Chapter Seven
After the weekend of festivities, Owen and Evelyn flew back home late Sunday night. He had to be on shift Monday morning, so Evelyn said she'd get Probie from the kennel. She'd skipped coffee with the New Beginnings crew because she was exhausted. Nina and Tess sent a couple texts teasing her for avoiding them, but she promised details soon.
Her morning at the studio had been pretty much what she'd expected. Harry already had her resignation papers drawn up. She signed and left. She'd thought it would be more stressful, but she felt eerily fine. The next two days she spent talking with Marilyn about the show and developing a list of ideas.
The more she had prepared, the more attractive the show would be. Evelyn hesitated sending the pitch to Donald. If she worked with him, it might make Owen a little crazy; he really hated her ex. Although Donald hadn't been a very good husband, he'd always been an excellent producer. He created magic with every idea he gave the green light to. It didn't mean she necessarily wanted to work with him. Part of her worried about him taking control of everything. And this was her baby, not his. Donald would never be like Owen. He couldn't step back and let her do her thing.
She'd been spending every night at Owen's house, but tonight, she was at her place to get ready for the networking event. Owen said he'd pick her up as soon as he got off his overtime shift, assuming, of course, no calls came in. He'd been grabbing a few extra shifts when asked. Normally it didn't bother her. Tonight she prayed for a quiet evening. She really wanted him at her side.
At eight thirty, he was calling from the door to let her know he was there. She slid into her pumps and walked into the living room.
"Wow," he said.
"I'm sure you've seen me wear this before," she said, looking down at her outfit. It was her favorite little black dress.
"Probably. But I could never do this before." He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. He wrapped one hand around her nape, and the other cupped her ass, bringing her flush against him.
When he broke the kiss, she realized that she had a tight grip on the lapel of his jacket. She smoothed it out. "I think wow is an understatement."
"You saw me in this suit for Tess's engagement."
"I was talking about the kiss."
"I can do better than that."
"I bet you can, but we have to go. We'll be fashionably late enough that all the people I want to talk to should be there and well-lubricated with alcohol, but not so drunk they don't remember our conversation."
He shook his head. "Always scheming."
"Not scheming. Finessing."
His face said he wasn't buying any of it, but he wasn't part of this industry. In his world, he took people as he saw them. People in TV had their own special dance of schmoozing. You never knew when you'd need a favor from someone, so there was always a fine veneer on every interaction. It was nowhere near as black-and-white as Owen would like it to be.
"So how does this work?" he asked as they parked near the hotel where the event was taking place.
"We get a drink and mingle. Chat up the executive producers. See what they're in the market for. Gather business cards."
"Which means what for me?"
"Stand there and look sexy."
He bent his elbow for her to take. "I think I can handle that."
Wrapping her arm around his, she patted him. "I don't need you to do anything but be here for me. Moral support."
"I can definitely accommodate you."
All of the ideas racing through her mind settled as he looked into her eyes. A stabilizing force. That's what Donald had called him. In that moment, she understood what he'd meant.
"You got this." He gave her a crooked smile. "And I'll beat up anyone who gives you a hard time."
She laughed, because she knew he was mostly joking.
…
Owen was completely out of his element. He'd been to work events with Evelyn before, but not like this. She'd told him it was a networking event, but he didn't really get what she meant. Now, being in the middle of it, he still didn't quite get it. People huddled together talking, then they split off and wandered to another group.
There were a few guys that he pegged as big-name people even though he didn't know them, simply because so many people flocked to be around them. Evelyn didn't.
"If that's the guy with all the money, why not pitch to him?" he asked as she surveyed the room.
"Because everyone is rattling off pitches to them. I'll be lost in a sea of mediocrity. They have so many things crossing their desks, it's hard to stand out."
"Sounds like you're afraid. If your idea is as good as you say it is, go big."
She smiled. "I can send a pitch to them whenever. I don't think face time makes a difference with them. They expect a whole lot of fawning that I'm not thrilled with. I don't want to kiss their asses when I know there's less than a five percent chance of them actually paying attention to me."
