Page 5 of (Un)Planned

My hand instinctively jumped to my chest, rubbing the knot of uncertainty that had settled there. As my biggest client, keeping Adam happy was one of my key responsibilities. With his latest movie in post-production, I was getting offers every single day. He’d put on a hell of a performance, and everyone wanted to work with him. But no matter how tempting the project was, Adam kept saying no, claiming that he was searching for the perfect role. I should have known something like this was coming.

We’d been working together for almost five years,and I knew Adam better than most of my friends. Truth be told, he was one of my closest friends. How fucking pathetic was that? I pulled myself away from that self-deprecating thought, forcing myself to focus on what mattered.

Adam’s career.

Adam smirked at me. “Who knows? Maybe I’ll sign up for one of those reality shows. Do you think I’d make a good suitor?”

The clear crystal pen snapped in my grip. “Shit,” I hissed as the blue ink hit my skin.Blue fucking ink.How did these get into my office?

“Don’t even joke about that,” I sighed, rubbing my hand down my face. I stood up, discarding the broken pen in the trash before turning to stare out the window. My eyes couldn’t focus on a single thing, my mind too wrapped up in problem-solving mode. I never thought I would say this, but I was sick of the gray weather already. Spring in New York was a crap shoot; there was no knowing if you’d have bright blue days or rain. Since the moment our plane touched down, it had been the latter.

I never thought I’d say it, but I missed our offices in LA. When they started to bring on more prominent clients, the owners bought a historic building with warm, Spanish-style accents that made it cozy without even trying.

But here, on the twenty-eighth floor of another glass-shrouded skyscraper? It waslifeless. The conference room was surrounded by glass-paneled walls, echoing the same elements as the rest of the office. A past tenant had doused the entire place in shades of gray. Would it have killed for my boss to spring for some color? Maybe a painting or two would make this place feel like less of a hospital waiting room. Shit, even those had mass produced paintings to give your eye something to look at.

“Theo,” Adam called out from the other side of the table. “Did you hear me?”

“Yeah, I heard you.” I ran my hand over my face, trying not to let my irritation show. “Are you sure this is the way you want to play it? Walking away from these offers could be career suicide.”

“I know,” Adam answered, his voice quiet but determined. “I’ve been thinking about this a lot. I just…” He trailed off, scrubbing his hand over his jaw. “I’ve been trying to get my passion for acting back, and nothing’s cutting it. I’m burnt out, man. Something needs to give, or I don’t know if I can do this anymore.”

My fists clenched. “Is this about Alex? You couldn’t have known?—”

I thought it was an easy decision to set Adam up with a contracted girlfriend last year. It seemed like a win-win situation after he was photographed with a local woman while he was filming. He’d get some positive press after a nasty break-up, and she would get enough money to get her out of her shitty job. It seemed ideal for both—at least until she fell for Adam’s best friend, Cole. As far as I knew, they were still dating. Cole had even moved to the middle of nowhere to be with her.

When it all unraveled, Adam insisted he was fine and that there were no real feelings between him and Alex, but he had changed, becoming more guarded and jaded. Adam said a resounding no to every project I’d brought him over the past few months.

“It’s not about her,” Adam snapped. “This is about me!” He stood, pacing the space between me and the table. “I’m so sick of all the bullshit, Theo. I never know what’s real and what’s for my image. I need a break to bemyself, to figure out who I am away from all the cameras and noise.”

I took in his sagging shoulders, the tension radiating off him. The frustrated man in front of me wasn’t the Adam I knew. Ever since we met at an industry party years ago, he’d taken fame in stride, grateful for every part he got to play. He never lamented the publicity or the cost of fame.

I clapped him on the shoulder, stopping his pacing. “Okay, Adam. I hear you.” His relief was palpable. “Let me see what I can figure out, and we’ll go from there.”

“Thank you, Theo,” he muttered, dropping back into his seat. He dragged his fingers through his shaggy blond hair.

“There's no need to thank me. It’s why you keep me around.”

When I finally unlocked thedoor to my new apartment, the world around me was dark. After dropping all my stuff by the door, I walked out to the balcony, opening the doors to let in the air, fresh after a quick rainstorm. The city lights sparkled around me, reminding me I wasn’t alone. There were millions of other people in buildings just like this one, trying to make their way in a city that was so effortlessly taxing.

In the daylight, New York felt almost cold and cruel. But at night, the lights made it something exceptional. After getting my fill, I meandered into the kitchen, pulling a glass from the cabinet. Opening the fridge, I found it almost empty, save for a large bottle of vodka and a couple boxes of Chinese take-out. I pulled out the first box, taking an apprehensive sniff. Nope, no way that was any fucking good. Tossing it into the trash, I grabbed the vodka and poured two fingers into the crystal glass.

Dangling it in my hand, I stepped back toward the window, peering out to the world below me. With the patio doors now closed, the apartment was quiet, way too damn quiet. My head ran through the numbers, calls I needed to return, projects I needed my clients to sign off on.

This stress was what you wanted, what you signed up for. I’d fought tooth and nail to prove that I was ready for this step, that the partners could trust me to lead this expansion. I’d been at Wallace and Associates for over ten years, starting in the mail room right while I finished law school. Being a talent agent was never my dream, but it seemed like the best career for a lawyer with no desire ever to enter a courtroom.

I’d worked my ass off for the last decade, hustling my way up the ladder. I’d taken oneveryclient, no matter how demanding or challenging. I never backed down from a scandal, always trying to find the best situation for all involved.

But it wasn’t until Adam that people started to take me seriously. He was a relatively unknown actor when I first signed him. My gut hadn’t failed me before, and I knew he was worth the risk. I just had no idea how much it would pay off. Not only had he become a star, but he catapulted me into the big league, suddenly grabbing lunch and golfing with the heads of the company. Lately, there was a lot of talk of me becoming a named partner. It was everything I had imagined for years.

And now, I was one mistake from losing it all. My biggest client was taking a break from acting, and I was responsible for making sure this office was a success. Anything less, and I’d be shipped back to LA.

It felt like a cruel karmic joke. I’d worked so damn hardto get my fucking foot in the door, and now my fate felt so out of my control.

Tomorrow, my mind screamed, trying to force me to relax.Tomorrow you can stress about work.

I almost had to laugh at the thought. My work-life balance was non-existent. I was available to my clients at all hours of the day, and when I wasn’t workingwiththem, I was workingforthem. Contracts needed to be written and emails needed to be drafted. There was a reason I turned the second bedroom into a home office.

I shifted to look at my new “home.” It was a basic lease. Six months, and then I could re-up, or someone else would take it over. There was nothing personal, no items that made it mine. A place to sleep and maybe fuck if I found the time. I glanced around, taking in the spacious living area. It reminded me of our office space, even made of the same cold, dark materials and chrome accents.

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