28. An Offer

When she returned home, Iris and Megan were gone, most likely getting an estimate for the Saturn. There was a strange envelope with no return address sitting on the counter. Her address and phone number had been typed on the envelope. She opened it, hoping by some off chance it was a check from Justine, but who was she kidding? After several phone calls, she was never going to see the money again. She tore open the envelope. The letter inside was also typed.

 
Dear Elise,

 
Please don’t rip this up, or throw it away. Typing this was the only way I figured I could get your attention. I’m sure you’ve looked at the signature and realized by now that it’s me, Carly. First, I want to say that I am so sorry for lying to you. I could explain to you why, and it might make sense to you, but the more I think about it the more I realize there is no excuse. You are my best friend, and I should’ve never misled you.

Over the past several months I have wanted more than ever to let you in on everything, mostly because I just wanted to tell you that I have never been this happy. I know this might be weird for you to hear, but I have never been in love, and now I really think I am.

Honestly, I’m glad you found out. There were so many times that I wanted to tell you, and I lost so much sleep thinking about when and how I should tell you. But now you know, and I’ve missed you more than anything. I miss my best friend. If you need time, I understand. But please try to forgive me.

 
Love,
Carly

 
She didn’t know how to respond. Thinking of Carly and her brother in love was still so strange to her. But she missed her best friend, too. The phone rang, and she set the letter aside.

When she looked at the number, her heart skipped a beat. Her agent. The agency only called if there was good news or they needed something from her. Bad news was usually delivered via e-mail, and even minor good news usually took the e-mail route, too. A phone call constituted something important.

“Hello,” she said.

“Hi Elise. It’s Carissa at the Adams Agency. Cheryl wanted me to get a hold of you, so let me buzz her and put her on.”

“Okay, great,” she managed to calmly squeak out, even though she felt like shouting, “What is going on? Just give me the news!”

There was a buzz, then the familiar voice of her agent, coming from afar, as if she were on speakerphone. “Good news here, Elise. I just got off the phone with Jennifer Bloom, and apparently we got an offer we weren’t expecting. It’s not for the big screen, but Kelly Goldberg, a television producer, is putting in an offer to buy the rights for a television series. An hour-long program, like Alias or Murder She Wrote. She’s working out an offer today with Jennifer, but it looks like your book will at least end up being a pilot. If it is picked up as a major show, you’re looking at residuals for many years to come. I wasn’t sure if television was okay with you, but I think in the long run this will work in your favor.”

She felt tempted to fall to the ground and flail her arms and legs around with excitement, but she had to maintain her composure. “Television is fine. Perfectly fine.”

“I figured that’s what you’d say, but I just wanted to make sure. We should have more details about the offer later today, but I’m expecting it’s going to be pretty decent.”

“Ballpark figure?”

There was a certain caution in this industry. No one ever made predictions, because if they were wrong, they didn’t want to assume blame. “I would say anywhere from ten thousand to half a million.” That was the other thing. People never gave a close estimate. An estimate always covered all price ranges. “Either Carissa or I will let you know as soon as we have more details.”

“Okay, great. Thank you so much.”

She jumped up and down when she hung up the phone, and since there was no one there to share her excitement with, she planted a huge kiss across the Thunder Down Under poster. She decided to tell Carly first.

 
 
She wanted to talk to her in person, so she drove to Pacific Beach. Any nervousness she felt about talking to her for the first time since she’d caught them red-handed at Starbucks was squashed by her excitement over seeing her Ashley Trent novels as a television series. She noticed her brother’s car in the parking lot and had second thoughts. Maybe this wasn’t the best time. She was still pissed at him for saying all that he’d said about Max.

However, she was going to have to forgive him at some point, too, so she might as well start now.