Page 3 of Jason
“I got a job!And I amsobroke.But I’m confident that’s about to change,” she’d said with a wink and all the optimism of a genie in a bottle.“For the record, I don’t mind doing your laundry.It’s something to do.Also, I felt like your closet was a pressing need that definitely should be addressed, so I addressed it.I can be ready in ten.”
“What about my dress?”Inez shouted after her.Mallory laughed.
They went to a nearby Mexican restaurant they frequented.Mallory ordered margaritas and filled Inez in on the details of her job.“It’s the executive assistant to the CEO of a production company.But he also happens to be the executive producerandthe showrunner for a project that was just greenlit by Netflix.It’s perfect!It is exactly in line with my goals.Allmy goals.”
“What’s the show?”Inez asked curiously.“Film?Series?Documentary?”
“A series.I checked it out—it’s already gotten a lot of buzz in the trades.It’s a gritty detective drama that explores the dark side of humanity,” Mallory intoned with the dramatic flare of a program announcer.“It’s calledBad Intentions.”
That’s when fortune’s smile dimmed.Inez looked up.Her big brown eyes narrowed into near slits.“Did you just sayBad Intentions?”
“Yep.I said those exact words.Bad Intentions.”
Inez wrinkled her nose and stabbed some lettuce onto her fork.“Is the CEO named Jason by any chance?”
“What?Why?”
Inez looked at her.
“Yes.His name is Jason with Blackthorne Entertainment.How did you know that?”
Inez shook her head and stabbed more lettuce.“You don’t want that job, Mallory.”
Wellthatwasn’t true—Mallory wanted this job like she wanted to breathe.“Yes, I do.”
“You don’t.”
Mallory put her fork down and sat back, staring at her friend.“I reallydowant this job.I want it so bad I’m about to pop.”
“Please don’t pop in my dress.”
“What exactly is the problem, Inez?This is what I’ve been looking for.It’s an opportunity to learn about every aspect of making a show.I am so lucky to have stumbled into a job with a company that actually has some irons in the fire.It’s kismet.It’s like I’m in class and going to lab and learning how to do everything.So yeah, if you ask me, this job is pretty perfect.”She picked up her margarita to toast Inez’s margarita, but Inez didn’t budge, so Mallory reached across the table and clinked glasses on her own.“Come on, Nezzy!Be happy for me!I have experience.I have film credits, I have directing credits—”
Inez pointed her fork at Mallory’s nose.“First, don’t call me Nezzy.My brothers used to call me Nezzy when they were terrorizing me.Second, you donothave directing credits.Seriously, Mallory, you can’t claim directing credits from YouTube short films that you posted to an audience of like, what, fifteen views?”
It was more like twenty-five views, but Mallory wasn’t going to argue.It really only came down to a matter of the right marketing.“Never mind that.I am very interested in this job.I’ve been working in this industry for ten years and I’m very good at what I do.”
One of Inez’s dark brows rose up with skepticism.
“Okay, not the acting part,” Mallory amended with a dismissive flick of her wrist, although she still didn’t believe she wasthatbad.She thought back to some of her more iconic roles—Girl No.2 on the subway.Bar customer.It was different for Inez.She had sleek black hair and soulful brown eyes and a lot of talent.Whereas one casting director had told Mallory that no one wanted an actress with short blonde hair, and to lose ten.“But Iamgood behind the scenes,” she insisted.“And I want to direct.I am agooddirector.I know how to tell a story and all I need is a break.So why shouldn’t I go for it?I did some research on this show.Netflix is putting some money behind it.They started filming the first season last month.See how perfect it is?”
Inez put down her fork.She pushed her plate away, folded her arms in front of her, tossed her dark hair over her shoulder in the same manner that had won her the role as the office receptionist in a major motion picture starring Ryan Reynolds and Rebel Wilson.“I’m going to explain to you why it’snotperfect, and don’t argue.The CEO of Blackthorne Entertainment is Jason Blackthorne.And he’s notorious.”
Mallory gasped.“He’s a predator?”
“No!”Inez scoffed.“Well, I don’t know, maybe he is.I don’t know about that.I mean he’s notorious for going through assistants like you go through chocolate.”
Mallory was slightly offended, but honestly, she could motor through some chocolate.“That’s just Hollywood.Everyone is hard to work for,” she tried, but Inez was already shaking her head.
“He has a bad rep, okay?He’s one of those workaholics you hear about—all day and all night and expects his assistant to do the same.He drives them into the ground and then, of course, he gets all the credit.”
If that’s all it was, Mallory could handle it.She’d survived two “hippie parents” who were really neither hippies nor parents.“Not scared,” she said pertly.“I can pour myself into a job with the best of them.What else you got?”
“I heard this story of him sending an assistant to Canada to get a certain brand of flannel jackets for a scene.Not just any flannel would do.”
Mallory shrugged.She understood that, actually.When one was creating art, one could not use inferior materials.
“In the middle of winter.”