He listened and then looked closely at the interactions in those pools of people. Evelyn approached this with a precision he hadn't expected. "What's your plan?"
"I want to get face time with the midrange guys. Not someone small potatoes, but not a giant either. Those guys are still willing to take chances, and they have the money and backing to follow through."
"Lead the way."
He followed her through the room as she assessed where everyone was and created a plan for interacting with each of the people on her list of targets. In the first group they attached to, Evelyn practically elbowed her way in. "Kyle!" she said with fake cheer. "How have you been?"
"Good. Congratulations on the Women in Media award. I'm sorry I couldn't be there that night."
"Thanks. I got your email. That was thoughtful."
Their conversation had others backing off, and Owen wanted to follow, but he'd promised her that he'd be there for support. She reached behind her for his hand and introduced him. "Kyle, this is my significant other, Owen."
Owen swallowed the snort. Significant other. I guess these people are too good to simply be called a boyfriend. He reached past Evelyn. "Nice to meet you."
Kyle shook his hand. "What show do you work on?"
"I don't."
"Owen's not in the business. He's a firefighter."
"Wow. Really?" Kyle's eyes went wide. "I love watching Chicago Fire ."
Owen clenched his jaw and gave a quick nod. He'd only watched the show once because Evelyn had made him. Then she'd gotten irritated when he'd corrected anything they got wrong.
"How's Trent Talks these days?" Kyle asked, turning his attention back to Evelyn.
"Good," she said, "but I'm leaving. I'm ready to move on to something different. I thought maybe we could talk about some ideas I have."
She was smooth. Owen would give her that. While she launched into her pitch, he took her empty glass to let her know he'd get a refill so she could keep talking. While he waited to get the bartender's attention, a few people near him were talking about movies.
He listened, thinking maybe it was a conversation he could enjoy. Unfortunately, within a minute he realized that these people turned even a simple conversation about movies into a discussion of everything technical. One was discussing the camera angles used in a particular shot and how much more impact the opposite angle would have given the moment. Another chimed in that the angle was perfect because it showed just enough of the two leads to enthrall the audience, but the score had been off. They should've had a slower piece of music. No one wanted to see the characters have speed sex. Owen turned his laugh into a cough, which wasn't totally convincing, but caught the attention of the bartender.
He placed his order, and after grabbing his beer and Evelyn's champagne, he turned to find her. Kyle was talking to someone else now, so he scanned the room. He saw her in a dimly lit corner, standing too close to some other guy.
As he neared with the drinks, he couldn't hear their conversation. They spoke more quietly than those around them, making Evelyn lean closer. Then she did one of those over-the-top giggles, patting the man's chest. The caveman in Owen reared up. He did not like seeing her touch some other guy.
He held the glass out to Evelyn, which she accepted with a smile. She didn't stop the conversation to introduce him, however. She continued to laugh at whatever grandiose story the guy was telling. Owen listened for a minute and gathered it had something to do with a bungee jump gone wrong.
Everything Evelyn was doing was phony, but the man across from her obviously couldn't tell. After pretending to catch her breath from her bout of laughter, she reached out and touched the guy's arm. "Thank you for sharing that story, Adam. I'm going to chat with some other people. Definitely give me a call if you want to know more about my pitch."
"It was great catching up. I'll give you a call next week. Maybe we can have lunch and brainstorm some possibilities."
"Sounds good," she answered cheerfully. That part was sincere.
As she took Owen's arm, she leaned over and said, "Thank God you showed up with my drink. Adam is like a one-trick pony. He only tells the one story about his adventurous life."
"So why bother?"
She sipped her champagne. "Because he's a guy who gets things done."
Owen grunted.
"What?"
"I don't see any male producers flirting to get face time with someone."
She pulled them to a stop. "First, you have no idea who here is pitching and who isn't. Second, I'm not flirting. Any idiot can see I'm here with you. But I do have to be friendly. Otherwise, I'm branded a bitch. Unfair? Of course. But it's the nature of the business. Changes are happening, but not nearly fast enough."
