♪ I woke up smiling from ear to ear ♪
[UPBEAT POP MUSIC]
"The Mercury is rising at Millennial
"with the acquisition of the newest imprint founded by
"Millennial chairman and owner, Charles Brooks.
The prodigal son returns home."
That's "former" chairman.
- As I recall, he resigned? - True.
You know, I'd really like to be focusing
more on Kelsey, okay? How about this?
[CLEARS THROAT] "Peters hooks Brooks
"to Millennial, where she plans
to find a home a home for his fledging startup."
- "Fledgling"? - I don't know.
Nascent? Baby?
I don't think you quite understand
the power dynamics at play here.
Oh, I do, diva, and it's women on top.
Okay, how about this?
"An extraordinary display of solidarity.
"Charles Brooks has a career renaissance
"at Millennial, where he has found a home
"for his new startup, Mercury, under the leadership of
publishing dynamo Kelsey Peters."
- Whoo-hoo. - And his former intern.
I don't think that's necessary.
Oh...
Oh... oh, he's here.
[PUNCHY MUSIC]
Charles.
It is so good to see you. Oh!
I feel like everything is right with the world again.
I'm happy to see you, Diana.
I just didn't expect so many boxes.
Oh, well, they're a testament to a long and successful career.
- And a lack of storage. - [SOFT LAUGH]
We just sold Pound Ridge
and Pauline sent all my stuff from there here.
Oh, you sold Pound Ridge? That gorgeous estate?
- Yeah, had to. - Oh, my God, the memories.
The company picnics. The sack races.
You poured your heart and soul into that house.
Part of the divorce.
Oh, what a romantic cautionary tale.
I'm not sure marriage should be in the cards again...
for either of us.
It's just a house. Good morning, Liza.
Morning.
♪ ♪
Do you ever feel like a giant wrecking ball?
He didn't sell the house because of me.
It's okay, I blame myself. I'm the one who hired you.
At the time, I thought you were more stalwart than seductive.
I'm... very stalwart.
Hm.
Well, what can I say? Love is blind.
♪ ♪
What's in all the boxes?
20 years of old galleys,
manuscripts I've never read,
some books I probably should have published
and didn't, and vice-versa.
Mostly junk, but I gotta go through it to be sure.
Well, it's so crowded in here, you can hardly see
the flowers someone sent you.
[SOFTLY] Oh.
[GENTLE MUSIC]
♪ ♪
It's nice to be home.
Even if it does look like an episode of "Hoarders."
Where do you want the rest of these, boss?
I don't think you got enough room in here.
Oh, you can take the rest of these
to my office, please.
We can sort through it all together.
♪ ♪
- [COFFEE MACHINE HISSING] - Ah... [INHALES SHARPLY]
My God, can I help you with that?
What happened to the old machine?
I upped the coffee game around here.
Smart move.
But getting me and Charles back to prop you up?
Genius.
That's not what this is about.
Mm-hmm, tell yourself that.
For the record, though, I was not a fan of the merger.
I threw Charles a lifeline.
Now I'm just trying to figure out
how much dead weight comes attached to it.
- Are you referring to me? - Your books.
What you have, what you've bid to acquire.
Basically a performance evaluation.
I never heard you complain about my, uh, performance.
I'm talking about at work,
where you will be reporting to me,
which I hope won't be a problem,
because I really don't want it to be a problem.
I don't have the bandwidth for problems.
Oh, I'm not gonna be your problem, Peters.
Good.
Glad we had the talk. See you in the meeting.
[BLUES SARACENO'S "ONE OF THE GIRLS"]
♪ One of the girls ♪
♪ You better watch what you say ♪
♪ You'll catch a fist to the face ♪
♪ One of the girls ♪
What is Mercury?
Books with male appeal, but not dry.
Books with heart. Skews older.
Not that old.
Well, older than Millennial,
which is more female under 40,
which is our core demo.
Actually, Mercury, as Zane and I conceived it,
is designed to appeal to men and women.
And we're pretty agnostic about age.
Of course. Can we all agree that this
would be a perfect Mercury title?
Absolutely, a smart thrill ride
with a male protagonist.
After looking over your current acquisitions,
I feel that this book
would be much better suited as a Millennial title.
You lost that book.
You can't just poach it now because you wanted it.
It's just a better fit for Millennial.
A story of a young woman who may or not be a killer?
It's a real-life "Gone Girl."
Which is why we bought it.
We have to each define our brands
in order to work together, Zane.
Yes. I told her that.
Charles, if we give up that book, what are we left with?
"The Third Leg"?
Which is a perfect title for your debut.
How to keep the flame alive in a long-term relationship.
It appeals to both middle-aged men and women.
Charles...
