movie proposal, is that correct? Jada Ford isn’t on board with this?”
Sunny looked at Malcolm and then at Miss Marketing. “Jada has chosen to fade into the background now that the smoke has cleared,” Sunny explained. “She’s getting married and she has to consider her family’s feelings about revealing too much of her past.”
“And you, Ms. Cruz? We would ask that you be very candid about your past. You don’t have any reservations about airing your dirty laundry in public?”
Sunny smirked. “Everybody has dirty laundry,” she said. “At the end of the day, only God can judge me. I’m not scared of the truth.”
Abe was smiling from ear to ear. “I like how you think.”
“So, how much are we talking?” Sunny asked, causing Malcolm to cringe slightly.
Abe smiled, liking Sunny’s no-nonsense demeanor. “I think we can make you a sizable offer to tell us your story—provided that you’re willing to be as candid as you are today.”
Sunny smiled, nodded. That was more than she had hoped for. “Candid is my middle name,” she said.
“We’ll meet tomorrow and talk more concrete figures, timelines and all that. But in the meantime, why don’t you tell us a little about yourself. We’ve heard from Malcolm here, but how would you describe you? What might we be surprised to know about you?”
She almost blurted that she longed to get high again. Instead, she thought about it for a moment before replying. “I’m not as sweet as I seem.”
* * *
When the meeting was over, Malcolm escorted Sunny through the building lobby and out the front door. “Can I give you a ride to your hotel?” he asked. “I rented a car for the next couple of days.”
Abe had outlined an itinerary for the next two days that included a breakfast meeting the following morning with the board of directors, followed by an afternoon of tennis at his opulent Beverly Hills home, and finally an invitation to a charity ball benefiting the Kaleidoscope Foundation for Disadvantaged Youth. Sunny was looking forward to it all.
She nodded. “Sure. I’m staying at the Four Seasons, Beverly Wilshire.” He led her to a white Range Rover and opened the door for her as she climbed inside.
Once behind the wheel, Malcolm undid his tie and tossed it into the backseat. He started the car and pulled out of the lot, glancing at Sunny as she buckled her seat belt. “So what did you think of Abe?”
She retouched her lip gloss in the visor mirror. “He’s cool. Seems down to earth.”
Malcolm nodded. “He is. I did some work with their company a few years ago and he was always a straight shooter. Nice guy.”
Silence enveloped them and Sunny stared out the window, bored.
“So you have plans for tonight?” Malcolm asked. “I could make reservations at a nice … there’s this nice, um, restaurant that my friend owns on Rodeo … if you want to join me for dinner.”
Sunny kept staring out the window, feeling sorry for Malcolm as he stumbled over himself trying to ask her out. She looked at him and smiled sympathetically. “I have plans already,” she said. “But thanks.”
He tried not to look as crushed as he was. “Okay. Wow. You move fast. Got a hot date already?”
Sunny laughed, detecting the twinge of sarcasm in his words. “I’m meeting an old friend for drinks,” she said, not sure why she was explaining herself to her new attorney.
Malcolm looked skeptical. “An old male or an old female friend?”
Sunny frowned, though she was still smiling. “Male.”
“Aha!”
“Aha, what? Just cuz he’s a man … what does that mean?”
Malcolm shrugged, his expression innocent. “You say he’s just your friend. But I bet he thinks tonight you’re going on a date.”
Sunny thought about that and had to laugh at his thinking he had her all figured out. “Well, regardless of what he thinks it is, I’m just looking forward to catching up with an old friend.” Sunny fidgeted in her seat,
Sunny looked at Malcolm and then at Miss Marketing. “Jada has chosen to fade into the background now that the smoke has cleared,” Sunny explained. “She’s getting married and she has to consider her family’s feelings about revealing too much of her past.”
“And you, Ms. Cruz? We would ask that you be very candid about your past. You don’t have any reservations about airing your dirty laundry in public?”
Sunny smirked. “Everybody has dirty laundry,” she said. “At the end of the day, only God can judge me. I’m not scared of the truth.”
Abe was smiling from ear to ear. “I like how you think.”
“So, how much are we talking?” Sunny asked, causing Malcolm to cringe slightly.
Abe smiled, liking Sunny’s no-nonsense demeanor. “I think we can make you a sizable offer to tell us your story—provided that you’re willing to be as candid as you are today.”
Sunny smiled, nodded. That was more than she had hoped for. “Candid is my middle name,” she said.
“We’ll meet tomorrow and talk more concrete figures, timelines and all that. But in the meantime, why don’t you tell us a little about yourself. We’ve heard from Malcolm here, but how would you describe you? What might we be surprised to know about you?”
She almost blurted that she longed to get high again. Instead, she thought about it for a moment before replying. “I’m not as sweet as I seem.”
* * *
When the meeting was over, Malcolm escorted Sunny through the building lobby and out the front door. “Can I give you a ride to your hotel?” he asked. “I rented a car for the next couple of days.”
Abe had outlined an itinerary for the next two days that included a breakfast meeting the following morning with the board of directors, followed by an afternoon of tennis at his opulent Beverly Hills home, and finally an invitation to a charity ball benefiting the Kaleidoscope Foundation for Disadvantaged Youth. Sunny was looking forward to it all.
She nodded. “Sure. I’m staying at the Four Seasons, Beverly Wilshire.” He led her to a white Range Rover and opened the door for her as she climbed inside.
Once behind the wheel, Malcolm undid his tie and tossed it into the backseat. He started the car and pulled out of the lot, glancing at Sunny as she buckled her seat belt. “So what did you think of Abe?”
She retouched her lip gloss in the visor mirror. “He’s cool. Seems down to earth.”
Malcolm nodded. “He is. I did some work with their company a few years ago and he was always a straight shooter. Nice guy.”
Silence enveloped them and Sunny stared out the window, bored.
“So you have plans for tonight?” Malcolm asked. “I could make reservations at a nice … there’s this nice, um, restaurant that my friend owns on Rodeo … if you want to join me for dinner.”
Sunny kept staring out the window, feeling sorry for Malcolm as he stumbled over himself trying to ask her out. She looked at him and smiled sympathetically. “I have plans already,” she said. “But thanks.”
He tried not to look as crushed as he was. “Okay. Wow. You move fast. Got a hot date already?”
Sunny laughed, detecting the twinge of sarcasm in his words. “I’m meeting an old friend for drinks,” she said, not sure why she was explaining herself to her new attorney.
Malcolm looked skeptical. “An old male or an old female friend?”
Sunny frowned, though she was still smiling. “Male.”
“Aha!”
“Aha, what? Just cuz he’s a man … what does that mean?”
Malcolm shrugged, his expression innocent. “You say he’s just your friend. But I bet he thinks tonight you’re going on a date.”
Sunny thought about that and had to laugh at his thinking he had her all figured out. “Well, regardless of what he thinks it is, I’m just looking forward to catching up with an old friend.” Sunny fidgeted in her seat,
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