Page 60 of How To Plot a Payback

“That it?” I hear Mr. Goodwin’s voice and turn my attention back to the room. He’s sitting at the head of the table, and his eyes drift from person to person. “Anybody else want out?”

He waits for several seconds.

Nobody dares move.

“Then sit,” he commands.

Everyone rushes to their seat. Paula bangs the doorknob as she scurries to sit down.

I make my way toward the empty seat where I sat before.

“Not there,” Goodwin says as I touch the back of the chair. “Here, Masters.”

He slaps the seat next to him. The unoccupied seat that had belonged to Ken ten seconds ago.

I hesitate.

Then force my legs to move.

Pull the chair out.

Sit.

There’s a moment’s pause. I open my mouth. “Sir. I just want to say again—”

“No more words. I’ve read enough of your words the past five days,” Goodwin says. “It’s my turn, so listen up.” He leans forward, his face uncomfortably close to mine now, while the room watches. He raises a finger. “Number one, don’t so much as look at Maggie again.”

I would interject here if I were talking to any rational person, reminding him again that the whole situation was a misunderstanding.

But I am not talking to any rational person.

So I just nod.

“Number two,” he continues, giving my back a slap so hearty it would pop the mint out of a choking man, “congratulations. You’re now executive producer. And if anyone so much as looks at you with anything except complete respect, you fire them on the spot. You hear me?”

Me.

Fire others.

I swallow. What I want to do is turn to the rest of the table and whisper, “Of course. Of course I wouldn’t do such a thing.” But I think it’s best at the moment to maintain eye contact.

“Number three,” he says, and the chair squeaks as he finally leans back, “is that I want you and everyone else in this room to know you’re the best writer here. And from here on out, you own the floor. So take it away.”

Chapter 13

Lavender

Monday, Film Day, Stage 2

“I’m sorry.”

I put up my hand in a Stop position, halting Kye—currently playing Lance—before he can give me the big white box with the Pete’s Doughnuts logo scrawled across the top in red ink.

It’s shooting day and the place is crowded. More crowded than it’s ever felt before.

Half of the audience’s mouths are open, gaping, having just given a thunderous collective aahhh as they swooned over our romantic moment. The set has been changed overnight for this scene. Gone is the airport terminal that was set up for the send-off episode we were supposed to have. (Back before the whole plotline of Lance leaving for astronaut training was canned.) Here, in its stead, is the set for a restaurant scene, a quaint little Italian place Lance Lewis is supposedly taking Ashley Krane for Valentine’s Day.

And here is Ashley’s present.