Opal's Wish: Book Four of The Crystal Warriors Series (27 page)

“I’m a fan of plain speaking,” Magda said. “So I’ll get right to the point. I’ve been in the fashion industry longer than you’ve been out of diapers. I know you used to be a damn fine model. I know you went by the name Jordan Cast. And I want yours to be the face and body and name that launches my new range. I’m planning a limited launch first up. Jeans. Then casual wear, lingerie, perfume, sunglasses—the works. I want Jordan Cast. I want
you
. And I’m prepared to offer you an obscene amount of money, and the most generous contract terms you’ve ever seen.”

God. Opal had expected a
cleaning
contract offer. And sure, it had crossed her fertile mind there might be some teeny tiny remote possibility that Magda had unearthed some evidence of her past relationship with Rick, and was here to dig for dirt in the hope of discrediting his campaign for mayor. Or something. But she’d never in a million years expected
this
.

She picked up the can and gulped the contents until the burn from the fizzy drink got too intense and she had to pause to take a breath.

“Don’t bother telling me I’ve got the wrong girl, and that you’re not Jordan Cast.” Magda took a dainty sip from her glass and leaned back in her chair, a picture of poise and composure as she fixed Opal with her too-knowing, steely-gray gaze. “Friend of mine sent me photos of that fashion show you did in Brooklyn recently. Of course I recognized you instantly.”

Opal’s heart plummeted to her toes. Yep. That rash decision was coming back to bite her on the ass big-time. She swallowed a couple of times and eventually managed a hoarse, “Why m-m-me?” Which should have been followed by something to the effect of “there are a heap of other girls to choose from who’re still in the business” but she figured Magda would get the gist.

Magda stared at Opal like she’d grown another head. Then she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and laughed. “You really don’t know, do you?”

“No.”

“It’s been almost a decade and you should have been… I don’t know, run-of-the-mill? Awkward? Terrible, even? But those photos are something else. You’re sexy on camera. But there’s an innocence about you, too. And the camera loves you. Hell, you even made Stella North’s designs look a million bucks. And believe me, her creations are nothing I haven’t seen before. In a word,
boring
.”

Ouch. Opal winced at this harsh condemnation.

Magda sighed and drummed her nails on the tabletop. And when she spoke it seemed more as if she was speaking to herself than Opal. “I need to come clean with Conrad about Stella sooner rather than later. He dotes on that girl. But she’s arrogant
and
not especially talented, which to my mind makes her irredeemable. She needs a wake-up call, and
he
needs to quit letting her use him to get ahead. It’s becoming embarrassing.” Another sigh. “But even a ball-breaker like me doesn’t like disappointing her friends.”

Hang on.
Conrad
was a personal friend of
Magda’s
?

God, what a mess. Poor Annie. If Stella’s aspirations were doomed to failure, she was highly likely to embrace her inner bitch and make Annie’s life even more difficult. It wasn’t easy at the best of times being married to a significantly older man whose youngest daughter resented the hell out of you.

Opal must have moaned out loud for Magda reached across the tabletop to pat her wrist. “I know you’re friends with Conrad’s new wife. And you’ve probably guessed Conrad sent me those photos, hoping I’d be so impressed by Stella’s designs I’d concede to mentor her. You probably feel like you’re caught in the middle, correct? Don’t stress. I’ll handle Conrad and Stella.”

She absorbed Opal’s startled expression and waved an elegant hand. “And please don’t blame Annie North for giving up your address. My PA, Emilie, loves a challenge. When she figured out the identity of the girl in the photo, and why I wanted to find you, she just about wet her panties with excitement. She’s a force of nature when she sets her mind to something. Annie didn’t stand a chance.”

Duly noted that Emilie, PA extraordinaire, was a woman to be avoided at all costs. Opal chewed the inside of her cheek, wondering how to let Magda down easy. Best to tell the truth. Or as much of it she was willing to reveal to a woman she’d just met. “M-M-My st-st-stutter. I’d b-b-be a l-l-liability.”

Magda’s incisive gaze softened. “If you ever want to talk about anything, I’m here. And I give you my word I’d never betray your confidence. I can also recommend an excellent therapist.”

“T-T-Tried speech th-th-therapy.”

