Asher took the forms and scanned them. I read over his shoulder. They were far more technical with all the legal mumbo-jumbo contracts required. Asher flipped to the part that broke down the payment. As stated in the ad, they were offering fifteen hundred dollars per usable exclusive shot. There was a line stating they would require licenses for a minimum of six publishable photos to a maximum of eighteen.

I frowned. Eighteen?

The next section outlined the trailer videos. It made it clear they weren’t paying us per hour worked but by finished product. Twenty-five hundred dollars per completed and edited video with retakes to be at the discretion of the videographer. Six videos were contracted at two minutes in length each. No more, no less.

“What’s this about a maximum of eighteen exclusive photos?” I asked, pointing at the line I’d read.

“Six to be used for cover art and a possible two more per book for teasers or other uses like posters, website banners, advertising forums, etcetera. Hence why the number is flexible. Eighteen is likely lowballing. Can we up that?” Charlotte asked Jay.

“So … twenty-four thousand is a baseline?” I tried not to squeak the question, but I failed.

“Yes.” Jay’s grin was sage. “Not a bad deal, huh?”

“Eighteen hundred per exclusive shot, and we’ll sign.” Asher slapped the contract on the table and leveled Jay with an unwavering grin of his own.

I wanted to smack him. We were already looking at more than I expected. Why rock the boat? Why push the issue and risk them changing their mind about us?

“Ash. I don’t think—”

“Deal.” Jay popped a pen out of nowhere and clicked the plunger, sliding the contract in front of him to make the adjustments. “I’ll up it to a possible thirty exclusive shots too, does that sound okay?” he asked Charlotte who nodded.

Holy shit!

“And payments need to be broken down per session.”

I deflated at my brother’s words.

“We’d need time to evaluate shots and determine what ones we want to use.”

“That’s fine. Within a week of each session.”

“Deal.”

What the…?

Asher ruffled my hair like he’d heard my rising panic. Jay made the agreed changes on the forms, and Asher took the pen and contract when Jay passed it back. Lewis reached between them and claimed it for himself.

“Before we jump into anything, we should discuss the finer points of the contract.”

“We’re pretty agreeable,” Asher snapped. “You pay us what’s promised, and we’ll do what needs to be done.”

“Is that right?”

“That’s right.”