I opt for a bubble bath. The sunset is directly visible through the bare windows. The ocean is pink hinted with white waves. I soak for as long as I can. Until my skin gets pruney. I stand from the tub to shower off my body. Jace calls. I dry my hands, then wrap up in the towel. "Hey, love bug."

"Lovebug?"

"Yep...I chose a pet name for you."

"Took you forever."

"You know I'm not good at names. Tell me if you don't like it?"

"It fits...I'll bug you for the rest of your life."

"Please don't make that a vow." I cringe.

"Too late..."

"I'll leave you at the altar." I giggle.

"Bugs are hard to lose. I wish you luck, bunny."

"Cool...I always wanted to be a runaway bride."

" You can't run from me, that's been made clear."

"You cheated last time. I want a rematch. When will you be home?"

"Late...it's a busy night." He stresses.

"Why?"

"I have to somehow invent a new product to save the industry."

"Save?"

"Yes...Strygent is on a down spiral."

"Why?" He goes silent. I check the call to see if it's still live. It is. "The president and NASA deal hasn't come to the rescue yet. I have to tease a new outlet to build Strygent."

"Maybe I can help." Since it's mostly my fault. I want to say this aloud, but I know Jace will deny it to pacify me. He knows it's true.

"I'm all ears."

I place my hand on my chin and pace around. "Give me a second, I'm channeling Sherlock Holmes." Okay, I can't disappoint. Jace thinks I'm savvy with on-the-spot brilliance. Dorian put me on a pedestal...now I have to prove how clever I am. I think back to the expo. Strygent has cars, VR, TVs, headphones, smart gloves, biker gear, computers, gaming systems. Smart bots and smart glasses. Jace said he tried a ring sized phone before and it failed because it was too small. What if he does a regular one?? "What about a phone?"

"I've thought about that before, but that market is over-saturated. The ring phone was my way of being unique. That backfired."

"True...but a new smartphone by Strygent would blow up. Especially if you offer features no one else has."

"Like what?"

"A phone that can handle gaming. It'll have to be huge, but not too big that it can't slide into your pocket. Maybe a folding phone, that can extend from small to big."

"Hmm...interesting. Smartphones are limited. I think you're onto something."

"You're not the only smart one anymore."

"You have to impress me more to win that title." He challenges.

"Okay, prepare to be blown away," I smirk. "You're working with NASA; you should flex a cool feature..." I pace around with my hand under my chin.

"A telescope feature."

"OOO! YES!" I hop up and down. "Imagine zooming into space on your phone. Seeing planets and shit!"

"NASA could manufacture special lenses."

"It has to be extremely high definition."

"Definitely." I hear the cockiness in his voice. "10k resolution."

"And please expand the battery percentage bar to 200%," I complain. "That has always irritated me that we have the same bar percentage since the beginning of phones."

"Will do."

"Oh, I also hate how apple phones aren't compatible with other phones. The emojis and attachment sharing. The phone should be fully compatible with all devices." I declare.

"That's the reason I bought so many. iPhones are horrible for work but great for everyday use. Blackberries are best for business and androids are best for innovation. Three different devices when there could be one."

"Exactly."

"Alright, you may have me reconsidering. What else do you have in mind?"

"I hate how phone companies lie about how good their coverage is. It's so spotty. With you being a tech king, I'm sure you can fix that." I boost his ego.

"Cell towers are outdated. The signals fade after a certain radius. This was another reason I backed out of the project. But now that I'm partnered with NASA, satellites are an option."

"Satellite coverage, now that's a game changer. But the price has to be a game changer too. Apple is charging a house mortgage for there's. The cost can't be too low or too high."

"Hmm..." I place my hand on my hip and stare out at the ocean. "$500? Or is that too much?"

"Not for a cutting-edge device." He agrees. "I could hike up the price, but it's nice hearing a viewpoint from someone from the normal world."

"Someone from the normal world?" I giggle. "I don't think I qualify as normal anymore."

"You don't, but you still have that mindset. I'm used to the opinions of the greedy rich."

"Those two words don't belong together."

