Chapter 34

Author’s Note: Thanks for all the great feedback. It makes a huge impact on the story, so keep it coming! There’s some plot at the top of this chapter, and then a royal fuckfest after. It’s the best way to celebrate the Fourth of July. Please enjoy.

We started by immediately laying groundwork for Rita’s plan. That mostly fell on Jess’s shoulders, but I was able to help out a bit. We knew that Manny and Kayla were trying to wrest control of Daydream from Jess. Our plan had four phases. First, Jess needed to shore up the other talent. Patrick and Tommy were easy. They were newbies and basically had no other outlet to establish themselves. Kim and Ginger, on the other hand, were known commodities and highly desirable. Jess couldn’t lose them, at least not without seriously risking the future of the company before it had really gotten started.

So Jess planned to offer contract renegotiations – bumping the men up ten-percent and the girls up twenty-five percent, with built-in kickers to raise their guarantees each year if the movies and web streaming hit easily attainable, predetermined targets. Barely two months into Daydream’s active existence, we felt confident it would be a welcome gesture that would engender a lot of loyalty among the talent.

Second, Jess would use the early success as an excuse to ramp up production even more. The idea was to strike while the iron was hot, making a play for increased subscribers to the web site, and pushing the talent a little harder. It might risk some burnout, but it also would keep Manny busier. And, hopefully, distracted.

Third, we put together a special incentive package for Kayla. Katie’s idea had been to come up with a wedge to place between Manny and Kayla. I had been initially deeply skeptical of the idea. They had been together for almost fifteen years. But the girls had done some digging on porn gossip websites as well as made quiet inquiries around the industry, and there had been some significantly rocky moments in their relationship during the past couple years. I remained pessimistic, presuming most of the tension stemmed from the problems their now-defunct production company had. But if it were true, it might just help blow the doors open...

Part four I still objected to. The girls were resolute, no matter how much I pushed back. They said it was the only way to ensure success. We couldn’t leave anything to chance – or, at least, get as close to sure-fire success as possible. I thought it was too risky. Rita told me we would talk about it later, after the first three parts were in place. I didn’t press the issue. I trusted her. I trusted my girls. So I put my focus elsewhere, at least for the time being.

That’s because Juliet’s new movie premiered in four days. A potential rival – an apocalyptic action blockbuster – had faced turmoil in post-production and been pushed to Thanksgiving. That resulted in Juliet’s romantic comedy as the lone high-profile opening. It was a nostalgic, surprisingly ambitious film called Rodeo Drive. While the early reviews showed it wouldn’t be a critical darling – it played into too many of the saccharine traps romcoms trended toward – Julielt’s performance drew raves. She was sweet, funny, serious, and emotional. She was a complete actress reaching new heights of power and skill.

We were all excited to see the movie, but we decided not to attend the official, red carpet premiere. Instead, Juliet arranged a private screening for us in her new home theater, which had built out complete with a bar. It had an 8K projector, 22.2 surround sound, and a 180-inch screen. There were movie-style lounge seats, as well as couches. It seated up to twenty people in sublime comfort.

The setup was nice, but the screening of Rodeo Drive wasn’t a big deal because of that. It was a big deal because Juliet was shy about watching her movies with anyone else. She dutifully attended premieres and other special screenings, but she preferred to take in her own work alone. And that made it a huge step for her to share the movie with Melanie and the five of us.

“I never do this,” Juliet said nervously, as she stood in front of the room introducing the movie. “I hate seeing myself on screen when other people are around. I get so critical of everything, especially myself. But, I have to confess, it feels good to have a group of people who I trust enough to show this to. Ugh. I am just going to stop talking now.”

Juliet covered her face with her hands, her cheeks flushed with nervous embarrassment – and maybe a little excitement, too. We clapped and hooted as Juliet sat down next to Melanie. They were one row behind us, immediately cuddling under a blanket. I could hear Juliet’s nerves in her breathing before the credits rolled.

Kat, Jess, Rita, Katie, and I sat entwined on a long, sectional style couch in the row in front of Juliet and Melanie. Kat leaned her head on my shoulder, while Jess, sitting sideways, had her feet in my lap and her head in Rita’s lap. Katie formed the bookend, with her head on Rita’s shoulder.

