Page 15 of Arranging Ayra
FOUR
Alone with my thoughts, I strolled through the rose garden, barely seeing the gorgeous blooms that surrounded me. I was numb. The filming of my dream project had just been put on hold and the possibility of packing up and going home was very real.
I didn’t want to go home, not like this. Mr. Darcy hadn’t even made an appearance yet. I longed to see Barnaby in the role, to see the real Mr. Darcy bring the fictional Mr. Darcy to life. How alike they must truly be.
The crunch of hard soled boots on stone caught my attention and I looked up to see Jai coming my way. His face reflected exactly what I felt, disappointment.
“I see I’m not the only one sulking over the latest news,” he said.
“So, you’ve heard?”
“It’s kind of hard not to,” he said. “Everyone is talking about it. This will surely ruin me. It’ll be the end of Moon Manor. I know it sounds selfish to say so, after all, everyone here is about to lose their job. But it is how I feel. Moon Manor will close and be forever lost.”
“I’m sure we’ll find a way to save the production... and Moon Manor.” I’d never been so unsure of anything in my life. “It’s just a matter of finding investors... fast.”
“Well, I hope the solution or investors come soon, because Keely seems to have run out of options.” He sat down beside me, his head held low as he stared at his mud-covered boots. “I’ve put so much energy into building this place back up. Every waking moment has been dedicated to bringing the Manor back to its former glory. I can’t even begin to tell you just how thrilled I was when Keely contacted me. The production crew were to be housed in every spare room, while your film will be using the remainder of the property for the filming of this movie. It was more than I could have ever hoped for. The revenue from this contract with the production of this movie was enough to keep the manor afloat for several months. But now... now the production’s pulling out.”
I was about to suggest he review the contract and its cancellation policy. Could he still obtain a portion of the money promised him? Then again, what money?
In the distance, three crew members stood loudly discussing the unfortunate situation. They were equally concerned with the closing of the production.
“I guess we’re not the only ones worried about our futures,” I whispered.
He glanced back at the men and nodded. “They say that misery loves company.” He harrumphed. “I’m not so sure about that.”
“Yeah. There’s so much at stake,” I said, more to myself than to Jai.
“What was that you said?”
I slowly got to my feet and turned to look down at him. “I... I think I might...” I hesitated. Was I ready to do this? “I think I might have a solution.”
“What’s that?”
I looked around the rose garden and up at the expansive manor. “Let me get all of this straight in my head and I’ll talk to you later.”
With a furrowed brow, he nodded.
Walking away, my mind raced as I considered the consequences of my actions. There was so much to lose. And, yes, there was so much to gain. I had no choice. I had to make a move. I had to be a part of the solution.
The manor was quiet and still as I entered, but I quickly found Keely sitting alone in the breakfast room.
“Keely,” I softly said.
“Oh, Ayra,” she muttered with a dismissive wave of her hand. “I’m not much in the mood for conversation, or consoling, or whatever you might have in mind. I’m sorry, but I’d just as soon be alone with my thoughts for the moment.”
“I have one point one million dollars that I’ve saved up to buy my first house back in California,” I said with a dry laugh. “You should see the old rundown shacks a million buys these days.”
“How nice for you, Ayra.” She stared at the table in front of her. “At least when you return to sunny California, you’ll have a roof over your head.”
“You’re not listening to me, Keely. A million dollars isn’t even enough.”
“Right,” she muttered.
“I would much rather put that money to a project I can really put my heart and soul into.”
She looked at me confused. “What are you saying?”
