Page 25 of Jace 4Ever
Nelson
One Month Later…
Max flipped the last page of the script over and stared at the blank back page. He looked up at me, and then back to the blank page.
“What the fuck, Nelson?”
My happy mood started to crumble. “What? You don’t like it? You think—”
“Why thefuckdidn’t you tell me you could write? Where the hell have you been hiding this…this…Joseph Acer McIntire? This script is amazing and is going to carry us into a three plus contract with the studio. Holy crap, Nels.”
I relaxed into the chair. “We need to cast Xanthippe as soon as possible.”
“I want an unknown for her,” Max said.
“Couldn’t agree more,” I said.
“So who is this Joseph?”
It had taken me three solid weeks to convince him that I was serious about dating him. But finally, on Sunday night, in the doorway as he was on his way back to his place, he agreed. I grinned. “Jace is my boyfriend.”
Max stared at me. “Wait…”
“Come on, man, you know I identify as bi.”
“I…” He coughed. “Right. You do. Forgot. Sorry. So, he’s your boyfriend? What does he do?”
“Key grip.” I smiled. If I had my way, he’d be on every set I ever worked on, but the man was incredibly stubborn and proud, and he wouldn’t give up his gig until he’d fulfilled his obligation.
“What’s his pedigree?”
“Rutgers, worked with di Bartolo while he was there.”
Max’s eyebrows shifted a bit. “Really? Why isn’t he on our payroll?”
“I don’t know, honestly. We’ve only been dating for a month and there’s still a lot to learn.”
Like the fact that I had a panties and garters fetish.
Didnotsee that one coming at all.
“Well, when we get ready to start filming, I want him here. If he worked with di Bartolo as a student, that’s all the references I need.” Max flipped the script back over. “I wish we could take Jeremey’s name off this.”
“We worked with his outline, so maybe we could diminish that? To just a ‘with’ instead of an ‘and.’”
Max tapped his chin. “I’ll see what we can do legally. Does your guy need an advance?”
“Yes, actually.”
“Ten percent good?”
“Wait, what’s our total?”
“One point three, split twenty-forty-forty. If I have my way.”
I did some quick math in my head. “Fifty-two for an advance. That sounds fair.” Sounded like maybe Jace’s money issues might be taking a back seat to his creativity. Which was what I was going for.
He’d spent the last four weekends in my house and I’d given him closet space, complete with hangers and a dresser. I hadn’t missed him bringing all of hisdelicates—as he called them—over to store there. It made me think he had some serious issues at his house. I didn’t like that idea at all. I didn’t like that he’d had the landlord replace his wooden door with a metal one that had a keyed deadbolt.
