Love Unscripted

by Emma Collins

  “What? No… Forget about that… That’s not why I’m telling you about her. I bumped into her at the coffee shop again today.”

  “What’s she even doing here? In our little town?”

  “I’m getting to that bit… She was already at the coffee shop when I got there.”

  “Laura, what if she’s into you?”

  Laura normally appreciated Amanda’s optimistic personality but right now she was ready to shake her friend and tell her to zip it for just a second.

  “She’s not, Amanda. Just listen… So, we got talking again today and she said she wants to move from acting to screenwriting. And… She wants to turn one of my books into a movie.”

  Amanda’s jaw dropped. “What?? That’s amazing. I can’t believe it!”

  Laura nodded. “It is amazing, but I don’t think it would work.”

  “What? Why? Which one is it?”

  “Chasing Time.”

  Amanda’s smile faded. “Ah… I see… Maybe not, then… But didn’t Grace joke about this? Didn’t she say something about how it would make a good movie? She definitely did.”

  “Yeah but I hadn’t even published it yet. That was a long time ago.”

  “You have to at least think about it,” Amanda said, leaving her mug on the coffee table and Laura did the same. “For Grace.”

  “I don’t know… I don’t think I want to do it.”

  “What did Riley Hill have to say? Did you tell her you’d think about it?”

  Laura nodded. “I did.”

  “Do you need to go to L.A.?”

  “I don’t know. We didn’t get into any of the details. She wrote the adaptation herself… She gave me a copy of it to read.”

  “And she chose Chasing Time,” Amanda said, leaning back into the cushions. “Wow. That’s huge, Laura. Another opportunity like this isn’t going to come along again any time soon.”

  “I haven’t even read the script yet. You know how Hollywood likes to butcher movies based on books.”

  “Come on, Laura. Don’t make generalizations like that. You don’t even watch movies. Did you know who she was? Riley Hill?”

  “No,” Laura admitted, her cheeks darkening slightly. “I had to Google her. I wouldn’t have even known she was famous except for the fact that two fans came up to her and wanted a selfie.”

  “Come for a ride with me when we finish the tea. Clear your head. Then go home and read through it. Don’t make any decisions until you’ve at least read the script.”

  “Okay,” Laura agreed. It was a beautiful day for a ride, and she did need some time to think. She had a few hours before her doctor appointment and she knew she wouldn’t get any more writing done today. She was too distracted anyway.

  Chapter 9

  Now, Riley felt like a stalker. She’d been coming to the coffee shop every morning since she’d given Laura the script and that was a week ago. Was Laura avoiding her?

  I shouldn’t have asked her like that... I should have waited...

  Riley ran a hand through her blond hair as she got back to the book she was reading on her ereader, yet another about the art of screenwriting. She wanted to get lost in every bit of advice she could fine and keep tweaking the script until it was as good as it could possibly be.

  Except, I probably blew any chance I had of getting this script in front of anyone.

  Riley’s eyes flickered up to the door when she heard it open, a habit she couldn’t seem to break, and her eyes met Laura Foley’s. Riley froze for a second but instead of looking away, she let her lips curve into a smile that Laura barely returned as she crossed the room to stand in line and order.

  Riley tried to return her attention to her book, but her eyes inevitably drifted, and she stole another glance at Laura. Her back was to her, her brunette hair straight today, flowing over her gray winter coat, and Riley made herself look away before she got caught. Laura was next in line and if she wanted to talk to Riley, she’d be heading her way in a minute. If not, Riley would just have to accept that it’s over.

  Riley kept her eyes glued to her ereader until she heard the scrape of the chair across from her being pulled out, and she glanced up. Riley swallowed when Laura’s eyes met hers, and she couldn’t keep herself from saying what was on her mind.

  “Hey,” Laura said, standing on the other side of the wooden table, her hand on the back of the chair. “Is it okay if I join you?”

