Diamond Pumps

19. Everything for love

Misty and Rudy sat facing each other.

"Do you start? Or do I?"

Misty could read the guy like a book. She knew what was coming. Well, she actually started it. She knew the consequences. She knew she was going to end up having a face to face with Rudy, and things would get ugly.

"Okay, you know what? I'll start this time." Rudy leaned back on his leather chair. "When did you stop taking steroids?"

"Do I really have to answer that?"

"I just think you did incredibly well without them." No one really suspected anything. Not even the photographers caught the changes. She looked exactly the same. "So, I'm just curious. Show us your ways, Misty. We might need them for the next redhead model."

Misty took a deep breath. "After I moved in with Ash."

"Oh, that's like months and months." Rudy scratched his cheek. "Were you starving yourself?"

"Ash and I worked out together."

"Oh, okay, the old way." Rudy nodded. "But let me tell you something. It doesn't always work. Plus, you know your bone structure."

"What's your point?"

"My point is, without steroids, you make an attractive girlfriend, not an attractive model."

"Okay, good. Moving on."

Rudy smiled to himself. God, he loved this woman to the last bits.

"I'm listening." Misty insisted.

Rudy took out a small tablet of pills out of his pocket and threw it to the reunion table. "What is this?"

"I thought you were better than that – looking through my things, that is."

"Do you need sex ed, Misty?" He mocked. "These stupid pills change your body! They f*ck up with it! Do you know what a condom is for?"

"Are you seriously trying to control my own sex life?"

"Do you want me to bring that contract you signed?" Rudy snapped at her. "Do you want me to bring that up and show you the clauses? Do you?"

"Is this against Ash or me or both?" That contract ruined her life. It was the reason her life was so dull in the past. It was the reason why she thought about suicide every time she got inside her shower. It was the reason of her sorrows. She had dreams as a woman, she dreamed of so many things, but her contract kept getting in her way. It always got in her way.

"Our jobs are at risk!" Rudy got up. "You're putting everything at risk because of a guy you just met yesterday!"

"That brings me to what I came here for." Misty spoke up calmly. "I need a new contract."

Rudy couldn't even believe Misty would say that. It was out of question. Her contract was running until she hits thirty. Then, she can do whatever she wants since her value would just drop in the market. "You know you can't."

"I'm just going to quit if you don't get the agency to change my contract."

"What do you need changed?" Rudy could negotiate if it's minimized. "Retiring age?"

"I need the marriage clause and the pregnancy clause changed."

"You want to have it all?" Rudy couldn't help but laugh. "You want to have the guy, have the job of your life, have the kids – really, Misty? When did you get this greedy?"

"Are you willing to do something for me or not?" Misty got up, looking him in the eye.

"You found money now." Rudy nodded to himself. "You don't care anymore."

"I found love." She felt like crying when she said it.

"Well, you can't have everything, Misty, and that – we learned it the hard way when you used to sleep on the ground and sit on businessmen' laps for a few dollars." Rudy slapped the chair the back toward the reunion table.

Misty grabbed her purse, getting ready to leave.

"Leave him." Rudy spoke right when Misty reached the reunion hall entrance. "I'll get them to allow everything you want, but you need to leave him."

Misty turned around; a smile on her face.

"How low can you get?"

"You said it," He smiled weakly. "It's love."