Lights, Camera, Passion!

Chapter 6: Let's Do Lunch

Earlier that morning--while Casey was still sleeping, blissfully unaware of how much unexpected attention her interview had gotten--Grayson paced Mr. Rotwang's office, a corner suite on the 23rd floor of the network building in nearby Burbank.

"Okay," Grayson said, revving himself up for his big pitch. Only this wasn't a normal pitch. This was more like an anti-pitch. He wanted to talk Mr. Rotwang out of something.

Mr. Rotwang, a middle-aged business man with a taste for fat cigars and fatter profit margins, waited patiently, albeit skeptically, behind his mahogany desk.

"Here's the thing," said Grayson. "I don't know the London market. While there's obviously some crossover appeal, I'm not up on the local audience taste clusters, the demand analytics, the engagement metrics."

"You'll learn, my boy."

"It's never been my intention to leave California. My whole life is here."

"And now you'll start a new life," Mr. Rotwang said. "You're young. Adventurous. This is the perfect time for you to be globe-trotting."

"Trotting the globe is great, love it, but you're talking about me moving to London permanently."

"Oh, it's no so bad over there."

"London is a fine city," Grayson said. "That's not the issue."

"And it's not as if you have anything else going on right now."

Grayson stopped pacing. "Sir, I've got several projects in development--"

"None of which will be green lit," said Mr. Rotwang.

Grayson paled. "What?"

"I spoke with Head of Programming, Florence Rao, and she said they're going to pass on all of six of your projects."

Grayson couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Even the one that follows the hottest graduates of clown college?"

Mr. Rotwang steepled his fingers. "Grayson, both your mother and father were giants in the industry. I can sympathize with growing up in the shadow of someone else's massive success, you know that."

"Sure." Grayson swallowed with a dry throat, feeling the weight of an axe coming down.

"There's nothing harder than getting out from under that shadow, and becoming your own person with your own legacy."

"I've been working my ass off for you, Mr. Rotwang."

"And no one can take that from you, my boy. But one also can't ignore the fact that you haven't produced a single hit in your eight-year tenure with the network."

Grayson raised a respectfully disagreeing finger. "'EDM Island' got really good numbers in the midwest--"

"Our London studio is a talent incubator," Mr. Rotwang said. "A year in the program and you'll be in a far better position to spot the projects with the most potential, and get them off the ground. Grayson, I don't want you to think of this as a demotion."

"Though I will be working at a lower level, and for less money."

"Yes, naturally."

"Can we just... rewind a bit? Start over, take it from the top?" Grayson rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Let's pretend this meeting just started, and I came to make one pitch."

"Grayson--"

"If you pass on it, then I'm on the very next flight to Heathrow. Hand to God. But if you like it..."

A pained expression washed briefly across Mr. Rotwang's features. He caught himself, but it was too late. Grayson had seen.

Mr. Rotwang felt guilty, for he'd been a friend of the Tremaines since Grayson was running around with a Kool-Aid mustache. He sat back in his Corinthian leather chair. "Let's hear it."

"Okay," Grayson said, revving himself up. The anti-pitch had failed. Now, it was time for the real deal. "Okay, you see the story this morning about the b-movie actress?"

"The poor young woman who wants to marry herself?"

"Interesting story, right?"

Mr. Rotwang chortled. "I thought it was insane."

"Hashtag 'selfie-wedding' has been trending like crazy all morning. People want to know more. Outside of some horror fans, not many people know who she is. I want to get a camera crew on her, let the world into her life. We'll follow her as she does exactly what she promised: plan and hold a wedding to herself."

Mr. Rotwang's lip twitched. It was very nearly a smile.

Feeling the fish on the hook, Grayson leaned forward. "And how about this for a question: What does a bridezilla do when there's no groom to beat up?"

The old man thought it over. "And you think you can convince her?"

Grayson smiled. "I'll get her to sign the contracts over lunch. "

***

A few hours later, Casey approached an outdoor bistro in Beverly Hills.