He bit down on his immediate response. He didn't like any of it—not that she flirted and someone might take it as an offer, not that because she was a woman she was expected to play nice instead of just going after what she wanted, not that he had no way of helping. Swallowing down his jealousy and anger, he said, "Who's next?"
"I think Peter Garvey is a good prospect." She pointed across the room, near the bar where Owen had just been standing. "He heads the studio, but his wife pushes projects on him." She glanced around. "I wonder if Tricia is here."
For the rest of the night, Owen spent his time following in Evelyn's wake, grinding his teeth because she barely spoke to him, other than to make brief introductions.
When the night was finally winding down, he offered to get the car so she could say her goodbyes and meet him outside. He needed fresh air and distance from people. He let the cool breeze from the lake coast over him.
He paid for parking and drove around the block to come to the front of the building. He pulled in alongside a row of cabs to wait for Evelyn. He'd give her a few minutes and then text if she didn't come out. Going back in was out of the question. Even if he could stomach another round of TV people, he didn't want to risk the ticket for parking in a loading zone.
He trained his eyes on the entrance. Evelyn pushed through the door, but she wasn't alone. Adam escorted her out. Then he leaned over and kissed her. A quick brush of his lips against her cheek, but Owen saw red. He honked the horn to get her attention and then gripped the steering wheel.
A moment later, Evelyn climbed in, Adam still at her back holding the door open. Damn, he should've gotten out of the car to open the door for her.
As she buckled up, Adam bent and looked at Owen. "It was great to meet you. Take care of our girl here."
"Will do." He couldn't force a smile or any other words.
The man closed the door, and Owen tore out of the spot and toward the highway.
"Whew," she said as she kicked off her shoes and leaned back in her seat.
He didn't respond.
She sat up again. "Something wrong?"
"No." The word came out sharply.
"Yeah, that's believable."
He looked at her from the corner of his eye while he turned on the on-ramp. "I hated tonight."
"I know it's not your usual way of spending a night out, but it was important to me."
"That's the only reason my fist didn't run into Adam's face."
"What?"
"It's bad enough that you flirted with so many of those asshats. But it shouldn't be okay for them to touch you."
"You mean that kiss on the cheek as we were leaving? There was nothing inappropriate about that. I've known Adam a long time, and while we're not close, we're friendly."
"How friendly?"
"Go to hell. Do you think I'd bring you to an event to introduce you to past lovers?"
"I'm just wondering what happens at the parties I'm not at if there's that much going on right in front of me."
"Unbelievable," she muttered.
They dropped into silence, which was fine with him. He didn't like where the conversation was heading. When he changed lanes to get off the highway toward his house, she simply said, "I'd prefer to go home tonight. Alone."
He continued on to her condo. He parked but didn't get out to walk her up.
She slipped her shoes back on and opened the door. Before getting out, she turned to face him. "You need to get a few things straight. One, I am not Stacy. I wouldn't cheat on you—in your face or behind your back. Two, my job requires a lot of networking and talking to people and being friendly. If you can't handle that, there's no hope for us. I'm not going to give up my career for you."
She stepped out of the car and closed the door.
Owen watched as she walked inside. Even after she was gone, he continued to stare at the building. He'd screwed up. He slammed his fist into the steering wheel. He turned off the engine and went inside, even though Evelyn had made it clear she was done with him tonight. He got upstairs and knocked on her door. She didn't answer, so he knocked again. Just as he was about to use his key, the door opened. She stood in the opening, blocking his entrance.
"What do you want?"
"I'm sorry."
She let go of the door and stepped closer.
"I know you're not Stacy, but it made me crazy watching you flirt—"
Her eyebrow winged up.
He held up a hand. "I know you weren't flirting. I could tell it was phony. But they didn't know it. It grated on my nerves all night. Then when I saw Adam kiss you, I started to lose grip on my control." He reached out and touched her jaw. "I won't share you, but I would never expect you to give up your job. I have to find a way to live with seeing that and not letting my mind go where it did."
