Page 116 of Shallow

She shrugs and raises her glass in the air. “It’s five o’clocksomewhere.”

Rolling my eyes, I grab my phone off the counter and notice I have four missed calls and a voice mail. I don’t recognize the number, so at first, I’m hesitant. However, curiosity gets the better of me and I listen. After the first few words, my heart starts beating so loud, I’m afraid it’s going to drown out the rest of themessage.

“Hey, Shiloh, it’s Dan Goldberg with the Optimum Agency. I need to talk to you. It’s important. Give me a call at this number as soon as you get thismessage.”

My hands shake as I hit redial. I’m prepared to leave a message, but start pacing as a deep voice picksup.

“DanGoldberg.”

I have to clear my throat twice before speaking. “Dan, hi. It’s ShilohWest.”

He lets out a sigh. “Shiloh, finally. Listen, there’s no good way to say this, so I’m not going to beat around thebush.”

“Okay…”

“Business is business, and you know as well as anyone that the higher ups are going to do what’s best for their image. Ten months ago, that wasn’t you. But things change. One day you’re the devil incarnate, the next you’re everyone’s angelagain.”

“I know that better thananyone.”

“Right. Anyway, the suits upstairs got wind of that story about how you donated money to some at risk teens to save their center and saved some old couple from losing their shirts. You can’t buy that kind of PR. They want you back,kid.”

I stop pacing and sink into one of the barstools next to kitchen island. I had to have heard him wrong. “You’rejoking.”

“I never joke about money,Shiloh.”

“But I have a sentence, Dan. I have over two and a half years left here. I can’t just leave without defying the terms of myprobation.”

“Not an issue. I’ve already had your lawyer speak with the judge in charge of your case. He’s granting you a two-week furlough so you can fly to California and meet with agency executives. If everything goes well, he’s agreed to defer your sentence back to Los Angeles. You’ll have to continue your public service and not leave the country until it’s over, but we’ll work aroundthat.”

My head is spinning, and if I wasn’t forbidden to drink, I’d grab Bianca’s wine bottle and chug the shit out of it right now. He’s offering me my life back. A chance to step back onto the catwalk where I know I’mwanted.

“I don’t know what tosay.”

“There is one otherthing.”

Of course. There’s always acatch.

“The agency has found a plastic surgeon who’s confident your original doctor’s assessment is wrong. They want your verbal agreement that you’ll meet with them when you arrive in LosAngeles.”

I grip the edge of the island. “Whatfor?”

“The offer is contingent on you having corrective surgery to reduce the scarring on yourface.”

“I don’tunderstand.”

“Come on, Shiloh. This business is about perfection. I’m offering you the chance to be perfectagain.”

I try not look for hidden meanings, but it’s useless. All of the progress I’ve made with Cary’s mirror tough love goes out the window with onephrase.

I’m offering you the chance to be perfectagain

My grip tightens as a circle of black rims my vision. “Can I think about it and get back toyou?”

He lets out a low groan. “I need an answer by tomorrow, Shiloh, or the deal isvoid.”

“Understood.”

After disconnecting the call, I wander into the living room to find Bianca sprawled out onto the white leather couch. She’s draining the last few sips of her wine while flipping through the latest issue ofTown and Country. The moment she sees me, the magazine drops from her hand and she sitsup.