Sebastian:
It doesn’t sound like nearly as much fun.
Me:
I’m returning your deposit. All of it.
Sebastian:
And I won’t accept it. I’m picturing you scolding me. It’s super hot. Which makes me wonder… What are you wearing? And how do you feel about phone sex? We can’t exchange naughty photos because stars always get hacked and no one’s allowed to see you naked except me.
I’m debatingwhat to text when my phone rings.
I look at the number and see it’s Sebastian. My heart skips several beats, and I answer with a smile in my voice as I curl up on my couch to get comfortable.
CHAPTER 44
Emma
Steadfast
Every week, a part of me waited for the other shoe to drop. That same small part worried that Sebastian’s steady supply of texts and phone calls would suddenly stop. That the sun would go dark.
But every week, my fears proved false. We’d text all day. He’d share film-set gossip, and I shared the ins and outs of starting a business. And every night when he wasn’t filming late, we fell asleep on the phone together. Things even got spicy.
A funny thing started to happen. Gradually, the fear lessened. Gradually, the messages and calls that populated my day became something to count on.
Even though we still haven’t given a name to what we are to each other, in the last two months of this long-distance thing we’ve got going on,he’sbecome someone I can count on.
Which is why I’m surprised that Sebastian has been radio silent all day, even though I’ve messaged several times. I know I’m being silly. But since we started this, he’s never gone thislong without texting. And yesterday there was a tabloid article with him looking cozy with his costar.
I sigh and remind myself that he’s not my dickwad ex. There’s no reason to think that Sebastian is ghosting me. I know the tabloids are bullshit.
I tell myself he must be having an exceptionally busy day on set.
Luckily, Dream Space is keeping me too busy to obsess. Much.
When summer ended, Sadie returned from her internship to work beside me. In the last two months, we got our preliminary business tasks ticked off our list. Our branding, website, and social media accounts are set up and polished. Our pitch deck is perfect. Our systems are in place. And we’ve landed three more clients.
We’re even using the money that Sebastian deposited in my account to set up Grace Foundation, a non-profit to help people like my aunt who have a hoarding disorder. It’s a complex issue, and we’re still in the planning stages, so we’ll take it slow. But I’m excited for the challenge.
It hasn’t been all smooth sailing. Work-life balance still mocks me. Though I don’t pull all-nighters anymore, working through the weekend is not unusual. It’s a good thing I love what I do.
“Emma! This place looks amazing,” Olivia calls as she walks through the door of my new house, which also happens to be Dream Space’s new office.
I grin with pride. She’s right. It does. Sadie and I spent weeks looking for the right place to rent. It had to do double duty—as an office and a place for me to live. We finally found thealmost-perfect house. We discovered it through a friend of a friend of Sadie’s, and we’re renting it for an incredible price. Especially since it’s in an ideal spot near Pacific Palisades. The upside. It’sgot curb appeal if you don’t look too closely at the details. It’s a 1920s Craftsman-style storybook cottage we painted white with crisp blue trim. An awkward addition was built in the 1970s, so there’s enough space to hold client meetings and store our supplies.Barely.
The downside—the owner’s nephew who used to live here was more into catching epic waves than caring for the property. So it fell into disrepair.
We can’t do much about the house’s quirks like a sagging foundation, uneven floorboards, and “vintage” plumbing and kitchen appliances. But my sister nailed the decorating. The office has its own separate entrance and feels peaceful and serene, awash in tones of sage and cream. Even better, all my organizational baskets and acrylic bins lining the floor-to-ceiling shelves make me want to run out and tackle the next disaster of a house. And the next. And the next. Until the entire world is orderly. I sigh happily.
“I’m glad you’re finally getting to see it. Sadie and I have been working twenty-four seven to get it ready. I’ll give you a tour.” I hug Olivia and then hold my arms out so I can see her better. “Love your new look. Do a twirl for me.”
“What? No!” she says with a laugh. Then she fidgets with her glossy blown-out hair and straightens her fitted skirt self-consciously. “I just came from a book signing.” She makes a face. “That’s why I’m dolled up. They’re fun, but they terrify the introvert in me.”
“Well, you’re gorgeous. And insanely talented. So you shouldn’t be terrified.”
Olivia smiles. “Right back at you.”
