Page 81 of The Summer of Christmas

“That’s right. We’re business partners. So, take down the For Sale sign. You are looking at the new owners!” The crowd went crazy. Cheering. Griffin and Bruce held their hands high. Triumphantly!

By the pier, Ivy could not hear the cheers. It was a quiet moonlit summer night. She could see the Christmas lights shining from Main Street. A Christmas tree had been set up near the pier for a caroling scene. The town asked if they could keep it up until the movie wrapped. People loved a Christmas tree. Any time of year. There was a portable packing crate that was collecting toy donations for a Christmas toy drive in July. Ivy gazed at the tree, making a Christmas wish, standing on the edge of the pier the way George Bailey stood on the bridge in the classicIt’s A Wonderful Life.

Ivy heard Drew talking on his phone as he walked up the pier. He waved at Ivy. (Good sign.) As he got closer said, “What a great location. This is the perfect place for a murder.” (Bad sign.) Drew clicked off his cell phone. “How did it go at the hotel?” he asked.

“Not great. Amari is still angry.”

“Anything else happen there?” Drew asked, wanting to know if she had run into Nick.

“I don’t think I’ll be writing any Amari Rivers movies in the future.”

“Captain Midnightis green-lit.”

“Oh, that’s great. Congratulations.”

“Yeah, I’m pretty excited. It’s a franchise. Game changer for me. Not that I don’t like smaller, smarter pictures.”

“But the bigger, dumber ones pay more. Right?”

“I wouldn’t be such a snob about it. They want to hire you for the rewrite. It shoots in two months, so they want to start now. I called your agent. It’s a weekly to start—one for the week.”

$100,000 for a week. Ivy had heard about the weekly. These were usually when the script was in trouble, production was on the horizon, and someone had to come in and try to fix the movie script very quickly. It never worked. But the check always cleared. Ivy kept her emotions contained.

“What do we do about us?”

“We got the condo.” Ivy had totally forgotten they had made an offer on a condo in Downtown LA. “We have until Saturday to sign the lease.”

“You still want to live with me?”

He didn’t answer at first. “I could ask you the same thing.”

“Nick is with Amari. That’s over. If we don’t move in together, do I still get theCaptain Midnightweekly?”

“Yes. But personally, I think we still have a chance.”

Ivy smiled. “Thanks, Drew.”

He took a deep breath. “I never smelled air so good. I can see why you like this place. I need your answer by Friday.”

“On the condo orCaptain Midnight?”

“Both.” Drew walked away.