Authors: Andrew Hess
“And what am I supposed to say to him?”
“Audrey will do all the introductions since she already knows him. Once you are comfortable discussing your book and your vision for it, we will gauge his reaction. If he wants to make an offer, I will of course step in to help with negotiations.”
Evan didn’t like how short notice the trip would be, but it was a huge opportunity. If it worked out, he could be financially set for years. Sara could quit her job and stay home with him. They could look into starting a family, and he could work on writing more books.
“When do we leave?”
“Late tomorrow morning will be ideal. It will take several hours to drive up there. Audrey will setup the meeting for us. Once we’re done, we’ll grab dinner and be home before you know it.”
Evan had a bad feeling about the trip, but knew he could lose everything if he said no. There was only one thing left to say. “Should I meet you here or should I wait for a car to pick me up?”
Evan’s revelation from the previous night had Sara smiling all day as she filed patient information away. Co-workers took notice and commented on Sara’s good mood, which made the day go by faster. For the first time in months, Sara was happy to go home.
When she opened the door to the apartment, the smell of fried chicken filled the air. She slipped out of her white sneakers and felt like she levitated toward the smell. Evan stood next to the kitchen table. Lit long stemmed candles sat between two plates of fried chicken cutlets, mashed potatoes, and creamed spinach.
“What’s all this,” Sara asked.
“An apology and celebrating a new beginning.”
“Okay, I accept your apology.” A feeling of hope filled the room. Sara could see Evan making the effort he promised. “What’s this about a new beginning?”
“I’d like to think of tonight as a new beginning for us.” She watched him pull a bottle of wine out from the fridge and pour its contents into two long stemmed glasses. “To us, and to our future.”
Despite feeling like Evan wasn’t telling her everything, she appreciated the sentiment behind the toast, and that Evan cooked dinner for the first time in their relationship. Evan pulled out the chair for Sara, allowing her to sit and dig into her dinner. The potatoes were smooth and creamy, and the chicken was made to perfection. If Evan wasn’t careful she would have him cook every night.
“Evan, I’ve never knew you could cook this well.”
“I’m not a big fan of cooking, but I know how to do a few things in the kitchen.” Evan eyed up Sara as he ate. She could tell there was something on his mind and wrestled with telling her.
Figuring something might have happened with Mr. Waters, Sara decided to bring up the meeting. “How was your day?”
“Eye opening.”
“So everything went well at Mr. Waters’ office?”
“You could say that.” Evan launched into the discussion about the tour and how his sales have been doing since he came back to New York. He told her about the ultimatum Mr. Waters presented him with.
“You really think they’re going to drop you like that?”
“Kat warned me about Waters. She told me he does what’s best for business. So yeah, I wouldn’t put it past him.”
“What are you gonna do?”
“I’m going to work on the book as much as I can during the day and hope to finish it before the new year.” Evan’s eyes stared blankly at the window.
“There’s something else going on in that mind of yours,” Sara said. “What else happened?”
“There was one thing that Audrey brought up. A chance at making a huge deal that we would greatly benefit from.” Not liking any sentence that contained Audrey and a huge deal, Sara urged Evan to continue. “Audrey said she ran into an old friend that happened to be a producer. She recommended my book and he checked it out. Supposedly, he liked it and wants to talk.”
“That’s great,” Sara said excitedly as she wrapped her arms around Evan’s shoulders. “You think he’s going to offer you a movie deal?”
“That’s what I’m hoping for, but I won’t know for sure until we meet with him.”
The word “we” wasn’t sitting well with Sara. “Who’s going?”
“Audrey, Mr. Waters and I.”
Sara took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “Okay, so when are you guys gonna meet with this producer?”
“We leave tomorrow morning.”
“Okay, but you’ll be back by tomorrow night, right?”
The guilty look on Evan’s face meant he was about to disappoint Sara again, and she knew it. “We’re going up to Albany to meet the producer. If we get back tomorrow, it’ll be late.”
“Are you serious? Tomorrow night is our Christmas party with Julie and the girls. We’re supposed to be there by seven-thirty.”
“I’ll try to get back as soon as I can, but I can’t guarantee anything right now.” Sara crossed her arms in front of her chest, staring Evan down. “I’m sorry, but this is potentially a deal that could keep us financially stabilized for years.”
“Is the money really that much more important than spending the holidays with your wife and our friends?”
“They are your friends not mine. And I will be here with you for Christmas. There’s nothing that’ll keep me from spending it with you.”
“What if the producer wants to meet again during Christmas? What if he wants you on set while they’re filming?”
“First off, they don’t usually meet or work around Christmas. Second, I would tell them it can wait a day or two.”
“And this can’t?”
“No, he’s going to spend the holidays in London and won’t be getting back until the end of January.” She felt Evan grab her hands, jolting her from the angry stare. “I wouldn’t be going if there was another option.” He looked deep in her eyes. “This is our big chance. If I land this deal, we’ll be raking in royalty checks for a long time. I won’t have to work so hard to get new books out.”
“You better land this deal.” She dropped Evan’s hands, downed her wine, and stormed off upstairs to the bedroom. The moment she slammed the door, Sara sent a text to Julie and one to Kat.
S:
Looks like it’s just going to be me tomorrow night.
J:
Why?