There was palpable excitement as Rodeo Drive started. The advertising blitz had been nonstop for months. Since it was a fairly low-budget film, by comparison to the CGI and action blockbusters out there, the box office projections were looking like it would be a cash cow for Petey’s company. And for me. I got a five-percent cut of the profits. Petey projected $100 million the opening weekend and probably $250 million overall. I was dumbstruck at the potential windfall.

But there were some signs of trouble. The early critical reviews universally panned the movie. It was too long. It was too predictable. There was awkward chemistry among some of the supporting cast. Many questioned the director’s decisions. But one thing coalesced the critics even more strongly: Juliet’s performance. She was the bright spot, hailed as taking over the screen in a dominant, sublime performance. One particularly notable critic dubbed her a “scene stealer,” some of the highest praise available.

Thirty minutes into the two-hour, seven minute film, it was clear the critics were right. The director had overshot the movie. There were too many cuts. Too much of ... everything. It’s like he wanted to make an action movie out of a romcom. It felt disjointed in places, but the story was sweet, if cliche. Juliet’s character, the daughter of a California scion, met – by chance, of course – a charming-if-awkward valet at a Beverly Hills hotel. It was a cliche rags-and-riches romance. Maybe because the movie was so predictable and obvious, as well as replete with solid but largely stock characters, that Juliet’s stunning, rich, genuine, and emotional performance stood out even more. She was the lone three-dimensional object bursting forth from a flat sea.

That critical assessment of Rodeo Drive wasn’t totally fair. It was realistic, in a certain artistic sense, but that ignored some simple truths. It was an easy movie to watch, appealing and entertaining. It was funny and, in many parts, undeniably sweet. So when the credits rolled, it wasn’t surprising to see more than one of us wiping our eyes. Maybe it wasn’t going to be a critical darling, but Juliet’s work was a tour de force, and it had the potential to be a box office juggernaut because it was easy to ingest.

“That was amazing,” Rita gushed immediately when Juliet clicked off the projector. “If you don’t win an Oscar for that, I’m never watching a movie again.”

“Oh, hush,” Juliet said sheepishly.

“Rita’s not wrong,” Kat said. “You were brilliant. It’s stunning.”

“You’re one of the best actresses in the world,” Jess added.

I smiled and locked eyes with Juliet. I could see moisture forming at the corners of hers. Then Katie spoke up and surprised me.

“If anyone says something negative about you in this movie,” she said, “they’re just being mean. You jump off the screen in a way that’s so relatable, I couldn’t stop crying.”

“Stop,” Juliet said in the most humble voice. “You’re just flattering me.”

“No we’re not,” I said, finally speaking up. Melanie had wrapped her arms around Juliet from behind. “We’re the only people who are comfortable enough to tell you honestly what we think.”

Juliet shrugged it off, laughing lightly. “You’re full of it,” she said. “But I still appreciate it more than I can say. I know it’s not a great movie.”

“Let the box office determine that,” I said.

“And no one can take away how captivating you are, my beloved,” Melanie said, batting her eyes.

Juliet laughed again, throwing her head back into her girlfriend’s chest. Melanie bent down, and they embraced in a soft, intimate kiss.

“I love you,” Juliet said.

“Forever,” Melanie said.

“You two are the absolute cutest,” Rita said.

There was an emotional tension in the room, in a positive way. We had achieved a new level of friendship and intimacy. Juliet and Melanie weren’t just our neighbors. It felt like we were one continuous household.

“Juliet, it was really special that you shared the movie with us,” Kat said. “I really loved it. Seriously. Thank you.”

“Well, you all are way too sweet,” Juliet said. “So I think we should go drink some Champagne to celebrate and smoke some weed to calm me down. Nothing makes me more tense than watching myself.”

We started to file out of the theater room. Kat hung back, waiting for Juliet to exit. She looked at me and, with her eyes, motioned me to lead the way, so I did. Melanie followed me.

“The girls and I got you a little something,” Kat told Juliet quietly.

She produced a small jewelry box from behind her back. I did a double take, turning around to glance at them, but Kat shooed me away with one look. It turned out to be a gold bracelet, modeled after a necklace that Walt Disney had made for his wife. Attached to the bracelet were six mini replicas of the Oscar statuette. Rita explained why later.

“One Oscar for each of us plus Mel,” she said. “So you know who your biggest fans are.”

