Page 36 of The Corner of Heartbreak and Forever
“You smell clean,” he said, nuzzling against her neck.
“And you smell likeme.”
“My favorite scent.” He lifted her onto the sink and played with the fringe on her faded shorts. “I remember these shorts.”
“I can’t believe I still fit in them. When you said to dress in something that could get dirty, I wasn’t sure what you meant, so I grabbed some of my old clothes from my closet, and…”
Her gaze trailed to the bag by his feet, and he followed it down, noticing a few pieces of silk and lace. “If you keep showing me your lingerie, I’ll never finish painting.”
“Good point.” She slid off the sink. “Besides, you haddessert, but I’m starved.”
“I’ve got yourdessertright here, baby.”
She laughed as she headed for the stairs. “I like whipped cream on my desserts.”
He chuckled as he turned on the sink and made a mental note to buy a case of whipped cream.
MUSIC STREAMED FROM Reed’s phone as they ate dinner and painted the living room. Grace was surprised to see he’d chosen the colors she liked best. He’d already painted the trim white, and he’d also painted the center of the raised panels below the chair rail a pale seafoam green. The room looked warmer and brighter. Reed listened intently as they rolled paint on the walls and she told him about her class.
“They want to work as a group, which is really cool, because collaborative writing can lead to even more creativity. And you know how Nana is,” Grace said. Reed knew Nana, Hellie, and Janie from around town. “Can you imagine if she put all that sass into a play? Oh my gosh, Reed. Maybe I should have told her to keep it rated PG or something.”
“Nana is hilarious. When I first moved in and was working on the exterior of the house, she’d drive by really slow and watch me work. Sometimes she’d bring me a pitcher of iced tea or a muffin. She said she had some women in mind for me and proceeded to tell me about a litany of women, including Sophie’s sister, Lindsay, who according to Nana isshamefully single.”
“She used to always try to set up Sophie. She was scoping you out.”
“Whatever,” he said with a laugh. “If your class is even half as excited as you are, then it sounds like you’re really making a difference.”
“I don’t know about making a difference,” she said as she dipped her roller in the tray again. “I mean, it’s too early to tell if they’ll even stick with it. Three weeks is a long time. But their enthusiasm reminded me of what I was like when I first went into the business. I had that same level of excitement about everything I did.”
He lowered the paint roller to the tray and asked, “And you don’t now?”
“I do, but it’s different. I thought producing would be like it was when I was in school, only on a much bigger scale. But it’s like being the CEO of a huge, complicated corporation. There’s a lot of babysitting, hand-holding, placating…”
“What exactly do you do as a producer?”
“Whatdon’tI do?” she said sarcastically. “I’m an independent producer, so I initiate the production, which means finding the script and hiring the director. Sometimes I handle casting, and other times I only approve the cast. I develop and handle the budgets, secure funding, create marketing and advertising strategies, set ticket prices, performance times. And, lucky me, most of the time I get to deal with the divas and snooty actors, too.”
She set her roller in the tray and sighed, thinking of the hoops she’d had to jump through to get the lead actor. Keagen Thorpe was a hothead who thought he pooped gold, which he just might, given how much money he earned. The investors had insisted on using him, and she counted herself lucky that so far he’d played by the rules.
“This is going to sound silly, but I miss being excited over productions the way I used to. Is every career like that?” she asked. “Does the joy go out of it once you’ve done it for a while?”
“Mine never has. Well, that’s not true. After what happened in Michigan, just the thought of working on any of the projects I’d been doing with Thad made me sick. But that was because of him, not the work. I love what I do. Every project is unique and holds its own challenges. Restoring old buildings to their original beauty restores memories and history, and it feels like I’m giving back to the communities in which they’re built.”
The thrill in his voice was palpable, making Grace realize how sorely it was missing from her own. She began painting again. “That’s something else I miss. Everyone in my business is take, take, take. And that’s cool. I get it. It’s a tough industry, and everyone wants to get ahead. But I miss giving back to people who appreciate what they’re being offered. When I went to college I volunteered at a high school helping their drama club. The kids were so excited about every little thing—the routines, the rehearsals, the friendships.”
“I remember, and you were in drama club in high school. I always assumed you continued doing those things in college. Can’t you volunteer at a school in the city?”
“Not with my schedule. These three weeks are an anomaly for me. But even when I take time off, I don’t really get it. I have one production that’s running smoothly and an assistant who’s taking care of things while I’m here, but this time in between is when I typically get started with the next show. Unfortunately, the director I was hoping to work with is giving me a hard time. I’ll either have to convince him to go with a script I like, or I’ll have to hire a new director. But that’s just a headache, not overwhelming. I think slowing down these past few days has really shown me how much of a hamster wheel my life has become. Do you know that Sophie and I can’t even meet for dinner more than once a month because of my schedule? We work out together, but even that’s rare these days. It’s crazy, and there’s been no time to write, which is my true passion. I used to love writing in Central Park in the mornings. I’d sit on a bench or on a blanket in the sun and write until I had to start my day. The outdoors is so inspiring. But between work, exercise, and sleep, that time has just disappeared. Other than these past few days, I don’t think I’ve evenrelaxedsince college.”
Reed set his roller down and came to her. He set her roller aside and laced their fingers together. “I watched you on the phone this morning. You’re obviously business savvy, and you always had a knack for figuring things out. Can’t you find a way to produce less and write more?”
She shook her head. “It doesn’t really work that way unless I take a hiatus, and then I have the struggle of trying to get back into the game. Don’t get me wrong. I still enjoy producing, and I’m grateful for all that I’ve achieved. The class today just sort of amplified how much enthusiasm I’ve lost, and I want to get that back.”
He gathered her in his arms and pressed his lips to hers. “Let’s brainstorm. What makes you happiest? What’s missing?”
This.“A number of things.”
“Give me an example.”
