Page 67 of Lost Love Found

“Hey, L. You OK?” I hear the hum of traffic and horns being honked in the background. So very New York.

“Yeah, sorry. Hi! How were your meetings?” I walk into the kitchen and grab some water to give my jittery limbs something to do. I don’t know why I feel nervous.

“Good. We’re trying to decide on what project to take on and Judith and I can’t agree on anything. So…not that good, I guess.” He lets out a humorless laugh. “Anyway, we’ll sort it out. I’m going to be here for two more days and then I’ll be back in LA to finish filming.”

“Is Judith the director you’re working with?” Adam has had a lot on the go lately and this seems like it’s been much more involved than I realized after he told me about it last night.

“Yeah. Keller. We worked together a while back and hit it off. She’s been really great so far, but we haven’t found a story we can both agree on.” The sound of stubble being scratched fills the air as he speaks. I feel the urge to reach out and feel the coarse hairs on his chin, remembering how it feels to run my fingers through his beard.

I force myself to focus on the conversation. “Judith Keller. Wow! She's such a powerhouse.” He hums in agreement. “Well, if I can help with anything I’m here, OK?”

“Thanks, L. I know. OK so tell me about those sketches. What made you want to start them?” Of course, he’s switching topics and not telling me about the situation with his dad. Fine. I’ll play. I also respect that he maybe just needs the distraction.

I go on, telling him about how the characters in these books are richly drawn and highly relatable. The characters stumble through missteps and mistakes, but also experience moments of self-discovery and growth. Ultimately, the reader can relate to their journey of redemption from their worst qualities. There's a complexity to their relationships that bring the reader into their lives in such a way that it seemed like a movie was playing out in my head even in the first few chapters. I felt like I had gotten to know each character so well that I could almost see them interacting with each other, and it felt natural to start imagining the sets and scenes for this imaginary movie.

He listens intently as I break down how I see these characters, imagining how great it would be to give them life by adding in details like their favorite coffee mug with a little chip on the handle, and how that would look on camera with the right lighting against moody kitchen cupboards.

An hour passes and Adam hasn’t said more than a few words. He just keeps making reassuring noises, encouraging me to keep going. I finally stop and he remains silent for a few seconds.

“Do you think you could come to New York, L?” Uhhh what? Did he even listen to what I was saying? Why would I go to New York?

He senses the confusion in my silence. “Could you just come and repeat all of that to Judith and me in a meeting? Because you’ve sold this movie to me, and I’ve seen one sketch.” He sounds serious, but he can’t be, can he?

I laugh because there’s no way he means it. “I mean it, Elaina. This sounds like exactly what we’ve been looking for. Something real, raw, but ultimately with a happy ending. A real love story.”

I take a deep breath, my throat tight with anxiety, and try to make my voice steady. “You’re serious?” It still comes out high-pitched, so I clear my throat before asking the question again. “You’re not joking?”

I hear him move into a quieter space, somewhere indoors. “Of course, I’m not joking. I understand if you don’t want to potentially work with me, so if that’s your hesitation, I–”

“No. No, no. I…I don’t have a problem with working with you. Of course, that’s not it. I’ve just never pitched a movie before. I’m usually just brought on by people who already have ideas of what they want it to look like.” I take a breath, pacing around the kitchen. “Are you sure about this?”

“I’m sure that you’re one of the most talented and passionate people I know, yes. I’ve already got Kelly reaching out to the author so we can talk about buying rights to make this happen. I called her after your text earlier out of curiosity, but your retelling of the story is what sold me.” I make a weird choking noise and he pauses. “Lainey. I’m sorry. Did I overstep?”

I laugh in complete disbelief that this is my life right now. “No. I’m just in shock, I think. I don’t have anything ready to show… I…” My pacing quickens.

“There’s no pressure, L. I’d just love for Judith to see your enthusiasm for this story. It’s just a meeting. No commitment. OK?” He makes it sound so easy, and I mean, I’ve done this before - had meetings that didn’t go anywhere - and it’s not a big deal. Not all movies get made, duh. But I’ve never pitched it with my vision, always with someone else’s. Having this much creative freedom? This is a dream!

“OK.” I hear myself say it before I really think it.

“OK? Really?” Adam sounds so happy that I let out a laugh. “I’m going to have Kelly set up your flight. You’ll come and stay with me. Is tomorrow too soon?”

Now I really laugh. I don’t know that I’ve ever heard him this enthusiastic about anything before. “Tomorrow’s fine. I don’t exactly have anything going on.”

“This is fantastic! OK. I have to get going to another meeting, but I’ll see you tomorrow?” There’s definitely a slight edge in his question like he doesn’t quite believe I’ve agreed to this.

“You’ll see me tomorrow,” I promise.

“OK. Thank you. I’ll talk to you soon OK?” He’s so hopeful, I don’t think I could have said no even if I had wanted to, which surprisingly I didn’t. I don’t.

“Talk soon.” We hang up and I finally stop pacing. Thank goodness I’m meeting with Maeve tonight.

* * *

I arrive at her house at 7 pm on the dot and she greets me with a glass of red wine. “My Bonnie! You’re here! Look at you and your Hawaii tan! You’re glowing!”

“Must be the orgasms,” I joke, and she nearly spills her wine everywhere. “Yeah let’s just get right into it, shall we?” She takes my hand and leads me to the couch, not saying a word.

"I swear I just need to get this out and then we can talk about real life things like the strong, independent women that we are. But right now, I need to talk to you about a guy, OK?" She tucks her legs under her, big, bright eyes locked on me as she nods. She makes big, sweeping motions with her arms, urging me to get on with it, already.

---