We stayed for a while, drank a few bottles of Champagne, and blew through some weed. We called it an early night, succumbing to the fatigue that had set in. Watching Rodeo Drive had been unexpectedly emotional. Now we just had to wait to see if it would be a hit or a flop.

It took less than twenty-four hours from nationwide release to learn that Rodeo Drive was a hit. The critical reviews followed the early returns: mixed for the film and glowing for Juliet. Audiences loved her and the movie. Vanity Fair reached out, wanting to do a piece with the angle that Juliet Lawson was now America’s sweetheart. And the box office? Skyrocketed to $175 million in just three days.

Our little compound in the Hollywood Hills buzzed with excitement. We hosted a Fourth of July cookout, which had the potential to be a powder keg before the fireworks even went off. We invited Juliet and Melanie, of course, and Jason and Crystal were coming back from Houston. They planned to bring Bianka, rather than leave her behind in an empty Houston Hooker House. It had all the makings of a deeply patriotic holiday.

The morning of the Fourth, however, Jess went to the Daydream house. She left our place early, matter-of-factly, and I didn’t press her on it. That’s because part of me wondered if she was just meeting Manny. I reprimanded my mind for thinking that, but I couldn’t help it. Jess was gone for about three hours. She came back about noon, shortly before Juliet and Melanie were coming over. Jason, Crystal, and Bianka had flown in the night before. And when Jess walked back into the house, I saw the look of relief on her face.

“Hey, are you okay?” I said, wrapping my arms around her waist and kissing her.

“You know what?” she said. “I’m good. Really good.”

Her smile was easy and bright. There was a weight off her shoulders. I saw it.

“Tell me about it later?” I said, not wanting to pressure her.

“Yeah,” she said and kissed me on the cheek. “Let me help out here first. I’m waiting on a couple phone calls.” She paused briefly then added,” I need you tonight. Can you make sure to grab me later?”

“Of course, darling,” I said.

Her eyes sparkled. She smiled even more broadly.

“Good,” she said. “I need it.”

“I always need you, Jess,” I said, saying it more seriously than I intended.

“Oh, I know, my love,” she said playfully.

And she bounced off to help Kat, Rita, and Katie in the kitchen. I went outside, intending to check on the grill. But I already knew it was clean. I had cleaned it earlier in the morning. But I knew that Crystal and Bianka were laying out by the pool. They were drinking Champagne and, more importantly, were topless. I had made an intentional choice to be “good” during Juliet’s housewarming party. We all had, except Katie – who we actually had encouraged to dip her toes in the water of debauchery again. I had thought a lot about the decision, just like we all had talked a lot about it beforehand. We had become increasingly conscious of how special our situation was. How deep our love and connection together was. Juliet had been intentionally mysterious about the party, so we had decided to pull in. We had become wary about our – not indiscretions, because that wasn’t something that really existed among us – the gift of our special sphere. In particular, Kat and Rita had a waning desire to play randomly. We had choices. Really, really good choices. So it had to be worth it because our usual was at such a satisfyingly high level.

Using that standard, I knew without any analysis or consideration that Crystal and Bianka were worth it. I did a cursory inspection of the grill, using it as an opportunity to watch Crystal and Bianka as they lay next to one another on lounge chairs. I couldn’t suppress my happiness that Jason and Crystal had decided to spend more time in California. I had pushed Jason toward that for months now. But I also knew how desperate Crystal was to move from Houston. She had been seduced by the allure of LA – from her own, more frequent visits and by my girls, who couldn’t stop raving about how great life was out here.

“Are you going to ignore us?” Crystal shouted at me playfully.

“I’m not ignoring you,” I said, turning to smile at them.

I took off my sunglasses. I wore a bathing suit and no shirt.

“Yes you are,” Bianka teased. “If you’re not staring at Crystal’s tits, you have to be ignoring us. They’re so sexy. I can’t stop staring.”

I walked over to them and sat on the side of Crystal’s lounge chair. Bianka propped herself up on one elbow, causing her natural breasts to hang beautifully. Crystal smiled at me, but her smile was always tinted with lust nowadays. Her dimples caved into her cheeks, giving her sultry, sinful body a paradoxical innocence. Her blonde hair contrasted even more with her honey-brown skin.

“You girls are doing a lot of tanning,” I said. “Not a line in sight.”

“Not a tan line, anyway,” Crystal giggled.

“That’s funny,” I said, “because I was going to say that I had to keep a little distance because seeing all these perfect tits would make me want to do lines off them.”

