Page 3 of The Producer: Aaron

“Hurry up. They are on the warpath.” The pity smile on her face makes me understand how critical the situation is.

***

When I enter the office, I find Tracy, four PRs, and two assistants. Their faces are so severe that it really looks like someone died. They don’t say anything, they just turn the laptop sitting in front of them toward me, and a video of Dakota, drunk and unstable on her feet, appears in front of me.

She wears a red micro-bikini that stands out like an eyesore against her pale skin and blond hair holding a bottle of vodka. She comes across the screen as she is taking a sip and, despite seeing a mile away she is wasted, she is sexy to die for. Too sexy for a young audience like the one that follows the show.

I slump on the chair in front of the desk and lean on the backrest. We had this conversation so many times that I have no more words to describe the situation.

“How pressing is it?” I ask when no one dares to talk.

It is Sharon who nails me on the spot with her gaze. “Enough to think about firing her and doing a recasting.”

I wouldn’t be surprised if she punched me.

“She is the show’s protagonist with a renewed fourth season! We might as well shut down the production. It’s ridiculous to replace the protagonist after the pilot. After three seasons, it’s suicide,” I burst out, raising my voice.

Sharon sits at the desk in front of me. Her long legs wrapped in a pair of elegant pants are within reach to kick me in the face. I think this time, she could do it for real. Her colleagues seem to be holding their breath while Tracy approaches my chair, perhaps ready to intervene if the situation should degenerate.

“Aaron, the girl is out of control. You knew taking aninexperienced kid on board for such an important project was risky, but you wanted her anyway. It’s time to cut her off,” Sharon tells me more calmly than her eyes let shine through.

When we did the casting, we opened it to the public. We sifted through hundreds of girls and when the choice was between two, a famous star and Dakota, the casting director asked for my opinion.

Dakota was perfect in every respect, but it was also her first experience in Hollywood. The risk of her being unprofessional was high, mostly because she was only twenty. She turned out to be a smart girl, able to learn and manage her work perfectly. Her only problem is she can’t keep her private life separate from her professional. The excesses and the wild parties are on all the front pages of the newspapers.

“Where the hell was the assistant we hired to live with her? We pay a person to stick to her all day to keep her out of trouble. Where the hell was she this afternoon?” I cling to anything to avoid making the decision that I already know will blow up the entire show.

We all turn to Tracy, whose face tells me she would rather swallow a live toad than give me the news.

“She resigned a few days ago. She found a better job than babysitting. I can’t blame her, she’s a great production assistant, and she can’t take care of Dakota her entire life.”

“Awesome,” I whisper as I rub my hand across my face.

“Aaron, we can try to turn the news in our favor, but we can’t think of going on like this. If she doesn’t put her wits together, she’ll become a problem to the show and the company. You must consider replacing her or having the writers write her exit from the show.” Sharon’s voice is calm but resolute.

I look up at her. “The exit of the protagonist of the show? She is twenty-three. Why do they continue torturing her with it?”

“Because people are tired of seeing Hollywood stars get drunkand high causing a scene and getting away with it every time. So they focus on those who are repeat offenders. It’s not that others don’t do it. It’s that they know how to hide it better. It seems her mission to get caught in these situations.” Sharon points out what I already know.

I’m not an idiot, just that sometimes I wish the paparazzi would forget about her.

“A recasting could be the solution. We have a list of actresses that could replace her.” The trembling voice of one of the PRs, whose name I do not remember, makes me stare at him.

His face is hopeful, and he has a folder full of photos of actresses who could replace her.

“You’re fired.”

“But…” he tries to object.

“Instead of doing your PR job, you’re doing the casting director’s job. Since you don’t know the difference, lift your ass off that stool and get out of this room.”

Pale as a rag, he walks out of the door, closing it behind him without making a noise.

I glare back at Sharon. “I’m not joking about his dismissal.”

“And I’m not joking about firing Dakota,” she counters.

“What if we made one last attempt by sending her to live with someone who could keep an eye on her?” Tracy proposes, trying to mitigate the situation that is becoming increasingly tense.

---