Page 55 of My Secret Snowflake
Sebastian
Theskyisanaircraft blue outside my office window, deceptively bright despite the chill outside. Still, Iris’s text suggesting lunch has me grinning at my mountain of folders. After introducing Rowena and overhearing Iris tell Ernest they can’t date, I managed to stay away for the rest of Rupert’s party, but it was hard.
A knock sounds on my door, and Bob sticks his head in.
“Do you have the presentation for the board meeting?” Bob asks. “Colby wants to make some changes. He wants to include more numbers about the tax breaks and other incentives New York City offers for filming. We need to beef up how we’re competitive with Albuquerque and, in particular, why the types of movies we make are better filmed here rather than building a city set there.”
I pull up the presentation.
“He says we didn’t go deep enough,” Bob continues. “He thinks Albuquerque will come off as more competitive, especially given all the below-the-line talent that moved there when Popflicks opened its production studio. He wants us to show how the movies set in NYC are doing better than the movies set in small towns.”
“During the holiday season?” I ask, thinking of the ever-present Hallmark Channel movies on at my mom’s house. Those are definitely not set in New York City.
“In terms of revenue,” Bob says.
“We can do smalltown movies in New York State,” I say. “There’s the New York State film tax credit if you shoot in upstate New York.”
“Good. Add that. Here’s his markup. I have another call with our outside employment counsel. And I got the term sheet for Raphael’s severance agreement, although I still haven’t seen the actual agreement.”
“Why was Raphael terminated?” I ask. Raphael had been impressive at the senior management meeting.
“Kevin said he thought he was doing something unauthorized, but he can’t prove it, so he wants him out.”
“Shouldn’t we figure that out?” I ask. “What if he took confidential information?”
Bob raises his eyebrow. “Kevin says Raphael is too good to get caught and we’d be wasting money tracking it down while we’re in the middle of a fight with Albuquerque. We need to show limited spending. Colby said to let it go.”
No way. That’s not the proper protocol. Why would Raphael be doing something unauthorized? He gave me a straight-arrow vibe.
“But that’s one of the reasons I want you to socialize more with the other people in the company. I can’t. I’m too senior,” Bob says. “But I think we’re out of the loop, and I’m not sure exactly what’s going on. I can’t protect the company if I don’t know.”
I flip through the markup. Scratch that—it’s not a markup; it’s a complete rewrite. Do I cancel lunch with Iris? No. I can get this done. Plus, I want to hear what she has to say about Raphael’s departure. I was told to socialize, so socialize I will.
IrisisalreadyatStuffIt, wearing a bright-blue hat. Today’s music is pop. A waiter is wiping down the counter in front of me with a little shimmy to his step.
I go to kiss her on the cheek but then remember that I shouldn’t do that as her work colleague and end up pulling back. She’s kind of turned her cheek so maybe I should? Oh, no. Don’t repeat the other night when she thought I rejected her.
I move in to kiss her cheek, but she shifts. Lips. Pink. Aargh. No. Avert. Quickly. I hit her nose.
Her nose.
It’s a very cute nose, but still.
I’m usually much more polished.
There’s no way to save this. My face heats up.
“Uh, okay,” she says. “Maybe we should agree to just say hello in the future?”
“Yes. That sounds like a good idea,” I say. “Sorry I had to move this back—and that I’m still late. I’m revising the board presentation. Congratulations on your promotion.”
“Interim promotion,” she says. “But I’d rather have Raphael here. Do you know what happened?”
“Let’s order first and then discuss,” I say.
“Good idea,” she says. We place our orders at the counter and then retreat to a table in the back. On the turquoise wall is a drawing inspired by the Day of the Dead, lots of dressed dancing skeletons. Is that now an apt comparison to what is going on at Dream?
StuffIt is not exactly private, but it’s not crowded at two p.m. The usual lunch crowd has cleared out.
