Page 7 of Jason
She was exhausted.With Jason on location in Maine, and the cast and crew on hiatus, Mallory had been completely engrossed in making her latest short film.Meaning, when she wasn’t relaying Jason’s instructions to someone else on hiatus, generally barked out at her because he was always in a hurry, she was filming.
The man could not seem to put down his phone.It was all incredibly stressful, particularly because no one in Hollywood saw her as anything more than Jason’s mouthpiece.She had no authority.
It was very annoying to technically be on vacation and have one’s boss always calling, which she had pointed out to Jason.
“I see your point,” he said.“I’ll pay you double time this week.”
Well of course that had made her perk up, but still.It was the principle of the thing.And she really wanted to focus on her new short film.A small new film company, Morning Moonlight, had seen her last entry in a dramatic short film contest, and had brought her in for an interview.A few days later, they had extended her an offer to join their team.
Mallory was thrilled.She told them she needed a couple of weeks to think about it, but really what she wanted was to finish her current project and show that to them, too.She had lined up an ex-boyfriend to do the camera work and Inez and another mutual friend were the cast.She had only three more scenes to shoot, and the plan was to get them shot before Jason came back.Because when he came back, he’d be crazed with the production of season two and would not leave her alone—she’d learned that the hard way through season one production.Jason thought nothing of calling her at all hours during the production, and in anticipation of that, Mallory had had to cajole her friends into shooting all week, sometimes into the night.
The phone stopped ringing.Thank God.
Mallory fumbled around for her glasses and looked at the clock.It was three thirty in the morning.Three thirty in the God bless morning.She rolled onto her back and heard a crackling.She reached beneath her and pulled out a bag of potato chips.Oh right—she’d been stuffing them in out of sheer hunger because she hadn’t had time for dinner.Apparently, she’d fallen asleep with them.
Where was her phone, anyway?
She swept her hand over her bed.Something under the sheet jabbed her hand.She groped for the offending thing and pulled out her notebook.The spiral end had snagged her.Mallory remembered now—she’d fallen asleep watching an episode ofBad Intentionsand making notes.
The first season had just started airing.Varietysaid it was an intriguing update to the standard crime drama.Vulturesaid it was gritty noir, but offered nothing new.It had a 90 percent rating onRotten Tomatoes.It was agoodshow, there was no doubt.But Mallory thought it could be even better.She thought it could be groundbreaking.She had studied all the detective dramas she could get her hands on and she knew what Jason had developed with this one could be so good.So she’d been watching the episodes, making meticulous notes about things she would have done differently had she directed them.Her plan was to get a few minutes of Jason’s time when he came back to present her ideas.Her goal was to get him to agree to let her direct at least a couple of scenes this season.
All of this was easier said than done.The director, Mr.Cass Farenthold of feature film fame and two Oscar nominations under his belt, did not appreciate feedback.He walked around the set as if he was doing them all a favor by showing up.But from Mallory’s vantage point, he didn’t care enough aboutBad Intentions.During the filming of the last couple of episodes of season one, she’d felt like the series was doing well because of the dedication of the veteran actors, but that Cass was phoning it in.She suspected she knew why, too.An assistant to an executive at Sony Pictures had told her over drinks one night that Sony and Cass had been in discussions for a first look deal, but that Cass had a contract issue with Jason.Meaning, he had to be released from his contract with Jason to pursue the other deal.
She tossed the notebook onto the floor and closed her eyes, drifting back to sleep.But her heart suffered another painful start when her phone began to ring again.She really had to change that ringtone.She spread her hands around her bed, looking for the phone, and found it under a pillow.
“Hello?”she croaked.
“Mallory!”Jason said.He sounded breathless, like he was panicked.
“What?Oh my God has somethinghappened?Is it your parents?Did something happen to your parents?”
“My parents?Why would you say that?My parents are dead, Mallory,” Jason said in a voice that was far too calm to relay such news at this late hour.
“Oh my God!How?”
“A plane crash when I was twelve,” he said matter-of-factly.“You don’t know that?”
How would she know that?It’s not like they sat around the break room talking about their childhoods.“Then what has happened?”
“Everyone is fine,” he said.“Why are you so hoarse?”
She was going to kill him.“It’s three thirty in the morning, Jason, that’s why.Who calls at this time in the morning?You scared the crap out of me!”
“Three thirty in the—oh, man, sorry, Mallory,” Jason said jovially.“Brain freeze.I forgot you were on the West Coast.I’ve been so caught up in things going on here.”
Heforgot?He could be so insensitive at times.“Well it is, and if you don’t mind, I’m going back to sleep.”
“I didn’t think,” he said, talking over her.“I’m out for a run.Beautifulmorning here.”
“I’m so happy that you’re enjoying it,” she snapped.“I was enjoying my sleep.”
“Just makes you feel alive,” he continued, as if he couldn’t hear her.“You know, I grew up here, but I forget how great…”
She didn’t hear what else he said.She had to yawn.And then she sneezed.She rubbed her nose.“Jason,” she tried.
“Did you get that?”he asked.
Was he still talking?She wasso tired.“Get what?”she asked through another yawn.
