My mouth dropped open when realization dawned onme. “Jake.”
* * *
Within days of contacting Martin,things began moving like wildfire on a drought-stricken California mountain range. Suddenly I was a working actor again, with auditions lined up for weeks and a Jake McKallister music video on the books. There was no mystery as to who was behind my sudden windfall… Emma and her deep-pocketedconnections.
Although I really didn’t want her help, I also wasn’t in a position to refuse. Hollywood was all about who you knew, and prior to Emma, I knew no one. Besides, if this were her way of making amends, I guessed I could accept with gratitude. This, I’d already decided, would be my final stand. If I couldn’t break into the business now, with all the power and connections behind me, I never would. These next few months would hold the key to my future and hopefully give me the clarity I needed to move forward in both my careerandlife.
When all was said and done, Emma had changed me for the better, and despite the heartbreak, I wouldn’t change our time together for anything. And even though moving on was proving more difficult than I’d ever imagined, at least I now knew what to look for in a companion. For the first time in my life, a woman had put me first, and I’d neverforgetthat.
21
Emma, Present Day: Two PercentChance
“Well,hey there, J-Lo. I almost didn’t recognize you with that hair. You went the brown with highlights route… okay… I can dig it,” Frannie said, pulling up a seat opposite me in thecafeteria.
“I just needed a change,” I confessed to myfriend.
My words were slow and methodical. Since Finn’s midnight visit a few weeks ago, I’d felt crushed by the weight of the decision I’d been forced to make. We clearly loved each other, and the reasons for keeping him away seemed harsh even for my standards. Wanting something I couldn’t have was nothing new for me, but leaving someone I clearly loved was a whole new ballgame. I started rethinking my marriage and child ban. Would it really be so terrible? Maybe I could have all those things if it meant Finn staying in my life. And clearly being with me was something he still wanted, if his early morning confession had any meaning behind itatall.
“What happened to ‘blondes havemorefun’?”
“Yeah, they don’t,trustme.”
“Well, I like it. You look pretty however you wear your hair. Besides, this is a new start, right?” she said, in a fabricated cheerful tone. Frannie was never jovial, so I knew what it took for her to fake itforme.
“I love you, Francesca. Have I ever told you that? You’re the only person in this place who gives a shitaboutme.”
My friend shifted in her chair with a worried expression on her face, before leaning in and whispering, “You’re not suicidal,areyou?”
“No, I don’t have to be hopeless in order to like you, Frannie. Maybe if you showed your warm side more often, you wouldn’t have people scurrying away in terror every time you cut acrossaroom.”
“Well, what would be the fun in that?” She smirked. “Anyway, this conversation is not about me and my lack of social skills. It’s about you and the whole yawn-fest you’ve got going on over here. I mean it’s not that you’ve ever been high speed Internet but, honey, you’ve been downgraded to a 2Gconnection.”
“I know. I think I’m just depressed,” I moped, laying my head on thetable.
“Is this about the studly stuntman? Not exactly sure why you broke up with that piece of meat in the first place, but I’m guessing it’s none of my business,right?”
I nodded emphatically. Another reason I loved her. She knew herboundaries.
“Well, look on the bright side – there’s always Dr.Schlong.”
A slow laugh escaped me, which quickly turned into a case of hysterics. It wasn’t even funny, but I was so out of whack lately that I couldn’t control my emotions. Francesca sat there with a confused smile on her face until I’d finally completed my unusual burst ofenjoyment.
“Are you on something?” she said, cupping her hand over one side of her mouth, to prevent the people next to us fromhearing.
“No. What, I can’t laugh without you thinking I’m onopiates?”
“I’m not really sure what’s wrong with you, but I’ll tell you one thing, if you don’t stop this giggle shit, I’ll be forced to trade you in for a less enthusiastic model… someone like Barb, the front desk volunteer. Now there’s a miserableshrew.”
“Nooo,” I continued laughing. “Not Barb. I’ll do better. Ipromise.”
My lunch over, I said my goodbyes to Francesca and stood to leave. An unexpectedly sharp pain shot up the back of my leg and into my left butt cheek. I inhaledaudibly.
“What’swrong?”
“Sciatic nerve. I’ve been having all kinds of issues with itlately.”
Francesca’s mouth dropped open and she grabbed my wrist, pulling me back in my seat. Confused, I glared at her. If she was going to get all touchy-feely with me, I’d have to rethink that love I’d justofferedher.