"Trust me, the rich are the greediest people on the planet."

"Interesting..." I would've never thought that. When working at the country club, I learned the rich were cheap, now I know why.

"$500 is acceptable."

"We need to get the ball running on this. I know it'll blow up."

"It will. Especially if the phone is solar powered."

"That means it'll have to charge in direct sunlight. Some customers might not like having to move somewhere sunny to charge their phone."

"The sun's ultraviolet rays reach past walls and curtains; they'll be no need for direct sunlight."

"Oh...damn, I didn't know that..."

"There's much more to learn, grasshopper." Jace imitates a wise teacher.

"You've seen too many karate movies." I jab.

'No such thing." I hear a smile in his voice. "We can visit Dorian tomorrow for name input."

"Sounds like a plan." I step to grab another towel from a wall dispenser. The cloth is rolled up much like a can of biscuits.

"I also set up a meeting with my public relations team. We need to correct the media's perception of you."

"We do..."

"The rep will be harsh, they aren't paid to be nice."

"So...the rep will be mean?"

"No, just blunt."

I unroll the towel to dry my hair. "Thanks for the heads up, I'll remind myself to not take anything personal."

"That's all you need to do to survive this life."

I remember the text I sent him asking about the talk with his mother. I think he's avoiding it. Jace saw the text. I'll give him space...I don't want to nag him.

The meet with the public relation rep is the first task we knock out. We're dressed and gone from the beach house by 9am. Of course, we dress to impress. Plaid suits. Brown black and white. Jace's is loose and classic, mines is an elegant blazer with a notched collar and gold accessories. I'm introduced to the PR rep. I'm sure to smile and shake her hand. "Hello, I'm Madison Hart."

"Lovely to meet you." A woman with a high pitched voice greets me.

"This is Velma Sky." Jace clarifies.

Velma's blue hair is cut into a sharp bob with bangs. Her eyes match the hair color. I've never seen anyone like her before. The lady could have hopped out of a steam punk game. I'm not sure of her exact ethnicity. It's clear she's not American. "Shall we begin?"

"Yes." Jace leads me to the table. We fill the chairs in seconds.

"I'm glad you've agreed to meet, Ms. Hart."

"I'm aware that damage control is needed."

"It is." Velma nods, then eyes Jace. "I usually assign roles to my clients." Her neon eyes return to me. "I've agreed to allow freedom, but I will share suggestions."

"I'd love to hear them." I keep professional.

"Great, we can start with communication. Your online presence is vital. I've seen your twitter, only three posts. That has to change."

"I rarely use it, that's why."

"You must upload five times a day. Videos and photos. This goes for Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok."

"I'm not sure if I can manage that, but I'll try."

Velma grins. "Good." She slides me a paper with time schedules for posting. "Please follow the instructions on the page. Those are the hot spots, meaning the best times to post due to high activity." I look over the paper. "I suggest beginning with Q&A videos, and anti-bully content. Your business goals should also be publicized."

"I agree."

"So should your maturity. Now that you're in the spotlight, you must appear smarter and older to the audience. Starting by dressing modestly." She eyes my low neckline.

Ummm...this is modest! I'm not showing too much, just a little cleavage. "I feel my outfit is modest enough."

"Enough isn't the goal you want to meet. Since the strip pole video, everyone expects you to dress provocatively. Meaning they assume your self-esteem is low."

Jace shakes his head. "Let's not treat opinions as facts, Velma."

"I am stating facts, sir. Women who dress promiscuously are viewed as attention seeking and desperate for male validation."

I take offense. Attention seeking?? Desperate for male validation?? Velma acts as if she knows me. "I don't dress this way to impress men or to attract attention. I believe in looking good to feel good. I agree with my fiancé. These are opinions, not facts." I retort frostily.

"The outrage online is fact. I never operate off of opinions. Your fiancé should know this by now." She checks me and Jace with a steel gaze. "You'll be assigned a stylist for hair and wardrobe and will dress up in age, AKA appropriately." Velma folds her hands atop the table. "Don't worry, you'll have control over your wedding day...every other day you won't."

