Chapter 5

Kelly showed up early the next morning.

She brought breakfast and some news. "Winnie, did you hear what was going around the industry yesterday?"

Kelly set the coffee in front of me, her face grim. "Henry's team is spreading rumors that you're mentally unstable, telling everyone to steer clear of you."

I took a bite of my sandwich, totally unfazed.

"Why aren't you worried at all?" Kelly slammed her hand on the table. "He's trying to ruin you. You're already a pariah in the industry. If this keeps up, you won't be able to get a regular job."

"I'm meeting someone today," I said.

"Who?"

"Josef Sherman."

Kelly froze. She put down her coffee and looked at me, her expression hard to read. "Josef Sherman? That Josef Sherman? The one from Millbrook?"

"Yeah."

"Winnie, what are you trying to do?"

I finished the last bite of my sandwich, wiped my mouth, and said, "I'm coming back."

Kelly opened her mouth, but no words came out for a long moment.

She'd known me for ten years. She knew exactly what "coming back" meant.

"Are you sure?" she finally asked.

"I'm sure," I replied.

She nodded, not trying to talk me out of it.

At ten o'clock sharp, I arrived at Josef's company.

The receptionist did a double-take when she saw me, but quickly put on her professional smile and led me up to the top-floor office.

Josef was sitting by the floor-to-ceiling windows, a cup of coffee in his hand.

Five years had gone by, but he was almost unchanged. He still had that calm, unhurried air, like the whole world could fall apart and he wouldn't blink.

"Sit," he said, nodding at the chair across from him.

I sat down.

He studied me for a moment, and then set his coffee down. "Five years."

"Five years," I echoed.

"So, have you finally made up your mind?"

"I have."

He gave a small, almost imperceptible smile. "Back then, you turned down the role I offered you, the chance to work with Leo, and resources everyone else would kill for, all because of that guy.

"I told you you'd regret it, but you said you wouldn't."

I didn't say anything.

He didn't press the issue. Instead, he pulled a file out of his drawer and slid it across the desk to me. "Leo has got a new movie coming out next spring, and the lead role is still up for grabs.

"He mentioned you when we had dinner the other day, said it was a pity you weren't part of it."

I opened the file. It was a script outline.

Josef leaned back in his chair. "Leo said this role has to be yours. But you haven't acted in five years, and people still remember you as you were back then. You need something to bridge that gap."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"There's a web series shooting next month. The budget is small, but the director's a fresh face. He's already snagged two international short film awards.

"The main female supporting character doesn't get much screen time, but the role pops. It'll help you get your groove back and put you back on the industry's radar."

I closed the file. "Sounds good."

He looked me over, his eyes sharp. "Winnie, let me be straight with you. I can give you all the resources you need, but I don't have room for slackers.

"If you're still the kind of person who'd drop everything for some guy as you did five years ago, you might as well walk out the door right now."

"That won't happen again."

He nodded. "I'll have the contract drafted. We'll sign it tomorrow."

I stood up, ready to leave.

Just as I reached the door, he called out, "One more thing."

I turned back.

"What are you planning to do about Henry?" Josef asked.

"I'm not going to do anything about him for now," I replied.

He raised an eyebrow. "You've got something on him?"

I didn't answer directly. "The exclusive agent contract he signed with me five years ago still has two years left. It's between him and me, not the agency."

Josef's expression finally changed. "So, you're telling me, every deal Henry does now has to go through you?"

"Every single one."

He leaned back in his chair, this time actually grinning. "That's pretty interesting."

After leaving Josef's office, I sat in my car for a while.

My phone buzzed with a message from Nancy. [Winnie, have you made up your mind? We need to give the director's team an answer tomorrow.]

I didn't reply. Instead, I opened a folder that had been gathering dust for five years.

Inside was the exclusive agent contract Henry had signed before he debuted. It was all there in black and white, with the notary's seal.