“Reunion show?” I yelp, my temper flaring, and spring to my feet. “You’ve got to be kidding. Who wants to rehash that shit?” Shelby, Lyle, and I acted on The World According to Jackson together through our teens. It was the kind of cable network show where the kids sang and danced and mouthed off to sub-intelligent parent types, all set to laugh tracks. Lyle was the lead, Jackson, a kid who lived in his daydreams half the time. I played Carter Nelson, his nerdy, rule-following best friend, and Shelby played his longtime love interest with a penchant for the dramatic, Makayla Burns. There’s a nostalgic following for the show a decade after it wrapped, but there’s far too much history between us to even consider a reunion show. Case in point, the way the three of us can barely stand to be in the same room right now.

“Christ! Would you two settle down?” At our glares, Lyle sighs. “There’s no reunion show. For fuck’s sake, even I don’t want to go back down that road.” He scrubs a manicured hand down his face and gestures for me to sit down with a firm, “Please be seated, Mr. Riggs.”

I sit.

Lyle swears under his breath but composes himself once more. “Look, forget ten years ago for a goddamn minute and listen to what I have to say. This is about HomeMade, the home-reno pilot, as Ms. Springfield suggested. I’ve been handed the project because they would like to give you, Ms. Springfield, a second opportunity. It’s my understanding the test audiences didn’t connect with your costar.”

Shelby winces slightly but doesn’t deny it.

“But I was also told they adored you.”

I can tell this is news to Shelby. She gives a small nod for Lyle to continue.

“Clearly, you know what you’re doing, but do you know enough to carry a show? Joanna and Chip, Erin and Ben, Christina and Tarek. They’re all couples, Ms. Spring—”

She holds up a hand. “Okay, okay. Enough with the Ms. Springfield. Shelby is fine. I get it. You need two. But you’re wrong, I don’t always know what I’m doing. I do the finicky restorations, but my dad is the one who runs the projects from demolition to polish. I’m not sure I can do this without him.”

“He can consult. I’ll pay him a consulting commission on one project for the pilot. After that, we’ll see.”

Shelby narrows her eyes, taking in the suited men at the other end of the table and finally allowing her gaze to land on me for a half second without flinching.

Progress.

“Okay, that was too easy. What else? Flattery, acquiescence with my dad … I know you, Lyle. You’re far too slimy to just hand me those things. Why is Cameron here?”

“Mr. Riggs,” I offer.