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“I wanted it to be a surprise. I’m so excited to show it to you!”
This last room has been a big secret since the project started. I have no idea what Leila’s doing in there, but I’m excited finally to see it.
I follow her upstairs, and she stands outside the dark, wood door. “Are you ready?”
“Let’s do it.”
When she opens the door, I’m greeted by soft sunlight coming through the window. The blinds are pulled, and the sunset is clearly visible.
There’s a dark, mahogany desk in the room with a high-backed leather executive chair behind it. It looks like an office from a mansion. The walls are a dark brown, the color I’d mentioned off-hand to Leila when this project first started. I assumed she never used it because it didn’t fit with her plans.
“A typewriter?” I ask, seeing the old-fashioned black machine sitting on a calendar mat on the desk. Next to it is a box of paper.
“You told me you wanted to write your first script on one. I think it’s impractical, but I figured …”
I’m speechless. Everything about this office is personal. I had no idea how much Leila was listening to me until this big reveal.
Behind the desk are two bookshelves filled with little knickknacks and a few books on screenwriting. Even the knickknacks have personal touches. There’s a small jar of white sand, probably because I told Leila I love the beach. The bookends are dogs that look suspiciously like Shiloh. Aside from the screenwriting books, there are empty notebooks ready to be filled with my ideas.
“You did all this for me?” I ask, running my hand over the books. “This is amazing, Leila. I never imagined …”
“You’ll need a place to write all those awesome scripts. You can’t always be working at your dining room table.”
I laugh. “But you made that room so cool! This is even better. Thank you so much.” I turn and face her, thanking her with a kiss. “I’ve never had my own office,” I say.
“Well, now you do!”
“I’ll be spending so much time here. Whenever you need me, and I’m not on set, this is where you’ll find me.”
“Here or the club.”
I shoot her a look. “I suppose that’s true.”
Leila sniffs the air again. “Seriously, what is that smell? It’s like an Italian restaurant in here.”
“I made chicken parm and spaghetti. I hope that’s okay. I figured we could eat here and then maybe sneak out and catch a movie after dinner.”
“That sounds amazing.”
“I’m not much of a cook, but I followed a recipe I found to the T.”
Leila smiles and takes my hand. “I’m sure it’s great. Shall we go downstairs?”
“Yes, of course.”
As we’re walking down the stairs, I admire the artwork Leila chose for my home.
“You know, I haven’t said it enough: you did a perfect job on my house. I never would’ve done any of this without you. And I’ve gotten a ton of compliments throughout the process.”
“Really?”
I nod. “The biggest one is that the white walls are gone, so it’s easier to sit in the living room without sunglasses on. But my friends have been impressed by all your hard work. I’ve been handing out your card left and right.”
Leila’s face lights up. “You have? That’s so amazing of you, Spencer. Thank you.”
“I know it was part of our original deal, but I did say it was contingent on how well I thought you did. After filming on Wednesday, I had a few friends over, and they were all amazed. They asked me for your card, so I didn’t even have to offer.”
We get to the bottom of the stairs, and Leila throws her arms around me. “You’re the best, Spencer. You’ve made me feel like I can actually do this. I mean, it sucks I had to get a celebrity involved to get my name out there, but I’ll reap the rewards.”
“Hey, remember that coffee shop? That was all you, and I’m sure she’ll be sharing your card, too.”
“She already has,” Leila admits. “And you’re right. But still, a lot of my clients these last couple of weeks came from my relationship with you. I’m not even mad about it. I’ve learned that Los Angeles is a lot about who you know.”
“It’s not like that back home?”
She thinks for a second. “I guess in a way it is. But I feel like it’s more true here. As I said, there’s less competition at home, so getting and retaining clients was easier. We also searched more actively, like going into restaurants and hotels and offering our services. I would never do that here. It would mean possibly stepping on people’s toes, and I don’t want to make any enemies. At least, not before I hit my first-year mark.”
“I get that. You seem to be figuring out this world pretty well.”
