Chapter 1

The scent of coconut sunscreen lingered on Evelyn Coleman's skin as she reclined on the cushioned lounger. The sun's rays warmed her skin, promising a natural tan in just a few days. She closed her eyes, listening to the gentle lapping of the infinity pool's waterfall, willing the rhythmic sound to relax her, but it was going to take more than some soothing background noise for her to get over yet another part slipping out of her grasp.

The loud thudding of her phone vibrating on the table beside her cut through the peaceful silence. She sighed as she opened her eyes and slid her shades on top of her head. She saw her manager's name on the screen for what felt like the tenth time today.

Evelyn stared at the screen, not yet ready to talk to Arianna. She set the phone down and reached for the chilled glass of lemonade beside it, the condensation wet against her palm. She took a long drink, the ice cubes gently clinking against one another. The sound of the sliding door opening drew her gaze to the house.

Evelyn stifled a sigh, knowing Arianna had let herself in with the spare key meant for emergencies. This hardly qualified as one. If Evelyn chose not to answer her phone, Arianna should respect that.

"There you are," Arianna's clipped voice carried across the pool area. "You've been avoiding my calls I see." She stood in front of Evelyn, blocking out the sun, her eyes flicking to the phone that was within Evelyn's reach.

"I need some time to process this." After the first leading role she'd lost two years ago, she'd thought it had been a one-off thing. But the second time it happened, the actress had been ten years younger than her. The third time, Arianna had convinced her the director had a history with the actress chosen over her, that her Oscar and three Golden Globes were irrelevant. But now, another role had slipped away, and Evelyn was faced with the harsh reality of being a forty-seven year old woman in Hollywood.

Arianna sighed, her expression softening as she took a seat on the lounger beside her. "I know this is tough, but hiding out here isn't going to change anything."

Evelyn met her gaze before sliding her shades back on. "I'm not hiding. I just need some time."

Arianna didn't stretch out. She sat facing Evelyn, her hands clasped, her elbows on her thighs. "Call it what you want, but we need to strategize your next move. Sooner rather than later."

A laugh bubbled up from Evelyn's throat. "What next move? My last four moves have been complete failures. It's not a coincidence. It's not the director. I have to face the fact that I'm getting old, Ari."

Arianna opened her mouth and closed it again. She pressed her lips together. "I'm not going to argue with you. We both know how unfair this business is to women our age. But that doesn't mean it's time to give up. There are other roles. Other projects."

"Like what?" Evelyn tried to keep the irritation from her voice. This wasn't Arianna's fault. It was an inevitable fact about this industry. It had just come sooner than Evelyn had expected. "I'm not ready to be a grandmother yet. I can't, Ari."

"I know. And I'm not suggesting that." Arianna leaned forward, resting a gentle hand on her forearm. "You're an incredible actress. It would be a shame to give that up."

Evelyn exhaled as she turned to meet her manager's eyes. "I'm just tired of constantly fighting. I really only felt like I belonged when I won that Oscar. That I'd finally cemented my name among the greats, and twelve years later, I can't get a job?"

She took a deep breath, not willing to get emotional in front of her manager. They'd been working together for the last twenty-nine years, and while they were close, Evelyn wasn't going to let Arianna see just how defeated she really was. Plus, there was nothing Arianna could do about it.

Evelyn's gaze drifted to the palm trees rustling in the light breeze. She wasn't ready to say goodbye to the thing that she loved most in the world, but she couldn't compromise either just for the sake of staying in the movie business. The idea that her life as she knew it might already be gone made her throat tighten.

Arianna's voice brought her back to the present. "Evelyn, look at me."

Evelyn closed her eyes for a second before turning to meet her manager's eyes.

"You are not done yet," Arianna said. "And that does mean that we need to strategize about your next move. If you don't want to do it today, let me come back another day, and we'll open a bottle of wine and?—"

Evelyn swallowed hard. "Ari, I think I need a break."

Arianna held her gaze. "Okay. Look, we can schedule something in a week or two."

