“I get it. I get it,” Jaden said with a heavy sigh. “Listen, thanks for your support Drake,” Jaden said.
“No problem,” Drake returned. “But, there is something I’ve been meaning to tell you. It just never seemed like the right time.”
“What’s up?”
“I’m leaving Nu Hype after the release of the film,” Drake said gathering his belongings.
“I thought you might consider staying on.”
“The film industry isn’t for me. I know it’s everything you’ve wanted, but after mom left, it’s never been something I’ve cared to do. ”
“Is that why you’ve been hard on me since I went to New York? You compared me to mom?”
“Well leaving is what you do best little brother, just like she did. Look, I understand that you left to fulfill your dream, but I have a dream too, yet I didn’t bail on the family.”
“Drake, one day, I’ll explain why I had to go and pursue this dream. Everything I have worked for was about helping family. You have to believe that.”
“I’ve seen your proposal. That’s why I accepted your offer. Still, you need to grow up, and stop slacking responsibility. Either dissolve the company and focus on the creative or start taking the business side of “Show Business” seriously.”
“I understand,” Jaden said before the question came.
“Do you really?” Drake asked, peering into his brother’s eyes.
“I do,” Jaden answered.
A quick hug followed their handshake, and then Drake stepped into the hall. Seconds later, he poked his head through the opening of the door.
“Oh yeah, Newberg is planning to walk next month if a script isn’t ready, bonus payment or not.”
“I’m already on it.”
“Good.”
-FIVE-
SUNLIGHT STREAKED THROUGH the faux wood blinds of Sunny’s bedroom window. The gentle warmth of the sun would have been enough to wake a a light sleeper. In Sunny’s case, it would take a crack of thunder to nudge her from the sweet torture of another fantasy starring Jaden Wright. Only this time, she was part of a daring rescue team who found him buried in snow from a fast-moving avalanche.
Of course, in her dreams, Jaden’s ego never made a guest appearance. He was a ruggedly handsome, devilishly sexy, and an adventurous multi-millionaire. As gratitude for saving him, he vowed to come back to that mountaintop and propose. Then, he’d sweep her into his muscly arms and kiss her passionately, before riding horseback into the sunset.
And then…
The sound of her alarm clock drilled into her brain. She shook off the shrilling beep and smacked the snooze button. It was the second time that it had gone off since five-thirty a.m., but the jolt of surprise that followed never lessened.
Rolling onto her back, Sunny smiled as she held on to the retreating image of her fantasy lover. She could not believe that she was dreaming about that egotistical louse. However, she’d been fantasizing about him since the day they had met.
She thought that she could come home and forget their near-death meeting. Unfortunately, he had followed her on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Tempted to ignore his friend requests, tweets, and likes notifications, she instead, she did some online research and learned that he was working on a film. He had thousands of followers; several of them were business associates of hers as well. Sunny couldn’t fathom why they hadn’t run into each other sooner.
She decided that even though she couldn’t stand his smug demeanor, she could stand being under his intense brown gaze. She rather liked the feel of his arms around her waist. Maybe not in reality, as she’d had enough of heartbreak to last her a century, still, what was the harm in fantasizing?
As the sunlight penetrated her eyelids, a low grumble rose in her throat. One eye popped open and she winced then shielded her eyes with her arm. The other eye eased open as her brain transitioned from her hunky fantasy to reality and her job.
The slanted rim of her eyeglasses was a sign that she’d fallen asleep with them on—again. She adjusted them on her nose with one hand and grabbed the clock with the other, holding it inches from her face.
“Oh goodness,” she groaned, falling back into her plush queen-sized mattress.
One unattractive snort later, she rolled to her side and placed the alarm clock on the bedside table.
She must have dosed off again, and felt another drowsy moment when Jaden’s kissable lips appeared in her mind again. She was sure she had time for another fantasy about Mr. Tall, Dark, and Stranded. Thinking of him, caused fluttering in her belly and made her moist in her pleasure spot.
Maybe she should call tweet him back. Why not? He did say that they could network. Oh yeah! That was before she theoretically stuffed his invitation for friendship into her mouth, chewed it mercilessly, and spat it back at him. On second thought, maybe keeping their association on Twitter was safer.
Besides, even though the entertainment community in Dallas was small, she hadn’t gone to any parties, mixers, or seminars since her breakup with Ramone. If she stayed on her side of town, and focused on getting her job back with the newspaper, she’d be too busy to think about him or conjure another fantasy about him.
Sunny yawned, slowly stretching her arms then flipped onto her back, arching it, pushing the top of her head deep into the pillow. She held the stretch, fighting the temptation to fall back to sleep. She had to rise and shine, if she planned to get any writing done that day.
Inching to the edge of the mattress, she dropped her feet to the floor, toes probing for her slippers.
Nada.
She hung her head over the side and scanned the floor beside the bed then grinned. One slipper dangled from the rim of a laundry basket overflowing with clothes and the other was lodged under the door. She cocked her head to the side and then smile again, recalling that she’d kicked them off as she entered her bedroom before turning on the light.
