“We can completely wait!” RJ blustered, although I suspected he’d expected Janice to drop to her knees and worship him for his greatness.
Janice turned to me. “And it was nice to meet you, er …”
“Lucie Clifton,” I enunciated as clearly as possible, shaking her hand firmly. I’d not said a word during the pitch but had observed with delight as Sadie and RJ sold the script I had slogged my guts out on for the past few weeks. It hadbeen a masterclass in pitching, a vision of what my future could be.
“A pleasure. Artie will see you all out.” Janice gestured at her assistant, a lanky guy in an ill-fitting suit.
“Your next appointment is already here,” Artie told Janice as we filed out of the swanky hotel conference suite.
“Great, let’s get to it,” Janice said. “Take care, everyone.”
As Artie led us down a hushed corridor, my hackles rose. For some strange reason I knew exactly who would be waiting to meet Janice even before I rounded the corner into the lobby. I let Sadie and RJ walk ahead. Sure enough, Ralf stood there, immaculate in a navy suit, his blond hair coiffed back off his forehead. He greeted RJ and Sadie with a supercilious grin. When he saw me coming up the rear, his smile dropped minutely, but was soon back in place.
“I suppose I should congratulate you,” Sadie said to him stiffly. “One week out of RJF and you’re already pitching to studio heads?”
Ralf arched an eyebrow. “Good to see you too, Sadie. And, yes, already. Surprised?”
“More like impressed you have something already in place,” Sadie said. “Funding and all, agreements as well as the creative? In one tiny little week.”
“You always did underestimate my moxie,” Ralf said.
“Not at all.” Sadie’s voice was like steel.
“Yeah, well.” Ralf made a strange expression that I couldn’t quite place. Self-conscious? Anxious? It was uncharacteristic at any rate. “Something fell into my lap, and I guess the stars aligned.”
RJ was less magnanimous. “I think it’s shitty. Where’s the loyalty?”
Ralf turned cold blue eyes to RJ. “I worked for you for the best part of five years, and you only approved my producerpromotion when I sorted out the tax breaks onAll Kinds of Killing. Honestly, I’m a chump for hanging around as long as I did.”
Sadie’s eyes flickered with emotion but, to her credit, she didn’t show it. “Well, we have places to be,” she said graciously.
“Of course. Anyway, I’ll see you tonight,” Ralf said.
“Tonight?” Sadie exchanged glances with RJ.
“You think I’m giving up my invite to theKillingpremiere?” Ralf said with a snort. “Not on your life.”
An awkward Artie cleared his throat. “Mr. Fisher, we’re ready if you’d like to come back.”
Ralf nodded at him, then turned his gaze to me. “And look at you.”
“Me?” It was hard to meet his eye. I couldn’t stop hearing the jingle of his belt from the other night, the way he’d begged Vivian to come back to his apartment.
“Joining studio pitches, after only a few weeks in the company,” he said coldly. “Good for you. No Elliot, I see?” He cast what was almost a hopeful gaze around the room.
“He’s busy directingWoodstock.” I took satisfaction from the displeasure that crossed Ralf’s face.
“An interesting development.” Ralf straightened his jacket. “Well, good to see you all.” He turned to leave, then stopped. “May the best pitch win.”
“The smug little turd!” RJ bellowed as we exited onto Fifth Avenue in the mid-morning sun.
“Don’t let it get to you,” Sadie advised.
“It’s bad enough he quit with one week’s notice,” RJ growled. “But to potentially undermine our chance to get my script made?”
“RJ, our movie will get made,” Sadie said. “Even if Janice doesn’t pick it up.”
“That snot was a mediocre nepo hire when I met him,” RJcarried on, oblivious to the stares of people around us. “I only took him on because of his dad. Gave him a break. And now look!”
