“I didn’t know!” he said. “Vivian was so upset about her job and RJ really screwed her over—”
“Noah, you idiot!” Riley took my side. “Vivianmanipulatedyou. She knew you’d do anything for her, and you helped her steal Lucie’s work!”
Noah buried his head in his hands, apologizing over and over. But I couldn’t spare him any grace. For the last couple of years, I’d poured every hour of my limited free time into that pitch, sacrificing sleep, time with friends, all to create something that I knew could make a name for myself. “How do … What do I do now?”
“Did you, like, register it or anything?’ Riley said. “Did you buy the option to the book?”
“No, I didn’t have the money to option it. My deck waswatermarked, I thought that would be enough,” I moaned. “How could they do this?”
“They’re entitled shits,” Riley said. “They don’t care who they trample on.”
“I’m so sorry, Lucie,” Noah said. “It was only when I saw her walking in on Baldemar’s arm that it all fell into place; she used me.”
Riley laughed bitterly. “Yeah, well, love makes you do stupid shit.” She turned to me. “What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know.” Fury rendered me immobile. I knew I needed to dosomething, but what?
“Could RJ help?” Riley suggested. “Throw yourself on his mercy. Maybe he asserts ownership to get Vivian and Ralf to back off. Technically, legally, it does belong to RJF. But if what Ralf pitched was different enough from your document, then I’m not sure that would work anyway.”
“There has to be another way,” I said. “I delete the file from my work laptop, RJ doesn’t need to know.”
“I won’t say anything,” Riley assured me. “I mean, I’m no lawyer or intellectual property expert, but if you want to claim copyright of an idea to stop Ralf and Vivian, it might be tricky to do so without RJ’s help.”
“I really am sorry,” Noah said, his eyes raw.
I couldn’t do more than give him a tight nod. The guy was a moron, lovely as he was. He had a girl like Riley in love with him, yet he’d sold his morals for an ounce of flattery from the likes of Vivian. I buried my face in my hands. If Janice decided to proceed with Ralf’s pitch, how on earth would I prove it was actually my work? Riley was right. If RJ asserted RJF ownership of my pitch, it might be enough to get VLV Ent to back off. But I’d have to trust RJF would then relinquish said ownership back to me. I didn’t know what else to do, but I wasdamned if years of work was going to be claimed by someone else. RJ was a creative; surely he’d understand.
I scanned the party for him, sighing with relief when I saw him near the door that led back into the ‘Killer Plants’ exhibit. I glanced at my watch; I had five minutes until I needed to drag Sol out of the party to get to her car to the airport. I hobbled my way through the crowds, groaning when I finally made it to where I’d seen RJ, only to find he’d vanished. But I was just in time to see the exhibit door swinging shut. I somehow managed to reach it before it slammed and slipped in after him.
If it was possible, the hothouse was more humid than before. The decorative lights had been toned down and with the plants crowding over the path it took a while for my eyes to adjust. As I picked my way forward, I heard whispering from further inside and some inner voice told me not to call out and announce my presence, so I ducked behind an overhanging shrub.
“It doesn’t change what you did,” RJ said with a growl.
“I saw an opportunity.” It was Ralf.
“Look, I need to get back to the party. What is it?” RJ asked irritably.
“I have a proposition for you,” Ralf said. “You want your Oscar movie, let me make it for you.”
“What?” RJ snorted. “You think your brand-new company can make that happen?”
“Naturally,” Ralf said. “Come on, Janice Kittredge’s studio cannot deliver an Oscar campaign to save her life. Your script hasCanneswritten all over it. Janice never even bothersgoingto Cannes. Her focus is so US based, but a movie like yours needsinternationalaudiences.”
“Your company is new,” RJ said, but I could hear a note of interest in his voice. “Untested.”
“True,” Ralf conceded. “But we have the finances, excellent ties with other producers; I’m having lunch with Melroy next week, for example, the guy loves me. Look. We both know how much RJF needs your script to be made to maintain the company’s bottom line. I’m offering you a guarantee it will be madeandget into theatersandbe the awards gold we want it to be.”
“What’s in this for you?” RJ sounded intrigued, not disgusted.
“Like you said, we’re new,” Ralf said. “We have money, but no catalog, no reputation. Thing is, we have a novel adaptation that is box-office gold, I can feel it. You ever heard ofTwin Roses? Think Joe Wright’sPride and Prejudicebut sexier, modern.”
I felt tears spring to my eyes. That wasmyblueprint forTwin Roses.
“You have talent attached?”
“Not formally,” Ralf admitted. “But Sol Rodrigues has expressed interest.”
Thanks to me!I wanted to scream.
