It was the best food Kaye had eaten in years, and she did her best not to scarf it all down in three bites, instead taking delicate nibbles.

“To answer your question…” Amir continued, after taking a bite of his own steak, “I asked Merle the same thing. The production company has been through this kind of thing before. If the marriage isn’t officially registered, the show will instantly be revealed as a fake, and our success lies in the audience believing this is real life—even if it’s a heightened version of it.”

Kaye sat and considered that. She would be marrying a man for the sake of television authenticity, only to become a divorcee. What would her acting reputation be if she took on such a job? Then again, she would at least actually have an acting reputation. Couldn’t she run with that and make herself into anything she wanted to be?

“I understand your hesitation, and I want you to know that we have set up the contract to protect you in the best possible way.”

“What contract? All I was handed was a prenup.”

Amir winced.

“Yes, we really didn’t handle that very well, did we? I will send you a copy of the contract as soon as this lunch is over so you can have a good look at it. In there, you will see that nothing salacious will be expected of you—we do not have to be explicit in our on-screen affections, and there is no expectation of this being a true marriage.”

His meaning was clear. There would be no expectation of her to perform any kind of…marital duty. That was a relief, at least. Amir continued.

“There will be no real romance; to be clear—no sexual contact of any kind. It was a clause that I made sure they put in, to protect us both. Any affection displayed will be for the show and the show only, and we are not to engage in any activity outside of it other than friendly banter. I outlined it all quite clearly. If any breach of contract occurs, there will be no payment. It must be followed to the letter.”

Kaye blinked at that, absorbing his words. He wanted to protect the actress that took on that role, laying out explicit instructions to keep her safe from any advantages that could be taken. It was endearing, even as a part of her internally groaned at the thought that nothing could ever happen between her and Amir, if she wanted to get her money.

“But we’re getting married on the show. Surely we’ll have to show some affection.”

Amir nodded.

“Yes. We’ll want it to be believable, but Merle has ideas for my persona that will make it easier for us to show affection without being overt about it.”

“You have a persona?”

Amir nodded.

“I do, and so will you, if you take on the role. We’ll want to make sure you’re a shining example of an American woman.”

“What does that mean?”

Amir shrugged.

“I have no idea. I’m sure Merle will be able to give you the proper direction. He’s produced several incredibly successful reality shows. He may be a bit of a jerk, but he’s a jerk that knows how to bring in viewers. You could easily become a household name, Kaye.”

Kaye thought about that. The world knowing who she was, walking into casting calls with a recognizable face. Maybe she wouldn’t even need to go to casting calls after this. Maybe her phone would finally ring with offer after offer, and she could be the one bringing guests to this restaurant.

“You said the first season would end with a wedding, right?” Kaye asked, and Amir nodded.

“Don’t weddings end with a kiss?”

Amir shrugged.

“They do. I can make it as chaste as possible, or I can kiss you on the cheek, if it will make you more comfortable.”

“But that part would count as part of the act, so it wouldn’t breach anything, right?”

“Correct. Still, you should know I won’t make any advances on you on camera without your full permission. This will be my first time in front of the cameras, as well. I want to make sure I do it right.”

“You’re doing a reality show. I’m not sure there’s a place for class there.”

“Of course there is. We’ll pave the way for classy reality TV,” he replied, grinning.

Kaye took another moment to consider it. The Sheikh had made an exceptional case for joining the show. The contract would protect her from any foul play, and she would get the chance to at least do one job. There was one important factor she hadn’t covered, though.

“What’s the pay?” she asked.

“How much do you want?”

She blinked.

“What, like I can make my own salary?”

He leaned in, his voice lowering.

“I like you, Kaye. I like your resume. I can tell already that you’re a great actress—your expressions and mannerisms are perfect. So, tell me how much you want, and I will see what I can do about it.”

Kaye leaned back in her chair and grinned.

“A million.”

Let’s watch him take that one in, she thought.

Amir nodded.

“Done. Once the first season has wrapped, you will get the payment in full, provided you comply with the contract.”

“I think I can swing it, friend.”

Amir’s eyes lit up, and he poured them each a flute of champagne, handing one to her before he lifted his glass.

“To friends and partners, then,” he said, and she clinked her glass against his.

“To friends and partners. I’d still like to give the prenup and the contract a thorough read before we move forward, though.”

“Of course. Dessert?” he asked as the waitress returned to take their plates.

“I’m afraid I’ve quite lost my appetite,” she said, her stomach whirling with butterflies.

