“You okay?” He pulled her closer. “Maybe you should start jogging with me.”
“I think I’ll stick with yoga, which, by the way, I need to get back into now that my life is more settled.” Her lips curved up and she said, “Besides, I’m going to gain ten pounds if I keep baking cookies for you.”
Gavin and Harper had called his family after he’d learned about their furtive introduction. They got along so well, his mother and Nana had kept in touch with Harper, and they were continually sending her recipes.
“Then yoga it is,” he teased as they came to the yacht. He smacked her ass and said, “But if you’re worried, ten pounds heavier won’t change a thing.”
“Harper! Gavin!” Serena waved from the deck and ran down the ramp to greet them in her bikini top and shorts. “I’m so glad you made it!” She hugged Harper and looped her arms into theirs as they walked up the ramp and boarded the yacht. “The guys are inside, and the girls are catching the last of the sun on the upper deck.”
“This yacht is insane,” Harper said. “Ethan is so laid-back. I never pictured him as a yacht guy.”
“You mean he doesn’t act like a billionaire?” Gavin said as they followed Serena toward the front of the yacht. “That’s true, but when we were growing up, he was the guy everyone thought would make it big. He knew about everything. It didn’t matter if it was sports, money, or politics.”
Desiree and Emery were lying on lounge chairs in their bathing suits and sunglasses. Drinks with tiny umbrellas sat on the tables beside them.
Desiree got up as they approached, looking cute in a yellow one-piece bathing suit. “Hi, you guys.”
“You’re here!” Emery jumped to her feet in her green bikini and slipped her feet into flip-flops. “Did you bring bathing suits?”
“Sure did.” Gavin set his backpack on the deck.
“Good. Let’s get you guys drinks.” Emery ushered them to the wet bar and said, “What’ll it be?”
“I’ll have whatever you guys are having,” Harper said.
“Gavin?” Emery asked.
“A beer is cool, thanks.”
Ethan came around the side of the deck, followed by Drake, Dean, and an athletic-looking brown-haired guy Gavin didn’t recognize.
“Oh my God,” Harper said, panic-stricken and low, under her breath. She buried her face in Gavin’s shirt. “That’s the guy! What’s he doing here?”
“Ethan?” Gavin asked.
“No!” She moved behind him as the girls gathered around.
“What’s wrong?” Serena asked.
“That guy!” Harper whispered harshly. “He’s the one I yelled at on the plane. Why is he here?”
“Trey?” Serena, Emery, and Desiree all said at once.
“Shh!” Harper said. She looked like she was going to be sick. Gavin reached for her, but she stepped back, as if she wished she could disappear.
“Ethan’s new business partner?” Emery asked. “Trey?”
“That’s me,” the other guy said, raising both hands with a friendly grin.
Trey’s gaze landed on Harper at the same moment Ethan pulled Gavin into a manly embrace and said, “Gavin! My man!”
Harper peered out from within the circle of her friends, her face sheet white. Trey stopped cold, staring at Harper, and she shrank further behind the girls.
Trey squinted, and then his eyes widened. “Holy shit!” he exclaimed with a hearty laugh. “Heartbreak? Is that you?”
Heartbreak? What the hell is that all about?
“Good to see you, man,” Gavin said to Ethan and quickly went to Harper’s side. He wanted to rescue her, to say something so she didn’t have to, but he knew she needed to see she could handle anything, so he put his hand on her lower back, offering her his steady, silent, support.
“Plane girl.” Trey shook his head. “Man, oh man. I never thought I’d see you again.”
Harper swallowed hard, forcing a strained smile that made Gavin’s heart hurt.
“Hi.” She stood up a little straighter, looking Trey in the eyes as she said, “It’s Harper, actually, and I’m sorry for yelling at you on the plane.”
Her resilience overtook her urge to hide, and Gavin couldn’t have been prouder.
“You’re not the first to do that,” Trey said. He glanced at Gavin, and then his amused eyes found Harper again. “Looks like you’re off your man hiatus. Does that mean you’re writing again, too?”
