Page 71 of The Final Rose
I don’t know if the video keeps going, but Anya decides it’s enough.
“Hewilldestroy your career.” It’s the first thing she says, her eyes glued to Callie.
My girl’s gaze is still on the tablet. I see her working in a lump in her throat and my heart shreds to bits with her suffering.
“Who showed you this?” I finally ask.
“Does it matter?”
No, not really. But I don’t have any other words.
“This ends now.” She starts again. “Whoever sent it isn't a concern.”
“You can’t make decisions about our lives.” I’m saying before I can stop myself. “We won’t be together until the end of –”
She interrupts, her eyes filled with ice when they look at me. “Callie is talented. She’s a hard worker, and she has a future. This,” she pokes at the tablet, “will destroy her reputation. She will always be the producer who slept with the Eligible. Who will hire the producer who destroyed her own show?”
Callie hiccups and I find myself going to her. Going down to my knees, I try to find her eyes, but they are still frozen looking at the tablet. It's like we are not even here. If it wasn’t for the hiccup, I’d assume she wasn’t listening.
“Callie, I won’t let this happen. I won’t, I promised you.”
“You can’t protect her. Not in this. Not in this damn industry.”
“I can bloody try!” I roar to the producer when Callie shows no reaction.
“I have worked in this town for the last thirty years. I’ve seen women being blacklisted for less.”
I scowl, rising to my feet. “I will fulfill the contract. I will finish the season and wait until it’s aired.The Final Rosecan’t have a hold on me forever.”
“No. It has a hold onher. You can walk free.” She waves her hand like it’s my fault. Like I would put Callie in this situation.
“You’ll stain her name.”
“I will protect Callie–”
I don't have a chance to finish. “Walk away. This is her job. This is her life. There’s no way to come out of this without repercussions. Not for her. Unless you secretly own a network and are ready to employ her.”
I swallow dry and look down at Callie. I would never have thought I could talk around her like this. Never thought I would see the day she would let two people talk about her like she’s not in the room.
She let us, though. Let us talk and talk and argue about her future.
I want to shake her. I want to ask her to react. I’m begging for her cleverness, but she gives me nothing. I’m falling because I feel like I lost her already.
She was so scared and put her faith in me, but I never came up with anything. I keep promising her career won’t end, but I never explain how I am going to prevent that.
Anya is right. I don’t own a network. I can’t grease the hands of everyone in Hollywood to look the other way. My name is everywhereThe Final Roseis concerned, my face in every teaser. I am the Eligible who is supposed to fall in love with one of thecontestants and, while sure, they can’t force me to fall in love, dating a producer is a completely different ball game.
“We can wait.” I don’t like the begging quality of my voice. “It won’t be weird if we get together in a year. It won’t end her career.”
Anya shrugs. “You’re right. It might be ok. But for now, you need to back off.”
“That’s not of your business--”
“Anya is right.”
It comes like a dagger firmly put in my heart. It breaks skin; it goes deep into my flesh. Callie’s voice is raw, so low we could almost miss. But it’s there. And she’s killing me.
“Someone was watching us. Someone noticed something and recorded us…” She licks her lips and swallows. “If someone here did this, I don’t see how we could hide.”