“Why on earth was a PA, of all people, havinga chatwith Claude Melroy?” Sadie ranted on, as if I hadn’t spoken.
“We ran into him,” I said, fighting to remain calm. “It was entirely coincidental.”
“Well, whatever happened, he is spooked.” Sadie raked a hand through her hair. “Claude has set up a progress meeting for early next week – something I could really do without – and he wants a draft of the script to review beforehand. Is there something we can share?”
“Latest draft is with RJ,” I said. “It took some time for Elliot and me to agree on—”
“Are you fucking serious?” Sadie yelped. “You and Elliot can’t even see eye to eye on what to write?”
“We’re working on it.” I was utterly perplexed. Melroy had been content when I’d left him with Ralf in Nocturne.
Sadie tilted her head. “Look, kid, you’ve got chops, you really do. But filmmaking is a game, okay? It’s a long game with many moving parts. My job is to make sure each part moves the way it should.” She pincered her hands and shuffled them about as if placing game pieces on a board. “Forgive me, if I do not relish you speaking off book to someone like Claude Melroy.”
“Is there anything I can do to bring back his confidence?” I asked desperately. What was it Melroy had said, I’d had ‘neat ideas?’ How had we gone from that tothis? “Make sure that script is everything RJ needs it to be.” Sadie cocked her head towards her office door. “We’re done.”
“I really am sorry.”
“Not as sorry as I am.” Her parting smile was stretched, murderous.
My face aflame, and feeling like a chastised schoolgirl, I slouched out of Sadie’s office into the main foyer. It was humiliating. Sadie’s role and indeed her career trajectory was everything I aspired to and yet I couldn’t seem to stop disappointing her. Was I even capable of impressing her? Of reaching similar career heights to hers? Right now, in the depths of this slump, I wasn’t sure. All around me, RJF employees werearriving, greeting one another happily and settling into their work like they were born for it. I was one of them yet also not. Not for the first time since I’d landed in this country, I felt this undeniable sense of alienation, like a lost ship bobbing around uncharted waters.
“Morning,” I wearily greeted Elliot as I squeezed myself through the problematic door.
“Hey,” he rumbled through a mouthful of bagel. “Heard you had an eventful night Friday.”
I took my seat and opened my laptop as if I had not a care in the world. “I had a nice time, actually, thanks for asking.” That wasn’t entirely true, but I wasn’t going to share that with Elliot.
“I warned you about Fisher,” he said.
“He didn’t do anything,” I said. “It was me Melroy had the issue with, although I can’t fathom why. How did you hear about it anyway?”
“Oh, I got sucked into a crisis call with RJ and Sadie,” he drawled. “Yeah, my mom was super happy I interrupted our Sunday lunch to discuss the potential funding crisis your little date sparked.”
“How was I supposed to know Melroy would be there?” I snapped. I’d said nothing controversial after all. “And I don’t understand any of this – he seemed happy with me when I left. Dare I say, impressed.”
“Good job Fisher was there to clear things up,” Elliot said. “Oh wait, he didn’t!”
“Please stop putting me in the middle of this thing you have with Ralf,” I said.
Elliot shrugged, his eyes shifting, and the crazy thought occurred to me that he might be jealous. But that was ludicrous.
“It feels like you are accusing him of trying to undermine Melroy’s faith in us,” I said.
“I mean, I would not put it past the guy.” Elliot snorted.
“Hang on, so what, Ralf invited our chief investor to a bar so he could parade me in front of him and make him concerned about the script?” I said with a skeptical laugh. “Why?”
“I’m just saying!” Elliot shot back. “Melroy can be skittish, he’s needy. Always worried. Ralf knows that! He must have known that the moment Melroy found out about your presence he would assume the script was in trouble. Ralf should never have exposed you to that situation.”
“I really don’t think he meant to,” I said. Although my words sounded unconvincing in the face of Elliot’s scorn. “Besides, I wasn’t with Melroy long. The cocktails Ralf bought me were so strong, I ended up leaving early.”
Elliot glanced up in alarm. “Did Ralf get you drunk?”
“No!”
Elliot half rose out of his chair. “Are you sure he—”
“Elliot!” I raised my voice. “Chill. I’m a lightweight, not used to New York measures.”