"No, I mean an actual break."

"For how long?"

"A few months." Evelyn let the words hang between them, bracing for her manager's objections.

"Wow." Arianna's eyebrows rose. "As your manager, I don't think that's the right move, but as your friend, if you think you'll come back recharged and ready to go out looking for your next role, then by all means." She smoothed her hands over her black slacks. "Will you come out for dinner with me or…?" She sighed softly. "I worry about you being here on your own, for weeks on end."

"I was thinking of going away." The idea of getting away only came to her last night, when she couldn't sleep, and she had no lines to memorize and nothing to look forward to. When she couldn't switch her mind off, questioning what exactly she was doing with her life, and how she'd committed so many years to a business and an industry who could so easily cast her aside.

"Where?"

"You know how I got an Irish passport right around when we met?" Evelyn felt a smile tugging at her lips. "Back when I thought that I wasn't going to have any steady work and I might travel around Europe for a few weeks."

Arianna returned her smile. "But then the jobs kept coming in."

Evelyn nodded. "So, I never got there. I kept renewing it, always thinking I'd find a few weeks."

"But you could go with your American passport for up to ninety days, I think."

"I don't want to limit myself like that. Thanks to my grandfather, I have an Irish passport, and I plan on taking full advantage of it. If I'm not ready to come back in three months, I'll stay."

Evelyn could see Arianna wrestling with her thoughts. As her manager, she was probably scrambling, trying to figure out how to change Evelyn's mind, but as her friend, Evelyn knew that Arianna wouldn't fight her on this.

"Will you stay in touch?" Arianna asked.

"Of course." Evelyn gave her a warm smile, feeling a sense of relief washing over her, and she hadn't even organized her flight or found suitable accommodation. "Even better, you should come visit me."

"I'd love that, but you know how demanding some of my other clients are."

"I know."

Rising from the lounger, Evelyn walked over to the edge of the patio, gazing out at the expansive view of the city sprawling below. The late afternoon sun cast an ethereal glow, making everything shimmer. She inhaled deeply, feeling a renewed sense of purpose. This trip to Ireland wouldn't just be an escape. It would be a chance to rediscover herself outside the glaring spotlight of Hollywood.

Arianna's heels clicked against the flagstone as she moved to stand beside Evelyn. "I know I can't talk you out of this," she said softly, "But promise me one thing. Don't make any rash decisions about your career while you're away."

"I won't."

"What should I tell Rick? Have you talked to him?"

Evelyn shook her head, knowing she'd have to call her agent once Arianna left. "No. Not yet."

Arianna nodded. "Well, we'll see what the next few weeks bring in terms of scripts. If I find something, can I send it to you?"

Evelyn hesitated, ready to launch back into her argument that her career was effectively over, but she stopped herself. "Sure."

"When are you going?"

Evelyn folded her arms over her chest as she gazed out at the hazy Los Angeles skyline. "As soon as I can book a jet and find the right place to stay. Somewhere quiet. Private."

"Stay in touch," she said, pulling her into a long hug.

Evelyn returned the embrace, closing her eyes as she savored the warmth, unable to remember the last time someone had hugged her away from a movie set. "I will."

She watched as Arianna walked away, the sound of her heels fading into the background. Turning back to the view before her, Evelyn let out a long breath, letting the weight of her decision settle in.

She knew this trip to Ireland wouldn't magically solve everything. The doubts, the fears, the creeping sense of irrelevance would all follow her across the ocean.

Even if Arianna didn't show it, Evelyn knew she wasn't happy with this decision. Rick wouldn't be either. She could hear his voice in her head before she even thought about making that phone call. ‘Don't stay away too long, Evelyn. This town has a short memory.'

But Evelyn had spent her whole adult life listening to other people telling her what was right for her career, her future, and for once, she was going to listen to her own instincts. Not only did she need a break, she needed a change of scenery.

A flicker of excitement stirred within her. The idea of getting away, of leaving it all behind, even if just for a little while, felt exhilarating.