ANNOUNCER ATTENDANT ATTENDANT_2 ATTRACTIVE_WOMAN BERKMANN DREW FEMALE_FAN_1 FEMALE_FAN_2 FEMALE_PASSENGER HARRIS JACKIE JAMES LIAM NINA REPORTER_1 REPORTER_2 SONG SOPHIE TABITHA TED LIAM "Eva knew this might be the last time she saw him... the last time she saw the man who had stolen her heart." LIAM Oh, Eva, you're killing me. FEMALE FAN 1 Ah! Gabriel August. I've already pre-ordered my copy. FEMALE FAN 2 I know! I set aside that whole weekend just to read it. FEMALE FAN 1 I'm almost as excited about the new book as I am about seeing his face. FEMALE FAN 2 I bet he's so handsome. LIAM I can't do it. I can't let the world know that I'm Gabriel August. JACKIE It's part of the deal, Liam. You knew that when you signed. LIAM Yeah, but I never thought the first book would actually be successful. JACKIE I did! Didn't I tell you it would be a best-seller? LIAM I just assumed you were being nice. JACKIE I've known you since you were born. I don't need to make nice. You can't stay anonymous forever. Readers form connections with the books they love. They want a relationship with the author. You're a success, Liam! Why can't you embrace it? JACKIE Oh, speaking of which, the manuscript for your next book is due, and I haven't seen any chapters. LIAM Oh... I've written plenty of chapters, and then... promptly thrown them in the trash. JACKIE Well, you are gonna have to find the inspiration somewhere, because you still owe Harris-Kingsfield two books. LIAM You're sure there's no way we can just get 'em to postpone the whole Gabriel August reveal? JACKIE It's been almost impossible holding them off this long. It's time. Why don't you go up to the cabin in Portland for a couple of weeks? JACKIE You wrote First Star of Evening there in less than a month. LIAM I wrote it as a joke. JACKIE You wrote it because Katherine broke your heart. Portland has always been a great place for you to get your center again. Just like it was for your parents. I remember when your mom told me they were buying a place up there. I thought they were crazy. So far from everything. But it became their little hideaway. Get out of town for a while. Clear your head. And get ready for the best chapter of your life. The next one is gonna be a great one. ANNOUNCER This will serve as the final boarding call for Flight 782 to Denver, and continuing on to Portland. SOPHIE I'm here! ATTENDANT Welcome aboard. SOPHIE Sorry. ATTENDANT Here, I'll take your bag. SOPHIE That cab driver dropped me off at the wrong terminal. I can barely walk in heels, much less run. ATTENDANT 1-C, right up here in first class. SOPHIE Are you sure? ATTENDANT Your upgrade went through. SOPHIE You're kidding. That never happens. ATTENDANT Must be your lucky day. SOPHIE Thank you. SOPHIE Hi. LIAM Hello. SOPHIE First class. I feel so special. LIAM They'll even bring you a glass of champagne, if you want. SOPHIE No. No. I... I shouldn't. Well, maybe just one. But I have lots of work to do, so don't worry, I won't be talking your ear off the whole time. LIAM Do you live in New York? SOPHIE No, I'm heading home. Portland. I was just in the city for a couple of job interviews. LIAM Ah. I hope they went well. SOPHIE We'll see. Everybody was really nice. Maybe too nice. I... It's just so hard to know what people are really thinking. I wish they would just say what they mean. Things would be so much easier that way. LIAM Not always. Sometimes the truth hurts. SOPHIE Hurts a lot less than lies. LIAM Sounds like the voice of experience talking. SOPHIE That obvious? ATTENDANT Champagne? LIAM Two. SOPHIE Definitely. LIAM To a great flight. SOPHIE With lots of fabulous legroom. LIAM You seem very focused. Is it good? SOPHIE It wants to be. If that makes any sense. LIAM The new Gabriel August? Thought that book wasn't out. SOPHIE Mm. I got an advance copy. You read Gabriel August? LIAM No, but I've heard of him. SOPHIE Yeah, you don't... you don't really seem like his typical demographic. LIAM So you don't like this one? SOPHIE No. I... I do. It's just his first book, First Star of Evening, was so good. LIAM Really? SOPHIE I-- I think the first novel was such a success because it was just so honest. You--you really felt like you knew those characters. LIAM Sounds like I should give it a read. SOPHIE Absolutely. Just... maybe skip this one. It's a little disappointing. It doesn't feel real. It's--it’s like he took the first book and stuck it in a blender and mixed it up and put a new title on it. LIAM Oh! That's harsh. SOPHIE I guess. I just... I hate to see such potential go to waste. Have you heard about this? He has this whole marketing gimmick. He's very mysterious. It's a little ridiculous. LIAM You think it's a gimmick? SOPHIE What else could it be? LIAM I'm sure he has his reasons. SOPHIE Whatever it is, I guess it's working, because along with every other woman in America, I am actually curious to find out who he really is. ATTENDANT 2 Ladies and gentlemen, the Captain has begun our descent into Portland, and we'll be landing shortly. SOPHIE Well... this has ruined me. I don't think I can go back to coach. SOPHIE I'm going to finish. LIAM Hey! SOPHIE Hey there. LIAM You look like you're in a hurry. SOPHIE Staff meeting at work. I'm barely gonna make it. LIAM Do you want me to help you with your bag? SOPHIE Looks like you're the one that could use the help. SOPHIE Oh... Sorry. I gotta run. It was really nice meeting you. LIAM Yeah. You too. SOPHIE Bye. LIAM It's not usually so jammed up at the taxi line. SOPHIE Just my luck. My boss'll kill me if I'm late again. LIAM I'm happy to give you a lift. SOPHIE My mom always told me never to accept rides in limos from strangers I met on airplanes. LIAM Your mom gave you very specific advice. LIAM Come on. It's got just as much legroom as first class. We can even split the tip, if that makes you feel better. SOPHIE I don't even know your name. LIAM Liam. SOPHIE Sophie. SOPHIE Well, I guess we aren't strangers anymore. SOPHIE So, you said you live in New York? LIAM Mostly. I like spending time in Portland, though. SOPHIE I love it here. What do you do? LIAM Um... freelance project consulting. LIAM So do you have any plans for tonight? SOPHIE Uh... actually, I do. My two best friends have their engagement party. Well, they were just friends for years. This whole falling-in-love thing has kind of came out of nowhere. It's taken a little getting used to. LIAM But it's a good thing? SOPHIE It's a great thing! SOPHIE Looks like the street's blocked ahead. I can't be any later. The office is only a couple of blocks away. I-I think I'm gonna hoof it from here. LIAM Oh. Right, okay. Well, if you ever w... SOPHIE Right! We were gonna split the tip. LIAM Oh, stop. Stop, stop. Stop. SOPHIE Okay, my friends are never gonna believe that I got to fly in first class and ride in a limo on the same day. Do you mind if I take a picture? LIAM Uh, no. Of course not. SOPHIE Thanks. LIAM Wait. My turn. SOPHIE Um… Well... bye, I guess. Thank you. LIAM Happy to help. SOPHIE Bye. LIAM I'll be right back. TABITHA How was New York? SOPHIE Actually, pretty good. TABITHA The job interviews went well? SOPHIE A couple of the magazines were interested. I'm just not sure I want to move to New York. TABITHA You may not have a choice. I don't know how long this paper's gonna survive. SOPHIE Really? What's going on? TABITHA Berkmann fired four more staffers while you were gone. SOPHIE