“Yeah, but I want to keep the fucking machine,” he said, earnest as a kid swearing he’d feed and walk the puppy. “We can mail it back home, right?”
“No. You have to take the dildo, because who wants a return on that? But you rent the main bit. It costs a shitload outright.”
“How much?”
“Like, five grand. USD.”
Willow slammed a fist into his palm. “Dammit!”
“Maybe it can be a joint anniversary present?”
“I guess,” he grumbled. “Anyway, you’re right. I got sidetracked. When are you officially signing?”
Eden’s chest convulsed. She’d actually been enjoying the sex machine digression, but she couldn’t avoid the reality of their situation forever. “I’m due in the Sony offices in a couple of days.”
Willow whistled. “How are you feeling about it?”
“Weird. Quinley and I hit it off. I like her. And I think we have the same ideas for the album. It’s kinda exciting.”
Willow kissed her forehead. “I’m so happy for you, baby.”
“… But I don’t want to live here by myself,” she said, looking him right in the eyes. “She has the creepiest fucking entourage. Quinley, I mean. All these mute, dead-eyed suits, and Iknowthey don’t respect me. They’ll try to stick their dicks into the music and the schedule, and I’ll spend the whole time fighting them over every little detail instead of focusing on the project…”
Willow linked his fingers and pushed his arms forward. “Sounds like a job for The Ginger Enforcer.”
Love like Eden had never felt before rushed through her. She adored the way he was always on her side. Always at her back. Tears prickled her eyes, and she blinked them away, not wanting her feelings to cloud the practicality of what he was saying. “You know I love having you in the studio, and I know that you’d be so good at bullying all the Sony douchebags, but they’re on a whole other level.”
Willow frowned. “Bunch of twig-neck industry fuckwits?”
“Exactly. You could still eat them all for a post-workout snack, but the job will probably be closer to four months than three…”
“So, we all come to Cali,” he said, as though it was that easy. “Rent a house. Something with a pool, so we get the full LA experience.”
Eden chewed the insides of her cheeks. “The girls…?”
“Are gonna be out-of-their-minds excited. We can take them to Disneyland.”
“That’s true. But it’ll be long days and probably nights. And if I’m working and you’re helping me work…?”
Willow looked at her. “Baby, you know what I’m about to say.”
“No,” she wailed.
“Eden Jade.”
“No! Not nannies!”
“It’s what people do,” he said. “When they have to work, they have someone else help out with the kids. It’s not our fault that my family are either in a wheelchair or Scotland and yours are all dogs.”
“True,” Eden sighed. “I just hate theideaof it.”
“Because people are cunts to mums. That’s not your fault.”
“And it’s so expensive!”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know Sony was gonna pay you inexposure.”
“Stop it!” she wailed. “I just don’t want Jup and Merc to forget what I look like.”
