Is Love Blind? - Eddie Diaz

Prologue

**Skye's POV**

Skye Perry was sitting in her manager's office listening to him discuss the benefits of her doing a reality show. Ari Gold always had her back. He'd hit a snag in his career, but because he'd taken a chance on her, she'd stuck with him. The decision proved to be fruitful for all who had trusted him. He'd raised several stars from the ground up into huge stars. Vincent Chase had risen on to be Aquaman and had raked in millions, causing him to go on to do several more DC movies. Skye's career had mostly been in music and Disney until she'd met Ari. He'd told her she could be so much more after seeing her interview about wanting to be a real actress. She'd allowed him to poach her from her previous manager because Rick didn't seem to care about her. He'd landed her some serious roles, but due to her recent and very messy public breakup with her ex, Dylan, the scripts had slowed. She'd just completed the press tour for Pitch Perfect 3 and was ready for her next project. It had been ten months since she and Dylan ended things, or Dylan had ended things by cheating on her. She'd only done two music videos since. Skye was worried. Ari, however, wasn't and assured her that by appearing on the viral and wildly popular show, Love is Blind, she'd get offers again.

"Skye, sweetheart, what Dylan did to you was absolutely awful," he said softly. "However, he's a Hollywood favorite and even though he cheated, women always get painted as the bad guy. Look at Miley. She was painted as the bad guy when her marriage to Liam ended, and she had to finally come out and confess how he treated her. People know how Dylan treated you and your loyal fans hate him, but his fans...well they're more than yours unfortunately. You did the interview with Kimmel and now people want you to find your true love. Being on Love is Blind will allow people to see your authentic self and it'll allow you to show the public your vulnerability. Yes, that's horrifying for anyone, but I really believe this will be the kick you need. Also, if you find your prince charming, and I truly hope you do, even better." Skye nodded and looked over at her publicist, Shauna, who was sitting next to her. "What do you think, Shaun?" She asked quietly. Shauna pursed her lips as she glanced between Ari and Skye. "Listen baby girl, I did what I could with the Dylan situation. Now, the good news is he can't say anything else about you because of the NDA he signed and well, I'll destroy him if he does. That being said, I think Ari is right about this. You deserve real love and this will kill two birds with one stone. You'll find your person without them judging who you are and the public will see you in a different light. You'll always have a music career, but if you want more movies, this is the way to go."

Skye tentatively said yes to the deal with the possibility of backing out if she wanted. They told her that she could back out until two weeks before filming began but after that she would be locked in. The idea of finding a partner without them focusing on what she looked like, who she was, and what she could do for them was tempting. A few days later, she was still on the fence. Deciding to seek outside opinions, she invited a couple of friends over to her house for lunch. Pulling her long brunette hair into a ponytail and retrieving the snacks she'd made from the refrigerator, she began setting the room up. A few minutes later, she opened the door to her long-time friend, Lucy Hale. She and Lucy had done the Disney thing together and were both finally free. Their mutual friend, Miley, was also on her way. All three had been child actors and trapped under Disney contracts. Skye was the first to break free and do movies as a kid like True Grit and Begin Again. She'd had a number of cameos and small parts, but her break came after she was cast in Pitch Perfect 2. Miley had followed, and then Lucy had landed her role on Pretty Little Liars. When Miley arrived, they each had a glass of wine and sat in her living room. Miley raised an eyebrow at Skye's hesitancy and placed her glass down on the table before clasping her hands together. "Girl, spill." She said with a smile.

Skye couldn't hide anything from these two girls; they were her best friends. She giggled as she shook her head and put her own glass down. She glanced at both of them before groaning and falling back onto her couch. "Ari wants me to do a reality show and I'm on the fence." When she sat back up, both of the girls had looks of horror on their faces. Lucy raised her hand to stop her from saying more and said, "What the hell is he thinking? I get roles are difficult to come by, but reality TV? What could that possibly accomplish?" Skye looked at her hands as she nodded in agreement. When she looked back up, Miley was watching her and asked, "What's the catch? Ari is an exceptional manager, I've always been jealous he signed you, so what's his angle? He has to have one." Skyle smiled because she knew she couldn't get anything past these two. "The show is Love is Blind." She watched as realization dawned on both of them and they weren't horrified anymore, they were smiling. Lucy sat back and nodded before saying, "That makes more sense. Honestly, I think you should do it." Skyle looked at her with wide eyes, shocked at her admission. "What? Are you serious?" She asked her friend incredulously. Miley spoke up before Lucy could reply. "It makes sense, babe. I'd do it if I were you too. Hell, I'd do it myself if I had any interest in dating at all right now. What brought this on, though?"