L is for Luminous Read online

  The action scenes were almost as good as the kissing scenes to write, so on my way home from work, I took a seat near the window of the train and took out my phone to make some notes. There was a little red notification spot on my email, so I opened that first. I got OCD about those dots and just had to check in case it was something important, though every time I opened it, it was just some newsletter I’d signed up for.

  As the message downloaded, I frowned when I saw it was from a Sharon Bloomfield, whose email address was s.bloomfield at starscapemedia dot com. Starscape was the American TV network that produced Naturals, and my skin began to prickle. Pressing my thumb on the message, I held my breath as it appeared on the screen.

  On March 2, 2016 at 07:13 AM, Sharon Bloomfield wrote:

  Hi Lux,

  My name is Sharon Bloomfield, and I’m a producer at Starscape Media in the United States. I came across your Scarlett Ravenwood series a couple of weeks ago and wanted to reach out and say how much we enjoyed them here at the network.

  The main reason for my message is to enquire after the film and television rights. I would love to talk to you more about your ideas and the possibility of developing the existing books into one of our shows.

  Let me know if you’re interested, and we can set up a time for a call to discuss.

  Sincerely,

  Sharon Bloomfield

  Executive Producer, Starscape Media

  Looking out the window of the train as the city flashed by, I let out a slow breath, my heart beating quadruple time.

  Holy shit.

  * * *

  When I got home that day, I replied to Sharon’s email, and the day after that, we spoke on the phone.

  She was nice and very American—where I was at a level four in volume, she was an eleven. She spent half the call gushing about the world I’d created and how they were excited to work the mythology into Naturals.

  That’s right. Naturals.

  I couldn’t even begin to wonder if Jude had had a hand in this development. I mean, he was the star of the show and now they wanted the rights to my blood, sweat, and tears? Maybe my card hadn’t gone through the wash after all.

  I didn’t even have a way to contact him and ask, but I wasn’t sure I knew what to say, let alone convey it in a coherent and normal string of words. Perhaps he had passed my card along, but the network wouldn’t want to buy the rights if the books were crap. That bit I’d done on my own.

  I’d gone from a desperado dork to a plain, clueless, woman who was now consulting with a lawyer and drafting contracts. My head was spinning, and after I hesitated on saying yes, I almost suffered complete heart failure when they rounded out the offer with a six-figure check. Three-by-four death box to whiplash in t-minus three weeks.

  I could do anything with that money. Not to mention write something new and have it actually go somewhere now that my name would be associated with one of the most popular shows on TV.

  For the first time in my life, Lux Dawson was a somebody.

  The couple of things I did when the check cleared was give notice at my shitty supermarket job and get laser eye surgery. It was goodbye nerd glasses and bread rolls, hello the rest of my life.

  I thought that was the end of it, but once the contract was signed, sealed, and delivered a month later, Sharon called me back with one last piece of the puzzle.

  I was sitting in my apartment, basking in the fact I’d just quit my job to live my dream and that my eyesight was crisp when the call came through. It was still way too early in the morning to be awake, but working in a bakery had my body clock rousing me at five a.m. every morning. Since I had nowhere to go, I’d opened my laptop, got comfortable on the couch, and was playing around with a new story idea.

  The ring was loud in the silence, and I jumped, the computer almost crashing to the floor. Picking up my phone, I saw the number and frowned, but I answered it within three rings.

  “Hello?”

  “Lux!” Sharon exclaimed in her broad accent. “I’m glad I caught you. It isn’t too early there?”

  “Nope. It’s seven in the morning. I’m still used to getting up early for work.”

  “Bakery, right? Those are some killer hours.”

  “Yep. I’m sure I’ll get used to it.”

  “You will. They say it takes thirty days for a new habit to kick in,” she said kindly. “Look, I won’t keep you too long. The reason for my call is that we’ve got one last offer for you.”

