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But something about Ollie’s disarming question had her relaxing back in her seat. A few seconds later, she shook her head. “No, I haven’t worked with either Kaid or Connor here.”

“Well, I see it as an opportunity to learn from each other. This is my first time anywhere near a movie set and it’s Connor’s directorial debut. And with the spectacular support that Spencer, Lee, Connor, and Kaid have taken Black Rock, I’m excited to see how this movie turns out.

“And while I know it’s not customary to offer something in such a professional setting, but I would love to be here for you if you ever need a sounding board or a shoulder to cry on. We both want to support those who work on this film and understand there are off days where your heart or head aren’t present. We feel there’s no need to keep issues to yourself, especially if we are here to help, even if it’s just a conversation or a pep talk.”

With the knowledge that Ollie’s way of connecting with people stood out among the typical Hollywood crowd, my heart lurched in my chest when her face crumpled and tears streamed down her face. Ollie, without hesitation, pulled her into his arms and rubbed her back as she sobbed against him. I stood there, horrified that we might have caused this reaction.

“Oh, honey. Whatever’s wrong, we can figure it out.” My boyfriend’s kind words only made her cry harder.

After a few minutes, she pulled back and accepted the tissue Ollie handed her.

“Sorry—”

“No, please don’t apologize. If you want to talk about it, whatever you say will never leave this room. And if you’re not ready, that’s fine too. Our door is always open.”

She cleared her throat, and I somehow expected her to get back to business, but because Ollie was Ollie, she gripped his hands and admitted, “I found out about a year ago my husband has an entire other family with two kids who live only an hour away from where we... where I live. Of course, I filed for divorce, but he’s been contesting everything from the house to the money I’ve made to support us, and my lawyer is a moron. Although I believed my husband was supporting me by not working and helping me during my career, it turned out he was just stealing from me. I’m so fucking dumb.”

“No, you’re not,” I said. “You put your faith in someone who was supposed to love you and support you, but he put his own selfish needs first. But I know someone who can help you out.”

I texted Emilia as Ollie clapped his hands together. “His sister is vicious for her clients and will connect you with someone of equal ferocity to represent you. You’re in excellent hands.”

I have an employee who needs a better divorce lawyer. You can’t do it because of the conflict of interest, but who’s the next best to you?

Why?

Husband cheated, has an entire other family, but has taken her money over the years.

My sister, despite hating the term,wasa champion for women, or of anyone who needed help. She wouldn’t stand for this and several seconds later, my phone rang.

“Are you fucking kidding me?”

“Nope, can you help?”

“Yes. Put her on the phone.”

Before I did, I said, “Addie, this is my sister, Emilia. She’s a sought after divorce attorney and she’ll put you in contact with one of the best to represent you. Would you like to speak to her?”

“Yes, please.”

I handed her my cell and rose at the same time Ollie had, and with a firm hand on his back, we exited the office, closing the door to give Addie some privacy.

As we walked into the conference room next to my office, I asked, “What do you think?”

“To be honest, I think she’s perfect for the part. Despite being drop dead gorgeous, she has the vulnerability we’ve been looking for. But if the thought of the story hurting her… well, we’ll leave the decision in her hands.”

After her conversation with Emilia, something settled in Addie. She became an integral part of script changes, working out the motivation for her character to want to stay after being cheated on. We’d implemented her suggestions since they were from a perspective we never considered, or couldn’t, because of our gender.

It was great to see how everyone contributed to make the story come alive.

As we were starting our day at the start of the second month of filming, I heard a disruption outside the stage doors, but I paid it no mind. Security was tight on the lot, and if someone wanted to get on set, we had Thomas and a few others who could keep them out.

My phone dinged with a text message, and when I checked it, it was from my agent, Maggie.

Call me.

While Ollie walked around approving the set decorations, I had a moment before I framed the first shot, so I dialed the number.

After the scandal of Mason and Spencer years before, I had been looking for a new representation. News broke about my foursome in Vegas, and my agency dropped me as their client. Spencer explained how hard Maggie and her team worked to contain the shitstorm Mason’s outing of Spencer as bisexual had. She also scheduled the infamous interview for the couple, introducing Lee to the world as his partner. My decision was obvious after meeting with her. And after years of working together, she’d not only become a friend, but she was one of the fiercest allies I’ve ever had.