Chapter 29: 4: Opportunities

SHAY

Tuesday, February 14th

Shay’s weekend had been a whirlwind of thoughts. She’d replayed their conversation, the entire day, over and over like a recurring nightmare. Everything was still so raw, and escape seemed impossible.

Today was Valentine’s Day, and her schedule was packed. She had back-to-back meetings and was planning to celebrate the evening with her wonderful husband. But first, she had to drop the twins off at school.

They looked adorable in their private school uniforms, their little pink polo shirts a special touch for Valentine’s Day.

“Do you have your candies and letters for your Valentines?” Shay asked the twins as she pulled into the carpool lane.

“Yup,” they chimed in unison.

She couldn’t help but smile, thrilled for her twins. This was their first time participating in Valentine’s Day events. The school had prepared boxes for them to put their gifts in, and as promised, each box had an extra gift just in case a child was left out.

She loved the school’s commitment to inclusivity.

“Are you going to give yours to Emma, Liam?” Shay asked, glancing at them through the rearview mirror.

“Yes.” Liam blushed a deep beet red.

She couldn’t help but smile at the adorable sight. Liam was giving a rose, a box of chocolates, and a handwritten note to a girl named Emma, who was biracial, just like him. Eli was giving the same gifts to another girl, Riri, named after Rihanna.

Riri’s parents were huge fans of the singer and hailed from the Caribbean. Shay was thrilled that her kids didn’t care about skin color. It was important to her that they understood their heritage. She had feared they might lose touch with their black roots, given their light skin tone.

“Have a good day, boys,” Shay called out as the car doors opened.

As they scampered off, Shay watched them disappear into the school compound. She missed the carefree days of childhood, free of responsibilities and worries.

Honk

A car horn snapped her back to reality. She shifted gears and drove off, leaving her twins at their upscale private school. She headed home, where Josephine was taking care of Nate for the day.

Shay had a lot on her plate and needed to prepare for her big date with her husband tonight.

Once home, Shay changed into a white top and her most comfortable pair of jeans. She pulled her curls back into a neat ponytail, her face fresh and makeup-free.

~Dum dum dum dum.~

Her laptop rang. Seeing the caller ID, she smiled and accepted the call, smoothing her hair as Dario’s face appeared on the screen.

“Hey, you!” she greeted.

She missed him. His constant presence had been a comfort over the years. He was caring and supportive, everything she could ask for. When she’d told him she was pregnant, he’d proposed.

She’d turned him down, but his sweet gesture had moved her to tears. She never doubted his intentions.

“Beautiful as always,” he complimented.

“How are things?” she asked, grabbing her iPad and pen from the charging dock, ready for the upcoming meeting.

“Actually, I have a little confession to make,” Dario said, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

Intrigued, she looked at the screen, a pang of nostalgia hitting her as she recognized her old apartment.

“The first meeting is with Playboy,” he revealed.

Her eyes widened in surprise.

“Let me explain,” he quickly added, seeing her reaction. She felt blindsided.

“I’m listening,” she prompted.

“Playboy reached out a few times, and I know you wouldn’t do it but they’re offering way more than they usually do,” he explained.

“You know I won’t just do it for money,” she retorted.

“Take the meeting, you might feel differently after it,” he suggested.

She sighed but ultimately agreed. They chatted a bit more before the meeting started.

“Hi there, you’re Shay Haze,” a blonde woman on the screen greeted.

“Yeah, nice to meet you,” Shay replied, as the woman introduced herself as Daphne and her team.

“We are interested in having you on the cover and centerfold. We know you’re hesitant, but we’re willing to pay double our usual rate. We’d also like to feature you in our calendar. It’s a huge honor and, unusually for us, we’d allow you to wear your own products. You can be as tasteful as possible, no explicit nudity. We’re planning to diversify our magazine, and with your social media following, we believe our readers would love to see you as the cover and centerfold,” Daphne pitched.

Shay sighed, unsure of what to say.

“Honestly, I am a mother,” she revealed, knowing that all meetings were covered under a non-disclosure agreement. Despite rumors on social media, she’d never confirmed it. “And I don’t think as a mother I should be doing this,” she reasoned.

“That’s why we would love to have you,” a woman named Jackie interjected.

“We’ve seen your photos and we know you don’t airbrush. That’s your real body. Showing it off on the cover would empower women and seduce men,” Jackie argued.

Shay didn’t immediately reject the idea. She admitted she needed more time to think about it. It wasn’t just about her anymore. She had to consider her boys and her husband. But she couldn’t deny that she was flattered by the offer.

The second meeting was with a company she’d worked with before. They’d produced her lingerie collection, and now they wanted to collaborate on another line. She readily agreed, remembering the excitement of their first collaboration.