  “Sure... Look, I want to apologize for springing the script on you... I know what that’s like, people wanting your time, your attention... And you probably have your own work to be concentrating on.”

  “Relax,” Laura said with a lopsided smile.

  Riley waited to see what Laura would say next. There was something different about her today. Maybe she thought it was a good idea? Or maybe she was trying to figure out how to let Riley down easy. She had made some serious changes to the plot...

  “I’m open to the idea,” Laura said as she took a sip of her coffee.

  “Really?”

  “Yes... But I’d like to be involved and I know that, generally, studios don’t like that.”

  “Okay,” Riley said with a relieved smile. “I’ll see what I can do about that. I’m doing this on my own so I have no guarantee that anyone’s going to back this, but I love the story and I couldn’t approach anyone with it until I knew you’d be willing to option it...”

  “Well, I’ll need to read over this contract, if there is one, so I’m not going to promise anything either. I need to know that I’ll have some control over the screenplay.”

  “You’re not a fan of the new scenes?” Riley guessed.

  “Not really,” Laura said with a laugh, and Riley’s stomach flip flopped. It had nothing to do with the criticism. It was her smile and the sound of her laughter.

  “I’ll call a few people and see what I can do.”

  “Okay... I’ll give you my number so you can let me know what’s going on.”

  “Thanks,” Riley said, handing Laura her phone.

  Chapter 10

  Riley put another log to the fire and padded over to the window overlooking the backyard, watching the snow gracefully fall to the ground, adding to the three or four inches that had already accumulated. She went out earlier in the day, when the first snow showers started, going for a walk along the quiet country road that passed by her temporary home.

  Riley wanted to have a relaxing day at home, but she kept thinking about the revised script she’d emailed to Adam last week. Her phone was glued to her while she waited for Adam to get back to her. Today was Thanksgiving though, so she wasn’t going to bother him with a phone call no matter how tempting it was.

  Adam would be with his family in Seattle who he rarely saw. Riley would have to wait another day. She pushed away the jealous thoughts that always popped up when she thought of him sitting down for dinner today surrounded by family who loved and supported him.

  Riley never had that. Well, if you asked her parents, they’d probably say that they were loving parents, who gave Riley and her brother, Mark, every opportunity to succeed in life, but Riley would never forget all of the homophobic slurs she’d had to listen to over the years.

  Riley’s phone vibrated in her pocket, taking her away from her thoughts, and she nearly dropped it when she saw that it was Adam.

  “Hey,” she said as she answered. “Any news?”

  “Hi, Riley. Happy Thanksgiving.”

  “Sorry... Happy Thanksgiving.”

  “You’re anxious, but you don’t need to be.”

  “So, you have good news for me?” Riley asked, ready to dance around the room as soon as Adam said the words.

  “Yes and no.”

  “Oh... Okay.”

  “Good news first... The studio loves it, although they want the script reworked slightly, but they’re on board and that’s what’s important.”

  “So, what’s the bad news?” Riley asked, her heart rate increasing with every second tha
t Adam made her wait.

  “You need to be in it.”

  “What? No... Adam... I need a break from acting,” Riley said, sinking down into the couch, no longer wanting to dance around the room or jump on the cushions.

  “That’s the only way this project is going ahead... With me directing and you playing the lead. It needs your name on it.”

  “There’s no way around it?”

  “No.”

  Riley was starting to wonder if she’d ever be able to give up acting.

  “Okay,” Riley said with a sigh. “Wait, did you say you’re directing it?”

  “Yes... So, you’re in? Will I tell them to get in touch with Laura Foley?”

  “Yes. I have to be. I’m already too involved and I’m passionate about this story... and now this movie,” Riley said, a smile finally tugging on her lips. “So yes. I’m in... Send out the contract.”

  “Another project for us.”

  Riley could hear him smiling. “Yes. That is good news... Just a heads up though. Laura wants to be involved... The contract you get the studio to send out is going to need to be changed.”

