Page 33 of Take 2

Chapter Thirty

Three Years Ago

“I wish I was there!” Morgan pouts on my iPad screen.

“We wish we were there to squeeze those cheeks!” Cece’s squishy baby voice is almost as precious as our sweet little niece in Morgan’s arms.

“The squishy cheeks are nothing compared to the addictive baby smell.” She takes a whiff of Mia’s head and sighs.

“How long does the new baby smell last?” I ask. “Will I still get it in October?”

“I don’t know.”

“Don’t give her any baths until then, just in case.”

Stephen makes a disapproving sound. “That’s disgusting.”

“Not like Mia is going to be working out,” Cece says.

Morgan lets out a sarcastic huff of a laugh. “Oh, tummy time is intense.”

“I saw that video,” I say. “She looked miserable. Stop making her do that.”

“She has to.”

“Auntie Cece will come protect you, baby girl.”

Morgan rolls her eyes. “Please do come visit, but you can’t cancel tummy time. Anyway, I’ve gotta go. Unless you want to see me whip a boob out here.”

“We absolutely do,” I say.

She laughs. “Have so much fun. Photoshop me into a group picture, please.”

“Will do. Love you!” I blow her a kiss, and everyone calls their goodbyes out. “Pictures before we forget!”

All possible combinations of group pictures are taken and again James makes fun of me for having an assistant to post stuff for me. “I literally don’t have the app on my phone anymore.”

“Diva,” he mutters, and passes out champagne glasses. “How much of a train wreck is this no-host thing going to be?”

“Weirdest Oscars ever,” Stephen predicts as he takes his drink.

“Can’t be more awkward than Anne Hathaway and James Franco were eight years ago.” My comment should trigger sweaty palms, but I’m almost okay. I can think about that show without dwelling on the memory of watching it with Ryan and his family.

“I thought they were precious,” Cece says.

“All of Hollywood wishes everyone was as easy to please as you.”

She twists a lock of her hair around a finger. “No, all of Hollywood wishes they were as gorgeous as you.”

A flirty twirl flares the layers of rose-pink skirt around my legs, and she fails at a wolf whistle in the cutest way.

“You approve?” James asks.

“I do,” Cece says with business meeting-like hand gestures, “but if she goes next year I need to consult. FaceTime me for the shopping.”

“Deal.” He shakes her hand.

I should tell them we shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves. I should tell them it is bad luck to talk about it like it’ll happen. But hell, if I haven’t worked my ass off to make it happen, and I like hearing people talk about it like it will.

My first movie experience was great, but this time Lisa got me more involved.

I got to have a great relationship with casting, spent time on set and with the production team, and learned a ton about what it takes to turn words on the page into a film.

It’s so beautiful I have to pinch myself every once in a while.

I may not be the kind of prodigy who wins an Oscar on his first go, like Preston Greene, but shit, getting my second screenplay nominated would be unreal.

“This year’s pick,” James says, gesturing to my dress, “was my attempt to make Oscar night sex a thing again.”

Stephen bites his lip. “That’s not going to happen.”

“So she says.” James sighs.

“Hey,” I say, “I did have sex in the past year. Just not gonna happen tonight.”

“How do you even have time?” Cece asks at the same time Stephen says, “You don’t go anywhere.”

I roll my eyes. “I can see there are some questions about my sex life. You may each have one.” I clasp my hands together like I’m holding a press conference. “Cece, go.”

She mimics holding a microphone. “Ms. Sheridan, do your lovers have to schedule time on your calendar?”

“Of course not. My calendar is booked solid. Sex has to be spur-of-the-moment to slip into my schedule—”

"That’s what she calls her vagina now,” James says, and I flick him off as I continue.

“And it steals time from something else.”

Cece arches an eyebrow. “Like work?”

“No. Work time cannot be sacrificed. It gets taken from scheduled sleep time. And that was two questions. Stephen?”

“Where do you even meet people?”

“My schedule has included several glamorous social-esque events for work. James?”

“Do you work on scripts during sex?”

“Only once. Thank you all for being here. That’s all the time we have today.” I curtsy and get some golf claps.

Cece pulls me down to the couch to sit with her. “Seriously, though. You’re going to work yourself to death.”

“I really love what I do. And you know I’ve always tried to do things faster than anyone else.” High school in three years. Undergrad in three and a half. Married only one year.

“I’m trying to force her to take breaks,” James says. “I made her get the highlights so she’d have a couple of hours off.”

“Except you didn’t check me before I left, so I did, in fact, work while it processed.”

Stephen’s eyebrows pull together. “You have issues.”

“But the highlights look great,” Cece offers.

“It’ll be worth it if I’m there next year.

” I point to the TV where the red carpet coverage is wrapping up.

It was always the dream, and now it feels like a goal I have to reach to make everything worthwhile.

I’d have thought it would be the years of school and the work I put into my career that would need the validating but it’s my life.

The move out here, sacrificing Ryan’s happiness, our marriage …

those have to be for something. No, not just something.

I’ve already done enough to make some personal sacrifice worthwhile.

The repayment for losing the love of my life has to be big. An Oscar should do it.

It better.

“James,” Cece says, “if you’re nominated next year too, can I be your date since Bella will take her mom?”

James laughs. “Don’t hold your breath, beautiful. While my movie might get some nominations, the main character’s best friend’s cousin’s dog walker doesn’t usually get to attend.”

“That is not your role!” I shove his shoulder.

“Almost. But the fact remains, I will hope you beat it for screenplay.”

Cece and Stephen give me knowing looks.

I sip my champagne and force a smile on my face. “Well, Preston Greene really didn’t do the main character’s best friend’s cousin’s dog walker justice, so it would kind of be criminal for him to win.”

“Agreed!” James was an absolute sweetheart for asking me if it was okay nine million times.

The only problem I really have with it is that I definitely have to see the movie now.

I avoided Missed Opportunities . It was the first time I hadn’t watched a movie nominated for writing since I was fourteen.

Frankly, when my parents relented and let me watch A History of Violence a couple of years later, I understood their motives for the ban. Not that I admitted that to them.

As Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Maya Rudolph make everyone wish they were, in fact, hosting, we settle in for the ninety-first Academy Awards while my mind is foolishly on the ninety-second.