He keeps getting worse instead of better. LIAM Sophie, who are you? NINA He's cute! Not as cute as you, of course, but he's definitely hot. Who is he? SOPHIE We sat next to each other on the plane, and then he ended up giving me a ride. NINA In a limo. DREW I can't believe you rode in a car with a guy you just met. SOPHIE He was in first class. How dangerous could he be? NINA So when are you gonna see him again? SOPHIE It wasn't like that. I don't even have his number. NINA Why not? Are you not into hot guys anymore? SOPHIE Okay. It's nice if a guy isn't too hard on the eyes, but that kind of thing being really important? Never again. DREW I wonder why was he in a limo. You think he's famous, or just rich? SOPHIE Neither. He was some kind of consultant. He's... he's just a regular guy. JAMES Hey, man. You want to play man coverage on the outside? Fine by me! Just don't be surprised if I shred the secondary. DREW Harris? You mind changing that channel? JAMES Heads up, St. Louis! You're next! Come next Sunday, we own you. There we go, eh, baby? HARRIS Good riddance. You were too good for that low-life anyway. NINA You okay? SOPHIE Sure. I love seeing my ex on TV screens everywhere I go. I also love having the whole world know that he cheated on me. But the thing that's so annoying is that I had no idea. I mean, how could I have had no clue? HARRIS He was a sneaky rat, that's why. SOPHIE So what am I supposed to do? Just assume that every guy I meet is lying to me? DREW Not every guy, just most of them. HARRIS You just gotta wait till the right one comes along. Trust me, you'll meet someone much better. NINA Maybe she already has. Limo Guy sounds interesting. DREW Honey, that--that's a terrible idea. She's just been through a big break-up, a public break-up. She should just take her time. NINA No! No way. Sophie needs to get right back out there and start dating. DREW No, she doesn't. NINA Yes, she does. SOPHIE Okay. Will you two stop? I will be fine. I would've preferred not to have the whole world read about my love life on practically every gossip website, but... that's what you get when you date a famous person. I promise you, though, I… I'm totally fine. HARRIS "Totally fine"? SOPHIE Well... I'm getting there. LIAM It's only been a few days. I'm really starting to get into it, though, get that old Gabriel August engine revved up and racing again. JACKIE So it's going well? LIAM Absolutely. Portland was a great idea. JACKIE Good. I was starting to worry about you. You haven't written a thing, have you? LIAM Why do you think that? JACKIE I changed your diapers, kiddo. Maybe you should shake things up a little, go out with friends, or on a date or something. LIAM Well, I did meet a nice woman on the plane. JACKIE Perfect! Call her up. LIAM I don't know her last name, and I have no idea where to find her. JACKIE Can't ever just do anything the easy way, can you? Oh! I changed the Gabriel August reveal to Jasper's Bookloft out there in Portland, so you won't have to fly back to New York for it. LIAM So this is really happening? JACKIE I'll be there. It'll be Liam and Jackie, just like always. LIAM But I'll be the one up there in front of all those people. JACKIE I know it's gonna be hard for you to let go of this Gabriel August mystique, but you can't keep leading two lives like this. This is a good thing. Have I ever steered you wrong before? LIAM Is that a trick question? JACKIE I'll call you when I get out there, and you can show me your town, Mr. Portland. Is it a date? LIAM Yeah. It's a date. JACKIE Bye. LIAM Bye. BERKMANN Well, as you've probably guessed, we got our new numbers back, and they're not pretty. Circulation is down 23% from the same time last year. So, going forward, I have it from on high that we need to spice things up. I need your pieces to jump off the page, get noticed. If you want to do a feel-good puff piece on a pee-wee baseball team, scrap it and find out when the Trail Blazers are firing their coach. They want us to make noise, get retweeted or Facebooked, or whatever the kids are doing these days. Books, movies, restaurant reviews-- nothing's just "okay" anymore. They're either fantastic or the worst thing you've ever seen. I'm talking extreme opinions. SOPHIE But you don't want us to write reviews we don't believe in, do you? BERKMANN Well, if that's what it takes, then yeah. It's how we generate web hits and subscriptions. Look, I don't love it, but it's the hand we're dealt. All right, I'll have new assignments for all of you in a few. Make me proud. BERKMANN Sophie. Got something for you that might be interesting. SOPHIE After your little speech, I'm almost afraid to ask. BERKMANN That review you're doing on Gabriel August's new book? SOPHIE I'm not gonna turn it into a hatchet piece just to get more tweets. BERKMANN I've got something even better. I just found out that Jasper's is hosting Gabriel August's little coming-out party tomorrow night, right here in Portland. I want you to cover it. We'll run it with the review. SOPHIE Wait. He's revealing his true identity here? Why Portland? BERKMANN It's your job to find out. JACKIE Deep breaths. This is a good thing. Once this is over, you can stop leading two lives. LIAM I'll never just be Liam Bradley. All everyone will care about is Gabriel August. That's who I'll be from now on. JACKIE It's going to be okay. I promise. And it's gonna feel so good to finally get this off your chest. Okay, I think it's time. We don't want to keep them waiting. I'm gonna go and make the introduction. You wait here, I point to you, and that's it... and the world meets Gabriel August for the first time. LIAM Okay. I'm as ready as I can be. JACKIE You're gonna be great. They're gonna love you. SOPHIE You should take that seat in the front. TABITHA Got it. JACKIE If I can have your attention? I think you're all about as excited to be here tonight as I am. With millions of books sold worldwide over the last three years, Gabriel August has touched all our hearts. He has made us fall in love, and he has made us cry. It's my pleasure to introduce to you the man behind these incredible stories. Ladies and gentlemen... please allow me to introduce you all to the writer you've come to know as Gabriel August. JACKIE I had a feeling I might find you here. This was always your favorite spot to write. LIAM I can't fool you, can I? JACKIE No. And you'd best remember that. JACKIE Liam, what were you thinking? I was standing there like an idiot, pointing at no one. LIAM I'm really sorry. I just... I panicked. JACKIE Your publisher is furious. They're threatening to release your name and information themselves. LIAM Well, they can't do that! JACKIE Well, they won't, not yet. I told them if they did, we'd sue them, and we'd make a big, ugly public spectacle. LIAM You must not be very popular over there. JACKIE It's not my job to be popular. It's my job to look after my clients, even the ones that make me crazy. More bad news. LIAM Mm. JACKIE One of the first reviews for By the Lighthouse. It's pretty disappointing. "Tepid attempts at conveying human emotion...” LIAM It's her! JACKIE Who? LIAM Sophie. The girl from the plane and limo ride. That's why she was at the bookstore! To write about Gabriel August. This is incredible JACKIE Incredible? I'd hate to hear what you think a bad review looks like. LIAM I-I gotta go! JACKIE Liam! JACKIE Liam! We still have to talk