Alan Gray, the attorney for the studio spoke up, directing his attention to Julie.“Well, as you know, the studio is prepared to file for breach of contract.”
“Bullshit,” Julie cut in.“You need her to finish this movie, she’s ready to finish it.I don’t even know why we’re here to talk.”
“We’re here because I have been trying to make this film all week, but your little?—”
“All right, Antonio,” Doug Smit cut in, “we know it’s been a rough week.We’re here to talk about how to get back on track.The studio is willing to rehire Ms.Sparks under a few conditions.”
“Which are?”Julie, asked.
“The cost of delays will be deducted from her salary.”
“That is ridiculous,” her mother snapped.
Marissa shot her a warning glance.
“To what tune?”
“Seventy-eight thousand.And counting, because from the looks of her face, she won’t be returning to film tomorrow.”
Marissa flushed and it took all her willpower to keep from touching her cold sore.
“Again, I’m calling bullshit,” Julie said.“Ms.Sparks clearly has a medical condition that prevents her from working.You give her hassle on this and I’ll have the union and her attorney down your throats so fast you?—”
The attorney held up his hand.“We just need some assurance this won’t be an on-going issue.”
“It won’t be,” Joel said.All the eyes turned to him, some registering surprise.“Marissa will be staying with me for the remainder of the shoot and I will make sure she stays healthy.”
Everyone turned to look from her to Joel and back again and no one said a word for a full three seconds.She sat frozen, not sure how to play this particular scenario.Was she still the sorrowful starlet?For some reason, she felt the part of Joel’s babygirl coming on, but that wouldn’t be right.He said she had to be mature in front of others.
“Well, that’s good enough for me,” Doug said.“Obviously Joel has an enormous stake in getting this picture done right.If he’s taking responsibility, I feel comfortable giving the go-ahead to rehire Marissa.”
Her mom opened her mouth and Marissa tensed, but no sound came out.
“Great.Where do we sign?”Julie asked.
The attorney pulled out a contract and slid it over to her.Julie scanned it and signed, pushing the papers to Marissa and tapping her signature line.She signed without reading it.
Betts stood up and everyone followed suit, shaking hands and leaving the room.
“Julie,” her mother said, “do you really think we had to settle for that?”
Julie rounded on her.“I think Marissa came close to losing her entire career yesterday and I think you’re partly to blame.It’s time to hire Marissa a real manager who can keep her on her game.”
Her mother’s jaw fell open.
Marissa turned and made a beeline for the door.Joel’s warm hand touched her back and she wanted to turn and dive into his arms and hide there.How bizarre.One night playing his baby girl and she’d actually turned into the child he wanted her to be.God, if she’d didn’t watch out, he’d rip the very fabric of her identity from her.
But she could sort through that later.Right now, she didn’t want to have any conversation with her mom, and Joel seemed to be backing her up on her escape.
“We’ll be swinging by Marissa’s place to pick up some of her things because she’ll be staying with me during the remainder of the filming,” he said.
“Oh,” her mother said, her wide blue eyes blank.She could see her mom’s bitchy side warring with her star-worship of the great Joel Sutherland.
Marissa kept walking briskly, imitating Julie’s confident stride.She didn’t look back at her mother or Joel, but she felt Joel’s presence right behind her.She climbed in his car the second he hit the unlock button on his fob.
He sat down beside her and dropped a hand on her knee.“Are you okay?”
She exhaled.“Yeah.Let’s just get going, though, okay?”She didn’t want her mom toddling over to her window and wanting to “talk.”
