Page 6 of Fan Favorite
“It was literally the craziest thing I’d seen on television since that dragon burned up the Iron Throne—like, it understood the quest for the throne itself was what killed Daenerys, which was like, wait, does this dragon actually understand Westerosi politics right now?
” Edie said in a rush. She paused and took a breath.
More calmly she continued: “What I’m trying to say is, I was a teensy bit drunk and a whole lot shocked to see Charlie Bennett on my TV, and I’m sorry I wasted your time.
I was out of my mind tweeting at you last night. ”
“Are you kidding me? We’re thrilled you tweeted at us,” Key producer Jessa Johnson enthused. Her voice was bouncy, Californian. “Peter—that’s our showrunner—thinks you’re the rock Bennett needs to get through this process, and he can’t wait to meet you!”
“Wait, what? Really? ”
“Oh, yeah, of course. We’re hoping you’ll come to LA tomorrow for a chat.”
Edie could not believe what she was hearing—fly to Los Angeles in what, less than twenty-four hours? “Are you serious?” Edie asked. “I have to work tomorrow.”
“I don’t know how familiar you are with the show,” Jessa continued, “but after Wyatt Cash, we’re more focused than ever on telling stories about true love.
And you and Bennett have all this history —I just loved that photo of the two of you.
Can you send more? We really think you would inject the show with authenticity, you know?
Totally different from the other girls.”
Oh, yes, Edie did know. Obviously, the other girls hadn’t known Charlie Bennett since kindergarten like Edie had. She could already envision the kind of conversations they were having, sitting on some romantic moonlit patio.
The other girls: So, what’s your favorite color? What’s your favorite food?
Edie: Remember that time we learned all the moves to Dirty Dancing in my basement? Except I was Johnny and you were Baby because you were still smaller than me, and that’s the only way we could execute the lift?
“I don’t see this as just a one- or two-episode arc,” Jessa continued. “I see you and Bennett engaged. What’s more romantic than falling in love with your high school sweetheart all over again? I’m excited just thinking about it.”
As much as Edie tried to keep Lauren’s warnings top of mind, Jessa’s enthusiasm easily ignited Edie’s manic optimism all over again. What was more romantic than falling in love with your high school sweetheart all over again?
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Jessa added.
Edie pictured her life as it was now and would be in the foreseeable future.
Snooze her alarm five times instead of getting up and working out (even though her intention was always to work out).
Finally roll out of bed. Commute downtown.
Arrive at cubicle. Scour the internet. Write and copyedit boring things until lunch (the highlight of her day, because Edie always paid extra for guacamole).
Return to office. Scroll on her phone. Sit in boring meetings about boring things.
Try to find someone to go to happy hour with, but everyone’s married.
Go on an internet date that would inevitably be awful, even though she’d put makeup on.
Return home. Pizza. Wine. Bravo. Despair.
Go to bed with a cat instead of a man. Rinse and repeat.
The way Edie saw it, there were only two options: go to Los Angeles and reclaim the love of her life, or stay here and, what, unpack her spoons ?
What Edie understood love to be was this: Love was the future.
It was the way out. Love was what would change everything.
Being in love and getting married and buying a home and starting a family, this was how Edie—since she was a little kid watching Family Ties and Roseanne and The Cosby Show —saw her life playing out.
And so, sure, the Key of it all seemed insane (it was insane) , but wasn’t Edie at the end of the line?
She was thirty-five years old, and she’d made enough life choices that they’d all started to stack up and stack up and now she was left trying to shove her foot in a closing door before she was locked out for good.
“We believe in your love story,” Jessa said.
And just like that, Edie was calling in sick and packing her bags for Los Angeles, because she believed in it, too.
To: Peter Kennedy
From: Jessa Johnson
Subject: Show me the money
Peter,
First of all, I just want to say, words mean nothing.
MONEY TALKS. And since I’m basically single-handedly delivering you the most dramatic season ever, I’m expecting a sizable bonus or raise or EP title.
I just want to put that out there so we don’t spend the rest of production strangling each other. Please, just make it happen.
Stop rolling your eyes. Because I found Bennett Charles’s high school girlfriend and she is desperate to join the show and win back her man.
Oh, and she is A MESS. Her entire personality is “obsessed with Bennett Charles.” I got her on your calendar at 11 a.m. tomorrow.
Apparently, they were deeply in love—wait till you see the pictures.
Let’s just say, if you crossed Screech Powers with that guy from Frozen , you know, the snowman who was also the original messy missionary brother in The Book of Mormon ?
And sprinkle in some asthma and psoriasis? That’s high school Bennett Charles.
You’re welcome,
Jessa