Landon nodded; of course he understood.
A hundred and twenty thousand dollars wasn't much for a big production like A Beautiful Mind, but for a newcomer it was already pretty good.
More than the paycheck, what Landon cared about most was the influence this film could bring.
'I understand, Tracy,' Landon said sincerely.
'Landon, don't worry—I'll definitely fight for better roles…' Tracy shifted, naturally drawing him into her arms so he lay against her shoulder like a big sister comforting her little brother.
Her cheek pressed to his, warm breath brushing his ear, instantly thickening the air in the car with intimacy.
Landon could smell her familiar perfume and feel her quickened heartbeat.
He could still sense Tracy's restraint, and though he liked her too, Rachel's shadow left him unsure how to untangle the knot.
So they held each other in silence for a few dozen seconds, the danger and desire rising between them.
At last, as if it had cost her every ounce of strength, Tracy abruptly let go, sat upright, and clenched the steering wheel until her knuckles whitened.
Eyes fixed dead ahead, she didn't dare glance at Landon again—she could feel herself teetering on the edge.
She drew several deep breaths, fighting the surge inside her, her voice turning husky: 'I—I'll drive you back. I'll text you later with the times and places for the 24 hours and ER interviews next week.'
She feared that if they stayed together a moment longer the thin paper screen between them would be torn to shreds, and this clearly wasn't the right time.
Landon sensed her restraint once more and simply nodded. 'All right.'
He despised his own hesitation—reborn in open-minded America yet always forcing the woman to make the first move; a disgrace to every reincarnator.
Tracy drove smoothly back to his apartment building.
This time she offered no flirtatious gestures; the instant Landon stepped out she sped away as though fleeing.
Watching the car disappear, Landon stood in the sunlight, filled with regret—guilt over betraying Rachel, uncertainty over what to do with Tracy.
Yet the heavy, complete script of A Beautiful Mind in his hand brimmed with limitless Hollywood promise.
He looked forward to sparring with Oscar-winner Russell Crowe—sparks would fly and he could learn from the master.
And he could hardly wait to meet one of his youthful dream-lovers from his past life—the black-haired, blue-eyed, uniquely alluring Jennifer Connelly.
He remembered that in that previous timeline Paul Bettany, who played Charles, had met and fallen for Jennifer Connelly during A Beautiful Mind and eventually married her.
He had no extra designs for now; his emotional debts were already a mess, and he hadn't figured out how to untangle them.
Landon turned and strode back into his apartment.
24 hours, also called 24 hours Hours, was directed by Stephen Hopkins, best known for Star Trek.
Its star, Kiefer Sutherland, had been memorable in his past life for the sniper in Phone Booth—never seen on-screen, only in the credits—and the Canadian's 1991 romance with Julia Roberts had been pure melodrama.
In 1991 Julia won a Golden Globe for Pretty Woman.
Her love life mirrored the movies: engaged to Kiefer that year, she impulsively called off the wedding three days beforehand.
Years later Kiefer told the press, 'We truly loved each other, but Julia was arguably the most famous woman on earth and we feared the ceremony would become unbearable.'
They never reunited; two years later Julia married a country singer.
Time slipped by, and soon the 24 hours audition arrived.
Morning light poured through the windshield onto Landon and Tracy as they drove to the interview.
The air between them felt thicker now; since signing A Beautiful Mind their unspoken attraction had deepened.
Tracy kept her eyes on the road while stealing glances at Landon, who sat with his own closed in the passenger seat.
He wore the charcoal suit she'd chosen for him, the cut emphasizing broad shoulders and a narrow waist—steady yet a touch wild.
Landon kept his eyes shut because once Tracy buckled in her curves became a breathtaking landscape he feared might make his nose bleed.
Seeing his forced solemnity, Tracy felt smug, yet remembering their near-kiss that day her own cheeks warmed.
'We're early; I'll grab us coffee.' She checked the time and pulled smoothly to the curb outside a convenience store.
'Want me to come?' Landon opened his eyes; the morning sun turned them a brilliant blue.
'No, rest a bit longer—I'll be right back.' She smiled, stepped out, and clicked toward the store in her heels.
He watched her slim figure disappear inside, then pictured the terrorist cell-leader he would audition for—cruel, fanatic, ruthless.
Inside, Tracy bent before the cooler, picking out coffee.
The store was empty except for a young Store Clerk yawning behind the register.
As she lifted two lattes and walked to pay—
Ding!
The door burst open.
A man in a dark stocking mask, eyes and mouth exposed, barged in, clutching a black pistol.
'Nobody move—robbery!' the masked Robber rasped, voice warped with nerves.