Page 18 of The Ties That Bind
Knowing how emotionally invested Mary was in the success of the second documentary, Brie called her when they arrived home hours later and let her know about the failed negotiations.
Brie had secretly held onto the hope that Mr. Cummings would return with an updated contract the next day, making this call unnecessary. Unfortunately, that hadn’t happened, and Brie didn’t want Mary to hear about it from anyone else.
“What’s up, Stinks? Got some fabulous news to tell me? You’re welcome, by the way.”
She answered truthfully, “I appreciate everything you’ve done, Mary.”
“Wait! Something’s wrong…I can hear it in your voice. What happened?”
Brie let out an anguished sigh.
“They contacted you with an offer, right?”
“They did.”
“Did they insult you with a shit deal?” she growled angrily. “Those mother fuckers…”
“Not exactly.”
Mary was silent for a moment. “What did they offer you?”
“I can’t say.”
“What the hell, bitch? I deserve better than that from you!”
“You do, but I signed a confidentiality agreement.”
“Fuck!” Mary snarled. “I know you can’t say who it is, but did you at least meet the person behind all this?”
“No. I still have no idea who it is.”
Mary huffed. “Are you telling me this was all some fucking ruse?”
“No, I believe the offer was genuine. In fact, it was a good one.”
Mary demanded, “Why didn’t you take it, damn it.”
“There was one issue I couldn’t ignore.”
“Let me guess…you can’t tell me what that is,” Mary snarled.
“Actually, my lawyer said I can.”
“Well? Spit it out.”
Brie sighed heavily, reliving the shock and disappointment. “I asked for final say over the film and they all walked out.”
Her confession was met with silence.
Aware of all the sacrifices Mary had made trying to make this offer a reality, despite Holloway’s displeasure, Brie was prepared for an ugly tongue-lashing.
Instead, Mary laughed. “Damn it, Stinks…I couldn’t be prouder of you than I am right now.”
Brie snorted in disbelief. “Really?”
“Absolutely. You have no idea who’s behind this or what their motives are. Why trust your documentary and reputation to someone who won’t even show their face to you?”
Brie was touched by Mary’s reaction. “After all you’ve been through…everything you’ve risked for me, I thought—” She cleared her throat, her emotions suddenly getting the best of her. “You never cease to amaze me, Mary.”