  “Alright. I’ll let them know, but you know it’s out of my hands. It’ll be up to them how much access they give her and it’s not likely to be much. You know how possessive authors are about their stories.”

  “I know, but I’m determined to make this movie happen.”

  “We’ll be in touch Riley. I have a good feeling about this. Enjoy the rest of your day.”

  “You too,” Riley said before she hung up and took a deep breath.

  She’d already started daydreaming about what life would be like without the pressures of acting. She’d been thinking about where she’d go, the new places she’d travel to. She’d already been all over the world but that was when she was doing movie promo. She wanted to see more of Paris or London than just their top radio stations and morning show sets.

  Now, she’d have to forget about any traveling. She was about to dive head first into this project that was going to have her name all over it. She had to get this right. It would make or break her career.

  Chapter 11

  Laura took a deep breath, calming her nerves. She reached for her bottle of beer with a slightly shaking hand and she hoped Riley hadn’t noticed.

  “You don’t seem excited,” Riley said, her eyes studying Laura.

  Laura didn’t know what to say. When Riley had asked her out for a drink, she’d happily accepted, forgetting that they were inevitably going to talk about this script. Apparently, a contract was on its way out to Laura and someone would be in touch with her agent. Laura didn’t bother explaining to Riley that she didn’t have an agent. She had an editor, but that was about it.

  “I’m just overwhelmed,” Laura managed to say while her fingers fiddled with the label on the ice-cold bottle.

  “Your story is going to be in good hands,” Riley said with a smile. “Adam Caruso is a genius and he somehow thinks of everything. He doesn’t think he’s God unlike a lot of his colleagues. He’s everything you could hope for in a director.”

  “Speaking from experience?”

  “You have no idea… Thankfully, I’ve gotten to work with Adam a lot. We had our big break together, almost ten years ago now.”

  “I had to Google you,” Laura said, glancing up to meet her eyes, finally giving Riley her full attention. “I didn’t have a clue who you were when you came over to my table the first day.”

  Riley smiled. “I remember. It was nice… I usually get that look… You can see someone’s eyes narrowing, the wheels turning while they try to figure out how they know you and then, click. Their eyes widen and their jaw drops slightly, and then they turn into a stuttering mess or they start asking me questions about the business. Don’t get me wrong. I love my fans. I wouldn’t have much of a career without them, but it is exhausting.”

  “I can’t even imagine.”

  “So, sitting across from you and having you treat me like a normal person was… Refreshing. Too bad I had to mess it up by acting exactly like the typical fan I just described,” Riley said with a laugh, lightly touching Laura’s arm as she spoke.

  “You didn’t mess it up,” Laura said, returning her smile. “And that was fun for me, to actually meet someone face to face who enjoyed my work, so please, don’t apologize.”

  “Okay.”

  Laura had to look away from Riley’s mesmerizing blue eyes. She was starting to feel a little bit tipsy after three beers, but she was having fun. Even though the thought of turning her book into a movie still gave her heart palpitations, Amanda was right. She had to do this. For Grace.

  “So, I gave the studio a heads up about your request to be involved,” Riley said, giving the bartender a nod for two more. “We’ll just have to wait and see what they do about it. Don’t be upset if the contract they send out doesn’t have anything in it. You’ll need to turn it down, asking for whatever changes you want, and hopefully there’s a middle ground we can work with. Your agent should be able to handle it.”

  Laura nodded. “Why Chasing Time?”

  Riley stirred her gin and tonic while she thought about her answer. “It just stuck with me, for years, and when I reread it… I knew this was something I could get behind. To write an adaptation, you have to be completely engrossed with the story. I’ve already read Chasing Time three times. I’ll be reading it again I’m sure when we’re tweaking the script. You have to really love a piece of writing to commit to that sort of involvement.”