“I’m talking about my
personal
therapist. She was attached to a special victims unit for a few years before she set up a private practice… which is the reason I sought her out.”

Nausea churned in Opal’s belly and she’d hazard a guess her expression right now was stricken.

Whoa. Nice move, Magda. But I don’t know you well enough to even consider bonding over the two of us being
victims
. And if you think that revelation is going to make me open up and spill my guts after all these years, you can think again.

Some things were better left buried.

Magda waited a bit for Opal to process—or confess—and when she remained silent, nodded and tactfully changed the subject. “I could see you being an excellent advocate for young people with speech disabilities. But interviews could be limited to print-only if you preferred, with a mandatory confidentiality agreement signed by the journo stating that your stutter not be disclosed. No TV or radio or anything that made you uncomfortable. You would call the shots, Opal. And frankly, you being publicity shy might add to your mystique and help boost the label.”

Magda fished a folder from her tote and passed over a sheaf of documents. “Here’s the offer. The important part is in the second paragraph of the cover letter. The rest is the usual legalese but don’t take my word for it. There’s a check attached to cover any legal fees incurred when you get this contract checked over before you sign. I’ve also listed three attorneys I feel comfortable recommending to negotiate it for you. I’ve not personally been represented by any of them so there’s no conflict of interest, and in my professional opinion they’re all damned good at what they do. But you should choose whomever you feel comfortable with. I understand you’re acquainted with Desiree Grant?”

Opal jerked in her seat.

“No, she didn’t tell Emilie anything about you.” Magda’s eyes sparkled with amusement. “She was quite blunt about declining the request, too. Emilie was most put out—I think she met her match with Desiree. You’ve got one hell of a friend there, Opal. So perhaps ask Desiree to recommend someone.”

She might just do that. Opal glanced at the check designated for legal fees and gulped. It seemed overly generous, but she’d been out of the loop for so long what did she know? And, as if the Fates were pulling strings, who should be at the top of the list of recommended legal professionals? None other than Annie’s husband, Conrad North.

“If you’re thinking my friendship with Conrad will make him less likely to work exclusively on your behalf,” Magda said, “think again.”

The wryness in her tone made Opal glance up from the sheaf of papers.

“I’ve known Conrad many years and straight up, wrangling legalese into submission is the equivalent of a legal high for that man. Given the opportunity he would rip this contract apart, rewrite it from start to finish, and happily make me a pauper without batting an eyelid. He can’t be bought or coerced. I respect that about him—always have.”

Magda leaned forward and rested her elbows on the tabletop. “Here’s the thing, Opal. I’ve been screwed over by sneaky contract clauses before. Most people in our line of business have at some time or another. But I’d rather not screw over someone I’m hoping to work with. Crudely put, that’s shitting in your own nest. So am I confident this contract is in your best interests as well as mine? Hell yeah. Would I be happy if you signed it right now? You bet your sweet ass I would. But I want you to be certain, okay? I don’t want you having any doubts or regrets.” She flicked a hand at the documents. “Now hurry up and get to the good stuff.”

Opal flicked to the cover letter…. And nearly fell off her chair. Five-year contract. Option for renewal. And so many zeros it took her a minute or so to translate the figure.

She blinked once. Twice. But the decimal point hadn’t moved. And it was so overwhelming she had to remind herself to breathe. A long-term contract. Working in an industry she’d once loved. Enough money to set her and Sera up for life. She could sell up and buy a nicer house. And Sera wouldn’t have to bus to school. Opal could drive her because they could afford a
car
. Hell, Sera could even go to a private school if she wanted. And Opal could hire a nanny to look after Sera whenever she had to work.

Enough money to hire a top-notch attorney to fight
anything
Rick tried to throw at them should he take exception to Jordan Cast resuming her modeling career. She could finally be free of him. That thought alone made her giddy.

“Do you need more time to think about it?” Magda asked.

Opal glanced up to see Sera hovering in the doorway, a question in her eyes. She wondered how much Sera had overheard and how much she understood.

Sera chewed her thumbnail. “If Magda wants you to do some modeling then you should do it, Mommy. ’Coz you were real excited and happy about doing that fashion show for Annie. And I can’t remember you being that happy for a real long time.”

Opal widened her eyes to prevent the tears from spilling over. She beckoned Sera, and pointed to the dollar amount on the cover letter. “M-M-Math lesson.”