The traffic was light. The heat was dry. Another beautiful Hollywood afternoon with blue skies and golden sunshine all along the way.

Casey spotted Grayson a moment before he saw her.

He sat back, his arm draped lazily over the empty seat beside him, watching people walk by.

Casey's insides did a loop-de-loop, but there was no time to stand and stare.

Grayson finally saw her. His eyes lit up. A grin played at his lips.

Raising her chin, she projected all the dignity she could muster, and went to him.

He stood, offered his hand in one fluid motion. She took his hand. His grip was strong, firm, protective. Every inch of him was sturdy, reliable. Though she wanted to hold on longer, she gave his hand a single, friendly pump, and released him.

"Thanks for coming." His smile was slightly off-center, a beautiful flaw.

"Sure thing."

With a tip of his head, he motioned her to the chair across from him. They sat down.

"Well, here it is," he said. "A second take for our first meeting."

"There are no second takes." Once the words left her mouth, she realized this was becoming something of a mantra.

"Of course there are!" Grayson grinned. "There's always a second take to get something right. That's what takes are for. "

"Not on the projects I work on. We've got one shot to get things right, and that's it."

He grinned. "Then you should come to work for me."

Casey didn't say it out loud, but this was her first time "doing lunch" in Beverly Hills. Most of her business meetings took place in apartment clubhouses, buffet joint parking lots, and once in a bowling alley.

"So, I saw the stories about you," Grayson began.

"Yeah?" Casey inspected her hand. "I don't know if I woulda said any of it if I'd have known so many people were gonna have opinions about it."

"No, I think it's brave."

"You do?"

Grayson nodded, and sat forward. "It's just like you said, love's a sucker's game. It's rigged, and we've all been going about it the wrong way anyway. Looking for one perfect soul mate, blah blah blah."

Casey frowned. "I don't think I said any of that."

"But looking out for number one." Grayson nodded. "Now that's the way to go."

"I'm not really sure that was the point I was trying to make--"

She was interrupted by four male voices shouting in unison, "Ya two-balled son of a b***h!"

A table full of well-dressed businessmen. They were all staring at Casey.

She smiled and waved at them. "Killed it, bros."

The businessmen all started high-fiving each other.

Grayson's expression became stormy. He was deciding whether or not to get angry. "What did those men just call you? Were they insulting you? Should I go over there and... have a word?"

Casey shook her head. "Nah, don't sweat it. They were just showing some love."

"Love." Grayson's use of the word dripped with skepticism.

Casey shrugged. "I mean, yeah okay, he whiffed the line. It's 'son of a two-balled b***h,' but what are ya gonna do?"

"Wait." Grayson snapped his fingers. "Those are your fans!"

"The best in the world."

"See?" said Grayson. "That's what I'm talking about."

"I can't remember, what were we talking about?"

"You and your fans. They love you. I think you owe it to them."

Casey shook her head. "Sorry, what do I owe?"

Switching gears, keeping her off balance, Grayson said, "I'm not going to London, because I'm producing a new reality show."

"Very cool!"

"And it's about you."

Casey froze. "Say what now?"

"You've gotta know your story's trending. But did you know your movies' streaming numbers are already skyrocketing? And this is just the first day! Imagine what tomorrow will bring?"

Casey shook her head. "No idea."

And that was the problem. She should've known. Problem was, she was in between agents. Weird thing about agents--she seemed to get them easily enough, but then she lost them just as quick. Something about how she wasn't taking enough risks. She wasn't sure. Her ears tended to ring loudly while she was being dumped.

Grayson said, "I'll tell you exactly what tomorrow will bring: the first shooting day on the series that will follow you every step of the way as you make preparations for, and hold, the perfect wedding ceremony with yourself. So, what do you say? Wanna make a show with me?"

Casey didn't even have to think about it. She said, "No. God no. Hell no!"