  Laura watched Riley talk, noticing how she liked to speak with her hands and the way her eyes lit up when she spoke about writing. She had to keep reminding herself that Riley was twenty-nine.

  When Riley first approached her about all of this, in addition to all her other doubts, she wasn’t sure about working with someone that much younger than her, especially someone who was in charge of the screenplay. How could Riley possibly relate to this story, to losing so much? But she was proving to be mature beyond her years, and Laura stopped worrying about the fourteen years that was between them. Instead, she went back to wondering if she was really making the right decision.

  “There’s one other thing,” Riley said, the enthusiasm in her voice fading. “I’m not happy about it, but... If this has any chance of happening, I have to be in it.”

  “You’ll be in the movie?” Laura asked as she finished her beer. She hadn’t thought that far ahead. Someone would be playing the characters that so closely resembled herself and Grace.

  “Yeah. They want me to be Gwen.”

  “Gwen?” Laura asked, wishing she had another drink in front of her. She ran a shaky hand through her hair. She didn’t think anyone would ever do that role justice, but she knew Riley wasn’t right for the part.

  “Look, I know you want to be able to have a say in the movie, but casting is not going to be up for grabs. That’s for the higher ups, and they’ve decided that they want me. I want to retire, or at the very least take a break, but this is a fantastic opportunity, for all of us. This could put you on the map. More people would be reading your books. I’ll hopefully be starting my career as a screenwriter after this.”

  Laura stopped listening. She couldn’t do this. Chasing Time was the hardest book she’d ever written, and there was no mystery around the reason why. It was too close to home, and the idea of making it into a movie starring one of Hollywood’s biggest stars was bordering on insanity. She pushed back her chair and stood up.

  “Laura? Are you okay?” Riley asked, gaping up at her. She’d been in the middle of a sentence.

  “I can’t do this,” Laura said, taking her navy winter jacket off the back of her chair and putting it on, blinking back tears as she buttoned it up. She had to get out of here. A scene was the last thing she needed. They’d already drawn a few lingering glances from people who were probably wondering whether or not Riley was who they thought she was.

  “Where are you going?” Riley asked, gra
bbing her arm as she stood up too.

  “I don’t think I can do this. I’m sorry. I know you put a lot of work into this... It’s just not something I can get onboard with. I have to go.”

  “You’re not driving, are you?”

  “I’ve had three beers. I’m fine.”

  Riley’s hands were around her waist, frisking her like a cop who’d just pinned a criminal against a car. “Hey,” Laura said, trying to dodge her wandering hands, but Riley found her keys and held them up as she took a step back.

  “No way, are you driving.”

  Laura’s jaw clenched. She didn’t need this right now.

  “We’ll get an Uber,” Riley said, tapping away at her phone as she put Laura’s keys in her pocket. “Come on. It’ll be here in five minutes,” she said as she put on her jacket and scarf.

  Laura scanned the bar. Thankfully, no one was paying attention to them, everyone in their own worlds, lost in conversation. It was probably different in L.A. or wherever Riley lived. No one here was thinking that a celebrity could be in their midst, not in this sleepy little Pennsylvania town.

  Chapter 12

  Riley wished she could see Laura, but the back of the car was too dark to make out more than her profile. She hadn’t spoken since they’d got in, other than to give the driver her address. Riley didn’t know what she’d done or said to set Laura off, but it was like a switch had been flipped. Riley thought the night was going well. Maybe it was the idea of Riley being in the movie. That was one of the last things she’d said before Laura’s mood shifted.

  The car turned down a narrow road and a few seconds later, a cabin came into view, the lights from the porch and the garage illuminating the house. The driver parked in the empty driveway and turned on the light inside the car. Riley couldn’t miss Laura brushing away what must have been a tear from her cheek before going back to rub underneath her eye. Laura barely glanced at her as she got out of the car.

  Riley made the decision to get out instead of going home. She thanked the driver and closed the door behind her, jogging to catch up with Laura before she got inside.