“…not New York.”
They’d reached her building. “Let’s go upstairs,” he said. “I’ll explain everything.”
She twirled and her eyes met his. “California. You’re talking about California.
Screenplays get made into movies, don’t they? Wow, Doug. You don’t give me a chance to breathe.”
“Well, take a deep breath now. Take several. It probably won’t happen anyway.”
He took the key from her shaking hand. “Relax, Henny-Penny. Ninety-five percent of manuscripts don’t make it through. And ninety-five percent of the ones optioned never make it to the screen. My little play is a needle in the haystack.”
He watched her silently put her purse on the table and take off her coat. Her changes of expression told him her mind was racing as fast as a car at the Indy 500.
“But you’re so excited. If it’s a nothing chance, why are you so excited?”
Good question. Not an honorable answer. “Because, sweetheart, I think it’s a compliment just to be asked to the ball. And it also looks great on my resume.”
Now her eyes sparkled. “You mean it’s good for your ego!”
“That, too.” He beckoned to her, and she came, arms raised to wrap around him.
“I love you, Jen. So very much.”
“Make that times two.”
“I know. And I also know you’ll understand that I need to talk to Steve’s connection in L.A. He’s an agent who’s setting up a meeting with some studio mucky-mucks. I don’t even know which studio.”
She plopped herself on the couch. “And I know you’ll understand when I say I
have a three thousand pound stomachache, one pound for every mile.”
He could well believe that. “If any of my work winds up on the big screen, sweetheart, you’ll never have to worry about budgeting again. We’re talking about more money than Broadway could ever pay out with one play.” And if that didn’t win her over her, nothing he said could.
Her mouth opened and closed. Her head tilted back. “You’ve struck out. I don’t worry about that anymore anyway.”
##
In the morning, her first instinct was to call Lisa, but she stopped herself. She’d go to work as usual, focus on her clients as usual, supervise staff as usual. She’d cling to her routine as if it were a lifesaver. And perhaps it would prove to be.
Lunchtime presented a challenge. She could barely eat, and an hour of free time allowed her to think too much. Don’t dump this on Lisa. Jen had thought Kentucky was an awful move for Liz and Matt. If they knew her predicament now, they’d laugh. Not that anything was settled. According to Doug, far from it.
But he’d been having a pretty fantastic year. If this was a roller-coaster ride, he was still climbing high, with no bottom in sight.
How could she deny him?
But how could she deny herself the pleasure of family? They needed each other
—in Boston. She’d made that clear to Doug, and she’d already compromised about New York. Wasn’t that enough?
She went home with a headache. And got a bigger one when Doug told her, “I’m flying out next Thursday night to meet with the agent and discuss the story with the studio guys.”
He worked fast. Too fast. “What about your teaching schedule?”
“I’ll only miss Friday office hours. I’ll take the red-eye Sunday night and be home in time for Monday classes. George is one of the best-connected people in Hollywood. We can’t miss this opportunity, Jenny.”
She began pacing. “Maybe you can’t, but I can. Things are going so well for us
now, Doug. We’ve figured out our lives. Broadway, Boston, Emily, Lisa and Mike and the twins and the babies. And even Eve. We have a plan. We have a path. You’re breaking my heart. I wish your happiness didn’t cause sadness for me.” Her eyes filled, and she couldn’t stop the tears. “Sorry.” She grabbed a tissue and headed to the sofa.
A deep quiet followed. She could hear the tick of the wall clock nearby. She could hear Doug’s soft voice.
“Then I’m not going. Sadness? You’re the last person on earth who I’d want to hurt. I vote for both of us to be happy.”
But she shook her head, logic taking over. “You have to go. I can’t be responsible for a missed opportunity of that scope. And besides, decisions made in the heat of the moment are never good.”
He gave a sharp nod. “Jenny, I guarantee that in the end, this will turn out to be simply an educational opportunity. I’m familiar with the industry, but I’ll just learn about it better from the inside.”
She shrugged. “Whatever.”
“The worst response in the world.”
##
She actually agreed with him. Her response had sounded childish, but it was the only thing she could produce while numb. Living with Doug was proving to be anything but calm.
The following Saturday morning, while Doug was away, she practiced with the chorus again, preparing for their annual winter concert. In the afternoon, she cleaned the apartment as though preparing for a military inspection. Not a speck of dust, not a crumb of bread dared to show itself. She changed linen, did laundry and reviewed her wardrobe. Maybe a shopping trip was in order.
She called Lisa. “Want to introduce Briana to the wonders of shopping with her mom and auntie?”
