Elle inhaled and exhaled deeply, forcing the panic from her chest and out through her mouth. “So I have to change the story? That’s what you’re telling me, right?”
“We have time to bring someone else in . . . let the audience get used to him . . .” His voice trailed off, allowing Elle to process his suggestion. And she did.
“A love triangle,” she murmured, her mind racing. She did her best thinking when she tuned out the world around her.
“Brilliant,” Rob stated and rose to his feet. “I knew you’d figure it out.”
Elle rolled her eyes, knowing Rob had planted the seed. They both knew it.
She searched her brain for another character from her books, but no one came to mind.
The novels and television series were all set in Las Vegas. The two main characters, Desmond and Molly, worked for a hotel and casino—both striving to replace the owner when he retired. The two bickered, argued, and sabotaged one another to impress the boss. Hijinks ensued and their chemistry was undeniable. The couple dated, broke up, tried to be friends, dated again, etc. The characters belonged together. And everyone could see it but them.
There were twists and turns, of course. Side characters tempted the two leads and increased the drama. But in her novels, the two had never cheated while together, and neither had ever walked away completely. And part of her felt that was the appeal of the novels. People wanted to believe in soul mates, in true love, in forever. So how the hell would she maintain that appeal if she had to replace the male lead?
“Can we recast him?” Elle said, deliberately veering off course from her original idea.
Rob sighed, and she knew he was disappointed in her sudden change of heart. “The network won’t allow it. It’s in their contracts. Nolan and Gina are the only two who can portray Desmond and Molly.”
“Ughhh.” Elle pushed back in her chair, which teetered up and down, up and down.
“But that love triangle thing. That could work.”
Of course it could work. But it would deviate from the story Elle had written. It would no longer be a variation on their story. Then again, maybe that was exactly what she and the show needed.
A fresh start.
Elle stood, walked around Nicole, who was still blotting the already ruined rug, and began to pace. As the ideas built within her brain, the office seemed to grow bigger, allowing her the space to brainstorm, to create a character out of thin air.
“There was this one character—”
Her thoughts were interrupted by a harsh knock at the door. Whitney peeked her head in before Elle could respond. Her cheeks were flushed. She knew.
“I just heard.” Whitney walked to Elle’s side and wrapped one arm around her friend’s waist. “We’ll figure this out.”
“Elle was doing just that,” Rob interrupted. Elle glared at him. Didn’t he realize by now she didn’t want, or need, her ass to be kissed on a regular basis? She was just a writer from the Midwest—despite her new Hollywood name and image, she was just a normal person who appreciated honesty and authenticity—two things Rob lacked. He was way too Hollywood for Elle to handle sometimes.
“We were figuring it out, yes,” she corrected him.
“What can I do?” asked Whitney, a look of worry painted on her face. Her cinnamon eyes narrowed, her cheeks still flaring with heat, and sweat forming on her brow. Elle knew Whitney had run from her office downstairs.
Elle took another deep breath before placing her hands on her hips and summoning all the confidence she could muster. “Find me the hottest actor you can. One who can act circles around Nolan.”
Whitney drew back in surprise. She crossed her arms in front of her, but the corner of her mouth perked up into a slight smile. “I love when you talk dirty to me.”
“I’m serious. I’ll create the character—you get me the actor.”
“On it.” Whitney nodded. “One condition.”
“What’s that?”
“You attend the auditions.” Whitney knew full well Elle never missed an audition. Aside from the extras who were chosen for brief moments on screen, Whitney and Elle had always agreed on every actor who was cast in Follow the Sun.
“You got it.” Elle smiled. “We’re going to have the biggest love triangle this network has ever seen.”
Thumbing through the head shots of the actors who’d auditioned that week, Elle wasn’t convinced any of them could portray the new character of David. They were