“What’s stopping you?” Bianka said, running a finger through her luxurious, shiny brown hair.

“Isn’t it a little early?” I asked weakly.

“That’s never stopped you in the past,” Crystal said, unfurling a brown glass vial on a small key ring and letting it dangle from her hand.

“Fuck, why do you have to be so persuasive?” I said.

Crystal unscrewed the cap and dabbed a bump of fine powder onto the back of her hand. She held it across to Bianka, who bent over and snorted it up. Then Crystal helped herself.

“We’ve been keeping an even buzz for a couple hours already,” Bianka said.

Crystal motioned to Bianka to lie back, then she leaned over to dump a bump on one of her tits. I stared hungrily at the wisp of white fabric that cut between Crystal’s ass cheeks. Her thong bikini bottoms were tiny, and I could see her puffy pussy lips outlined beautifully.

The sight was too much. I grabbed a handful of Crystal’s tanned ass cheeks as I moved closer to Bianka, bending down to quickly snort the pillow of coke just above Bianka’s left nipple. I could smell faint traces of salt and chlorine on her skin. My tongue flicked out and nicked her nipple, which hardened instantly. She locked her big, doe eyes on me, and I was enchanted as always. She took her index finger and used it to gather and gum the few crumbs left.

“My turn,” Crystal said from behind me.

She was already lying down again, a slightly bigger bump of coke resting on her much bigger breast. Crystal was lithe and gorgeous. Fit yet seductively soft and inviting at the same time. She really had developed a Rita-like quality and presence. It was absolutely electric, and it made me happy for Jason. She was good for him.

I took the bump off Crystal’s tit, and she put a light pressure on the back of my neck when I licked up the remnants. I took the hint and sucked her nipple into my mouth, and she gave out a delicate sigh. Her skin was soft, and there was the faintest trace of peach fuzz on it. If she hadn’t also had a trace of chlorine on her – I surmised she and Bianka must have been in the pool earlier, though their hair was completely dry – I swore I could smell her arousal.

“So how is work going?” I asked. “I hate feeling disconnected from Houston.”

“It’s amazing,” Crystal said. “Truly amazing. I think Bianka is the most popular Infinity girl in Houston now.”

“Oh, stop,” Bianka said. “You know you are, you whore.”

They laughed. Sunglasses, which had been perched on their heads, now covered their eyes. The sun shone beautifully, and it was going to be a perfect day.

“Well, I’m not surprised,” I said. “By either of you.”

“No, it really is good,” Bianka. “Great, actually. I love it. I look back on my past, and I can’t believe I wasted so much time! I’m having so much fun!”

“Yes, that’s so perfectly said,” Crystal agreed. “We pissed away so many years in the suburbs with limp dick husbands. I can’t believe it. But, like, based on how things have been going the last six months? We are making up for lost time real, real fast.”

“Oh yeah?” I said, wanting to tease out details but not seem too obvious about it.

“I’ve been having nine or ten appointments a week,” Bianka said. “Mostly regulars, but always at least one new one.”

“Bianka’s schedule is so full, it’s hard to get in to see her,” Crystal added. “Even the good clients have to wait to get in to see her.”

“I love the variety,” she said, absently tweaking a nipple while she talked. “And I’m making a list of who cums the most. I love when the guys cum on me. That’s become my thing. I want it on my face, my tits, my ass. I don’t care. I love feeling it run all over my skin.”

“Don’t tell Rita that,” I joked, “or she’s going to want to clean you up after every session.”

“Mmm, that sounds hot,” Bianka said.

“I’m having like seven or eight appointments a week,” Crystal said. “I think we’re all clearing at least $12,000 a week, and Bianka and I are more like $15,000 or more. And that doesn’t even count the parties.”

“Jesus, Crystal, that’s almost a third more than Infinity was doing before,” I marveled.

“The money almost makes me as wet as the dick,” Crystal said with a bright laugh.

“The same, girl,” Bianka said. “The same.”

“What about money?” Jess’s voice came from behind us.

She was veritably bouncing toward us at the pool, and she was a vision. She had changed into a tight, cornflower blue dress that hugged her curves marvelously. Her breasts pressed up and out, doing true justice to their perkiness. It cinched in at her waist, showing the hints of her ribs. And – my favorite – it flushed out invitingly at her ass. She looked so good, my cock couldn’t help but stir.

