Part 4 (1/2)
”She still p.i.s.sed?”
Addison shook her head and smiled. ”Nah. But, she's not going to be doing any shows for a while. That much I do know,” Addison said.
Jeff nodded. ”You really think you want to approach Bellson with the idea of a story that puts Sandra in the driver's seat?” he asked. Addison shrugged. ”Addison?”
”She could handle it,” Addison said a.s.suredly. Sandra was a talented actor. Addison had no reservations about her ability to carry the weight of the show.
”What? You don't think there's a story in it?” he asked.
”There's a story in everything, Jeff. You know that.”
”True. I get it. You're probably right on the money. Like I said, Bellson will never go for investing in the project without Emma.”
Addison took a deep breath. ”Bellson doesn't own the rights,” she reminded him. ”I do.”
Jeff's head snapped up. ”You want to go it alone?”
”I'm not sure that I want to make a go of it at all,” Addison confessed. ”Em made some compelling arguments,” she snickered.
”You're going to try and write it,” he guessed.
Addison nodded. ”Yeah, I guess, I am. But, first I think we need to see if Sandra would even be interested in that concept. I suspect part of her desire to do it is to get back to working with Em.”
Jeff nodded sadly. ”She misses Emma.”
Addison smiled knowingly. ”Ever going to tell her?” she asked. Jeff's face flushed and then went pale in another instant. ”Just going to play Uncle Jeff and pretend to be her best friend forever, huh?”
”She's been through enough,” he said. ”Besides, that's what I am to her-her best friend. I'm no Dan Starr, Addison.”
”No, I guess not. What makes you think she wants to replace Dan?”
”She doesn't; that's the point.”
Addison considered Jeff silently for a second. ”You love her.”
”Enough to let it be,” he replied.
Addison shook her head. ”Well, be careful with that,” she warned him. ”I thought that way once.”
”What are you talking about?” he asked.
”I thought being her best friend was my role. It is, but it's a lot more than that.”
”Yeah, well, Sandra's not Emma, Addison.”
”Nope. But, Sandra deserves someone to love her and Brody. Dan would have wanted that for both of them.”
”How did this conversation become about me?” he asked gruffly.
Addison shrugged and sighed. ”Maybe it isn't-about you, I mean.”
”Uh... Addison?”
Addison shook her head, got up from her desk and paced toward the window. ”I've never done it without her,” she said quietly.
”Done what without who? Addison?”
”I don't know if I can, Jeff. Worse? Part of me wants to, and that makes me feel like total s.h.i.+t.”
Jeff scratched his brow. ”Lost me.”
Addison took a deep breath and turned back to face her friend. ”Off Screen is Emma,” she said. ”I don't mean she was the star; I mean that she's the entire reason it ever existed. I wrote it for her, for me to tell her in some way that I loved her.” Addison chuckled uncomfortably. ”For me to pretend that she might love me-to imagine it.”
”She does love you.”
”Yeah,” Addison replied. ”Crazy, huh?”
”A little,” he teased.
Addison nodded. ”Thing is, Jeff, this show? Doing this means doing the opposite. Imagining life without her.”
”I think I get it,” he said. ”But, Addison? That's all it is-imagining. Imagining what that might feel like, to lose someone you love. And, besides, how do you know that Jack won't get her happy ending?”
”You sound like you want me to write it,” Addison surmised.
”Well, now you've got me interested,” he admitted. ”So? You want to pitch it to...”
”No,” Addison stopped him. ”Talk to Sandra.”
”You want to try and produce this on our own?”
”Why not?” Addison asked.
”Because it won't be cheap and as much as I love Sandra, Emma's the cash cow.”
Addison coughed. ”Don't let her hear you say that.”
”Oh, you know what I meant.”
”Yeah, and I need you to help me pull this off, so I need you alive.”
Jeff laughed. ”Okay. I'll talk to Sandra. You have some ideas about financing?”
”A couple.”
”Okay. Addison?”
”Yeah?”