  I sat up straighter, wondering what was cooking now. Everything had been beyond amazing in such a short amount of time, and now there was more?

  “How would you feel about coming to the States and helping us adapt your work?”

  I died. I literally died.

  “Lux? Have I still got you?”

  “Yeah, I’m still here. I’m just waiting for my heart to restart.”

  She laughed. “You writers and your analogies. So what do you think? Want to come and work for Starscape?”

  I hardly dared ask. “Writing on Naturals?”

  “Of course! We’d love to have you. The guys have been reading your stuff since we picked it up, and they love it hard. In fact…” There was a rustling over the line before she came back with, “Have a look at Candace Hunter’s Instagram.”

  Candace Hunter was an actress, totally glamorous, super nice and played a demon hunting witch in Naturals. Opening the website on my laptop, I found her feed, and I seriously began to think I had a problem with my heart when I saw my book in her hands.

  The caption read, ‘Loving this book! Can’t put it down! #LuxDawson #Naturals #LosingSleep’

  The photo was posted three hours ago and already had a few hundred thousand likes and a few hundred comments, and I wondered if I should open my sales dashboard and see if I’d sold any more eBooks.

  “Great, huh?” Sharon asked.

  “That’s…awesome.” Maybe I should screenshot it in case I woke up tomorrow and needed indisputable proof that this was real.

  “It would make my life easier if you just said yes, Lux,” she went on. “I can’t believe that nobody has seen your stuff and snatched you away already.”

  “Really?” I asked. “I mean, I was just happy to sell a few hundred copies, maybe quit my job one day…”

  “Quit being so modest,” she said with a laugh. “We’re thrilled to have the rights to the series, but now we want you.”

  This wasn’t real. It had to be a fantasy. The film rights had been a doozy, but now they were offering me a job?

  “It’s a big move,” Sharon said. “I’ll give you a couple of days to think about it, but we’d need an answer pretty quick. The team will be getting back together to work on the premiere episode in three weeks, and there’s a lot of stuff to organize for you.”

  A list began to form in my mind, and I felt sick. Visas, travel, finding a place to live, all my stuff here…

  “You’ve got my number, doll.”

  As the call disconnected, I let the phone fall into my lap. My gaze came to rest on the Instagram photo of Candace Hunter, and I wondered if I was going into shock.

  It had only been a couple of weeks since I was standing in my kitchen staring at that stupid cupcake.

  Tomorrow, things are going to change.

  When I made that wish, I never thought things would turn out like this. I didn’t recognize Lux Dawson anymore, and I was still on the fence about it being a good or bad thing. If I moved overseas for this job, I could tank because of my inadequate social skills. I was ace on paper, but in person? Not so much.

  This was the big time. Big as in epic. I wouldn’t be locked away from the world writing my heart and soul out anymore. I’d be in a room of career writers and superstar actors, and I didn’t even feel qualified to breathe the same air.

  Was I meant to be scared? Because I was feeling more than that, I was terrified.

  * * *

  That night, Melody insisted I go
out with her to get pizza and catch up.

  I hadn’t seen much of her since the comic convention, and so much had changed for both of us. She’d put out a new comic and was in the process of drawing another one, and my life had done a total one-eighty.

  I lived a few blocks away from a little corner pub called Lucky Coq—pronounced ‘lucky cock’. It was a hipster hangout that served cheap pizza and drinks, so it was always full of students and people looking for something low budget to stuff their faces with.

  Like the epic introvert I was, I hated walking into unfamiliar places on my own. Wandering around looking lost and not knowing where I was going made me feel uncomfortable. I was one of those idiots who got on Google Street View to see where the front door was. Thankfully, Lucky Coq was one of my familiar places, so I found a table and pulled out my e-reader while I waited for Melody to arrive.

  Glancing up as I caught movement next to me, I smiled when I saw her familiar form.

  “What’ll you have?” she asked, knowing I hated ordering because I was softly spoken and always had to repeat myself several times.