“Oh, just talking Infinity, darling,” I said.

“Good!” she said and plopped herself down on my lap and planted a fat kiss on my lips.

“What’s got you so happy?” I asked.

“I did it, baby,” she said, grinding her ass into my crotch. I also felt Crystal’s teasingly massage my lower back. “Kim and Ginger called, and they’re signing new contracts! I extended them by an extra year. They’re fully committed to Daydream!”

“Baby!” I shouted. “I’m so proud of you!”

She wrapped her arms around my neck, and I grabbed her by the waist, and we melted into the deepest, most sincere kiss we had had in weeks. I could feel how much less tension was in her muscles.

“What’s this about?” Bianka asked.

Jess explained. As she did so, we all did another round of bumps. Crystal put mine on her navel. She still had a lot of vanity when it came to her stomach. “Your perfect stomach,” I used to call it. Jess waved off the coke when it came around to her.

“The girls and I did a couple celebratory lines,” she said. “I’m good for now.”

She briefly made eye contact with me before they danced away again. I sensed something new in Jess. She was changed. Or, at least, changing. Our intimacy recently, since the Kayla-Manny threat had manifested itself, had been emotional more than physical. I knew better than anyone else how important a sense of independence and professional success meant to Jess. Her mom had never shown ambition. Her dad had just walked away in the middle of her college years. Her life was replete with examples of people lacking motivation, just coasting along. Jess could have followed that path. At the start of college, maybe she was on track to. She always credited the fact that we met to turning the burning pilot light of her desire for success into a full-fledged fire. She had always been independent. But as a pair, we became insatiable – for everything. For money and success. For sex. For partying. We had never quite found a perfect balance among all those components. But ever since the Manny crisis, and our plan to address it, I thought we had an opportunity to finally achieve it. Or, at least, come close to it.

“That’s amazing,” Crystal said. “I’m so jealous. I’ve watched all the Daydream content. We both have.” She gestured at Bianka. “It’s so fucking hot.”

“Is it good?” Jess asked.

“So hot,” Bianka said. “I love playing with myself watching Ginger’s anal scene. Her orgasms look so natural.”

“Oh, they are,” Jess said.

“Ginger is the redhead, right?” Crystal said.

“Yup,” Jess said.

“She is so unbelievably hot,” Crystal said. “Just seeing her makes me wet.”

“You’re always wet,” I joked.

“I love Kim’s tits,” Bianka said. “And when she squirts? Oh my god!”

“You really like them that much?” Jess said, still grinding herself deliberately into my crotch.

“Love them,” Bianka said. “I wish we could hang out. I’ve sort of convinced myself that we’d all be friends.” She laughed.

“Oh really?” Jess said. “Well, you’re in luck.” She whipped her hair around and smiled. It was Jess’s smile. The broad, effortless, real one. That had also been lacking recently. “Because I invited Kim and Ginger to party with us today. They’ll be here later on.”

“Are you serious?” Crystal said, her use of the longtime catch phrase honest and endearing.

“Dead serious,” Jess said, and she kissed me again.

We left Crystal and Bianka at the pool and went inside to tell Kat, Rita, and Katie the good news. Kat and Rita were in the kitchen, making a red-white-and-blue cake – a sheet cake with whipped cream, strawberries, and blueberries on top. Katie was nowhere to be found.

“She and Jason decided at the same time that showering would be a good idea,” Rita said with a laugh. Jason had always loved Katie. He had made scores of appointments with her when she worked at Infinity. He was her best and most frequent client.

So we went ahead and brought Kat and Rita up to speed, since they had been showering and getting ready when the calls came in. They broke out in happy shrieks when Jess told them.

“Two steps down,” Rita said with a grin.

“Two to go,” Jess said, nodding her head.

Juliet and Melanie came over in the middle of the afternoon, bringing our number to ten. We all went outside, where our outdoor bar teemed with magnums of Champagne. Rita had made a large and wickedly good batch of margaritas. Jason and I fired up the grill, and the girls fired up the weed. We slowly cooked a couple whole chickens. Steaks would go on later. Simple sides (potato salad, some cold green beans) were ready, as was dessert (the red, white, and blue cake). So we sat around the pool, moving the lounge chairs into a semicircle and smoking out of a variety of implements – a hookah, a new bong Jess had bought, a couple bowls. It had become a point of cute teasing that Katie wouldn’t smoke. She stuck with cocaine, as usual, so we all indulged here and there.

