Page 9 of The CEO I Hate

“Now the writers’ room has to start from scratch on season two, and it’s a goddamn disaster.” Season one had ended on a dramatic cliffhanger that had its legion of fans clamoring for answers. But only Lyle knew what he’d had in mind and he wasn’t sharing.

“Does that mean you’re scrapping season two?”

“God, no! Ithasto happen. The company will take a massive hit in subscribers if we announce it’s canceled. But I’m stuck. I was too focused on the production side of things for season one. I left the writers’ room alone, which meant I hadn’t realized how much Lyle was keeping everyone in the dark.”

Jake raised an eyebrow. “So, replace him?”

“I have. Paula’s the new showrunner.”

“Paula fromMiami Beach?”

I nodded. “But she’s only worked in reality TV. I need a head writer, someone with fresh ideas to salvage season two. We’ve been slogging through interviews, but no one’s even come close to impressing Paula.”

Jake perked up so fast he almost toppled out of his wheelchair. “Dude, come on!”

“What?”

“You know what you have to do.”

I stared at him blankly.

His face was lit up with a spark brighter than I had seen from him in months. “Interview Mia for the job!”

The words hit me like a gut punch.

No.

Absolutely not.

My stomach turned, every instinct screaming that this was a terrible idea. “Jake…I don’t know if?—”

“She’s a huge fan of the show! And she has like a million theories on season two. I should know; I’ve had to listen to them for the betterpart of the last six months. Not to mention, she knows the ins and outs of the firefighting world thanks to me.”

That was true.

“And we both know she’s a great storyteller. Everybody lovesHeart and Hustle.”

I grumbled under my breath.

Jake shot me a pointed look, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips, his enthusiasm only growing. “Even though you whine about how Miles is portrayed, we both know you have the notifications set on your phone to know every time the comic updates.”

“That’s only so I can monitor all the ways in which your sister is trying to slander my character.”

Jake threw his head back and laughed. “Man, you’re addicted to the series. Just admit it.”

Lies and more lies. And I was horrified at the idea of bringing Mia in for an interview forEnd in Fire. God, it would be the coffee shop incident all over again. I could already feel my blood pressure rising.

“Come on!” Jake urged, still pressing. “At least give her a shot. If Paula says she’s not a good fit, then that’s fine.”

Would it be fine?I wanted to say but I bit my tongue.

“Think of it this way,” Jake said, his words softer but still filled with a surprising intensity. “It can be your way of making peace after yesterday.”

I swallowed down the word “no,” letting the weight of Jake’s request sink in. This was the most enthusiastic and engaged I’d seen Jake in months. His face glowed as he waited for my answer, and I realized how much this meant to him.

I didn’t want to dampen the first real enthusiasm he’d shown in ages. It was encouraging that he could stillpull himself together to show up for the people he loved, even if I’d like to see him get better at showing up for himself.

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. Maybe, if I gave Mia a chance, this would be a step in that direction for Jake. Something to pull him out of his funk.

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