If she managed to finish the job, she could be a millionaire by the end of a few weeks of filming! Was this really happening?

“Perhaps next time, then. This place has an exceptional tiramisu.”

The Sheikh pulled out his wallet and handed a black credit card to the waitress without even getting the check. She returned quickly, and when Kaye saw the bill, followed by the generous tip Amir left, she nearly gasped. Was this really how the other half lived?

They stood and made their way back outside, where Chris was quick to fetch Amir’s sports car. He pulled the car in front of them, jumped out and opened Kaye’s door for her once again. She slid in, listening to more witty banter between Chris and Amir before the latter slid another large bill into Chris’ hand.

“Consider that my donation to struggling artists for the day,” Amir joked, and Chris waved goodbye as the Sheikh pulled away from the restaurant.

Kaye considered the deal she had just made, and doubt seeped back into her mind.

“Are you seriously going to give me a million dollars to do this?”

“Why not? You have to spend money to make money.”

“You do realize that is a lot of money, right?”

“I think you’re worth it, Kaye. Will you prove me right?”

It was a question and a challenge, and Kaye found herself determined to show him that she could be the best working partner he had ever had.

“Let’s see what that contract says, and then we’ll talk,” she said, not wanting to give him too much power.

He nodded.

“Smart girl,” he said.

A few minutes later, they pulled back into the warehouse lot, where Kaye’s busted-up little car was the only one left, sitting abandoned and alone. The Sheikh pulled up next to it.

“I see we both have an affinity for yellow,” he noted.

Kaye did her best not to feel embarrassed by the sad wreck of a car she was driving around. Compared to his, it looked like scrap metal left on the side of the road.

“It’s my favorite color,” she answered, trying to hide her blush.

“Mine, too. How’s that Beetle run? I used to have one, in my younger days.”

“You still look pretty young to me,” she said.

“At thirty-two? In Hollywood terms, I’m ancient!”

“But you’re a man. In Hollywood terms, you can be as old as you like.”

He was about to respond when Merle came charging out of the warehouse, his face beet red, sweat trickling down from his thinning hair.

“It’s about time you got back! I hope that this little side trip was fruitful. I don’t like wasting time.”

Kaye glared at the little man as she walked toward her car. Amir stepped out of his, reaching Merle’s side.

“I think Kaye has a much better idea of the project, and she’s on board, pending further review of the contract and other documentation.”

He turned to face Kaye, then.

“Do you think you can get everything read over and signed by the end of the week?”

“The end of the week?!”

Merle looked as though he was about to implode. Kaye ignored him, her eyes solely on Amir.

“Yes. Thank you for taking the time to behave in a professional manner.”

The remark didn’t seem to register with the intended target. Merle continued to glare at Amir.

“This better be worth it, Amir. We’re losing time.”

“We have plenty of time. Just relax, Merle. We’ve got this covered.”

He looked back at Kaye once more.

“I’ll send you the updated contract once I’ve edited it to specify your salary. You should be hearing from me soon, provided that the email on your headshot is accurate?”

“It is,” Kaye said, giving the Sheikh a small smile. “Thank you for the opportunity, and for your time.”

“It was my pleasure,” Amir said.

Kaye got into her car, then, not wanting to be privy to the tirade Merle was launching into. She peeked in her rearview mirror as the tiny man completely lost his cool while Amir just looked down at him with a bemused expression, waiting for him to get it all out of his system.

As Kaye drove back to her apartment, she went over the events of the day in her head, working to convince herself that this was reality. What had started as the beginning to a horror film became one of the most lucrative offers of her professional life. All she had to do was act alongside Amir.

That wouldn’t be difficult at all. The man was one of the most pleasant, funny people she had ever met. The fact that he was serious eye-candy helped, too.

She pulled up to her building and turned off the engine. Patting the steering wheel, she spoke.

“Great job starting at the end, there. If you had choked up in front of Amir, I might have died of embarrassment.”

Predictably, the car had no response. Kaye stepped out and made her way up the stairs into her apartment once again. Her phone buzzed, and she pulled it out to see an email from Amir.

Hey,

Great meeting you today. You’ll see the updated contract attached. Let me know if you have any questions.

A

Kaye opened up the documents, combing through until she found the part where she got a million dollars at the end.

There, in nice bold lettering, it was spelled out perfectly. If Kaye could successfully complete this project, she would have more money than she’d ever seen in her entire life.

There was only one rule she needed to remember: No falling for the Sheikh!