"I know you have hang-ups. We all have baggage. But until tonight, I never thought you looked at me as if I were Stacy."
"I don't."
"If not, why were you upset because some guy kissed my cheek? That's all it was. Would you act that way if it had been Gabe or Trevor?"
"No." His immediate thought was that they wouldn't do that to him. But neither would Evelyn. He knew that. "I don't know how to explain. I know it's irrational. I promise to work on it. I'm really sorry if I ruined your night."
She smiled. "Thank you." She hitched a thumb over her shoulder. "Want to come in?"
"As much as I'd love to, I have to get home to Probie."
"Okay. See you tomorrow?"
"Absolutely." He leaned in and kissed her, making sure it was nothing like any touch she'd received from anyone else all night. As he drove home, the thoughts she had thrown out for consideration dogged him. Since his marriage and divorce, Evelyn was the only woman to gain his trust. But that was before they'd started sleeping together.
None of that mattered. Evelyn did. He trusted her, even if his behavior didn't reflect it.
…
Owen was on shift, so Evelyn went to Sunny's to meet her friends alone. She was still feeling off-center. As soon as she walked through the door of the diner, Nina practically screamed across the room.
"It's about time. Get your behind over her and give us details."
Tess shook her head as she sipped her coffee. Evelyn crossed to the table and sat. "Where are the guys?"
"On their way, I'm sure," Nina said with a wave of her hand. "Why didn't you tell us?"
"What?"
"Oh my God. You and Owen. We've been waiting for more than a year for the two of you to wake up and realize you're in love. When did this happen?"
Nina spoke so fast, Evelyn struggled to keep up. "Uh…"
Tess passed her a cup of coffee. "Take a breath and then tell us whatever you'd like to share." The look she gave Nina was a standard mom back off look.
Evelyn took a drink of coffee and then a deep breath. So much had been happening with her and Owen that she hadn't realized that she hadn't seen her friends.
"Okay. The night of the awards ceremony I kissed him."
"Ooo…tell me more," Nina said with her chin in her hand.
"He rejected me because he thought I was drunk."
"Ouch."
"Not really. Anyway, a couple days later, we talked and we admitted that something has been changing between us."
Nina smirked. "About time."
"How are things going?" Tess asked, ignoring Nina's comment.
"Pretty good, I guess."
Tess scrunched her face. "That sounds like you guys have already left the honeymoon phase."
"There's just so much happening. We had a great time at his brother's wedding. Although it was a little weird not having separate rooms. When we got back, I left my job. I'm searching for a new one."
"Wait. What?" Tess practically screeched.
"My boss wanted me to do more emotionally charged episodes, like the school shooting one. I refused right before the wedding. He thought I'd change my mind. I didn't. But it's okay. I'm pitching a new show to a lot of people."
Trevor and Gabe came in then.
"What'd we miss?" Trevor asked.
"I'll catch you up later," Tess said. Turning to Evelyn, she said, "Go on."
"I need some advice. Like I said, things have been really good between me and Owen. We went to a networking thing the other night. I scored an invitation with the intention of making connections for my new show idea. He was my plus-one, as usual." She looked at Nina. "By the time we left, though, Owen was pissed. He accused me of flirting with everyone I spoke to."
"Were you?" Gabe asked.
"Don't be a dick," Nina countered. "She would never do that to anyone, much less Owen."
"But would it look like flirting to Owen?" Gabe clarified.
Evelyn thought back to her interactions. She'd done nothing wrong. Nothing even hinted at trying to hook up with someone.
"I think what Gabe is trying to say and failing at, is that given Owen's history, he's overly sensitive to anything that might look like cheating," Trevor said.
"Just because his ex-wife cheated doesn't mean every woman on the planet is like that."
"And I'm sure logically, he knows that. There are still going to be things that will push his buttons," Trevor said.
"Am I supposed to be a nun?"
"No one is saying that," Gabe answered. "You know Owen. Things are black-and-white with him. He can trust you or he can't. Think about how you acted. How it would look to him. If something looks like a duck and walks like a duck…"
"Still being a dick, Gabe," Nina said.