about rescheduling your reveal! JACKIE Li-- SOPHIE Oh, sorry. Liam? LIAM Sophie! SOPHIE Sorry. That--that was totally my fault. LIAM No, no. It was all me. They need to pass a "no texting while walking" bill, like New York. SOPHIE They have those there? SOPHIE Right. LIAM So where're you heading in such a rush? SOPHIE Home. I just got off work. I write book reviews for The Portland Record. LIAM Really? That sounds interesting. Look, I realize we just met, you know, again, but maybe you'd like to grab a bite to eat sometime? SOPHIE I-- That's really nice, but I have a lot of work to do. LIAM Aw, come on! You eat, I eat. Let's eat at the same table. SOPHIE Persistent, aren't you? LIAM Well, I'm usually not, but it seems like this might be worth it. One meal couldn't hurt, right? SOPHIE I suppose not. LIAM I think I'll take that as a yes. SOPHIE No way.... NINA So you just ran into him on the street? That's, like, fate. SOPHIE Okay, don't get carried away. But here's the interesting part. His parents are Devon Hillman and Helen Bradley. NINA The movie stars? You're kidding! SOPHIE No. NINA Are you sure? SOPHIE I saw a picture of him with them. NINA Well, that's why he rides in limos and flies first class. His parents were celebrities. SOPHIE He was just 19 when they died in that plane crash. NINA That was so sad. SOPHIE It was awful. Do you think it's weird that he didn't mention it? To hide something so important? NINA You hardly know him. Why would he tell you the most traumatic story of his life when you guys haven't even been on a date yet? SOPHIE I know. You're right. I mean, I'm just... NINA You're being paranoid, that's what. Not all guys are hiding things like James. You need to give Liam a chance. SOPHIE Oh! HARRIS Who's this Liam? NINA The guy that Sophie's going on a date with. SOPHIE It--it's not a date, it's just dinner. HARRIS Why are you holding back? You either like him, or you don't. SOPHIE I-I do like him. I just... I wish I knew him better. NINA Hello! That's what a date's for. To get to know somebody. SOPHIE I thought I knew James. HARRIS I never liked that one. SOPHIE That's right. You didn't. You guys knew there was something wrong before I did. That's how I'll know. I'll introduce him to you, and you can tell me what you think. NINA You want us to crash your date? SOPHIE Brilliant, right? HARRIS Yeah. Let me check him out first. SOPHIE Thank you. JACKIE Just because you don't answer the phone doesn't mean I'm gonna go away. LIAM I honestly was not trying to avoid you. Okay, maybe I was, but not for the reason you think. I was actually writing today. JACKIE That's great. LIAM Well, it wasn't great, but it was something, anyway. The words, they are coming, but I don't like them once they're on the page. JACKIE So kind of less of a writer's block issue, and more of a heart-not-being-in-it issue? And don't you look dapper? LIAM Yeah. I found her. Sophie. We're going to dinner. JACKIE You really like this girl, don't you? I haven't seen you like this in ages. LIAM Oh... You know, I felt something when I met her. Something strange. She's not like other women. She's interesting and... and unique. JACKIE And she tells it like it is, right? LIAM How did you know that? JACKIE I know you pretty well after all these years, honey. LIAM I feel nervous around her, but it's a good nervous. JACKIE Yeah, I'd be a bit nervous, too, if I was going out with somebody who hated my book so much. JACKIE She doesn't know? LIAM Ah. It really hasn't come up yet. JACKIE I'm going to let you get ready for your date, Liam, but please be careful. I worry enough about your ability to lead one double life. I don't think you have the heart for a second. SOPHIE Hi. LIAM Hi. These are for you. SOPHIE Thank you. They're beautiful. Come on in. NINA Hi! LIAM Um, hello. SOPHIE Uh, it was the strangest thing. I was getting ready, and-- NINA Drew and I were in the neighborhood and wanted to return a book to Sophie. This one. SOPHIE Where are my manners? Um, Drew and Nina, this is Liam. DREW No limo tonight? LIAM Uh, I have a car here in town. DREW So you have a place here and a place in New York? You don't really see that very often. Exactly what kind of consulting do you do? NINA Drew, you don't need to interrogate poor Liam here. DREW I thought that's what I was supposed to do? SOPHIE How about a glass of wine? NINA Wine sounds wonderful! And it gives us the opportunity to get to know a little bit more about Liam here. LIAM Great! DREW So how long were you in Guayana? LIAM I did the full two-year volunteer rotation. It's really an amazing country. NINA That must've been tough, though. LIAM Volunteering was the hardest thing I ever did, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. SOPHIE Wow. You're full of surprises. NINA Well, this has been fun. We should all go out when we have more time. LIAM Absolutely. And Drew, I'm going to hold you to your offer to play hoops. I'm no LeBron James, but maybe a Dwayne Wade. DREW All right, but I will warn you, once I lace up, I'm more like 6'6" with a 40-inch vertical, so. NINA Have fun tonight, kids. SOPHIE Bye! And thanks for, um, bringing the book back. SOPHIE I think they liked you. LIAM Well, that's great, but they're not the ones I'm trying to impress. SOPHIE I like you too. LIAM Now, that's what I like to hear. You ready for dinner? SOPHIE I have the perfect place. SOPHIE I was surprised. Nina and Drew and I have been friends forever. LIAM So what made them start to date? SOPHIE Actually, I think they'd been in love for years, but they were both just so afraid of ruining the friendship that they never gave it a chance. HARRIS How's the cobbler? SOPHIE Mm! Wonderful, Harris. As always. LIAM Everything is delicious. HARRIS You mean that, or are you just saying what you think I want to hear? LIAM No, it was really good. SOPHIE Oh. Sorry. I've got to take this. Work. HARRIS So, Liam... you ever been married? LIAM Um, no. HARRIS Why not? Something wrong with you? SOPHIE So no alarm bells went off for either of you? NINA We loved him. Even Drew, who was prepared to duke it out with him beforehand. How's dinner going? SOPHIE We're having a nice time, but he still hasn't mentioned his parents, and he keeps changing the subject every time I bring up his work. NINA Give him time. How's it going with Harris? SOPHIE It doesn't look good. Maybe I shouldn't have left him alone. NINA Well, let me know how it goes, 'cause he seems really great. SOPHIE Bye. NINA Bye. HARRIS That's her recipe for peach cobbler you're eating. LIAM It's the best I've ever tasted. Honestly. SOPHIE Am I interrupting? HARRIS Not at all! Come. Sit. I was just telling Liam here the story of Lola and why I named the restaurant after her. SOPHIE I thought you didn't like to talk about that. HARRIS Well, the story's not for everyone, but Liam here seemed to understand. LIAM I'm sorry you lost her so soon. HARRIS Well, it's better to have loved and lost and all that, right? I like to think she's here with me every day. Nice to meet you, Liam. LIAM You too. HARRIS The next time, you've got to try the chocolate mousse. It's not to be missed. LIAM Can't wait. LIAM What? SOPHIE Wow. He must really like you to open up about Lola. LIAM Is that a good thing? SOPHIE Yes. It's...a great thing. NINA Harris actually liked him? SOPHIE Loved him. NINA Sounds like he passed your little test, right? With flying colors. SOPHIE But he still