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I shook my head. “Three’s my limit. Plus, your mom loves the pour over carafe I got her, and won’t let me get away without sharing.”

“Ollie,” Spencer said as he came out of his office and walked right into my arms.

With a hug and a pat on his back, he laid his head on my shoulder. As he settled in, I rubbed his back to give him some comfort as I noticed tension running through him.

“What’s wrong?”

Lee stepped out after his husband with a mischievous smile on his face, but crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe.

“There’s something about this story. I can’t quite put my finger on whether I like the twist, but the writing is spectacular. There’s a major thing that happens right after the midpoint, butit doesn’t explain my trepidation. I love the characters… But I give up. Maybe you’ll see what I’m missing.”

We all piled into the larger office and Lee handed me a script. I sat down and started reading, getting a clear picture in my head as I lost myself in the story. It was around the midpoint where the protagonist reverted to his old self, and my brain screeched to a halt with the changes. I glanced up and blinked to see the three men staring at me.

“Oh, sorry about that. I lose myself whenever I read.”

Spencer waved this away, and he asked, “So, what’s wrong with it?”

“The man is an asshole, uncaring to the feelings of others when the story starts out, but some part of him is also relatable. He’s sleeping his way through the entire population, which is a start to a hero arc. Through trials, he becomes the snarky hero we all love, but when he cheats, which is a no-no in romance, especially a romantic comedy with no dark elements, it kills the desire we have to follow him throughout the rest of the story. At that point, there is no absolving him of his ‘discretion.’ But there’s something that spurs me to read on, despite my misgivings.”

Spencer nodded. “Yes, that’s what bothered me too, but I can’t figure out how to fix it.”

I reflected about it for a minute before I answered, “What I can’t shake and pulled me out of the story is that I want him to succeed and I’m not as shocked by the cheating the longer I stew about it. If you want to keep the story as is, the protagonist needs to redeem himself, some action or proof the love interest will accept, and he’ll have to work through the rest of his time on screen to deal with the fallout, and allowing himself to be vulnerable by the end. But let me read the rest.”

Spencer took notes and nodded as I went back to the screenplay.

When I finished, I blinked.

“I can see what the writer was trying to do. Instead of ‘the love interest cheats and they break up with them because they are horrible,’ it becomes romantic and a solid relationship when he goes through the trials, all of which makes him realize how sorry he is for his actions. Yes, it’s jarring when it happens, but when you understand no one is perfect and all relationships are a work in progress and need constant communication to work, it makes sense for his story. It has a great emotional impact and is memorable.”

“So, no changes?” Spencer asked.

“Despite my heart hurting during the part where he admits his infidelity, this story is the writer’s interpretation of how they would handle the situation or have in this same way. The painful and humbling aspect is that you never hear the story from the perspective of someone who deals with their partner cheating. And there are people who choose to stay. It might be a powerful movie if done right,” I concluded.

Lee cleared his throat and said, “It’s true. In the past, whenever I came up with worst-case scenarios where my partner cheated, the knee-jerk reaction would be to break up with them, deal with the grief, and move on with someone else or by yourself, whatever the choice. The way this story plays out is intriguing, if portrayed in a heartfelt way.”

Curious, I glanced up when Spencer stood from his desk, rounded the corner where Lee stood, and proceeded with a kiss so dirty I chuckled and glanced away.

My eyes landed on Connor, who sat next to me with a contemplative expression. I reached over and squeezed his hand. “What it is, beautiful?”

As if pulled out of deep thoughts, he shook his head and said, “This might be perfect for both of us.”

Both Spencer and Lee panted when they broke apart, but turned to Connor.

“Con?” Lee asked.

He swallowed as his eyes met mine. I gave his hand an encouraging squeeze.

“Over the last year, I’ve been curious about transitioning into the director’s chair. I’m not giving up acting, but I would like the challenge being a director would pose. Would you guys trust me with this project?”

Lee nodded.

Spencer scoffed.

My smile was so huge, my cheeks hurt, but I was proud of my man for taking this chance.

“Connor, when I envisioned opening this production studio, all I wanted was the freedom to not only give people a voice without the run around given by the typical Hollywood elite, and to work on projects I believe in. If this script is something you want to tackle, and Lee will agree with me, then you should be the director,” Spencer said.

Lee chimed in. “Besides, I’ve seen you interact with your directors along with the crew, other actors, and even catering. I’ve never seen another actor getting along with everyone like you do, because you’re a genuine, nice guy. It will be a net positive to have someone who would look out after everyone on set.”