The Sibyl Read online

Connor Garrison reminded me of every sleazy salesperson to ever appear in a Georgia car ad. He was all oiled hair and slick smile as he bounded around a large conference table with his hand outstretched in Elliot’s direction.

  “Elliot! So glad you could make it. Welcome home, son.” He shook Elliot’s hand and clapped him on the back. “We’ve been waiting for this day to come for a long time now.”

  “Have you?” Elliot dropped the man’s hand as two other men approached. “I don’t realize my homecoming was so imminent.”

  “Of course it was.” Connor’s smile grew even wider. “No one escapes L.A. forever.”

  Elliot stepped aside and let me step forward. “Connor Garrison, meet Eva McRayne. Eva, this is Connor.”

  “Pleasure.” I murmured as the little man turned his unfortunate attentions to me. He reached out to take hold of my arms instead of shaking my hands. I only interrupted when he started to turn me around. “Excuse me, but what are you doing?”

  “You’re right, Elliot. She’s fantastic.” Connor stepped away from us and nodded. “Small. Blonde. Athletic. She’ll do nicely.”

  Before I could ask if he wanted to check my teeth and measure my waist, one of the other guys in the room piped up.

  “Elliot, Eva. Would you like some water? Coffee?” The man waved from behind Connor. “We might be here for awhile.”

  “No, I’m good, Joey.” Elliot visibly relaxed. “So are we ready to get this started?”

  “Indeed we are.” Connor ushered us all over to the conference table. They all took seats across from us, and I started to feel outnumbered. Once we were seated, Connor took the liberty of introducing me to the other two men at the table.

  “Ms. McRayne, it is truly a pleasure to meet you.” He cleared his throat. “I want to introduce you to Joey Lawson and Bryan Trotter. Joey will be your cameraman. Bryan is a member of the Theia Productions’ legal team. He’s here to go over the contracts with you.”

  I nodded my hellos as Connor took out two separate folders. He placed one in front of me and the other in front of Elliot.

  “Your father’s lawyers have already looked these over.” Connor leaned back in his chair. “All you need to do is sign.”

  “Wait a minute.” I opened the folder to find a document that could rival a small manuscript. “I want to know what’s in this before I commit anything.”

  “Very well.” Connor sighed and came forward again. “You may read the legalese if you wish, but this contract is good for one season of twenty-two episodes. We’ll readdress any further seasons if the show takes off. All this just states that we will pay you ten thousand dollars an episode, plus the cost of your travel and living arrangements. There is a bonus percentage clause written in to encourage you to do all you can to boost the ratings. In return, you agree to go to the locations we send you to or attend any promotional events we deem appropriate.”

  “That’s it?” I tried to keep my demeanor professional. As if I negotiated contracts worth thousands of dollars every day. I think I succeeded on the outside. On the inside? I was squealing as I calculated up the amount of money I’d make. It was more than I could ever hope for at an office in Georgia. “What about any protections we might need?”

  “I’m sorry?” The little man looked confused as he folded his hands together on the table. “If you’re asking about the health insurance, I’m sure one of our human resources personal will be glad to answer any questions you may have regarding the benefits.”

  “No.” I shook my head. “That’s not what I mean. I’m assuming the locations you are going to be sending us to are going to be dilapidated. I’m also assuming we are going to be filming at night. What happens if one of us gets hurt? What protections are you going to put in place to make sure that doesn’t happen?”

  Elliot nodded and I could tell he was pleased with my question. Connor paused as if he were considering his response as he began tapping his fingers on the table.

  “Unfortunately, Ms. McRayne, there’s not much we can do about the conditions of the locations other than to chose ones that won’t pose a serious hazard to Elliot’s team. In the unlikely event that something does happen, your medical expenses will be completely covered.”

  “How can you be so sure?” I gestured down at the manifesto they called a contract. “Is it listed in here?’

  “I’m sure it is.” Connor waved his hand. “But remember, please. We must do all we can to make this show a success, even if that means sending you into some horrible places.. Otherwise, the time you spend with us will be a complete waste.”

  “Ms. McRayne, if I may,” Bryan spoke up. “I’ll be more than happy to go over these documents with you line by line if it will ease your mind.”

  “Alright.” I thumbed through the pages where the print seemed to grow smaller and smaller. “I’m ready when you are.”

  The lawyer opened his own folder and began to dictate which passage he was explaining. Elliot followed along like a chap. Me? Even though it was my idea for Bryan Trotter to go through everything we needed to know, my eyes started to glaze over after the third page. Elliot even nudged me a few times to make sure I was still following along, but after only twenty minutes, I was ready to sign my life away if it meant the lawyer would stop talking.

  I knew there were perks. I knew I needed the money. And I had a vague idea of what I was getting into. I mean, who hasn’t tuned into a ghost hunting episode or two? But my decision wasn’t based solely on the benefits. As Bryan went on and on, I tried to envision not seeing Elliot every day. I tried to imagine what it would be like to hear him only through phone calls which would fade over time as he lived his life and I lived mine.