"Don't you see what's going on here? Their whole relationship could blow up over some bullshit. What happens to us when they screw it up?" Gabe looked from Nina to Evelyn.
"We're not going to blow up." She couldn't imagine anything that would ruin her and Owen. Unless she actually cheated on him, which she would never do. "I acted no different than I have at any other event we've attended together."
"That was before you were sleeping together."
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"Do I really have to spell it out for you? The minute you changed your relationship, you became his. In the past, he might not have liked you flirting, but he had no claim on you."
She let his words sink in. What he said made sense, even though she balked at the idea of belonging to anyone. She studied Gabe for a moment. Something was off with him—more off than usual. "What's going on?"
"Nina's stupid challenge." He turned his glare on Nina. "I did what you said. I went out and met a woman at a bar. We drank, we talked, we fucked. Then she left without leaving me her number. When I looked her up, guess what I found?"
"Oh no," Evelyn said.
"She's married." He pointed at Nina. "That's why I look into people before I let them in my life."
"I said go out and meet people. Get to know them. Preferably before you stick your dick in them. Do you not remember that part? I never said go forth and have sex. We all know you have that ability."
"On that note, I'm out of here. I have to get to a job," Trevor said as he tossed some bills on the table. Sliding his chair back into place, he said to Gabe, "You don't get to blame her for your bad choices."
Nina stuck her tongue out at Gabe.
Trevor left, and Tess stood as well. "I have a patient to get to, but Trevor is right, Gabe. If you're going to try, then you have to change your approach." She turned to Evelyn. "Talk to Owen. He's levelheaded."
When she was gone, Gabe said, "People suck."
"Not everyone," Evelyn said. "Look at Tess and Trevor. They found people. And you like us."
"You don't get input here. You're in love with your best friend. You didn't have to go out and find anyone. And I like you. Nina, I'm not so sure about."
Nina leaned over and hugged Gabe's arm. "You love me."
He rolled his eyes.
Evelyn said, "I tried to find someone. I did the dating apps and coffee dates."
Straightening, Nina scoffed. "You did not try. You faked trying and then went home to Owen. There was no reason for you to look for someone when you were already in love."
She opened her mouth to argue that she hadn't been in love with Owen this whole time, but she stopped. Had she? Had her relationship with Owen prevented her from finding anyone else?
Nina grinned. "Man, I love being right."
When she left Sunny's, Evelyn was filled with things to think about. She considered the networking event and how it might've looked through Owen's eyes. She would never do anything to hurt him. Didn't he know that?
…
A couple of days later, Evelyn woke in Owen's bed. It was definitely a habit she could get used to. She was still having a hard time adjusting to not having to go into work. She hadn't been unemployed since college. She stretched out. Owen was gone. Sighing, she flipped back the covers. As she went downstairs, silence met her. Even Probie was gone, which meant Owen had gone for a run.
With a cup of coffee in hand, she went out to his front porch to wait for him. There was a slight chill in the air now that Chicago was barreling into fall, but the sun warmed her face. Her phone buzzed, disturbing her moment of peace.
"Hello," she answered after seeing it was Donald.
"Where are you?"
"Why?"
"I'm at your house. I have some good news."
"I'm at Owen's." Down the block, she saw Owen heading her way with Probie tugging at his leash.
"When will you be back here?"
"Not for a while," she said. Owen's face lit with a smile as he neared.
He unhooked Probie's leash, and the dog poked his cold nose at her before running up the stairs. Owen bent and kissed her head. He was sweaty from his run but looked good.
Donald huffed. "I have someone who is interested in producing your show."
That caught her attention, so she tore her eyes away from Owen, who was standing in the grass stretching his body. "What?"
"Marcus Dielman is expanding his studio in Chicago. I mentioned you're in the market, and he wants to meet."
"Wow. Thank you. When?"
"I'm only in town tonight. I'll make reservations. Eight o'clock work for you?"
"Yeah."
