“No.”
“What do you want?” He hissed. “Fifty-fifty?”
Never in my life did I think I would turn down $250,000, especially not for something I’d had fun doing in my spare time. But then again, there were lots of things I didn’t think would happen before today.
Ben couldn’t contain himself now.
“I’ll—tell people that you helped me write it. That you’re too shy to take any credit.”
He would have done anything to stop me; I could see it now. If I hadn’t been stuck in a confined space out at sea with all these fancy people, I might have actually been scared for my life.
“Too shy to take credit?” I let out a bitter laugh. “AndI’mthe crazy one?”
I wasn’t shy. The worst you could accuse me of was to have played my life on the safe side. Of wanting health insurance and stashing money away for a rainy day. I’d gone for the squeaky-clean guy with the good family, the stable relationship. I’d taken the first job that fell into my lap because I was good at it. And yes, it felt daunting to think about what Ireallywanted to do with my life. Because if I did, I might have to acceptthat I couldn’t get it. So what if I’d tried to protect myself?
“Take the money, Marnie,” Ben said. “Stop being so fucking principled about everything. Where did that get you?”
“It got mehere!”
But even as I said it, it didn’t feel true. Ben had taken a risk. He’d brazenly gone after what he wanted. He’d stolen and lied, yes, but that was because he’d wanted to succeed so badly that he was willing to do what it took to get it. If I hadn’t watched him relentlessly pursue his dreams all these years, I might have never showed my work to anyone. I might have kept it in a folder on my computer forever. When all was said and done, Ben was still better than me. Because his efforts had gotten him here, on the actual guest list. Unlike me.
And he was offering me a huge amount of money. Carmen would definitely fire me as soon as she found out I’d crashed this party. I’d be unemployed by the end of the night. A quarter of a million dollars would last me a long while. I could do what that producer had suggested and try to write another screenplay. I could live a very different life. The kind of life I’d never thought might be possible. The money would make up for everything I’d lost over the last few days: my boyfriend, my trust, everything I thought I’d been building all along. It would give me comfort, safety.
“No,” I said. “It’s my work. I’m not going to let you get away with this.”
Ben shook his head. “It’s done, Marnie. My agent’s negotiating the terms with Dorian Fisher’s people as we speak. So unless I drop dead in the next couple of hours, this is happening, whether you like it or not. And if you try to stop it, we’ll both lose everything.”
“Watch me,” I said.
I pushed through the crowd before Ben could respond. I was going to tell Dorian Fisher everything. I was determined, even if my attempt withOdetta Olson had failed. That was different. She was only looking out for herself. But Dorian Fisher was a true professional with an amazing track record and a thriving production company. If I showed him proof thatI’dwritten the screenplay, he’d buy it fromme. If he’d offered that much money to Ben, then surely he would offer the same to me. A little voice inside started whispering all the ways this could crumble, but I tried to squash it.
This wasn’t the time for doubt.
But it crept in anyway.
What if Ben was right? What if I didn’t have what it takes? And maybe he didn’t have the talent, but he had the drive. The guts. He’d followed through. I kept walking, but my determination evaporated a little more with every step. The women here were all beautiful and accomplished, their jewelry dazzling in the night. I was the plain girl who wore tiny little silver hoops because they went with everything. I made the safe choice, always, down to my earlobes.
Even Lou and Constance were a lot more successful than me. So maybe I hadn’t stolen anything, but if anyone on this yacht was a fraud, it was me.
In the end, I never reached Dorian Fisher. I never got to tell him anything. I never passed go, and I definitely didn’t collect the $500,000.
As to whether I’ll get to skip the jail part, I guess the jury’s still out on that one.
Lou
After all these senseless parties, all these fake people who wouldn’t know good cinema if it hit them in the face, I suddenly felt the urge to be alone.
I wandered off the main deck, where the music was pumping, and headed downstairs into the living quarters. Down a long hallway, I paused to look at the pictures hung on the wall. There were mostly artistic photographs in black and white, a series of moody landscapes and patches of sea.
Farther in, there was a small group of women whispering between themselves. I turned around and went off toward the other end of the deck. As I approached, I could see that there was a bar in the back, shelves upon shelves of expensive liquors. There must be a similar setup on the other levels, because this one was clearly not used for the party.
But when I got closer, I realized it wasn’t completely deserted. A woman was standing against the counter, staring into a glass of whiskey. She wore a silver floor-length gown with a plunging neckline that reached her belly button. Her hair was secured in an elaborate updo. I didn’t fully recognize Odetta Olson until she looked up, her eye makeup so pronounced it made her sizzling brown eyes look like bullets.
“I’m sorry,” I stammered.
For all my desire to confront her, I wasn’t sure I had it in me. Especially not now that she had one arm wrapped around her waist, her shoulders slumped, almost like she was in pain.
She looked up. “What are you sorry for?”
