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“Yes, me and probably twenty other actresses, but Ana said that they’d received hundreds of audition tapes, so it’s nice to make it to the second round.”
“Good, well if they’ve heard that accent, you’re in. You sound like you were born there…and I’m not just trying to butter you up.”
“Mmm…maybe you are. Oh, a new electric car company inquired about me being their ambassador. I can’t say who yet, but they’re starting with high-performance sports cars. Get this, Ana says it’s because of how rapidly my Instagram and TikTok following is growing. It’s not Jake Skyler numbers, but they are increasing. It’s a lot to keep up with. I just browse the comments, but I know I’m supposed to reply.”
“That’s great, but listen, tell Ana you want to hire someone who can manage it. You get on when you can but, otherwise, there’s no way to keep up with it.”
I heard her let out a long sigh. “Especially all the ‘Jake Skyler can do better’ remarks.”
Fuck, I wondered when those comments would pile up in her head. I had seen some of them when I posted pictures of us on Lady Bird Lake on my pontoon boat and when we were in Marfa, a funky arts town in West Texas, after I'd managed to get her to sneak away for two nights. Anytime she was in a swimsuit, there would be some comparative comment:
You need to work more if you want to keep Skyler.
That stomach roll doesn’t look good next to Jake’s six-pack.
He can have any girl.
When you dump her, I’m available. (with a screenshot of some tiny bleach blonde with an even tinier swimsuit)
She never combs her hair: never mind that the photos were taken after a day of zipping around the lake on my boat.
Didn’t think that was your type: as if I had a type.
I know what he likes: kinky. I hope you can keep up: I knew the name…that one pissed me off.
I’d almost DM’d Summer to let her know to stop, but the problem is that anything you say to anyone in writing becomes public domain, so I ignored it. I had well over three million followers, and my agent had someone manning it full-time. I still posted and made comments, but only positive stuff. I had several endorsement deals, so it was essential not to lean into anything that could be perceived as me being antagonistic, even if those from the inter-web-verse out there felt it necessary to publicly offer unsolicited input, especially about who I was with. It was essential that I be removed from the chatter, above reproach.
“Hey, Sweets, it’s annoying as hell, but you have over half a million followers now, so there will be some folks who don’t really have anything better to do than take jabs at you. You’re good at brushing things off, so…”
“Jake,” she said, her voice dropping. “I’m not bothered by random remarks. It’s the opinions from a few girls who I can tell…” She paused; seconds ticked by. A knot formed in my throat as she continued. “I know it’s futile, but I checked a couple of the women’s profiles, and they either dated you or look like someone who may have been in your circle, as in they were cheerleaders for professional teams, so…”
I grunted. “Yeah, um, so they may know me, but not really…”
“Enough, Jake. One of them knows you…truly knows you…perhaps more intimately than me.”
Well, fuck!
“And she’s not the first one to hint that you have a kinky side.”
Josh: I’m just checking in. I’ve eaten, and I’m back on the boat. Take your time…Send
“Hey just a second; the boat driver texted.” I stalled, keeping my voice completely colorless.
“Sure,” she spat out. “You need time to formulate an answer you think I can swallow.” There was a definite bite to her tone. I normally would have said something raunchy about swallowing, but I could read the room. After more than six weeks since my birthday, with generally smooth interactions between us, there had been a few small traces of frustration, mostly because her schedule had her answering every lead like some puppet, and it really bugged the shit out of me.
Jake: Thanks, Josh. Can you get me two Wet Woodies to go and an order of the coconut shrimp? I’ll enjoy on the boat…Send
“I can’t wait to see you. I want you to try the famous Tahoe Wet Woody…” Stupid, Jake, I admonished myself as I searched for my next line.
“Funny, never mind,” she grumbled, not trying to disguise her reaction. “You are kinky. There’s a side to you I don’t know.” She kept trawling as if expecting a retort, but I could tell she was taking one comment, expanding it to see what else was out there, and no way was I going to take the bait on this. “Well, obviously, other women have gotten to have experiences with you that I…”
I bit my lip, so close to snapping out, “What, darlin, what experiences have you not had?” I tweaked the words, adding a dash of Texas charm to my tone. “Darlin’,” I drawled, “I’m up for whatever experiences you fantasize about with me. I’m here for you.”
She laughed, then started imitating me. “Well, thank ya, darlin, I’ll take a threesome with you and another hunky player.” I could hear her low-level snickering.
I gulped air, hoping she was kidding. “Bawdy wench,” I half growled, half chuckled. “I swear.”
“I don’t think they did that in your wholesome Louis L’Amour books,” she teased, the irritation over the Instagram comment seeming to have dissipated.
