Page 20 of Love Unexpected
He shrugged. “Her doctor says it might, but for most, it eases up in the third or fourth month.”
Steven knocked on my office door briefly before sticking his head inside. “Drake Martinson isinthe studio,” he said. “You ready to get started?”
I nodded, willing my face to remain impassive. “Give me ten minutes. I’ll be right there.” I looked back at Alex. “Anything else you need from me?”
He looked down at his phone, scrolling through the notes app he lived and died by. I couldn’t fault him for it. He brought a measure of organization to my life I’d never managed to maintain on my own.
He finally shook his head. “I don’t think so. You’ll get your travel plans for this weekend’s on-location shoots—Vinnie, Steven, and Mushroom are going with you—so make sure you approve those, but otherwise, I think you’re good.”
I nodded. “Cool. Hey, tell Dani I’m going to bring you guys dinner tonight. Whatever she’s in the mood for, I’ll pick it up.”
Alex nodded. “I’m sure she’d love that. But don’t ask what she’s in the mood for until right before you pick it up. If you ask now, it’ll likely change before tonight.”
“Noted. Just tell her I’ll text her when I leave the studio.”
Alex headed for my office door but then turned around, shooting me a very serious look. “Isaac, please be nice to Drake. You might not think this will help, and you might be right about that. But itwillhurt you if you’re rude. And we can’t afford for anything to hurt you right now.”
I suppressed a sigh and nodded my head. “Noted. Thanks for the reminder.”
Alex pushed through the glass door and headed to his desk, visible just outside of my office, where he would do all the things that kept my business running smoothly. I still wondered how something I’d randomly started ten years ago in my parents’ basement had turned into a content-creating machine that reached ten million viewers on a daily basis. Or, ithadreached ten million viewers on a daily basis. Before our numbers had started to slip.
Before heading downstairs, I pulled out my phone and messaged Ana.
@RandomIOfficial: True story. I’m interviewing Drake Martinson in fifteen minutes.
@Briarsandthorns: Drake Martinson. Is he the Robinhood guy? From the movie? Have you ever interviewed celebrities before?
I swallowed my irritation, remembering Alex’s warning that sharing stuff with an internet stranger wasn’t a good idea. Ana wasn’t a stranger, odd as that sounded, but maybe in this one part of my life, a little caution was justified.
@RandomIOfficial: Not usually. But he’s originally from Charleston, so we managed to book him for an interview while he was in town to visit his family.
And I was happy about that. Maybe if I kept telling myself as much, it would start to feel true.My publicist is a genie,I added to my message.
@Briarsandthorns: Would it make you feel less proud if I told you I hated the movie? (Because I hated the movie.) I won’t tell you if it will make your interview harder.
@RandomIOfficial: Haha. I didn’t love it either. The cinematography was awesome. And the story was fine. But...
@Briarsandthorns: Don’t leave me hanging here, Isaac. I’m curious to see if our complaints are the same.
I glanced at the time on my phone. I probably didn’t have time to answer. But I decided to answer anyway.
@RandomIOfficial: Okay. I guess I just feel like for having such a strong female cast, none of the female characters got to do anything significant. They just sat around and waited for the men to save them. It felt like a waste of talent. And a waste of good storytelling opportunities. When Jesslyn was right there and could have saved her little brother herself, why did she have to wait for Henry to come and do the saving? There was a freaking sword hanging on the wall. And she’d been training with her brother in the countryside for a decade. She could have handled that sword.
@Briarsandthorns: I am both stirred and compelled by your feminism. I had the exact same thoughts about Jessyln’s character. Why was she even there but to look pretty and swoon into Henry’s arms?
@RandomIOfficial: I have never understood why swooning is a thing. Can that even really happen when it isn’t fake?
@Briarsandthorns: In today’s modern world? It shouldn’t. We wear modern underwear that allows us to breathe. But back then, with corsets and what not? I think swooning was totally real.
@RandomIOfficial: What are you doing right now?
@Briarsandthorns: Um, pretending to work? Hoping my boss doesn’t notice that I’m actually sending messages on Instagram?
@RandomIOfficial: Whenever I imagine web designers, you’re all working in dark basements with dim lighting, staring at screens that are flashing with green code.
@Briarsandthorns: Um, is that what it’s like for YOUR web designers? We have moved past the days of War Games, you know.
@RandomIOfficial: I have so much love for the fact that you just referenced that movie. And you’re right. My web designers work in a regular office just like the rest of us. They even get real, modern computers.
