Page 13 of Mistaken Impression

“That’s it.”

She gets to her feet, revealing that she’s around five foot seven tall, and is wearing casual grey trousers and a white blouse. I stand up too, as does Ella, grabbing the folder at the same time, and holding it close to her chest.

“I’m sorry,” she says, biting on her lip, which is only a little distracting, “but what exactly is a floor manager?”

Ruby chuckles. “That depends who you ask. The director would tell you I’m just here to fulfil his or her wishes. My assistant would say I’m here to boss them around. In reality, it’s my job to make sure everything runs smoothly, so we stick to the schedule.”

“And how do you do that?” Ella asks.

“By knowing what’s happening at all times. No-one’s even allowed into the studio without checking in with me first.”

“So, you’re in charge?”

Ruby laughs a little louder. “Hell, no. Kennedy’s in charge. She’s the executive producer, and the buck stops with her. In terms of creating the show, the director calls the shots… quite literally. But I’m the one who makes it all happen. Although it’s probably best if you don’t tell either of them I said that.”

Ella nods her head, although she’s frowning slightly. “What’s wrong?” I ask her and she looks up at me.

“I don’t remember anyone saying they were the director. Or did I miss that?”

I wrack my brain, trying to recall all the names and job titles, but I can’t think who it was either, and we both turn to Ruby, who’s smiling at us.

“That’s because he’s not here. Linus Hicks is our director.” I’m not sure if we’re supposed to recognise the name, but it’s not familiar to me, and judging by the blank expression on Ella’s face, I’d say she’s never heard of him either. “He’s done a couple of cookery shows before, but he made his name in daytime quizzes.”

“Is that significant?” It doesn’t sound like a claim to fame to me, but what do I know?

“It means he’s used to working quickly. The turnaround time on a daytime quiz is next to nothing.”

“I see.”

“When will we meet him?” Ella asks.

“Not until rehearsals start, and then obviously he’ll be here for the recording sessions.” She glances at Ella and then up at me. “Don’t look so worried.” She pats my arm and I try to change my expression, unaware that I’d given myself away so easily. “Linus is a pussycat, and in any case, he’ll be up in the booth. I’ll be the one pushing you around in the studio.”

Ruby doesn’t seem the type to push anyone around, although I’m still surprised that the director won’t be putting in an appearance until so late in the schedule.

“Is it normal for the director not to take part in the planning?” I ask, unable to help myself.

She hesitates for a moment and sighs, shrugging her shoulders slightly. “I wouldn’t say it’s normal, no, but you need to remember, this is a new show. Budgets are tight, and Kennedy’s argument is there’s no point in paying a director’s fee when we can manage perfectly well without him.”

“So what does he do in the meantime? Sit around at home waiting for us to call and say we’re ready for him?” I ask.

She smiles. “No. He’s a freelance, like a lot of directors these days. He has other projects he’s working on and he’s fitting in around our schedule.”

“I see.” I nod my head. “What about scriptwriters?”

“You mean scriptwriter… singular. That would be Gavin. He was in the meeting, sitting next to Vivian.”

“And who was Vivian?”

“My assistant.”

I shake my head. “I don’t remember her… sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s a lot to take on board.”

“Why is there only one scriptwriter?” Ella asks, as though she’d been expecting more. I had too… but I’ve got more experience of this than she has.

“Again, it’s a budgeting necessity. And…” She pauses and we both look at her. She’s focusing on Ella, though, and I wonder what’s coming next. “And Kennedy thought you’d want to have some input into the scripts.”

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