He shook his head. No. He didn’t like that. “That’s not a good idea.”
Actually, it was a horrible idea.
“What if it’s what’s good for me?” she asked, resigned, like she only reluctantly believed it.
And she reluctantly believed it because she was wrong. Giving up the thing that would make her a household name, the thing they’d spent all this time working toward, was not the way to go. The exposure from this appearance would give her everything she’d told him she wanted when they first started working together.
“Is it, though?” he asked, the calming candle stuff not nearly potent enough for him in that moment.
She pursed her lips. “I can’t do that again. No more viral anything for me.”
Whew. All right. He shook his shoulders. They had a bigger problem than he’d originally thought. April needed to get back in the game, not throw the fourth quarter.
So, yeah. A new multipoint plan started percolating. He was a touch iffy on the details, but with a little effort it would be solid, of that he was certain. His plans were always solid. They always worked. Always made money.
Which meant he had to manipulate the hell out of this situation so it’d fall like dominoes in his favor. In April’s favor.
Which, luckily for all involved, was his specialty.
“Don’t cancel the best thing that will ever happen to your career.” He steeped his words in the calm he needed her to embody. Because this was her big break. This was what her career needed. He knew it like he knew how to breathe. “You’ve got the best team behind you.Mebehind you. We won’t let you fail. Viral can be good. We’re going to make that happen.”
What happened before would not happen again.
“I appreciate your belief in me.” April threaded her hands in her lap. “I really do. But no more risks. I’m not quitting. I’m still The Calm Mom. But…a prerecorded version.”
Prerecorded didn’t get the sponsorships. Didn’t get the views.
“Okay.” He splayed his hands. Leaned forward. “Here’s what’s going to happen. I’m going to stay here until I convince you that you’ve got this.” He reached for her hands and held them in his. “Because you’ve got this.”
He gave her hands a quick squeeze and released.
The firm headshake she gave set his back teeth on edge. “You’re going to sit here in my living room until I change my mind?”
No, he had a feeling this would take more time than that. Also, eventually the kids would return, and he should probably check out before that.
“Denver,” he said, with a roving glance and a tilt of his head toward the street. “I booked the vacation rental across the street for a couple of nights.” When things went to shit, he immersed himself in the situation. It was what he did.
There had been the life coach he’d helped brand who needed the reminder he was the best at his job. Jack flew to New York, hired him, and let the guy coach him into remembering his own awesomeness. He was currently reveling in TikTok fame. Then there was the former television remodel carpenter who needed to finish flipping a house in time for the big Instagram reveal. Jack hung the damn drywall himself. Reveal was on time, sponsors came on board, everyone was happy.
His immersion method worked.
She pointed to where his eyes had trailed to the window. “There?”
He nodded.
Though he didn’t think it possible, April’s eye widening intensified, and the little wrinkles above her nose crinkled.
April pointed to the house across the street that his assistant had rented for him. “Overthere.”
He nodded again. “Yes.”
She eyed him, clearly leery.
“I’m going to stay close so we can hash out the plan. I’m going to stay close because you matter, April.”
She shifted, but she did the thinking thing where she pulled at her bottom lip with her top teeth. Which meant he was well on his way to adjusting her trajectory back in the correct direction. He’d seen her do this on their video calls. Noted it. Tracked it. One of her consistent tells that he picked up during their first meeting.
“I fix problems. It’s what I do,” he continued.
