Dazzled Read Free

didn’t know if she was waiting for the drinks to arrive or if she was trying to freak me out. Honestly, I was so wound up, she didn’t need to prolong the agony just to make a point. Daniela delivered the coffee in silence, throwing me a sympathetic glance. Uh oh. Finally Melody glared at me over the top of her glasses. “So, Bill Howden fired you.”
    “Er, well, yeah.” Shit. This was it.
    “Hmm.”
    Melody should have been an actor – there was a world of meaning in that ‘hmm’. I tried to analyze how she did it. It was the look, definitely: steely but thoughtful. I’d have to practice that one. Crap! I realized I was staring at her. Unemployable and acting like a weirdo – could the day get any worse?
    “I might have something else for you,” she said.
    What? That was a surprise. I blinked, my eyes coming into focus as I met her gaze for the first time. She smiled.
    “Yes, I thought that might get your attention.” She was laughing at me . “Do you remember the audition tape you did a couple of months ago?”
    I frowned, trying to remember. “Oh, yeah? The American thing?”
    “Indeed!”
    She raised her eyebrows. Somehow I’d committed a major sin – it must be one of omission because I had no idea what I’d done wrong this time. That was nothing new.
    “Yes, the American thing is the film script for the bestselling book Dazzled : top of the New York Times bestseller list for 31 weeks; translated into 23 languages – yes, that would be the American thing. ”
    She paused for emphasis. She really didn’t need to. I got the point: I was a moron with the brain capacity of a flea.
    “Well, the director of the American thing has seen your tape and she’s interested. She wants to meet you.”
    What? My brain had just gone into freefall.
    Melody leaned back in her chair.
    “It would mean traveling out to LA and it would have to be on your own buck because nothing’s guaranteed. But it would be good for you: get your face out there a bit, meet some people. My colleague, Rhonda Weitz from our Los Angeles office, is willing to schedule some meetings – and she’ll put you up at her place for a few nights. I pulled some strings.”
    Half a beat. I was sitting there with my mouth hanging open. I must have looked like such an idiot.
    “I thought you were going to fire me!” I managed to croak at her.
    Okay, so I had more in common with Clare than I thought – I didn’t edit much either, although in my case it was less about being candid and more about a brain to mouth malfunction. It’s the kind of thing that happens to a guy when he’s thinking with his dick, but I swear that was not the case with Melody. I mean hell, any guy who got a boner within ten feet of her was risking permanent disfigurement. My dick hid behind my testicles when I was in Melody’s office – and then my testicles shriveled to the size of acorns.
    Melody smiled again, or maybe she was just baring her teeth.
    “No, Miles. If you’d read the contract you signed, you’d realize that I work for you .”
    She was definitely laughing at me.
    “So, can you get yourself over to LA for Thursday?”
    “Yeah! Even if I have to swim.”
    She snorted loudly and I couldn’t help flinching. “Good. Then I’ll make the arrangements. Daniela will email the details to you.”
    She waved a hand, dismissing me, already onto the next job. I stood up, feeling stunned and spaced out – but in a good way – and walked around the desk to kiss her cheek. She looked surprised.
    “Thanks, Melody. I mean it. Really. Wow! Thanks.”
    She smiled thinly. I thought I’d overstepped the mark, but I really did mean it. I was so fucking grateful I could have kissed the ground at her feet.
    “Make me proud, Miles.”
    I was halfway to the lift when she called after me.
    “Oh, and Miles, buy a new shirt… you look like shit.”

    Clare

    Miles was a bag of nerves, that much was obvious. He fidgeted, tugging at his t-shirt, scratching his cheek,