Winning My Ex-Crush

Fenella’s POV

“Do you have her manager’s number?” Jessy walked quickly beside me, matching my pace.

“Yes. I sent him a message and asked for a meeting with Mallory,” I replied as we hurried to my red car.

“When did you get his number?”

“At the after-party, he gave me his number and invited me to meet him at the bar in New York.”

“Ah ha! Was he handsome?” Jessy’s face lit up, and I snorted.

“That’s not important.”

We both quickly got into the car. Jessy, at the wheel, started the engine while I opened the navigation app to find directions.

“We need to catch Mallory at her studio. Her manager said they’ll be heading to the airport for an international trip in half an hour. The studio is about a twenty-minute drive, so we have only a little time.”

“Okay, step on it!” He squealed.

Jessy immediately took the road at an alarming speed. Other cars behind us honked loudly, but he didn’t care.

“Whoah!” I exclaimed, gripping my seatbelt tightly.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

“I can cut the time down to fifteen minutes!” He laughed loudly.

My eyes widened as I watched him drive with such enthusiasm. The car sped and maneuvered left into a narrow alley. Within a few meters, the car turned again and again into places I had never visited before.

“Jessy! Are you crazy? You’re not following the map route!” I shouted, my heart racing. A few times, he nearly sideswiped motorcycles, bicycles, and pedestrians in front of the park.

“Relax! Trust me!”

***

We arrived in front of Mallory’s studio in Greenwich Village exactly fifteen minutes later. I wasn’t sure if gaining those five minutes was worth all the madness Jessy had put us through while driving. At least no police ticketed us for speeding in the city.

Jessy and I rushed inside and were immediately greeted by a woman sitting behind a small wooden desk. A laptop was open in front of her, and she greeted us with a smile.

“Hello, how can I help you?”

“Hi, I have an appointment with Mr. Roger, Mallory’s manager,” I said quickly, slightly out of breath.

“Oh. Follow me.”

The woman walked away from the desk, and we followed her through a door into a narrow hallway. The hallway was somewhat dark, lined with various photos of the studio’s founders and small paintings on the walls. The woman led us to a closed door.

She knocked, entered first, and we followed her into the room. My eyes widened momentarily as I saw that the room was actually a spacious studio. There was another door leading to a smaller room that seemed to be a recording studio.

As we entered, I instantly saw Mallory and Roger. They looked up at the receptionist’s call, and Mallory’s face immediately brightened when she saw me.

“Hey, Fenella! It’s great to see you again!”

Mallory smiled widely and opened her arms. We hugged briefly, exchanging kisses on the left and right cheeks. I also shook hands with Roger, the manager.

“Hey, Mallory, Roger.” I returned their greetings with the same wide smile. “Let me introduce you; this is Jessy, my agent.” Jessy enthusiastically hugged Mallory and Roger in turn.

“Oh, hello,” Mallory greeted Jessy. “Where’s Alan?” the pop diva asked me.

“Oh, he’s still in an online meeting, so I came ahead,” I said, blowing my hair out of my face and shaking my head, pretending to be annoyed with Alan.

“I see. I’m sorry I can’t spend more time with you, even though I’d love to chat like we did yesterday. You could have called me without coming here.” Mallory squeezed my arm gently.

“It’s okay. I feel more comfortable meeting in person, and it’s only fifteen minutes from the office. I appreciate you making time for me,” I chuckled softly.

“So, is there something I can help with?”

“Uh, yes, I wanted to ask about the new condom product ad and your social campaign.”

“Oh, yes! I heard from Alan that you’ve signed the contract! Aren’t you excited? I’ve been working really hard to prepare for the product launch, and I’m thrilled that other friends are also supporting the campaign.” Mallory’s smile was broad, and her eyes sparkled with enthusiasm.

God, she’s already this excited about me joining her campaign! Now I feel guilty.

“Here’s the thing, Mallory. Is it still possible for us to replace the model?”

“What do you mean? You want to back out of the project?” Mallory’s voice immediately rose, and her forehead creased with a sharp look.

Oh, crap! I broke into a cold sweat, seeing how she reacted to my question. Just seeing her made my heart race uncontrollably under normal circumstances, let alone now with her offended expression. I felt like I was going to be shot on the spot!

“I mean, I’ve seen the ad concept, and I have a new friend who’s also very enthusiastic about being the model. I thought she could replace me.”

My voice trailed off as Mallory bit her lower lip and glared at me. My mouth opened, and I stammered, unsure of what to say to her. I sighed in defeat.

“Mallory, the truth is, I’m having issues with Alan. So, I think it would be very awkward for me to be in intimate scenes with him.”

Technically, that was true, and I wasn’t lying. Oh God, save me!

“Oh…” After hearing that, her anger faded momentarily. Her mouth relaxed, and her eyes were no longer as harsh. Her gaze was now sympathetic.

“So, can you consider hiring someone else for this ad?”

My heart pounded as I waited for her response. My body straightened, and I unconsciously held my breath, feeling sweat trickling down my back.

“Oh, dear. You’re my friend, and I know what it’s like to have a messy relationship. I know it’s going to be very hard for you, but we have a contract, and everything has already been prepared.”

She took both my hands and squeezed them. “I’m afraid you’ll have to go through with it as planned and endure it. I can still control the concept and other aspects, but I’ve already persuaded the management, music director, producer, and others to include you as the model. I don’t think it can be changed unless you pay a penalty.”

“Isn’t there another way?” I asked, tears welling up in my eyes.

“I’m sorry, dear. Unless you really mess up the set or get involved in a major scandal, I don’t think they’ll fire you. If they do fire you, you won’t pay the penalty, but your reputation will suffer.”

“I hope you don’t back out of this project and can resolve your issues with Alan soon. I want you to support my campaign. We need many people. I need you on my side.”

She squeezed my hands while I still fought to keep my tears from falling. I could only stare at her forehead to avoid bursting into tears right there because the pop diva’s concerned gaze made me feel small.

She still thought I was upset because of my messy relationship with Alan, but it was because I had finally realized I truly had no other choice but to finish the project.

“It’s okay, Mallory. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on my concerns,” I said softly.

“Yes, dear. I hope everything eventually works out for you.” She hugged me and patted my back.

“Mallory, we’re done here. We need to leave now.” Roger interrupted us, and Mallory let go of the hug.

“See you later, okay?” They left, leaving Jessy and me with a few other crew members in the studio.

I turned to Jessy and stared at him in a daze. My lips turned downward, and I struggled to keep from crying again today. I thought I had the strength to change my fate, but it seemed God wasn’t on my side.

“At least we tried,” Jessy sighed, rubbing my back.