“Yes,” she said more confidently. “This is my boyfriend, Gavin Wheeler. Gavin, this is the guy I chewed out on the plane.”
“Trey Ryder.” He extended his hand, and Gavin shook it. “You have quite a girlfriend.”
“Yes, I do,” he said proudly. “I hear she gave you an earful.”
Trey cocked a grin. “You could say that. I figure any woman who could shut me down that fast has a lot to say.”
“I can’t believe you chewed out Ethan’s partner,” Emery exclaimed.
“Know what’s funny? Trey is Drew Ryder’s brother,” Serena said. “Drew’s an architect. Gavin and I worked with him in Boston, and their sister is Isabel—Izzy—from the book club.”
Harper made a frustrated sound. “Great, I’ve embarrassed myself with six degrees of separation? How was I supposed to know who he was? He never said he was with Ethan’s company. He was just a guy who was unlucky enough to sit next to me on a really bad day.”
“Harper,” Ethan said with a kind tone, “the streaming arm of the company, which Trey runs, is a new endeavor. Even if he’d said he heads up Reelflix, you probably wouldn’t have put it together with my Movietime channel. For what it’s worth, Trey said nice things about the feisty girl on the plane who was probably a damn good writer, but if writing doesn’t work out, should go into acting.”
“God…” Harper sighed. “I’m sorry. I’m really not a jerk in my everyday life.”
Trey waved his hand like it was no big deal. “Save the apologies and tell me about what you’re writing.”
“She’s got an amazing script, a romantic comedy,” Gavin raved. “It’s golden.”
“Gavin,” Harper complained, blushing again.
He hugged her against his side, turning away from the others as he said, “This is an opportunity you deserve. Own it, babe. Turn me on with your confidence.”
She blinked up at him with trepidation in her eyes, and in the space of a few heart-pounding seconds, her shoulders squared, her chin lifted, and her eyes narrowed in determination. She turned toward Trey and said, “Let’s sit down, and I’ll tell you about the chaotic and hilarious life of my heroine.”
As they walked away from the group, the girls scurried over to Gavin, whispering and giggling about Harper going off on Trey and how they hoped something good would come of it. Was Gavin the only one who realized something already had? The Harper he’d met in Romance was back in full force, and she was magnificent.
Chapter Nineteen
HARPER FELT SICK again, and not because Ethan’s yacht was cruising out to sea. She’d given Trey her best pitch, which she’d been mulling over for the past couple of weeks. She could hardly believe that a little more than a month ago she’d sat beside this man so disappointed in herself she’d hated the world, and she’d spewed that hate like vomit in his direction. She had no idea why he hadn’t told her to bug off then, or why he’d bothered listening to her pitch now. Although he hadn’t cracked a smile the whole time she’d been talking. He was probably trying to figure out how to turn her down without making the crazy lady flip out.
He pulled a pair of dark sunglasses from the pocket of his expensive-looking short-sleeve navy shirt and put them on as he leaned back on the luxurious sofa and casually stretched one arm across the back of the cushion. With his brown hair blowing in the wind, he looked like he belonged on a yacht. She refused to let him incite doubt that would drag her down. She believed in her work, and even if he hated it, she still thought it was good.
“I’d like to read the
first few pages,” he said evenly.
Hope swelled inside her, even though she was pretty sure he was still just being kind so as not to make waves and ruin everyone’s evening. “Okay. I’ll email them to you tomorrow.”
“Why wait? I’m sure you have your work on the cloud or Dropbox. Pull it up on your phone. Let me take a read.”
“Now?” She wasn’t sure she wanted to be turned down now. It was a gorgeous evening, and she was with Gavin and all her friends. This was supposed to be a joyous occasion, not a judging game.
“Once I get back to my office I’ll be bogged down trying to catch up. Go on, pull it up on your phone.”
