It was the first time Carolyn had heard Annelie speak with real emotion since her presentation at the Nebula Circle fundraiser. She took a moment to consider the right way to respond. Softening her tone, she said, "At least let me read for you, and keep an open mind. Will you give me that?"
"Absolutely," Annelie said. "In fact, I'll give you more. I feel very bad about the audiobooks, and I want to make it right with you. Let's do this properly."
"What do you mean?"
"We both know I'm within my rights to stop selling the books and let our contracts with you simply expire. But neither of us gets anything from this option. I have a better idea."
"I'm listening."
"I'll pay you a hundred thousand dollars to compensate for lost earnings, and we'll terminate the contracts properly. All you have to do is say yes, and I'll handle the legal work."
Carolyn mentally repeated the offer. It sounded generous. Annelie was obviously trying to do the right thing. But her instincts told her to stall. It was a long time since she had signed the audiobook contracts. She wanted to see exactly what the fine print said before she walked away.
"I'll need to talk it over with Grey," she said.
"Of course. I'll have my attorneys fax the paperwork over to him right away. Let me know once you've had a chance to think it over." Annelie motioned toward the table. "How about some coffee?"
Carolyn shook her head. "Normally I'd love a cup, but I need to be somewhere. I'll call a cab."
"Why don't I give you lift? I have to run a few errands."
Carolyn was about to decline when she thought again. It seemed as if Annelie was trying to be a friend to her on a personal level, irrespective of their professional relationship. It would be shortsighted to shut down that possibility. The role might not be hers automatically, but it was within reach, and the more time she spent with Annelie, the better her chances.
"Thanks, that's very thoughtful of you," she said. "Now tell me the really good news—we're taking that beauty parked right outside. The Mustang?"
Annelie looked pleasantly surprised. "Yes. Do you like vintage cars?"
"Love them. I've always wanted a seventies Corvette Stingray, but since I live in New York I drive a Volvo XC90, an SUV. Safe, versatile, and a tad on the dull side. Don't tell anyone I said so, though. I'm participating in a Volvo commercial soon."
"You have my word," Annelie promised with mock sincerity.
After gathering her bag, Carolyn followed Annelie to the well-kept Mustang, where she enjoyed the feel of the smooth white leather seat. Cool air suggested the car had been modernized.
"What color would you choose if you ever bought a vintage Corvette?" Annelie asked, donning a pair of sunglasses.
Carolyn rolled her eyes at herself. "You'll think I'm nuts, but I'd like a Tweety-Bird yellow one."
"A Tweety-Bird yellow?" Annelie burst out laughing. The sound was contagious, and the actress joined in. "I'd never have guessed."
Confidently, Annelie drove through the streets of the gated community and waved at the guard. Carolyn was intrigued by the strange mix of frankness and reserve she detected in the younger woman and wondered what made her tick. She was obviously a brilliant businesswoman. Was it her wealth or her persona that opened doors for her, and was it money or power she sought? Apparently it wasn't celebrity.
"You must have a great personal stake in the Diana Maddox books since you oversee every detail yourself," Carolyn ventured.
"I guess you could say that, but also, I gave my word to Delia Carlton that I'd personally make sure her story didn't get twisted or sold out to any of the greedy Hollywood moguls. Doing the conventions, letting the fans in more without exposing Delia, is one way of accomplishing this. Keeping the movie production within the family, so to speak, is another." Annelie smiled briefly. "I'm normally not a control freak, you know. It's just that I made a promise."
Carolyn nodded. So keeping promises and honoring loyalty rated highly with Annelie. This did not surprise her since this was how everyone she'd met and worked with from Key Line operated. Still, she wondered how on the up-and-up Annelie's offer to reimburse her for the cancelled contracts was. She'd sounded so sincere when suggesting that she release Carolyn from the contract in a decent way, but something didn't ring quite true.
"How are you feeling?" Annelie asked. "You were a little pale when you came to the house, but it looks like the swim did you a world of good."
Surprised yet feeling unexpectedly cared for, Carolyn smiled. "I'm fine, thanks. The swim did what it always does for me. It's relaxing and keeps me going. I've always suffered from migraines and discovered, long before any of the newer medications, that swimming is the best way to handle them."
"I won't pretend to know what it's like, but it sounds painful. That reminds me, since you're going to use the pool a lot while you're in Florida...Do you have a car here?"
Carolyn shook her head. "No. Jared has a car, of course, but he uses it every day. I could come by cab, like today."
"No, that'd be such a nuisance for you. Here's what we'll do. Why don't you borrow the SUV while you're here? I have this car and a Jaguar, so I'm all set."
Carolyn couldn't believe the other woman's generosity. "Thanks. That's really kind, and I appreciate it. An SUV would be super, since I'm used to one."
"Great. That's settled, then." Annelie pulled over in front of Jared's condo, letting the motor run while she reached in the backseat for her purse.
The action caused her ponytail to sweep forward along Carolyn's bare arm, making her skin tingle from the soft touch. Startled, she glanced at the blond tresses, almost expecting them to be dusted with something magical.
"Here," Annelie said as she shuffled through her bag. "If no one is at the house, you can use this card." She handed over a key card similar to one from a hotel. "It automatically turns off the alarm, so pull it through the box again and it'll lock up and reset the alarm when you leave."
"You're sweet to trust a stranger, Annelie. I'm honored, of course, and it'll be so good for me, but still…"
"You're not really a stranger." Annelie shrugged. "I've known of you for years, and you're working for me too, in a way. I'll give you the keys to the Navigator tomorrow and tell the guards to expect you."
"Thanks again. I'm really grateful," Carolyn said as she stepped out of the car.
Annelie hesitated as if meaning to say something more, but shifted into Drive and waved. "Talk to you later. Have a nice afternoon, Carolyn."
"You too."
Walking toward the apartment building, Carolyn looked down at the key card, feeling almost disoriented. Nothing had gone as she'd planned, and she now had to regroup mentally. It hadn't crossed her mind that Annelie would virtually rule her out before the casting process began in earnest. She was infuriated that the decision could be influenced by men who thought any actress over thirty-five should be playing Grandma. What did they know about the audience for a powerful female character like Diana Maddox?
She had to figure out how to show Annelie Peterson exactly what it took to captivate that audience, how to make herself indispensable as Diana Maddox. I know Sylvia Goodman is a good actress, beautiful… younger. Carolyn gave a mental shrug, pressing her lips together. She may be good, but she's not me. She's not Maddox.
Chapter Three
Annelie waved to the security guard at the desk in the foyer of a carefully renovated art-deco building by the boardwalk.