half a dozen other things all at the same time. I can see why you did it—you’re both incredibly good-looking, hot men. You’ve been spending all of your time together. I can’t compete with someone who looks as good as that,” I said, gesturing toward Derrick.
Moira took the floor once again, because we had apparently gotten off the track she wanted us to be on. “None of you have asked Mark why he came out here to surprise you.”
Both Derrick and Bill looked up in anticipation of learning something new. Moira pulled something out of her purse and slid it across the table to me. “Happy birthday, baby.”
Both Bill and Derrick groaned in dismay. Both men had forgotten my birthday. I smiled at Moira with a hint of embarrassment but also pleased beyond belief. “Thank you,” I said very quietly to her. I was smiling in spite of the present situation. What she had slid across the table to me was an envelope with a card. I opened the envelope, pulled out the card, and read it to myself, smiling. “Thank you,” I said, rising to give her a hug. “I love you.” Don’t ask me where that last part had come from. She and I had never exchanged such words before, but it was the way I felt.
Inside the card, which was beautiful, by the way, was a gift card for $500 to my favorite online bookstore. She knew that I loved to read and as a student was always spending money on books, so she had picked the perfect gift for me.
“When is the day?” Derrick asked hesitantly.
I wasn’t surprised he didn’t know. Before I could answer, Moira did, “Today. He’s no longer a teenager.”
When Bill heard that not only had he forgotten my birthday but he had also missed my twentieth birthday, something he knew I regarded as a true milestone, he moaned again. I was no longer a teenager. That was important to me. Bill had his head turned away from me so I couldn’t see that he was crying (but I knew). I had lived with the man long enough to know how he worked and to be able to read him.
Moira spoke again. “Mark and I are flying back to LA together tomorrow afternoon. But before we can leave, we have to resolve this mess you two bumbling idiots have created. Now, how are we going to resolve this?”
“Which part?” Derrick asked. “There are so many mistakes I hardly know where to begin.”
“Good. At least you acknowledge that there have been mistakes. If you had said ‘I made mistakes’ I would have been happier, but with you I’ll take what little I can get.” Her words clearly stung the man. The two of them had known each other for a lot of years.
“First, you two are going to hire someone to think for you, since you both seem to perpetually have your heads in the sand. In particular, first, you’re going to hire someone to remind you when the birthday of someone very important in your lives happens. When they remind you, you will both take a day and go out—separately—shopping to buy him a gift and show him that you remember—even though you didn’t—and to show him that you care.
“That’s the easy one. And since I know Mark rather well, I think, I’m guessing that his primary concern is how we can have the two of you continue to work together now that we can’t trust you together. Am I close?”
“Dead on the money,” I answered her. It really was amazing how well she knew me.
“So, boys, what’s it going to be? As I see it, your only real option is to finish filming. I negotiate good contracts, but if either of you walk away at this point in the production you’d lose your shirt, not to mention that you’d be blackballed in the industry for the remainder of all time. Now, since I know Bill rather well by now too, I’m guessing that he suggested or will suggest that option—the option of simply walking away. But, baby, that’s not an option, since you’d lose absolutely everything in the subsequent litigation. It would be messy, and I couldn’t do a thing to help you.”
Bill
Moira took the floor once again, because we had apparently gotten off the track she wanted us to be on. “None of you have asked Mark why he came out here to surprise you.”
Both Derrick and Bill looked up in anticipation of learning something new. Moira pulled something out of her purse and slid it across the table to me. “Happy birthday, baby.”
Both Bill and Derrick groaned in dismay. Both men had forgotten my birthday. I smiled at Moira with a hint of embarrassment but also pleased beyond belief. “Thank you,” I said very quietly to her. I was smiling in spite of the present situation. What she had slid across the table to me was an envelope with a card. I opened the envelope, pulled out the card, and read it to myself, smiling. “Thank you,” I said, rising to give her a hug. “I love you.” Don’t ask me where that last part had come from. She and I had never exchanged such words before, but it was the way I felt.
Inside the card, which was beautiful, by the way, was a gift card for $500 to my favorite online bookstore. She knew that I loved to read and as a student was always spending money on books, so she had picked the perfect gift for me.
“When is the day?” Derrick asked hesitantly.
I wasn’t surprised he didn’t know. Before I could answer, Moira did, “Today. He’s no longer a teenager.”
When Bill heard that not only had he forgotten my birthday but he had also missed my twentieth birthday, something he knew I regarded as a true milestone, he moaned again. I was no longer a teenager. That was important to me. Bill had his head turned away from me so I couldn’t see that he was crying (but I knew). I had lived with the man long enough to know how he worked and to be able to read him.
Moira spoke again. “Mark and I are flying back to LA together tomorrow afternoon. But before we can leave, we have to resolve this mess you two bumbling idiots have created. Now, how are we going to resolve this?”
“Which part?” Derrick asked. “There are so many mistakes I hardly know where to begin.”
“Good. At least you acknowledge that there have been mistakes. If you had said ‘I made mistakes’ I would have been happier, but with you I’ll take what little I can get.” Her words clearly stung the man. The two of them had known each other for a lot of years.
“First, you two are going to hire someone to think for you, since you both seem to perpetually have your heads in the sand. In particular, first, you’re going to hire someone to remind you when the birthday of someone very important in your lives happens. When they remind you, you will both take a day and go out—separately—shopping to buy him a gift and show him that you remember—even though you didn’t—and to show him that you care.
“That’s the easy one. And since I know Mark rather well, I think, I’m guessing that his primary concern is how we can have the two of you continue to work together now that we can’t trust you together. Am I close?”
“Dead on the money,” I answered her. It really was amazing how well she knew me.
“So, boys, what’s it going to be? As I see it, your only real option is to finish filming. I negotiate good contracts, but if either of you walk away at this point in the production you’d lose your shirt, not to mention that you’d be blackballed in the industry for the remainder of all time. Now, since I know Bill rather well by now too, I’m guessing that he suggested or will suggest that option—the option of simply walking away. But, baby, that’s not an option, since you’d lose absolutely everything in the subsequent litigation. It would be messy, and I couldn’t do a thing to help you.”
Bill
Similar Books