Sera traced her finger below each zero and Opal could hear her counting them beneath her breath. Sera lifted her head and glared at Magda. Hard. “If this is a joke it’s not very nice,” she said.

“It’s not a joke, Sera,” Magda said. “I promise. I want your mommy to come work for me, and if she agrees I’ll pay her a whole lot of money.”

Opal wrapped her arms around Sera and drew her close. She could feel her daughter shaking. “That’s a whole lot of money,” Sera whispered.

“Yes.” No point beating about the bush. Sera was a smart kid.

“We could buy a house.”

“Yes.”

“One that’s big enough for Dan, too.”

Where had
that
come from? “Uh—”

“When you’re away working would I have a nanny?”

That, she could answer. “Yes.”

“Do I get to help pick her?”

“Yes.”

“If she turns out to be real mean, will you fire her and pick someone else?”

Opal inhaled sharply. “Absolutely.”

“If you’re away weekends, can me and the nanny come stay wherever you’re staying, too? Sometimes. Not all the time. Unless you wanted us to.”

“I’d love that.”

“Then I think you should do it, Mommy.”

“I think so, too.” Opal glanced overtop Sera’s head at Magda, and damned if Magda wasn’t smiling fit to burst… and blotting her eyes with a tissue.

“So,” Magda said. “We’re doing this?”

“Yes.”

“Can I give you a hug?”

“Yes.” Despite the dampness sheening her forehead, and her stomach doing an excellent impression of a yo-yo, and her chest feeling so constricted that she was panting, she hadn’t stuttered in good long while. She could get used to saying the Y-word.

Magda threw herself out of her chair, sending it skittering across the floor. Opal watched, wide-eyed, as the poised woman indulged in a bout of sprinting-on-the spot, her arms pumping as she crowed, “Yes!” And then Magda exhaled a deep, audible breath, shook her arms like they were limp noodles, rolled her shoulders once, and slinked over to Opal and Sera. She wasn’t allowing herself to smile but her eyes gleamed.

“I think Magda’s really happy,” Sera whispered, and giggled.

“Magda is
very
happy,” Magda said. “In fact, Magda is ecstatic. Do you know how to spell ‘ecstatic’, Sera?”

“Ummm…. E-x-s-t-a-t-i-c-k?”

“Near enough. I’m going to hug you and your mom, now. Is that okay with you?”

“Yep.”

Magda wrapped her arms around them both, and pressed a loud smacking kiss on Sera’s cheek, making her giggle again. “That’s for being the best daughter ever and giving your mom the okay to do this,” Magda said. “I know she wouldn’t do it if you weren’t happy about it. So thank you, Sera.

“And this one’s for you, Opal Jordan Stewart.” Magda kissed her on the cheek, enveloping her in the scent of expensive cosmetics and a perfume redolent of jasmine. She pulled away and when she straightened, she blotted her eyes again. “You are going to be famous, Opal-Jordan. A household name. And I’m so thrilled to be the one giving you this opportunity.”

At a loss to know what to say, Opal reached out to pat Magda’s arm.

Magda clasped her hand and squeezed it gently. “I can’t wait for you to come on board. But first we need to get this contract looked over. Does someone on the list take your fancy? I can have Conrad over here tonight if I call in that favor he owes me. Or do you want to call Desiree for a recommendation?”

Reality bit. Of course a savvy businesswoman like Magda would want to wrap this up as soon as possible… before the glow wore off and doubts set in. And of course now Opal’s throat was—inevitably—clogged by the words she wanted to say. She swatted Sera lightly on the bottom to send her off to watch TV again.

Sera tossed her a grin and skipped off toward the lounge.

Opal gestured Magda to take her seat, and fumbled in her overalls pocket for her mobile phone. She held up two fingers for “Give me a couple of minutes”.

Magda nodded and took another sip of her soda while Opal texted Desiree, asking if she would come over. ASAP. Because Opal needed urgent advice on an offer she didn’t want to refuse but might be too damn good to be true.

Desiree’s reply came back in seconds; she must have been sitting on her phone or something.
The Handsome Asshole propositioned you???

Yikes. So not going there right now.
I have Magda Bliss sitting in my kitchen. Have u heard of her?