My right hand shakes, and a tear rolls down my cheek. I turn away from the one I love and walk toward the door. I stop, turn toward him one last time before my feet keep moving.

Time to say goodbye to my old life and embrace a new one.

“Cut,” yells Mason, and everyone starts clapping and shouting with joy.

Filming has finished. The hard work is done.

“Great job.” Everyone is congratulating one another.

Strong hands grab me from behind and swirl me around.

Before I can say or do anything, Todd’s lips are crushing mine. He holds me close, and I don’t resist. I reciprocate, not caring about the fact that everyone who’s on set is watching.

My heart races and my knees turn to jelly. I wish he’d rip my clothes off here and now.

When he finally releases me, I’m breathing hard.

“Congratulations, Ms. Palmer.” He winks at me. “A job done to perfection.”

All around us, people are cheering.

“Speech, speech,” comes the shout from the crowd.

I feel tears in my eyes. It’s an awesome feeling to have finished this major production.

I clear my throat.

“Well,” I start and look around. Everyone’s smiling. “What can I say? A huge thank you to all of you. You have all done an amazing job, and you should all be so very proud of yourselves. I know I am. Everyone has gone above and beyond expectation, and I know the final product will be fanterrific.” I just made that word up. I think awesome is terribly overused.

Clapping, shouting, cheering.

“Like every project,we faced some difficulties, but it was great to see no one was defeated by adversity.”

Eric approaches and hands me an envelope. I raise my eyebrows, questioning him, but he just shrugs.

I turn the envelope over, and when I pull out the letter and see who it’s from, my heart stops beating for at least two or three seconds.

“What is it?” people around me mutter, and I try to compose myself.

I try and say something, but the words don’t want to come out. I clear my throat and try again.

“As I said,” the hubbub dies down as all eyes are on me. “You all did an amazing job. Some of you might say, ‘Of course the director would say that at the end of filming.’” I hold up my right hand with the letter in it. “But I have independent verification to back up my words.”

Everyone is hanging on each and every one of my words.

“This is a letter from the Oscars, congratulating us on a terrific film and indicating they expect it to be nominated not for one,” I pause briefly and close my eyes, “but for several categories.”

Everyone around me erupts in more applause and cheering. Todd punches the air and Mason hugs Alice. I feel as if I might burst with pride.

“Drinks all around,” calls Eric, and I hear the popping of a champagne cork. Someone hands me a plastic cup filled with champagne.

“To Sophie,” shouts Eric, Alice, and Mason.

Everyone raises their plastic cups.

“To all of you,” I hold up my own cup.

I relish the cool bubbles bouncing across my tongue. I wish Dad could see me.

My gaze moves across the faces of the people who have become my filming family for the last few months. When they reach Emma, I decide to go and speak to her.

“Well done, Emma.” I pat her on the back. “Great work.”

The woman looks me up and down but doesn’t smile. Her expression’s more akin to having eaten a sour lemon.

“Good luck with your next project and goodbye.”

I hold out my hand, but she doesn’t shake it. My heartbeat increases, and my elation is quashed just a little.

“Can you believe it?” Alice squeals into my left ear as she wraps her arms around me from behind.

We bounce up and down on the spot and act hysterically, like two girls at a rock concert.

“Can you believe it?” She grabs me by the arms and shakes me. “Possible Oscar nominations for more than one category?”

I nod.

“I bet you’ll be nominated for best director.” She grins from ear to ear.

“I don’t know.” Without meaning to, I find myself looking for Emma.

“Hey, Sophie.” Alice shakes me a little harder.

“Sorry.” I force myself to smile.

“Don’t tell me you’re still thinking about what that cow said to you.”

I laugh.

“Alice.” I pretend to sound serious.

“What?” Alice lifts her shoulders in total innocence. “Sometimes you gotta call it how it is.”

Before we can say anything else, Todd and Eric join us.

“Here comes trouble,” jokes Alice before she wraps her arms around her boyfriend.

Todd puts his arms around me. He looks me straight in the eyes.

“You okay?”

I nod. He furrows his brow and gives me a gentle kiss on the forehead.

“You sure?”

With a deep breath, I push self-doubt away and nod.

“Todd will probably get a nomination.” Alice is still talking about the Oscars and who will be nominated.

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Eric chimes in. “We still have some postproduction work ahead of us.”

I shake my head and laugh.

“At least one of us has his head screwed on the right way.” I punch Eric in the arm.

“So…” Alice turns to me, shooting a sideways glance at Todd. “You going to make it to your own end of filming party later or…” she doesn’t finish her sentence, but there is a glint in her eyes.

Todd squeezes me a little tighter.

“Of course I’ll make it,” I assure her and watch her and Eric head off.

I turn to Todd.

“Great job,” he says and takes my face between his hands. His lips caress my face like the wings of butterflies.

His forehead rests on mine. I’m tempted to pull him to my trailer and rip his clothes off. The animal in me wants him right now, right here.

“Let’s go to the party,” he whispers.

I let out a soft, slow moan.

“We’ll have time later.”