executive producer. He’d made a point of being in Silas’s spacious office at 5:55 this morning, knowing the older man would blow in, as he did every morning, hours before everyone else. He liked working in the early morning silence.
“You get more done that way,” he always said, “with no one to bother you.”
So Jed was there, ready and waiting for his boss’s arrival at six. On the dot.
Silas was nothing if not punctual.
The man hadn’t looked at all surprised to see him. He marched into his office, leaving Jed to follow in his wake. Plunking down in his plush leather chair, Silas launched in on all the reasons Jed needed to put Ken’s death—and the effects of that awful day—behind him.
“Business as usual, my boy That’s what you need right now”
Jed had listened as long as he could, then stood and paced as he listened some more. Finally he’d ended up staring out the window at the dark skies and surging waves.
A storm was coming. How appropriate.
As much as Jed wanted to, he couldn’t afford to stand here, to let himself get lost in the simple beauty of nature. Time deep in thought was not what he needed. What he needed was to stay too busy to think. Whatever it took to keep his mind off the one thing it wanted to focus on. The one face that kept filling his memory—
“E J?”
Patience wasn’t Silas’s long suit, so Jed knew his stubborn silence only stretched his mentor’s tolerance to the limits. But there was one thing his executive producer hated even more than waiting.
“Ernest Jediah, you’re being a fool.”
Ouch. When Silas used Jed’s full name rather than his professional moniker, it was a clear signal the man was not pleased. “I know.”
The older man’s busy eyebrows arched, then twitched, dancing like caterpillars on a tightrope. Silas planted his hands on his mammoth desk and pushed himself to his feet. He paced in front of the desk.
“Let me get this straight. You have one of the hit shows of the season—”
“I know that, Silas, but—”
The man’s hand sliced through Jed’s objection. “Please. Don’t interrupt.”
This time it was Jed who buried his hands in his pockets. “Sorry.” He moved to lean against the wall.
Silas recommenced his pacing. “Now, where was I?”
Jed crossed his arms. “I have a hit show.”
“Ah. Yes. You have the hit show of the season—”
Jed couldn’t help himself. “I thought it was
one
of the hit shows.”
Silas’s narrowed eyes pierced him. “Interrupting. Again.”
“Sorry. Again.”
“All right then, last week’s episode was the hit of the week. An audience share that made the network execs downright giddy.”
Jed held back a comment about how unsettling
that
image was.
“As for
this
week’s episode, well, I don’t have to tell you. Watching those firefighters, seeing the cost the way we did—” Silas cleared his throat—“well, it was more powerful than anything you ever put out.” The older man’s pacing halted, and the question in his stillness was clear: Am
I right, or am I right?
Jed’s confirming nod seemed to be reply enough. The pacing resumed. “Okay, so here you sit, a bona fide success. Your show’s just been picked up for another season—” Silas stopped midpace and faced Jed, the benign half smile on his thin lips utterly belied by the glare shooting from those pale blue eyes—“and you’re telling me you’re out of ideas?” He angled his head. “Do I have that right?”
“Silas, I—”
The glare intensified.
“What I mean is … well … after what happened …”
One caterpillar brow raised.
Jed let loose a heavy sigh, then stared down at the area rug that almost covered the floor of the spacious office. Silas loved that rug. Custom made. New Zealand wool.
Always the best for Silas. What was it he said? “Surround yourself with the best.”
At Jed’s low words, Silas studied him, then leaned back against his desk. “That’s right, boy. And that’s
“You get more done that way,” he always said, “with no one to bother you.”
So Jed was there, ready and waiting for his boss’s arrival at six. On the dot.
Silas was nothing if not punctual.
The man hadn’t looked at all surprised to see him. He marched into his office, leaving Jed to follow in his wake. Plunking down in his plush leather chair, Silas launched in on all the reasons Jed needed to put Ken’s death—and the effects of that awful day—behind him.
“Business as usual, my boy That’s what you need right now”
Jed had listened as long as he could, then stood and paced as he listened some more. Finally he’d ended up staring out the window at the dark skies and surging waves.
A storm was coming. How appropriate.
As much as Jed wanted to, he couldn’t afford to stand here, to let himself get lost in the simple beauty of nature. Time deep in thought was not what he needed. What he needed was to stay too busy to think. Whatever it took to keep his mind off the one thing it wanted to focus on. The one face that kept filling his memory—
“E J?”
Patience wasn’t Silas’s long suit, so Jed knew his stubborn silence only stretched his mentor’s tolerance to the limits. But there was one thing his executive producer hated even more than waiting.
“Ernest Jediah, you’re being a fool.”
Ouch. When Silas used Jed’s full name rather than his professional moniker, it was a clear signal the man was not pleased. “I know.”
The older man’s busy eyebrows arched, then twitched, dancing like caterpillars on a tightrope. Silas planted his hands on his mammoth desk and pushed himself to his feet. He paced in front of the desk.
“Let me get this straight. You have one of the hit shows of the season—”
“I know that, Silas, but—”
The man’s hand sliced through Jed’s objection. “Please. Don’t interrupt.”
This time it was Jed who buried his hands in his pockets. “Sorry.” He moved to lean against the wall.
Silas recommenced his pacing. “Now, where was I?”
Jed crossed his arms. “I have a hit show.”
“Ah. Yes. You have the hit show of the season—”
Jed couldn’t help himself. “I thought it was
one
of the hit shows.”
Silas’s narrowed eyes pierced him. “Interrupting. Again.”
“Sorry. Again.”
“All right then, last week’s episode was the hit of the week. An audience share that made the network execs downright giddy.”
Jed held back a comment about how unsettling
that
image was.
“As for
this
week’s episode, well, I don’t have to tell you. Watching those firefighters, seeing the cost the way we did—” Silas cleared his throat—“well, it was more powerful than anything you ever put out.” The older man’s pacing halted, and the question in his stillness was clear: Am
I right, or am I right?
Jed’s confirming nod seemed to be reply enough. The pacing resumed. “Okay, so here you sit, a bona fide success. Your show’s just been picked up for another season—” Silas stopped midpace and faced Jed, the benign half smile on his thin lips utterly belied by the glare shooting from those pale blue eyes—“and you’re telling me you’re out of ideas?” He angled his head. “Do I have that right?”
“Silas, I—”
The glare intensified.
“What I mean is … well … after what happened …”
One caterpillar brow raised.
Jed let loose a heavy sigh, then stared down at the area rug that almost covered the floor of the spacious office. Silas loved that rug. Custom made. New Zealand wool.
Always the best for Silas. What was it he said? “Surround yourself with the best.”
At Jed’s low words, Silas studied him, then leaned back against his desk. “That’s right, boy. And that’s
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