Brief

Mike Elliot, a Chicago relationship coach, is intrigued when he has a powerful dream featuring a beautiful woman. When he meets Dorothy, he is certain she is his soul mate but, although she feels the same, she knows romance will distract from his desire to build a global business. In the end, Dorothy turns out to be a spiritual mentor and Mike finds his true love in his PR assistant, Meher.

What We Liked

Is there a journey, a lesson, a message? Is it the adventure, the characters, something else that is interesting? Please do not answer this as a question. This should be written as a pitch to sell the story.) Mike is a relationship coach who goes on his own personal journey, torn between wanting true love and knowing that a relationship will distract from his desire to build a global business. He’s an easily relatable character who will make readers think about their own choices in life.

Film: There isn’t really enough substance to justify a full-length feature film. The story is too small and the narrative about Mike becoming a successful businessman isn’t very cinematic.

TV: Men, in particular, seem to have a hard time handling business and romance at the same time. Although Mike does put his relationship aside to concentrate on work, it brings up a lot of good questions about work/life balance, wrapped up in a romantic drama.

Key points: The dream sequences showing Mike’s longing for love. His trip to exotic Peru. Dorothy’s magnetic and wise personality. Meher adds an ethnic vibe to the story. Mike ends up winning both success and true love.

Synopsis

Chicago, present day. MICHAEL ELLIOT (mid-late 30s), a relationship coach specializing in young people, wakes from a dream about meeting a beautiful blonde woman by the sea who tells him ‘get ready to discover your true destiny.’

Michael flies to Lima, Peru, where he’s been invited to meet with ANDREW SMITH (60s), an eminent relationship guru with a global following. Sadly, he is dying of cancer and has chosen Mike to be his ‘suitable inheritor’. In his art-filled apartment, he tells Mike how he got into the coaching business. He was a busy exec at an ad agency and had just hired PR exec DOROTHY PARKER (mid-late 30s, blonde) who seemed much calmer and wiser than most of his business colleagues. She told him: ‘Pursue your passion, work with your intuition, learn as a child and adapt as water. It’s always the most flexible people who are the happiest.’

Inspired by her, Andrew decided to quit his job and start a magazine about relationships. He hired Dorothy as his editor-in-chief. It was clear he was very smitten by her but they never actually dated. Shortly after, Dorothy moved to Peru and refused to answer his emails. Andrew has always wondered what went wrong between them.

Mike goes to a sea view restaurant for dinner and can’t help overhear a man asking an attractive blonde woman for dating advice. To his shock, he realizes this is Dorothy and their meeting seems like fate. Is she the woman from his dream? He invites her to lunch, not yet telling her about Andrew but trying to get more info on why she stopped working with him.

Although she’s not looking for a relationship, Dorothy feels a connection with Mike and meets him again for dinner. He admits that he wants to be more famous and eminent as a relationship coach, a household name, and he believes he needs a strong woman partner to support him. Mike finally tells her about meeting Andrew and reveals that he’s dying. Dorothy is devastated and bursts into tears. Mike comforts her and takes her back to her apartment where they end up consummating their mutual attraction with a night of passionate sex. Mike truly believes he’s found his soul mate.

But next morning, Dorothy has gone, leaving a letter for Mike in which she tells him that although she’s very attracted to him, a relationship will detract from him focusing on building his career. She will love him from afar and they will always be connected. Mike shows the letter to Andrew who is grateful he’s found Dorothy. He is admiring that she sacrificed a potential relationship so that Mike can succeed in business.

Mike returns to Chicago energized to expand his company and hires top PR executive MEHER GANDHI (Indian, early 30s). Over dinner, Mike senses that she is ‘hiding a wound’ and gets her to open up about her personal life. She reveals that she was very hurt when her boyfriend in India lost his job and she supported him in starting his own successful business, only for him to
become arrogant and controlling, even hitting her. Meher is grateful to Mike for listening and is able to let go of the past.

Over the next year and a half while working together, Mike and Meher become really good friends. It’s obvious she’s fallen for him but she knows his heart is with Dorothy. Meher helps Mike expand his work, getting him interviews on TV chat shows and a two-million-dollar book deal. He decides to write about his own life, and meeting Andrew. He keeps Dorothy out of it, not wanting to intrude on her need for privacy. The book is called ‘The Suitable Inheritor’ and it’s a hit.

Mike calls Andrew to give him an update on his success, only to learn that he died the week before. He is devastated. Meher comforts him. Mike receives Andrew’s last letter, thanking him for reuniting him and Dorothy in his final days. Meher finally loses patience waiting for Mike and comes on to him one night. Mike realizes he’s in love with two women and has passionate sex with Meher. However, he’s hurt when she decides to return to India: she can’t face being around Mike and Dorothy. Although he understands, Mike is saddened by their painful separation.

Now that he’s achieved the success he wanted, it’s time for Mike to be with Dorothy. He flies to Peru without calling her first, and she is delighted to see him. However, after he catches her up on his life, she can see clearly that he loves Meher and that she is in love with him. Once again, she tells Mike that she (Dorothy) can’t be with him. They are spiritual soul mates who will always love each other but Meher is his true love. She tells him to close his eyes and remember his dream. This time, he sees that the woman’s face is Meher’s!

With Dorothy’s blessing, Mike texts Meher and tells her not to get on a plane for India. He loves her and is ready to be with her. Meher is thrilled! Her dream has come true.

About The Author

The author has written two successful relationship coaching books, with an emphasis on helping younger people. He was raised in India and became a professional writer, marketer, consultant and entrepreneur in the States. His Eastern spiritual heritage mixes well with Western concepts in understanding human behavior.