Molly and Andy exchanged glances. "And the bar that you discussed in the proposal? The Fix on Sixth? They're ready to jump in, too?"
"The bar?" Brooke swallowed, thankful she hadn't taken off her light silk jacket, because she could feel her underarms getting sticky with nerves. "You're right that it would be perfect. But I thought I was clear that it was just one example of a possible location. I listed several in the proposal since we'd be focusing on a different location each episode."
Andy shook his head. "All property renovation programs do that. We want to go with a different spin. All episodes centered around the same location. In this case, we want to focus on the bar. The Fix on Sixth is perfect for what we have in mind."
"Oh. Oh, that's great." Brooke cleared her throat as she stood and returned to the window. She glanced down to Sixth Street, her gaze moving across the street and a few blocks to the east, so that she could see the bar in question.
Brooke's friend Amanda, a real estate broker, had told Brooke that The Fix needed a bit of a facelift to get it ready for a big marketing push, and that Brooke should apply for the job.
The way Amanda told it, The Fix had until the end of the year to increase revenue. If they couldn't turn the place around and get it fully in the black, then the bar would close its doors, and Austin would lose a beloved venue. A place with great drinks, live music, and lots of local color.
Management was doing everything it could do keep the bar thriving, and that included sponsoring a Man of the Month calendar contest. The bar would hold live contests every couple of weeks, and by the fall, they'd have their twelve hot men to put on a calendar to sell to the public. If it worked as intended, the contest would draw in crowds--and the bar's management wanted to do a quick-and-dirty renovation to update the bar's look.
Brooke had figured that a stage full of hot guys would catch the network's eye, and so she'd included The Fix and a description of the calendar contest in the proposal. Apparently she'd been right, so she had to applaud her instincts. But she hadn't expected things to move quite so fast.
Because while she thought the plan was brilliant and that The Fix would undoubtedly want to be featured on a show, she hadn't actually pitched the idea to the bar. Yet.
That was supposed to happen tonight at her first meeting with Jenna Montgomery, the partner who was in charge of marketing. But surely Jenna would--
"Brooke?"
She looked up, then realized that she'd missed an entire thread of conversation.
"I'm sorry. I was looking at The Fix. I'm so excited I got lost in my thoughts." She swallowed, then offered a big Texas smile. "What did you say?"
"We want to confirm that The Fix's management is amenable to having a film crew there for the entire duration of their calendar contest."
"Oh! Yes, absolutely," she lied as she dried her palms on her skirt. "The bar is one hundred percent all in." She cleared her throat, hoping that her nose wasn't growing. "In fact, I have a meeting there tonight. I'll tell them the good news."
"Wonderful." Molly's smile widened.
"So, um, what now? Do you have a contract I can forward my attorney?" Surely the folks at the bar would agree. Worst case, Brooke would bow out gracefully.
"Actually, there's one other thing we need to discuss first."
"Oh." Her smile was beginning to feel a little forced. She wanted to get out of that room so she could kick off her shoes and celebrate. Followed closely by an intense freak-out session an
d a few fervent prayers to the god of desperate women.
"We want you to partner with Spencer Dean."
Her throat tightened and her pulse skittered at the mention of the only man she'd ever loved. The man she'd planned to marry. To spend her life with.
The man who now despised her.
"Spencer?" She licked her lips. "I--I don't think he's working in television anymore."
For four of the last five years, Spencer and his partner Brian had starred in a house-flipping program. She'd watched only one episode. It hurt too much to see Spencer on screen. Those dark eyes that she'd once believed knew her so well. Those strong, calloused hands that had stroked her skin. His mustache and beard that had tickled her ear as he'd whispered sweet, sexy, decadent things.
He'd held her close and they'd made so many plans, so many promises. And then everything had shattered.
Brian. She fought a shudder of revulsion.
He was the other reason she hadn't watched Spencer's show. It hurt to see Spence. But seeing Brian made her curl up into a useless ball of pain and self-loathing.
Their show had been called Spencer's Place, because it was as much about his personality as about the house-flipping. The show had been about to launch when the wedding plans had imploded, and it had run for four years before ending with a sudden and surprising finality. The tabloids speculated as to the reasons, but no one seemed to know for sure.
Neither did Brooke. But she knew Spencer well enough to know that if he'd decided it was time to back away from television, nothing would draw him back. Least of all her.