While Jason and I grilled, I felt a wave of happiness wash over me. The girls were chatting and laughing. Jess and Melanie regaled the group with wild stories from college. Everyone gushed over Juliet’s performance in Rodeo Drive. Jason had taken Crystal and Bianka to see it at a midnight showing on opening night. The vibes were off the charts.

“Did you notice the ratio is pretty good?” Jason said to me at one point.

I glanced over to the girls and counted in my head. Eight. Four-to-one.

“We might be completely outmatched,” I said.

He laughed and said, “I’ll take it.”

“How did Katie seem?” I asked.

“Good,” he said, his voice tentative.

“No, I mean, you know it’s no big deal, man,” I said. “I just like to check in on how she’s doing since the accident. She seems to be doing better. A lot better. You know her really well. I’m interested in your impressions or any concerns.”

“It still seems weird to talk about it,” Jason said with a chuckle.

“Oh, trust me, dude,” I said. “I get it. But look at this.” I gestured toward the girls. “This is real life, bro. Our life.”

“Katie is good,” he said. “Almost made me jealous of you.” He laughed heartily. “But really good. Just like the Katie I remember.”

“Awesome,” I said. “She’s been brave. Resolute. She’s tough.”

“She’s one of a kind,” Jason said.

“Jealous?” I said, just joking.

“Ah, man, I can’t be jealous of you,” he said. “Or maybe I can only be jealous of you.”

“Well, you know the rule,” I said. “You can always play if they want to. It’s just how we are. And, shit, bro, you know I don’t feel threatened. Fun is fun.”

“I know, man,” he said. “You know, Crystal and I have been, uh, spending a lot of time with Bianka.”

“No shit?” I said with genuine surprise.

“Yeah,” he said, a little sheepishly. “You might be rubbing off on me.”

“That’s fucking awesome, man!” I said with genuine enthusiasm.

The conversation got cut short because the chickens were ready to take off the grill, which meant it was time to cook the steaks. I left that to Jason because, at the same time, the doorbell had gone off. I let the girls continue their happy, nonstop conversation and went to the front door. When I opened it, there stood Kim and Ginger.

They looked like pornstar sex kittens on the prowl. There was no other way to describe them. And it was factually true. Kim wore an obscenely tiny bikini with a sheer white cover-up. It did nothing to hide the ocean of skin she showed. Ginger wore a short, tight denim skirt and a cut-off t-shirt with “Daydream” written across the chest. The bottoms of her breasts hung below the shirt. They both had teased out their hair in exaggerated fashion. They had wide pupils and ruddy noses. And they piled into the house like forces of nature.

“John! Oh, I love you!” Ginger said, putting her hands on my chest and kissing me with tongue as she simultaneously brushed past me and stalked toward the patio doors.

“Where is Jess?” Kim cried. “Let’s celebrate!”

And that’s when I noticed Kim held a half-empty bottle of Champagne behind her back. Their arrival signaled the end of any civilized celebration. It was time to party. I stopped in the kitchen to grab a cutting board for the steaks and paused briefly to enjoy the smokey smell of the chickens. In the couple minutes it took me to join the others outside, the tenor of the day had changed. I heard Jess scream happily when she saw Kim and Ginger. When I arrived on the patio, I saw Jess and Kat each vigorously tapping out lines of cocaine with a carbon fiber card on a glass table. The grill flared from the marbled steaks, and Crystal kissed Jason as he tended to the cooking. Most of the girls were giggly and stoned, and everyone was in extraordinary spirits. The girls were keen to hit the coke, but they limited themselves to one line each. They took Jess’s advice to take it easy before eating. Within twenty minutes, we sat down at the large, polished stone dinner table on the patio. It comfortably sat twelve. While Jason cut meat and brought it out on large carving boards, I poured two glasses of red wine for everyone – a side-by-side tasting of two favorite Napa Valley Cabernets.

Dinner was boisterous and delicious. The wine was stunning. The conversation was even better. We toasted Kim and Ginger’s new Daydream arrangements. Jess had given them each a fifteen-percent raise on their original two-year contracts, then added a third year with a thirty-percent higher base. They were over the moon for the trust and generosity Jess had shown after such a short time – precisely the effect we had hoped for.