Page 104 of Confessions of a Smutty Romance Author

He continued, taking my hands in his. “I think you'd be anexcellentfit.”

I nodded enthusiastically. “Yes.”

“You haven’t heard the terms yet,” he replied.

“Yes.”

He laughed. “We can go over numbers more formally on Monday, but it looks something like $30k an episode. We have twelve episodes planned for the first season and hopefully plenty more after that.”

Dollar signs flashed in my eyes.

“Now, it is being filmed in Atlanta, but I can arrange a temporary apartment for you each season.”

My mouth was completely on the floor. “Yes! I accept. Yes!”

He smiled. “You're in? Just like that?”

I said, “Absolutely. Writing TV has been a dream of mine forever.”

“And there's no one for you to talk it over with? A boyfriend perhaps?” I could see the flirtatious smile on his lips.

“This is not an opportunity I'm going to miss,” I said. Jonas would understand. In fact, I couldn’t wait to tell him and see how happy he was for me.

“Great,” he said. “Charlotte gave me your contact information. We'll be in touch.” He took a sip of his scotch. “If you’ll excuse me, I see someone I need to make an appearance with.”

I nodded and said goodbye. And then I made sure I was out of earshot before I started screaming.

47

Jonas

Mara and Charlotte ran up to us, squealing with excitement.

I laughed. “What happened? Did you meet Channing Tatum? I think I saw him around somewhere.”

“Better!” she cried, hugging me and then reaching for Birdie’s hand. “I got invited to write for a TV show with BRADLEY MASON!”

Birdie squealed just like Mara was. “WHAT?!”

Who was Bradley Mason?I wondered. Clearly Birdie knew, though, and it was abigdeal.

Mara nodded, bouncing up and down on her feet. “Storyboarding starts next week in Atlanta. He said he’d have an apartment for me and everything. And they’re paying me $30,000 AN EPISODE! Can you believe that? I made less than that a YEAR when I was a waitress.”

My heart had stopped working. Mara was moving to Atlanta in a week?

“I’m going to miss you, but that’s incredible!” Birdie said.

“Yeah,” Cohen agreed. “Congratulations! Just don’t forget about the little people when you go.”

I had a feeling she already had.

Mara turned to me, expecting me to be excited for her. I could see it on her face. But forcing a smile for her was the hardest thing I’d ever had to do. “Congratulations.”

A worried look crossed her face. Clearly, I hadn’t been that convincing. “What’s wrong?” she asked. “I thought you’d be happy for me.”

Suddenly, everyone was staring at us, and I felt like I’d been shoved into a fishbowl without any gills to breathe the limited water.

“I need some air,” I said. “Come outside with me?”

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