S:
Evan has a meeting with some producer. Might have some sort of movie deal in the works.
J:
OMG that’s great. Don’t worry about him. We’ll have fun tomorrow night without his dumbass.
S:
Mind if I stay the night?
J:
Mi casa es su casa.
When Sara sent the text to Kat, she told her all about the meeting Evan had with Audrey and Mr. Waters, including the upcoming meeting with the producer.
K:
That’s great if he can sit with the producer and hammer out a movie deal. But I wouldn’t trust Waters or Audrey. They’ll find a way to get more of his money if he makes this deal. Mark my words, he will make only a fraction of what they’ll make off of him.
S:
What should I do?
K:
Unfortunately, there’s nothing you can do. But I’ll talk some sense into him before he leaves.
S:
Thank you.
Sara collapsed onto the bed hoping Kat could guide Evan in the right direction. The more she thought about the meeting he had earlier, the more she thought getting him away from Audrey and Mr. Waters would be a good thing. She just hoped Evan would see things her way.
*******************************************************
Evan
Sara didn’t speak to Evan for the rest of the night. Seeing how angry she was, Evan decided to sleep on the couch. She was gone before he woke, but left a note on his chest.
Evan,
Sorry about last night. I know how important this is to you, and should’ve been more supportive. I still wish you were coming tonight, but I understand. Good luck with the meeting.
Love you
Sara
Evan folded the note and placed it in his pants pocket as he readied himself to head into the city to meet Mr. Waters at his office. Never had he felt so nervous for a meeting in his life. He wasn’t even this nervous when Waters told him about the book tours earlier in the year. But this was a golden opportunity, his golden opportunity. If he was offered a movie deal, his life would change forever.
That was all he could think about as he took the cab from Penn Station to the office. The black small passenger limo sat in front of the building. He wasn’t surprised to see it. Waters always traveled in style, and never drove himself anywhere. As he entered the building, he found Audrey with a rollaway standing at the elevator.
“Going somewhere after this?”
“No, but it’s good to be prepared.”
“Prepared for what?”
“We’re going to Albany in December. Snow and ice are possibilities for causing delays.”
This wasn’t setting well with Evan. Despite telling Sara he wouldn’t be there for the party, he wanted to find a way to get back to surprise her. Evan gave a half smile as he entered the elevator. “Let’s hope that’s not the case.”
Waters waited for them in waiting room of his office. His eagerness made Evan wonder who was more excited for this meeting, him or Mr. Waters?
“Great, looks like everyone is ready to go. Shall we head down to the limo?”
“I’m ready,” Audrey replied.
Evan merely nodded as he saw Mr. Waters pull a rollaway bag away from the chairs. It was odd that they would bring luggage to a meeting, and wondered if they planned on staying overnight before coming back home.
The drive to Albany was long and quiet. Waters and Audrey conducted business by phone or email for most of the trip. It was as if they were so focused on business they forgot Evan was there. He wanted to do something, wanted to talk to someone, but knew Sara was working. She wouldn’t be able take the call or respond to any texts. He still hadn’t spoken to his family, not that he wanted to, and he had very few friends. He pulled out his cell and found the only person he felt he could text.
E
: Hey, you busy?
K
: I am about to go into a meeting. What’s up?
E
: On my way to Albany for a meeting with a movie producer. Kind of nervous. Got any suggestions?
K
: Be yourself. You’re a very likeable guy, and your book is amazing. They’ll love you.
E
: What if they don’t?
K
: If they pass on your book, it’s because it’s not what they’re looking for right now. It doesn’t mean anything. Plenty of people are turned down.
E
: Well, that’s encouraging.
K:
Evan, your book can easily be turned into a movie. You just need the right producer of production company to come along. Maybe this producer is it. I just don’t want you to get your hopes up. At the same time, don’t trust Waters. If you do work out some sort of deal, he’ll weasel his way into taking more money than he should.
E
: I know. But who else will help me get the deal?
K
: If this producer is serious about signing you or your book, then I’ll head up there tonight and help out.
E
: Thanks.
The limo pulled up to a Hilton hotel. Audrey entered first, walking up to the front desk. “We’re here to check-in.”
Check-in? What the hell kind of game were they playing?
Evan had no idea they planned on staying the night. Bringing their bags was questionable. Audrey told him in was just in case. He assumed Waters planned on taking a flight after the meeting.
Audrey returned with three sets of room keys. “We’re all checked-in. I need to freshen up a bit before we meet with Mr. Davidson.
“Why did you book us rooms,” Evan asked as he followed her to the elevator. “I need to get back home tonight.”
“Our meeting is in two hours. We will be meeting Mr. Davidson formally for your meeting and then taking him out to dinner to help close the deal.”
Waters pulled Evan’s arm and looked at him with anger in his eyes. “This is a huge deal for all of us. Tell me; what’s so important that you feel the need to rush everything and risk the deal just to go home?”
“I didn’t know you were planning all of this. I had plans with my wife and our friends.”
“Your wife will understand when she sees the checks rolling in. Friends are a dime a dozen. You can always make more friends, but it’s not every day you get to sit down with a movie producer.” Deep down, Evan knew Waters was right, but still felt like it was the wrong move. “You need to decide right now. Is this what you want or not, because if you don’t, we’ll leave right now.”