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
Kelsey, I appreciate the thoughtful analysis,
but, uh, Audrey Colbert needs to stay at Mercury.
♪ ♪
Okay, Charles, if that's what you want.
How am I ever gonna make this work with Charles?
I'm still intimidated by him.
- You've told him off before. - It was different then.
I... I was a scrappy, little underdog
standing up to power.
He respects you.
He was my mentor.
I owe him my career.
And now I'm supposed to tell him no?
It's starting to feel like Quinn all over again.
Charles knows you're the publisher
of the combined brands.
He's enjoying being an editor on the creative side,
without all the responsibility of being a publisher.
Yeah, but then he gives me that... that...
death stare, and I crumble.
Oh, I know that stare. He doesn't really mean it.
It's like the male version of resting bitch face.
- Really? - Oh, totally.
You're just projecting all of that authority onto it.
Look at it another way.
It can actually be pretty smoldering.
Ew.
No, I do not want to look at it that way.
No, no, it's better that you don't.
[SCOFFS]
[UPBEAT ROCK MUSIC]
Wow.
[SIGHS]
Oh!
Oh, my God.
[SOFT MUSIC]
♪ ♪
- [KNOCKS] - Hi.
Oh.
Do you want me to pick you up at your place tonight?
- For? - The, uh...
The Reading Project fundraiser.
- That's tonight? - Mm, in Tuxedo Park.
It's pure hell, but I have to go.
- You're off the hook if you want. - No, I want to go.
We can suffer together. In evening wear.
Hm, actually it's the eighth circle of Hell.
The ninth is going through these boxes.
[EXHALES] It just fell open.
I'm not really a glutton for punishment.
Let me know if you still feel that way after tonight.
- Can I help you? - I got it.
- Thank you. - You're welcome.
[STRING MUSIC]
♪ ♪
FYI, Kelsey is still intimidated by you.
Really? I was pretty careful
not to wear a suit this morning.
[LAUGHS] I noticed, but that doesn't help
with the height, your age, and the fact that
you used to run the place.
Mm, can't help with any of those.
She thinks she can't say no to you.
Well, that's a problem.
I can't have a yes man as my publisher.
Then you need to respect her
when she says no to your books.
Absolutely, she needs to be
strong enough to stand up to me.
- Thank you. - That's a tall order.
Pun intended.
[SOFT CHUCKLE]
Oh, my God, the lovebirds.
Wow, what a surprise.
Oh, didn't Charles tell you? We're at your table.
- No... - Didn't I?
We never miss this event.
I just love seeing this.
And to think, it all started at our little Hanukkah party.
Well, that's what we tell ourselves anyway.
Liza, did you know that Tuxedo Park is actually
- the home of the tuxedo? - Mm-hmm.
Actually, I did not.
Wearing a tuxedo in Tuxedo Park
is basically like
drinking a Singapore Sling in Singapore.
- Oh. - [SOFT LAUGH] Or having
breakfast at Tiffany's.
I hope the four of us get to do
all those things together.
[GASPS] Maybe even on a cruise.
To our cruise to Singapore.
And breakfast at Tiffany's.
Well, at least we crossed Tuxedo Park
off our bucket list.
- Hey. - Cheers.
Liza? Oh!
- Michelle, hi. - What are you doing here?
Um, well, I... I'm here with Charles.
He's an editor of a new imprint, Mercury.
And this is Bob and Julia,
Caitlin's roommate's parents.
And responsible for introducing these two.
Everyone, uh, this is Michelle and Tom.
They are very good friends from Paramus, New Jersey.
Very, very nice to meet you,
- Charles... - Brooks.
Liza, you haven't been hiding away this man
from your nearest and dearest, have you?
Of course not.
There's, uh, nothing to hide here.
Yeah, there real... there really isn't.
- Now, that is a tux. - [SOFT LAUGHTER]
You know, we're double-balling this weekend.
Excuse me?
Well, Charles invited us to this,
and then we invited you to the Legal Eagles Gala tomorrow.
Oh, I didn't realize that was tomorrow.
Yeah, you'll be fine. You can wear the same dress.
It's a whole different crowd.
Oh, great.
We are such ballers.
- Ha. - [LAUGHS]
Do you mind if I crash for a bit?
- My table is so boring. - Of course.
I am so proud of you, honey.
What, why?
Oh.
I mean, that young kid was adorable.
But now, you're past the crazy phase.
You're with someone who's appropriate
who we can all hang out with.
Josh wasn't a crazy phase.
- Oh, stop apologizing. - I'm not.
You know, after the divorce, I kind of felt sorry for you.
But now, I'm jealous.
He's a keeper.
