Page 214 of My Five Daddies

Mickey doesn’t say anything again. It’s starting to bother me, these fucking pauses. Mickey isn’t the type to not have something to say rightaway.

“Okay then,” he says to me. “Send over the script. I’ll work mymagic.”

“Great. Thanks,Mickey.”

“Sure, kid. Sure thing.” He hangs up the phonesuddenly.

I stare down at my cell for a second, a little taken aback. I don’t know why he was so fucking weird justthen.

Before I can forget about it and move on, the phone starts ringing again. It’s Mickey’s office, and I assume it’s him calling about something heforgot.

“What, missed me already?” I say,answering.

“Jackson, it’s Von.” He’s whispering, but I recognize hisvoice.

“What’s up?” I ask, getting a bad feeling. This is getting tooweird.

“Listen, something’s happening with your movie. Mickey was just in a meeting with that executive and theproducer.”

The sinking feeling turns into a full-on fucking whirlpool. “Whathappened?”

“They’re talking about killing your movie. It’s looking bad. They like what they see from you but the movie is running over budget and the drama with you and Holly isdistracting.”

“Fuck,” I say. “How do you know allthis?”

“Mickey leaves the intercom on sometimes and I don’t remind him to turn itoff.”

“Goddamn,” I say. Von is one sneaky motherfucker, but I’m very, very glad for it rightnow.

“Look, I overheard what you two were talking about, and he’s not going to do it. Mickey is already starting to write youoff.”

“Are you kidding me?” I askhim.

“I’m sorry, Jackson. If I were you, I’d keep my head down and do my work, and start looking for a newagent.”

“That fucking cunt,” I say, angry asfuck.

“You didn’t hear this from me, okay? I like you and think you’re going to be a star if you want to be, so don’t forget aboutthis.”

“I won’t, Von,” I say. “Thanks for the headsup.”

“Good luck.” He hangs up the phone and I have to lean up against awall.

I feel like my head’s spinning. I can’t believe Mickey would betray me like this. But I don’t see any reason why Von would call me and lie. He’s a good kid, likes to fuck with Mickey, but he’s always been honest and nice to me. He’s risking his career by calling me like that, so I have to think it’strue.

That would explain why Mickey was so weird just a minute ago. If he has no intention of selling this script then I’m fucked. Although maybe getting fired from this movie wouldn’t be such a bad thing. If they kill the film, I’ll still get paid for the time I put in, and I can drop this whole Hollybullshit.

But my career will be fucking torched. If a film I’m on gets killed and my agent drops me, that’s going to look really, really bad. Nobody is going to want to touch me after this, and although I never pictured myself acting for the rest of my life, I still want to keep itgoing.

I don’t know what the fuck to do. There doesn’t seem to be a good solution. If I keep pressing forward, I might ruin this whole movie. But if I don’t, I’m stuck with Holly, and that can blow up in my face at anymoment.

Restless and angry, I head to set. I’m going to put my head down and work, at least for today. But I’m far from givingup.

26

Tara

“Icouldn’t do it.”

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