Page 15 of The CEO I Hate

“So, tell us about you,” Paula said, launching into her next question before Mia could reply. “Looks like you’re not currently staffed anywhere? Is that correct?”

“That’s right.” Mia awkwardly slid down into the provided chair, picking at the knee of her fitted black pants. I tried not to let my thoughts slip back to that ruby-red corset she’d been poured into yesterday.

When her eyes flickered toward me, I glanced away. One look, and I was sure she’d see right through me.

“And what was the last show you worked on?” Paula continued, flipping over Mia’s résumé like she was looking for more. “Is it this one listed here?”

Mia nodded. “It was an eight-episode limited series.”

“Oh, on what?” Jerome asked.

“It was this little psychological suspense thing.”

“And what have you been doing since then?” Paula continued. “There’s not a lot to work with here.”

“Well, I was almost staffed in a room,” Mia started, “but the show didn’t get picked up after the pilot was filmed. And then there was another room where I was hired to do rewrites, but that all turned out to be unnecessary when the show’s third season was canceled.”

“Sounds like a lot ofalmosts?” Paula said.

“What do you do for work right now?” Kait asked.

“Umm…I do a lot of technical writing to pay the bills. And I have a…webcomic. That actually keeps me pretty busy.”

Kait gave Jerome a look that saidyikes. This was going better than even I’d expected.

“Tell me why you want to work on a project likeEnd in Fire,” Paula said. “Besides wanting a job in television. Because we all want one of those.”

At this question, Mia finally perked up. “I think I’d be the right fit to help you tell this story. I feel really connected to the show. See, my brother was a firefighter. He lived and breathed that world for almost half my life, so I definitely know what I’m talking about when it comes to firehouses and the crew.”

She smiled and I refused to be drawn in by it. “How it should feel, how it should sound, what stays on the job, what gets carried home. Trust me, no one who’snoton a fire crew has ridden in more rigs than this girl,” she said, pointing to herself. “My brother even rocked up to my prom with his crew just so he could run the sirens and embarrass me.”

Paula sat back in her chair, arms crossed, and I knew she was intrigued. Dammit. She’d been hooked by Mia’s personal connection.That was Pitching 101. Find some way to relate to the story you’re telling. Mia had her hooked—now she just had to reel her in.

“But more than that,” Mia continued. “I need to know how the two timelines are going to intersect. And I also keep thinking about Cade’s character.”

The staff writers shifted in their seats, finally interested.

“I felt like he’d gone totally off the rails by the end of the season,” Mia said. “I really think that if the show gives him some drama in his home life, it could explain the shifts in his personality over season one. It would also explain some of the strange things he did. For a while, I did wonder if he’d turn out to be the arsonist, but the clues are too obvious, too in your face, so it’s got to be a smokescreen.” She glanced back and forth across the table. “Right?”

The room was frozen into silence. Jerome looked at Kait. Kait looked at Tanya. Then they all shrugged.

“I have no idea if Lyle planned anything with that,” Paula admitted. “There’s definitely nothing in his notes.”

“You’re not gonna find anything,” Tanya muttered. “He probably chewed up and swallowed the real ones.”

“It’s not a bad idea though,” Kait said. “Bringing Cade’s character more front and center this season in a way that gives him context.”

“It’s kind of brilliant, actually,” Jerome jumped in. “If we do a slow buildup, he could be our red herring for the season.”

“Or the red herring to the red herring,” Mia piped up. “You could have more than one decoy. Maybe we show that it might not be him but someone who’sconnected withhim?”

“Oooh,” Jerome said. “I like it.” His pen flew across his notepad. “It sort of fits with what’s already been set up.”

“And not much has been done with his character,” Mia said. “He’s just been there to add drama and pushback to other characters’ plot threads, which leaves him feeling unbalanced. And that’s a waste, because what little wedoknow about his backstory is really interesting.”

“I agree,” Tanya said. “We always did feel like he had a lot of potential; Lyle just never tapped into that.”

I did a double take as Mia’s comments sparked a full-fledged discussion. What the hell was going on? A second ago, they’d sounded ready to give her the axe, and now they were practically salivating over her ideas. Kait, Jerome, and Tanya couldn’t stop talking over each other.

---