[ELEGANT MUSIC]
♪ ♪
[UPBEAT ROCK MUSIC]
♪ ♪
Ooh, look who's here.
Cinderella is back from the ball.
- Yeah, slippers intact. - How was it?
Uh, well, this about sums up the night.
Look who I ran into.
Oh, my God!
It's like "The Real Housewives of New Jersey."
Yep, my worlds are colliding,
and it all feels strangely... familiar.
I get it.
It's like you only had chocolate ice cream for 20 years
and then you got divorced and tried all these new flavors,
pistachio, guava, cookies and cream.
And now it's like you're with chocolate chocolate chip.
- But I like chocolate. - Sure.
Better than vanilla.
- [SOFT LAUGH] - Where you going?
Oh, I'm going out with Josh and Lauren.
- It's after 11:00. - Exactly.
Good night. Don't wait up.
Night.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
[DOOR SHUTS]
♪ ♪
- Hey! - Hey.
I haven't seen that beauty in a while.
Yeah, well you're not gonna be seeing her
much more after this.
I officially found a buyer for her.
What? Why? You love that bike.
Yeah, I kind of been rethinking my priorities
now that Gemma's around.
It's like, God forbid something happens to me,
then it directly affects her.
I get anxious even thinking about it, honestly.
Welcome to the rest of your life.
Hey, you want to go for one last spin?
- Huh? - [EXHALES]
I'm dropping her off to the buyer this afternoon.
I would love to, but I am slammed at work today.
She really is a beauty though.
Yeah, she is.
I got someone much more beautiful
in my life now though.
Yeah.
[UPBEAT POP MUSIC]
♪ ♪
[GASPS] Okay, Meghan Markle has nothing on you.
Well, aside from that royal redhead, that may be true.
What's the occasion? Wait, is there an occasion?
Of course there is.
I'm going to a christening this afternoon.
Enzo's niece. In Staten Island.
Wow, you are going to make quite the impression.
It's a low bar, Liza, but I try to lead by example.
Aw.
And finally, the book we're most excited about:
"Arabian Sea."
Basically it's "Master and Commander"
in the world of modern-day pirates.
We haven't had a good seafaring book in a while.
Mm, I think there may be a reason for that.
Well, with sea levels rising, it seems very relevant.
Is there a woman in the book?
At the moment, no, but we can discuss it with the writer.
You know what? Never mind. I'm sure I'd be
worried about her on the ship the entire time.
Either way, you don't want to pass on this one.
What do you think, Kels'?
You know, it's our first title together,
and I was really hoping for something...
sexier out of you guys.
Well, there is a sextant.
[SOFT LAUGH]
The real love story
is between the captain and the sea.
I'm sorry, it's a no for me.
You just want to kill everything, don't you?
I mean, what are we even doing here?
Oh.
[SOFT MUSIC]
Well, I'm just being honest like you said,
and it's not making me any friends.
Well, you did kill their entire slate.
Well, I'm looking for something romantic,
something commercial, like
a John Grisham or a Nicholas Sparks.
What if I told you that Charles does have a book?
It's totally on par with Nicholas Sparks.
It's set in the Hamptons, about a college kid
working on a lobster boat
who has an affair with a wealthy, older, married woman.
Now, that's interesting.
Why did Charles not pitch me that?
I'm not sure he even knows he has it.
I found the manuscript in some boxes
that got sent over from Pound Ridge.
Well, who's the writer?
How do we know that it hasn't already been published?
I checked. It hasn't.
Possibly because it's not finished.
You want me to consider an old, unfinished novel, Liza?
It's really commercial, and if you respond,
we can have Charles get back in contact with the writer.
Does he even know that you're giving this to me?
He doesn't even know that I found it.
Just read it.
And if you don't like it, don't mention it to Charles.
He doesn't need another pass.
[UPBEAT ROCK MUSIC]
♪ ♪
Welcome all to the baptism of Khloe DeLuca.
Now, through baptism God enables us
to participate in his life and purifies us from sin
and purifies us from sin.
You look beautiful.
Thank you.
I wanted to look nice for your family.
You knocked it out of the park.
At the very dawn of creation...
Are those, um, real bird feathers?
Oh, they better be.
And now, I ask the godparents,
Enzo DeLuca and Maria Battiata to join us.
You're the godfather?
Yeah. It's a big honor.
[QUIRKY MUSIC]
She's gorgeous, isn't she?
Oh, well, all babies are.
Waters of the great flood...
I guess.
I... I mean Maria, the godmother.
She and Enzo went out for a while.
I really thought they'd end up together.
Really?
What happened?
It almost hit the year mark,
and then, boom, Enzo's out.
Happens with all his girlfriends after a year.
It's his pattern.
He's like the George Clooney of the family.
