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“An early night for you.”
“I’ll be there soon. I love you.”
I hung up and texted my driver. When I got downstairs, he was in front of the building, and I slipped in the back of the black town car. Marina was surprised I was leaving early, but I told her to enjoy her weekend. I’m sure she had no problem with taking off before five on a Friday.
I went through emails as we drove through Los Angeles. I needed something to keep my hands busy. Austin said he wanted to talk. I wondered if he was giving me an ultimatum. I hoped not. He was sitting in the living room flipping through the channels when I arrived, wearing only a pair of olive-green khaki shorts.
“There’s my girl.”
He held his arms out to me. I kicked off my heels and crawled onto his lap. The tears I tried to hold back started to come, and I wept as he held me.
He stroked my hair. “Shh, it’s okay. We’re okay.”
“You never called me back,” I sobbed.
“I was upset. I don’t want to lose you.”
“You could always move to New York with me.”
“And what would happen when you were finished there?”
I wiped at my tears. “Maybe I could stay.”
Austin kissed my ear. “I don’t think Hassan would let you leave Spotlight. He values you too much.”
“I wouldn’t be quitting, just working somewhere else in the company.”
“Would you be satisfied with a smaller role after holding the CEO position?”
“Probably not, but I could work it out.”
“I don’t think so.”
“I know I’m getting ahead of myself. This might never happen. The owners could say no, or the board might find something unfavorable with the studio.”
“But it’s a possibility, and I want to be prepared. Did Hassan say what the circumstances would be if you gave him a flat out no?”
“We didn’t discuss it. He said they’re in the discovery phase and had brief meetings with the owners. It doesn’t mean anything at this point.”
Austin exhaled loudly, his warm breath blowing against my forehead. “The job at NYU is still available. They haven’t found any suitable candidates.”
“Are you thinking of applying?”
“It depends.”
“On me, right?”
“The prospect of losing you tears me apart. It rips my heart in two.”
“I feel the same way, but it means you would have to uproot your life. Then what happens if I’m finished in New York?”
“I don’t know. That’s the wild card. One of us would have to sacrifice.”
Austin took my face between his hands. “And that means one of us would resent the other.”
I looked at him. “Would you resent me if you had to take a lesser role?”
“I honestly can’t say. Would you?”
