Page 125 of He's The Reason Why

“The studio isn’t concerned with other funding sources you may have available unless they attach a lien on the property. What the studio is concerned with is a return on their investment. Either find your own money to replace what the studio has lost, or cancel Ms. Bellamy’s contract and get someone more appropriate, such as Rachel Morris. She contacted the studio to let us know her availability matches your shooting schedule.”

He clenched his jaw so hard his teeth hurt. “Thatis not an option.”

“Fine. Then please send me the adjusted numbers showing how you plan to recoup the lost funds within the hour. The studio is expecting an update.”

John tapped something in the background.

Blake imagined it was the spreadsheet with his movie numbers displayed like accounting porn. “I can’t send the numbers until tonight. I’m literally on set right now.”

“Yo, Blake,” Wally Andrews, his director of photography, shouted. He was reed-thin, and dressed like a teenager in old jeans, worn-out T-shirts, and a Dodgers cap that he usually had on backward. “Ready when you are!”

Blake held up a finger to indicate he needed one more minute.

“What time tonight?” John asked in an efficient I’ll-put-that-on-the-calendar tone.

“If we don’t do it now, we have to break for lunch,” Marshall shouted.

“It’ll be late.”

“Which is what time exactly?”

“Two. I’ll have them to you by two a.m.” He flipped the time out there without thinking. It was an asinine thing to say, but he had sixteen things pulling at his attention, and he was tired of being polite to the one trying to break him in half.

“Fine. Two a.m.,” John said.

Blake resisted the urge to swear, barely.

“Blake!” Marshall shouted again.

“Coming.” Blake gave him a thumbs-up. “Positions!”

“Places, everybody!” Wally called out to the group. “Remember you’re in a bar in Vegas, not a frat house in Jersey.”

“And, Mr. Ryan?” John cleared his throat, seeming to sense he didn’t have Blake’s undivided attention. “You should know that the deadline on this project is non-negotiable. If you do not get the final print to us by the first of March in time for a summer release push, I’m authorized to inform you that the studio will pull this project back into development, where it will remain indefinitely.”

“I don’t miss deadlines.” Blake picked up the table that had today’s shot list on it. They had two major scenes to do today, with four parts each. They were never leaving at this rate.

“Thank you for your time, Mr. Ryan.”

The call clicked off.

Blake made sure it was really disconnected, then stuffed the phone in his pocket with an exasperated sigh. Did his mother have to deal with crap like this? When he’d made the original deal with the studio last year, he’d had no idea it would come with this kind of puppet master.

It had seemed so easy, at the time.

Do the animated movie, get a studio’s marketing power, a movie budget, and shot at director.

It had been a no-brainer.

Right.

He never should have made that deal. They thought they owned him now.

“Who’s under contract?” Piper asked behind him.

He spun around, not realizing she’d been standing there. How much had she heard of the conversation? Most of it, he decided, if she heard the contract part.

Thankfully, she couldn’t hear what John had said, thanks to whoever invented headphones.

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