Page 16 of At the Heart of It (The Can’t Have Hearts Club #4)
W ith her heels clicking on the black maple floor, Kate strode across the front of the hotel conference room handing out printed packets. She kept her eyes averted from Jonah’s, remembering Amy’s words about the chemistry between them.
It wasn’t true, obviously.
Even so, she couldn’t afford for it to look obvious to any of the studio reps and network execs who’d shown up for today’s pre-production meeting.
“What’s this?” Jonah asked as Kate handed him his packet, and she fought the urge to strangle him. Clearly he didn’t share her intent to avoid direct conversation between them.
Kate let her gaze skim the room, skipping eye contact with Jonah in favor of directing her response to the dozen other people in the room. “These packets contain basic information about the pilot episode,” she said. “Shot lists, intro and outro materials, that sort of thing.”
“Are the patients in there, too?” On the opposite side of the conference table, Viv accepted her packet from Amy and began flipping through it.
Her dark hair was held back by a polished ebony clip, and her flowy peasant blouse made her look effortlessly chic.
“I’d like to get started learning about who we’ll be helping. ”
“Profiles of the proposed subjects are at the back of the packet,” Kate said. She ran a hand down the front of her slim black skirt and wished she’d taken a few extra minutes that morning to wear contacts instead of her glasses.
Then she cursed herself for giving a damn what she looked like. This was a business meeting, not a dating show.
“We’ve identified five couples with strong potential to be featured in the pilot episode,” Kate continued as she scooted past Amy to make her way to the other end of the table.
“You’ll see all the details spelled out there about the struggles they’re facing and what we think is going to resonate best with our viewers. ”
“These are real couples,” Amy pointed out to Viv as she performed an expert sideways dodge to avoid the grabby hands of some dickhead network producer.
Kate made a mental note to keep an eye on the guy.
“We pre-screened them all with an eye on what we think will play well with our audiences,” Amy continued.
“First and foremost was relatability. A sense of genuineness. These are real people, not actors.”
“Well, some of them are actors,” Kate amended. “This is show biz, after all, and a lot of these folks are coming from LA. Everyone’s an actor.”
“True enough,” Amy acknowledged. “Which does help with the vetting process as far as making sure everyone’s comfortable being on camera.”
“But we plan to do most of the filming in Seattle,” Kate said with a quick smile at Viv. “That keeps us out of hot water as far as where Dr. Brandt is licensed to practice, plus we’ll catch audience interest with the fresh setting.”
“Thank God,” muttered a network exec to Kate’s right. “If I have to watch one more reality TV show set in LA or New York City, I’m going to stab my eyeballs with a fork.”
Kate glanced at Viv, hoping she hadn’t heard the reality-TV remark. Viv had already flipped to the section of the packet with the profiles of the couples they’d pre-screened for the pilot episode. She was reading with a serene, thoughtful expression, and Kate breathed a sigh of relief.
It was a good sign. One of six-hundred and eighty-four reasons she’d always loved Vivienne Brandt was that her desire to help people rang true. That shone through in her books, and Kate felt certain it would come through on camera, too.
She glanced away from Viv and let her gaze drift around the room.
Don’t look at Jonah, Kate willed herself. Don’t think about how hot he looks in that red shirt. Or how hot he looked the other day with no shirt. Or how his lips feel when he brushes them across your ?—
“Jeez, you guys aren’t messing around.” Jonah whistled low under his breath and Kate felt her gaze swivel his direction without her consent.
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“This first couple—Sam and Elena?”
“Those are their real names,” Amy interjected. “They’ve already signed confidentiality agreements.”
“I hope they signed a prenuptial agreement, too,” Jonah said. “They don’t have kids but they have two mortgages on a four-thousand-square-foot home, and she hasn’t held a job the entire twelve years they’ve been married?”
“It says here she’s been in school,” Vivienne pointed out as she slid a fingertip down her own page. “Working on her PhD in philosophy.”
“To do what ?” Jonah asked, flipping through the pages like he might have missed something.
“It doesn’t say,” Viv said. “But is that even the point? She’s working to expand her mind, to broaden her horizons, to?—”
“Avoid reality?” Jonah flipped to the next page, and Kate watched him nudge his glasses back up his nose.
“How did these people have the wherewithal to plan a ninety-thousand-dollar destination wedding with three hundred guests, but not to have a simple conversation about their expectations for careers and money?”