As the call ended, she felt a surge of excitement. Some of the profits would go to the charities she supported, a wonderful way to give back.

Shay was heading into her third meeting, the penultimate one for the day. Dario had arranged this one for her, a designer who was in search of something. She wasn’t entirely sure what the meeting would involve, but she trusted Dario’s judgment when it came to work matters.

The third meeting, however, took her by surprise. The proposal was unexpected. The interested party wanted to buy her company, expressing a keen interest in the work she was doing.

They were offering a substantial sum to acquire the company.

Their goal was to purchase several companies similar to hers to broaden their portfolio. Shay wasn’t particularly enthusiastic about the idea, but she agreed to consider it overnight. They promised to send her a follow-up email.

Finally, it was time for the last meeting. She was drained, but she knew that once it was over, she could head upstairs to freshen up. Having skipped all her meals, Shay hadn’t even had time to pick up the boys from school.

Adam had come home early from work to help with the twins, allowing her to focus on her work for the day.

“Bonjour.” A woman with a French accent greeted her.

“Hello, I’m Shay,” she responded. The woman was unmistakably French, her nails and hair impeccably done. Her petite glasses perched on her nose as she peered at the screen.

“I don’t have much time, I’m sorry. So let me get to it, ya?” the woman said, sounding rushed.

Shay nodded quickly, suddenly feeling as though she was in the military, receiving orders from a commanding officer.

“I’m Estelle from Balenciaga, talent acquisition, and we are looking for models. We recently conducted a poll on our page and you were selected as a potential model for one of our Balenciaga pieces at New York Fashion Week later this year,” Estelle explained.

Shay nodded, remaining silent as she processed the information.

“We reviewed your profile and one of our partners sent us a number of your photos. Even though you won the poll, we are interested in hiring you as our brand ambassador for next year’s campaign,” Estelle continued. Shay’s eyes widened in surprise.

“What? Me?” Shay asked, taken aback.

“Yes, Shay Haze from Shy Wear,” Estelle confirmed, glancing at the document in front of her.

“I will send you an email, and I will give you a week to think it over,” Estelle added.

“Okay,” Shay responded in a small voice, still reeling from the unexpected offer. They exchanged some quick information before ending the call.

Shay sat in her chair, stunned by the offers she had received that day. She struggled to comprehend what was happening. Why were all these offers coming in at once?

It was surreal. She hadn’t received such impressive offers in years. She was grateful, of course, but also extremely surprised.

Feeling elated, Shay rose from her chair. She saw the twins in the living room doing their homework, Josephine changing Nate’s diapers. She sighed contentedly, pleased with how her day had gone.

Slipping away upstairs, Shay felt the need for a shower. She wanted to wash away the day’s meetings and prepare for her Valentine’s date with her handsome husband.

She noticed her husband lying on the bed, his arms tucked under his head. She bit her lip, marveling at her good fortune. Setting her phone on the bedside table, Shay removed her jeans and climbed onto the bed.

“Happy Valentine’s Day,” Shay greeted him, resting her chin on his chest.

“My gorgeous, how’s the meeting?” he asked, brushing a strand of hair from her face.

She could smell the mint on his breath and the vanilla scent of his body wash. She knew he had just showered.

“I had four meetings. Nature wants to do another collaboration with me on our lingerie line, a company wants to buy Shy Wear, Playboy offered me a cover and centerfold, and Balenciaga wants me to be a brand ambassador and to participate in New York Fashion Week this year,” Shay recounted, sighing at the memory of her successful meetings.

His eyes widened in surprise.

“I can’t believe I’m married to such a hot commodity. Everyone wants her, but I’m the only one who gets her,” he said, flipping her onto her back.

His hands moved to her breasts, fondling her. Instantly, her attention shifted to him. She closed her eyes, enjoying his touch.

He quickly removed her panties and, in a swift motion, he was inside her.

She gasped in surprise, allowing him to move within her. Usually, anything he did would turn her on, but surprisingly, she wasn’t in the mood. She closed her eyes, her hands reaching for his back, her nails digging in.

An image of Ethan flashed through her mind. She quickly opened her eyes, focusing on her husband. She could tell he was close.

In a brief moment, he climaxed. Rolling off her, he panted, catching his breath.

Shay turned to her side, intending to get up and shower. She felt awkward about the sex they’d just had. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed her phone lighting up.

Curious, she picked it up and read the new message.

From: Ethan Ramsay

To: Shay Haze

Happy Valentine’s Day. Remember our first date?

Their first date hadn’t been on Valentine’s Day, but it was certainly a day to remember.