Chapter 3 NEGOTIATION

AUDREY'S POV

As soon as I got to the parking lot, I dialled Matilda's number. Mostly because I was still reeling from the reality of what I may be agreeing to, and also because I needed to tell her.

"He wants me to be on the show," I blurted out as soon as she picked up.

She screamed. Like, actual screaming, and I had to hold my phone away from my ear.

"Matilda."

"Sorry, sorry — what show first?"

"The reality show. The one Damon is producing for—" I lowered my voice even though there was nobody around me — "for Lewis Jeremy."

She fell silent for a second. Then: "Audrey Fred."

"Don't."

"You would get to live with him."

"I would get to live with a guy who I watched commit assault three days ago, yes, that's the part you're glossing over—"

"It was one punch—"

"Matilda!"

"Okay, okay." She did the thing where she took a loud breath to reset. "What did you tell Damon?"

"That I'd think about it."

"So you're doing it."

"I said I'd think—"

"Audrey, you only say you'll think about it when you've already decided, but you want to feel in control." There was a pause. "I've known you for six years. I know your tells."

I leaned against the wall outside the building and looked up at the sky. Grey. Cold. Boston in February is doing what Boston in February always does.

"I don't want to do it," I said.

"I know."

"It's going to be weird and awkward, and I'm going to have to be on camera, Tilda, I hate being on camera—"

"I know."

"And he's probably awful in person—"

"Okay, now you're wrong about that one —"

"You don't know him, you just think he's pretty.” I all but rolled my eyes.

"He's more than pretty, he's—" she stopped herself. "That's not the point. The point is that Damon needs help, and you feel bad about it, and also you broke my camera."

Low blow. Accurate, but low.

"You're manipulating me," I said.

"Mildly," she agreed, completely unbothered. "Look, just think about what Damon loses if this whole thing falls apart. He's been working with Jeremy for what, two years? If this PR thing tanks, that's his biggest client gone. And Damon is…" she paused, "Damon is a good person, Audrey. He actually cares about the people he works with. He doesn't deserve to take the hit for something that isn't even his fault."

I hated it when she was reasonable. It was her worst quality.

"I know," I finally agreed.

"So?"

I pushed off the wall and started walking back toward the entrance of the office to meet Damon again.

"I'm going to have conditions," I said.

Matilda made a noise that was basically a squeal. "Of course you are."

"Real ones and not negotiable."

"Yes, yes."

"And you owe me. Massively. Like, for the rest of our natural lives."

"Absolutely."

"And I want an autograph."

A beat passed. "...from who?"

"Who do you think?"

Another beat, then she absolutely lost it, and I held the phone away from my ear again and walked back inside to go tell my brother I'd lost my mind.

Damon looked up when I came back in. He hadn't exactly moved. Just sitting now with his phone still in his hand.

"I'll do it." I crossed my hands. "But I want something in return."

He looked up at me. Like he'd been bracing for more argument, and the yes had thrown him off. "Okay."

"The camera money. And an autograph."

"The camera I can do." He frowned a little. "The autograph is technically up to him."

"Then tell him it's part of the deal."

"Audrey—"

"Damon." I sat down across from him. "I'm doing you a massive favor. The least he can do is sign a photo for my best friend, who has had his face on her wall since sophomore year. Just her. Not even Dalia if it's too much of an ask. It's not a big ask."

He stared at me for a long second and then pinched his brows. "Fine. I'll make it happen."

"Good." I folded my hands in my lap. "So what exactly does this involve?"

He pulled out a folder— an actual physical folder, Damon was the last person alive who still used physical folders— and slid it across the desk.

Inside were the details of everything the reality show would mean.

Live with the celebrity. Film daily life. Show the human side of someone the public had decided was a villain. Meals, routines, regular stuff. Two weeks, maybe three, depending on how the footage went.

"The goal is to show he's a normal person," Damon said. "Approachable. Not a threat. Someone people can root for."

I looked up. "Is he?"

"Is he what?"

"A normal person. Approachable."

Damon sighed, looking away for a second, "He's complicated."

"Great," I frowned. "Super reassuring."

"He's a good person," Damon said, more firmly. "He just doesn't make it easy for most people." He leaned back in his chair. "That's the whole point of the show, Audrey."

I looked back down at the folder. Filming starts in three days. Three days to mentally prepare to have cameras in my face and share a living space with someone I'd already called a violent maniac out loud on a public street.

No reason to think he'd heard that, obviously.

Totally fine.

"Okay," I said, closing the folder. "Tell me when and where."

A look of relief crossed Damon's face, and he smiled. “I owe you a lot.”

Yeah whatever. If I didn't lose my sanity first.

I texted Matilda on the way out. “I`m doing it. You're getting an autograph. I hate you.”

Her reply was a lengthy paragraph with several emojis on how she would worship me for the rest of her life.

I put my phone in my pocket and tried not to think about how badly this could go.

But well…I was pretty bad at not thinking about things.