Spark (Heat #2)(21)

"A year," I say under my breath.

An entire f*cking year?

"Let me hold you now, baby," he growls as his warm lips glide over my cheek. "I want you."

I turn to him, breathing in the scent of his skin. I stare into his eyes. If he's punishing me for being his lover, I can't fall back into bed with him tonight. I need to think. I need to breathe.

"I'm going to sleep early tonight, Chef. I have some stuff to do tomorrow morning."

A long silence hangs in the air before he leans forward. "I care about you, Cadence. I'm grateful that you came into my life."

I silence his words with a soft kiss before I stand to leave. He may care about me but when it comes to my career, the only person who seems to care about that is me.





CHAPTER 19


"Can you tell me about the offer?" I smooth my hands over the legs of my dark wash jeans. I hadn't given my outfit choice a whole lot of thought when I was getting dressed this morning. I was too eager to get here to see Barbara. Curiosity about the message she sent me kept me tossing and turning until I finally just got out of bed at four a.m. to shower.

"We keep saying to one another that you're like a bright ray of sunshine." Barbara laughs. "I know that sounds cliché, Cadence, but you're beautiful. You have the looks of a model and talent in the kitchen. Beyond that you have a way of touching the audience. The video of you being interviewed at Nova's new location has logged more than a million views already and the comments are, for the most part, extremely positive. Our viewers want more of you."

"More of me? In what way?"

Barbara taps her perfectly manicured fingernails against the top of her desk. "I've watched your segments over and over, Cadence. You have a natural charm and presence that is rare."

"Thank you," I say with a slight grin.

"We've been auditioning for months and the fit was never right," she goes on, "we're looking for a young, talented New York City chef who will appear once a week during the eight o'clock hour to cook something quick and simple that any twenty-something, young professional can replicate."

"I see." I gaze at her and the woman sitting next to her. I was introduced to her when I arrived but her name escapes me now.

"Our goal is to have these segments go viral." She motions toward her smartphone. "We'll develop an app. People can sign up for free and your recipes will be made available exclusively to them. We'll produce online videos where you'll visit local markets and demonstrate how to pick the most economical ingredients."

"You want me to guide people on how to prepare their own meals?"

"Exactly." Barbara claps her hands together. "You'll travel to food shows, and we'll set you up an Instagram account where you can post pictures of the foods you prepare."

"How much time will I be devoting to this?" I ask, realizing that it's going to involve a lot more than me showing up on their set for an hour. That's what I did with Tyler. This is much different.

"We'd expect you to be available on a full-time basis. Your schedule week-to-week will vary depending on what we plan for you."

"I work at Nova," I point out, unnecessarily. "I'm not sure I'd want to give that up."

"What we're offering you is a chance to become the face of your own brand." Barbara leans forward. "In time, we anticipate setting you up as the spokesperson for a soon-to-be opened bistro that offers healthy, organic food at reasonable prices. We're having ongoing discussions with our food experts about the possibility of a line of cookware and products with your name and face on them."

"I'm wondering about pay," I say aloud.

Barbara steeples her fingers together as she leans her elbows on the desk. "You'll receive a percentage of the ad revenue that the app generates and we'll go from there."

"I'll be paid in ad revenue?"

"We'll have a small team working tirelessly on this. When we feature a product during your segment, we'll receive a fee for that and you'll in turn get a percentage."

I sigh heavily.

Apparently fame and fortune don't always go hand-in-hand.

"This opportunity can catapult your career to the next level, and every conceivable level beyond that, Cadence. We have seasoned chefs on staff who will work with you on everything. They'll guide you from the shadows. It's your name and face that will drive the brand."

"Can I think about it?" I ask nervously. "I need some time to think about it."

"Naturally." The woman sitting next to Barbara rises from her chair. "Take all the time you need. Speak to your family, your friends. We'll put together a contract so you can have your attorney look that over."

I nod. "I'll do that."

"Your career is just starting, Chef," Barbara straightens as she stands. "We can't wait to see where it goes next."

I can't wait either. Being passed over for a promotion at Nova may be the best thing that's ever happened to me.

"You'll call if you have any questions?" Barbara extends he hand to me. "I'm here to help make the transition as smooth as possible."

I can't help but smile at the confidence in her tone. She knows what an incredible opportunity she's handing to me. "I'll keep that in mind."