Page 15 of Absolute Certainty
JAY
3
SAHAR
Shit. I should be done with PT after 3:45 would you be willing to hang around? If not, I have a matinee on Wednesday and can meet you during your lunch around noon.
JAY
I can make Tuesday work.
SAHAR
I’ll meet you at the coffee shop?
JAY
Sounds good.
SAHAR
Perfect! See you then. And to clarify, because this sounds daunting, me picking your brain isn’t because there’s anything bad, but because you managed to make me care so deeply for these characters that I need to know everything.
I don’t sugarcoat,she had said to him. Well, maybe she should have. Perhaps she should tell people what they want to hear because that way, they wouldn’t think she was only palatable in small doses.
Maybe she shouldn’t tell him that she strongly believed Katherine shouldn’t die in the end.You want him to run, too?
Ugh, but she really liked having someone to talk to about films—someone who knew the artistry of writing and directing, too. Someone who was passionate and willing to listen.
Absentmindedly poking at a bruise on her thigh, she thought about what she’d say to him. Maybe she’d start by asking why he wanted to tell this story in the first place. In addition, picking his brain in person would help her see his perspective and get a better understanding of the story he wanted to tell. Still, if Jay wanted to get this screenplay out there again, he’d have to change the story substantially.
She’d heard whispers of how scrapped content generally never resurfaced again. But Sahar already wanted toseeit. She wanted him to have a second chance.
And for reasons she couldn’t quite understand,she, too, felt tethered to this story.
Sahar walked downto the coffee shop, where Jay was already standing outside, waiting for her.
“Hi,” she said, her voice sounding far more chipper than she wanted it to.
A barely-there smile played on his face. “Hey. Did everything go well with your appointments?”
Jay could be dry at times. Prickly, but he was generally courteous with Sahar. She wondered if it was his default with everyone or…
“Yeah, routine stuff. Would you want to walk to Bryant Park? Or we could stay here.”
He eyed the coffee shop. “I’d prefer to be away from here,” he told her.
Nodding, she led the way as they swerved around people and pigeons.
She wanted to ask why he chose this coffee shop of all places, because although she knew that artists often had side jobs in this grueling industry, she couldn’t imagine working anywhere near the Theatre District if she wasn’t doing a show. It was a tourist trap, and Jay was the last person who seemed to get a kick out of crowds.
Exhaust smoke from a passing car wafted unpleasantly through her nose, and she paused, clearing her throat. “Hey, so question,” she said as they reached a hectic intersection. “Why Amanda’s of all places? I would imagine you’d rather work somewhere quieter.”
A huff of laughter rumbled out of him. “It’s a long story. I’ll tell you when we don’t have other people breathing down our necks.”
Huh. He didn’t seem upset by her asking, but a long story made her waver. She gave him an understanding smile before the pedestrian signal indicated that they could continue walking.
New York City was always loud and bustling, yet Sahar always appreciated the pace. It was a stark difference from LA,where people lingered. It was also vastly different from London, even with their similarities. Here, most people had places to go and people to see. And thankfully, theymoved.