  I couldn’t do it.

  So when the lawyer across from us looked up to signal he was finished, I reached into my purse.

  “Very well.” I took out a pen and uncapped it. “The only amendment I would like to see to this contract is for us to be able to choose where we go.”

  “Is that your only condition?” Connor glanced up from the wood grain of the table. “The ability to choose your location?”

  “Yes.” I tapped the pen against the arm of my chair. “I’m sure you have a team of professionals to do the promotional stuff. I just want a choice in which lion’s den you plan on throwing us into.”

  “That seems very,” The producer was at a loss of words for a moment but his slick smile was back as he responded. “Very reasonable. Bryan, if you will.”

  The lawyer who had bored me into a stupor jumped up and retrieved the folders before us. He was gone before I realized it.

  Connor broke the silence which had fallen over the room. “Do you have any other questions? Elliot, you’ve been very quiet.”

  “I’ve got nothing to say.” My companion shrugged. “I’ve seen the paperwork before. I’m here only to make sure Eva is happy with the arrangements we’ve agreed upon.”

  “I do, actually.” I leaned back in my chair, confident after getting my way with the amendment Bryan was no doubt rushing to add to our contracts. “As you both know, I have no experience in television. Where in the world do we start?”

  “Ah, yes. The beginning is always the most tedious part.” Connor stood and began to pace his side of the table. “For you, my dear, it will be an immersion into the world of the paranormal. You and Elliot will have two weeks to get settled in. Then you will be flying out to New York to attend this year’s International Paranormal Convention. I want the two of you to learn all you can about the latest theories and techniques. All things ghost hunting. If you are not an expert, I want you to be able to sound as if you are.”

  The little man rubbed his hands together as he continued. “You will need to do anything you are capable of to make this show go above and beyond. The field’s getting crowded. You two have got to find a way to stand out.”

  “I’m sure you’ve got plans on that already.”

  “We’re working on it.” Connor nodded to Bryan who had return
ed to the room. “Those are details for another time. For now, I need your signatures. Fill out all the forms and if you have any questions, feel free to ask Bryan here.”

  “You’re staying?” Elliot looked up from the papers before him.

  “I’m a witness.” Connor collapsed in his chair as if there were nowhere else he needed to be. “Joey and Bryan, too.”

  “Alright.” I came to the first form with a signature line at the bottom and gave them my word to be an employee of Theia Productions, LLC for the span of twenty-two episodes. There would be even more if this ridiculous idea took off.

  I should have been excited. Anyone else would have been if they were in my place. Instead, I felt the knot in my stomach tighten as if it were the Devil in front of me instead of a well-versed Hollywood producer; asking for my soul in exchange for more time with Elliot.

  I signed my name as fast as I could.

  

  Elliot’s phone rang the moment we stepped into the hallway, so I didn’t get the chance to ask him how he felt the meeting went. I couldn’t make out much from his side of his conversation, but he didn’t seem happy. In fact, he didn’t seem much like Elliot at all. When we reached the car, he pressed a button on his phone and fished the keys out of his pocket.

  “You alright?”

  Elliot nodded in my direction. I slid into the car with my own phone in hand. My mom had sent me no less than twenty-five texts while I was in the meeting. I knew she was dying to hear how everything went. I ran my thumb over the screen to unlock it and reply back to her when Elliot’s voice broke through the silence between us.

  “That was my dad. He’s going to meet us at the condo.”

  “Really?” I dropped the phone in my purse, my mother temporarily forgotten. “I didn’t think I’d be meeting him.”

  “Yeah.” Elliot fiddled with the keys for a minute before he put them in the ignition. “He wants us to check out our new place then take us out to lunch to celebrate.”

  “That’s very sweet of him.” I shifted in my seat. “But do we have to do it today? One massive meeting is enough for one day. I don’t know if I can handle another one.”

  “Yeah.” Elliot shrugged as he turned out of the parking garage and back out into the street. “He’s already there waiting on us.”

  “Great.” I tried to sound enthusiastic, but I couldn’t muster up the strength. This was my first trip to California and I was exhausted. I wanted nothing more than to crawl into the massive bed waiting back at the hotel. But I couldn’t turn down this invitation. “So, details. What should I expect?”

  “From my dad? Or the apartment?” Elliot was concentrating on traffic. At least, I hope he was. The little convertible we were in was flying down the freeway.

  “Let’s go with your dad.” I shrugged. “You don’t really talk about him.”

  “I don’t have a reason to.” Elliot sighed, letting his foot off the gas and switching lanes. “Look, Eva, I don’t like to talk about him.”

  “I know.” I felt my purse vibrate against the side of my leg but I ignored it. “I’m not asking you to divulge any juicy family drama. Just give me an idea.”

  “I don’t know what to say.” Elliot began tapping his fingers against the steering wheel. “He’s conservative and strict. This is exactly why he’s managed to make Theia as successful as it is.”

