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I just have no idea how to do that when I can’t even bring myself to pick up the phone to call him.
CHAPTER 8: JOLENE
I’m nervous as I dial the number as soon as I’m back home, and I’m not even sure why.
“Finally!” Ellie answers. “What the hell is going on? I heard about the accident but neither you nor the coach are answering me, and are you okay?”
“We’re both okay. But you should probably know I ended things with him.”
She gasps. Loudly. “What? Why?”
“You should ask him that.” I simply can’t tell the story again.
“Okay, I’m on damage control. I saw the article Rivera published, and I assume it has something to do with that.”
“It has everything to do with that,” I admit.
“What about the podcast?”
“I picked up all your equipment. I’m still planning to expand it, but I wanted to talk to you about your client list and potentially partnering with you instead of Lincoln.” The idea hits me out of nowhere and the words are out of my mouth before I even think it through.
“But it’s called Coach and Correspondent: Aces Wild Vegas Style,” she argues. “I’m not a coach.”
“And I’m not a correspondent anymore,” I point out. “So we rename and rebrand.”
“To what? The publicist and the ex?”
“Too soon,” I mutter. “I was thinking more like Aces Insider.”
“That sounds like a porn podcast. Like the Aces are inside-her.”
“Oh my God, Ellie,” I say, and I can’t help a giggle. “Is porn podcast a thing?”
“I don’t know. Seems like they’ve got something for everyone, so maybe?”
“We’re getting off track here. I still want to do the podcast. I want to expand it, and I’d love to work with you and maybe have a different co-host each week from the Aces,” I say.
“Babe, Lincoln is your co-host. It’s what your audience expects, it’s how your contracts are set up, and I’m not cutting him out.”
“So you’re saying I should start my own?” I press.
“Did you read your contract at all before you signed it? There’s a non-compete in your contract that says you can’t start your own podcast for a full year after the final episode of this one publishes.”
Fuck.
“Right. Okay, so I’m stuck with the podcast, and I’m stuck with Lincoln,” I mutter.
“You’re not stuck with the podcast. You can leave any time, but if you do, you just can’t start up another one for a year.”
I sigh. “This was my big plan, though, Ellie. I was going to throw everything into the podcast moving forward since I quit the station. And you’re forcing me to work with him.”
“And you may hate me for it now, but I have to be honest with you, Jo. It won’t be now, but someday I think you’ll come around and thank me for that.” She pauses. “What are you doing this week?”
“I pieced together enough that we hadn’t used before to make a decent episode,” I say. “I scheduled it for tonight.”
“Do you need me to check it over?” she asks.
“Nope.”
