Page 43 of Seven Minutes In Heaven
Claire took her husband’s hand and walked with him out of Arthur’s office.Hope you have a heart attack and choke.No, no. She wouldn’t have such toxic thoughts – or at least not until the baby was born. That was the promise she made shortly after marrying Jake and deciding to take her new life seriously.
Threatening words and promises to end their careers followed them into the hallway. The bodyguards ushered the Carters into the elevator before Arthur’s security could do it for them.
“That was amazing,” Claire said, adrenaline tickling her senses. “Are you really getting him to sign over the company based on some antiquated morality clause?”
“I aim to. It’s about time someone got this company back on track. It may still make money, but I can’t say I’m proud of how my father has handled the script acquisitions and… well, you see how casting has been going.”
“The blacklists aren’t coming fast enough.” Hollywood was having the upheaval of the twenty-first century, and it started when women came forward with a multitude of horror stories about shitty producers, perverted actors, and the conditions that were condoned because men could get away with them. Arthur wasn’t the only one having a bad month. Some of his producer buddies, casting agents, and high-profile actors that often came by the Carter home were implicated. Claire had never seen people react in such a way, and she could only credit social media for finally making it happen. Even her own talent agency had blacklisted the studio until “a makeover was performed.” “Hopefully this will mean changes are afoot.”
“I hope so, but I’m not going to hold out for too much hope.” Jake squeezed her hand. “One step at a time. We don’t want to get too overwhelmed in both publicandprivate.”
“Yes. We’ve got enough to overwhelm us at home.”
Every time Claire brought up their baby, Jake smiled as if he were finding out for the first time. That’s exactly what she searched for when she referenced their hectic private life of finding suitable dwellings for a young family – and getting ready to greet that family.
“I have a surprise for you, Mrs. Carter.”
She turned toward him. The elevator was big enough to allow that much movement between two burly bodyguards. “A surprise? Did you finally get us a place to live?”
“Not quite. My realtor is still lining up places for us to check out.” Jake wrapped his arm around his wife. “Something even more personal than that. I’ll show you when we get home.”
“Home” meant Jake’s apartment, although Claire now spent almost every night there. She didn’t get too comfortable, since they would both be moving elsewhere soon enough, but the closet was full of her maternity clothes, and the fridge was stocked with her doctor-approved meals. It was as much of a home as her mother’s place.
The bodyguards were relieved of duty as soon as the Carters were sequestered into their small apartment. Claire removed her jacket and enjoyed the news headlines flashing on the TV screen:TV and Movie Magnates Scrambling to Get Their Stories Straight.Soon, Jake’s team would plant whispers of the morality clause into the public sphere, and the pressure wouldreallybe on Arthur to step down. Claire enjoyed the atmosphere around her so much that she barely noticed her husband sitting next to her on the couch, a thick stack of papers in his lap.
It was a script.
“What’s this?” Claire leaned against him. The tentative title on the top page was“A Love Worth Waiting For.”Was this the project Jake had been working on since they met? Why was it a surprise for her? “The fruits of your labor these past few weeks?”
“Nothing compared to yours.” Jake glanced at her stomach before handing her the script. “But yes. I scrapped the one I had been working on when we got together. Since the first day you came to this apartment, I’ve been writing something new. Something better.” He kissed her temple. “Something for you, my up-and-coming starlet.”
Claire lightly touched the top of the script. “Don’t tell me…”
“I’m going to produce this movie myself. The first project of the newly rebranded company, as soon as my father signs it over. You’re going to star in it.” He barely waited for her to respond. “I wrote the role specifically for you.”
Claire held the script to her chest. “You didn’t!”
“Don’t get excited before you even read it.” Jake continued to grin. “Well, go on! Read it! This will be the big start of your career next year.”
Were those tears in Claire’s eyes? “You really want me to pursue being an actress again?” She had hoped to do so, after the baby was born and this ordeal died down. “It doesn’t bother you that I also want to work in Hollywood?”
“Honey,” Jake kissed her fingers before heading to the other room, where he intended to hide out while she read through his script in private, “I can’t think of something more inspirational tomycareer. A happy wife makes a happy home, right?”
Yup. Those were tears. The happiest tears Claire had ever cried.
