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Giulia: Yes, but my husband is Slovak. I only had to write it the way he sounds when he talks. And that was a different series, so it’s really none of your business.
Rob: Okay, but can’t you just do the same thing with Francesca?
Giulia: I’m not even sure I named her. That’s not a very memorable character.
Rob: Are you kidding? She drove that Jeep and had a gun. She was fucking awesome!
Giulia: Look, I don’t want to have to do this, but if things don’t pick up…I’m afraid she’s going to have to die.
Rob gasps, covering his mouth in horror.
Rob: You can’t do that. I finally get my chance at happiness and you’re going to kill the woman I love?
Giulia: Let’s face it. You were always a secondary character. It hurts me to tell you this, and all the readers. You were never supposed to get a book. The fact that I threw you in this story was just so I could placate readers.
Rob: And now I’m just gonna get tossed away like yesterday’s garbage?
Giulia: It’s not you. It’s me.
Rob: Yeah, that’s what all women say.
Giulia: But this time it’s true. I have to feel what I’m writing, and frankly, it was fun at first, but now…
Rob: Now what?
Giulia: Now…I’m afraid the fun is over.
Rob shoves back from his chair and gets in my face.
Rob: That’s what you think. Just wait. This isn’t over. You think you can control this, but you have no idea the can of worms you just opened.
Giulia: I have complete control. I wrote it.
Rob: You may have written it, but I’m taking over now. I’m done living this half-life. Every other character has gotten to have sex but me!
Giulia: I think I just wrote that you have sex.
Rob: Off the page! When do I get my moment to shine?
Giulia: Rob?—
Rob: No. I refuse to go out this way. This means war.
Rob storms out of the room.
Giulia: Male characters are so dramatic.
29
ROB
I paced outside of the Reed Security building, not sure how to handle this. Everyone else had been called in at some point or another, but this was my first time. I thought for sure Giulia would do to me what she did to all the others—harass them, but essentially let their lives play out.
But this…this was so much different. In a single interview, she basically told me I would never have the life I wanted—the life I needed to let my character thrive. How was I supposed to continue on in the series knowing my future was inevitably dead?
A car came screeching into the parking lot, taking the first spot available. I recognized it instantly as Ryan’s. He’d come to see Lola. If only he knew how quickly Giulia could take it all from him. Then again, he did. He understood completely. He was exactly the person I needed to talk to.
“Hey!” I shouted, running over to him.