Page 53 of Looking for Love in All the Haunted Places
“Because I cleaned it up. You’re welcome, by the way. As caretaker it was your responsibility to see to it.”
“I said I wasn’t cleaning them up. Oh, you thought I was joking. How adorable of you.” She winked at him. “Anything else you’d like to share with the class? I was right, wasn’t I? The house showed you a specter. It called you outside.”
Xander exhaled in a huff, crossing his arms. He was the only one standing—well, leaning against the wall near the empty portrait mantel. “Yes. That was exactly what happened. You were right.” He regarded her with a steely gaze. “Is that what you need to hear?”
“What did you see?”
“That’s irrelevant. You’re the star of this show. Not me.”
“Then why did you participate?”
“Because I am willing to entertain your little side quests up to a certain point, which you are rapidly approaching. You work for me—not the other way around.” His tone was firm but had no bite. “Is that clear?”
“Unfortunately.” She shrugged, hoping her petulant pout would read as if she’d felt chastised. He wasn’t going to fire her.
Calling her the star of the show hadn’t been sarcasm on his part and they all knew it. Production needed her as much as she needed them now.
Xander turned his attention to Maverick. “And you’re positive you want to keep working with her?”
Lucky’s ears perked up.Keep?Maverick wasn’t leaving the production? She looked to him for confirmation, and he nodded, holding her gaze.
Stephen cleared his throat. “We’d like to discuss the pitch for a new show with you. It’d be a limited series. Three episodes max. Filmed concurrently withThe Caretakeras a promotional prequel.”
Lucky asked, “How? What’s it about?”
“They would be related—you acting as the bridge between the two shows,” Maverick said. “I wanted to do something for Rebel. She’s really passionate about making her videos and she’s gotten so much good footage from being with you in the house. I want to help her make something special with it.”
“And we both fully support Rebel.” Stephen pointed to himself and Xander. “Everyone’s been working overtime to put the show together as a surprise early birthday present for her. Xanderis personally funding it. Not investors. The rights will be split between NQP and Rebel’s trust. Fifty-fifty.”
“Wow, okay. How can I help?” she asked, stunned into seriousness.
Maverick said, “It’ll be a found footage–style series of her exploring a previously rejectedBARDlocation—Penny Place Amusement Park. We couldn’t use it because there isn’t a single heart behind the haunting to build the narrative. It’s fairly unique, but also kid-friendly. The initial idea came to me after watching the video she made finding the library safe room.”
Stephen jumped in. “All Rebel did was narrate what she knew about the house’s history and her actions, and it was compelling to watch. She’s ten, brave but also scares easily. We can’t have her running around by herself, which is where you’d come in. You’re brilliant both on and off camera, have this intensely calming presence, and are also capable of these unexpected moments of vulnerability.”
“First Xander calls me beautiful, now you’re complimenting me like that? My head won’t be able to fit through doorways soon.”
“It’s true,” Maverick said. “You’re perfect for her show. We even decided to call itShortcake.”
On one hand, Lucky really wasn’t an actress. Her planned characterization quickly dissolved into flustered failure.The Caretakerevolving into an “unintentional” investigative show wasn’t what Xander intended, but he saw the potential in letting her continue. She suspected he wanted answers, and he knew she was willing to get them for him. Being in the house as much as possible was crucial to her finding long-term funding post-Hennessee.
On the other hand, the opportunity to explore othersupernatural locations on someone else’s dime was ridiculously tempting. She liked the team, even more so now. They were giving Rebel a tremendous gift. Asking Lucky to be a part of it humbled the hell out of her ambitions.
“Thepremise,” Xander said with a surprising amount of emphasis, “involves an unnamed young girl and hernanny, whose faces are never shown.” His eyebrow quirked—her secret job history was out in the open now. “Each episode will include them providing narration, seemingly speaking to someone about her adventures as they happen. They’ll seem innocuous at first, but something will feel slightly off. The final episode will reveal she’s had multiple supernatural encounters and the nanny is there for her protection. Maverick wrote a loose script for both of you to follow.”
If she had a third hand, she’d add that Maverick used his talent for skillfully blending reality and fiction to create on-screen characters for her and Rebel. That was what he’d been working on all week—he wrote the story and script because he claimed she’d inspired him to do it.
“The hope is that dedicated viewers will investigate the clues and lore presented inShortcake, only to realize that the nanny is also the final caretaker living in Hennessee House,” Stephen said.
“Final? Wait, am I the final girl?” Resisting a good joke simply wasn’t in her DNA.
Xander regarded her coolly. “We’re not casting anyone else. Production officially wraps up when you decide to leave.”
“Good to know. I’ll make sure my exit is as dramatic as possible.”
His dignified snort almost made her laugh. “Of that, I haveno doubt. If our offer is acceptable, you’ll be granted temporary leave from your Hennessee House obligations for an entire weekend.”
Stephen said, “We’ll give you some time to think it over.”