"No." I rebuke. "I'll select my own clothing."

"Then I wish you luck...." Velma arches a brow. "I've groomed 348 celebrities who are all well received and respected. If you feel I'm underqualified, you're allowed to look elsewhere."

Jace watches me hold my tongue. I think he knows it's a lost cause, as I do. "Madison will select her day-to-day fashion."

"Agreed. My stylist will present a large wardrobe, she'll have the choice of choosing."

"Agreed." I play nice. Her client list is high for a reason. Velma is a professional, I respect that. But she words her sentences the wrong way. She's too demanding and stubborn.

"As for the press. Please stop to answer their questions and to mingle with fans. You have to decline all the misinformation circulating. But do so in a down-to-earth manner, never be rude or cold."

I squint. "What about the ones who are rude and cold towards me? You expect me to answer their questions?"

"Yes." Velma sighs. "You're in dark red, Ms. Hart, I'm trying to guide you towards redemption. I'll have you in the safe zone, light green, in 3 months. That'll only happen if you accept my help. Instead, you're bickering."

I scoff. "No, I'm defending myself against your false assumptions."

"If I'm false...why are you here?" She stares daggers at me. "I'm sure Jace explained what I do."

"I did." Jace stands up for me. "I also told you she's new to this life, but you're treating her as if she isn't. You can't drop all of this on Madison and expect a positive outcome."

"Maybe you're right..." Velma fires back calmly. "But you're not. Madison is here because deep down, she knows she needs to fix herself. As I said yesterday, she's wise, meaning the embarrassment felt from the pole dancing video was mutual. You're both humiliated...that's why you're asking for my help. To fix the mistake." I don't protest...I know it's true. I know the video disgraced Jace. No guy wants their girl seen as a thot...especially in front of billions. A woman's appearance reflects a man's intelligence. Jace's silence confirms this. Velma revels in our quietness. She won the battle. She stands. "Have a lovely day.

I stay silent as she exits the conference room. I don't want to explode on Jace in front of his partner. He knows Velma well enough. He can't lie and say he didn't see this coming! The warning he gave before was an understatement. Velma isn't blunt, she's cruel and critical. It seems she gets off on drama. I boil up a storm in my mind, counting the seconds until the room is empty. Waiting until we're alone. As soon as the door closes, I glower at Jace. "You knew she was going to attack me!"

He inhales and glares back. "I'm not a fortune teller, how could I have known?!"

"You've worked with Velma for how long???"

"10 years, on a business level, not a personal one. I don't know her mind."

"10 years is long enough to stop someone from shaming your fiancé!"

"I stood up for you, Madi!"

"Not enough!"

"What do you mean by not enough??!"

"Not once did you tell her to stop disrespecting me! You're the CEO, right? Yet you let her walk all over me!"

His sage eyes are overtaken by hostility. "I don't think you understand how a business operates. I can't tell a third-party to stop doing their job!"

"No...you let her belittle me for something I have no control over!"

"You didn't have control over the video going viral, but you did have it while attending the class."

"Oh, so now it's my fault??!! I was 18. I did something fun!" My nostrils flare. "If you have a problem with that choice, say it, don't let someone else say it for you!" I await his next words; sure, they'll be harsh. Did he lie after he had the video removed? Jace said: "it's been wiped from the internet and will soon be erased from all devices."

Then I said: "Because I embarrassed you..."

"No, you didn't. I did this to spare you from the media."

"Did you lie about me not embarrassing you?" Jace stares ahead at the wall. There're no words for a while. Only air. This silence gives me an answer once again. He lied.

"I did." Jace reveals.

"Why?" My voice is meek...hurt and low. "You could have told me. I suspected that I did, you didn't have to lie. I hid in the ballroom for a reason. I knew it was horrible news for you. I had a feeling you'd hate me for it."

He softly peers over at me. "I'm not good at tough love. I thought erasing the footage was enough to speak my discomfort." Jace explains genuinely. "Maybe I did use Velma as a proxy to voice my dislike."