won't talk about his work. Or his family. It's… it’s like he's an open book about some things, and then completely mysterious about others. NINA It sounds like the problem isn't him, it's you. SOPHIE What are you talking about? NINA I get that you have trust issues. Who wouldn't in your position? But you need to be careful not to project your stuff onto Liam. It's not fair. SOPHIE Okay, well, what about just-- just one more test? I felt so much better after he met you guys last night and you liked him. NINA Sophie. SOPHIE Okay, just hear me out. I want to see him at work, just find out what this whole consulting thing is all about. I mean, what could it hurt? Come on! LIAM Can't talk now. Finally in the zone. JACKIE Thrilled to hear it, but we still need to meet to go over the details of the rescheduled reveal. LIAM Today's not good. JACKIE So today at 1:00, at the River Village Restaurant, I've booked a lovely outdoor table. You can walk over from the marina. LIAM Can't we do this later this week? JACKIE See you at one. LIAM Hey! I was going to call you, but didn't want to bother you at work. SOPHIE I was worried about the same thing. I'm not interrupting, am I? LIAM Not at all. Really enjoyed last night. SOPHIE Me too. I-- What was that? Are you-- are you at the marina? LIAM Uh, yeah. I'm, uh, meeting a client at River Village Restaurant at 1:00, a business meeting. SOPHIE A client? Um, that's good. LIAM Maybe we can figure out a time to see each other again. SOPHIE Yeah. I'd like that. Um, I've got to go. Bye. LIAM Bye. JACKIE So I've rescheduled the reveal for Friday at 6:00, and I will handcuff you to me if I have to. LIAM It's such terrible timing. Sophie and I are just starting to get to know each other. JACKIE You haven't told her, have you? LIAM Once she finds out I'm Gabriel August, that's all I'll be to her. That's all I'll be to everybody. JACKIE How can you know that, if you don't trust her enough to tell her the truth? LIAM Well, you know how it was with my parents. People treated them differently because they were stars. LIAM Oh, no. This is not happening. It's her. JACKIE She's pretty! SOPHIE Hey. LIAM Sophie. This is a surprise. SOPHIE I-I was, um... covering a story just around the corner, and I remembered you saying you were having lunch here, so-- LIAM So you just stopped by? SOPHIE That's weird, isn't it? It was all very spontaneous. Um... I'll leave you to your lunch. SOPHIE You're Jackie Billicks. JACKIE Yes. SOPHIE The literary agent. JACKIE Oh, um, I have to say, I-I'm not used to being recognized outside of New York. SOPHIE I saw you speak in 2011 at the Brooklyn Publishing Symposium. You… you were so inspiring. LIAM Jackie, this is Sophie Atkinson. JACKIE It's wonderful to meet you, Sophie. SOPHIE I actually write book reviews for The Portland Record, and I probably owe you and Gabriel August a bit of an apology. My review wasn't very favorable. JACKIE No apology needed. You were just doing your job. SOPHIE I can't believe you didn't tell me you knew Gabriel August's agent. It's great to meet you. I'll let you two talk. JACKIE Oh, no, no, no, no, no. This is just a social call anyway. Please join us. Please. SOPHIE Oh... SOPHIE Thank you. JACKIE I keep telling Gabriel that he'll feel better if he tells the world who he is, but men, you know? So stubborn. SOPHIE But-- but it is really happening? JACKIE Oh, yeah. Next Friday. If I have to drag him kicking and screaming. SOPHIE Okay, at the risk of sounding like a teenager, what is he like? JACKIE Well, he's, uh, smart. Quite smart, when he wants to be. He is genuinely talented, he's very handsome. He's also obstinate, he's private to a fault, and sometimes he exhibits the same amount of judgment as my beagle. SOPHIE I felt bad, writing the review I did, but the truth is, I really want his next book to be great, like the first one, and maybe not having secrets will help. Maybe his next book will be his masterpiece. JACKIE I hope so, Sophie. SOPHIE Well, I've got a deadline that needs some love. Jackie, I'm so glad we got the chance to talk. JACKIE Same here! And next time you're in New York, give me a jingle, we'll have lunch. SOPHIE I would love that. I will see you later? LIAM I can't wait. I'll call you. SOPHIE Okay. Napkin... LIAM Wow... Thanks for that, Jackie. JACKIE You need to tell her, before this-- whatever this is between you two-- goes any further. LIAM Well, it's easier said than done. JACKIE I never said it was gonna be easy. SOPHIE It's so beautiful down here. I never think to do this. LIAM I come here every sunset. Helps clear my head. It's one of my favorite things about the city. SOPHIE Why Portland? I have a feeling you could be just about anywhere right now. LIAM Oh, yeah? Well, I could ask you the same thing. SOPHIE Portland's my home. LIAM The truth? SOPHIE The truth. LIAM I spent some time here as a kid. Always loved it. LIAM What? SOPHIE I… Okay, I'm really bad at this, but I have a confession to make. LIAM Oh. Good confession or bad confession? SOPHIE I actually know who you really are. LIAM Oh, I see. You're not mad at me? SOPHIE Why would I be mad? LIAM Because I didn't tell you the truth. SOPHIE You're entitled to your privacy. I imagine growing up with famous parents must have been hard. LIAM You meant my parents. Right. Yeah, it was complicated. Life in the spotlight can be rough. SOPHIE Believe me, I know. LIAM Yeah? SOPHIE I had a bad experience dating a famous person. Actually, we were engaged. It ended a few months ago. LIAM Engaged? SOPHIE I probably should've mentioned it earlier. LIAM No, not at all. Were you okay? SOPHIE It was hard at first, but I'm much better the last few days. LIAM I'm glad to hear that. I know what it’s like to go through something in the public eye. SOPHIE That’s right. Your parents’ accident. I’m so sorry. I can’t imagine what that was like. You were just a teenager, right? LIAM Yeah, I was in my first year at Berkley. Dropped out after the accident, just wandered around for a while. SOPHIE Is that when you volunteered? LIAM Yeah. I needed to find things to keep busy. Traveled all over. Since then, I’ve lived in New York, Lisbon, Miami, Austin, even on a trawler for a few months. SOPHIE That’s amazing. I’d love to see the world. I… I’ve lived in Portland my whole life. LIAM You’re lucky. It’s a great place to live. SOPHIE Yeah. I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately. One of the magazines I interviewed at in New York asked me to come work for them. LIAM That's a big change! SOPHIE Well, I may not have a choice. It seems like the Daily's days are numbered. LIAM Aw, it sounds like a great opportunity. SOPHIE I was thinking of it more as a huge disaster. LIAM Well, I just mean, you know, it gives you a chance to figure out what it is you really want to do. Maybe make a change if you want. Sometimes I'd give anything to just start over. SOPHIE This is me. LIAM You know... you're really easy to talk to. SOPHIE Not always, but... it's easy with you. SOPHIE Thank you. LIAM For what? SOPHIE I don't know... just being Liam Bradley. NINA Wow, if I weren’t already engaged to Drew, I might have to fight you for this guy. SOPHIE He’s kind of perfect. There must be something really terrible about him, right? NINA Would you stop? No man is perfect, but maybe he’s perfect for you. SOPHIE I want to believe that. NINA Then do. SOPHIE I’m trying. I’m just having a hard