  “The usual.”

  She dumped her bag on the table and fished out her purse. “Margarita, no basil and a cider, comin’ right up.”

  As I watched Melody order for us at the bar, I wondered if I could actually cope with this job. I mean, moving to America? That was a big thing even for regular people. Things that were easy for most were hard for me. She was smiling at the guy behind the bar, probably flirting, and I couldn’t help the pang of jealousy that sparked in my heart. I wanted that. The ease that she could talk to anyone, the confidence she carried herself with, her eternal optimism, and most of all, I wanted to fall in love. I didn’t want to be alone anymore.

  Placing our number and drinks on the table, Melody stood beside me and shoved her phone into my face.

  “Look what I saw on Instagram,” she declared.

  It was the photo of Candace Hunter, and I nodded, waving a ten-dollar note at her. “Totally crazy, right?”

  She pushed my hand away. “This is your ticket, Lux. Pizza is on me tonight.”

  “I think I can afford it,” I retorted, shoving the money into her bag.

  “Then you can pay for mine, bitch.”

  Laughing, I peeled another note out of my pocket and shoved that into her bag with the first. It felt nice to be able to shout my friend dinner for once in my life.

  “So, what’s up?” she asked, sitting across from me. “You’ve got your awkward face on, and it isn’t even seven p.m. yet.”

  “They offered me a job,” I said sheepishly.

  “A what?” she shrieked, causing a few people to turn around and gawk. “The network lady called you back?”

  I sank back into my hair and said, “She called this morning and offered it to me out of the blue. They want me to help write in my stuff.”

  “Holy shit, Lux! You’d get to hang with the entire cast and watch them film,” she said, more than excited for the both of us. “And you might get invited to red carpet events. How cool would that be?”

  I looked down at what I was wearing and shrugged. “I’m not sure about that, Mel. I mean, I’d just be on the staff.”

  “Yeah, as a writer. This is a huge deal, Lux.”

  “I know.”

  “It’s more than anyone could ever hope for. Getting stuck in an elevator with a big-time actor.” She took a sip of her drink, and then waved her hands around. “Oooh, it’s not a coincidence that your books were optioned to the network. Jude’s the only common denominator.”

  I cringed at her assumption that more went on in that elevator than I’d let on. It’d been one of the many stories that had gone around the Internet about the elevator incident, but when they couldn’t find any proof of my existence, it soon dried up.

  “It’s not like that,” I said. “That story was made up. We just talked a little, and then they got us out.”

  “I know all that,” she argued. “But he took your card, right?”

  “He was just being nice. I thought he’d forget about it…”

  “He obviously gave it to someone.”

  “Obviously.”

  Melody’s shoulders sagged. “What’s the problem? Aren’t you excited about this?”

  “I am,” I countered. “It’s just… It’s huge. Everything’s changing so fast out of nowhere.”

  Her expression softened. “You’re scared?”

  I nodded. “Terrified.”

  “It’s okay to be scared, Lux. Just don’t let it make your decision for you.”

  “What if I’m crap?” I exclaimed. “What if I can’t handle working with people so much better than I am? What if I choke and they fire me? What if—”

  “Lux,” Melody interrupted. “You can’t focus on the what if’s. You’ll make yourself sick. All of those things might never happen, and if you don’t go, you’ll have the rest of your life to wonder what might’ve been if you had of said yes. The hardest part is taking the first step. So, go! Say yes, and make your dream come true!”

  I worried my bottom lip and ran my fingers over the condensation on the outside of my glass of cider. Leave behind everything I ever knew for everything I ever dreamed of? Could I have enough courage and strength to actually do that?

  Melody straightened up. “Think of the money. Did that tip you over the edge?”

  “It was a big check,” I admitted. “And that was just for the film rights.”