"You didn't have to..." I twist in the chair to face him. "You could have hated me for it...I would have accepted it. I don't like hearing how you feel from someone else."

"I'd rather protect you from harm...even if it's my own. I can't help it." The weakness in his voice makes me pause. I hold my tongue. "I honestly didn't know she'd attack you like that. I'll have a talk with Velma." He rotates in the chair, same as me, and leans to kiss my lips.

"I said I wouldn't take anything personal." I laugh harshly. "I failed."

"You had the right to snap on her. You're not attention seeking or out for male validation. I'd know if you were."

"How?"

"Those women expect their man to be a father figure and their lover all at once."

"What about low self-esteem? I struggle with that."

"Everyone does." He traces a finger across my ring. "I thought about lowering myself to Brad's level just to get you." His olive eyes fall to the floor. "I felt I wasn't your type...and that I had to change to be what you wanted."

What??? Why would he think that?! Is that why he behaved so childishly on the phone with Brad??? "The phone call? Is that why you acted that way?"

"Yes..."

"You didn't have to." I snuggle my nose beside his. "I wanted you for you." I smooch his lush lips. "The smooth and cool guy who wouldn't give up. That's why I love you." I move my hand to play in his hair, my nails claw through the hanging strands. "Let's forget about Velma, we have a big day ahead of us."

"Are you sure you don't want me to talk to her?"

"I'm sure...I just need to grow tougher skin. The next meeting will go better. I promise." I kiss him. "She was right...I do want to fix what I caused. I'm sorry the video blew up your world. I'll take Velma's advice."

"I'm sorry too. I'll start saying what I don't like."

"Me too." I grin. "Starting with Velma. I don't like that you fucked her."

"Don't worry, it meant nothing."

"Good..." I smirk.

Jace smooches my palms one by one like Prince Charming. "I can't wait for the honeymoon."

"Me either." I bite my lip.

"I'll have to take my time getting you to open up for me, so it's less painful." His deep voice smolders.

The passionate fire of his tone waters my mouth. I blush and swallow. "You can't talk like this when we're out."

"How do you expect me to release the urge? These weeks are going to drag if I compose myself." He stands. "Let's go visit Dorian." Uh oh...I pictured them doing things together! I gotta wipe it from my mind. I follow him to Dorian's office. A raised unit overlooking the entire factory. There's a 360 view of windows. The room is themed jet black and maroon. Pops of yellow compliment tall vases. The color is dynamic and flattering. Jace presses a button on the wall. It lights up green. "He'll be here in a few minutes." 

"Okay." I take a seat on a long futon. There are pictures on a see through desk. Dorian and his boyfriend, a skinny blonde guy. They're so cute! So happy. I view the candid pictures. Halloween costumes, Dorian as poison ivy and his boo as Batman. Christmas photos, complete with matching pjs. Pride day parade snaps. Lady GaGa concert photos. They're so lively. I'm loving their energy. I smile at their adorable faces. 

"Oh, no...you're doing it again."

"Huh?" I look to him.

"No more gay porn for you."

"I wasn't thinking about that!" I laugh.

"Sure, you weren't." He rolls his eyes. "How dare you cheat on me." Jace animatedly holds his heart and squeezes his eyes shut. Mocking a painful reaction.

"Stop being so cute."

"No." Jace walks to stand in front of me. I eye his belt. My bottom lip disappears into my mouth. "Stop being so horny."

"No..." My fingernails clutch underneath his belt. I peer up at him. "Do you want a headshot?"

"Not now...Dorian is here." The door opens just as he finishes the sentence.

"Okay...how did you do that??? I didn't hear him. Do you have an earpiece?" I check his ears. Nothing is there.

"That's classified." Jace turns to address Dorian. There were no sound of footsteps from the corridor! I'm sure of that. Dorian has a light step. I observe the lab manager stride the floor. His shoes are soundless. "Good morning, Dorian."

"Good morning." His eyes land on me. "Can I tell her how you detected me?"

"No."

"Oh, come on! Tell me!"

"I'll tell you some other time." Jace teases me.

I frown. "That's not fair."

