I picked up the last of the screws and nodded. “Sure thing. What’s going on?”
Max led the way to the office space as he explained what he needed, and the next thing I knew, I was wrapped up in work again, focused, not thinking about the two-week deadline.
Two weeks. That’s when the timer on our agreement ran out. We’d agreed on the expiration—when production wrapped and I got word about whether I'd be sticking around for another episode or more, or whether I was needed across the country, or any possibility in between.
If I was being honest with myself, I kind of hoped to get signed on to the rest of the show. I wasn’t ready to leave Port Grandlin behind, especially not with Asher in my life again. Moving around a lot was starting to take its toll on me, and I hadn’t realized how much that hurt until now, having someone I wanted to be around besides my friends on the production team.
When I got home that afternoon, I was surprised to find a large, thick envelope in the mail, addressed to me. Kieran and I rarely received mail when we were traveling—we both maintained PO boxes near our home base in New York—but this one had a return address of Ron Dixon, Attorney at Law. My stomach twisted when I read his name and realized what it was. This was the contract he’d worked up, the counter-proposal to Phillip’s fraudulent offer.
As I sat down in the living room to read the contract, resolve came over me. I knew I needed to confront Phillip, and since I’d received the proposed contract from Ron, it was time. I didn’t want to go alone, though—I didn’t trust Phillip not to do something risky. He wasn’t violent, but he wasn’t the most calm, even-keeled guy either, and I didn’t want to make any mistakes saying what I needed to say.
“Kier?” I shouted.
Kieran called back from his bedroom. “Yeah?”
“I need your help.”
He emerged from his bedroom in sweatpants and a T-shirt. “What’s up?”
“I have to go see Phillip.”
“Ew.”
I nodded. “I was hoping you’d be my backup.”
A slow smile spread across his face. “Hell yeah, I will.”
I picked up my phone and shot off a text to Phillip.
Micah: I’m ready to sign. Let’s meet at Bean There.
He responded right away, as eager as ever to get his way.
Phillip: I’ll see you in ten.
Ten minutes later, I was walking into Bean There, the newest coffee shop in Port Grandlin, looking around for Phillip. He and Daniel were seated at a small table with one empty chair available, tucked close to Phillip’s side. I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes and ordered a coffee instead.
Once Kieran and I had our drinks in hand, I walked over to Phillip’s table and unceremoniously dragged a second chair over. Kieran sat in the chair next to Phillip and I took a seat in the chair I’d relocated. Phillip scowled as we settled in.
“Hi, Phil,” I said, unable to resist needling him.
“Micah. I see you brought a friend.”
“You know Kieran,” I said pointedly. “He’s my roommate while we’re working down here.”
Phillip sniffed and scratched his nose. “You said you were ready to sign?”
I placed the envelope on the table. “It’s all in there. My attorney looked it over. I’m ready to sign.”
“Perfect.” Phillip slid the paperwork out of the envelope and thumbed through the pages, nodding along as he did. When he got to, presumably, where the marriage part should have been, he hesitated. “This isn’t the same contract.”
I smiled innocently and tipped my head to the side. “Isn’t it?”
“It’s missing—”
“The marriage clause?”
His face darkened, brow dipping low. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
