Page 67 of I’d Be Honored

“Free for what, exactly?” Maddie asked hesitantly. It had been more than a few years since she, Caitlin, and their agent had last gone out together—partying on Sunset Boulevard until they’d been spotted by paparazzi.

Caitlin huffed out a laugh. “She said a new script came across her desk that she wants to talk to us about.”

That caught her attention. “When does she want to meet?”

“In an hour.”

Maddie darted to the bathroom for a quick shower, then finished packing the duffel. She slung the strap over her shoulder before joining Caitlin by the front door, and the two set out to meet Sandy.

——

The bar was already buzzing when they arrived. Maddie scanned the crowd until she spotted Sandy, waving from a red leather booth tucked into the corner.

“Thelma and Louise!” Sandy hugged them each in turn before sitting back down. “Glad to see the police haven’t caught up with you yet,” she added with a wink.

Maddie and Caitlin slid into the bench across from her, smiling at the old joke.

“So, just to be clear, that makes you…?” Maddie raised a brow.

“J.D., obviously. Are you saying I don’t look like Brad Pitt?” Sandy gestured to her own sharp cheekbones, lean frame, and short tousled blonde hair.

She made a fair point.

They ordered a round of drinks and caught Sandy up on the wedding planning and Maddie’s time thus far in New York. She shouldn’t have been surprised when Caitlin brought up her relationship with Hayley, nor when the two inevitably teamed up to tease her. Maddie tried to hide behind the V of her glass, but that only made them laugh harder.

Caitlin steered them back to the real reason they were all there. “Alright, so tell us about this script. It must be pretty big if you flew across the country to pitch it.”

Maddie noticed a flicker of emotion cross Sandy’s face. Embarrassment, maybe. Or nerves.

“Unless there’s another reason you’re in New York,” she suggested with a playful wiggle of her eyebrows.

“Who is she?” Caitlin pressed.

“There is no she,” Sandy scoffed. “I’m here on business.” For such a cutthroat agent, she had never been a good liar.

“Caitlin, how long have we known Sandy?” Maddie asked, turning to her best friend.

“Twelve years for me and thirteen for you, Mads,” Caitlin replied.

Maddie pretended to ponder, resting her chin in her hand.

“And in that time,” Caitlin continued, “how often has Sandy flown all the way to New York City for business?”

Maddie shook her head with a grin. “Rarely. And doesn’t our dear friend and agent get the slightest twitch in her right eye when she tries to lie?”

“Why, yes, she does.” Caitlin attempted to keep a straight face. “It’s like her brain is trying to keep her honest with us.”

Sandy rolled her eyes. “Did you two rehearse this little off-Broadway show ahead of time?” She took a sip of her IPA. “Since you both seem to miss acting so much, let’s get to the point. McKenzie Ryan wrote an incredible script, specifically for you two.”

Maddie’s eyes widened. “Wait, what are you saying?” Nothing had ever been written for her before. Most of Maddie’s roles had featured her as a side character to Caitlin.

“You’d be co-leads,” Sandy confirmed.

“What’s the movie?” Maddie tried to keep a lid on her excitement. In their industry, anything could shift without warning. Better not to get her hopes up.

“The story follows the paths of two college best friends in New York City as they navigate life, and I have to admit—it feels eerily familiar.” Sandy looked between them and cleared her throat. “Alright, so we’ve got two leads, both women. Caitlin, your character studies abroad during her senior year, meets a woman at a bar, and spends an unforgettable twenty-four hours with her. They never see each other again, but years pass, and she still can’t get this woman out of her head.”

Caitlin let out a soft laugh. “Pining. Yeah, I think I can pull that off.”