Page 31 of Child of Mine

Sitting back in my chair, I stammer, “I—I guess I could bring it up, and you back me up?”

Into a corner,Quinn says with an animal-like groan.

You really have a one-track mind,Izzy says, a hint of amazement in her tone.

“Sounds good.” He gets to his feet, obviously much less rattled than I am. When he’s halfway to the door and I think I’m safe, he adds, “Oh, I’m finalizing storyboards for the commercial today. If you’re in tomorrow, want to take a look?”

You really shouldn’t spend any more time alone with him without telling him,Izzy says.

Would you shut up about that? Talk about a one-track mind,Quinn snaps.Anyway, she has to get her stories straight. As you’ve so helpfully pointed out, she can’t tell him about her time in rehab or her addictions.

“I’d love to have your input,” he adds.

“Um, sure.” I give him a stupid little wave. “Hopefully, I will see you tomorrow.”

“Call me if you need anything? Seriously, I don’t live far from here.”

“I think we’ll be fine, but thanks, I will,” I promise.

I won’t, though. No more extracurricular activities with Henry until, as Quinn said, I get my stories straight.

* * *

Passion has always beenan issue for me. Usually the things I’m passionate about end up getting me in trouble. But this feels different, like producing television might not just be about the paycheck. Maybe it’s a way I can do something I’m really into while earning a living wage. Some of my Shakespeare buddies teach; others tend bar or work in restaurants to support their passion for the stage. Others do commercials or other on-camera work. Maybe this could be my thing. In any case, excitement stemming from the possibilities of putting our ideas into action spurs me on for the rest of the afternoon.

By dinnertime, I’ve done the meager restocking orders for the store and I’ve sorted the letters into piles: ones I want to work on, ones Henry will want to know about, ones others might be interested in, and—the biggest pile, unfortunately—ideas that are just not doable, like learning to fly an airplane. On second thought, I move that one to Henry’s pile. Maybe he could figure that out. By the time I’ve typed everything up, my mom and Lilah feel well enough that I’m able to get to the evening’s rehearsal.

The next morning, both Lilah and my mom seem fully recovered, so I head off to the station running on coffee and hormones.

After checking in with James, I stop by Henry’s office. “Here’s your list,” I say as I hand it over to him.

“Wow, you’re organized.”

“Told you I could keep up.”

“This is great,” Henry says. When his eyes meet mine, the thing between us flashes. “Any more thoughts about the competition idea?”

“Not really,” I say, backing out of his office. “But I did type up what we talked about.”

“You’re still up for proposing it, right?”

“Yep.” I nod, turning to go.

“Great. You get the ball rolling, and I’ll add details as needed.”

“Sounds good,” I say from the hallway.

“Hey, did you want to see the storyboards for the commercial?” he calls from his office door when I’m halfway to the conference room.

“I should probably go over these with the rest of my team before the planning meeting.” Waving the other lists I brought in, I ask, “Raincheck?”

“Sure. See you in a few.”

The other APs and I have just enough time to get organized before the meeting. Keeley, Laura, and Tim are all in their early twenties, and they treat me more like a boss—or maybe a mom—than a peer, but I’m not here to make friends. I’m here to make money. And good TV.

Just like at the last meeting, Henry launches right in with suggestions for changes. I always thought that southern people were polite and reserved, but he’s like a New York politician with a Carolina accent—or maybe a hound dog. Unapologetically opinionated, a bit of a bully, but with a charming twang. “I’m thinking we’d be more likely to hang on to viewers if there’s more of a through line for the show. Something to give each episode a dramatic arc.”

When no one else says anything, I jump in. “My research supports this. Any dip in energy can have a kid losing interest and clicking the remote.”

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