4. Chapter Four

Chapter Four

Max

A week later, once I'd gotten the go-ahead from Doug to hire the host I wanted, I texted Sterling, telling him to meet me for drinks at HQ, the gay bar we frequented, later that night.

Sterling: Everything okay?

Max: A hundred percent. Met with the boss today. He loved my ideas about the new show. Let's celebrate after work.

Sterling: Hell yeah. You don't have to tell me twice.

Hours later, I was home, showering and picking out my clothes. I seriously debated wearing a crop top and snug jeans, and I also considered putting on eye makeup—at least a little eyeliner or something. After what felt like a long debate in the mirror while I worked on styling my hair, I decided to change the whole vibe. Instead, I settled on wearing dark jeans and a light blue T-shirt, black boots on my feet. I didn't have any intention of picking someone up, and I didn't want to dress like I was on the prowl. The night was for celebrating and business—not getting laid.

It wasn't long until I was on the sidewalk in front of HQ, vibrant neon lights casting a glow onto the street and the people milling around. As I entered, my heart lightened, the tension of the workday draining out of me. The place was a sanctuary for us, somewhere Sterling and I had been visiting since we'd met at work, having both moved to New York only a few weeks prior.

I spotted Sterling, his blond hair perfectly styled, his smile contagious even from across the room, sitting in our usual corner, chatting with a guy who looked slightly older than us, and far too buttoned-up and professional for a night at HQ, but just Sterling's type. The guy's gaze was laser-focused on Sterling. I chuckled and shook my head. Sterling always could command attention, even without trying too hard. It was one of the things that made him an excellent TV host.

It didn't hurt that he was easy on the eyes. He looked stunning, and if I weren't his best friend—I would've absolutely gone for him. He was wearing a fitted black shirt that showed off his muscular frame, and his smile was magnetic, even from across the room. I waved at him and nodded before gesturing to the bar to let him know I was getting a drink. In response, he raised his bottle of beer and nodded.

I was leaning on the bar and ordering a Tom Collins when Sterling came up to me and put a hand on my shoulder. I turned and grinned at him. "Hey man."

Immediately, he wrapped me in a tight hug. When he spoke, his voice was full of pride. "Congrats, man. I knew you'd do it."

My smile in response was genuine. I'd been so nervous that they wouldn't want Sterling on the show, and having the approval to hire him meant the world to me. I knew the two of us would absolutely make an amazing show together. "I appreciate you saying that."

"Tell me everything."

"I mean, there's not too much to report. I pitched my plans for the show and he was on board. No notes."

"That's awesome, man." He took a sip of his beer. "Let me know if you need any support. I'll do whatever I can."

"Well, actually, there was this one thing I wanted to run by you. Doug said you'd be a great pick for host. He gave me the green light to offer you the position. What do you say? You in?"

"Fuck yeah, of course I'm in. Where did you say the show is located?"

"Virginia. Port Grandlin. I've already got someone working on a rental so I don't have to stay in a hotel the whole time. If you want, we can share a place." I knew it would be hard to uproot, but it was the nature of the job. With reality shows, it felt like we were often pulled to the ends of the Earth for each new show.

Sterling beamed and held his fist out for me to bump with my own. "This is going to be so fucking awesome."

"I hoped you'd say that. Doug said he'd have the contract sent over tomorrow, so keep an eye out for that. Run it by your attorney or whoever needs to see it. He wants to move quickly on this one. The homeowners and construction team are eager to get started."

"Understandably so. If I was renovating a home, I wouldn't want to wait for months for a TV show to get its shit together."

I nodded and picked up my drink. "Exactly." I took a long sip of the Tom Collins, the gin and lemon juice mingling perfectly as I did.

"So we're moving to Virginia for a while, huh?"

"We are. I'm going to try to get the rest of the guys on the crew, too. As much as possible, anyway."

"That would be really cool, all of us working together."

"I'll see what I can do." I finished off my drink. "Now, let's get our asses out there and dance."

Sterling grinned and nodded, taking a pull from his beer bottle. "I thought you'd never ask."