They disconnected, and Evelyn sat in stunned silence.
"Who was that?"
"Donald."
The muscle in Owen's jaw twitched.
"He's in town. He has a friend who might be interested in producing my show."
"Yeah? That's great."
"That was not the enthusiastic answer I hoped for." She stood to look him in the eye.
He stepped closer. "I'm glad someone wants your show. I just wish it wasn't connected to your ex."
"He's just making the introductions. Come with me. We're having dinner tonight. You can meet Marcus and help me woo him. Plus, you'll get to see that Donald is totally harmless."
With his hands on his hips, he sighed. "I don't know that I'll ever see him as harmless, but if you want me there, I'll come."
"Excellent. Now go take your shower, and I'll buy you breakfast."
He swooped in, wrapping an arm around her waist, and pulled her close. "How about you join me in the shower?"
"Tempting. Go warm it up. I'll be there in a minute."
He jogged up the stairs and led Probie into the house.
Evelyn sent Donald a text to make the reservations for four instead of three because Owen was joining them.
Is that a good idea?
Why not?
He's not in the business. You need to focus.
Owen will be there to support me, not as a distraction.
I hope so. This is a business meeting, not a group date.
Evelyn paused, because his text rubbed her wrong. She hadn't implied it should be a date. She wanted to shoot something back that would be entirely inappropriate, like the middle finger emoji, but then she remembered that Owen was upstairs waiting. Hot naked man won every day over trading petty texts with her ex.
…
Owen didn't know how Evelyn had roped him into doing this. They'd known each other for years, and while he'd met Donald on occasion, they'd never spent any time together. There was a good reason for that. Evelyn had shared plenty of stories over the years of how Donald was manipulative. Like the time he convinced her not to take a job working on a show because it would be bad for her career, only to snag the spot for himself. She'd justified forgiving him because she'd gotten an even better offer. Sometimes the manipulation wasn't even directed at her. He'd been known to screw people out of meetings with someone so he could take the spotlight. Everything was always about him. It was just how the man was wired.
Owen couldn't stand it. The pretense drove him crazy. He didn't trust a damn thing about Donald. He only looked out for number one, and if Evelyn got hurt, she was just collateral damage.
Owen wouldn't let that happen.
So, for her he wore a suit. Again. Waited for her to get ready. Again. Except this time, he sat on the edge of her bed and watched her dress and primp. She wasn't sexy Evelyn tonight. She was all business, but the black skirt was just short enough to give him ideas. She swept the sides of her hair up and clipped it in place.
He rose and stood behind her. Scooping the rest of her hair to the side, he kissed her neck. He loved that his lips made her shiver. She closed her eyes and leaned against him.
"We have to get going," she murmured.
"I know. I'm ready. Your neck was too tempting for me to ignore."
She smiled and pulled away. "For the rest of the evening, I need you to ignore it. I'll make it worth your while when we get back here."
"You sure you want me to come? I can stay here and wait for you."
"I know you don't like the business stuff I do. All the schmoozing gets under your skin. But this is a good opportunity for you to see me and Donald together and understand that we are nothing more than friends."
He understood what she wanted, but he couldn't imagine a world in which he liked her ex. He could at least try not to be hostile toward him, though. "Okay. Let's go and get you a job."
They left her condo and walked to his car. As they pulled out into the street, he said, "Not to put a damper on this meeting, but what if he doesn't bite? Then what?"
"What do you mean?"
He didn't know how to phrase the rest without coming off like a condescending jerk, but he was worried about her. "If this guy doesn't want your show, what will you do?"
"I'll continue to shop it." She tilted her head and studied him. "What do you really want to know?"
"Are you okay on money? You left your job without having another lined up."
One corner of her mouth lifted. "I'm okay. I have money saved. I'm not going to be homeless any time soon."
"I'd never let you be homeless."
"That's very kind. But I don't need you to take care of me, either."
"I know."
He drove the rest of the way to the restaurant listening to her practice her pitch. He wasn't used to seeing her nervous. She always acted like she could handle anything. Whenever she participated in a party, a meeting, a conversation, she owned it. He parked near the restaurant and cut the engine. "Ready?"
