Page 22 of Jace 4Ever
“Still drugging it up.” I shrugged. “We share an apartment. I’m sure that his part of the rent comes from dealing, but I don’t want to ask.”
He also didn’t usually pay the rent and I was carrying the whole apartment. Which was why it was taking me so long to pay the loan back.
Nelson’s hand on mine brought me back to the present and I found him watching me with worry.
“Jace, if you need help of any kind, please ask. If you don’t want to ask me, I’m sure your friends are more than willing to help.”
I smiled. “I’ve got it all covered.”
“The money from the script will help as well.” Nelson nodded, satisfied with himself.
“The what?”
“You think that I’m not going to give you some writing credits if you help? Of course, you’re going on the credits, and with that comes some nice compensation.”
Staring, I could feel a glimmer of hope. I didn’t harbor the illusion it would be any kind of serious money, but if I could pay down the loan, even by a year, that would be a miracle.
Anything to not have to film more porn.
“I do want to help,” I answered. “I’m just…rusty.”
He laughed. “I can almost guarantee that your rusty is a billion times better than the current state of this mess.”
I lifted an eyebrow. “It can’t be that bad.”
It was worse.
Way, way worse. Not the writing, scripts had a format that didn’t really allow a lot of creative exposition. But the plot was just…
“This is shit,” I said, finally. I sat back on the couch. “I mean, the stilted dialogue, the lack of emotion, the lack of connection to the previous incarnation of Xavier…”
Nelson nodded. “I called it hate-fiction.”
“That’s accurate.” I placed the pages of the manuscript on the coffee table. “Take all this hate and channel it into Xander’s character.”
Tapping on the papers, he sucked on his teeth for a moment. “The arc works. That’s the problem. We have to figure out how to save the arc and rewrite the motivations.”
“We also have to get rid of all the dead bodies they assigned to Xavier.”
“Yep.”
I stared at him, sitting on the couch, leg crossed over his knee. “How long do you have?”
“A month.”
I swallowed. This was going to take all the free time I had outside that miserable job. It was also going to be a speedier way out of that job and maybe into some real productions. Running a hand through my hair, I shook my head. “How do you want to do this?”
“What kind of time do you have?”
“Most weeknights, and all weekends.”
Sitting forward, both feet on the floor, Nelson leaned on his knees. “Let’s see what we can get done this weekend and go from there. I don’t want to be the only thing in your life for a month. I know you like hanging out with your friends.” He chuckled. “Hell, I like hanging out with your friends. But let’s see where we stand on Sunday night. Fair?”
“Sure.” I nodded and smiled. “You…uh…you told me to bring a toothbrush. Where should I crash?”
“My bed,” Nelson said.
It felt like there should be more to that statement. “That’s it? Where are you sleeping?”
