Congratulations! You’ve entered the contest and are well on your way to being Derek. To increase your odds of winning, you are strongly encouraged to create a video. Here’s what you need to do:
1. Create a video.
Seduce us with a video of yourself reading the following excerpt from Sex Lounge. But, before you do so, please read the video tips.
The following excerpt is taken from Chapter 7 of Sex Lounge. It takes place at the grand opening party of The Decadent Chaise, Derek’s upscale furniture store that features designer chaise lounges. Derek has just had a confrontation with Richard, his best friend and Nichole’s boss, where Richard told him he - Derek - does not deserve Nichole. Derek is watching Nichole.
NOTE: The excerpt has been modified slightly from the actual book to remove the use of certain … um … curse words.
Nichole turned her head and smiled at him. Her smile glowed; her eyes sparkled. There was no trace of the artifice or manipulation that hovered on the lips of the women he usually dated.
Derek’s chest tightened.
How do you know what Nichole needs?
He had no doubt what Nichole needed, what she wanted. He’d read it between the pages of a light blue notebook. He’d felt it when he’d pressed her ass against the wall in the elevator, when he’d pulled her body against his and felt her tense in awareness. He’d seen it shining back at him from The Sex Lounge.
He saw it now.
Just as he’d seen it since her first day at Talentz. That was why he’d kept his office visits professional, never giving in to the urge to see if Nichole was … for real. Until that damn notebook.
She’s just another toy for your toy box.
He’d never treated women as toys. Yeah, so the relationships he’d had — if one could call them that. Maybe liaisons was a better word — were superficial. But, he’d always been upfront. He’d never led any woman on, never made her believe there’d be anything more than sex.
Yeah, well, he’d never told Nichole anything upfront. Just jumped in and started acting out scenarios.
Damn.
Nichole returned her gaze to the man and woman she’d been speaking with and shook their hands. The telltale sparkle lit her eyes seconds before laughter erupted from her throat. A laugh made because something amused her. Not because it was expected, or because it was considered sexy. A laugh that simply expressed enjoyment.
No, he didn’t deserve to be with her. That was the only accusation of Richard’s that was right.
Nichole wrote fantasies down in a book, a part of her wanting them to come true.
Derek had realized decades ago fantasies never came true.
Nichole hid feelings because she was afraid of being hurt.
Derek had no feelings, so there was nothing to hide.
Nichole was a relationship kind of woman.
Derek was a casual sex kind of man.
He should walk away, tell her he was sorry, and he didn’t want to hurt her. It was the kind, considerate, gentlemanly thing to do.
But Derek had never been a gentleman.
You’ll never be more than a pile of shit, his father had said.
You’re beautiful, Nichole had told him.
Both of them were wrong.
Derek continued forward, excusing himself as he walked through the crowd. Nichole’s black, glossy mane called him like a beacon in a sea of monochrome bodies. He was going to have her, despite the wrongness of it — the wrongness for Nichole. But he’d make it as right as he could. He’d give her the best damn fantasies-come-true as possible. Because that was all he had in him to give.
2. Submit your video.
- If you don’t already have one, set up a free account at www.YouTube.com.
- Upload your video.
- Send the link to your video to rachelle@rachellechase.com. Include the legal name supplied on your entry form in your email and which Derek number you are on the Finding Derek web site.
Derek entries will be posted beginning October 4, 2007.
Web site visitors will vote for the finalists beginning October 5, 2007.
The Winning Derek will be announced November 16, 2007.
Any questions? Visit The Contest, FAQs and The Rules.