Page 80 of Lucky Star

“I appreciate the offer, Shanna. Really, I do, but I’m not sure that’s the best thing for me at this point in my life. I respect you, but—”

“Oh, I should have been clearer.” She sighed impatiently, more at herself than at my response. “I always do this. What I mean to say is, I’m starting my own production company. I want to make movies for women, by women. I’m tired of people believing only men can make good movies, and I think you have a lot of experience that would be beneficial to this venture.” She paused dramatically, letting her words sink in.

I didn’t respond right away. How could I? The offer was entirely unexpected. Shanna was driven and ambitious, but if you’d asked me back when I was working for her coordinating parties and philanthropic events if she’d follow in her famous husband’s footsteps, I would have said no. Shanna had absolutely no patience for dealing with sycophants and prima donnas, and it was precisely those types of people who made up the majority of Hollywood. Broderick could barely hold it together in meetings, and he was much more used to people trying to kiss his ass in order to curry favor. Picturing Shanna tell a bunch of brownnosers to get their faces out of her ass made me giggle.

“Did I say something funny?”

“No, not at all. I was just picturing you telling a room full of sycophants to get their brown noses out of your ass.”

She chuckled wryly. “Yeah, you might have a point. Still, this is what I’ve decided to do with my time. People don’t see women in their fifties doing anything beyond throwing parties for their more successful, more powerful husbands. Frankly, I’m sick of it. I have an MBA from Wharton, and I’ve raised millions of dollars for others. Hell, I’m the reason Broderick was able to strike out on his own to begin with.”

“Oh, I don’t doubt you’re capable, it’s just—and I don’t say this to be rude—but I don’t know if you have the patience to deal with the type of people that cross Broderick’s path every day.”

“Yes, well. I can be much more diplomatic than he, don’t you think?”

I didn’t know if she was asking me rhetorically or expected me to answer, but either way I stayed quiet. Of the two of them, Shanna was the one you never wanted to cross. Broderick was an asshole used to stomping around until he got his way, but Shanna would cut a bitch and not even blink. While Broderick threw temper tantrums and moved on as quickly as he’d erupted, Shanna never forgot a slight.

“Don’t get me wrong, the fact that you don’t suffer fools lightly is one of the things I love most about you, but if I’m going to work for you, I need to know you’ve thought this through. I mean, really done your due diligence and know what it is you’re getting into.”

She snorted, and I knew if it’d been anyone but me saying this she probably would have hung up by now.

“I know what I’m doing, and I know what role I want you to play in this enterprise. I’m hitting send right now on an email that has more information, and I’ve overnighted some additional paperwork for you to go over. A full contract, payment information, healthcare … that sort of thing.”

“Can I ask you something?”

“I’d be concerned if you didn’t,” she responded matter-of-factly.

“Are you doing this because Broderick had to fire me, and you feel bad, or do you really want me to come work for you?”

“I had paperwork drawn up well before news of your relationship with Cameron went public. I’ve been threatening Broderick for weeks that I was going to hire you out from under his nose just like he did to me. While I’m sad it had to come to this, his loss is my gain. At least I hope so.”

I had no doubt Shanna would have helped me find a job, but knowing she wanted me on her staff even before the proverbial axe had fallen went a long way to boosting my self-esteem.

“And just so we’re clear, Sarah, I’ll never ask you to hide or be anyone other than who you are. You’re a smart, talented, wonderful woman, and I’d be lucky to have you come work for me.”

That was the difference between Shanna and Broderick. He cared about people in so far as they could help him, while his wife actually went out of her way to protect and uplift those she valued.

Not for the first time I wondered what kept their marriage on solid ground. Broderick must have had some hidden depths those who worked for him weren’t privy to. I’d gotten as close to the family as an employee possibly could, and I still didn’t have it figured out.

“All right. I’ll talk this over with Cameron, and if he’s on board and everything looks good, I’m in.”

“Yes!” She shouted, and despite her high level of polish and sophistication, I could picture her dancing around whatever room she was in, hand thrust high into the air in a sign of victory. Shanna liked to win like no one else I’d ever met.

Readopting the mantle of sophisticated businesswoman, she said, “I think you’ll find the paperwork in good order, and if there’s anything you have a question about, don’t hesitate to ask. I don’t want you to feel like you’re taking something because you have to. Remember, I wanted to hire you before any of this got out.”

“Got it,” I responded. “And thanks Shanna, I appreciate it.”

“No problem, kiddo. Talk to you later.”

The phone went silent, and I did a little victory dance of my own. In the span of thirty minutes I’d gone from persona non grata to hired by someone I admired and respected.

There were worse ways to start the day.

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