Yes, well, George did eventually marry Amal.
[SCOFFS] Yeah, well, she's Amal.
♪ ♪
So that his son might be the eldest of many brothers...
♪ ♪
[SOFT GENTLE MUSIC]
♪ ♪
[KEYS CLACKING]
_
- [TEXT MESSAGE WHOOSHES] - _
♪ ♪
♪ We're living in a fantasy ♪
[GENTLE POP MUSIC]
[ENGINE REVVING]
♪ ♪
♪ We're living in a fantasy ♪
♪ Are we really free? ♪
♪ You gotta be you I gotta be me ♪
Charles, hey, before you leave.
I finally found a book that I'm excited about from you.
- Really? Which one? - Liza slipped it to me.
She found it in one of your old boxes from Pound Ridge?
Can I see that?
It reads like a more sophisticated Nicholas Sparks.
Can we find the writer and make a deal with him to finish it?
It's... really not something that I'm interested in pursuing.
[ELEVATOR DINGS]
[SCOFFS] As publisher, I am.
And as the author, I most certainly am not.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪ ♪
You didn't mention you dated the godmother.
Maria? That was a while ago.
Lasted about a year.
Well, I guess we have about four months left.
Excuse me?
Oh, according to your sister,
you have a year expiration date.
Let's get a picture.
We need to put the godparents together
close to the baby.
- Diana, come. - Ma...
Here.
See, the lighting is much better for you...
- Is it? - Here.
[QUIRKY MUSIC]
[SIGHS]
Everyone, squeeze.
- Oh, there's a bush here. - Squeeze, squeeze.
- [YELPS] - Hold on a minute.
Are you okay?
[GRUNTS] Fine, I'm fine.
Dolce, but I'm fine.
You know what? I'm just... I'm gonna go home.
No, no, come with me.
- No, she's gonna be next to me. - Enzo, stop, it's...
Enzo, these pictures are gonna stay in the family forever.
And, so I hope, will Diana.
- [CROWD GASPS] - Oh, marone.
Diana, will you marry me?
[UPBEAT MUSIC]
Is there... a ring involved?
I'm being spontaneous here.
Oh, what's the rush?
Let her think about it.
She can take all the time she needs.
♪ ♪
Yes.
[CROWD CHATTERING]
[CHURCH BELLS TOLLING]
Oh, God, it's so beautiful.
I love seeing the city like this.
Like, I know you're with him, but
I'm glad we can still spend time together like this.
Yeah, me too.
You know, I've been reading a book that reminds me of us.
Really? Tell me more.
It's about a younger man
who has an affair with an older woman.
Oh, an affair, huh? Sounds racy.
It actually is pretty sexy in parts.
Oh, I bet it is. [SOFT LAUGH]
So how does it end?
- Oh, that's a big question. - Mm.
The writer didn't finish the book.
I love it, like, the reader has to figure out
the ending for themselves, huh?
Yeah, it's like a "choose your own adventure" romance.
[TENDER MUSIC]
Well, how do you think it ends?
♪ ♪
I don't know.
Yeah, yeah...
[UPBEAT POP MUSIC]
♪ ♪
Wow.
- [SOFT LAUGH] Hi. - Hi.
[KISSES]
Where'd you disappear to this afternoon?
I was playing hooky.
I needed to cut loose for a few hours.
Mm, you mean you had to disappear
while Kelsey read the manuscript
that you found in my personal papers?
You were snooping.
No, honestly, the box, it just fell open...
and... and I read it and it was such a beautiful story and I...
Yes, I was snooping.
Liza, the summer I turned 21, I had an affair
with the wife of a famous author.
She was beautiful but dissatisfied.
She was always looking over her shoulder.
And she thought that a fling with a younger man
would make her feel young too.
And for a while, it was exciting for both of us.
It's the part you read.
You wrote the book.
- Everyone's got one novel. - Why didn't you finish it?
Because in the end, I realized it would hurt too many people.
Still, the writing was wonderful.
I'm not really a writer.
But I knew what it was like
to be that young, heedless man.
And I understood the mind of a woman in her 40s
who was bored with her life
and who needed his validation.
Charles!
Liza.
[SOFT CHUCKLE]
I really don't want to go to this party, do you?
[LAUGHS]
Can we promise each other one thing?
Of course.
That in the future, we never ever
do anything together we don't want to do.
[WALK THE MOON'S "ONE FOOT"]
Why wait?
Let's make a run for it.
- What? - Run.
♪ One foot in front of the other ♪
[LAUGHING] Oh, my God.
[LAUGHING]
♪ ♪
♪ One foot in front of the other ♪
- Synced and corrected by martythecrazy - - www.addic7ed.com -