time being able to trust anyone again. NINA I know you got a raw deal, but you have to be careful or you’re going to end up losing Liam now because you’re too worried about losing him later. SOPHIE Yeah. John, if you have time, I'd love to meet. I-I have some ideas about a website, and I need some tech advice. Tuesday's perfect! See you then. TABITHA You should come. it's so much fun. LIAM I'm afraid I'm not much of a dancer. TABITHA Mm, I'll give you a few pointers. You'll be an expert by the end of the night. And remember, 8:30. It's called Frankfurt, over on Burnside. Hope to see you there. Nice to meet you. LIAM You too. SOPHIE Hey! TABITHA Oh, hi! You just missed this totally gorgeous guy. SOPHIE Did I? TABITHA I think he liked me, but who knows? It's so hard to tell sometimes. But I asked him out! Do you think that was too forward? SOPHIE I don't know. What did he say? TABITHA I didn't give him a chance to say anything. I hate being rejected. Guess I'll find out tonight, huh? Come on. Berkmann'll kill us if we're late. SOPHIE Hi. Uh, I... wasn't sure if you would call tonight. LIAM I stopped by your office earlier. I thought you might want to grab lunch. SOPHIE Oh, yeah? Um, sorry I missed you. It sounds like you're in the car. Are you going somewhere special tonight? LIAM Uh, no. Just clearing my head. I'm actually way behind on this project. I'll probably spend most of the night working. SOPHIE Working? That doesn't sound very fun. LIAM Yeah, not looking forward to it. But we're still on for tomorrow, right? SOPHIE I guess. If you still want to. LIAM Of course I do. I'll see you then, okay? SOPHIE Okay. Bye. LIAM Bye. SOPHIE Working all night, huh? He could've just told me. TABITHA Sophie? SOPHIE Oh. You're not... This isn't-- TABITHA This is my friend Peter. What are you doing here? SOPHIE Good question. SOPHIE I felt like the world's biggest jerk. I should've trusted Liam. NINA You're not the world's biggest jerk. DREW I mean, there have to be at least two bigger ones. SOPHIE You--you were completely right. This was just about me being scared. DREW Hey! Don't beat yourself up too much. Nobody blames you for being careful about who you date. NINA But eventually you need to take a leap of faith and jump back in. SOPHIE And that's exactly what I'm gonna do. I'm seeing Liam tonight. I am just going to come clean about everything and tell him the truth. DREW You think that's a good idea? SOPHIE What kind of relationship can I hope to have if it starts out being dishonest? NINA Are you sure this doesn't fall into the "what-he-doesn't-know-won't-hurt-him" category? DREW We just don't want to see you get hurt again. SOPHIE I need to do this. JACKIE You have to tell her the truth. LIAM I am tonight. JACKIE How are you going to do it? LIAM I'm taking her to the cabin. I'll tell her there. I just hope she doesn't freak out. I mean, if she thinks I've been lying to her this whole time-- JACKIE Stop. Liam, you're doing the right thing. Look at the bright side. This will make your big reveal a whole lot easier, one way or another. And I'm proud of you for doing that, too. LIAM Not like I have much choice. JACKIE Okay. Hugs. Like the good old days. LIAM Mm. I'll let you know how it goes. JACKIE Yeah. I'll be thinking of you, kiddo. Good luck. SOPHIE It's so cozy. Makes me want to curl up with a good book and a glass of wine. LIAM I always came here with my parents. Do you have one of those spots where you go to and you just feel safe? SOPHIE Forest Park. There's this old wooden bridge surrounded by trees. When I get stressed, I just stand there and listen to the water, and all the troubles melt away. It's a magical place. LIAM It sounds wonderful. SOPHIE Everybody needs some place to escape to. LIAM Exactly. That's what it's like for me out here. Dinner awaits. SOPHIE It's beautiful! I didn't realize you were such a romantic. LIAM Ah, I didn't either. SOPHIE This is delicious. LIAM Mm. I can't cook to save my life, but I am fantastic at ordering well. LIAM Uh, look, there's something important I need to tell you, but I'm not really sure how to say it. More couscous? SOPHIE I'm fine. LIAM Right. Uh, all right, uh... The thing is, when we first met, I didn't think things would progress so far. SOPHIE Liam, wait. Before you say anything, I... I have to tell you something. I... haven't been totally honest with you. LIAM You haven't? SOPHIE Remember how I told you I recently went through a bad break-up? LIAM You're getting back together with him. SOPHIE What? No! Absolutely not. Never. I-I just... The whole thing actually hit me a lot harder than I admitted. He was a professional athlete, and the break-up was very public, and... pretty humiliating, honestly. My terrible love life went viral. LIAM That must've been awful. SOPHIE Yeah. A word of advice-- never date a famous person. I won't make that mistake again. The worst part, though, was that... this man that I thought I loved ended up being someone completely different than I thought he was. I guess I just lost my ability to trust men. And so when I met you, I was like, "Wow, too good to be true," and so I've kind of been giving you little tests just to prove that you aren't... too good to be true. LIAM Tests? SOPHIE Yeah. This is embarrassing. I... My friends interrogating you. Me dropping by during your lunch with your client. I kind of arranged those things just to help myself make sure that this was real. Oh! And the girl you met in front of my office, Tabitha, we actually work together, and I overheard her asking you out. LIAM You're the only woman I wanted to go out with. SOPHIE I know that now. And I should've trusted it from the beginning. I'm so sorry, Liam. I don't know what else to say. LIAM So that's it? That's what you haven't been honest about? SOPHIE You hate me, don't you? LIAM Sophie, I don't hate you. I'm falling in love with you. SOPHIE Okay. That went better than I thought it would. SOPHIE I feel so much better having that out in the open. I've been so nervous all night. There was something you wanted to say to me. LIAM What? Oh. Oh, nothing. SOPHIE Are you sure? I'm so sorry. I feel like I kind of hijacked your moment. LIAM Ah, it's not important. More wine? SOPHIE Please. I can't wait to see what's for dessert. LIAM What was I supposed to do? JACKIE You were supposed to tell her the truth. LIAM Well, this athlete she was engaged to broke her heart, and half the country was talking about it. She swore she'd never date a famous person again. What do you think she's gonna do when she finds out who I really am? I can't just dump all this on her. JACKIE You've run out of time. The reveal is tomorrow night. LIAM Well, then, let's postpone it. JACKIE We can't. LIAM Get me a meeting with the publishers. I'll find a way to change their minds. JACKIE It won't be easy to convince them, Liam. LIAM Well, I'll find a way to convince them. I have to. SOPHIE They can't do that. BERKMANN Unfortunately, the suits call the shots, and they can do whatever they want. SOPHIE But just to cut all the book reviews? That--that doesn't even make any sense! BERKMANN They want more space for video games and movies. They're even making me create a whole new section on celebrity gossip. Book reviews just don't have enough juice these days. SOPHIE Look, I have been a team player, Phil, covering music and movies, whatever you needed, but you know the book reviews are what I