know and love (or love to hate). More stories are coming and I hope you’re ready for the fun-filled ride! :)
Thank you to all my readers for their support, love, and for telling me insane things like, “I’d buy your grocery list if you wrote it.” I know you wouldn’t really buy my grocery list, but it’s funny comments like those that keep me going! I have the best readers in the world…thank you for interacting with me on Facebook and in our TPGC group. I love my Kittens!
Thank you to Pam Berehulke for her superb editing skills (and for having fun with this one!), and Michelle Warren for putting up with my constant cover changes (and then designing something more than I could have ever imagined). Thank you both for being so amazing to me. I’m blessed to have you in my corner.
And to my girlfriends a.k.a. real-life author friends…thank you for existing. Jillian Dodd, Samantha Towle, Tara Sivec, Rebecca Donovan, Kyla Linde…where would I be without you ladies to turn to? Probably on Drake’s lap. LOL
And to my son, Blake, who insisted I thank him because he went to the Drake concert with me. As if sitting there in the seventh row wasn’t heaven enough? LIKE HE WAS TORTURED TO BE THERE! HA! But he’s right; that concert inspired this entire book. If it weren’t for that night, this book probably wouldn’t have happened, so thanks, Drake. You know, for existing and for being hot.
And now this just got creepy. LOL
Coming Soon
Be on the lookout for Paige Lockwood’s story, coming next in The Celebrity Series by J. Sterling.
About the Author
Jenn Sterling is a Southern California native who loves writing stories from the heart. Every story she tells has pieces of her truth in it, as well as her life experience. She has her bachelor’s degree in Radio/TV/Film and has worked in the entertainment industry the majority of her life.
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If you enjoyed this book, please consider writing a spoiler-free review on the site from which you purchased it. And thank you so much for helping me spread the word about my books, and for allowing me to continue telling the stories I love to tell. I appreciate you.
Also by J. Sterling
In Dreams
Chance Encounters
The Game Series:
The Perfect Game
The Game Changer
The Sweetest Game
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