Page 24 of Broken Rules

“What would you prefer she wear?”It was a stupid question.I knew the answer.I wanted to hear him say it.I wanted him to come out, point blank, and admit what a pandering asshole he was.

“Grow up,” he spat.It wasn’t the words he used but the way he used them with complete disdain dripping from his voice.“You know what I’m talking about.Short shorts.Low-cut top.A bikini at least once.”

“Dad!”Laughing would only piss him off, but that was the only reaction that came to me.“A bikini?The script doesn’t call for that.”

“Then the script needs to be touched up,” he snapped back.“We have to give people what they want, goddammit.Why are you so obtuse about this?”

“This isn’t some skin flick where the girl with the big tits bends over a car in a wet T-shirt.This is a real, substantial script.”I wasn’t getting through to him.What was worse, I wanted to.“Honestly, I’m pleasantly surprised with what Danica has been able to do, given actual material to work with.Don’t you see that?”

“Then let her make some shitty art house picture when this is finished.”He snarled.“That’s none of my business.My business is making moneynow when we need it most.We don’t have the luxury of sitting back and jerking ourselves off, calling ourselves artists.We are in the business of putting asses in seats and collecting the profit.Understood?”

“I think you’re underestimating the public.”

“I think you’re delusional,” he countered.“Or is this all some ill-conceived rebellion against me?”

It was almost too pathetic.“Right, because everything’s about you,” I retorted.

“I can’t imagine what else it might be beyond you taking leave of your senses.”

Always with an imperious attitude.

Always looking down his nose at me.

“I am making this movie my way.”

He looked genuinely disappointed as he sighed.“Then you are going to be responsible for the death of this studio.”

“Don’t you put that shit on me,” I warned, making his head snap back.It felt good,as if I had finally landed a blow.“This isyourmess you wantmeto fix.It’s not my fault you refused to look farther down the road and see the direction the industry was moving in.Other studios managed to pivot.They ventured into new platforms when you were convinced every new thing that came along was nothing more than a fad.And look at you now,” I concluded, scoffing.

His mouth barely moved as he muttered, “Are you finished?”When his voice dropped, that was when he was most dangerous.“Because I have half a mind to fire you.”

“Explain that to the world,” I pointed out on my way down the row.I’d had enough.If I hung around much longer, I’d end up saying things I couldn’t take back.Somehow, in the middle of my almost blinding outrage, I possessed enough sense to put a stop to things.

“Remember what I said,” he warned.“I can shelve this movie… take it as a write-off.But if I do, that’s going to be the reason I give for the studio’s declining numbers.Bad publicity after a failed project.”

“No one would believe that.”

“Don’t you know by now the public believes what we tell them to believe?”The bastard got the last word, beating me out the door.I waited a few seconds, fist clenched at my sides, forcing myself to breathe slowly.Anyone who saw me looking half as murderous as I felt would know something was wrong.We couldn’t have rumors flying around.

There was only one place to go.She’d be waiting for me.What was I supposed to say?How could I explain it?We had to find common ground somehow, a way to make everybody happy.The problem was, she didn’t give an inch.

There was another problem now.I had seen her work.Rough, unpolished, but damn impressive as it stood and would only get better with editing.It wouldn’t be a matter of betraying her, forcing the sort of changes Dad wanted.I’d be betraying everyone in the cast, the crew.Myself.Because I imagined being proud of the finished product if someone gave her the chance.

I braced myself for whatever was about to happen as I stepped into the building across the lot where our offices sat.My door was closed, the room dark, but that wasn’t where I was headed.She was in her office, the door ajar like she was expecting me.I tapped on it and eased it open.My heart dropped at the sight of her sitting at her desk, her face in her hands, her shoulders heaving.

I made it a point to close the door before going to her.“What’s wrong?Who did you talk to?”Because that was the only reason I could imagine her sobbing like this, almost heartbroken.

She surprised me, though, when she lifted her head and smiled through the tears streaming down her cheeks.“I almost can’t stand it,” she whispered, taking a breathless little gasp.“I don’t know what to do.”

“What are you talking about?”I sat on the end of the desk, staring down at her.“What happened?What did I miss?”

“You saw it.You watched it with me.Oh my God!”She jumped up from the chair, clapping her hands together and lacing her fingers on her head.“Lex, it’s so good, I can barely breathe.I knew it would be.I saw it all in my head the whole time.But it’s… it’s special.Isn’t it?Tell me I’m not imagining this.”

Like I needed things to get worse.“It is special,” I murmured, nodding but dying inside.This was all wrong.It shouldn’t have mattered so much, seeing her like this—beaming, overjoyed, ready to explode now that she knew she was moving in the right direction and her vision would be fulfilled.

“I mean, holy shit.I can barely breathe.Feel.”She reached out and took my hand, placing it on her chest to feel the rapid drumbeat of her heart.“Oh God, I want to start shooting the next scenes.How am I supposed to wait till tomorrow?”she blurted out a high-pitched, almost manic laugh.“This is it.I feel it.”

I couldn’t tell her.It would only break the heart, pounding like mad under my palm.“I feel it, too,” I said, smiling when she did and hating every second.

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