love. That's the reason I came to the Daily. BERKMANN What can I tell you, Sophie? It's a business. SOPHIE Lots of people read books! I mean, sure, it's a changing industry, but-- BERKMANN No more book reviews. I wish it was different. SOPHIE Then I don't know if I can stay. I need to figure out what it is I want to do. BERKMANN Well, that's a decision you're gonna have to make. But make it quickly. I got a paper to run. SOPHIE So you don't think it's a stupid thing to do? LIAM Not at all, but it's a big step. SOPHIE I'm terrified. But I think it's what I want. You were right, that's what's important. LIAM It sounds like a good plan. SOPHIE I'm gonna go with my gut. I guess it worked with you yesterday. LIAM That's right. Look, I-I found out that I have to go to New York for a meeting tomorrow, so I'm a little frazzled. I fly out in a couple of hours. SOPHIE Wait. New York? Why? LIAM Just a contractual thing I need to address, but I have to do it in person. SOPHIE How long will you be gone? LIAM Just overnight. I'll be back tomorrow. SOPHIE Well, do you think you might be up for a date night tomorrow night? LIAM How about an early dinner? Say, 5:30? SOPHIE Sure. I'm down for the Early Bird Special. Have a safe flight. Okay. Bye. LIAM Bye. NINA That sounds so romantic. Dinner by candlelight? SOPHIE Yeah, it--it was. He told me he was falling in love with me, and then we kissed. NINA Wow! SOPHIE And you want to know the best part? I trust him. NINA Oh yeah? SOPHIE Mm. Not a he-passed-the-test kind of trust, a trust where I want to kick myself for having ever given him a test in the first place. I never thought I would feel like this about someone again, but he just keeps surprising me. NINA This is so great. I'm so happy for you. SOPHIE He's on a trip to New York for one day, and I already miss him. What am I in, high school? NINA You are in love. SOPHIE Oh. Okay, enough about my love life. I have something I want to show you. I put it together last night, and you have to promise me that you will be nice. NINA "RivetingReads.com." What is it? SOPHIE My new business. HARRIS Your new business? What about the paper? SOPHIE Well, Liam said something to me the other day about following my dreams and doing what I want to do, and I think this might be it. NINA This is so fantastic. SOPHIE I have a meeting with my editor later, and then it goes live. HARRIS Looks like Liam's good for you. NINA Mm-hmm. JACKIE So how are you holding up? LIAM I'm nervous. JACKIE Yeah, so am I. LIAM You're not supposed to admit that to me. JACKIE Liam, I'm not gonna sugarcoat this. These people are sharks. And I don't even know if they care enough to do what you're asking. LIAM So expectations are low. All right, then. TED Liam, Jackie. It's great to see you both. Hey, are you as excited about the new sales as we are? LIAM Um, yeah. TED Yeah. You should be. Please, have a seat. So... what can we do for you? LIAM First off, thank you so much for your time. TED Anything for one of our favorite authors. LIAM I'm not so sure how to put this, but for some personal reasons, um... I'm asking that you reconsider having me reveal myself as Gabriel August. TED Uh... you do know the reveal is scheduled for tonight? LIAM Oh... I know, and I'll eventually go through with it, just not tonight. I give you my word. TED Well, we don't really need your word, Liam. We have a contract that guarantees it. LIAM Right. I just need you to delay the reveal a few more weeks. JACKIE Liam's not being unreasonable. He's just asking for more time. TED Jackie, he has already canceled once. This has all been timed to the release of the new book. We've built a marketing approach, not to mention a substantial amount of effort and money, around revealing Gabriel August's identity. JACKIE And obviously, once that happens, the demands on Liam's personal life are going to be extreme. LIAM I just need a few more weeks. That's all I'm asking. JACKIE Liam. They won't do it. I'm sorry. I fought for you in there, but the machine is just too far along for them to stop it now. The reveal is on for tonight. LIAM I'm really starting to hate Gabriel August. JACKIE You need to talk to Sophie. LIAM I'm meeting her for dinner tonight at 5:30. JACKIE That'll be cutting it close. LIAM We'll make it. JACKIE Okay. JACKIE Okay, so are we clear on the plan for later tonight? LIAM Jasper's Bookloft, 7:30. JACKIE Actually, make it 7:00, so my blood pressure doesn't get too high. LIAM I'll be there. JACKIE Bad news? LIAM She's got a work meeting. She just canceled dinner. JACKIE What are you gonna do? LIAM Find her. I have to tell her before I make the announcement. JACKIE It'll all be okay. Mwah! You call me! Let me know how it goes. SOPHIE It's Sophie. Tell me what's on your mind after the tone. LIAM Hey, Sophie. I got your text. I'm back in town. I really need to talk to you, like, right away, face-to-face, so call me the second you get this, okay? BERKMANN I know, but if he said it was background, you got to keep his name out of it. That's Journalism 101. Yeah. Okay. Okay, let me know how it shakes out. Sorry I couldn't fit you in earlier. I had to keep a reporter from getting sued. What's up? SOPHIE I wanted to let you know that today is my last day. BERKMANN Your last day? So you're leaving the paper? SOPHIE I'm starting my own website. One where I get to do the kind of reviews that I want to do. BERKMANN Can you make a living doing that? SOPHIE Well, it may take me a few months to get enough advertisers, but... I'm going to give it a try. BERKMANN Well, I hate to lose you, Sophie, but I have to admit, I'm a little jealous. Having the freedom to write about the things you love sounds like the perfect job. SOPHIE So you're not angry? BERKMANN I hope whatever you do next makes you happy. SOPHIE Thank you for everything. BERKMANN Don't suppose I could talk you into showing your gratitude by giving me an article on the Gabriel August reveal tonight? SOPHIE I can't. I'm already covering it for my own website. LIAM Call Sophie. SOPHIE It's Sophie. Tell me what's on your mind after the tone. LIAM Hey. It's--it’s Tabitha, right? TABITHA Oh! Hi. Hey, you kind of stood me up. LIAM Actually, to be fair, I never said I was going to meet you. You work with Sophie Atkinson, right? TABITHA You know Sophie? LIAM Yeah, is she here? TABITHA She was, but she just quit. Cleaned out her desk about 20 minutes ago. LIAM Do you know where she went? TABITHA Jasper's, to find out who Gabriel August really is. LIAM Thanks. LIAM Come on... LIAM Come on. LIAM No. LIAM Call Jackie. JACKIE Where are you? LIAM I'm on my way. Meet me at the back door of the bookstore in 5 minutes. JACKIE Okay. JACKIE What is going on? LIAM I can't go through with it. JACKIE Why? LIAM Because she's here. JACKIE Oh, you didn't tell her yet? LIAM I tried. I called, I texted, I went to her work. She's out there. I can't let her find out along with everyone else. JACKIE Take a deep breath. I will handle this. Stay here. JACKIE Hello, Sophie. SOPHIE Hi, Jackie! How exciting is this? JACKIE Oh, yeah, very, and a little terrifying too. SOPHIE I--I can imagine. Is he going to show this time? JACKIE He's already here. SOPHIE It's really happening, then? JACKIE Oh, I'm presuming you're here to cover this for your paper? SOPHIE Not exactly. I'm not with the Daily anymore. I'm actually here covering it for my own website, which just went online. JACKIE