Part 16 (1/2)
Jenny asked about the contract length for those who were chosen from the audition.
”Six months to a year. Depends on the dancer's schedule, and how much we like them.”
Bailey knew what her mom was thinking. If they auditioned that summer, and if by some act of G.o.d they were chosen for the cast, they'd miss at least the first quarter of the next school year. Her mom looked concerned about the possibility.
When the meeting with Sebastian was over, they walked to Ellen's Stardust Diner at 51st and Broadway, in the heart of Times Square. The place was a fifties-style hamburger joint with homemade malts and the smell of fresh french fries cooking in the back. The best part was how the wait staff sang while they worked. The music to one favorite hit song after another filled the place as the waiters took turns belting out the lyrics.
They found a table near the middle of the room and were just opening their menus when one of the waiters walked by singing ”Love Me Tender.” The guy had dark hair and striking looks, and his voice was incredibly trained. Tim leaned in toward the others. ”What's he doing here? He should be down the street at one of the theaters.”
Jenny nodded. ”He was. He played Danny's understudy in Grease last year when we were here. This is where a lot of them work between shows.”
”Except him.” Connor pointed to a tall, curly-haired guy flirting with a table of teenage girls. ”He can sing like crazy, but he's been here every time we've come.”
Bailey watched the guy and wondered about him. They'd talked to him last time they were here. He explained that he made pretty good money, enough to survive. ”And I'm doing what I love. Singing on Broadway.”
The thought made Bailey shudder then and now. It was one thing to perform on a stage at a famous theater in town, but to perform while serving burgers and fries? There had to be another way to stay involved with theater - teaching with Katy at CKT back home, maybe. She would never want to live here that badly.
”You know?” Tim grinned at them. ”This is the first place I'll apply when I move here. If I never get a part, this would be great.”
Bailey glanced at him and then lowered her gaze to her menu. Tim's comment confused her. Her main attraction to him had always been the number of views they'd shared in common. But now ... Was this really how he saw his future? Here in New York City no matter what? Even if it meant waiting tables for years after he got a degree? Bailey couldn't imagine living here more than a few years. After that she'd want a place like Bloomington, where she could marry and raise a family.
They were halfway back to the hotel when her phone vibrated in her coat pocket. She checked it and her heart skipped a beat. It was a text from Cody.
JUST THINKING ABOUT YOU. YOU STILL IN NEW YORK?.
His message lifted her spirits more than anything all night. She thought about not texting him back, especially because she was with Tim. Or was she? She looked at him, again walking a little ahead of her, taking in the barrage of sights and sounds and barely aware of her. He wouldn't notice if she turned and walked the other way, let alone if she texted Cody back. She kept up with her mom and Connor and turned her attention to her phone.
YES. BUT IT'S NOT LIKE I REMEMBER IT. I'D RATHER BE THERE WITH YOU.
She sent the text and then felt her cheeks grow hot. There were a couple of ways he could take her message. She meant she'd rather not be in New York City at the moment. Not that she'd literally rather be with Cody. Right? She pushed back her guilt and lowered her phone to her side just as another text came in.
LET'S HANG OUT WHEN YOU GET BACK. I MISS YOU. I STILL WANT TO TALK.
Her mom slowed her pace a little so she was right next to Bailey. ”Who're you texting?”
Another wave of guilt washed over her. Tim was still up ahead, talking to Connor. Even so, Bailey spoke barely loud enough for her mom to hear. ”Cody.”
Her mom didn't ask anything else. She only gave an understanding nod and slipped her arm around Bailey's shoulders, and the two of them kept walking.
Bailey thought about Cody's invitation. If she texted him back, he'd for sure think she meant she'd rather be with him. She pictured him, his phone in his hands, thinking about her and in as much time as it took her heart to skip a beat she knew exactly what she'd meant by her text. She swallowed hard. Again she lifted her phone so she could see it and she texted him one more time.
I'D LIKE THAT. I MISS YOU TOO.
She sent it before she could change her mind. Then she slipped her phone back in her purse. This was wrong, texting Cody while she was with Tim, and she ordered herself not to text him again tonight. But she felt lighthearted and giddy, unaware of the city sounds around her. Her guilt didn't come close to the thrill of what those few texts meant to her. Suddenly she couldn't wait for what lay ahead for her. Something she never thought would happen again.
The chance to hang out with Cody one more time.
Eighteen.
THE NTM MEETING HAD BEEN POSTPONED five times, and now at the end of April they were finally being ushered down an impressive hallway to the office of Ace L. Rustin, VP in charge of theatrical development for the studio. Keith tried to maintain a calm exterior, but everything about the afternoon had been surreal - from the private parking that had been arranged for them ahead of time to the walk down the studio's Brandon Paul Avenue to the framed posters of one hit movie after another. All that and the actual meeting hadn't even started yet.