"I better be." Her smile looked manic.
"Don't let them rattle you. Like you said, you just started pitching. There are a lot of other people out there. If this guy doesn't want it, someone else will. Then you can give him the big fuck-you."
Her burst of laughter echoed through the car. "Thank you. I can always count on you to deliver some perspective. Let's do this."
They entered the restaurant together, and Evelyn went to the hostess stand. "Hi. We're here for the Millhouse party."
"The rest of your party is already seated. Right this way."
"Shoot. Have they been here long?"
The woman shook her head. "Just a few minutes. They haven't even ordered drinks yet."
"Thank you."
Owen followed them to the table, where Donald was already deep in conversation with another man. He looked like he was trying to sell the guy a car. Or the Brooklyn Bridge. Owen took a deep breath. He'd promised Evelyn to at least try tonight.
Both men stood when Evelyn reached the table. She extended a hand. "Hi, I'm Evelyn. You must be Marcus." They shook, and Donald came around to kiss her cheek.
Owen nodded a greeting before Donald went back to his own seat. Owen pulled the chair out for Evelyn and then introduced himself.
A waiter immediately stepped up and took their drink orders. Then the small talk started. They placed the order for their food before the subject of Evelyn's pitch was even broached. He didn't understand why they all needed to dance around. They'd set the meeting, and the purpose was clear.
Marcus said, "Tell me a little about what you've been working on."
"I've been with Trent Talks for more than eight years. I started as an assistant and worked my way up."
"Why are you looking to move?"
"I'm ready for a change. I know the Chicago market, and I've been thinking about this show for a long time. I believe now is the time to act."
"Tell me about the episode that won you the Women in Media award."
Her shoulders stiffened, and Owen laid a hand on her thigh. Her smile was barely an upturn of her lips. "We did an episode on the school shooting last year. It was pretty heart-wrenching."
"I told Evie it would be a hit. And look, now she's an award-winning producer." Donald sat back with a grin.
Owen gritted his teeth.
"It was a difficult show to get through. It's part of the reason why I'm looking to do something lighter. While that type of show has its place, it's not for me to produce."
"Tell me about what you envision this talk show to be."
She opened her mouth, but Donald cut her off. "She has six months' worth of episodes lined up. I've seen the host. She's polished but not Hollywood."
After a deep breath, she said, "Marilyn grew up here in the city. She's connected to people through business and the charity work she does. People genuinely like her."
"I think we could have a real winner on our hands here, Marcus."
Why the fuck doesn't Donald shut up?
"What do you mean, we ?" she asked.
"Didn't Donald tell you? We're thinking about working together on this project. Is that a problem?"
"Of course not," she said with another forced smile. "The important thing is getting the show to air."
Of course not? Owen took a drink to try to swallow down his anger. Didn't she see how manipulative Donald was being? It was one thing to make an introduction, another to invite himself on board for her project.
"I've put some feelers out and had some conversations. Prime morning would be difficult."
Without giving her a chance to respond, Donald jumped in. "The best time to air is early morning. Get the audience involved so they're talking about us when they get to work."
Smoothing her napkin on her lap, she waited for Donald to finish. "I agree with Marcus. I think going up against the Today show or Good Morning America would be a tough sell. They have their audience, and while we might be able to snag a few viewers, we're not going to be providing the same entertainment. I can send you the market research I have."
Marcus leaned forward. "You have market research?"
"I have friends at a number of studios who were willing to share. I've done my homework. The ebb and flow of what people want is swaying again. I believe now is a good time. Audiences are ready for this kind of show."
Owen felt a swell of pride. It didn't matter what Donald pulled. She held her own, not allowing him to muscle his way through what she wanted.
Dinner arrived, and conversation turned again to more mundane things. Evelyn continued to slide in information about Chicago, people who would make good guests, and the angle she'd take with them. He enjoyed seeing this side of her. The side that was on target and a little cutthroat. It was damn sexy.