Page 19 of Shotgun Daddy
“No chit-chat,” Adler said as he cut him off, tapping his pen against the clipboard. “You’re here towork, not to flatter me. Read the first page.Now.”
Reece’s cheeks flushed, but he nodded, flipping open the script.
Who does he think he is?
All the awards and shows in the world doesn’t mean you should be rude.
I hope this isn’t another Timo situation…
Reece looked at the script. The lines were dense, heavy with emotion, and far from the science fiction scripts he’d read back in LA.
Reece took a deep breath, trying to focus, but his mind kept drifting to Faustino. Where was he? Why hadn’t he texted? With all this in his mind, Reece stumbled over the first line, tried to go again, but got it even worse the second time.
On the third attempt, Reece did manage to get the words out in the right order, but he was still distracted and knew that the magic wasn’t there.
“Stop,” Adler barked. “Where’s the intensity? You sound like you’re ordering a sandwich, not facing a murderer.Again.”
Reece bristled. He wasn’t some amateur or rich kid paying his way to the top. Adler didn’t need to talk to him like that. He started over, pushing more feeling into it only for Adler to interrupt him again, his tone dripping with disdain.
“No, no, no. You’re flailing,” Adler said, slapping his hand on his thigh in frustration. “Where’s the depth? Dig deeper, boy. You’re wasting my time.”
“I’m trying,” Reece snapped, stomping his foot. “Maybe if you gave me a second to-”
“Talent doesn’t make excuses,” Adler shot back, stepping closer, looming over Reece. “I’ve trained Oscar winners who didn’t whine half as much as you. Faustino Fendi said you had potential, but I’m starting to think he was dead wrong.”
Adler’s words stung Reece and he stomped his foot once more.
Faustino had set this up for him, believed in him, and now this smug jerk was acting like he was nothing. Reece crumpled the script in his hand as a show of defiance.
“You don’t have to be so rude about it,” Reece spat. “I’m here to learn, not to get yelled at.”
Adler’s eyes narrowed.
“Last chance,” Adler said, his voice full of simmering anger. “Straighten the script out. Give it another shot. It’s either that, or… you know where the exit is.”
Reece had experienced just about enough of arrogant directors, and he wasn’t going to let Adler run all over him like this.
“You know what? I amdone,” Reece protested. He tossed the script onto the table and grabbed his bag before storming toward the door. “Thanks fornothing.”
“Ungrateful brat!” Adler called after him, his voice brimming with anger. “You’ll regret walking out. Trust me. They all regret it!”
Reece didn’t look back. His heart pounded as he hit the street, the cool air doing little to calm him down. He’d wanted this lesson to be a step toward his dreams, but instead it felt like another failure.
All Reece could think about was getting home, curling up with Squirt and his other stuffies, and drowning his frustration in sugary treats and maybe a Disney movie on his laptop screen. Faustino might have been missing in action, but at least his bedroom was a safe haven.
Or so Reece thought…
Reece trudged up the stairs to his room, his bag slung over his shoulder, and a bag of sour candies and several chocolate bars from the corner store tucked under his arm.
The shared house was quiet for once. No jazz blaring from the musicians’ rooms, no clatter of sculptors at work. It felt surreal, but Reece wasn’t about to start complaining.
Reece unlocked his door and was ready to flop onto his bed and forget the day, when suddenly, he froze.
“Hey…” Reece said, his heart beating and his stomach doing flips.
Faustino was there, sitting on the bed, his broad frame and powerful legs looking ominously like he meant business. As his dark eyes flicked up to meet Reece’s, he felt himself go weak.
“Faustino?” Reece repeated, his voice a mix of surprise and relief. “You’re here! I haven’t heard from you in-”
