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Authors: Lisa Renée Jones
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eliminations are always hanging in the air. But Meagan and I learned from last season. We’re determined to run things better this year.”
“Even if the studio doesn’t believe they’re better,” Meagan commented. “They love scandal because they think it equals ratings when, in reality, it’s our ability to appeal to families that gets us powerful advertisers we’d lose in the long run if we tainted our image. It amazes me that the suits are so blinded by short spikes in numbers, rather than the big picture. Yet, they’ll cut us in a heartbeat if I let their strategy dominate the show and it fails.”
“Back to the topic of Darla and Rick,” Blake said. “The press is absolutely going to try and stir up their past conflict. It’s what they do—stir the pot. So even if you talked to Rick, they’re going to bait him and Darla, and they’ll likely make stuff up if that doesn’t work.”
Meagan sighed. “I assumed as much.”
“Yeah, I know, which is why I say I interview Darla and Rick together tomorrow and address the past then, where I can control the outcome. We’ll be able to shut down all speculation and rumor because all three of us will be together.” Blake gave Darla a quick nod. “I’ll cut extra footage that you can use exclusively on your show and some on mine. Then we both win. Everyone wins.”
“It’s a good plan,” Sam agreed quickly. “We then head off at least one story the press will be chasing and maybe stop one headache.”
It was a good plan, Darla thought, and she actually found herself wondering if she’d wanted an excuse to see him again all along, that tonight had never been about just one night. Good grief, she was so clearly not good at handling men. “How do you feel about the idea?” Meagan asked, studying Darla.
“How do you feel about it?” Darla asked.
“I think it’s a good idea,” Meagan said. “If you’re okay with it.”
Darla nodded and glanced at Blake. “But I want us to talk to Rick in advance. I want to know what’s going to come out of his big mouth before he says it.”
“Expected and understood,” Blake agreed, gaze raking her face. “Now I just have to convince you to do a full interview on my show before I have to head back to New York.”
It felt as if her stomach had done a somersault, which set off all kinds of warning bells. She couldn’t risk a bad judgment call—a misstep tonight that might hurt her contract over something that was going nowhere. He clearly had an agenda and she was part of that agenda. His deal had conveniently been made when she’d been distracted. By his hands. His mouth. His body.
She shook off those thoughts, focused on her own agenda—saving her parents’ ranch. “You come on my show.”
“I’ll come on your show, if you come on mine.”
“So now we’re back to deals, are we?” she challenged without thinking—a behavior he seemed to incite in her—and cringed for what she might have given away.
His lips twitched and he leaned forward, elbows on the table, his voice soft. “Why don’t we call it a ‘truce with benefits’?”
“Oh, how funny,” Lana said. “That’s a play on that movie Friends with Benefits where Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis try to keep friendship and sex separate. Never works, by the way. I’ve tried.” She wiggled an eyebrow. “But sounds like fun anyway. How do I sign up?”
This was so turning into a disaster, Darla chided herself. “Fine,” she said to Blake, leaving Lana out of the equation. “We’ll show-swap, but let’s figure out the details later. I’m having trouble thinking past tomorrow right now.”
“Maybe talking out the details will get your mind off tomorrow,” he suggested smoothly, and she knew he wasn’t talking about “talking” at all.
“I don’t think so.” She shook her head. “The night is short and morning is coming early.”
“You sure about that?”
“Absolutely.” Not. But she should be.
The waiter
“Even if the studio doesn’t believe they’re better,” Meagan commented. “They love scandal because they think it equals ratings when, in reality, it’s our ability to appeal to families that gets us powerful advertisers we’d lose in the long run if we tainted our image. It amazes me that the suits are so blinded by short spikes in numbers, rather than the big picture. Yet, they’ll cut us in a heartbeat if I let their strategy dominate the show and it fails.”
“Back to the topic of Darla and Rick,” Blake said. “The press is absolutely going to try and stir up their past conflict. It’s what they do—stir the pot. So even if you talked to Rick, they’re going to bait him and Darla, and they’ll likely make stuff up if that doesn’t work.”
Meagan sighed. “I assumed as much.”
“Yeah, I know, which is why I say I interview Darla and Rick together tomorrow and address the past then, where I can control the outcome. We’ll be able to shut down all speculation and rumor because all three of us will be together.” Blake gave Darla a quick nod. “I’ll cut extra footage that you can use exclusively on your show and some on mine. Then we both win. Everyone wins.”
“It’s a good plan,” Sam agreed quickly. “We then head off at least one story the press will be chasing and maybe stop one headache.”
It was a good plan, Darla thought, and she actually found herself wondering if she’d wanted an excuse to see him again all along, that tonight had never been about just one night. Good grief, she was so clearly not good at handling men. “How do you feel about the idea?” Meagan asked, studying Darla.
“How do you feel about it?” Darla asked.
“I think it’s a good idea,” Meagan said. “If you’re okay with it.”
Darla nodded and glanced at Blake. “But I want us to talk to Rick in advance. I want to know what’s going to come out of his big mouth before he says it.”
“Expected and understood,” Blake agreed, gaze raking her face. “Now I just have to convince you to do a full interview on my show before I have to head back to New York.”
It felt as if her stomach had done a somersault, which set off all kinds of warning bells. She couldn’t risk a bad judgment call—a misstep tonight that might hurt her contract over something that was going nowhere. He clearly had an agenda and she was part of that agenda. His deal had conveniently been made when she’d been distracted. By his hands. His mouth. His body.
She shook off those thoughts, focused on her own agenda—saving her parents’ ranch. “You come on my show.”
“I’ll come on your show, if you come on mine.”
“So now we’re back to deals, are we?” she challenged without thinking—a behavior he seemed to incite in her—and cringed for what she might have given away.
His lips twitched and he leaned forward, elbows on the table, his voice soft. “Why don’t we call it a ‘truce with benefits’?”
“Oh, how funny,” Lana said. “That’s a play on that movie Friends with Benefits where Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis try to keep friendship and sex separate. Never works, by the way. I’ve tried.” She wiggled an eyebrow. “But sounds like fun anyway. How do I sign up?”
This was so turning into a disaster, Darla chided herself. “Fine,” she said to Blake, leaving Lana out of the equation. “We’ll show-swap, but let’s figure out the details later. I’m having trouble thinking past tomorrow right now.”
“Maybe talking out the details will get your mind off tomorrow,” he suggested smoothly, and she knew he wasn’t talking about “talking” at all.
“I don’t think so.” She shook her head. “The night is short and morning is coming early.”
“You sure about that?”
“Absolutely.” Not. But she should be.
The waiter
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