“Judgment, Jonah,” Viv murmured in a sing-song tone that told Kate this was a familiar refrain. “We’re here to help them, not scold them.”
“They need more help than we could give them in a thirty-minute reality show,” Jonah muttered.
“Unscripted television,” Viv corrected. “And we’re just giving them the tools they need to find their way.”
Jonah snorted. “Judging from what I’m seeing here, these two couldn’t find their asses with a map and a flashlight.”
“Perfect!”
All eyes swiveled to the head of the table, where Empire TV’s executive director clapped his hands and looked pleased. “This is excellent,” Chase Whitfield added. “I love the dynamic already!”
“I agree,” murmured Luke Sheehan, one of the high-level execs from the studio. Kate had already forgotten his job title, though it clearly involved agreeing with everything the Empire TV team had to say.
“They’re very fiery together,” added another Empire TV exec, almost as though Viv and Jonah were two actors in another room instead of two ex-spouses sitting right here in this one.
“This is some solid-gold shit right here.” Chase Whitfield whacked the packet with the back of his hand, and Kate tried to tamp back the irritation she’d always felt around him. He was one of the biggest names in the business, and they were lucky he’d taken an interest in the show.
That didn’t mean she had to like him.
“You know,” Chase continued, “it’s actually so much better having them divorced.”
“Amen to that,” Jonah muttered as he flipped to the next page in his packet and adjusted his glasses again.
“There’s something we can agree on.” Viv crossed her legs, exposing one bare knee as her red silk skirt rode up. Kate wondered if Jonah noticed. At what point did you stop being affected by the bared body parts of someone you’d once loved?
“You see this quote on page two-sixteen from the husband?” Viv continued. “The one where he says, ‘the feelings just aren’t there anymore.’”
Jonah glanced at the page and grunted before looking up at Viv. “So he’s boning someone else.”
“That’s typically what it means,” she mused. Then she frowned and looked at Kate. “Wait, is he allowed to say boning ?”
Kate folded her hands in front of her and glanced quickly at Chase. “It’s ultimately up to the network, but there’s usually more leeway with cable television,” she said. “A few appropriately timed curse words are usually acceptable.”
“Define appropriately timed.” Jonah looked at Kate. “If someone is being a fucking dumbass and I tell him so?—”
“In a spirit of love and compassion,” Viv interjected.
“Sure,” Jonah agreed. “If I tell him in a spirit of love and compassion that he’s being a fucking dumbass, is that appropriate?”
Across the table, Amy was trying—and failing—to keep a straight face. “I suppose it depends on the circumstances.”
Jonah raised one eyebrow. “How about if he’s being a fucking dumbass?”
“I suppose that would be appropriate circumstances,” Amy agreed.
“I think we’re getting off track here,” Viv said. “How about we take a look at the second couple?”
There was a rustling of pages and Kate flipped forward in her own packet. She stole a quick glance at Jonah and wondered what he felt like being here now. Did working with an ex feel awkward, or was he able to see Viv as just another body in the room?
There were no cameras rolling, which had been Viv’s idea. She wanted to ease him in slowly, despite the Empire TV team’s desire to start test shooting right away. From what Kate could see, Jonah would look fantastic in front of a camera. Whether he’d enjoy it was another matter.
“Did you find out if we can get Pete Waller as the lead cameraman?” Chase asked.
“If we’re able to start filming right away, he’s available,” Amy said.
“We’ve had a terrific working relationship with him in the past,” Kate said. “He’s very talented.”
“And he’s got that whole teddy-bear vibe about him,” Amy added. “That’ll help put all the couples at ease.”
“He knows how to get the dirt, too.” Chase grinned, and Kate tried not to cringe.
“He’s a professional,” she said mildly, glancing at Viv and Jonah to make sure neither looked alarmed.
They were both engrossed in their packets.
Kate turned the page and skimmed the bio on the second couple.
Roger and Abby, married for eight years with two young kids under the age of five.
Roger complained Abby was never in the mood for sex, and Abby complained that Roger didn’t help around the house.
“The oldest story in the book,” Jonah murmured, taking the words right out of Kate’s mouth.
“So sad,” Viv said, trailing a finger down the page. “Sounds like they had a terrific sex life right up until their son was born.”
Jonah flipped to the next page. “If by terrific you mean they both enjoyed dressing up in animal costumes and humping each other in public places, you’re right on the money.”