"How can I help?" Dorian maneuvers behind his desk to sit.

"We need your expertise."

"Again?" His attention falls on me. "Has Ms. Hart thought up a new business already?"

"No...not a new business." I correct. "And you can call me Madison since we're friends."

"Alright." He smiles gracefully.

Jace paces to the desk. "We brainstormed a new business pipeline. A smart phone."

"Honestly, I think that's a perfect choice. A tech king has to dominate the phone industry to truly rule. I'm all ears." We recap the features and advantages of the phone. The gaming detail and how it can expand to a large size. The NASA camera lens that acts as a telescope. 10k resolution. 200% battery bar. The fully compatible system that can handle opposite device infrastructures. The 3 in 1 phone that'll mimic iPhones, BlackBerrys and Androids. And lastly the satellite coverage. Dorian's dark eyes bulk at the potential. "Wow...you two have me sold."  

"Madi sparked the idea. It wouldn't exist without her."

"Impressive." Dorian claps my way. "Is there a Tech Queen on the rise?"

I modestly shake my head. "No way...I'm just good at complaining about things I hate."

"Don't short sell yourself." Jace compliments. "You out thought me, and that's not an easy thing to do." He holds a hand out for me. I make my way to take it. I love how his fingers interlock mine. "But we're bad at titles." Jace studies Dorian.

"I've got one." He says coolly.

"What is it?" Jace grows impatient.

So do I. "Tell us."

Dorian teases us for a few seconds longer. "Really?" Jace laughs.

"Being dramatic is fun." His light voice admits. "I guess I've given enough suspense. Here's the name. Scopic Phone...or SPhone for short. It relates to the camera abilities and to how the phone reaches beyond the limit."

Once again, his talent wows me. "It's perfect!"

"It is..." Jace withdraws his phone from his back pocket. "Congratulations, your salary has increased."

Dorian sucks in a breath. "What?" he asks, flabbergasted.

"I feel $180k is too low. How about $200k?"

"I...but...what??!" He stammers. "$200k? Holy shit!"

"Madison and I agreed that you deserve it."

Dorian eyes dart to me and back to Jace. He's taken aback. His eyes water. "Wow! That's triple my salary!"

"I know."

Dorian stands and reaches a hand out to Jace. "Thank you, sir." He gives a handshake. "You too, Madison, thank you." He hugs me from across the desk.

"No, thank you." My fiancé corrects. "Now that the phone carrier has a title, I can pitch to NASA and begin the patent and trademark. I'll be sure to mention your contribution."

Dorian blinks uncontrollably, his eyes full of disbelief. "I'd like that. Sorry if I got carried away just now."

I shake my head. "It's no problem, you're allowed to be stunned."

JACE

There's nothing better than making someone's day. Nothing can replace that pure excitement. It reminds me of when I deliver food to famished countries. The eyes of the children and mothers...even the men. They all shared the same joy and gratitude as Dorian. I feel Madi enjoyed this high as much as I did. I'll have to take her on one of my ships, so she'll have the opportunity to experience it tenfold. Our car is surrounded by press. The 20 security guards come in handy. We're in a protective bubble once more. 

"Madison! When is the wedding?" A man holds a mic high above the guards.

"September 13th." My baby answers. She's listening to what Velma stated.

"Where is the destination?" Another microphone peep above us.

"Alodia Island."

Eight more microphones rush to hover above us. "What designer are you wearing?"

"Berta Balilti."

"Theme colors."

"Peaches and cream."

Their voices clash as one. The questions are inaudible. We climb into a Porsche Cayman. The reporters chase after the car, running the sidewalks, snapping endless photos. The same 4 SUVs box us in and escort us away.

"The tango contest is tomorrow night. We can practice before flying to Vegas."

"I'm so excited!" Madi bounces up and down.

"Our lives are about to get busier. Velma has set up tv appearances starting next week. Magazine interviews are next. Vogue will film a segment of 73 questions with you. And the promotion for your studio will kickstart as well." 

"And my social media posting."

"That too."

Madi smiles. "Bring it on."