She yawned again as she shuffled into the master bathroom sans slippers wincing when her feet touched the cold tiles. She stepped in front of the large wall mirror and pitched her glasses into a small catchall decorative wicker basket.
Sunny turned on the tap, stabbed her electric toothbrush through the running water while fumbling through the drawers for the toothpaste. Finding it, she squirted a small amount onto the wet bristles, and then began to brush her teeth.
The soft buzz of the brush’s motor sounded good in her ears and gave her the sense of getting started even though her mind was still groggy. She stripped out of a brown graphic tee and over-sized flannel pajama bottoms, and then turned the knob in the shower waiting for the steam to rise. When she felt the heat, she stepped into the glass block shower, and closed her eyes as the drops of water beat against her body, feeling like pieces of heaven.
Oh...Crap! She had a meeting with her agent later that morning.
She showered quickly and then slathered body butter over her skin. Now wide awake, and energized, she slithered into her favorite pair of jeans, faux leather boots, and a graphic tee with the words, “FC Dallas”, her favorite soccer team, written across the bosom.
Sunny strode across the bamboo floors into her kitchen, stopping at the fridge revisiting the grocery list on the refrigerator door. The list of items had grown since her last grocery trip. Lately, it had become difficult to shift into first gear when it came to doing even the smallest task. Maybe a swift kick in the rear could jump-start her day.
She opened the fridge door and scanned its contents: a half carton of eggs, three slices of bacon, and about six ounces of a carrot, apple, and celery cocktail blend that she’d juiced earlier in the week. The fact that it wasn’t empty was a sign that her younger sister, Demi, hadn’t raided her fridge while she was out on assignment.
Her pantry on the other hand, told another story. It had several cans of veggies, half-empty boxes of cereal, potatoes with roots sprouting out of them, but nothing that appealed to her rumbling tummy.
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“Bacon and eggs it is,” she sighed while grabbing them and placing them on the counter. She then sliced a banana and then dropped slices of frozen bread into the toaster. When they popped free, she coated them with almond butter and dumped the banana slices on top. The snack was purely to keep her stomach at a low growl until breakfast was ready.
Her phone beeped and she grabbed from the counter. She had received a text from her agent, who was on his way to their meeting place.
She had better hurry.
***
“JARED…PLEASE…no more ghostwriting gigs. The last one with Chesapeake Beighs was a nightmare. That woman wasn’t open to suggestions, edits, or counsel about the development of the plot or character arcs for her book. I’m so glad my name is nowhere on it.”
“You did good work kid,” Jared Cross, her literary agent replied in his best imitation of the actor John Wayne’s voice.
“Jared, I’m serious. I did not get a graduate degree in journalism or work for peanuts at the newspaper to ghostwrite. I spent years blacking out my social life to write and it’s time that my name appeared on a book.
“All things take time Sunny,” he said.
Sunny could smell the lingering odor of his chain-smoking, barely covered by the strength of his cologne. Sitting through the assault to her delicate sinuses was necessary though, as she needed this one-on-one to decide if she would continue being Jared’s client.
She had been one of his first clients. They had given each other a chance. Now their two-year agreement was ending and she was still empty handed: no book deal and no fulltime literary employment. The freelancing she could do on her own, so why was he taking 10% of her earnings?
Sunny and Jared sat at the round table near the front window of her favorite Starbucks. It was a cloudy and gray North Texas afternoon. The humidity had dropped and the streets were slick with remnants of the rain that had cooled the temperature and prepped them for the beginning of autumn.
She studied him as she sipped from a half-empty cup of iced coffee and set it inside an empty cup of coffee that she had finished earlier. She signaled for the attendant and he nodded in response. She was a regular here and they knew her order.
“Any word on my book?”
“Beacon-Lytehouse passed on it,” he paused long enough to pop a piece of gum into his mouth. “But don’t panic, you wanted 3rd Koast’s attention anyway, and we should be hearing back from them soon.”
“I don’t know how many more rejections I can take.”
“Don’t take it personally. The market is tough these days, even for writers with a master’s degree and literary awards. Nowadays people want to read hot, steamy erotica or vampires and shape shifting werewolves,” he paused then came out with what he really had to say, “Hey would you consider…”
“N-O,” Sunny replied.
“It was worth a shot.”
“Nothing against those genres. But I want to have a successful writing career like Elizabeth Gilbert Colleen Coble, Johanna Lindsay, Beverly Jenkins, or Francis Ray.”
“I guess, I’ll tell Mr. Wright, that your answer is no.”
“Mr. Wright?” Sunny asked before sipping her coffee.
“Yeah, Jaden Wright. You remember, you wrote a feature about him two years ago.”
“That’s the guy...,” she said snapping her fingers.
“Who, what, when, and where?”
“You know, when I went to that incredible resort spa and helped that guy on the road. He was the one that I rescued. I knew he looked familiar but I couldn’t place him at the time.”
“Well you definitely left a lasting impression, because he came to me, asking about you.”
The coffee attendant set another piping hot cup in front of Sunny. In order to buy a little time to think, Sunny paid the attendant and leaned back in the chair scanning the small café. Usually at this time of day, the store would be empty. Now, every table including the booths and bar stools along the far counter and wall, were occupied.