Congratulations. SOPHIE Thank you. JACKIE You let me know if I can help in any way. SOPHIE Thanks. I… I may hold you to that. JACKIE In fact, um, how would you like to scoop your old paper? SOPHIE What are we talking, exactly? JACKIE Um, how about the first real exclusive interview with the real Gabriel August himself? LIAM I never meant to hurt you. No. I never meant to mislead you. I hope that we can-- SOPHIE Liam? What are you doing here? Oh, my gosh. You are not gonna believe-- Gabriel August will be here any minute to chat with me. Jackie got me an exclusive! LIAM I'll be quick. I just need to say what I wanted to tell you earlier. Actually, it's what I've wanted to tell you for a long time. SOPHIE Liam-- LIAM No. When we first met, it felt a little like someone had punched me, you know, but--a good way. There was something about you. You made me feel good. And the more time we spent together, the more I wanted to tell you what I needed to tell you now, but it just kept getting harder to do it. SOPHIE Liam, what--what’s going on? LIAM You're the first thing on my mind when I wake up in the morning, and the last thing I think about when I go to sleep, and you're in there a lot in between, too. So, um, although it's... way past the time I should have told you this, here it goes. That crowd is here for me. SOPHIE For you? LIAM I'm Gabriel August. SOPHIE And I'm J.K. Rowling. Nice to meet you. JACKIE We don't want to keep you waiting in suspense any longer. Ladies and gentlemen, in a minute, it will be my pleasure to introduce to you, for the very first time, to the real man behind Gabriel August. LIAM I'm sorry. I didn't want you to find out this way. SOPHIE That's crazy to hear. You're serious. LIAM I wanted to tell you before. I should have. I never meant to hurt you. I promise. SOPHIE How could I have missed this? LIAM Sophie, please. SOPHIE How many lies were there? Y-your consulting job. Jackie Billicks being your client. Can you even keep track? I can't do this. LIAM No, please, just let me explain. Please talk to me. LIAM Sophie, I love you. SOPHIE I need to leave. LIAM I wanted to tell you. I swear. JACKIE Here he is... Liam Bradley! SOPHIE I can't believe I let this happen again. SONG Seems you're a magnet for tragedy HARRIS So, Sophie, how are you holding up? SOPHIE I'm fine. Really. HARRIS So you keep saying. SOPHIE The new website is keeping me super busy. DREW I still can't believe he was lying to you all that time. HARRIS I can't believe I didn't see it. I mean, I told the guy about Lola. You don't think he'll put that in some book one day, do you? SOPHIE He's probably forgotten about us already. He's got plenty to keep him busy these days. NINA I'm not saying that what he did was okay, but I can sort of understand it, given the circumstances. DREW Honey, you can't be serious. For all we know, he was just using her to get a good review. NINA Or maybe he wanted her to get to know him as a normal person, not some celebrity author. HARRIS I-I don't know what to say. I really liked Liam. Not too often I'm wrong about people. SOPHIE It's not your fault. It's nobody's fault but my own. HARRIS I'll bring you a slice of Lola's cobbler. That always makes things a little better. SOPHIE Thanks. NINA Look. I know it's been really rough, and if I were in the same place, I can't say that I'd feel any differently, but it's hard for me to believe that he didn't truly care about you. SOPHIE I'm not sure what to think anymore. But I--I do know one thing. I can't go back to this. Whatever we had, it's over now. DREW You sure you don’t want to come see the movie with us? I’ll buy the popcorn. SOPHIE No, I’m going to head over to Forest Park, clear my head a little. I really appreciate you guys taking care of me. I know I haven’t been much fun lately. DREW Whatever you need. We’re here. NINA I’ll call you tomorrow. I love you. SOPHIE Love you. Bye. LIAM Hi. SOPHIE I'm guessing this isn't a coincidence. LIAM Well, I remember you telling me how much you love Forest Park. That it was magical... your place to escape. And... Nina told me. But don't blame her. I called and practically begged her to help me out. I just wanted to talk to you before I go. SOPHIE You're leaving? LIAM Going back to New York. I can't be in Portland without you. But I've been thinking a lot lately about how things went with us, and... SOPHIE And what? LIAM We both made mistakes. We each came into this a little broken in some ways. But we both know we've never felt this way about anyone before. If you can find a way to forgive me, I know we can work past this. SOPHIE I do forgive you, Liam. LIAM So you'll give us another chance? SOPHIE Part of you belongs to the world now. Whether you like it or not, they're always gonna be there. I did that before, and you know how badly it ended. LIAM I'm not him. I'm Liam Bradley. And I love you. SOPHIE Don't. I'm sorry. I--I can't do this again. LIAM On that plane when we first met, you told me that First Star of Evening was good because it was honest. SOPHIE I--I probably said a lot of things. I'm sorry if I was-- LIAM No. No, you were right. I've spent the last few years pretending that I wasn't Gabriel August, that I was better than that, that I was meant to write real novels about people's real lives. But what's more real than a love story with a sad ending? LIAM I should go. I have a plane to catch. Goodbye, Sophie. FEMALE PASSENGER Don't close the door! I'm here. LIAM One moment, he was alone and lost... and the next... she was there, filling the empty seat beside him. ATTRACTIVE WOMAN Oh, my gosh! You're Gabriel August, right? LIAM Close enough. ATTRACTIVE WOMAN Do you mind signing something for me? LIAM Happy to. LIAM You're gonna miss your cab. ATTRACTIVE WOMAN Oh, there'll always be another one. LIAM I think you're gonna like it. I know I do. JACKIE That's the first time I've heard you say that. This isn't Vienna Sunset! LIAM No, it isn't. JACKIE And you've put your name as the author! LIAM Noticed that, did you? JACKIE I know I'm not gonna like the answer to this, but what happened to Vienna Sunset? LIAM Kindling. JACKIE Liam! What have you done? LIAM What I should've done before, written something that's honest and real. A book that I believe in, one that I am proud to put my name on. JACKIE So I can see we're gonna go a few more rounds with Harris-Kingsfield. LIAM You up for it? JACKIE Ha! Nothin' I like better. LIAM I, uh, I can't wait for you to read it. JACKIE I love seeing you like this. Excited and passionate. It's been a while. LIAM I feel great, you know? Well, as great as I can. I feel good about the work. JACKIE No word from Sophie? LIAM No. JACKIE Well, give her time. Anything's possible. LIAM You really think so? JACKIE I do. LIAM Well, I better get rolling. Let me know what you think of the book. JACKIE You know I will. JACKIE Hey, hon. Cancel all my appointments today. And book me the first flight out to Portland. Oregon. Thanks. JACKIE Thank you. SOPHIE I'm pretty sure the plural of "goose" is "geese." TABITHA It's not gooses? SOPHIE You'd think so, but alas. TABITHA You're the boss. SOPHIE How long until The Broken Truth Chronicles review is done? TABITHA Mm. You can't rush genius. SOPHIE So how long until The Broken Truth Chronicles review is done? SOPHIE Jackie. JACKIE Hello, Sophie. SOPHIE This is such a surprise. JACKIE I don't want to take up much of your time, but do you have