Page 103 of Now or Never

“You’re a turd,” she said.

Literal gasps went up. The first AD, gaffers, and talent all gaped at her as if she’d lost her mind.

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me,” she said, nodding. “A turd. An asshole. A douchebag. A selfish bastard. You don’t care about anyone but your self and your job. You never even came to see Ben after his surgery, and you’ve been here the whole time! You will never change. And I fucking hate you,” she said, screaming the last two words.

Jasper looked around at the people staring at them, then yelled, “Take five,” but few people moved.

“In case you weren’t sure, I quit. I’m honestly not sure why I ever even agreed to work for someone like you. Even for a few days. It was hell. You’re the worst.”

Jasper’s nostrils flared. “Got it. Leave. Now.”

Chelsea nodded. “I want you off my property as soon as you’re done here, and not a second later.”

Jasper’s jaw clenched. “Fine. You done now?”

Chelsea smiled and shook her head. “One more thing. You’ll be hearing from my lawyer. I want the child support you’ve never given your son, since you’re just such a selfish asshole.”

“He never paid you child support?”

Chelsea’s head whipped over to Vincent, who she’d just realized had been listening to the whole thing. She shook her head. “Only a few hundred bucks here and there.”

She looked back at Jasper. “Now I’m done.” She turned and started walking away when Vincent’s voice broke through again.

“Wait, Chelsea,” he said. “I’m coming with you.”

She stopped in her tracks and spun around. Vincent was already busy packing his equipment up.

“What?” Jasper said in a vicious tone.

“Yeah,” Vincent said dismissively. “I hate you, too. I have no respect for someone who abandons their child, and I’m way too damn old to be spending time with someone I have no respect for. I’m going with her.”

Chelsea looked around at the rest of the crew, all in shock. She’d never seen so many unhinged jaws.

“You can’t be serious,” Jasper said. “You signed a contract—”

“Sue me,” Vincent said, flipping his camera case closed and hoisting it up, then looking Chelsea dead in the eye. “Ready?”

Chelsea smiled and nodded, then they walked off the set together to her house.

“I can’t believe you just did that,” she said once they were out of earshot.

“Your words were very inspiring,” he said, then stopped and looked her in the eyes. “I want to make your movie.”

Chelsea stared at him, hardly able to believe what was happening. She couldn’t form words.

“Look, I know this is scary, but I can help you through it and shoot it for you. I have about a million contacts in the industry. I can get us in front of some investors, or we can just do it on the cheap. Your call. But I want in.”

How could this be happening right now?

“You’re not saying anything,” Vincent said with a laugh. “Maybe you want to do it alone, and I respect that. But I’d love ifyou’d take me on board. Your script really stuck with me. I can see entire scenes. I have ideas for lighting, sounds, locations . . . I know the perfect place to film the office scenes.”

Was her idol really asking her if he could help make her movie?

Vincent laughed. “Do you want to see my resumé? I’ll need to update it. It’s been a while since anyone’s asked for it.”

“Oh my God,” she said, her face splitting in two. “Of course not. You really want to make this with us?”

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