You don’t have to tell me, Emma didn’t really care, but the thought of Eric putting all this into helping someone else made her slightly uneasy. Joy rushed through Eric as he saw her head lower slightly. He couldn’t help but smile as he asked, “Are you jealous?”
“A little bit,” Emma admitted, nodding her head. “Do you really think anyone else could even come close to you? There’s only you.” Eric pulled her onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her as he showed her how to read over the contracts.
Emma was smart when it came to most things, but looking over wordy contracts made her head hurt. It wasn’t long before she fell asleep in Eric’s arms, a slight smile on her face. He held his wife as he continued to look over the contracts. Although he was tired, he was happy. He leaned over and whispered in Emma’s ear, “The day you become New York’s Top Model again will be the day I become your personal manager.”
Emma, being a light sleeper, heard him and responded sleepily, “Then I guess I need to work harder.” Eric let out a gentle laugh. After looking over the 20 to 30 contract proposals again, he picked out the one from Top Trends Quarterly (TTQ).
Of course, Global would definitely have an opinion regarding his decision, as TTQ wasn’t considered a best-selling magazine. But TTQ’s target audience were fashion designers and upper-class consumers.
He knew that right now, Emma’s best strategy was to get on board with current and upcoming trends to promote herself to top designers and other influencers in the industry. It was a risk, but a calculated one.
If things worked out as he planned, then Emma’s shows would be guaranteed for the rest of the year, as long as the shows maintained plenty of exposure and the magazines followed. A beneficial relationship would be formed. More importantly, appearing in shows would give her more endorsement opportunities and keep her from relying solely on her team at Global.
“We’ll make this happen. I’m not going to let it fall through,” he thought determinedly as he lifted Emma up and carried her through to bed.
The next morning, when Emma woke up, she was a bit surprised when Eric placed the TTQ contract in front of her. “Do you trust me?” he asked as he wrapped his arms around her. She squeezed his tired cheeks and planted a kiss on his lips. “I’ll go with this one.”
“You’re not going to ask why?” Eric had come up with several reasons to explain his choice, thinking that he’d have to convince her. It never occurred to him that she would trust his decision right off the bat.
“The head honcho of the entertainment industry stayed up all night to pick this out for me. I’m willing to at least try,” Emma said, wrapping her arms around his neck as he looked at her in surprise.
In a serious tone, she said, “First of all, I trust you completely. Second of all, I’ve looked at all these contracts too, and not one of them felt like it really fit the person I am now or the future I’m working toward. I can make the small plans, but I need you to help me see the bigger picture.”
Eric could feel his ego swelling. As long as Emma needed him, he’d do anything for her. “Then it’s decided. We’ll go with the TTQ contract,” he said decisively. “I don’t have a manager anymore, just an assistant.
So, I’ll have to negotiate all my deals personally. Isn still has a few things they need me to finish, and Linda has one more cover she wants me to shoot. Luckily, she’s sending someone here, so I won’t have to fly back to Mexico.”
Eric ran his fingers through her hair, admiring her confidence as he smiled and said, “Give me your email login. When I have time, I’ll help you discuss your options.” Emma replied, “Eric, you promised you wouldn’t interfere with my business.”
“I haven’t given you any of my resources, money, or contracts. As your husband, can’t I share in your responsibilities just a little?” He flashed his most winning smile, and she nodded her head and replied, “Okay, but just this once.”
Decision made, the couple got out of bed and enjoyed their breakfast.
However, just as Emma was about to leave the house, she received a phone call from Lisa. “Amber just received an invitation from the organizing committee of the Top 10 Model Awards. The whole company’s buzzing about it. When’s the awards ceremony?” Emma asked, though her question held a deeper meaning.
“In 10 days. Amber’s gonna be unbearable the whole time. I wonder how she managed to bribe the judges,” Lisa said, unable to hide her curiosity.
“Do you think she did something behind Nathan’s back? I’m sure Nathan is wondering the same thing. Surely he can’t help being a little bit curious about this turn of events,” Emma maintained her calm tone as she said, “Let her be happy. After all, it’ll only be for the next 10 days. After the ceremony, Amber will no longer exist in the modeling industry,” Lisa replied grudgingly.
“I suppose we could manage it for a few days,” her tone brightened again as she added, “Oh, one more thing.
The organizing committee has invited you to be a guest presenter at the award show. Great news! Okay, I’ll be dropping by the office in a bit.” According to the supplementary contract, she had to present the TTQ proposal to the higher-ups at Global before she could sign up to it. She had a bad feeling they wouldn’t be happy with her decision.
“In that case, I’ll come pick you up. Now Amber’s here at the office, walking around like she owns the place,” Emma laughed humorlessly. Half an hour later, Lisa arrived in Tribeca in a company car. “I am as glowing face,” she couldn’t help but tease.
“The Dashing CEO has been treating you well, I see. Be serious,” Emma said, cheeks turning red as she got in the car.
Lisa laughed as she pulled back onto the road. “Now that Ashley’s out of the picture, Global’s probably gonna start interviewing new managers for you. What do you plan to do about that?”
“I don’t need a manager,” Emma said, shaking her head. “I can negotiate my own contracts, and you can be in all the meetings with me and help me out.”
“Are you sure we’re able to do it all ourselves?” Lisa was doubtful. Even though Emma was willing, she couldn’t imagine Eric would just let them get on with things without his oversight.
Emma sighed. She had no choice but to tell her the truth. “I can’t hide anything from you. Eric is helping me out.” “Wow, seems like he’s getting more and more impressive by the minute. I’m telling you, Emma, you’re not using him to his full potential,” Lisa said with a grin.
A few minutes later, Lisa parked, and she and Emma chatted and laughed as they walked toward the Global offices. But as they stepped into the building, Emma immediately felt a different vibe than normal. She wanted to see Nathan, but his secretary told her he was currently in a meeting.
Lisa went to look, but she didn’t see anyone in the main meeting room. They could both hear a woman’s laughter coming from Nathan’s office. Emma sneered, but she didn’t want to make things difficult for the secretary.
“Looks like Nathan and the others are inside celebrating and don’t want to see me.”
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