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coming along fine. I think this one is going to be great.” The blinking cursor mocked my every word.
    â€œOh, Leah, darling, don’t curse yourself like that. I believe those were your exact words right before A Day in the Lie opened.”
    There was something prestigious about having J. R. Thompson as your agent. It was like the difference between the Cub Scouts and the Marines. We were few. They were proud. And after J. R. was finished with them, they were lethal. Having her name attached to anything you did gave you a legitimacy that only she could create. And admittedly, it was her name that had carried me through the last two disasters.
    J. R. was known to represent some of the most up-and-coming writers in Boston and New York. She was known to scout talent and snag the future superstars. But nobody’s perfect, as I apparently remind her every time we speak.
    â€œYou’re still sure about this romantic comedy?”
    â€œAntiromantic comedy.”
    â€œThat’s hard to say. It doesn’t roll off the tongue.”
    â€œThat’s what’s funny about it.”
    She paused. I could hear her sucking in the smoke from her cigarette. “Okay, well, whatever the case, how’s it coming?”
    â€œReally well. It’s flowing like . . . crazy.” I turned away from my computer.
    â€œPeter’s been asking about you.” She was referring to Peter Deutsch, the director and producer who had believed in The Twilight T-Zone and had helped make it such a hit. He was a rare find in that he was interested only in scripts that had never been produced. He’d skipped on my last two.
    â€œHow is Peter?” I asked casually.
    â€œHe’s fine. He’s been having a lot of success, but he’s always interested in what you’re working on. And in fact called me Friday to ask specifically about you. I had to explain you were writing a three-act, and of course Peter said what I said, which is nobody does three-acts anymore.”
    â€œI’m a few weeks from being finished, but Peter is welcome to take a look then.”
    â€œI came across as nondesperate as possible, Leah, but as you know, there is a lot riding on this play. Not to mention, rumor has it that Kelly Gundy is getting ready to shop a new two-act. You know how fond Peter is of Kelly.”
    Kelly Gundy. She was a top-notch playwright from New York whose father was a famous Broadway actor and whose mother was a stage manager. It seemed everything Kelly touched turned to gold.
    â€œI didn’t realize that Kelly was working on something new.”
    â€œLeah, I have never personally doubted your talent. The first time I saw The Twilight T-Zone I knew that you were going to go places.”
    â€œThank you.”
    â€œAnd it’s also not completely uncommon to have a second show that doesn’t do as well as the first. It’s almost inevitable. You’ve been put on such a high platform. Everyone is looking to knock you off.”
    â€œYes.” J. R. had given me this speech about four times. But I pretended each time that it was fresh advice.
    â€œThe third time is usually a charm, but in your case it was a bad-luck charm. We’re just going to move on past that like it never happened. I don’t even mention it when I’m talking about you. It’s like that strange cousin we all have who is ‘accidentally’ left out of all the photos. You know what I mean.”
    â€œSure.”
    â€œI shouldn’t keep you. You have a lot of work to do. Just wanted to tell you about Peter. I took it as a good sign that he actually called me.”
    â€œThat is a good sign.”
    â€œAll right. I have to be in New York this evening so I better run, but I’ll check in with you soon.”
    You can’t run, you old fogey. You have a cane. “Good talking with you, J. R.” I hung up the phone just as my doorbell rang.
    Thankful I’d decided to get