Like Stars, Aligned

two

"Why are you still in the office? You said you had a hot date tonight."

I looked up from  my computer to stare at my friend, Dexter.  He's standing at the door, arms folded as he stared at me with a small frown on his face.

"We got a new proposal. Netflix wants to do another season of Interior: the way and the life."

Dexter walks in, making sure to shut the door behind him before he takes a seat. I gently flip the monitor so he could see what I was reading. His brow furrows as he reads the proposal and then his eyebrows raise and keep rising and I swear, it might disappear into his hairline.

"Nicky, this is a lot of money." he said when he was done.

"I know."

"But for this new season, they want to do athletes." Dexter said, placing his elbow on the table and resting his face on his palm.

Its been two years, almost three in  a couple of months since I was discarded by my ex. Discarded was more fitting than dumped because that was what it felt like. The same night I was discarded, Brent and two of his teammates had flown out of town and the very next day, I see videos and pictures of them at a stripclubs, drinks, naked girls, naked men. He was smiling, looking happier than I had seen him in months. So since then I have avoided anything that had to do with footballers and then it got spread to athletes. Since then I have hated anyone who would try to touch me because in my head now, all men are liars. An irony, isn't it? What, with me being one.

Dexter is very aware of my feelings regarding both my ex and athletes but he's also my silent business partner and he has seen how much money we could potentially make if we agree to this Netflix deal.

"What should we do?" I asked, even though I already knew what he was going to say,

"We should take it. It might not even be him."

The proposal states ten episodes for the series with five athletes. Basketball, hockey, rugby, football (soccer), figure skating.  Its been three years and even though I try to avoid the news, I do get some tidbits. Like how each years that's passed, Brent has gotten better, bigger and globally popular. Last year he earned over a ninety million.

There's a fifty-fifty chance it's gonna be him and Dex is aware of it.

"Let's not panic. We can just agree with the proposal for now and then go from there." Dex said and I internally hold my sigh. Whether I want to or not, this is such a big deal and ten times the base pay of the first season. I have hardworking staff to pay and exclusive memberships to keep up with.

"Okay."

I draft out a response, looked it over while Dex and I chat. When I was satisfied with it, I hit send. At the end of the day, Brent doesn't matter to me anymore.

"Still gonna go on that date? There's still time." Dex said, gesturing towards the clock behind him. It was just eight thirty on a Thursday night. He's right. I could go out, meet up with this guy the dating agency set me up with, have fun.

"Let's go, Dex. Your wife must be worried sick by now."

"She's my girlfriend."  he responds, his cheeks turning a warm rose-y color.

"And I'm a unicorn." I said, laughing in response.

Dex is a smart businessman who never stays past six and always has the same lovely woman in his arms at every vent we host or attended. Where Dex was five foot nine, his lovely girlfriend was six foot one. One time I was walking past his office and I heard her call him, her short king.