  “See?” she squealed, clapping her hands together. “That alone is awesome, not to mention the regular wage for a gig like that. Think of the things you could do with it. Travel, buy a new car, buy a diamond bracelet, shop for fabulous clothes…” She ticked them off on her fingers with a dreamy sparkle in her eyes.

  “Pay my rent,” I added.

  “You won’t need rent if you’re going to America. Lux, you get to live in another country! I’m so jealous!”

  “Too bad they don’t need a comic book artist.”

  “Remember me when you become famous.”

  Smiling, I said, “I’d never forget you.”

  Grinning back, she held out her hand and wiggled her little finger at me. “Pinky swear on it.”

  Linking my finger around hers, we shook like a pair of giggly little schoolgirls. “Pinky swear.”

  Our pizzas arrived at that moment, delivered by the hipster dude that had taken the order at the bar, and Melody exclaimed to him, “My friend just landed a job working on a big-time TV show in America!”

  The guy’s eyes widened as he turned and took me in. “No way. Seriously?”

  I nodded and flushed red but couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face. I guess I was saying yes, but had there been any doubt that I wouldn’t?

  “Congrats,” the guy said, smiling back at me. “What are you drinking? Next one’s on the house.”

  “Cider,” I replied, every extremity humming with excitement. It was really happening. My heart was set on it.

  Melody laughed and clapped her hands together in glee, letting out a loud whoop that had heads turning, and for once in my sorry life, I didn’t feel like hiding. It was an omen.

  Things were going to be brilliant.

  Episode Four

  Don’t Forget to Breathe

  When I got home, I was dead tired, but I couldn’t think of anything worse than falling asleep.

  I was working myself up into a ball of anxiety thinking about all the things I’d have to organize the next morning. I needed to call Sharon first, then think about what I was going to do with my stuff, let the landlord know I was moving out…

  Falling onto the couch, I flung my arm over my eyes and sighed. The first thing that came to mind was Jude Atwood. Hunky, beautiful, perfect, amazing Jude Atwood.

  I had a crush on the guy, and considering how shy I was, it could be a problem. If I was going to be one hundred percent honest about it, I’d based the character of Rune, Scarlett Ravenwood’s lover, on him.
Awkward. Scar was me, and Rune was Jude. Serious. Kill me now.

  I could dwell on it until it made me sick like Lux version one would have done, or I could just suck it up, upgrade my software to Lux version two point oh and deal with the inevitable flaming rejection—because there was no hope in hell—and go on the wildest ride of my entire life.

  Looking at the world clock on my phone, I saw it was just on nine a.m. on the east coast, so before I could chicken out, I dialed Sharon’s number.

  “Lux Dawson,” she declared straight off the bat. “I hope you’re calling with a yes.”

  I liked Sharon. In our conversations, she seemed friendly and professional and most importantly, genuinely interested in me. It wasn’t just about the dollar signs—at least, I hoped it wasn’t.

  “I am,” I said. “I mean, yes.”

  “Fabulous!” she exclaimed. “Now, I have to drop the mother lode on you because we’ve got a tight schedule. I’ll forward you all the particulars, the contract you’ll need to sign, the NDA, and the paperwork for your work permit. We’ll organize you a flight, so don’t worry about that.”

  “You’re paying for my flight?” I asked, blinking hard. The whirlwind was in full force yet again.

  “Of course,” she replied, not missing a beat. “We’ll take care of everything on our end. Just make sure you’re ready to get on that plane.”

  “When? I mean, I’ll have to tie up stuff here…”

  “If we can get your fabulous behind onto a plane in the next week and a half, we’ll have plenty of time to get you settled.”

  “A week and a half…wow.”

  “Oh, Lux, this is just fantastic,” she gushed again. “We’re expecting great things this season. Welcome aboard.”

  I slapped a hand on my forehead. “Thank you?”

  “Keep an eye on your email for all the information, and I’ll forward you the number for my assistant, Janice. She’ll handle all your admin stuff, and if you have any questions, day or night, just give her a call.”