  “That’s it?” I frowned. “Conservative and strict? Eli, every dad can be described as ‘conservative and strict’.”

  “Like I said, I don’t know how to describe him. He wasn’t around much when I was a kid. I fled to Georgia as soon as I could.”

  “Why Georgia?”

  I’d asked him this same question plenty of times over the past few years but Elliot had deflected me every time. Now, he was stuck in L.A. traffic in a very small car. He wasn’t going to get away so easily.

  “Why not?” Elliot threw me a small smile. “I got to meet you, didn’t I?”

  “Flattering, but that’s not the answer I was looking for. Come on,” I huffed in frustration. “I’ve known you for four years and just flew out to California to be with you. Sometimes, I feel like I don’t know you at all.”

  “Did you really?” Elliot tilted his head towards me. “Did you come out here just to be with me?”

  “No.” I felt the blush rising in my cheeks. “I needed a job, remember?”

  “A boring one, if I recall. Yet here you are in L.A., signed up to do a television show.” Elliot chuckled. “You missed the mark, doll. ‘Boring’ was not in the job description.”

  “You’re deflecting me again.” I crossed my arms and looked out the window. After a few minutes of tense silence, Elliot started talking.

  “Fine. I decided on UGA because my mom’s family is from Atlanta.” Elliot shrugged. “I thought I could get to know them if I came here.”

  “Did you?” I tilted my head, wondering just how much I actually knew about my best friend. “Get to know them, that is.”

  “No. They all died a long time ago.”

  “Aunts or uncles?”

  “No.” He shook his head. “She was the only child.”

  “But you stayed at UGA anyway.”

  “Yeah.” Elliot pulled into another garage. “That’s in the past, Eva. It doesn’t matter. We’re here about our future. Aren’t you the least bit curious about your new place?”

  I dropped the subject in a heartbeat, looking around the parking garage he’d pulled into as if I’d never seen one before.

  “This is it?”

  Elliot laughed. “Yeah. We’re on the tenth floor, so you’re going to be glad when Connor is arranging a moving company for us. I couldn’t imagine trying to carry your stuff all the way up there.”

  “Oh, please.” I grabbed my purse and hopped out of the car. “I know you. You would have hired movers anyway.”

  “True. Hey, Eva,” Elliot grabbed my hand to keep me from going too far ahead of him. “You sure you’re ok with all this? I mean, this really is a huge change for you.”

  “I’ve already signed the contract. I don’t think I have too much of a choice now.” I squeezed his hand. “I may not act like it, but I am grateful to you for this opportunity.”

  “I know you are.” Elliot looked at the elevator ahead of us. “Come on. Let’s go meet my old man and get this over with.”

  

  I was speechless when Elliot opened the door labeled 1013 and our new place was exposed. This wasn’t like my little one bedroom place back in Georgia. The foyer was small, but it opened up to a great room with floor-to-ceiling windows. The furniture was modern; a mixture of greens and blues that worked well to make the space seem inviting. I looked to Elliot who grinned as he gestured for me to go explore my new surroundings.

  I ran from room to room as if I were a kid instead of a college graduate. The kitchen was just as modern as the great room with appliances that gleamed beneath the recessed lighting. There was a half bath fully stocked and three bedrooms off the hallway. I was exploring the master bedroom when I heard voices filtering down the hallway.

  “Eva’s in here somewhere, Dad. I thought she should take a look around first.”

  “Indeed. I heard the meeting went well this morning.”

  “It did. We’re both signed up and ready to go.”

  I could hear footsteps against the wood floors so I checked myself in the mirror. Hair was still in place. Face was still put together. I took a breath, smiled, and stepped out into the hallway. They were standing by the television and I could see the family resemblance immediately. Both were tall. Both dark and brooding. The only real difference I could see between them was stature. Joseph Lancaster wore his power like a cloak. Elliot was more casual, slouching despite the expensive suit that fit him so well.

  “Hello.” I smiled and extended my hand. “Eva McRayne. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Lancaster.”

  “Same.” Joseph Lancaster clasped my hand in both of his and smiled. “I
’ve heard much about you from my son. I’m sure the two of you will do quite well at this little project of yours.”

  “It’s not a project, Dad.” Elliot frowned as his father released my hand. “We’re going to be doing serious research for the show.”

  “Of course.” Joseph extended his arm for me to take. “I hope to hear all about your meeting with Connor. And you let me know if there is anything you need. My son is quite independent, so I’m counting on you to contact me, Ms. McRayne.”

  I looked back to Elliot as we left the condo and noted how dark his features had become as Joseph led us out of the building. I wanted to ask him what was wrong. I had questions about why he was so different when his father was around. But I couldn’t ask them. Not here. Not now.

  Instead, I let myself get swept up by Joseph Lancaster as he talked about the television business. Life in Los Angeles. Everything but the son who sat quietly in the background.