Chapter 2
CHAPTER 2
T o any casual observer, the Havens’ living room is a perfect archive of vintage heirlooms. Plush velvet throws and decadent drapery add an air of grandeur to a gothic fireplace and live edge shelves. Their world is doused in emerald greens and ruby reds—a dark academia vision board brought to life.
It’s an illusion, all of it.
I was there when their team of designers dragged in each fabricated piece, carefully curating what patterns clashed best against the rest. Like most everything else in this house, appearances are deceiving. I would know. Right now, Taylor and I have both erected our most charming expressions for this morning’s meeting.
He’s wearing his patent smile. The one that hints at the single dimple embedded deep in his right cheek. His head is cocked, eyes fixed on Adoria as she regales us with the harrowing tale of Friday’s acupuncture appointment. He hits all the appropriate cues: laughing when she reaches a punchline, huffing at the injustice of her practitioner’s strict schedule. Surely she could stay half an hour later for her most high-profile client! No? Well, Adoria will simply have to take her business elsewhere!
He’s good at pretending, I’ll give him that. But I’m better. Adoria can’t see the impatient knee he’s bouncing beneath his desk, that one of his hands keeps clenching and unclenching. I’m sure he’s picturing wrapping it around my throat.
While he gives the performance of a lifetime, I’m already in problem-solving mode. Keeping my gaze locked on Adoria, I start scribbling notes, validating her story with the sporadic promise to set this acupuncturist straight.
Of course, said notes will wind up in the wastebasket beneath my desk once Adoria leaves the room. There they’ll stay, buried with my promises to discipline her florist, the event planner who fired her, and that one hairstylist who cut off more than the requested two-quarters of an inch.
“That’s revolting,” I say, looking Taylor dead in the eye.
“Absolute hypocrisy,” he agrees through his teeth.
I shake my head. “It’s crazy how some people can be so immature.”
“She probably has absolutely nothing going for her.” Taylor fakes a frown before turning back to Adoria. “Unlike you, ma’am.”
“Right you are.” Victor nods at this assessment. “You are a gift, dearest.”
Adoria sniffs, patting her husband’s cheek. “Apologies, all. I went on quite the tangent, didn’t I? The truth is, Victor and I wanted to meet this morning to make an announcement.”
I sit straighter in my seat, resisting the urge to glance in Taylor’s direction. Anything our bosses need, they communicate over email. Urgent matters are delivered via phone call, or through an abrupt knock at our office door. Formal announcements are…well, unheard of.
“Darling, would you like to take it away?”
Victor nods at Adoria’s request, puffing out his chest. “Yes, well, it seems like we will be heading to Italy this summer.”
I nod, making a note in my planner. Across the room, I hear Taylor doing the same.
“We’ll be gone for three months. We’ll need to rent a place—you know the kind we prefer. On the coast, natural light, the works. Ms. Montes, you still have our travel agent’s number, yes? You’ll need to make an appointment with her, please. And, Taylor—”
Adoria’s sudden deep laugh nearly startles me out of my seat. “Dear! You’ve skipped all the good bits. We haven’t even told them why we’re leaving yet.”
Victor twirls his goatee, color flooding his cheeks. “Ah, well. Yes. Dearest, why don’t you tell them the good news?”
A chill runs down my spine. Adoria’s definition of “good” never bodes well for me. This time I can’t help it—my gaze seeks out Taylor’s. To my surprise, he’s already looking my way. We share a fleeting despondent look before Adoria claps her hands.
“Our proposal for our next feature was greenlit! We’ll be spending the summer drafting the rest of the screenplay. It will be a full-out writer’s retreat.”
I manufacture another smile, pretending the news is as sweet for me as it surely is for the Havens. My fingers itch to switch tabs, begin the arduous task of constructing a to-do list of everything I’ll need to accomplish in the two months before summer officially begins. But Adoria isn’t done.
“And here’s the best part: we want you to join us.”
The pen slips through my fingers. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Taylor’s jaw go slack. We both sit a little straighter as Adoria unveils a crimson smile.
“We’ll need all the help we can get with this project. You’ll be on-call around the clock, ready to jump in with copy edits and research. It will be a crash course in screenwriting, darlings. A true introduction to the world of movie-making. The summer might be grueling sometimes and paradise at others, but isn’t that why you’re here?”
Adoria beams, looking between me and Taylor. A hand finds its way over my heart as I let out the beginning of a euphoric giggle. This is exactly why I’m here. Why I’ve spent years picking up the Havens’ groceries and folding their laundry. Why I pour over their abandoned scripts like I’m studying for a test, and stay up late every night working on my own. All I have ever wanted is to be a screenwriter. And, at last, the Havens actually seem inclined to help me make that dream come true.
“It’s an all-inclusive trip, naturally. Airfare, lodging, food will all be covered by us.”
I nod, my heart beating so loud I fear everyone in the room can hear. “Thank you,” I whisper, unable to coax my voice louder. “Oh, Adoria, thank you, I—”
“Which is why we’ll only be bringing one of you.”
The ground shifts beneath my feet. I hold onto my chair, trying not to choke as my entire perspective is thrown off-balance.
One of us? They’ll only be bringing…one of us?
“I’ll email you both with the general timeline. Can we get a list of flights and accommodations by the end of the week? I’ll try to—”
“ Which one of us?”
I don’t recognize the sound of my own voice until Taylor’s head snaps in my direction. I have never interrupted either of my bosses in the two-plus years I’ve been in their employ. But never in that time have I been so damned confused. And some of their requests would make a greener assistant’s head spin.
I wet my lips. “I mean, have you already chosen?”
Adoria doesn’t notice I have gone off-script. “Yes, good question. But, no. We will make our decision by the end of the month. We would like you both to submit your very best piece of work. We’ll choose based on that.”
I feel my right eye begin to twitch. My mouth opens, fifteen other questions ready to spill out when Adoria stands. She helps her husband up, pressing a brief kiss to the tip of his nose before striding out of the room. Victor follows after her, abandoning us with a quick: “We’ll email you the details soon!”
And then they’re gone.
Leaving me alone with Taylor.
Who’s sizing me up like a lion might a mouse.