“I, um…”
He crossed his arms, his lips curving into a challenge. “Did I misread your confidence as potential? Did those experiences in LA you told me about ruin you? Because if you don’t believe in your work, no one else in the industry will either.”
No shit, Sherlock. Anger simmered inside her. “I believe in my work.”
He held her gaze from behind those dark sunglasses, his expression as serious as if he were negotiating world peace, and said, “Prove it.”
“I will. Excuse me while I get my phone.” She stalked across the deck to Gavin, anger and nervousness whipping through her like a hurricane. Be the wind, not the water. Be calm. I’ve got this.
Gavin was talking to Drake, and he reached for her as she approached. “Hey, babe. How’d it go?”
“I don’t know,” she said sharply. “May I please have my phone? He wants to read my work now. I’m wondering if this is some kind of payback for how I treated him on the plane. I can’t tell if he’s a nice guy or a vindictive jerk.”
“Oh man.” Drake shook his head.
“Ethan wouldn’t partner with an asshole.” Gavin withdrew her phone from his pocket and placed it in her hand. He curled his fingers around hers, holding her gaze with the steady support he’d given her since they first met. “Your writing is good, Harper. Don’t let him make you doubt that.”
She glanced at Trey, looking out at the water. Or at least he seemed to be focused on the water. She’d never know if he was laughing at her from behind those dark sunglasses. Knowing one person’s opinion could stop her chances in its tracks with that company was making her sick. Putting her happiness in the hands of others sucked, but writing was as much a part of her as the air she breathed, and no part of her wanted to change careers. She pulled up her big-girl panties and put on her bravest face and said, “That’s like saying don’t be cold when I’m standing in the snow naked, but I’m trying my best not to give him that power.”
“Atta girl.” Gavin pulled her in for a kiss, his eyes brimming with love. “I believe in you, babe. Go get ’em.”
She inhaled a shaky breath and headed back toward Trey. It doesn’t matter if he likes it or not. It’s good. I’m a good writer. My work has been sold before and it will be again.
As she closed the distance between them, anger burned through her doubt. Anger at herself for once again putting herself in a situation where someone else had the power to pull the rug out from under her. She wasn’t about to stop doing what she loved most. She realized she was looking through clouds again, and then another realization set in. To be in control of her happiness, she had to be in complete control of her career.
She sat beside Trey, navigating to the document on her phone, and an idea began to form. The heck with the clouds. She wanted to be the sun and the wind. She couldn’t change the industry or the structure and politics of how shows were chosen or funded, but maybe she didn’t have to.
“Here you are.” She handed Trey her phone, crossed her arms and legs, and sat back feeling more in control than she ever had.
“Thank you.”
She watched Trey’s face morphing from serious to amused to serious again, and she thought of all the things Harvey had said. What was she doing? Trying to make her mark? Was that so bad? The burning in her stomach told her it might be, but her ambition told her otherwise. But what if he was just being nice, as she’d assumed earlier? If that was the case, then his scrutiny was kind of demeaning. Even though she knew this was how things worked and she should be thankful to have this time with such a powerful man, it definitely wasn’t making her happy. She was on that damn roller coaster again, and Lord help her, she was ready to jump off.
She got up and went to the railing to try to clear her head. The cold, salty air stung her face. Her hair whipped in the wind like a wild torrent. As the sun dipped from the sky, she reminded herself she shouldn’t feel like her entire career was on the line based on one man’s opinion. But she did care. Wouldn’t anyone? The longer the battle waged on in her mind, the more determined she became to start living life on her own terms and stop putting herself in a position to have her career halted by any one person.
By the time Trey finished reading and joined her by the railing, she’d let go of the last shred of hope that he’d like her work and had begun clinging to the idea of a different future. A brighter future where she held the strings, where she didn’t just write, but she brought her series to life on a stage for the community she loved. Maybe Gavin was wrong and her work wasn’t too big for local theater. Maybe it would be the biggest thing to hit local theater.
Nobody performed live episodic entertainment on the Cape. It was a grand idea, but she needed help—and she knew just the person to call.
