decent agent—and all before my junior year!”
“Interning,” Mindy repeated, mentally aging Emma down. She couldn’t be any older than nineteen. “Doesn’t that mean working gratis?”
Emma’s lips parted, and her expression paled. Mindy had never seen the color actually drain out of a person’s face before. “I didn’t say—I didn’t mean—” Another quick look at Kayli, and she said low-voiced, “My NDA states that I’m not supposed to discuss anything until release. It’s such an opportunity, and it’ll be great when the picture comes out—doors will open all over town.”
“It’s so incredibly hard to break in,” Kayli said earnestly.
“Oh, I know,” Mindy said, waving a hand. “That’s what everybody says, and I don’t know a thing about the film world,” and watched two faces clear. “I’m just a dancer. Is there any room for me in that story?”
Another exchanged look, and Emma said, “I’m in the middle of rewriting the scene we’re shooting on location on Sunday. Did Mr. Haskell tell you—”
The sound of male voices interrupted them.
“You girls getting along?” Haskell asked in such a patronizing tone that Mindy wanted to clock him with a boom mike.
“Oh, yes,” she chirped, looking past him to Dennis. “That is, Emma’s been telling me the story, and it’s so exciting! ”
“You haven’t seen anything yet,” Haskell said with another of his hurr hurr hurr chuckles. “Listen, we’re gonna be on location right off Sunset Blvd in a few days. It’s been all over Variety . Everyone’s talking about it—talk about free publicity! Would you like an exclusive pass?”
Mindy clapped her hands.
“Danny and I are getting our ducks in a row. Once we close our deal, you get an executive chair at a real location shoot, and afterwards we’ll celebrate. How’s Spago sound?”
“I can hardly wait!” Mindy gave a Paytonish squeal.
Dennis clapped his free hand against his thigh. “Well, I’m gonna build a fire under my guy. I can hardly wait to get in on the fun.”
“Trust me, you won’t be sorry. I tell you, producing films is addictive—there’s no bigger rush. Other than maybe a day in the hay with a cutie.” He leered at Mindy, that ham hand reaching out for another swat, and she made sure her butt was well out of range.
Dennis stepped between them, keeping his cane on Haskell’s side as they exited the sound stage. He looked pissed, Mindy thought—but then his face smoothed out.
Haskell escorted them all the way to the parking lot, gassing on about opportunities and big plans, until Dennis shut the car door.
Neither of them spoke until they drove through the gate, then Dennis said, his voice grating, “I’m sorry that prick got handsy. I wanted to punch him through the window.”
“It’s okay,” Mindy said. “I told myself Payton would love the attention, and promised myself that Mindy would get paybacks.”
Dennis snorted his breath out, his eyes still angry under lowered brows. “Okay. Your call. You’re a damn good sport, I have to say. Especially as that was a shitload of nothing. He may be an obnoxious ass clown, but he’s not stupid. He isn’t going to let me in until he has money in hand.”
“And so I did get paybacks,” Mindy said. “I got pictures.”
“What?” He slewed her way, nearly sideswiped a car, then gritted his teeth. “Hold on. I’ve got a headache the size of Texas, and I don’t want to get us killed.”
Neither of them spoke until he had driven down a couple streets, then pulled into a parking lot behind a mini-mall just off Laurel Canyon.
He put the car in park and turned her way. “Pictures, you say? Of what?”
“Files. In his file cabinet. I sneaked back there while you guys were yakking in the soundstage.”
“God, you’re wonderful,” he breathed.
He cupped his hands around her face, and kissed her. Heat shot from her lips to her toes.
She grabbed his shirt and kissed him
“Interning,” Mindy repeated, mentally aging Emma down. She couldn’t be any older than nineteen. “Doesn’t that mean working gratis?”
Emma’s lips parted, and her expression paled. Mindy had never seen the color actually drain out of a person’s face before. “I didn’t say—I didn’t mean—” Another quick look at Kayli, and she said low-voiced, “My NDA states that I’m not supposed to discuss anything until release. It’s such an opportunity, and it’ll be great when the picture comes out—doors will open all over town.”
“It’s so incredibly hard to break in,” Kayli said earnestly.
“Oh, I know,” Mindy said, waving a hand. “That’s what everybody says, and I don’t know a thing about the film world,” and watched two faces clear. “I’m just a dancer. Is there any room for me in that story?”
Another exchanged look, and Emma said, “I’m in the middle of rewriting the scene we’re shooting on location on Sunday. Did Mr. Haskell tell you—”
The sound of male voices interrupted them.
“You girls getting along?” Haskell asked in such a patronizing tone that Mindy wanted to clock him with a boom mike.
“Oh, yes,” she chirped, looking past him to Dennis. “That is, Emma’s been telling me the story, and it’s so exciting! ”
“You haven’t seen anything yet,” Haskell said with another of his hurr hurr hurr chuckles. “Listen, we’re gonna be on location right off Sunset Blvd in a few days. It’s been all over Variety . Everyone’s talking about it—talk about free publicity! Would you like an exclusive pass?”
Mindy clapped her hands.
“Danny and I are getting our ducks in a row. Once we close our deal, you get an executive chair at a real location shoot, and afterwards we’ll celebrate. How’s Spago sound?”
“I can hardly wait!” Mindy gave a Paytonish squeal.
Dennis clapped his free hand against his thigh. “Well, I’m gonna build a fire under my guy. I can hardly wait to get in on the fun.”
“Trust me, you won’t be sorry. I tell you, producing films is addictive—there’s no bigger rush. Other than maybe a day in the hay with a cutie.” He leered at Mindy, that ham hand reaching out for another swat, and she made sure her butt was well out of range.
Dennis stepped between them, keeping his cane on Haskell’s side as they exited the sound stage. He looked pissed, Mindy thought—but then his face smoothed out.
Haskell escorted them all the way to the parking lot, gassing on about opportunities and big plans, until Dennis shut the car door.
Neither of them spoke until they drove through the gate, then Dennis said, his voice grating, “I’m sorry that prick got handsy. I wanted to punch him through the window.”
“It’s okay,” Mindy said. “I told myself Payton would love the attention, and promised myself that Mindy would get paybacks.”
Dennis snorted his breath out, his eyes still angry under lowered brows. “Okay. Your call. You’re a damn good sport, I have to say. Especially as that was a shitload of nothing. He may be an obnoxious ass clown, but he’s not stupid. He isn’t going to let me in until he has money in hand.”
“And so I did get paybacks,” Mindy said. “I got pictures.”
“What?” He slewed her way, nearly sideswiped a car, then gritted his teeth. “Hold on. I’ve got a headache the size of Texas, and I don’t want to get us killed.”
Neither of them spoke until he had driven down a couple streets, then pulled into a parking lot behind a mini-mall just off Laurel Canyon.
He put the car in park and turned her way. “Pictures, you say? Of what?”
“Files. In his file cabinet. I sneaked back there while you guys were yakking in the soundstage.”
“God, you’re wonderful,” he breathed.
He cupped his hands around her face, and kissed her. Heat shot from her lips to her toes.
She grabbed his shirt and kissed him
Similar Books
