Page 22 of Wrapped in You

But he seemed grateful that she'd disobeyed. He'd needed this party more than any of them. He just didn't know how to create space for anything but his grief.

Chapter Seven

Monday morning brought a far different version of Derek Brownlee to the set ofSilver Bells. Gone was the tear-filled and nostalgic Derek Sophie had glimpsed at the party.

As yellow sunlight crept across the bright snow, Derek stormed out of his car with a stack of brand-new scripts and snapped them into people's hands. He looked authoritative and mean.

Sophie was handing out coffee and Christmas-themed homemade Pop-Tarts at the catering table. She strained to hear what Derek was saying.

"That old script was a mess," Derek insisted to one of the head camera operators. "I spent all Sunday fixing it."

"You changed the script?" The camera operator looked shocked and exhausted. "But that means we'll have to change the filming schedule. It means—"

"It means we'll do what I say," Derek shot back. "It takes a great deal of courage and inventiveness to make good art. We have to keep working."

The camera operator made a face and took a long sip of coffee. Just a few minutes ago, that same camera operator hadsaid to Sophie, "I think we really turned a corner with Derek! He seemed so happy on Saturday!"

We all spoke too soon, Sophie thought.

The brand-new script brought an air of resentment back to the set. Terribly pleased with himself, Derek grabbed a cup of coffee without speaking to Sophie and disappeared into his trailer, leaving the cast and crew to pore over the new pages. Sophie burned with curiosity. She hadn't had time to read the original script in the first place, but she'd assumed it was a relatively straightforward Christmas romance. What had he changed?

Finally, when Mike and Isaac approached for Pop-Tarts, Sophie got up the nerve to ask them what had happened with the script.

Mike and Isaac chuckled as quietly as they could.

"Let's not bring the monster out of his cave," Isaac joked, speaking of Derek.

Under his breath, Mike explained, "The original script was a celebration of all things romance and Christmas. That's what the film investors think they're investing in; that's the film the production company thinks is heading their way after the editing process. But Derek decided yesterday that Christmas and romance aren't good enough for him. No surprise there, right?"

"We've only had a chance to skim the new pages so far," Isaac continued. "But it looks like he brought in some really sad themes."

Mike nodded. "The female love interest leaves the male love interest at the end of the film."

"What?" Sophie cried. She was too loud and clapped her hand over her mouth.

Isaac winced. "In the original script, Natalie's character and Brent's character finally get together on Christmas Eve after a lot of 'will they, won't they.' But in Derek's new version, Natalieleaves Brent for her sensible ex-boyfriend on Christmas Eve, and Brent renounces Christmas and goes out to the woods to walk around until he almost freezes to death."

"Excuse me?" Sophie demanded. "That sounds like the saddest film in the world."

"It will be," Mike said, chortling.

"I mean," Sophie continued, her blood pressure skyrocketing, "why would he do something like that?"

"I heard him say the original script was too 'heartwarming,'" Isaac explained.

"But Christmas movies are supposed to be heartwarming!" Sophie exclaimed. "That's their entire point!"

On the other side of the cameras, Natalie was crying. Sophie, Isaac, and Mike quit talking to overhear her say, "But you don't get it, Brent. This is my last chance! My last chance at becoming a real, beloved actress! There's no way the production studios will release this version of the film. This crazy, psychotic, depressing version."

Brent cooed tenderly, "We don't know that. Maybe this version will be better than the other version. Maybe they'll release it to, um, acclaim?"

"I promise you, they won't release it at all. I've been in this business longer than you," Natalie stammered. "Derek's twisted Christmas movie will not fly in Hollywood. It'll be abandoned on a shelf somewhere." She sniffed. "Derek wants to kill his own career. But he's going to kill mine as well. Who knows how many other people will lose jobs after this?"

Sophie grimaced. She turned to Mike and Isaac for confirmation.

"It won't kill ours," Mike said softly. "But Natalie's right. If we really film this movie, a lot of the cast and crew won't work after this.Silver Bellsis cursed."

Sophie's heart fluttered.