A secretary held open a door and led them into a boardroom with a table longer than any Keith had ever seen. Give us peace, G.o.d. You opened this door. Let us walk through with Your confidence. He felt himself relax a little.
Besides him, their group was made up of Chase, Kendall, Stephanie Fitzgerald, and Luke Baxter, the lawyer Dayne Matthews had suggested. The five of them took seats across from each other at the front end of the table.
”I can't believe we're here.” Chase folded his hands and kept his voice to a whisper.
”Don't talk like that.” Stephanie wagged a finger at him, chastising him even while her eyes sparkled. ”G.o.d did this. You're a child of the King!”
Keith wanted to add his own disbelief. This was NTM Studios, which meant he and Chase were doing well to breathe, let alone sit upright. But he kept his comments to himself. It was important that they stay on their game. NTM executives would certainly be on theirs.
In fact, a detail bothered Keith - a detail he hadn't mentioned to anyone but Chase, and even then only in pa.s.sing. The series of delays with NTM had raised red flags in Keith's mind. Not once had they expressed hesitation or uncertainty about meeting Keith and Chase.
”If Brandon's interested, we're interested,” Ace had told Luke Baxter. ”It's merely a matter of getting our schedules lined up.”
If Luke had doubts, he hadn't said anything. But for Keith the whole set-up seemed a little too easy. NTM didn't need him and Chase. They had Brandon contracted for at least one more movie deal. It would be easier and more cost effective for them to find a fresh screenplay written by one of the writers in the NTM stable. In every possible way, it would be wiser for NTM to find a way around the producers, to convince Brandon to take another project, one where there were no authors or outside producers to slice up the pie with.
The door opened and Ace L. Rustin strode in. Keith had heard about the man, how he carried an aura that left people ready to agree with him. Now Keith would have to say his contacts had downplayed the reality. Ace was tailed by two a.s.sistants, men with clipboards and notebooks. They took seats on the far side of Keith and their group, while Ace moved to the head of the table.
He leaned forward and shook their hands, looking each member of their group in the eyes. Then he sat down and grinned. ”Looks like we've got a lot to talk about.”
”We do.” Luke had a proposal in his notebook. He didn't bring it out just yet. ”We have a project we want to develop, as you know.”
”And Brandon wants nothing more than to star in it.” Ace nodded confidently. ”I'm well aware of the situation and excited to get things going.” He raised his hands and let them drop back to the table. ”I mean, how often does Stephanie Fitzgerald walk into your studio looking to make a movie deal?” He laughed a little too hard, a little too easily. He looked at the author. ”How'd you hear about Brandon?”
”We're friends. Met on a set a while ago. Last thing I expected.” Stephanie chuckled and launched into the story. Keith had heard the short version, but this time Steph drew out the details. The end result was a situation that felt nothing short of a miracle. Even to the typically jaded NTM folks.
The connection started when Stephanie was on the set of the first movie made of one of her novels. She was sitting on the tailgate of an electrical grip truck one evening, watching the crew film a scene in the driveway of the set house when she got a text from Brandon. ”I like texting same as the next girl.” Stephanie laughed again. ”He'd already contacted me a few weeks before that and told me he loved my books. Now he was just saying hi.”
I'M ON THE SET OF MY MOVIE, she texted back. THIS STUFF IS HARDER THAN IT LOOKS. MAKES ME APPRECIATE YOUR LIFE.
HEY, he responded, SOMEONE NEEDS TO MAKE UNLOCKED INTO A MOVIE.
”I remember smiling, because here was Brandon Paul knowing my books like they were his own.” Stephanie enjoyed herself, telling the story for all it was worth. ”I texted him that there was in fact a lot of interest in making Unlocked into a movie. His next message came almost immediately.”
WHAT??? JUST REMEMBER THIS. I WANT TO STAR IN IT.
”I looked at that text and sort of shook my head. Crazy kid, I told myself. He probably had his future tied up to a dozen movies without starting in one of mine. But the next day Brandon's agent calls.” She laughed. ”Turns out he was serious. More than anything he wants to be in Unlocked.”
Ace listened, smiling politely, engaged by the story. He looked at Keith. ”Sorry, now ... How did you and Chase get involved?”
This was what Keith had feared. It was one thing that Brandon wanted to star in a movie based on a bestselling novel. But the fact that the novel was already optioned by a couple of no-name producers? What major studio would want a part of that scenario?
Chase cleared his throat. ”We were contacted several months ago by Ben Adams and his daughter, Kendall.” The two didn't need introducing in Hollywood. ”We were told by Kendall that Stephanie wanted us to produce Unlocked.”