The question surprised her, but not as much as the hint of vulnerability in Victoria’s voice.
“Yeah, we are.”
After Shannon left to go to work, Victoria got out a pad of paper and tried to do her Morning Pages by hand. Only she couldn’t think of anything to write. Not even a couple of lines ofI hate my mothergot her mental juices flowing. She needed her fingers on a keyboard to think, and unless she either forgave her current laptop or bought a new one, she was stuck.
She showered and dressed, then wandered around her too-quiet condo. She felt restless and unsettled, as if she had too much time and not enough to do.
She supposed she could head to the gym and do an upper-body workout. If she was going back to work, she was going to have to get herself in shape. The walking cast would come off next week. Once it was gone, she would be allowed to resume relatively normal activities, including walking short distances. Things like running, martial arts and any leg work at the gym would be added gradually. If she pushed herself, she could be job-ready in three months. A thought that should have cheered her but didn’t. Maybe because she didn’t want to go back to the stunt work. She wanted—
If Margarite really was pregnant, then the entire structure of her story was wrong, she thought, staring at her still-in-trouble computer. Her plot points, the character arc, all of it. If Margarite was pregnant, Victoria was basically starting over. What had been your average Boy Meets Girl, Girl Stupidly Falls for Boy, Boy Dumps Girl, and Girl Says Fuck You screenplay was now something very different. It was about what? Giving up and getting pregnant and then life sucked. Right, because a million people would stand in line to see that one.
She went into her office and grabbed her stack of index cards, then spread them out on the kitchen table. Immediately she could see at least a dozen scenes she could cut. If Margarite was really pregnant—and she wasn’t willing to admit she was okay with that yet—then her saying it to theaudience was either the midpoint or the third turning point in the story. Probably the midpoint because a whole lot had to happen after that.
“Does she fall in love with the baby?” she asked out loud. “I’d hate for her to fall for someone else. That’s just so weak. Stand on your own, bitch.”
Only, she could already hear her critique group’s voices in her head telling her that love stories worked for a reason and that she shouldn’t let her personal emotional stuntedness contaminate an innocent character.
She grabbed her laptop from the trash and booted it.
“Don’t think this means you’re forgiven,” she muttered, tapping the table impatiently as the screen came to life. The second it did, she opened her screenwriting program and began to type.
DANNY
Margarite, what’s wrong?
He sits down next to her on the curb.
MARGARITE
Nothing. I’m okay.
She tries to fake a smile and fails.
MARGARITE (CONT’D)
It’s nothing. Really. Go home.
OLDER WOMAN
She’s pregnant and the guy just ran off.
“Interfering old biddy,” Victoria grumbled. “Mind your own business.”
Danny looks startled.
DANNY
You’re pregnant. Didn’t you use birth control when you were boffing idiot Jake? By the way, you’re going to want to get tested for STDs because the man’s willing to put it anywhere.
She stopped typing. “Seriously, brain? This is you being helpful?”
She set the laptop on a chair and sorted through the cards. Danny was one of the stunt guys Margarite had worked with on the movie. He was little more than a walk-on, there to add authenticity. But what if he was more? What if he’d secretly fallen in love with her but obviously couldn’t say anything because of her infatuation with Jake?
She flipped over a couple of cards and started making notes. What if he hung out with her, just being a friend? They dealt with her pregnancy together, and while he was being Mr. Sweetie Pants, she fell for him and realized what real love was. It wasn’t sex on the beach with a self-absorbed asshole. It was laughing together while playing with Legos and bringing her Thai food when she had a broken leg. Or rather while she was pregnant, because Margarite didn’t have a broken leg and there was no way Victoria was thinking about Javiar. Doing that was just plain dumb. She’d made her decision, and she was happy with it. Joyful, in fact. Starting right now.
26
“Is the job too big?” Aaron asked, as she studied the notes he’d made when he’d spoken with his customer.