Jana.
“Thank you for letting me read your work.” Trey handed her the phone and leaned his hip against the railing. He took off his sunglasses and crossed his arms, openly studying her. “Can I be blatantly honest with you?”
“Of course,” she said as confidently as she could, though her insides were twisting into knots. And she hated that with a passion.
“I don’t think this is series material.”
Her stomach sank like lead, and just as quickly, anger trampled on the disappointment, smashing it to pieces. “Thank you for your opinion,” she said as calmly as she could, while thinking about her plans. Yes, it would be treacherously hard. Yes, it had taken years before she was hired to do anything other than writing articles and short stories. But a few years ago she had sold a pilot, and she had continued on to be part of the team that wrote a successful cable show for two seasons, and that was something. That was my start, and this will not be my end.
“It’s good,” Trey said. “It’s funny, topical, and touches on all the troubles of dating in the Internet age. But no matter how you cut it, you can only drag on that lifestyle in a series for so long before it gets old. I don’t think it’s a strong enough hook to carry forward more than a season or two.”
“That’s fair.” She had to agree. She’d been asking herself how she could take the third season in a new, exciting direction without losing the flavor that she hoped would resonate enough to hold viewers’ interests through the first two seasons.
He leaned his forearms over the railing and said, “This is a tough industry, Harper, but there is an audience for your work.”
“Thank you. I know there is.” She didn’t need a patronizing lecture to let her down easy, citing all the reasons she should continue writing and try again when she had something stronger.
“Have you thought about pitching it as a movie?” he asked.
Surprise gripped her, and hope fluttered in her chest, shoving her right onto the emotional roller-coaster ride she’d just convinced herself she didn’t need or want. A movie would be huge, but she didn’t write movies. She wrote pilots with hopes of writing series.
“No, I hadn’t considered that.”
“You should.” He looked up at her with a smile so genuine, it eased her anxiety. “Romcoms are hot, and I think your work has promise.”
“I don’t know. Reworking it into a movie is no small task.” And it all might be for naught.
He rose to his full height again and said, “Afraid of the challenge, Heartbreak?”
“No,” she said emphatically. She h
ad other ideas that deserved consideration. But those ideas would take capital, and having a movie under her belt would not only be an amazing achievement, but it would give her credibility and capital.
Damn this roller coaster.
“Are you submitting this elsewhere?” he asked.
“I was going to,” she admitted. “But I’m tossing around an idea that would put a different spin on the presentation of the series.”
He arched a brow. “Oh yeah? What’s that?”
She glanced at Gavin, catching him watching them. Her heart skipped. Even from across the ship she could feel his unwavering support. She’d hoped to tell him about her idea before she told anyone else, but she had the undivided attention of one of the most powerful men in media, and she’d be a fool to pass that up. “I’m thinking about working with performers to make live episodic productions.”
“Interesting. I haven’t seen that done.”
“Don’t get any ideas about stealing my brainchild,” she said, only half teasing.
He scoffed. “I have enough on my plate. Not to mention I’m not an asshole. I’m not sure this will translate well into a Broadway production. Tell me what you’re thinking.”
“I’m not sure of specifics yet, but I’m not thinking of Broadway. I’m thinking about doing it here. My friend just inherited an amphitheater, and there are performing arts companies all over the Cape. Tourists come by the thousands over the summers, and the local arts do very well. I’m thinking about maybe a three-episode series that’s produced weekly and runs all summer. If someone is here for a week, they can watch all three episodes. Say, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. If they’re here for longer, they can watch one a week, or whenever they can fit it in. It would keep viewers coming back, and if it’s well written and appeals to locals, then perhaps I could even expand it to an indoor production over the winter to keep their attention. There’s never enough going on in the winter here. The audience would be smaller, so maybe the productions are limited to one week during the month. I’ve only just thought of the idea, so I don’t have it fleshed out yet.”
Bayside Romance (Bayside Summers) Page 22