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His eyes fly up to my face. “No, why?”
“I’m curious. Lots of new folks roll into town hoping to make it in the film industry. I wonder if you are one of them.”
“Are you?” he asks.
“Trying to. Not a lot of luck yet, aside from a few commercials. Nothing to pay the bills. Yet.” I’m not giving up hope. And I’m definitely not moving back to Hayden Falls, Georgia, to teach English at the local middle school.
“Are you any good?”
I burst out laughing. “I sure hope so. It would be sad if I wasn’t.”
“So, all you need is your big break. Catching the eye of the right person. Until then, it’s what? Waiting tables?” He grabs another slice of pizza, and I slide the entire box his way.
I’m stuffed and ready to change the subject. “Something like that. What about you? What’s this big project you came into town for? A movie?” I wiggle my eyebrows.
“Nothing like that. It’s more about keeping a small company afloat. Getting them to turn a profit. I’m usually their last-ditch effort.”
“The fixer guy. Got it. What happens when you can’t make it work?” I ask. I have a feeling I already know the answer. It’s my worst nightmare. The thing that would leave me no choice but to go back home with my tail between my legs and beg my uncle for a job at his school.
“Everyone else loses their jobs.”
Chapter Two
Ryan
I look for my pretty next-door neighbor when I pull out of the driveway the next morning. It’s time to head into the office and meet with the owner of Coastal Charm Productions. Not the best name for a film studio, but the guy didn’t hire me for a rebrand.
“Ryan Matthews here to see Patrick Dorchester,” I say to the elderly woman who greets me when I walk into the office. It’s early, and the rest of the place looks abandoned.
“Right this way, Mr. Matthews.” She leads me to a larger corner office that overlooks the river.
“Thanks for coming in early, Ryan. Hilda, would you get Mr. Matthews some coffee?” Pat Dorchester stands up and shakes my hand. He’s an older gentleman, wearing khakis and a button-down shirt, ready to hop on a plane to Florida to catch a cruise with his wife. Which is the reason we’re meeting before office hours. And probably the reason the company is struggling. In my experience, you can’t build a successful business if you’re not there, riding herd on your staff.
“I’d like to get a closer look at your books and what you have on the schedule,” I say when Hilda leaves the office.
“I thought you might. I have everything ready for you right here.” Pat hands me a small laptop, and I scan through the documents and spreadsheets. It’s as bad as I expected and worse than what I’ve let on with Elana yesterday. The company is in trouble, and we’ll be insolvent by the end of the month if I can’t pull off a small miracle. We have one shot at turning this ship around, and I’ll need everyone on board to make it happen.
By the time we’re finished with coffee, I have a pretty good idea of what needs to happen, and Pat’s heading out. “Do what you can. I have faith in you.”
I walk him to the door before turning to Hilda. “Would you have everyone gather in the conference room as they come in?”
She nods, and I disappear into Pat’s office to refine the plan I’ve been working on since I first agreed to take this assignment. It won’t be easy and not letting the staff know how bad a shape we’re in will be key in pulling it off. I need everyone sharp and confident, not polishing their resumes and looking for ways to jump ship.
It’s well past nine when Hilda knocks on my door. “They are ready for you.”
I’m halfway through my speech to motivate the troops when the door to the conference room opens. Someone walks in, mumbling a lame excuse. I look up, annoyed at whomever is interrupting the most rousing part of my speech. A woman carrying a laptop and a huge thermal coffee cup stumbles over her own feet. Feet wearing a pair of knee-high boots that cover a pair of shapely legs and almost reach up to the short skirt she’s wearing. A soft help escapes her lips before she catches herself and the tumbling cup, splattering coffee across her boots and the floor. Her face is hidden beneath her long hair. When she finally looks up and shakes the thick strands out of the way, I stare into a familiar pair of beautiful blue eyes. My cute neighbor is the last person I expect to see in this room. Elana looks as surprised as I am.
“Have a seat,” I say and take a moment to gather my thoughts. “Like I said, I’ll need everyone working together to make sure we deliver on time and lock in the second season of Sunset Beach. That means long hours, no more days off, and extra duties for everyone. It won’t be easy, but I promised you I’ll be working right along with you and if everything works out, there may be a nice bonus for each of you at the end.”
That at least gets their attention. I finish walking them through a rough outline of my plan, doing my best to ignore Elana, who found a chair in the back. She lingers as everyone files out when I’m done.
“Can I talk to you in my office?” I ask, striding across the room and walking out the door without waiting for her response.
“Of course, Ry—Mr. Matthews.” I hear footsteps behind me, those boots of hers clanking with each step on the dull-gray linoleum floor that covers the entire office. At least it isn’t carpet.
“Close the door.” I walk behind Pat’s massive desk and sit in the large leather office chair that has amazing lumbar support. After tearing out old carpet for days, my lower back appreciates it.
“I apologize for being late. Car trouble,” Elana says. I raise an eyebrow. “It won’t happen again.”
