Page 38 of Hot Set

“I’m sorry,” I said. “I didn’t know.”

It was just a little, white lie anyway. Just to bide a bit of time.

My father sighed. “Mark didn’t tell you?” he asked.

I shook my head and shrugged. “He must have forgotten. I mean, hewasbusy that week.”

I glanced behind me, looking for Seth to back up my story, but he seemed to have slipped away when I wasn’t looking. Not that I could really blame him. A confrontation between my father and me probably wasn’t something anyone wanted to be around for. At best, it was uncomfortable.

It was difficult to say if my father believed me. While he often came across as aggressive in business and, I suspected, condescending without meaning to be, he had an enviable poker face. “Well, it’s a good thing I came by…again,” he said pointedly.

“Yeah,” I replied.

He could’ve called ahead. I wondered if this surprise visit was because he was worried that I might make up an excuse to not be around when he arrived. “So, did you want to walk around the set?” I asked, tactfully stepping in the path of where I’d dropped the needle.

“Actually, I wanted to talk about you,” he said.

“Me?” I ran a hand through my hair and managed to stifle the nervous laugh that desperately wanted to spring forth.

“It might have escaped your notice, but it’s time for the yearly charity gala once again. So quick, I know.”

As if anything about the company’s yearly charity galas wasquick. They were always obnoxiously long events, and sure, they were always fineinitially. But my tolerance level for corporate events was…about a New York minute. They were so insincere and ingenuine, and while I loved my father, I’d always felt like company charity events were more about posturing than charity.

“I don’t know if I’ll be able to go,” I said.

My father pinched the bridge of his nose, as he usually did when I frustrated him. But really, he should have already known I just didn’t care at all for business, even the family business. It probablywasclear to him, and he just couldn’t bring himself to admit it. And maybe I shouldn’t complain. Maybe I should go along and follow the family business, but while I didn’t know exactly what Ididwant to do with myself, I did know that I absolutely hated the thought of someday having my father’s position as CEO of a telecommunications company, of all things.

“Brandon, you realize—”

“I know it’s important,” I replied, “But I’m busy here. I have to be around to do things, and we’re really about to wrap things up. I have to be around.”

“For how long?”

“I don’t know exactly,” I said, “We’re making quicker progress. I mean, I’m going to stick this out. I actuallylikemaking films, and there’s a learning curve. But I’m beginning to think I’m good at it.”

Surely, that was worth something, wasn’t it?

“I’d anticipated this passion project of yours taking far less time and costing far less money than it has,” my father replied.

“So did I,” I admitted, “But I’ve stuck with it, haven’t I?”

Stuck with it longer than any other passion project or job I’d had.

“It’s better than nude modeling, right?” I asked.

Usually, bringing that up was a sure-fire way of getting my father to relent, at least a little. But today, he only looked at me, stony-faced.

“Part of learning to run a business is in knowing when to cut your losses,” he said. “You don’t want to keep throwing money into something that isn’t going to make money. That’s just bad business. At some point, you have to realize when you are stuck in a money pit, and cut your losses.”

This was a different argument. Usually, the complaint was that my attention was too fickle.

“Sure,” I said, “But it’s not a business. It’s a—”

“Passion project? For God’s sake, Brandon! Is your goal in life to be a starving artist?” he asked. “You’re well on your way.”

“No,” I replied, “But even successful artists have to startsomewhere, and I’ve learned a lot from this experience. I’ve also been working with incredibly talented people.”

Like Bioncia and Seth. Celeste and Scott. Alex. And so many others who have put in so much time and energy to make thishappen. Of all my passion projects and previous pursuits, this has been the first one that has other people depending on its success. I may never be a businessman, but I grasped a kernel of that responsibility. These people are depending on their checks hitting their bank accounts and having set schedules. They are depending on me to keep things running until we are finished.

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