Her eyes traveled until they landed on Jared. He dressed business casual, in starched slacks and Polo shirt. Freckles danced across the bridge of his nose, and his tranquil light gray eyes. His brown hair was short all-around. He was the type of guy that you’d find playing golf at a country club or schmoozing at a racetrack. His posture was straight, and shoulders light, as if he never seemed to have a care in the world.
“So what do you say Sunny?”
“Who is his agent by the way?”
“I am.”
“You represent both of us?”
“Yes,” Jared answered with a shrug of his shoulders.
“Since when?”
“Since he struck it big in Hollywood,” Jared typed a quick text message on his phone. “He needs a writer to adapt his new play into a screenplay. He’s got funding, an impressionable cast, but the studio does not love his first draft of the script.”
“Jared that’s cold,” she scoffed.
“What?”
“I can’t believe you’ve been representing someone with a foothold in Hollywood and haven’t tried to connect us sooner? You know I’ve needed more work.”
“You’ve been so adamant about staying in the book publishing field. I didn’t know that the film industry was on the table. I’m only asking you now, because he asked. And if you really want to cast blame, take a look at the fingers pointing back at you.”
“Me?” she asked. “How do you figure?”
“Are you kidding?” he grumbled low. “You keep complaining that you can’t get work. But, you’ve singlehandedly ruined your reputation—the bad publicity you received when you slapped Ramone, your client, months ago.”
Sunny slumped a little in her chair.
He continued, “Losing your job at a highly respectable PR boutique.”
She slumped even further.
“Dating a high prolife client when it was obviously against the rules.”
By now, Sunny’s eyes were just above the table and darted from the cashier to the patrons who were all staring at her. She cleared her throat and slowly straightened her back.
“Not to mention, you treat male clients with disdain, which is why I only send you female clients, like our Ms. Chesapeake Beighs, who—whether you believe it or not—took a chance on you, because she’d already heard about your reputation. And now, you’ve probably burned that bridge.”
“Alright, I get it Jared,” she cringed.
Sunny felt like Lucille Ball in her TV show, “I Love Lucy”, whenever she was caught red-handed after one of her schemes had gone awry. “I can’t believe I’ve been that woman, the bag-carrying one with the chip on her shoulder.”
“This past year has been tough,” Jared consoled.
“It’s just that dealing with Ramone turned my life upside down. I admit I haven’t handled it well. I’ve been in this business for nearly twelve years, and it’s been a childhood dream for as long as I can remember. I’m beginning to lose hope.”
“Look, I know you don’t think I’m working for you. But I am. I need to break down that wall a little. If you want my honest opinion, you may have to self-publish until opportunity knocks. Maybe get back to travel writing or…work with Jaden.”
Sunny had already considered the self-publishing route. She’d have to hire a freelance editor, book cover designer, set up her publishing company, and then become well versed in e-publishing. She cringed as the thought of running a company. She’d rather write full-time and leave the business side of things to someone else.
So much had changed over the last decade. Instead of going to an offset printer and paying hundreds or thousands of printed books in bulk to sell out of the trunk a car, now authors uploaded their work to digital portals such as Amazon.com or Barnes and Nobles to sell.
Instead of visiting libraries, and brick and mortar bookstores, people bought Kindles, I pads, and Nooks—electronic reading devices—to download published works.
Nearly ever
ything on paper had become obtainable with the click of a mouse or the press of a finger. The publishing world was mobile, competitive, and now the craft of writing had turned into blogging, social media, and E-publishing.
She had to adapt one day. However, right now, publishing with one of the big six traditional publishers, still had its advantages, including reaching a larger audience and getting books into high-barrier publishing distributors like Wal-Mart and Target.
“I considered self-publishing,” Sunny lifted her coffee to taste cocoa enriched coffee, and then placed it back on the table. “I’m not ready yet. Besides, I contacted Russ at the Journal, for my old job back.”
“The D.U.J? Sunny, we talked about this.”
“I know. But I had an audience and I was happier there. I have an idea that I’m working on and I need that platform. Maybe this could help with getting a publisher.”
“Fine. Just think about working with Jaden too. After all, you wrote an article on the man and you helped him on the side of the road. He owes you. It’s all about networking. Slap on a smile, and fake it until you make it.”
“Fine, I’ll do it,” Sunny begrudged him a smile.
“Think of it this way. Now you’ll get to put those months invested at Vassar Productions to good use.”
Vassar Productions.
Working at Vassar wasn’t the greatest paying job, but it provided for her needs. The hours were crazy and there wasn’t much downtime but when she had time off she worked on her novels.
If she’d known that she’d end up in the film industry, she would have changed her graduate degree and stayed with the small production house in San Diego. Interning for a year after high school as a writer’s assistant, had been the highlight of her life at that time.
Now her career was coming full circle. She was back in the film industry, and who knows, maybe it’s where she was meant to be. Screenwriting, is still writing.”
“Tell him it’s a go.”
Rescuing Mr. Wright (Texas Treasures) Page 4