Gateway Drug | Volume I

Gateway Drug | Part Sixty-Five

"No, we didn't."

"I think we did. I think we just got a little closer in our friendship."

"Nope, I don't think so."

"We did."

"We didn't."

"I love you and I'm glad we're friends."

He just looks at me, trying not to smile, before getting a serious look on his face.

"It'll be okay, Viv." He assures me, genuinely, and I nod.

"I know it will be, I'm just kinda scared to go through the hell I'm gonna need to go through in order to get to the 'it's okay now' part."

"I know you are." He tells me, exhaling more smoke. "I know you are."

That's the thing about Izzy: a raging jackass when he wants to be, and quiet for the most part, but when he gets serious about something, it's genuine and hard to ever forget.

Once Izzy decides to go home, I'm staring at the letter from Playboy, eyeing the number left at the bottom of the page for their project manager.

"Just call and see what they say." I tell myself, taking a deep breath, my palms starting to sweat.

I dial the number and it rings a few times before someone picks up.

"Playboy Enterprises, this is Erika."

I convince myself to calm down and ease the nerves bunching in my stomach before I reply.

"Y-Yes, this is Vivian Sixx. I got a letter from you guys?"

"Yes, they've been hoping you would call. Give me a moment and I'll transfer your call to our PM." She tells me.

"Okay, thank you."

I wait for a moment as the line cuts out, before it cuts back in again.

"Mrs. Sixx?" Another woman's voice greets me.

"Yes?"

"This is Danielle Wyther, I'm the one that sent you the letter." She explains.

"Oh."

"I take it you've made your decision." She says next and I let out a little sigh, hesitantly giving an answer.

"I'm not comfortable doing full nudity--I mean, I don't have an issue being nude but, like, I want the important parts covered." I'm saying before I can stop myself, and I furrow my brows and mouth "what the fuck" to myself for being so blunt.

"...We didn't expect anything different from you, Vivian, no worries." She tells me and I let out a relieved breath. "We've already prepared for more tasteful photos."

She goes on to tell me when I need to meet with her to sign my contract of payment and a temporary NDA ensuring I won't let it out to the public I'm posing until they decide to announce it themselves, and then we go over when I need to come to Chicago to shoot.

Once a date is set to meet, and for the photoshoot itself, we hang up and I turn around to see Karen holding a cup of coffee, wearing her bedroom shoes due to the glass on the floor that I need to clean up.

"You didn't hear that." I tell her.

"I have no clue what you're talking about." She replies, obviously knowing what I'm talking about, but clearly not in a hurry to tell Nikki about it.

She just raises her brows and takes a sip of her coffee, minding her own business.

After breakfast, I try to clean up the best I can, not even necessarily wanting to go to my room to grab a change of clothes and shower once I'm done, but I do.