a minute? JACKIE This is really impressive. SOPHIE It's a labor of love. I've been working a lot more than I did at the paper, but I like my boss better. JACKIE You okay otherwise? SOPHIE It took a while, but... I think I am now. I feel good. JACKIE I'm happy for you. SOPHIE It's great seeing you, Jackie, but I am guessing there's a reason you flew all the way out to Portland. JACKIE Liam is still in love with you, Sophie. SOPHIE Wow! You don't beat around the bush, do you? JACKIE Well, I think it's best to say what I mean, and I think you, of all people, would appreciate that. SOPHIE Did Liam put you up to this? JACKIE Oh, he’d kill me if he knew I was here. SOPHIE How's he doing? JACKIE Better. The first few months were difficult. It was a lot to get used to. SOPHIE I can imagine. Women must've been throwing themselves at him. JACKIE There was only one woman whose opinion mattered, and she wasn't in New York. SOPHIE Why are you here, Jackie? JACKIE Liam misses you a lot. And I'm guessing that you miss him just as much. And... I thought you'd want to see this. SOPHIE What is it? JACKIE His new book. SOPHIE Really? A new Gabriel August book? JACKIE A new Liam Bradley book. The first, actually. SOPHIE Return to Forest Park. JACKIE He took your advice, he wrote something honest, something he believes in. His book speaks from his heart. And he dedicated it to... someone very special to him. Take care, Sophie. TED We finally put a face to Gabriel August... and now you want to kill him off? JACKIE Oh, I wouldn't put it quite that way, but, um, yeah, that is precisely what we want. TED The book that he was contractually obligated to give us is not a Gabriel August novel. JACKIE Actually, if you look at the contract closely, I think you'll find that Liam Bradley owes you a new book, not Gabriel August. TED Gabriel August is Liam Bradley. Liam. Where's Vienna Sunset? LIAM The ashes might still be in the fireplace in Portland. JACKIE I don't think it's gonna do you much good. But we think you are gonna love Liam Bradley's new book. LIAM Ted, I understand this is a business, and your profit is the bottom line, correct? TED Correct. LIAM Then I hope we have some good news for you. JACKIE You know I'm a fan of test-marketing my clients' new books. To be perfectly blunt, I found Liam's new book emotional and incredibly gripping. So I commissioned a market evaluation research, and the results are in your hands. It achieved the highest rating of any book they've ever tested. TED You know, market research doesn't guarantee success. JACKIE It's the book business, Ted! There is no guarantee of success. But this is as close as it gets. LIAM It comes down to this. Gabriel August as we all knew him doesn't exist anymore. Liam Bradley does. And to be honest, I feel like I'm just getting started. I want Harris-Kingsfield along for the ride, but one way or the other... I'm still moving forward. SOPHIE I'm sorry. HARRIS No, it's okay. SOPHIE I feel like it's all my fault. If I hadn't introduced you to Liam, you never would've told him about Lola. I can't believe he wrote this in his book. HARRIS It's okay. SOPHIE No, it's-- it's not. HARRIS Sophie... I told him it was okay. Liam called me. He asked my permission. SOPHIE He... You talked to him? HARRIS He's a good man. I know you two had your problems. He's a decent guy. He... made me look handsome and sexy, like I told him to. SOPHIE How could he not? HARRIS So? How is it? SOPHIE It's beautiful. And smart, and funny, but so sad. Uh... It's Liam. HARRIS When you were going out with James, I kept my mouth shut. Figured you knew what you were doing without my help. SOPHIE You couldn't have been more wrong. HARRIS Well, I don't pretend to know much about relationships. I only loved one woman in my life. SOPHIE You found your one true love. HARRIS I know that now. But when Lola and I were together, it wasn't always so clear. Loving someone's the hardest work there is. Oh, I messed up plenty, so did she. We disappointed each other sometimes, we said things we regretted later, but... we never let that keep us apart, no matter how bad things seemed at the time. It wasn't true love because it was easy. It was because we worked at it. We fought for it. SOPHIE What am I supposed to do? HARRIS You're the only person that can answer that. JACKIE So? Do I finally have a happy author? They're all out there for you. The real you. LIAM Thanks to you. You made all this happen. JACKIE Well, that's sweet, but this had very little to do with me. Your parents would have been so proud. LIAM You think so? JACKIE I know it. So, do I have to drag you kicking and screaming out onto the stage again? LIAM No. This time, I'm actually looking forward to it. Shall we? JACKIE Let's go knock 'em dead, kiddo. JACKIE Thank you for coming out. Thank you. I know this is a little unusual, but we have some wonderful news to share with you today. You recently met this gentleman as the author behind the Gabriel August novels, but today, we're here to talk about an exciting new direction. I'll let him tell you all about it. Ladies and gentlemen, Liam Bradley. LIAM I love writing. From as far back as I can remember, I was scribbling things down. I've been very fortunate to find people like you who actually want to read what I wrote. But for too long, I've stayed in the shadows. Well, I'm happy, and... actually pretty nervous... to say that those days are done. My new book is called Return to Forest Park, and as you can see, the only name on it is mine. Yes, sir? REPORTER 1 So, are you just continuing the Gabriel August romances under a new name? LIAM Not at all. There is some romance in it, but this book is different. It's more a novel of discovery, about a man finally finding himself. REPORTER 1 Is it autobiographical? LIAM I refuse to answer that on the grounds that I may incriminate myself. Let's just say it's honest. Yes, Miss? REPORTER 2 Does this mean you've walked away from your deal with Harris-Kingsfield? LIAM No. I'm thrilled to be staying under the Harris-Kingsfield umbrella. They've been incredibly supportive, and I look forward to a long future together. SOPHIE Mr. Bradley, it sounds like Return to Forest Park is more personal than your previous novels. LIAM It does. I've learned a lot over this past year, and I hope that shows in this new book. I'd say it's the most personal book I've ever written. SOPHIE It must be hard, being thrust into the spotlight like this. Are you worried that it might change you? LIAM Change isn't always a bad thing. I know I've been changing a lot lately. Sure, all this is challenging, but I've finally learned to be comfortable in being Liam Bradley. And what you see is what you get. SOPHIE Can your fans count on that? LIAM My fans can rest assured that I would never do anything to hurt them. SOPHIE Because some of us still have deep-seated trust issues that we're working through. LIAM And I'd like to help with those any way that I can. SOPHIE Are you sure you're up for it? LIAM Absolutely. SOPHIE It may take a while. LIAM That's fine by me. 'Cause I hope to spend every day for the rest of my life showing my fans just how much I love them. JACKIE You want to get your camera ready. I think you're gonna want to get a shot of this. SOPHIE Speaking as a big fan myself... that sounds like a wonderful new chapter. LIAM Don't worry about them. All that matters is right here. JACKIE Woo-hoo!