My heart falls to my stomach so fast, I can actually hear it land. “Is there anything in my contract that gives me a veto?”
Dwight lets out a hard sigh. “You mean you still haven't—?”
“—No, I haven't read the contract yet. That's what I pay you for.” I make the mistake of glancing at Emma, who taps her wristwatch and mouths ‘hurry up!’ to me. Suddenly I realize Dwight is still talking and I’ve completely zoned out.
I focus in time to hear “…no say whatsoever in crew members.”
“Seriously?”
“You want more say? Get better ratings,” Dwight quips.
“Like that’s so easy. You’ve seen what we’re up against. YouTube, Pornhub…” I answer.
“…Not to mention BBC’sNewlyweds in the Wild.”
I sigh, wishing he hadn’t brought up the bane of my existence. It’s a one-hour show featuring a couple who met onLove Match. They do lame, fake stunts in places that are not wild at all, but because they’re both willing to run around in very little clothing the entire time, they’re killing it. “Clearly what I do and what they do isn’t at all the same thing. I’m not just prancing around some set in Hollywood. We film in the most remote and dangerous places on the planet. The four of us rely on each other to make it out alive.”
“I know that. You don’t think I know that?” Crunch, crunch. “Who do you think negotiated the danger bonus into your last contract?”
“Good, then you can help the network see the importance of a seasoned director-slash-show runner.”
“Listen, William, there’s one concept you need to wrap your head around. You’re one little rating point from being dropped on your arse. When you get here on Thursday for the meeting, it better be hat in hand:yes, sir, no, sir, I’ll do whatever I have to do to make this work.If there’s even a hint of dissension among the ranks, they’ll pull the plug.”
My other line rings and I hold my phone away to see who it is. Stew Milner calling.
“Dammit, I have to go, Dwight. I’m getting a call I can’t ignore.”
“Hat in hand.”
“Yes, sir. See you Thursday.”
I swipe the screen, hurrying farther down the beach so Harrison won’t overhear me. “Will here.”
“Who’s the hottie with the body?” Stew asks.
I squint out to the yacht and see him standing on the deck with binoculars on.
“I hope you’re not referring to my sister.”
“No, the one in the bikini.” He means Grandma Bikini. There’s a lid for every pot, I guess. “Not sure. I think she’s a guest of the hotel. Is that why you’re calling? Because I’m really busy this morning.”
“No, I wanted to talk to you about Matilda. There’s another man who’s interested in her.”
Shit. “We had a deal, Stew.”
“That was before this bloke from Australia came by yesterday. He’s desperate for her. Wants to return her to her homeland,” he says, making a puffing sound that tells me he’s got a juicy cigar in his mouth. “He wanted to pay me right then. Said he’d add ten thousand to your offer.”
My shoulders drop. “Are you calling to tell me the deal’s off?”
I glance down the beach and see Emma glaring at me and gesturing wildly for me to get over there now. Holding up my hand, I nod quickly, then turn away.
“No. I like you, Will. I want to sell her to you.”
“Thank you.”
“Having said that, I’ve got my eye on a property on the west side of the island. I’m not supposed to say anything, but it belongs to a certain television network owner from the US who is putting her house up for sale.”
He means Oprah.
